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Tuesday, February 5, 2019
By Nasreen Rajani The Tor browser – often mistaken as being the “dark net” itself and seen as being synonymous with illegal or nefarious activities – has become a useful platform for activists who require privacy and anonymity, and one has been attracting increasing attention from activists and citizens alike in recent... More
Friday, February 1, 2019
by: Mohammed Eldali Am I a thief or in some way morally wrong for pirating a song or movie? Or is the company that is attempting to charge me 2$ for each song or 30$ for a movie the real thief? I have torrented almost everything—movies, music, video games. You put a name on... More
by: Rahib Ahmad Copyright crusaders and the media industry are fighting a battle that simply cannot be won. It has been proving more difficult for content creators to enforce their copyrights in an age marked by digital openness and the overwhelming presence of online piracy. We’ve all see these websites and done the dirty... More
by: Omer Jamshaid When we see other people who are less fortunate, whether it is their lack of access to food, education, or safety, naturally we are heartbroken and desire to help. This leads some to join activist groups, raise money, and speak up on social media to raise awareness. But have we ever... More
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Dear friends and colleagues of ALiGN, On behalf of the Alternative Global Network (ALiGN) Media Lab at Carleton University, I would like to wish you an exciting year of 2019 with hopes for a wonderful new beginning and a memorable past. As we begin the new year, let me recite my not-so-little wishes for all of us. May you find... More
Saturday, December 1, 2018
by Philippe Des Rivières Have you ever been scrolling through Instagram and all of a sudden received a notification from a friend linking you to a post they thought would interest you, but upon clicking on that link you are confronted with the dreaded “Sorry, this content is unavailable” message? Quite annoying, right? Now imagine... More
by Christopher Breen You follow the #OnPoli hashtag religiously, and you certainly know your way around the Google search engine. All things considered, you might think you are a reasonably well-informed voter. But when you go to the polls in the upcoming Ontario election, will you really know all there is to know? It’s... More
by Jansen Allen You wake up in the morning, while still lying in bed you leisurely scroll through your Facebook feed and check Twitter for the latest radical tweets from today’s celebrity politicians. Your morning ritual continues, as you sip your daily double-double and pull your car out of the parking space, your favourite... More
by Matt Hammar Since the bulk of our society began adopting the Internet in the 1990s, it has been anticipated as being the most influential innovation to the democratization of authority since the printing press. Through such an evolution it was predicted to bring with it a profound shift from that of vertical to... More
by Rachel Farah The term “digital democracy” has a nice ring to it. It sums up everything that we want the internet to be, and perhaps, what it once was before the emergence of Web 2.0. It denotes a utopian ideal of the possibilities that the internet affords such as open dialogue, free speech,... More
Monday, October 1, 2018
Introduction by Rory Clark The social media boom that began in 2007 is perhaps now coming to an end, with Facebook numbers now dropping for millennials and post-millennials in Canada, not to mention the many post US election social media ‘scandals’ (I’ll just let you Google that one yourself and take your pick), as... More
by Leiqin Shen Since their mass adoption by the public, digital media and the Web 2.0 have been essential tools for activists, protests and uprisings. More and more people every day are joining discussions facilitated by social media concerning social issues and social movements. Supporting this notion are the events surrounding rapid... More
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