Trump White House takes down website pages about disabilities; Washington Post, 1/20/17

Emma Brown, Washington Post; Trump White House takes down website pages about disabilities

"From The Post’s Answer Sheet blog by Valerie Strauss:

During the Obama administration, there was a page on the White House website that had information about federal policy regarding people with disabilities. Its URL was https://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/disabilities. Not under the Trump administration. The Trump-run White House website — which went live moments after Friday’s inauguration of President Trump — says: “You are not authorized to access this page.”...

Read the rest of the story here."

The Trump era begins on the web; New York Times, 1/20/17

Nick Corasaniti, Matthew Rosenberg, Jennifer Steinhauer, New York Times; The Trump era begins on the web

"It didn’t take long.

The Department of Labor’s report on lesbians, bisexuals, gays and transsexuals in the workplace? Gone.

The White House’s exposition on the threat of climate change and efforts to combat it? Gone.

In its place, An America First Energy Plan..."

A Dark Rhetorical Cloud Over Washington; New York Times, 1/20/17

Jeff Shesol, New York Times; A Dark Rhetorical Cloud Over Washington

"One of the most celebrated moments of the First World War took place on Christmas morning 1914, along the Western Front. Thousands of British and German troops, without prompting, climbed out of the trenches and met in no-man’s land. Gathered together on frozen ground, the men sang carols well into the night; they traded chocolate and cigarettes and kicked soccer balls. “It was a short peace,” a Scottish infantryman recalled, “in a terrible war.”

Inauguration Day, historically, has been a little like that: a pause, a brief truce, “an interlude of national reunion,” as the historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. put it. After a divisive election, the inaugural ceremony — and its centerpiece, the presidential address — is meant to reaffirm our common identity as Americans, before we resume fighting about what exactly that means.

Donald J. Trump added his voice to history’s chorus today, and it was shrill and discordant. If any new president had a need to repair the breach, it was Mr. Trump — who was roundly, even vehemently, rejected by nearly 66 million voters, about three million more than the number that supported him. “We share one heart, one home and one glorious destiny,” Mr. Trump proclaimed, one of a number of anodyne, unobjectionable phrases urging unity and “solidarity.” Yet he refused — pointedly — even to acknowledge his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton."

Trump Gives Us ‘American Carnage’; New York Times, 1/20/17

Andrew Rosenthal, New York Times; Trump Gives Us ‘American Carnage’

"George Washington gave us the ambition of a quadrennial, peaceful, democratic transfer of power. Abraham Lincoln appealed to our better natures and our charity in the midst of civil war. Franklin Roosevelt gave us the strength not to be afraid. John Kennedy inspired us to serve our nations. Ronald Reagan talked of a prosperous America as a beacon of democracy around the world. And Barack Obama talked about the hope of which he was the living embodiment.

Donald Trump gave us “American carnage.”"

Moments after taking the oath, President Trump transforms White House website; Washington Post, 1/20/17

Ashley Parker, Washington Post; Moments after taking the oath, President Trump transforms White House website

"Just moments after President Donald Trump took the oath of office Friday, the official White House website was transformed into a set of policy pledges that offered the broad contours of the Trump administration's top priorities — a list that included fierce support for law enforcement bordering on vigilantism, the seeming immediate elimination of the White House's policy page on climate change, and a notable absence of any directives involving President Obama's Affordable Care Act."

Trump’s America is a rotten place; Washington Post, 1/20/17

Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post; Trump’s America is a rotten place

"President Trump delivered a campaign speech, not an inaugural address today. That he and his staff do not understand the difference goes to the heart of his insufficiency as a leader. Addressing a shockingly sparse crowd, he painted a picture of a hellish America that can only be restored by turning inward, deciding the world is a burden and our allies are thieves...

What was missing was virtually any vision of what he wants America to be. The most we got was a promise to “build new roads and highways and bridges and airports and tunnels and railways all across our wonderful nation” and to get “people off of welfare and back to work, rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor.” Beyond that he cannot describe a renewed America. More opportunities? More productive? More understanding between segments of America?

There was one brief positive moment in the speech when he offered an olive branch to our allies. “We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones and reform the world against radical Islamic terrorism which we will eradicate from the face of the earth.” He unfortunately followed it with a creepy statism in which we define our personal relationships through nationalistic loyalty. “At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other.” We actually have relationships, loyalties and bonds with one another that are the fabric of society and do not need to be redefined as an outgrowth of a new sort of nationalism. Conservatives  who value civil society free from government should be horrified — if they have intellectual integrity.

