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MIT Media Lab to offer $250,000 award for disobedience

By adamg on Wed, 03/08/2017 - 3:27pm

The MIT Media Lab is accepting applications through May 1 for a no-strings-attached $250,000 Disobedience Award:

This award will go to a person or group engaged in what we believe is an extraordinary example of disobedience for the benefit of society.

What does this mean? Societies and institutions lean toward order and away from chaos. While necessary for functioning, structure can also stifle creativity, flexibility, and productive change–and ultimately, society's health and sustainability. This is true from academia, to corporations, governments, the sciences, and our local communities.

With this award, we honor work that impacts society in positive ways, and is consistent with a set of key principles. These principles include non-violence, creativity, courage, and taking responsibility for one’s actions. This disobedience is not limited to specific disciplines; examples include scientific research, civil rights, freedom of speech, human rights, and the freedom to innovate.

Also, before you start the submission process, you'll read this:

This nomination form is a secure form and the information submitted will not be shared publicly. Information submitted will be reviewed by the award selection committee only. If one of your nominees is selected as the award recipient, we will contact the winner for permission before announcing any personal information. We are mindful of privacy and the fact that many people and organizations doing disobedient work might not want to disclose their information to the public.

H/t Wakefield.

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Comments

By capecoddah on Wed, 03/08/2017 - 3:53pm.

Without my edgy (and oft disdained) thoughts and actions, we all might still be reading Trumpland entries every day. I refuse to obey the mainstream narrative of the lockstep leftists. I am, in effect, disobedient.

Guys who use their anti-Trump safety pins to make scratches on their face for their false police reports now think twice before wasting public resources.

http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2017/03/ann_arbor_woman_pl...

News sites are more careful to think twice before posting suspicious stories now. Hell, look at how fast they dropped the wiretap story when they saw Trump was correct.

Yay truth and justice. Yay me. Yay 250 large!

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By anon on Wed, 03/08/2017 - 3:58pm.

You clearly don't get it. Being contrarian isn't enough. You are taking no risks, not bettering society.

Trolls need not apply.

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By anon on Wed, 03/08/2017 - 5:01pm.

for the betterment of society?

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By adamg on Wed, 03/08/2017 - 7:42pm.

And suggest the people giving out the money will make that determination.

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By capecoddah on Wed, 03/08/2017 - 6:32pm.

-- You are taking no risks --

Nearly every single time I post, someone either tells me that I "clearly don't get it" or that I am stupid. Often I am called a troll. That hurts. That hurts out loud. One of my leghumpers called me stupid three times in one post.

I suffer for my cause.

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By perruptor on Thu, 03/09/2017 - 6:26am.

*

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By anon on Thu, 03/09/2017 - 9:27am.

So you are in step with the current regime and feel that by spreading and perpetuating propaganda you are some how helping? Yikes....

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By Doug1001 on Thu, 03/09/2017 - 11:03am.

98%-99% of commenters here were in step with the prior regime and felt that by spreading and perpetuating propaganda, they were somehow helping.

Yikes indeed.

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By spin_o_rama on Wed, 03/08/2017 - 3:59pm.

Swartz's work also focused on civic awareness and activism. He helped launch the Progressive Change Campaign Committee in 2009 to learn more about effective online activism. In 2010, he became a research fellow at Harvard University's Safra Research Lab on Institutional Corruption, directed by Lawrence Lessig. He founded the online group Demand Progress, known for its campaign against the Stop Online Piracy Act.

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By Elmer on Wed, 03/08/2017 - 4:40pm.

Eligibility requirements for the $250,000 prize

  • The recipient must be living.
  • The recipient must have taken a personal risk in order to affect positive change for greater society.
  • Both individuals and groups are eligible to win the prize.
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By spin_o_rama on Wed, 03/08/2017 - 6:22pm.

I'd still argue that he took a personal risk in order to affect positive change for society.

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By Muerl on Thu, 03/09/2017 - 9:02am.

