Library of Congress Is Archiving All Of America's Tweets

via businessinsider.com

133,000 gigabytes worth of tweets currently takes days to search, but The Library of Congress is nonetheless trying to archive American Twitter use for posterity.

The venerable US institution is assembling all of the 400 million tweets sent by Americans each day, in the belief that each of the mini-messages reflect a small but important part of the national narrative.

"An element of our mission at the Library of Congress is to collect the story of America, and to acquire collections that will have research value," said Gayle Osterberg, director of communications at the library.

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Get Ready to Go Over the Cliff

via inc.com

The thought of planning to go over a cliff may seem incomprehensible, but in a situation where you know it might happen--like you are now--you should put a plan in place.

While Washington has shown signs of inching toward a deal that would avoid the so-called fiscal cliff, that could easily fall apart. Especially considering House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) unexpectedly canceled a vote on his own proposal yesterday.

So what do you do as a small business owner to prepare? Think of it the way you do costs versus revenue. It's obviously easier to control your expenditure than it is to spur revenue growth. A similar issue exists with the fiscal cliff. You can't control it, so focus on what you can control.

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Ron Paul’s Farewell Address: The Internet Can Stop Big Government

via techcrunch.com

The steadfast libertarian captain, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, is bidding farewell to Congress and has a call-to-arms for his legions of tech-savvy followers: The Internet is the savior of liberty. “The internet will provide the alternative to the government/media complex that controls the news and most political propaganda. This is why it’s essential that the internet remains free of government regulation,” he said, in his farewell address. After 23 years in America’s most esteemed body [Pointless editorializing], Paul is leaving his work to a vocal minority of small government digital warriors.

“I have thought a lot about why those of us who believe in liberty, as a solution, have done so poorly in convincing others of its benefits,” he admitted. “History has shown that the masses have been quite receptive to the promises of authoritarians which are rarely if ever fulfilled.”

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Congress Wants to Have a Chat With Apple About Privacy

via gizmodo.com

Congress is itching to know more about Apple's privacy practices. On March 2nd, Apple responded in writing to questions about its policies. Lawmakers weren't satisfied. They're asking Apple for a briefing in Washington.

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U.S. Congress contacts Apple on info-stealing apps

via theglobeandmail.com

U.S. legislators on Wednesday sought more information from Apple Inc. (AAPL-Q497.67-11.79-2.31%) regarding its privacy policies, pulling the iPhone manufacturer into a swelling controversy over how developers on its popular iOS mobile platform have been able to access users’ private address book data.

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If Congress wants jobs, it can’t want SOPA

via gigaom.com

Although the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act have been shelved, their staunchest congressional supporters are still criticizing the opposition, claiming the bills would save thousands of jobs. However, these claims look like little more than empty rhetoric.

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Congress withdraws anti-piracy measures

via msnbc.msn.com

U.S. lawmakers stopped anti-piracy legislation in its tracks on Friday, delivering a stunning win for Internet companies that staged an unprecedented online protest this week to kill the previously fast-moving bills.

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How Congress is Preparing to Destroy the Internet: These Popular Sites Could Be Screwed By SOPA

via businessinsider.com

The Stop Internet Piracy Act (SOPA) legislation being debated in Congress has the potential to destroy the internet as we have come to know it.

If passed, SOPA would require internet providers to block access to sites in other countries hosting stolen intellectual property (IP) from the U.S. It also puts any site that contains even an accidental link to a protected IP at risk for legal action.

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Poll: Americans trust military, but not Congress

Congress may be in the doghouse with the American public, but a new poll suggests that the broader government — especially the military — gets high marks for keeping the nation safe and secure.

What's more, nearly seven in 10 Americans are trying to make things better by volunteering, a sign that optimism survives in a nation riled by partisan policy fights and economic uncertainty.

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