I recently started a new job. Like most new jobs, the first week was filled with orientation, unfamiliar faces, and the slow process of making an anonymous cubicle feel a little less anonymous. The top drawer in the cabinet under my desk became the natural place to keep my notebook. For the first few days, … Continue reading The Pen in the Drawer
Author: Jeremy B. Blevins
Jeremy Blevins writes and speaks at the intersection of cybersecurity, technology, and society. An Army veteran, cybersecurity practitioner, and educator, he brings more than two decades of experience in governance, risk, compliance, and technical workforce development.
The Free State of Trust
Several years ago, not long after my wife and I moved to Winston County, Alabama, I was talking with a longtime member of the community. During the conversation he said something I’ve never forgotten. “It doesn’t matter how long you live here,” he said. “You’ll always be an outsider.” He didn’t say it kindly. And … Continue reading The Free State of Trust
On Heroes and Hero-Worship in the Information Age
I recently listened to Thomas Carlyle's On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History. It is one of those books that has acquired a reputation few people seem interested in challenging. Mention Carlyle today, particularly in academic circles, and before long someone will invoke the "Great Man Theory" as though the matter has been settled. … Continue reading On Heroes and Hero-Worship in the Information Age
The Revolution Will Still Not Be Televised
The revolution will not be televised, will not be televisedWill not be televised, will not be televisedThe revolution will be no re-run brothersThe revolution will be live—Gil Scott-Heron, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised A few years ago, while watching The Get Down, I heard a piece of spoken-word poetry woven into the soundtrack that stopped me cold. … Continue reading The Revolution Will Still Not Be Televised
Earning its Place on the Shelf
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven..."Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV) There was a time when every new book represented possibility. I bought them with the optimism that someday I would read them, understand them, and perhaps become a little wiser because of them. Some came from bookstores, … Continue reading Earning its Place on the Shelf
Becoming the Gray Man in the Age of Surveillance Capitalism
Living in Alabama, I don't often have the opportunity to walk through fresh snow. Fortunately, mud tells many of the same stories. After a good rain, a hiking trail or dirt road becomes a record of everyone who has passed that way. Every boot and every tire leaves an impression. Some tracks are deep enough … Continue reading Becoming the Gray Man in the Age of Surveillance Capitalism
Emancipation Digitization
History remembers proclamations because they announce more than policy. They declare that the world has crossed a threshold. When Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, slavery did not disappear the moment the ink dried. At that instant, it was, in the most literal sense, merely words on paper. Its authority depended upon institutions willing to … Continue reading Emancipation Digitization
