Taylor

"With software there are only two possibilities: either the users control the program or the program controls the users. If the program controls the users, and the developer controls the program, then the program is an instrument of unjust power." - Richard StallmanThis quote is likely the most famous from Richard Stallman and encompasses well the primary argument made for 'free software,' which is more of a political philosophy regarding the treatment of software users rather than a philosophy ...

Relative PrivacyIn a previous, more lengthy article of mine, I explored in depth why privacy cannot be understood merely as something with a singular essence.  This is an idea which Daniel J. Solove develops extensively, but the difficulties in coherently defining privacy boils down to two main points:A definition which includes only information you consider 'intimate' can be either too narrow or broad and varies greatly depending on who you askA definition which includes 'the right to be left a...

Welcome to Part II of this guide, if you missed Part I, you should check that out first.Okay, So Some Assembly is RequiredThe following suggestions require some effort, although minimal, and require no upkeep once you get them going. As a result, these tools are a bit more powerful in locking things down.Firefox Profile MakerIf you are using Firefox (you should), then the FF profile maker allows you to easily adjust your browser's about:config file with pre-set privacy oriented settings and expl...

It used to be the case that you had to sacrifice quite a bit of your time in order to properly consider your privacy online. Once Google Chrome took the internet browser scene by storm, it was hard to justify using anything else to browse the web considering the performance and convenience that you had to give up in order to use an alternative.Today, many people are wary about just how much Google and Facebook know about you and how much they track you, most recently with the Cambridge Analytica...

Seeing Both SidesThe internet is a place ripe with extreme reactions to just about anything. A short browse on almost any social space will be full of vitriol regarding some topic or another. It is a hotbed for extremism, and too often people do not practice critical thinking, which is incredibly dangerous in a place that is such a firehose of information that can be easily manipulated, poorly reasoned or sourced. A majority of the arguments you see on the internet involve the act of both sides ...