Published in Technology Hits·4 days agoMultiple PersonasWhat Unsolicited Mail Tells Us About Ourselves and Our Data — My mom and I have had many laughs over the weird mail my parents get for me at their house. But the reality is that while it is easy to laugh about getting offers for things I’d never want, it actually shows how much data about us is out there…Direct Mail10 min read
May 12Punishing the PunishedA Review of Weapons of Math Destruction — Data science is all the rage right now because everyone sees the potential for improving so many aspects of our businesses and lives. In my experience, many people think it’s more magic than science, and nobody is thinking about the possible harm it can cause if ramifications aren’t considered. Cathy…Data Science6 min read
Mar 24Misreading PeopleA Review of Talking to Strangers — For most of my life, I have had what some people probably would consider a strange fear: being accused of a crime I didn’t commit. Why, you might wonder. It’s because, if I am ever suspected of a crime I didn’t commit, I’m pretty much screwed. I know I wouldn’t…Human Behavior10 min read
Feb 28Customer DisserviceShould Tech Companies Provide Customer Service on Their “Free” Platforms? — A few weeks back, I wrote an essay about a meeting I attended getting Zoom-bombed by a racist. I talked about how upset it had made me when I wasn’t even an intended target, and also how I felt like the presenters hadn’t dealt with it properly. As soon as…Twitter8 min read
Feb 14We Can Do BetterThe Tragic Cases of Bella Herndon and Priscilla Chiu — As a major source for movies and shows, Netflix provides entertainment to millions of people. It’s a simple setup: subscribers find content to pass the time and enjoy themselves. What can go wrong? Sometimes content can turn into something other than simple entertainment. In August of 2021, a man sued…Suicide7 min read
Feb 7Kids, Social Media, and Projection BiasOne Bad Choice Shouldn’t Ruin Your Life Social media is a part of life for most modern Americans, and while it can definitely bring about good things, it also raises several issues that I think disproportionately impact young people, particularly high school students and those in the first few years…Social Media7 min read
Jan 31Zoom-bombingWhen a Zoom-bomber Strikes, Don’t Stay Silent Zoom meetings have become commonplace, and while there is always the potential for technical difficulties, there’s also a relatively new risk that nobody anticipated. Friday I logged into a 1-hour training session on Zoom for Toastmasters club board members. It was being run…Zoom6 min read
Jan 17Riotous FunOr, How Easy It Is to Get Sucked Into Committing Property Damage 1. The summer before my junior year of high school, I had no idea what shenanigans I would participate in the following summer. That first summer, I attended a biology camp at a large university in my home state. The basement of the dorm had an open room that faced…Behavioral Economics7 min read