There has never and will not be a better Trump. His vision is dark, false and frightening. He leads by stoking nativism, protectionism (which actually makes us poorer) and seething resentment. God help us all.

Jennifer Rubin writes the Right Turn blog for The Post, offering reported opinion from a conservative perspective."

Hillary Clinton Attends Donald Trump’s Inauguration ‘To Honor Our Democracy’; Huffington Post, 1/20/17

Marina Fang, Huffington Post; 

Hillary Clinton Attends Donald Trump’s Inauguration ‘To Honor Our Democracy’

"Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton attended the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on Friday after spending several weeks away from the public eye. 

The former first lady, who won the popular vote over Trump, tweeted that she was attending the event “to honor our democracy & its enduring values.”"

Donald Trump is sworn in as president, vows to end ‘American carnage’; Washington Post, 1/20/17

David A. Fahrenthold, Philip Rucker, John Wagner, Washington Post; Donald Trump is sworn in as president, vows to end ‘American carnage’


"Donald John Trump was sworn in Friday as the 45th president of the United States, taking office on a day that has featured smaller crowds and more subdued ceremony than previous inaugurations — but still ushers in a transformative shift in the country’s leadership.

Trump, 70, was administered the oath by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. His wife Melania Trump stood at his side. The oath was given using two Bibles — one from President Lincoln’s inauguration, and another that Trump’s mother gave him in 1955.

Then, as rain began to fall, Trump gave an inaugural address that — while short in duration — made a major break with presidential precedent. Most presidents use this moment to acknowledge the opponent they defeated, to praise America’s promise and to call upon both parties to work together.

Trump, by contrast, made no mention of his Democratic opponent, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton. He used his speech to make a wide-ranging condemnation of America’s current state — talking about “American carnage” caused by urban crime, and saying that “wealth, strength and confidence had dissipated” because of jobs lost overseas."

Bravado and branding: Trump brings a new leadership style to the White House; Washington Post, 1/19/17

Marc Fisher, Washington Post; Bravado and branding: Trump brings a new leadership style to the White House

"Building such uncertainty and unpredictability into his leadership and decision-making allows Trump to float possibilities, test ideas and remain antagonistic to the powers that be — all before he puts a decision into play. Add his infamous lack of impulse control — his predawn tweets, his thin-skinned reaction to criticism, his insulting comments about people he’s already defeated — and a short attention span — he said he has no patience for reading reports or briefings — and the result is something not quite like any previous occupant of the White House...

If he follows his life’s pattern, he will leave the day-to-day administration of the government to his top aides, much as Ronald Reagan did. But unlike Reagan, Trump is unlikely to stand aside as he puts his governing philosophy into play. He is demanding and impatient with his staff, and anything but shy about making his displeasure known. But he is not the boss Americans got to know on “The Apprentice”; his top executives say that in real life, he rarely fired anyone and was far from the cavalier brute he portrayed on TV.

He listens well and takes advice, said Res and other top Trump staffers. But there was never any master plan, just as there was no organizational chart. There was just Trump at the center of all things — the definition of Trump being Trump.

He scoffs at deep study and goes, instead, with his gut. He believes in his instincts. He believes he will naturally do the right thing. He believes, as he wrote in his book, “Think Like a Billionaire,” that “a narcissist does not hear the naysayers. At the Trump Organization, I listen to people, but my vision is my vision.”"

Lee staying on as patent chief under Trump administration; Politico, 1/19/17

Ashley Gold, Nancy Scola, Li Zhou, Tony Romm, Politico; 

Lee staying on as patent chief under Trump administration

"President-elect Donald Trump has decided to keep former Google executive Michelle Lee on as director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, according to Rep. Darrell Issa, who informed tech industry organizations gathered in Washington Thursday for a breakfast event...

Lee, who served a dozen years as patent counsel at Google, has been seen in her years in office as walking a careful line between the two patent camps — choosing to focus less on policy than on process upgrades aimed at improving the quality of patents issued by the office.

"I hope that Director Lee expands her focus from just patent quality and lends her expertise and authority to help fix the very real problem that the U.S. has lost its "gold standard" patent system — it no longer promises stable, effective property rights to innovators," said Adam Mosoff, a law professor and co-founder of the Center for the Protection of Intellectual Property at George Mason University."

