NEW RESOURCES

Library of Congress: Introducing the Congress.gov API. “The Congress.gov API will cover many of the Congress.gov collections out of the gate, including bills, amendments, summaries, Congress, members, the Congressional Record, committee reports, nominations, treaties, and House Communications. Over time we will be adding other Congress.gov collection endpoints, such as hearing transcripts and Senate Communications.” I expect I will have a lot of fun with this.

Digital Library of Georgia: The Civil Rights Digital Library Relaunches With A New Look And Fifteen Years Of Updated Content. “This project brings together more than 200 libraries, archives, and museums to provide free online access to historical materials documenting the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. These collaborative partnerships are the bedrock of this national project.”

The Journal (Ireland): ‘These were babies, not numbers’: New website documents deaths in mother and baby homes. “INSPIRED BY HIS own family’s connection to Bessborough mother and baby home in Cork, Daniel Loftus has committed to compiling an online database that documents all the people who died in these institutions in Ireland. The 18-year-old student started Project Infant in July and is currently going through records for various mother and baby homes, county homes and other institutions in a bid to compile a comprehensive list of all the mothers and children who died there.”

EVENTS

Internet Archive Blog: Building Democracy’s Library—Celebrate with the Internet Archive on October 19. “Why is it that on the internet the best information is often locked behind paywalls? Brewster Kahle, founder of The Internet Archive, believes it’s time to turn that scarcity model upside down and build an internet based on abundance. Join us for an evening event where he’ll share a new project—Democracy’s Library—a free, open, online compendium of government research and publications from around the world. Why? Because democracies need an educated citizenry to thrive.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

The Verge: Roblox is ready to grow up. “The all-ages, user-generated gaming platform is announcing plans today to add age guidelines to its games and significantly expand its advertising business as it works to court an older demographic, expand its revenue streams, and still support the needs of its millions of young players.”

Engadget: Twitter’s $7 million whistleblower payout violates purchase deal, Musk’s lawyers argue . “As The Washington Post reports, Musk’s lawyers sent a letter to Twitter, telling the company that the severance payment worth $7.75 million that it made to Zatko in June violated a provision in their sales agreement.”

USEFUL STUFF

MakeUseOf: 5 Sites to Teach Children How to Use the Internet Safely, for Kids and Parents. “These websites offer different ways for children, parents, and educators to learn best digital practices and good online behavior. They address basics like security, privacy, and even behavioral patterns like cyberbullying through online games, interactive storytelling, quizzes, and detailed guides.”

AROUND THE INTERNET WORLD

Gizmodo: How Wikipedia’s ‘Deaditors’ Sprang Into Action on Queen Elizabeth II’s Page After Her Death. “RIP, Queen Elizabeth II. There are a lot of things to do in the digital realm when a monarch dies, and one of the first places people go when a famous person dies is Wikipedia. While some on the internet were glued to Twitter or the BBC, checking for news or watching the planes en route to Balmoral Castle, one group of dedicated Wikipedia editors sprang into action updating the late queen’s page in the minutes after Buckingham Palace announced the news.”

Vox: Gen Z does not dream of labor. “Over the past two years, young millennials and members of Gen Z have created an abundance of memes and pithy commentary about their generational disillusionment toward work. The jokes, which correspond with the rise of anti-work ideology online, range from shallow and shameless (‘Rich housewife is the goal’) to candid and pessimistic.”

SECURITY & LEGAL

Los Angeles Times: Did someone ‘accidentally’ send you money on Venmo? You might be getting scammed. “In its support documentation on payments from strangers, Venmo notes that when you send money back, it will come from your Venmo balance, unless the amount requested is larger than your Venmo balance. Because the seller fee had been taken out, my balance was $490.40, remember? So if I’d sent Anna back a full $500, according to Venmo, it would have been funded entirely by my outside payment method, AKA my credit card or bank account.”

Bleeping Computer: Minecraft is hackers’ favorite game title for hiding malware. “Security researchers have discovered that Minecraft is the most heavily abused game title by cybercriminals, who use it to lure unsuspecting players into installing malware. Based on stats collected by the security firm between July 2021 and July 2022, Minecraft-related files accounted for roughly 25% of malicious files spreading via game brand abuse, followed by FIFA (11%), Roblox (9.5%), Far Cry (9.4%), and Call of Duty (9%).”

Reuters: U.S. SEC to Set up New Office for Crypto Filings. “The ‘Office of Crypto Assets’ and the ‘Office of Industrial Applications and Services’ will join seven existing offices under the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) department which handles corporate disclosure filings.” Good morning, Internet…

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