The Boston Globe published a recent opinion piece against the legalization of marijuana written by Charlie Baker, Maura Healey, and Martin J. Walsh. This piece (though in the opinion section) implied that the group of three had had extensive research done on the legalization of marijuana, but rarely cited any sources in its assertions.
For my fact-checking assignment, I decided to use Fold to fact-check the assertions made in this article. Check it out here.
On March 1, this forum will host a conversation with Adrienne Debigare on online community engagement. Adrienne used to run the comments section of boston.com, part of the Boston Globe. She is now with Harvard Business School running several platforms including the Open Knowledge project.
Dreaded Blogger 10 hours ago
Hi. I’ve built up a meaningful following to my blog on political commentary. It had recently attracted these two trolls that was shutting everybody up with their nasty posts. How can I get rid of them?
Adrienne 10 hours ago
There is not a good way to deal with a troll. In any case, don’t try IP ban. It’s not an effective way to moderate your space. When I was managing the comments section of boston.com, we had this persistent existence of a troll that just lived on the forum. We tried banning his IP, but he would create 20 screen names a day and kept coming back. Besides, if he is using the connection from a library or a public space. You are not just banning him, but 100 people on that line.
DTrollpfromboston 5 hours ago
It was you that tried to blacklist me on boston.com? I cared about the forum way more than you did!
Bridge Builder 10 hours ago
Hi. Me and my partner are planning to build an chatroom about hiking. We are debating whether we want to install some pre-moderating mechanism. I am concerned pre-screening would drive users away. My buddy thought it would attract more people if they feel protected. How can I convince him?
Adrienne 10 hours ago
The one am building in house is a public blogging network called Open Knowledge, but the posters are students. It is meant for in classroom work. We have lots of safe space built in to try to make sure that we can filter out stuff. The way it works is that anyone can comment on a submission, but to comment,, you have to go through an email verification sign up, which we didn’t have at the Globe. There your comments get moderated before they appear. It makes more sense because a lot of the faculty were concerned about the problem of trolling. So this way, we built some quick moderation tool that allows faculty member log into the backend, they can get in a feed of pending comments and approve or deny. We also build a second permission level slightly above public commentators called verified commentators. It’s a manually curated thing, that I have to in and verify somebody. once you you become a verified commentator, you don’t have to get permission to comment.
Bridge Builder 10 hours ago
So you’re screening contents?
Adrienne 10 hours ago
It is controversial. Some people didn’t agree with moderating newcomers. I can see why. For public forum, if you make it too difficult at the beginning, they just won’t engage. I think it’s really a contextual thing. is the community you are trying to build is one that motivated enough to take extra steps to participate, or is it more important to protect the community members already there. In case the academic institution-supported system that’s public, it seems more important to protect the students, whereas at the Globe, to have a system moderating newcomers is probably an overkill
Buddy of Bridge Builder 10 hours ago
What’s the reason of having or not having a moderator?
Adrienne 10 hours ago
Moderators are essential. If you can pay your moderators that’s even better. You’re not gonna have a diversified perspective if you don’t have a moderated conversation, the same way you’ll have a paneled speakers with no moderators. Especially when something gets large or more diversified, it becomes to necessary to have someone there, just so like impartial third party in a way. You want somebody doesn’t care about the subject at all, because they can be impartial. People who are probably do the best jobs are those who really enjoy human interaction, but don’t necessarily care about the top being discussed. If i really like the Redsox and create a forum on reddit, i’ll be really an opinionated moderator. It’s like inviting people into my house. That kind of moderation is very different.
DTrollpfromboston 1 hour ago
I don’t think you have the right to censor me. Internet should be free. It’s public space. MAKE THE WEB FREE AGAIN.
DTrollpfromboston 1 hour ago
you talk about engaging the community, but you are ignoring me!!!
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“Really just any other beverage than beer.“
Sravanti Tekumalla explained to me that it’s not that everyone would drink tea (or coffee for that matter), or that only tea would be available; she would not be that dogmatic. But, her point is that if she had her own start up and if she hired her friends and they hired their friends, well, the work culture would be different from what she experiences now at her internships. There would be a culture of drinking tea, time to build relationships and opportunities to listen to everyone involved in a decision making process.
“They have a culture of drinking beer and playing ping-pong. They love science fiction.”
When Sravanti goes to work she is often the only woman in the room and though she does not always love the work culture of the tech start up world she has learned to work within it. In describing her dream start up with friends and friends of friends that exists in opposition to the culture of beer and ping-pong that she currently inhabits, she continues to say that there is nothing necessarily wrong with sci-fi and beer, it is just that she would want a broader variety of opinions and perspectives in her office.
2. Tweet from Sravanti: applying her coding skills towards play and aesthetic exploration
From the tone in her voice I can imagine that the lone ping-pong player might even be able to thrive at her imaginary start up (though he may not have anyone to play ping-pong with). She would want a work environment with a wider range of voices, interests and experiences. “People would do more artsy things and have outings to get to know one another. It wouldn’t be more artsy because of the girls it would just reflect the diversity of our interests.”