New York Times Study Calls for Rapid Change in Newsroom; New York Times, 1/17/17

Sydney Ember, New York Times; 

New York Times Study Calls for Rapid Change in Newsroom

[Kip Currier: This week in my "Managing and Leading Information Services" graduate course we started exploring Strategic Planning, with a focus on Mission, Vision, and Environmental Scanning. So it was fortuitous to be able to pass on to the class some information and questions for them to ponder about the just-released New York Times' 2020 Report:

"The internal report discussed in the 1/17/17 New York Times article, "Internal New York Times Report Urges Faster Newsroom Change", is an example of strategic planning, as well as a call for action and *rapid* transformational change.

Read the article about the report and the 2020 Report. Then think about and be prepared to discuss in class:

(1) the SWOT analysis (i.e. identification of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) that may have been done to create a report of this nature,

(2) your thoughts about the goals that were identified by the New York Times' leadership, and

(3) what take-away insights from the 2020 Report may be applicable to other kinds of information services and industries."]

[Excerpt from 1/17/17 article about the 2020 Report:] "The New York Times has deftly adapted to the demands of digital journalism, but it needs to change even more quickly, according to an internal report that recommends the company expand training for reporters and editors, hire journalists with more varied skills and deepen engagement with readers as a way to build loyalty and attract the subscriptions necessary to survive.

The report, released to The Times newsroom on Tuesday, culminates a year of work by a group of seven journalists who were asked by Dean Baquet, the executive editor, to conduct a review of the newsroom and determine a blueprint for its path forward.

Titled “Journalism That Stands Apart,” and known internally as the 2020 report, the document provides a set of broad principles to accelerate the transformation while maintaining a commitment to high-quality journalism.

The report comes at a particularly sobering time for the legacy media industry."

Why We Shouldn’t Mourn The Obamas’ Departure From The White House; Huffington Post, 1/19/17

Zeba Blay, Huffington Post; 

Why We Shouldn’t Mourn The Obamas’ Departure From The White House

"The Obamas meant many things to many people. To some they meant the fruition of the American Dream. To others they meant the destruction of it. There are millions of Americans who are emphatically glad to see Obama go, who are blissfully excited about a Trump presidency and its vague promise to “make America great again.” 

And there are millions of Americans who feel as if a loved one has just died. But no one has died. If we should take anything away from the legacy of these last eight years, it’s that there is no president who can save us from our collective demons. Only we can do that.

For those whose hearts are breaking, it may seem pithy and banal to use the quote: “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

But really. Don’t cry. Because the Obamas get to be citizens again, for one thing. They get to move out of the line of fire of an almost constant, condensed stream of racial hate. But also ― we got to witness this. For better or worse. We witnessed a black president. And for centuries to come, children of all races and backgrounds will see his face looking up at them from their history textbooks, and they will take for granted the profundity of it.  

There’s actually a streak of that intangible thing called “hope” to be found in the Obama’s departure. For many of us, the prospect of the next four years seems bleak. But if Barack Obama could get through eight years as a black president in America with his sanity and his dignity intact, and even effect a little change, perhaps there is room for some cautious optimism. At the very least, we can try."

Will open data survive Trump?; InfoWorld, 1/16/17

Eric Knorr, InfoWorld; 

Will open data survive Trump?

"The incredible quantity of data collected across the federal government is a national treasure. Few other countries on earth apply the same energy, funding, and rigor to assembling such extensive stores. Even if ordinary citizens don't go to Data.gov for entertainment, both policymakers and business leaders need objective data to make sound decisions.

Before joining the Sunlight Foundation, Howard worked at O’Reilly Media, starting there a few years after Tim O’Reilly convened a group of open government advocates to develop the eight principles of open government data in 2007. Howard says the idea of open data really goes back to the Constitution, which stipulates an "Enumeration" (aka, census) be held to apportion Congressional seats -- an indication that "open data is in the DNA of the USA." Even further, open data harkens to the original Enlightenment idea that reason based on fact should govern human action.

We'll see how that quaint notion survives the postfact era. Meanwhile, consider contributing to the Sunlight Foundation and the Electronic Frontier Foundation."

Russia’s radical new strategy for information warfare; Washington Post, 1/18/17

David Ignatius, Washington Post; Russia’s radical new strategy for information warfare

"Krutskikh’s comments may have been a precursor of a new doctrine for information operations announced publicly by the Kremlin in December. The senior administration official described the Russian strategy: “They think of information space as a domain of warfare. In the U.S, we tend to have a binary view of conflict — we’re at peace or at war. The Russian doctrine is more of a continuum. You can be at different levels of conflict, along a sliding scale.”...

