Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

APRIL 24, 2018

None of it would have been possible without the brilliant heart and mind of my mentor, G. I hope that Gerry’s family knows how much his contributions were appreciated by the Benetech team, and the millions of lives our work has touched. Gervaise Davis III, Esq.

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Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JUNE 23, 2014

That’s what’s been on my mind lately. I have disruptive approaches to social innovation in mind, with an increasingly connected society where the cost of prototyping and deploying new products is extremely low, and where innovation is no longer the sole purview of well-funded for-profit corporations. 10X: ten times the impact.

Literacy 158

Literacy eBook United Kingdom Accessibility 158

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

SEPTEMBER 9, 2010

Many of our books come straight from socially minded publishers at this point, but our volunteers still play a crucial role, and Bookshare would not be what it is today without them. Using a provision of U.S.

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Volunteer Library Teen Law 113

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

OCTOBER 5, 2010

We had a mind-blowing presentation from one of the engineering leaders on Venice's efforts to respond to sea level rise with giant barriers to the Venice lagoon. People mentioned that there had been a reluctance to talk about adaptation, since it would take the focus off of the critical challenge of mitigation.

Japan 113

Japan Technology Conservancy Proposal 113

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

DECEMBER 17, 2009

It never ceases to amaze me: the cool social entrepreneurs that I get to meet all the time, coming up with mind-blowing innovative ways to accomplish social good. I was recently introduced to Lisa Nash of the Blue Planet Run Foundation, about their Peer Water Exchange.

India 113

India Map Proposal Project 113

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

FEBRUARY 25, 2015

I was able to participate in the Naropa tradition of “bowing in” at the beginning of classes: a short meditation exercise to focus the mind on the people in the room. The majority of Naropa students in the class were working on their own social enterprise concepts.

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Impact Colorado Social San Francisco 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

MARCH 28, 2014

On the steps out of TED, I was chatting with one of the attendees about what to do to help Gabby and other people recovering from brain injuries, and of course my mind went to software to help recover cognitive function. Like the previous idea, this one was an expansion of something that is already percolating in Benetech Labs.

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Ideas Kenya Brain Software 223

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

MARCH 10, 2014

I can enlighten my mind, enliven my spirit, and experience what I couldn’t before. Sixth grader Kevin Leong reads a Bookshare book on his iPad “This access to books,” Sophia wrote, “has given me [the] wonderful opportunity to flourish despite my disability.

Data 168

Data Classroom Measure Accessibility 168

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

NOVEMBER 10, 2014

Today the majority of Bookshare’s ebooks come straight in the form of digital files from our socially minded publisher partners, but each year we expand the library by scanning and proofreading thousands of titles not made digitally available to us, as well as books of personal interest requested by our members.

Life 147

Life Gift eBook France 147

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

AUGUST 12, 2007

It's a reminder that we're not alone in this work: that many brilliant minds are highly engaged in these challenges. There were several projects that I saw immediate applications to practice, and a couple that could directly help Bookshare.org users. These kinds of visits are really energizing.

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Washington University Student Seattle 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JUNE 24, 2010

A term that was brainstormed by some of the other great minds here was "Responsible Entities," which I think is quite good. term "authorized entity" carries some of this freight to non-U.S. audiences who assume that some other authority provided the authorization. I believe it delivers on the concepts in U.S.

Authoring 150

Authoring Paraguay Law Copyright 150

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JUNE 13, 2007

We have some of the best minds and mentors… we have the programs started. My message is that the barrier to getting involved is much lower than you may think,” Fruchterman said in his opening comments. “The University right here is putting together the ingredients. The opportunity is for us to take it to the next level.

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University Change Work Broadcast 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

APRIL 26, 2009

They are apparently looking for nontraditional partners here: Bookshare came immediately to mind!! If you talk about independent living, then the reaction is thinking about creating home healthcare worker jobs. Something that piqued my interest was the Summer of Service. He mentioned Serve.gov as a part of this.

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Policy Track Social National 104

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JUNE 13, 2016

Something that any geek that aims to do social good must keep in mind! And that tech innovations are not done to people, but intimately depend on people for any impact they successfully make.

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Laptop Hype Ghana Phase 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

NOVEMBER 14, 2009

He inspired us, he inspired each one of his children, by his example, by the people and pursuits he loved, to keep our impact on other people in mind. Dad always kept Cardinal Newman’s enjoinder in mind – he was always thinking about other people. Our Dad was always aware of his impact on others. That was my dad!

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South Carolina Michigan Music Awareness 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

APRIL 7, 2011

So, Captain Lopez ends up using the crisis-map in real-time to guide her team, and happens to miss the area of worst damage because of any number of real world reasons (inoperative cell towers comes to mind). It takes an extra six hours for the real picture to come through, and that delay has real impact.

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Picture Data Disaster Map 140

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

SEPTEMBER 3, 2008

The opening ceremony had a mind-boggling location: Edinburgh Castle. This social enterprise sells hand-made soaps, creating production and retail jobs. It's part of the Forth Sector, a regional social enterprise group with a handful of enterprises. We had drinks overlooking the city, and the kilts were out in force.

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San Francisco Social Government Conference 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

DECEMBER 19, 2006

With this in mind, I got in touch with Iftekhar Enayetullah and Maqsood Sinha of the social enterprise Waste Concern. My answer is two things: it helps me raise money for Benetech and the people I meet who are also social entrepreneurs are my closest peers in the world.

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Bangladesh Generation Profit Mind 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

MARCH 1, 2012

Recently, I had the pleasure to host Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) for exactly such a meeting of minds with ten fellow social entrepreneurs. I’m happy finally to get an opportunity to reflect here on that important event. Senator Harkin is a longtime advocate for people with disabilities.

