Digital Citizen Fastmail

Join us on a journey to learn more about the intersection of linguistics and AI with special guest Emily M. Bender. Come with us as we learn how linguistics functions in modern language models like ChatGPT.
Episode Notes
Discover the origins of language models, the negative implications of sourcing data to train these technologies, and the value of authenticity.
▶️ Guest Interview - Emily M. Bender
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. 🗣️ Discussion Points 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. 🔵 Find Us Digital Citizen Website: fastmail.com/digitalcitizen. Check out our blog. Tweet us @Fastmail. Follow us on Mastodon: @fastmail@mastodon.social. 💙 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.

With Frank Lee, Shawn Pierre, and Jessica Creane, we discuss the future of the video game landscape and the transition from game player to game maker. We explore what draws people into the gaming space, what video games mean to the people who play and create them, and what gaming organizations are doing to push the narrative.
Episode Notes
Discover the real-world applications of gaming, how to get into the game making community, video game conferences that you need to know, events that test game makers’ skills, and suggestions from coaches in the video game world.
▶️ Guest Interview
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. 🔵 Find Us
Digital Citizen Website: fastmail.com/digitalcitizen.
Check out our blog.
Tweet us: @Fastmail.
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We explore Philadelphia's thriving tech scene and share expert advice on how to succeed in the city. From attracting and retaining tech talent to building a sense of community, we're joined by two special guests who are passionate about helping individuals and companies thrive.
Episode Notes
In this special LIVE recording of Fastmail’s Philly Tech Week event “You Can Thrive Here: Local Leaders on Philly’s Move Into Ethical Tech”, listen to the Co-Host and Senior Producer of Digital Citizen Haley Hnatuk in conversation with Senzwa Ntshepe and Tempest Carter, two people on the cutting edge of building Philadelphia technology scene.
▶️ Guest Interview - Tempest Carter and Senzwa Ntshepe
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. 🗣️ Discussion Points 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. 🔵 Find Us Digital Citizen Website: fastmail.com/digitalcitizen. Check out our blog. Tweet us @Fastmail. Follow us on Mastodon: @fastmail@mastodon.social. 💙 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.

We dive into the Right to Repair with Aaron Perzanowski. Hear about the benefits of fixing our own devices rather than replacing them and the reasons why some companies create roadblocks to prevent the average consumer from doing so.
Episode Notes
Discover the social and intellectual function of repair, why our Right to Repair as consumers is so important, the ways companies are making this right difficult for the average person, and the environmental implications of buying new products rather than fixing the ones we already have.
▶️ Guest Interview - Aaron Perzanowski
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. 🗣️ Discussion Points 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. 🔵 Find Us Digital Citizen Website: fastmail.com/digitalcitizen. Check out our blog. Tweet us @Fastmail. Follow us on Mastodon: @fastmail@mastodon.social. 💙 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.

We delve further into the world of productivity with our special guest, David Tedaldi, CEO and Co-Founder of Morgen. Hear about Morgen’s mission and values, what makes its product stand out among other productivity tools, and the customizable workflows that are now available for Fastmail customers through our new integration with Morgen Assist.
Episode Notes
Discover insights into the significance of purposeful productivity, how to best manage your calendar in order to prioritize the most important things, and as always, how to be the best possible digital citizen.
▶️ Guest Interview - David Tedaldi
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: @fastmail@mastodon.social. 💙  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.

Abha Chiyedan wants to help anyone who struggles with productivity. If you have ever wondered how to stay productive and maintain a healthy work-life balance, you won’t want to miss this week’s episode of Digital Citizen.
Episode Notes
Abha Chiyedan found the transition to adulthood to be difficult and shared her personal experiences in a blog in 2016. This passion project transformed into a full-time job when she founded The Werk Life, a productivity and wellness brand with digital planners designed to bring peace and calm to your busy life.
▶️ Guest Interview - Abha Chiyedan Learn more about Abha Chiyedan. Shop The Werk Life planners. Follow The Werk Life on tiktok. 🗣️ Discussion Points Some of us would rather enjoy the moment and put off whatever can be done until tomorrow. If you find yourself getting stuck in a procrastination rut, try practicing self-awareness and deciding what you can do as an alternative. We often don’t realize how long we have actually been doing something. Abha suggests trying timers, time blocks, and rewards to help. For example, you might reward yourself with five minutes of scrolling on your phone after thirty minutes of work. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to productivity. If the tool you are trying isn’t working, be honest with yourself and try something else. The Werk Life offers many free resources in addition to planners. Check out their website if you need inspiration on where to start. Don’t get bogged down in the planning stage. Sometimes you have to say this plan is good enough and move on to executing it. Not everything is always what it seems on the internet, and if the content you consume makes you feel bad, give yourself the room to step away. 🔵  Find Us Digital Citizen Website: fastmail.com/digitalcitizen. Check out our blog. Tweet us: @Fastmail. Follow us on Mastodon: @fastmail@mastodon.social. 💙  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.