In Aaron's memory, one of his friends who might also himself be eligible had the same comment:

https://twitter.com/textfiles/status/839304157257326592

Also
https://twitter.com/textfiles/status/839303988562411520

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By bulgingbuick on Wed, 03/08/2017 - 4:11pm.

advocacy of Turkey Lilberation and getting Storrow recognized as a verb (Webster's Dictionary in 2017) .

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By Gary C on Wed, 03/08/2017 - 4:32pm.

I just assumed he posted this to troll for votes! :)

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By Turkey Liberation Front on Wed, 03/08/2017 - 5:21pm.

We would rather recieve financial support directly in lieu of Adam simply continuing to provide our glorious struggle of liberation a forum and the occasional artisinal kosher bagel. Though we acknowledge the dedicated legion of server gnomes, not to be conflated with the treasonous garden gnomes, in Adam's employ need their stipends.

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By bulgingbuick on Wed, 03/08/2017 - 7:38pm.

once Adam publishes Turkileaks.

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By anon on Thu, 03/09/2017 - 10:43am.

The bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. IYKWIMAITYD

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By Elmer on Wed, 03/08/2017 - 7:59pm.

The award echoes the spirit of MIT hacking.

non-violence, creativity, courage, and taking responsibility for one’s actions

   IMAGE(http://www.universalhub.com/files/uhub215_0_0_1_1.png)
IMAGE(http://www.universalhub.com/files/uhub215_0_0_1_1.png)
 

          ( there are many kinds of superheroes at MIT )

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By MIT alumna on Wed, 03/08/2017 - 7:24pm.

this is SO MIT!

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By Scumquistador on Wed, 03/08/2017 - 4:40pm.

a shitposting blue ribbon at least

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By bshep on Wed, 03/08/2017 - 6:02pm.

We are mindful of privacy and the fact that many people and organizations doing disobedient work might not want to disclose their information to the public.

So I assume any organization inclined to disobediently hack into and leak details of the entries for the benefit of society need not apply?

I get so confused about when information wants to be free and when it doesn't.

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By Elmer on Wed, 03/08/2017 - 6:45pm.

We take privacy seriously.

This nomination form is a secure form and the information submitted will not be shared publicly. Information submitted will be reviewed by the award selection committee only. If one of your nominees is selected as the award recipient, we will contact the winner for permission before announcing any personal information. We are mindful of privacy and the fact that many people and organizations doing disobedient work might not want to disclose their information to the public.

It's a statement that they'll keep your submission private, and if the person you nominate happens to be the lucky winner, they won't disclose their real name without the winner's approval.

While I suppose you could do something worthy of nomination yourself, the award is generally about nominating someone else for recognition.

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By BostonDog on Wed, 03/08/2017 - 6:41pm.

Information wants to be free when it concerns one group attempting to control or illegally influence another group, such as NSA spying tools, illegal corporate actions, etc.

Information want to be private when it concerns only one individual or a small group and is personal in nature, such as personal emails, etc.

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By BostonDog on Wed, 03/08/2017 - 6:35pm.

He's broken conventions, is chaotic, and rejects common thinking and established practices. He's changing society rapidly. He rejects the dogma of the US constitution and ignores history.

Of course, he's making making things worse for a large majority of the population (if not the world). But if you ignore the evil part, he's a shoe-in for the prize.

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By bostnkid on Wed, 03/08/2017 - 8:41pm.

and i'm leaving it there.

SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!!!

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By u-hub-fan on Wed, 03/08/2017 - 10:16pm.

(n/t)

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By Michael G..... on Sat, 03/18/2017 - 8:04pm.

Am I understanding the situation correctly about only the English language being used to make this announcement of an award, the application forms are only in English, and all other matters related to the award are only in English?

If I am correct in the question -- in three parts -- above is correct, am I also correct in feeling that something is very wrong?

I asked over at the ISOC and it seems that nobody is concerned.

Now I am starting to look around on the Net map to see if this idea that English rules is a common idea with folks outside the ISOC.

Thank you for your attention.

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