Week in Review

Usually, our Week in Review posts are full of examples of what can go wrong when employees use social media. This week, we can report a different kind of story. A group of women are harnessing the power of Twitter to promote positive change in the gaming industry. Using the hashtag #1ReasonWhy, these women are speaking out against what they describe as the pervasive culture of sexism in the gaming industry. The question of "why are there so few lady game creators?" has been answered by hundreds of industry professionals, including game developers, journalists, and others. Responders have shared accounts of sexual assault, objectification, hostile work environments, and pay inequality. The women who launched this movement says that their effort has brought about awareness to the problem and offers solidarity and hope to its participants. As a result many mentorship programs have already begun to pop up.

Elsewhere in the country, the struggle goes on to define privacy in a digital world. Thousands of Facebook users attempted to "copyright" their content via a generic status that was full of legalese and not at all enforceable. (Per Facebook's user agreement, you already own your content, but Facebook has the right to use it, so no "copyright" is possible). On the governmental side, the Senate Judicial Committee is considering proposed revisions to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, and the U.S. Supreme Court has denied cert to a case challenging the Illinois law that prohibits individuals from recording police officers on the job.

Technology and the Workplace
Women Use Twitter to Expose Video Game Industry Sexism (NBC) (Forbes)
Employee Terminated for Facebook Message Fails to State Public Policy Claim (Technology and Marketing Law Blog)
Facebook Hacks Its Employees to Teach Lessons on Cyberattacks (Mashable)
How Teachers Use Skype in the Classroom (TIME)
NJ Journalist Uses Only Facebook to Win Local Election (Huffington Post)

Technology and the Law
Viral "Facebook Privacy Notice" is a Hoax (CBS)
Courts Divided Over Searches of Cellphones (NY Times)
Your Digital Legacy: States Grapple With Protecting Our Data After We Die (TIME)
Support Builds for Revising Email Privacy Protections (FOX)
Supreme Court Rejects Plea to Prohibit Taking of Police in IL (Chicago Tribune) (ABA Journal)

There's an App for That
App Helps Warring Ex-Spouses Work Out Custody Differences, Even Email and Texting Lessen Conflict (NY Times) (ABA Journal)
Polar App is the Ultimate Tool for Indecisive People (Mashable)
iTunes Inches Further Towards the Cloud (WSJ)
Retina Implant Instantly Turns Text Into Braille (Mashable)
Best Apps for Saving Money (Rolla Daily News)