Weekly Filet #135: The Battle for Power on the Internet. And more.
This week's top recommendation
As the revelations about massive surveillance programs continue, the looming question remains unanswered: Where is this all leading us? Internet security expert Bruce Schneier admits he doesn't have an answer either, but his essay in The Atlantic is probably the closest you can get to understanding the big picture. Key thesis: «The truth is that technology magnifies power in general, but rates of adoption are different.»
→ The Battle for Power on the Internet (The Atlantic)
Further recommendations
A staggering realtime visualisation of how the world population is growing, and where.
→ A Real-Time Map of Births and Deaths (The Atlantic)
33 years later, a man learns that he had spent a wonderful afternoon with one of America's worst serial killers, likely as a designated victim. A captivating story about mixed feelings.
→ I Met A Convicted Serial Killer, And He Made Me Feel More Loved Than Anyone Else In My Life (Thought Catalog)
An interactive documentary follows the journey of a Pakistani who risks his life in search of a better life in Australia.
→ Hussain's Journey (The Global Mail)
Interesting question, answered: When, if ever, will Facebook contain more profiles of dead people than of living ones?
→ Facebook of the Dead (What If?)
Book recommendation
The Commonwealth of Thieves, by Tom Kennealy
«a great historic work on the very first steps of the colonisation of Australia. Reads like a novel» – Guillaume Amigues
This is one of over 50 recommendations by readers of the Weekly Filet, compiled on this list: Filter bubble bursting book recommendations (you can also add your own).