Digital Citizen

• Learn more about Emily M. Bender
• Read On the Danger of Stochastic Parrots(2021) by Emily M. Bender, Timnit Gebru, Angelina McMillan-Major, and Margaret Mitchell.
• Check out the publications by cognitive scientist Abeba Birhane.
• See work from AI research scientist Meg Mitchell.

• Emily M. Bender is a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Washington. Her work focuses on grammar, engineering, and the societal impacts of language technology. She's spoken and written about what it means to make informed decisions about AI and large language models such as ChatGPT.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a marketing term developed in the 1950s by John McCarthy. It refers to an area of computer science. AI is a technology built using natural language processing and linguistics, the science of how language works. Understanding how language works is necessary to comprehend large language models' potential misuse and limitations.
• Language model is the term for a type of technology designed to model the distribution of word forms in text. While early language models simply determined the relative frequency of words in a text, today's language models are bigger in terms of the data they store and the language they are trained on. As a society, we must continue reminding ourselves that synthetic text is not a credible information source. Before sharing information, it's smart to verify that something was written by a human rather than a machine. Valuing authenticity and citations are some of the most important things we can do.
• Distributional biases are generated in the data output used for large language models. The less care we put into curating training data, the more various patterns and systems of oppression will be reproduced, regardless of whether they are presented as fact or fiction in the end result.
• Being a good digital citizen means avoiding using products built on data theft and labor exploitation. On an individual level, we should insist on transparency regarding synthetic media. Part of the problem is that there is currently no watermarking at the source. There is a major need for regulation and accountability around synthetic text nationally. We can also continue to increase the value of authenticity.

• Digital Citizen Website: fastmail.com/digitalcitizen.
• Check out our blog.
• Tweet us @Fastmail.
• Follow us on Mastodon: @[email protected].

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• Learn more about Frank Lee and his work at Drexel.
• Read about Shawn Pierre's work at New York University.
• Take a look at Jessica Creane's work at iKantKoan Games.
• Check out the Independent Games Festival (IGF).
• Explore Games for Change and Everything Immersive.
• Learn more about TechGirlz and Philly Game Mechanics.

🗣️ Discussion Points

• Special guests Frank Lee, Shawn Pierre, and Jessica Creane are three video game makers and educators from the Philadelphia area.
• Generally, a video game is a game played on a computer device. Many people play video games to connect with others. Video games provide an outlet for creativity, power, and control in a very curated way that we often don't get in daily life.
• The barriers to creating games have significantly decreased in the last five years. Sometimes, creators have an easier time getting their work out there and placing it into a storefront for free. However, this also means that there is more competition in the field than ever before.
• If you want to make games, try to mod games that already exist rather than creating something new from scratch. This will allow you to experiment without having to build tools yourself. If you enjoy that, then you may start creating entire levels. If you're not comfortable with this creative software yet, start with board games and think about how systems are used to engage people.
• Shawn says by educating people on video games, you teach them to think critically and solve problems for themselves in a coaching role.
• In discussing coaching work, Jessica talks about how she supports people with the execution of becoming game makers. She helps them find buoyancy in transformation and reminds them that even in fictional games, everything is real– the team and the people who will play the game are real.
• Frank also suggests being proactive in the types of games that kids play and what can be a positive and negative experience for them.

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Digital Citizen Website: fastmail.com/digitalcitizen.

Check out our blog.

Tweet us: @Fastmail.

Follow us on Mastodon: @[email protected].

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• Learn more about Tempest Carter and Senzwa Ntshepe.
• Look into the Commerce and the City of Philadelphia.
• Check out The Connect on their website, Linkedin, and Instagram.
• Explore other Philadelphia organizations 1Philadelphia, Hopeworks, Launchpad, Per Scholas, and Tribaja.

