📑 On Joi and MIT

Bookmarked On Joi and MIT (Medium)

Ok, that’s a lot of words to get to a critical point about the Joi Ito story: Everyone seems to treat it as if the anonymity and secrecy around Epstein’s gift are a measure of some kind of moral failing. I see it as exactly the opposite. IF you are going to take type 3 money, then you should only take it anonymously. And if you take it anonymously, then obviously you will take the many steps detailed by Farrow to keep it secret. Secrecy is the only saving virtue of accepting money like this. And rather than repeating unreflective paeans to “transparency,” we should recognize that in many cases, secrecy is golden.

Lawrence Lessig discusses the different ways universities are funded. He breaks this down into four types:

  • Type 1 is people like Tom Hanks or Taylor Swift — people who are wealthy and whose wealth comes from nothing but doing good.
  • Type 2 is entities like Google or Facebook, or people whose wealth comes from those companies. These are people who are wealthy because of their work within companies of ambiguous good. Some love them. Some hate them. Some think they are the key to all that’s evil in the age that’s coming. Some think they are the key to all that will be good.
  • Type 3 is people who are criminals, but whose wealth does not derive from their crime. This is Epstein, but not just Epstein. It may be that we’ll discover that Epstein got rich by blackmailing people whom he had encouraged or enabled to commit abuse. I doubt it, but it’s possible. Suffice it that when Joi was investigating whether that criminal continued his crime, no one was suggesting that his enormous wealth was the product of blackmail or sex slavery. He was, the world assumed, a brilliant, savant-like investor, who was also a sexual predator.
  • Type 4 is entities and people whose wealth comes from clearly wrongful or harmful or immoral behavior. The RJ Reynolds Foundation, the Sacklers, the Kochs: I recognize that people have different views about these people or entities, but it is not hard to identify the enormous harm that each has caused. Smoking has killed multiples of the German Holocaust. Since 1999, more than 200,000 have died from OxyContin overdoses — four times the number of Americans killed in Vietnam (even if that’s less than a fifth of the number of people killed in that insane war). If there is a single family responsible for the fact that we to this day have no comprehensive legislation addressing climate change, it is the Kochs. This money is blood money. It is wealth that is great because of the harm.

He explains that universities take money from all types. For Lessig, this is why he argued that Joi Ito should not have had to resign and why donations should be anonymous. However, he also adds that he should have stopped Ito from accepting the money.

In response, Siva Vaidhyanathan provides a critique:

He argues that Epstein’s intent in donating to MIT was not whitewashing, but rather to gain access to powerful men. Another reason to donate is the corruption of research. In the end, “the only reason to keep MIT donations secret is to dodge scrutiny.”

2 responses on “📑 On Joi and MIT”

  1. Ronan Farrow reports on the steps Joi Ito and others took to conceal Jeffrey Epstein’s involvement with the MIT Media Lab.

    Ito and other lab employees took numerous steps to keep Epstein’s name from being associated with the donations he made or solicited. On Ito’s calendar, which typically listed the full names of participants in meetings, Epstein was identified only by his initials.

    One voice a part of the effort to lift the lid is Signe Swenson, a former a former development associate and alumni coordinator at the lab. She explains the how the message to keep Epstein’s donations secret came from the top. Another employee to speak up is Ethan Zuckerman, who recently resigned in protest:

    In 2013, Zuckerman said, he pulled Ito aside after a faculty meeting to express concern about meetings on Ito’s calendar marked “J.E.” Zuckerman recalled saying, “I heard you’re meeting with Epstein. I don’t think that’s a good idea,” and Ito responding, “You know, he’s really fascinating. Would you like to meet him?” Zuckerman declined and said that he believed the relationship could have negative consequences for the lab.

    Farrow highlights how Epstein’s association with élite institutions like MIT helped shield him.

    The revelations about Epstein’s widespread sexual misconduct, most notably reported by Julie K. Brown in the Miami Herald, have made clear that Epstein used the status and prestige afforded him by his relationships with élite institutions to shield himself from accountability and continue his alleged predation.

    In a Twitter thread, Siva Vaidhyanathan argues that Epstein’s intent in donating to MIT was not whitewashing, but rather to gain access to powerful men. This all highlights the moral rot and bankruptcy of the techno-elites.
    Audrey Watters calls it a ‘plutocratic horror show’.

    This is why I try in my work to show the powerful networks funding education technology and “the future of learning.” It’s a plutocratic horror show. And if you think your work isn’t tainted when you take billionaires’ cash, you are wrong. Thread —> https://t.co/nVlgoox6IZ
    — Audrey Watters (@audreywatters) September 7, 2019

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
    Rafranz Davis asks when we stop promoting MIT’s products?

    I’m also wondering at which point in time do we stop looking away. Those ignoring the Epstein/MIT Media Lab story while still promoting their products are full of shit.
    — Rafranz (@RafranzDavis) September 7, 2019

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
    Jay Rosen also asks why the New York Times did not publish the information?

