News & Views of Phillips Since 1976
Sunday March 15th 2026
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Open in new tab How to Improve Your Online Privacy
By CHRIS FERGUSON
First and foremost, you shouldn’t bring any devices, such as a smartphone or a smartwatch, with you to a protest. Cell connections are frequently hijacked by law enforcement without a warrant. Any information you send through that connection can be traced back to you. This is possible no matter which of the following steps you take. Even if you’re using a VPN (explained below) they can still capture the encrypted data and store it. The most secure way to secure your digital footprint is to stay off the Internet.
1. The Foundations: Accounts & Access
Before worrying about trackers, users need to secure their front door.
Password Hygiene: Don’t trust the password manager built into your phone or browser. Move away from reused passwords and use a password manager such as Bitwarden or NordPass. Make sure you back up your passwords to an encrypted storage site like Proton Drive or Cryptpad.fr.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Set up multifactor authentication on all accounts that offer it, including your bank, social media, your email, and your phone carrier. You can also use an authenticator like Proton Authenticator.
2. Browser and Device Hardening
This is where most daily tracking happens. Police and government officials have unprecedented access to your device.… Read the rest “How to Improve Your Online Privacy”
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Greece’s Golden Age: Passion and/or Wisdom?
from the series Peace House Community Journal…
By MARTI MALTBY
Many years ago, I heard a debate about whether Greece’s Golden Age was represented by the great poets such as Homer, or by the philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Why should this matter to us now, thousands of years later? Because it might give us some insight into today’s situation.
Homer gave us epic tales involving a vibrant world of violent passions, both positive and negative. Wars were fought over trivial matters. Gods and men competed for glory. Each individual had unique powers and personalities.
By contrast, the philosophers sat around and discussed. Plato’s Republic, one of the classics of philosophy, contains no action other than people making speeches. Their goal is to discover reality (or however Plato phrased it; I haven’t read him in over 30 years). They focused on universal truths that applied equally to everyone, not individual people.
In our modern scientific, rational society, we side with the philosophers. We like to think we can understand, and therefore control, anything. We can master anything, from climate change to the common cold, if we can properly dissect and define it. Once we can understand it, we can manipulate it, and ultimately control it.… Read the rest “Greece’s Golden Age: Passion and/or Wisdom?”