• Tempest Carter's work is centered around building an ecosystem in Philadelphia that allows tech companies to thrive. She is also responsible for creating a series of events called Tech Talks, which aim to bring people together and foster connections.
• As President of The Connect, Senzwa Ntshepe is dedicated to solving the problem of black and brown professionals leaving Philadelphia by fostering a sense of community and validation among its members. With a community of over 20,000 professionals nationwide, they focus on community needs and how people can thrive in Philadelphia.
• Philadelphia is a great place for tech, with over 100,000 tech positions and over 9,000 tech companies in the region. Additionally, the city is home to universities, robotics, and other innovative fields that offer unique career paths. Philadelphia has something for everyone whether you're looking for a lively atmosphere or a more laid-back space.
• If you are breaking or transitioning into tech, do a personal audit and determine what you love to do. Be aware of what skills you need to work on, and don't be afraid to upscale and seek education. Rather than chasing a job, focus on finding a mission that aligns with your values.
• Balance is so important. Your mind works better when it's not plugged in all the time.

• Digital Citizen Website: fastmail.com/digitalcitizen.
• Check out our blog.
• Tweet us @Fastmail.
• Follow us on Mastodon: @[email protected].

If you love this show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Take our survey to tell us what you think at digitalcitizenshow.com/survey.

• Learn more about Aaron Perzanowski.
• Read The End of Ownership by Aaron Perzanowski and Jason Schultz.
• Check out The Right to Repair: Reclaiming the Things We Own by Aaron Perzanowski.
• Get to know The Repair Association.
• Explore the free repair manual iFixIt.

• As a law professor at the University of Michigan, Aaron teaches courses primarily focusing on intellectual property law, copyright, and trademarks. His research focuses on the intersection of intellectual and personal property and how our intellectual property shapes our relationship with the devices and products we use daily.
• We consumers have certain rights regarding the things we buy. One of those rights is the Right to Repair them should something go wrong. This could mean fixing them ourselves or having the choice of which professional will fix them for you.
• The act of repairing teaches us valuable skills, such as how to analyze and address problems in the world and how to be self-sufficient. Repair is often also a community effort, as it may require asking neighbors for help and learning from others who share your interests.
• Companies have strong incentives to steer consumers towards replacement rather than repair. Undetectable software is all around us in the things we use every day. As soon as software is introduced into a product, the manufacturer can exert control over how the product is used after the sale.
• As consumers, we must be mindful about our purchases by considering the longevity of the products. If you have a functioning device, keep it. On the other hand, if a device does break, don't be afraid to explore repair options before immediately purchasing something new. However, the repair will cost just as much as a brand-new item in some cases.
• Understanding how your technology works is important in the problems we hope our government will address. If we don't understand it ourselves, we don't have enough ground to weigh in on the topics. Repair helps people understand their technology even better, and engaging in repair can make us better digital citizens.

• Digital Citizen Website: fastmail.com/digitalcitizen.
• Check out our blog.
• Tweet us @Fastmail.
• Follow us on Mastodon: @[email protected].

If you love this show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Take our survey to tell us what you think at digitalcitizenshow.com/survey.

• Learn more about David Tedaldi.
• Follow Morgen on X.
• Learn more about the integration.
• Read more from Morgen.

🗣️ Discussion Points

• Morgen integrates with your time management tools. It allows you to actively manage all of your calendars for tasks, projects, and scheduling in one place, solving the issue of staying on top of your timeline.
• One of the benefits of a tool like Morgen, is that it helps you stay on top of your tasks, making your productivity intentional. As a Morgen Power user, David follows the model that if something isn't on his calendar, it's probably not going to happen. He believes that "since life is so short, we should only work on important things."
• Fastmail has partnered with Morgen, so you can start automating your calendar and adding customizable workflows. Connect Fastmail with Morgen Assist to set up these and other smart automations in your calendar.
• Fastmail customers who use Morgen vocalized their desire for this feature, which inspired us to collaborate on an integration for our shared customer base.
• The most important aspect of being a good digital citizen is respect. This includes respecting the people you talk to online and respecting the privacy of users as a developer.

🔵 Find Us

• Digital Citizen Website: fastmail.com/digitalcitizen.
• Check out our blog.
• Tweet us @Fastmail.
• Follow us on Mastodon: @[email protected].

💙 Review Us

If you love this show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Take our survey to tell us what you think at digitalcitizenshow.com/survey.