We care about these things because they provide information that improves public welfare and allows for more effective democratic decision-making. Why not make it easier for the news business to do its job?
Atlantic columnist Conor Clarke • Playing off the oft-discussed idea of government-subsidized news and instead using it as an argument that the Freedom of Information Act should be followed more closely by government bodies. He also notes that, when this data is easier to get, “it gives news organizations an incentive to write about those issues rather than Britney Spears’s hair or Michelle Obama’s arms.” And wouldn’t that be awesome? • source
Google Profiles creates an easily-searchable public page for you and your life. It’s not a new concept – Yahoo has done this for years – but Google has integrated it with other Web services really well, and it makes you easier to find online. source
Privacy advocates will probably complain. Some jerks will probably say that Facebook already does this quite well. We say this is a good idea because it separates the social networking from the personal aspect. Plus, it’s simple. Simple is good. source
They’ve been feeling the heat lately. The National Security Administration, which had a close friend in the Bush Administration, now is adjusting for Barack Obama. The NSA recently admitted collecting wiretapped phone calls and private e-mails on a scale that was probably illegal and went well beyond the broad limits Congress allowed for them last year. Good job, guys. We were wondering what that clicking noise was when we were on the phone the other day. Now we know it was you! source
