Skip to the main content

Berkman Buzz: October 21, 2011

A look at the past week's online Berkman conversations

If you would like to receive the Buzz weekly via email, please sign up here.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

What's being discussed...take your pick or browse below.

* The Digital Public Library of America announces $5 Million in Funding from the Sloan Foundation and Arcadia Fund
* Ethan Zuckerman recaps Beth Coleman's presentation on "Tweeting the Revolution"
* John Palfrey describes teaching at the Harvard Graduate School of Design on the history, present, and future of libraries
* Rebecca MacKinnon examines why censorship is a central issue in Tunisian political discourse and debates
* The Youth and Media Project launches a new website
* The Citizen Media Law Project reports on how one doctor's complaint turned a public database private
* Weekly Global Voices: "Israel: Joy and Anger Continue Over Shalit Deal"

Note: The Berkman Center is now accepting applications for fellowships in the 2012-2013 academic year! See here for information.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The full buzz.

"The Sloan Foundation and Arcadia Fund today announced a major contribution for the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) in the form of combined $5 million in funding. The DPLA Steering Committee is leading the first concrete steps toward the realization of a large-scale digital public library that will make the cultural and scientific record available to all."
From the Digital Public Library of America's blog post, Sloan Foundation and Arcadia Fund Announce Funding for the Digital Public Library of America

"'Tweeting the Revolution', tries to understand how we read large data sets to understand located action. This is a timely topic because we’re seeing a rise in protest activity that’s been missing from the public sphere for a few decades. Coleman wants to know what we can understand about social media and people’s willingness to take an activist stance. One of the foci of her work is the idea of mediated copresence, which she sees as a major way of understanding the relationship between technology and public action."
From Ethan Zuckerman's blog post, Beth Coleman on "Tweeting the Revolution"

"What this class has me thinking this morning about is not just the substance — the future of libraries, the organization of knowledge, how we store and provide it and think about it — but also about the possibilities for teaching and learning. Yesterday, Harvard announced a landmark new gift: $40 million to catalyze innovations in learning and teaching from Rita and Gustave Hauser. If we have the chance to spend those resources, and ideally more, that it catalyzes from other donors, over the next decade to improve our learning and teaching, how might we go about that?"
From John Palfrey's blog post, Bibliotheca Class, and Learning and Teaching at Harvard

"Censorship is a key subject in the Tunisian political discoure and debates. There have recently been protests by conservatives demanding censorship of all media including TV, film, and Internet and protests by liberals against censorship. After all Internet censorship was lifted when Ben Ali stepped down in January, some censorship of pornographic and incendiary web content returned in May, prompting heated debates over who has the authority to decide what goes on the censorship list and whether that power will inevitably be abused."
From Rebecca MacKinnon's blog post, Tunisia and the Internet: A chance to get things right?

"Please visit our virtual lab space for up-to-date information on our research, advocacy, and curricular projects, including new photos and videos."
From the blog post Youth and Media Project Launches New Website

"Kansas City Star reporter Alan Bavley had a hunch. After years of investigating the health care industry, Bavley began to suspect that state medical boards did not adequately discipline doctors who committed malpractice. Physicians battling substance abuse, for example, were punished far more harshly. " From the Citizen Media Law Project's blog post on "Health Reporters Unite! How One Doctor's Complaint Turned a Public Database Private" From the Citizen Media Law Project's blog post, Health Reporters Unite! How One Doctor's Complaint Turned a Public Database Private

"The news of Shalit's release was almost the only thing discussed in the Israeli twittersphere and blogosphere since the deal was announced."
From the Global Voices post, Israel: Joy and Anger Continue Over Shalit Deal

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Compiled by Amar Ashar.

The Berkman Buzz is selected weekly from the posts of Berkman Center people and projects and sometimes from the Center's wider network.

Suggestions and feedback about the Buzz are always welcome and can be emailed to buzz@cyber.harvard.edu.