Author: Ed Felten
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New Jersey Voting in the Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy
Hurricane Sandy has disrupted many aspects of life here in New Jersey. Even beyond the physical destruction, the state’s infrastructure is still coming back on line. Many homes are still without power and heat, and some roads are closed. Schools were closed all of last week, and some will be closed for longer. Sandy has…
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Accountable Algorithms: An Example
I wrote yesterday about accountable algorithms. When I say that a public algorithm is “accountable” I mean that the output produced by a particular execution of the algorithm can be verified as correct after the fact by a skeptical member of the public. Today I want to work through an example.
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Accountable Algorithms
Ethan Zuckerman had an interesting reaction to his first experience with the TSA Pre-Check program, which lets frequent flyers go through a much shorter and less elaborate procedure at airport security checkpoints. Ethan’s concerns about unfairness are worth pondering, but I want to focus here on his call for more openness about the algorithm that…
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On the Harvard "Cheating" Scandal
The news that Harvard is investigating more than 100 students on charges of unauthorized collaboration on a take-home exam has, predictably, led many commentators to chime in. No matter who you are, a story like this is likely to trigger one of your hot buttons, whether it’s the declining moral standards of kids these days,…
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What is the 21st Century blackboard?
In the fall I’ll be back from the FTC and teaching again. I want to draw on the wisdom of FtT readers to help me figure out what technology I should be using to present material to students in the classroom. It’s a lecture class, teaching security and privacy to a class of 175 students,…
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RIP Bill Zeller
All of us here at CITP were saddened by the death of Bill Zeller, our respected and much-loved colleague. Bill was a Ph.D. candidate in Computer Science here at Princeton, who died last night due to injuries sustained in a suicide attempt. There has been a huge outpouring of sympathy for Bill, both at Princeton…
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CITP Seeks Visitors for 2011-2012
The Center for Information Technology Policy (CITP) seeks candidates for positions as visiting faculty members or researchers, or postdoctoral research associates for one year appointments for the 2011-2012 academic year. Please see our website for additional information and requirements at http://citp.princeton.edu/call-for-visitors/. If you are interested, please submit a CV and cover letter, stating background, intended…
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Dr. Felten Goes to Washington
Today the Federal Trade Commission announced that I will become their Chief Technologist, effective January 1. My main role at the FTC will be to provide advice on technology policy issues. (Princeton has an announcement too.) What does this mean for Princeton’s Center for Information Technology Policy? During my time at the FTC, I’ll be…
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E-Voting Links for Election Day
Today, of course, is Election Day in the U.S. Many of our U.S. readers will be casting their votes electronically. CITP has been front and center on the e-voting issue. Here’s a quick set of CITP e-voting links: Video of CITP lecture by Hari Prasad, on India’s e-voting system Alex Halderman and his students’ analysis…
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Understanding the HDCP Master Key Leak
On Monday, somebody posted online an array of numbers which purports to be the secret master key used by HDCP, a video encryption standard used in consumer electronics devices such as DVD players and TVs. I don’t know if the key is genuine, but let’s assume for the sake of discussion that it is. What…