Bigger influence on the inside
A lovely, personal reflection on (in my opinion) the best TV show ever made. #Culture [Link]
Ben Werdmuller
Ben Werdmuller helps leaders at newsrooms, non-profits, and mission-driven organizations to navigate their biggest technology challenges.
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]
U.S. destroys last of its declared chemical weapons, closing a deadly chapter dating to World War I
The key word, of course, is “declared”. #Democracy [Link]
Threads isn’t for news and politics, says Instagram’s boss
To put it another way: Meta doesn't want to have to worry about throwing an election. Meta wants us to focus on "sports, music, fashion, beauty, entertainment." Newsrooms, be advised. #Media [Link]
Second thoughts about Threads
The other day I posted a surprisingly glowing first impression of Meta’s new Threads app. This is the counterpart to that. The site is brands, man. All of it. It’s like the glossy fashion magazine of social networks. And I get it. I really do. This is going
Nonfiction
Dancing at the Pity Party, by Tyler Feder
The thing about this kind of grief is that nobody knows what it's like until it happens. The sadness becomes a permanent a part of you, lurking just under the surface, and nobody understands. The feeling of being seen is extraordinarily rare. This book made me feel seen,
First thoughts about Threads
Meta’s new social network is interesting: an obvious strategic shot at Twitter just as that network is running into trouble, as well as a way to iterate on its aging Facebook property. To that end, it makes sense that Meta would piggyback on the fediverse of independent social networks
Meta unspools Threads
A lot of people in the fediverse are rightly worried about what the arrival of Threads (which is Mastodon-compatible) will bring. I think it's probably a positive addition for most people, and Casey Newton's writeup here does a good job of explaining why. #Technology [Link]
Dogs
Our baby loves dogs. His eyes light up as soon as he sees one. His arms extend outwards, his lips turn up, and it’s a matter of seconds before he’s unable to constrain his joy any longer and something between a delighted squeal and an unhinged canine howl
OpenAI and Microsoft Sued for $3 Billion Over Alleged ChatGPT 'Privacy Violations'
It's important that lawsuits like this center on the use, not the act of scraping itself - the latter does need to be protected. One to watch. #AI [Link]