In Russia’s view, America is pushing just as aggressively in the information space, but denies it. “Things we perceive as free speech, they perceive as aggressive behavior from the West,” noted the senior U.S. official."

WorkZone: Culture clash or culture compatibility can make all the difference at work; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1/16/17

Kris B. Mamula, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; 

WorkZone: Culture clash or culture compatibility can make all the difference at work

"Creating an engaged workforce begins with the job candidate’s first interview, said Anne Papinchak, vice president, business transformation.

“We like people who ask questions,” said Ms. Papinchak, who oversees human resources at Lucas. “We ask, like, what situation made you feel really uncomfortable — and what did you do about it?

“We look for people who learn and know themselves well.”"

University of Pittsburgh Innovation Institute's "First Gear Program", 2017

[Kip Currier: Last week I highlighted on my Intellectual Property and "Open" Movements Blog a few from-invention-to-market initiatives offered through the University of Pittsburgh Innovation Institute. First Gear is another of these Pitt initiatives:]

"The First Gear program helps shape Pitt inventions originating from University research from early-stage discovery to products and services that can be taken to market. The program offers hands-on guidance and mentorship that takes an inventor through the necessary steps in creating a go-to-market plan that can result in the creation of a new enterprise or licensing agreement for the technology. As a designated NSF I-Corps site [sic; this is the correct link re NSF I-Corps sites], First Gear participants also receive $3,000 in funding to help validate the market-readiness of the innovation, and qualify for additional NSF funding of larger amounts. Want to learn more, watch the Pitt Ventures & NSF I-Corps webinar.

To request an application or more information on the program, fill out the form on this page."

Is strategic planning dead?; BusinessWorld Online, 1/13/17

Reynaldo C. Lugtu Jr., BusinessWorld Online; 

Is strategic planning dead?

"LATE LAST YEAR, I chanced upon an online article in Forbes titled “Strategic planning is dead.” How ironic, as many companies were in tail end of their strategic planning exercises -- spending a few days offsite with expensive consultants, culminating with a set of strategic moves and a three-year plan.

This topic dates back to Henry Mintzberg’s 1993 publication of The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning. Now, a cursory search in the Internet shows a marked rise in the use of “death of strategic planning” in the content and title of articles starting 2013...

Technological advances have obliterated the predictability of the future, with digitization and social media spawning the rise of new companies such as Facebook, Uber, and Twitter. Consumer preferences have changed drastically over the years with the emergence of the millennial consumer. Political and regulatory environments have become unpredictably turbulent with the rise of populist movements in several nations. Uncertainty has become the new normal.

Therefore, strategic planning must evolve instead of passing away. It has to be adaptive to the fast-pace environment rather than static. The key changes in the planning process are..."

5 Reasons Diversity and Inclusion Fails; Forbes, 1/16/17

Glenn Llopis, Forbes; 

5 Reasons Diversity and Inclusion Fails

"4.  Think mosaic not melting pot

The days of taking a one-size-fits-all approach are over, never to exist again. Our goal as leaders is to convert the melting pot of differences into a mosaic that fuels strategies for growth, innovation, and opportunity to maximize the full potential of people, brands, and businesses. Diversity and inclusion must be about understanding your identity and the identities of all people. Only then can we be courageous enough to steer away from like-mindedness through assimilating people’s differences (melting pot) and towards like-mindedness through honoring those differences (mosaic). To do this, initiatives designed for “cultural competency” aren’t enough. Diversity and inclusion requires diverse and non-diverse leaders to work together to create a culture that embraces diversity of thought and deploys the required best practices, development tools, and resources to maximize talent engagement, advancement, workplace performance, and overall satisfaction.

How well do you practice diversity of thought?  Take the following assessment and find out."

SF Public Library’s quest to put diversity on shelves; SFGate.com, 1/15/17

Lizzie Johnson, SFGate.com; 

SF Public Library’s quest to put diversity on shelves

"Despite a push by book lovers for more ethnic diversity in published books, library shelves have remained largely uniform, with white authors penning tales about white people, statistics show. Those books fail to reflect the rich diversity of San Francisco, and point to a persistent problem across the country, librarians say.

But a San Francisco Public Library program running this month seeks less homogeneity within the pages of books. The citywide We Love Diverse Books program includes 50 events during January to broaden the scope of what patrons read, including author discussions, cooking lessons and manga art workshops. The program emphasizes the importance of “literary mirrors,” where readers see themselves and their identities reflected in the books they read.

