the Zealous

14 Dec 21


University researchers conducted a study of 543 participants (communication majors studying privacy, big data and surveillance issues) to measure the frequency and depth of online terms review and comprehension. The research was motivated by a desire to point out the fallacy of a privacy regulatory regime that relies exclusively on the notice-and-consent model.
 
The study authors used modified versions of LinkedIn's terms and policies. They asked the students to sign up to a fictitious social network, similar to LinkedIn, that the university, the students were told, had contracted with. The terms required the user to consent to over-the-top terms, including the disclosure of data to the NSA and to "third parties [building] data products designed to assess eligibility", which, the terms state, "could impact … employment, financial service (bank loans, insurance, etc.), university entrance, international travel, and the criminal justice system."

26 Nov 21


Abro Industries, out of Indiana, makes and sells products under the “Made in the USA” label. Abro sells products like duct tape and epoxy glue, and does quite well in emerging economies. Abro’s Tim Demarias scours the world seeking to open new markets. At one point, Tim noticed that sales were down considerably, and suspected counterfeiters. In an NPR broadcast entitled “The Stolen Company”, Tim recounts his adventures in chasing down one particularly ruthless counterfeiter out of China. Here’s the transcript of the broadcast:

30 Oct 21

From the The Unique Psychological World of Lawyers:
While lawyers score well above the national average (115-130) in IQ, they score below the national average in emotional intelligence, as measured by the Mayer Salovey Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test. Their lowest sub-score in this four-part assessment is in the first branch—accurately perceiving their own and others emotions, while their highest subscore is the third branch, understanding emotions, a more cognitive ability. Unfortunately, this means that while lawyers are able to competently reason about emotions and their implications, the emotional data that they are analyzing day in and day out is likely to be incomplete or inaccurate—lawyers are likely to be misreading what they themselves or others are feeling. The result is that lawyers are more likely than non-lawyers to be caught off guard by a disgruntled client, an overwhelmed associate or an angry partner, or even by their own powerful reactions.