You might attribute Sravanti’s views on who should be coding and what coding would look like to her training and experiences. As a young woman with an interest in math and science (both of Sravanti’s parents studied science) Sravanti saw how much the perception of who belongs and who does not belong can impact a person’s career choice, academic pursuits and life path.
She recalled a time in school when after receiving an A- in her Chemistry class she asked her teacher if she could make a career out of her interest in Chemistry. “Probably not” she said. But then later when one of her male peers in the class who had only received a B+ for his work asked the same question he received enthusiastic encouragement and was told “likely so.”
3. Sravanti teaching code to her peers at a computer station in the student community space for Hour of Code in 2103.
This one conversation that her former instructor likely could not recall today, really shook Sravanti. She stopped taking Chemistry, believing based on the opinion of her teacher that she did not have what it took to make it in the field. But later she attended an all girls engineering camp and realized that she was not alone, that there were other girls who knew how to do what interested her and they were doing it well. In this environment Sravanti was not the outlier but the norm.
Now as a senior in Computer science at Wellesley College and an active member of the Wellesley Computer Science Club Sravanti is part of a community that works to make coding accessible and inclusive. During Wellesley CS Club Hackathons, Meet and Greets or Hour of Code events it is not uncommon for professors to walk around wearing doctor Seuss hats, for the club to set up coding stations in the student hall or for members to make publicity fliers that promise life-size cookies as light refreshments.
4. Publicity image for Wellesley Computer Science Club Event
In fact reading Sravanti’s tweets about coding words like “cool”, “prettyyy” “unleashed” “lovely” “creative” “wonderful” “blast” and “joy” come up. She seems fully indoctrinated in a culture that is welcoming newcomers and front-loading communication on the payback of coding. To a certain demographic her social media serves as an invitation to code. In Facebook photos of Sravanti tagged at the Wellesley CS Club she looks like she is having fun and building meaningful relationships.
Her imaginary start up would be mostly women. Not because of explicitly exclusionary practices but just because when you trained with women, worked with women and get to know women you are more likely to hire the people you know, already like, and know to be badass, and in this case they may, just happen to be women.
She says of her current work environment in off campus internships: “There’s not much blatant sexism, its more subtle like ‘Oh you’re a girl you should design our ap and make it pretty. They don’t believe I can do the other stuff.” But even when her co-works are not limiting their expectations of her based on their understandings and projections of gender norms the work environment is still not ideal.
5. Tweet that Sravanti was tagged in by a fellow coder at Wellesley.
“Its hard to establish a rapport when (we) have different sets of interests.” Sravanti’s co-workers often have a shared culture that doesn’t overlap with hers. And when you are the only member of a minority in the room sometimes your presence is just flatly ignored. Sravanti notes that her male co-workers often engage in conversations in front of her that she knows they would avoid or word differently if the gender split in their group were more balanced. In describing this difference she says that “the conversations are not the same ones they would have in a co-ed environment” almost forgetting that her very presence in these offices makes them co-ed. The strength of their will to ignore her presence in the room has real impact.
To close our conversation I ask Sravanti if segregational gender spaces are necessary to counteract the forces of historical and learned sexism. I ask if, were she to have children some day, if she would send her girls to all girls schools. “It would be up to them.” she says. “All women’s schools are not for everyone. You have to have a strong sense of conviction, of female empowerment, to be exposed to the idea.” Even with her own daughters Sravanti would not want to dictate what she thinks is best. She would put tea on the table but if her children are the beer and ping-pong type, then well, so be it.
On Monday Feb 29 2016, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ashley Smart about his journey into science journalism. Our half-hour conversation touched on paleontology, the optics needed to detect gravity waves, and diversity within the science field. We also spoke about an exciting new fellowship that will enable students from HBCUs to gain experience in science writing. I admire Ashley’s boldness in switching careers and his current work to provide opportunities for others to become science writers. This week, I am writing a longer offline piece about our conversation.
When I am not at the MIT Media Lab, I spend a significant amount of my time on the other side as a tutor. The video above documents the process of putting together a study break and gave me a chance to experiment with short form video as bonus content – My official project was the GenderBender Project .
From team Carolyn and Christina H.
After Boston’s largest homeless shelter closed last year, concerned citizens banded together create C.O.P.E. (Communities Offering Practical Encouragement) and distribute goods to help those who can not find shelter survive the intense winters typical for the area. With the third highest homeless rate in the country (behind only NYC and LA) homeless rights advocates argue it is time to declare a State of Emergency on Homelessness in Massachusetts. In the mean time those without shelter rely on unofficial channels like C.O.P.E to provide materials like blankets, shoes and coats to help them manage the extreme weather.
Residents opposing Muslim cemeteries in Texas (left) and Massachusetts (right)
In the rural town of Dudley, Massachusetts, a cemetery has been proposed. People who live close to the land the cemetery is to be built on are opposed to it. The concerns voiced primarily focus on environmental impact of the cemetery due to burial practices and potential contamination of local wells. The agreed upon conditions by the organization attempting to build the cemetery however, seem to placate these concerns. They are quoted as saying “the group will comply with whatever the town wants when it comes to burials, even if it means not strictly following tradition”. Yet there is still opposition to the construction of the cemetery.
