Hollywood Studios Anticipate Writers Strike Lasting Until October
This feels like a good opportunity for a studio to become pro-union and scoop up every amazing writer in the business. #Labor [Link]
Ben Werdmuller
Ben Werdmuller helps leaders at newsrooms, non-profits, and mission-driven organizations to navigate their biggest technology challenges.
Meta-provided Facebook chats led a woman to plead guilty to abortion-related charges
One of my nightmares is that something I helped to build would be used in this kind of prosecution. There’s an expectation of privacy built into the design of direct messaging apps, and designers have a responsibility to protect their users. They failed here. #Technology [Link]
How to Identify “Truthy” Tech Trends
I love Amber Case's framing of "truthy" tech: hype-driven technologies that promise too much too soon, are driven by FOMO, and are intriguing because of their depictions in popular culture. There are plenty of examples to choose from right now, and this is a great guide
Events I'll be at this year
Ever so tentatively, I’m beginning to show my head at in-person events this year. I haven’t been to any kind of industry conference or regular event since at least 2019. The small matter of a global, deadly pandemic kept me away, but I’ve decided that I’ll
Permission
An interesting thought experiment: do we need Google, or does Google need us? At what point does the center of gravity change enough for us to consider it worthwhile to block Googlebot and come out better for having done so? Until recently this would have been unthinkable. #Technology [Link]
Extreme heat prompts first-ever Amazon delivery driver strike
Climate change comes for package deliveries - not because of the flights, but because of the trucks. The back of Amazon trucks can reach 135 degrees, with no cooling system. These are the same drivers who have trouble stopping for water or bathroom breaks. #Climate [Link]
Lessons From the Catastrophic Failure of the Metaverse
Worth considering the number of grifters who swore blind that the metaverse would be a thing. Of course it wasn’t a thing. It was a fever dream embraced by people who have clearly never watched anyone actually use technology: a corporate boondoggle at best. # [Link]
Immigration policies don’t deter migrants from coming to the US -- Title 42 and the border rules replacing it only make the process longer and more difficult
The only reason to make immigration more difficult, particularly for people who are seeking asylum from terrible conditions, is because you hate immigrants and want to hurt them. As it turns out, these stupid rules don't even do what they claim to. #Democracy [Link]
Bigger influence on the inside
A lovely, personal reflection on (in my opinion) the best TV show ever made. #Culture [Link]
The AI Dividend
I respect Bruce Schneier a great deal, but I hate this proposal. For one thing, what about people outside the US whose data was used? On the internet, the public is global. Wherever the tools are used, the rights infringed by AI tools are everyone's, from everywhere. Paying
Porter's Five Forces and the social web
Cam Pegg writes: I’m re-reading Michael Porter’s seminal article, The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy, and just had an OMFG-I-need-to-get-this-tattooed-on-my-forehead-so-that-everyone-I-talk-to-gets-the-message moment: A narrow focus on growth is one of the major causes of bad strategy decisions. The thing about growth is that it leads to bad strategy
America Is Wrapped in Miles of Toxic Lead Cables
It's not really mentioned in this article, but lead sheathing isn't just used in old phone cabling. It's in some modern cabling too, including underground and undersea cables used to provide internet. And the health risks are real. #Health [Link]