“We are the place that supports the values of equity and inclusion — the bedrock of American democratic values,” said City Librarian Luis Herrera. “We work hard to ensure that the books and resources on our shelves mirror the diversity of our city. … We believe it is important for everyone, especially children, to see themselves reflected in literature.”"

LGBT panel to advise Peduto; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1/14/17

Adam Smeltz, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; LGBT panel to advise Peduto

"The mayor was traveling back from Washington, D.C., after a $250 million grant announcement involving Carnegie Mellon University, Mr. Acklin said. He said the group can hold city officials accountable to Mr. Peduto’s vision for “the most open, inclusive city in the country.”

“This is such an amazing and positive step in the right direction to be truly reflective of Pittsburgh’s LGBTQIA+ community as it is in 2017,” Mr. Kraus said. Three people helped the mayor’s office to assess 79 applicants.

“I think their charge is even more important today than it was a few years ago, when we started this process,” said Mr. Kraus, who is openly gay. He said “there will always be those who feel that we are, in some way, lesser members of society.” 

The group’s acronym stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex and asexual. The “+” symbol typically signals further inclusiveness."

Library of Congress and U.S. Copyright Office Roundup; Information Today, 1/10/17

Corilee Christou, Information Today; Library of Congress and U.S. Copyright Office Roundup

"Copyright Office Struggles

The overall picture at the LC certainly seems rosy. However, the U.S. Copyright Office is a different story. The office, led by then Register of Copyrights Maria Pallante, was attempting to fix its problems in 2016, but with its budget and IT systems both dependent on the LC, this was not a simple task. After only a month as the Librarian of Congress, Hayden removed Pallante from her position. She had been Register of Copyrights since 2011, after holding several positions at the Copyright Office since 2008. Never before has a Register of Copyrights been removed from his or her post by the Librarian of Congress.

Instead of taking the alternative position of senior advisor to the Librarian of Congress that Hayden offered her, Pallante resigned, effective Oct. 29. Reactions were both positive and negative."

Librarian of Congress Seeks Input on Register of Copyrights; Press Release, Library of Congress, DECEMBER 16, 2016 (REVISED JANUARY 11, 2017)

"DECEMBER 16, 2016 (REVISED JANUARY 11, 2017)Librarian of Congress Seeks Input on Register of Copyrights

Press Contact: Gayle Osterberg (202) 707-0020
Website: Librarian of Congress Seeks Input on Register of Copyrights (Survey) External

The public will have the opportunity to provide input to the Library of Congress on expertise needed by the Register of Copyrights, the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, announced today.

Beginning today, December 16, an online survey is open to the public. The survey will be posted through Jan. 31, 2017.

Link to survey: https://www.research.net/r/RegisterOfCopyrightsNR External
Deadline for submitting comments: Jan. 31, 2017

Input will be reviewed and will inform development of knowledge, skills and abilities requirements for the position.

Information provided through the survey will be posted online and submitters’ names will appear. Note that input will be subject to review and input may not be posted that is off-topic; contains vulgar, offensive, racist, threatening or harassing content; personal information; or gratuitous links to sites that could be considered spam. The Library’s complete comment policy can be viewed here: loc.gov/legal/comment-and-posting-policy/.

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States—and extensive materials from around the world—both on site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov, access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov, and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov."

U.S. Joint Strategic Plan on Intellectual Property Enforcement Announced; Press Release, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), 12/12/16

Press Release, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO); U.S. Joint Strategic Plan on Intellectual Property Enforcement Announced

[Kip Currier: The following sections of this joint strategic plan caught my attention and should be of particular interest to researchers and universities:

p. 140: "BROADER RECOGNITION OF THE ESSENTIAL ROLE UNIVERSITIES PLAY IN INNOVATION

In addition to their essential role as centers of knowledge, learning, and scholarship, universities around the world are engines for innovation. Universities are often the first step in the innovation lifecycle, but too often the big idea does not make it to the marketplace. The promise of innovation that is first conceived by professors, researchers, and students in university laboratories frequently goes unrealized." 


The University of Pittsburgh Innovation Institute has several initiatives to help university-based innovators get their ideas and inventions off the ground: 

• Startup Blitz

• Blast Furnace

• Randall Family Big Idea Competition

p. 143: "CALLS FOR RESEARCH.

