Tag Archives: site of the week

Site of the Week: Big Think

Big Think screenshotFirst of all, let me apologise for the small delay in posting – I’ve been rather ill recently and that has reflected in my ability to think too clearly or sit in front of a computer screen for too long! As such, today I wanted to bring back something I did here on Future Conscience for a little while: which is to introduce a new Site of the Week. This week – Big Think.

Big Think is the kind of website that has only really been able to exist recently – being as dependent on high quality video streaming as it is. As such, it’s a kind of interesting hybrid between the traditional TV interview format and the evolution of blogging into the video-blog arena. What makes the site special, and deserving of our Site of the Week post, is its focus on seeking out true experts and leaders in various fields to impart their knowledge in a frank and revealing manner.

It’s the kind of site that I really can’t say too much more about: other than to say that once you spend some time there you will understand why I hold it in such high regard. Between the countless video interviews, and the many wonderful blogs that are hosted on the site, I can guarantee that you will find something that catches your interest.

The truly wonderful thing about Big Think, is that quite often what grabs your attention will be something that you had no real knowledge of beforehand.  The topics are so varied, and fascinating, that you find yourself exploring new concepts and intellectual spheres that you might otherwise not have come into contact with.  It really is a wonderful educational resource that will widen your intellectual and personal horizons.

There is literally hundreds of hours of interview footage there for you to take in; with speakers ranging from a Jesuit priest to a former editor of High Times and everything in between. Philosophers; film producers; TV personalities; journalists; economists; doctors; scientists and experts of all descriptions can be found imparting their wisdom in a very sleek and minimalist format.

The videos are all of substantial length – many of them running over an hour – and don’t over simplify what can, at times, be some very detailed and complex topics. The interviews are also rather unique, or at least relatively uncommon, in that they leave you just with the expert and the topic.  There is no interviewer muddying the waters with a particular journalistic style.  This format, for me, is part of the great appeal of the site and it’s worth having a look just for that reason alone.

By stripping away any sense of an interviewer/interviewee dynamic you really feel like you are having a conversation with these people. They speak directly to camera – for the most part – and this really immerses you in the topics being discussed. It truly is riveting stuff and I can only say you won’t regret spending some time over at Big Think!

Check it out and then let us know in the comments to this post what your favourite interview/topic was so that others can take a look…for what it’s worth, one of my favourite interviews on the site is with Robert McKee, screen-writing guru, that has some wonderful ideas and anecdotes for anybody aspiring to be a writer.

Site of the Week: Electronic Frontier Foundation

Electronic Frontier Foundation logo

Given the focus over the last few posts on internet censorship and freedom of expression, I wanted to highlight an organisation that has been at the forefront of the fight for liberty ever since the early days of the internet’s public use – the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).

The EFF is a non-profit operation that focuses strongly on advocacy and legal representation in the public’s interest.  Founded in 1990, one of the first cases that the organisation was involved in followed the infamous Secret Service raid on the offices and computers of a gaming company, Steve Jackson Games.

Since that time, the EFF has been involved in many high profile cases in fight for civil liberties and freedom of expression; these cases included standing against Sony, Apple, Google and various departments of the US government.  In all of these instances, and many more besides, the EFF has proven themselves to be the ‘first line of defense’ against those who would wish to undermine freedom of speech, privacy and consumer rights.

Because of the high-profile nature of many of their battles, the EFF has also become a go-to organisation for many press articles and stories – representing the voice of public interest and common good in order to avoid the erosion of civil liberties when it comes to online communication and expression.

The website deserves a mention not only because of the amazing work done by the organisation, but also because it is a great resource for those who wish to keep informed about these issues.  Through press releases, detailed blog posts, news updates and other forms of communication the EFF website should be bookmarked by everybody who uses the internet on a regular basis.

Digital hand reaching out

The internet really is a testing ground for how the future of our civil rights and freedoms will play out as the world develops into a global technological future.  Issues surrounding personal ownership of material and products, the right to anonymity, and the boundaries between government legislation and personal freedom are all pressing issues that could easily be taken down a path that erodes our ability for personal space and rights.

For the past twenty years the Electronic Frontier Foundation has been paying very close attention to any attempts to slowly chip away at these liberties; and one must wonder what would have already occurred had they not been there to fight for our rights.  Even though most people haven’t heard of them, or only heard of them in passing, they have fought for your rights and the protection of your privacy and freedom of expression.

In fact, there are very few organisations out there who have as effectively and consistently done so – and the EFF stands strong when it comes to the creation of legal precedents that could have led us down some very dangerous and oppressive paths.  Not only this, but the non-profit and activist nature of the organisation means that they have the capability to bring together tens of thousands of supporters when necessary to put pressure on policy makers when it comes to matters surrounding our rights online.

Make sure you visit the Electronic Frontier Foundation website and become familiar with their work, both past and present, because they truly deserve a lot of praise and credit for being their fighting on behalf of all of us when nobody else would.
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Site of the Week: Scientific American

This week, the site in question definitely comes with more mainstream awareness – so I do expect pretty much all of you to have heard of it – but I’m presuming that many of you don’t visit it on a regular basis, which is a shame. This week’s Site of the Week is a fantastic resource, so I present to you the Scientific American website.Continue Reading

Site of the Week: Wikileaks

Wikileaks is an exercise in decentralised information gathering, not vulnerable to the attacks of vested interests and open to all who wish to post important leaked documents or to act as whistleblowers.Continue Reading

Site of the Week: Antiwar.com

This week, I want to bring your attention to a news aggregation site: Antiwar.com. The focus of the site is pretty self-explanatory, it brings together news articles from all over the globe that focus on the many different wars and conflicts that are being fought at the moment.Continue Reading

Site of the Week: The Rick Ross Institute

Collecting information, news articles, interviews, personal accounts and more surrounding the topic of ‘destructive cults, controversial groups and movements’, The Rick A. Ross Institute has been collating a great deal of data over the past thirteen years.Continue Reading