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Hosting San Francisco Law Education 140

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

AUGUST 15, 2008

I wrote this parody of Paul Overstreet's song, "Heroes," with all Booksharians in mind. Volunteering is a fascinating, fulfilling blessing resulting in my reading wonderful books, learning new things and getting to know people I enjoy, care about and admire.

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Listserv Volunteer Celebrate Mail 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JUNE 11, 2015

Bear in mind that a good safe design allows the user to choose their own combination at random. Having the detailed plans helps me, or safe experts, determine how good the design is. It helps establish that the safe has no design flaws or a second “back door” combination other than my own chosen combination that opens the safe.

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Open Source Open Software License 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JANUARY 13, 2008

To my mind, that's where the low-hanging fruit are in the technology fields. We have a large non-profit sector that has many zones where it does not work well (measured by long-term addressing the social mission). And, as a nonprofit, I can pursue society's interests with a clear conscience.

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Profit Issue Nonprofit Application 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

SEPTEMBER 30, 2005

We have to ensure that the public's interest (and as Tim points out, the authors' interests, even though they don't understand why) stays in mind as we legislate and litigate our way to some interesting places!

San Francisco 100

San Francisco Copyright New York Attitude 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

NOVEMBER 25, 2013

The tough question that ran through my mind was: How can we as technologists in Silicon Valley help prevent this kind of atrocity? I was aghast that it could take a dozen years for the world to believe the massacre had happened.

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Burma Analysis Guatemala Law 168

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JULY 3, 2013

We are developing many of these free tools with publishers and content creators in mind and in consideration of the online platforms more and more people use to author and publish information.

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Literacy eBook Images Accessibility 208

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

DECEMBER 21, 2006

One conversation that stuck in my mind centered on corruption in the justice system: that if a corrupt system would allow bad people to escape justice (through bribery), then the RABs were accomplishing what the system could not. While I was in Bangladesh, I asked people about the RAB battalions, and found that it was a sensitive subject.

Bangladesh 100

Bangladesh Data Analysis Policy 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

MARCH 27, 2006

It is actually crucial for a community-led, volunteer-driven project like Bookshare.org to engage hearts and minds to make the impact we intend. We are all on such common ground, it is easy to get together and talk shop while drinking a glass of wine.

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Conference Tech Google Problem 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

FEBRUARY 17, 2012

We think this was a very useful lesson to all of us who publish crypto software ("mind your p 's and q 's," Heninger wrote), and we are taking the opportunity to review the last ten years of Martus security thinking. The cryptographic software most commonly used for email security ( PGP and gpg ) does not seem to be compromised.

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Public Generation Problem Analysis 150

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

DECEMBER 11, 2006

I had just read a paper about the LINCOS project in Central America, so this was fresh in my mind. Of course, people are reluctant to talk about the failures, but a few people have studied this issue. Lata Krishnan, the CEO, co-founded a billion dollar a year revenue company in tech before turning her hand to the social sector.

India 100

India Foundation Student Children 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

APRIL 22, 2007

Not only do we get the warm validation feeling, but we get to dig into the issues that face us with like-minded individuals. It's terrific for at least once a year to get together with six or seven hundred people who think the same way. Peer learning as at the core of both the Gathering and the Social Enterprise Alliance.

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Long Beach North America Milwaukee Boston 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

FEBRUARY 3, 2005

My last Davos Diary piece for BBC News was published this week, 'Meetings of Minds'. This was fun to write, and this Davos was incredible. Here's the text of my article: My good friend from India, Joe Madiath, bumps into another man at a Davos party thrown by the Egyptians. They say hi and shake hands. Joe exclaims: "You know something?

India 100

India Brazil Jordan Literacy 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JULY 14, 2009

We’ll hear from our new chapters about how they are assembling like-minded people in their communities to get together and talk about how to make social change. We’ll hear exciting ideas here in New Orleans. Great stories from social entrepreneurs about how their unusual business ventures make social change.

Business 100

Business Government North Carolina Chapter 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

FEBRUARY 24, 2016

Imagine how my mind has been blown by learning about a huge international income database that has microdata on millions of households from more than 50 countries, all harmonized to make the same kinds of analyses possible across any of these countries!

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Uruguay Luxembourg New York Database 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

APRIL 24, 2015

Those around-the-clock meetings were the mind food for me: completely inspirational for my work in the coming year. These, in fact, are critical parts of the experience: connecting with old friends, setting up meetings for the next day, and (extensively) talking shop. Exhausting, but totally worthwhile.

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Mind New Zealand Global Asia 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JULY 16, 2018

But, cost savings, opportunity for innovation and impact that will create should be mind-blowing. This enterprise should look like the same kind of invisible plumbing nonprofits doing standards and open source middleware in the internet/web space.

Software 118

Software Data Change eBook 118

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

OCTOBER 5, 2017

They mentioned that finding cosmetically marred chips was too time consuming, would we mind getting regular chips of their second fastest Pentium model? I think that by that time Paul had already moved up at Intel, and his successor Vin Dham (pretty much Mr. Pentium) was happy to continue to do as Paul had. You might imagine I said yes.

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United States Course California Product 131

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

FEBRUARY 1, 2013

MagnaFlyer was developed with a large and specific audience in mind—individuals suffering from Macular Degeneration. So for me, it was incredibly cool to be introduced to a new piece of technology that has a clever and (as far as I know) new approach to making information accessible to people with vision impairments. It’s called MagnaFlyer.

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People Help Tech Colorado 113