Public policy is at its best when well-grounded in sound research and data. Given the profound technological and legal changes that have taken place over the past several years, it is critical that academics, researchers, the private sector, and others continue to rigorously study the IPR ecosystem to identify areas of concern, emerging trends, and opportunities for enhanced enforcement mechanisms."

From pages 143-147 the plan presents examples of research topics and questions, e.g. 

"Research into Commercial-Scale Piracy is Needed…

• To assess the economic scope and magnitude of digital piracy. Beyond any top-line numbers, what is the magnitude of the harm suffered by the copyright owner? What is the impact on employment in the creative sectors? Who are the entities that profit from, or may be unjustly enriched by, the unauthorized exploitation of copyrighted materials? 

[And]

•  To examine the range of attendant harms and risks to the public. What is the relationship between pirated content and incidents of malware, phishing, or other threats to the public?"]

[Press Release] "Today, the Office of the U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC) released the 2017-2019 U.S. Joint Strategic Plan on Intellectual Property Enforcement, which offers a blueprint for coordinating resources and priorities to sustain a robust IP enforcement environment.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office partnered with the IPEC and agencies throughout the federal government in crafting a plan that both highlights the cultural and economic importance of intellectual property incentives, and also ensures certainty in the marketplace through enforcement mechanisms to encourage creative growth and minimize misappropriation of innovation. USPTO is proud to play a role in promoting clear, consistent, high quality and enforceable IP rights to enable market growth. The office also provides critical international leadership in protecting IP overseas and navigating international IP laws. From copyrights and trade secrets protection, to the examination and registration of patents and trademarks, the USPTO will continue to foster a balanced IP playing field for U.S. businesses to compete in foreign markets and export abroad.  

The report recognizes how IP-intensive industries continue to be an integral part of a growing economy, and identifies critical and strategic actions to safeguard that innovation and combat illicit infringement activities.

To read the plan, please visit:  https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/IPEC/spotlight/eop_ip... "

More New Ways to Explore Patent Data; Blog by Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO Michelle K. Lee, Director's Forum Blog, 1/12/17

Michelle K. Lee, Blog by Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO Michelle K. Lee, Director's Forum Blog; More New Ways to Explore Patent Data

"Making patent data accessible to the public has been a cornerstone of this agency’s policy since its inception. I’m pleased to announce yet another step we’ve taken at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to make such data even easier for the public to understand and use, namely the addition of new features to our patent data visualization and analysis tool, PatentsView. First launched in 2014, PatentsView provides the public a variety of ways to interactively engage, through a web-based platform, the highest-quality patent data available. The underlying database connects 40 years’ worth of information about inventors, their organizations, and their locations in unprecedented ways. PatentsView is a key component of our open data efforts to improve the accessibility, usability, and transparency of U.S. patent data...

You could argue that the innovations documented in our records may very well, collectively, constitute the world’s largest repository of scientific and technological knowledge. But the larger a data set, the more challenging it is to find useful information or trends or, put another way, to separate the signal from the noise. This collaborative tool, developed by the USPTO’s Office of the Chief Economist in conjunction with the American Institutes for Research, New York University, the University of California at Berkeley, Twin Arch Technologies, and Periscopic, aims to make that sorting and separation possible. The shared public and private effort in creating and improving the platform is symbolized in the “.org” domain of http://www.PatentsView.org.

By providing new tools and data to the public, PatentsView demonstrates this agency’s continuing commitment to open data, open government, and evidence-based policymaking."

Motoko Rich, New York Times; Caroline Kennedy, an Ambassador Whose Role Transcended the Embassy; New York Times, 1/11/17

Motoko Rich, New York Times; Caroline Kennedy, an Ambassador Whose Role Transcended the Embassy

"“We never know when our actions will have the greatest impact,” Caroline Kennedy, the United States ambassador to Japan, wrote, “and it’s often not when we expect.”

That note two years ago, Ms. Shiomura recalled, “really helped me.” It lifted her from a depression over the criticism she faced from political rivals and on social media and inspired her to continue to fight for women’s rights. Months later, at a reception at the ambassador’s residence for female leaders, Ms. Kennedy greeted her with raised fists and told her, “Don’t let these troubles get you down.”

In multiple moments like these, Ambassador Kennedy, who will depart Japan next Wednesday after three years here, sought to convey to women across the country a quiet message of empowerment...

“I just think being a woman ambassador, and I think visible women in positions of leadership, does help change attitudes,” Ms. Kennedy said in an interview this month in her office at the United States Embassy in Tokyo."