    We know a whistleblower gave documents to the Times. We know Ronan Farrow also had those documents and the whistleblower’s story. We know the Times didn’t publish a story until after the New Yorker did. We know Ito was on the board of the Times. We know there’s no public editor. https://t.co/PRlCwQkj3z
    — Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) September 7, 2019

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

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  2. Another month has flown on by. My family and I have just gotten back from some time away in Vanuatu. I think it is fair to say that Google and Uber have some work to do there in regards to implementing self-driving cars. It felt like there are two maps, one plotting where to go, the other documenting the multitude of pot-holes. I must admit it was nice to stop.
    In regards to work, there are always changes going on. The focus though continues to be automating the process for on-boarding schools. I wrote a longer reflection about that here. My biggest takeaway is that:

    Too often the conversation around technology is around efficiency – replacing work and saving time. However, my experience with supporting schools with setting up reports, timetables and attendance, and technology in general, has me feeling it often changes things. This touches on the reality that technology is a system. In saving in once spot, it often adds to another. As always, comments welcomes.

    At the same time we are also grappling with how to best support schools already on. This is especially challenging when it comes to tasks like setting up a timetable that schools may only do once a year.
    Personally, I have continued reading Why We Can’t Write. I also worked on my site. This included improving the search thanks to some help from John Johnston, as well as fix up the header images. In regards to my listening, I have been really getting into Lana Del Ray, Montaigne, Charli XCX, M83 and G Flip, as well as diving into the Switched on Pop podcast. I also watched the Chernobyl miniseries.
    Learning and Teaching
    Children’s books are tackling dark and taboo topics. Morris Gleitzman says that’s nothing to be afraid of
    Morris Gleitzman and Jo Lampert spoke as part of a panel discussing the place of literature to tackle complex topics.
    Why the Periodic Table of Elements Is More Important Than Ever
    Bloomberg collects together a number of essays exploring the various elements of the periodic table.
    Re-imagining Education for Democracy with Stewart Riddle
    Stewart Riddle discusses the issue of democracy in education in an interview with Cameron Malcher on the TER Podcast.
    Learning Science: The Problem With Data, And How You Can Measure Anything
    Julian Stodd provides a useful introduction to quantitative and qualitative data.
    One for the books: the unlikely renaissance of libraries in the digital age
    Often the discussion around the future of libraries focuses on technology and spaces, however Jane Cadzow’s deep dive uncovers the more human side of libraries throughout Australia.
    Technology
    The Perfect User
    Cherie Lacey, Catherine Caudwell and Alex Beattie discuss the ironic templated sense of identity perpetuated by the humane technology movement.
    Privacy matters because it empowers us all
    Carissa Véliz pushes back on the idea that anyone can say they have ‘nothing to hide’. Whether it be attention, money, reputation or identity, she argues that we all have something worth getting at.
    EdTech Resistance
    Ben Williamson provides a broad survey of the different ways that people have been critically engaging with technology in education.
    Apps Script Pulse
    Martin Hawksey has created a site to collate different Google App Script projects.
    The Psychology of Silicon Valley
    Antony Funnell speaks with Katy Cook on the RN Future Tense podcast about the many influences on Silicon Valley.
    Reflection
    Media Accounting 101: Appholes and Contracts
    Craig Mod explores the agreements we make that we may not always be aware that we are making.
    Misogyny, male rage and the words men use to describe Greta Thunberg
    Camilla Nelson and Meg Vertigan survey the way in which males have responded to Greta Thunberg.
    Kate O’Halloran made a mistake on Twitter. But admitting it wasn’t enough for trolls
    Kate O’Halloran reflections on her experience of being trolled online after a mistake made on Twitter.
    The Cost of Next-Day Delivery: How Amazon Escapes The Blame For Its Deadly Last Mile
    Caroline O’Donovan and Ken Bensinger provide a picture of what is involved in having things delivered the next day.
    Malcolm Gladwell Reaches His Tipping Point
    In a review of Malcolm Gladwell’s new book Talking to Strangers, Andrew Ferguson unpacks Gladwell’s pivot from rules and biases to unanswered questions.
    Focus on … MIT and Jeffrey Epstein
    Image via “BrickForge Animals” by Dunechaser https://flickr.com/photos/dunechaser/1431005928 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA
    Justin Peters maps the history associated with MIT, the birth of the Media Lab and the choice to soil its specialness, rather than support activists like Aaron Swartz. Evgeny Morozov labels it as moral bankruptcy. Audrey Watters calls it a plutocratic horror show. James Bridle questions the ethics of the Media Lab and their history in building products to improve people’s lives, only to then pivot into market gains. Ronan Farrow reports on the steps Joi Ito and others took to conceal Epstein’s involvement with the Media Lab. Siva Vaidhyanathan argues that Epstein’s intent in donating was not whitewashing, but rather to gain access to powerful men. Anand Giridharadas outlines why he resigned as a juror for MIT’s Disobedience Award. Heather Gold reflects on the problem of gender and power. danah boyd discusses the great reckoning ahead, where we are faced with the challenge of building rather than breaking the web.
    Read Write Respond #045
    So that was September for me, how about you? As always, happy to hear.

    Cover Image via JustLego101

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