While there is “no law in Massachusetts that directly address green burials”, people have still taken issue with a cemetery located within the proximity of the wells they rely on adjacent to the property. A hearing was held in accordance with Massachusetts law, and many residents turned up to protest the cemetery plans, however the final approval lies in the hands of the town and the Board of Health, who’s job it is to make a final and informed decision about how best to protect the residents’ health. Despite comments from the town suggesting that the cemetery will move forward, people are still upset.
If this was the entire story, it seems likely it would come to a quiet end with the Board of Health approval, given the assumption that residents trust their government and Board of Health officials. The aspect of the story that is not represented above however is that the proposed cemetery is being brought forth by the Islamic Center of Greater Worcester. Despite the assurances from the organization that they will comply with town policies and laws surrounding safe burial, and that they are willing to adapt burial practices to satisfy concerns in the town, opposition remains.
It seems the only other substantive concern residents and abutters have is a question of whether there will be noise pollution. One attendee asked whether “he was going to have to listen to “crazy music” like the call to prayer.”
Sadly, what is left seems to be a simmering anxiety based on poorly understood cultural practices and a series of statements it is hard to categorize as anything other than racism and xenophobia. The debate in Dudley echoes almost identically a number of other challenges to Muslim cemeteries in the U.S., for instance in Walpole, MA and in Farmersville, TX, which have mainly cited claims that there is a risk to local water supplies, and many residents’ insistence that the opposition is not at all based in religious prejudices.
In response to the concerns, the president of the Islamic Center of Greater Worcester Khalid Sadozai stated “We are the residents of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. We want to bury our loved ones somewhere in Massachusetts area.”
At the time of this writing, neither the Islamic Center of Greater Worcester, nor the Dudley Board of Health, nor the Dudley Water Department, nor the Dudley Zoning Board, nor Dudley Police Chief could be reached for comment.
Last week, Apple announced that it will not help the FBI investigate the San Bernardino shooting, by creating a way to hack the iPhone. Anika and I unpack what has become a colossal debate about technology and our right to privacy.
By Christa Case Bryant, Mónica Guzmán and Jorge Caraballo.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, known by Boston locals as the T, is proposing a fare hike of 5 or 10 percent to update its system and improve service. But many riders and interest groups say low fares are not the problem. Adjusting for inflation, fares have nearly doubled since 1997. Nearly one-third of the MBTA’s employees made more than $100,000 last year, some of whom signed off on their own overtime. Critics say the MBTA should get its fiscal house in order.
On Monday, the MBTA fiscal control board met to consider the proposed fare hikes and hear public comment.
[View the story “Should Boston’s T raise its fares?” on Storify]
The MBTA came under scrutiny when it released data showing that nearly one-third of its employees received more than $100,000 in gross pay in 2015. Below is a chart based on MBTA data published by the Boston Globe.
The red line charts MBTA employees’ base pay in 2015. The blue line charts their gross pay. The increases were largely due to overtime and back pay. (Data: Boston Globe)
“Charlie and the MTA”
Jacqueline Steiner and Bess Lomax-Hawes
Let me tell you the story
Of a man named Charlie
On a tragic and fateful day
He put ten cents in his pocket,
Kissed his wife and family
Went to ride on the MTA
Charlie handed in his dime
At the Kendall Square Station
And he changed for Jamaica Plain
When he got there the conductor told him,
“One more nickel.”
Charlie could not get off that train.
Did he ever return,
No he never returned
And his fate is still unlearn’d
He may ride forever
‘neath the streets of Boston
He’s the man who never returned.
Now all night long
Charlie rides through the tunnels the station
Saying, “What will become of me?
Crying
How can I afford to see
My sister in Chelsea
Or my cousin in Roxbury?”
Charlie’s wife goes down
To the Scollay Square station
Every day at quarter past two
And through the open window
She hands Charlie a sandwich
As the train comes rumblin’ through.
As his train rolled on
underneath Greater Boston
Charlie looked around and sighed:
“Well, I’m sore and disgusted
And I’m absolutely busted;
I guess this is my last long ride.”
{this entire verse was replaced by a banjo solo}
Now you citizens of Boston,
Don’t you think it’s a scandal
That the people have to pay and pay
Vote for Walter A. O’Brien
Fight the fare increase!
And fight the fare increase
Vote for George O’Brien!
Get poor Charlie off the MTA.
Chorus:
Or else he’ll never return,
No he’ll never return
And his fate will be unlearned
He may ride forever
‘neath the streets of Boston
He’s the man (Who’s the man)
He’s the man who never returned.
He’s the man (Oh, the man)
He’s the man who never returned.
He’s the man who never returned.
Was Nina Right? Is it a new dawn …of personal activism?
a songwriter sells out club passim in harvard square to take steps towards racial equity…
From Team Christina and Cindy!