It’s easy to conflate criticism of Uber’s regulatory approach with accusations about the company’s culture. That is CEO Travis Kalanick’s responsibility; it’s also a failure of all of tech.
2017
Fake News and Facebook, Filter Bubbles and People, Google’s Featured Snippets Problem
Research says truly fake news isn’t much of a problem; filter bubbles are, but algorithms are less responsible than it seems. That, though, is why Google in particular has a responsibility to do better.
Disney and Differentiated Content, Snap and Hardware
Disney may have differentiated content, but they don’t necessarily have the right business model, and may not get there. Then, could Snap really end up being a hardware company?
YouTube TV, YouTube’s Motivation, The Media Companies’ Motivation
YouTube TV is yet another streaming service, but with a very powerful backer. What is YouTube’s motivation, and what is that of the media company’s — especially Disney?
Google Assistant Added to Android, Amit Singhal Out at Uber
Google Assistant is being added to Android, which makes the company’s previous statements and actions even more confusing than they already are. Then, another controversy hits Uber, but Google is implicated as well — along with the entire industry.
Twitter, Live, and Luck
Last night’s Academy Awards show was another event that showed how special Twitter is; the fact that you had to be there shows just how badly the company has failed to evolve.
Exponent Podcast: The Most Political
On Exponent, the weekly podcast I host with James Allworth, we discuss Manifestos and Monopolies. Listen to it here.
Crisis at Uber, Uber’s Culture, Who is Responsible?
Uber is facing explosive allegations of sexual harassment and general corporate dysfunction; the seeds, though, were planted years ago.
Facebook’s Incentives and Confirmation Bias, James Allworth: Founders and Motivation, Follow-up
My podcast partner explains why I was mistaken to not oppose Facebook’s power sooner — and I welcome it. Plus, additional follow-up on Manifestos and Monopolies.
Manifestos and Monopolies
Facebook has long had too much power, but Mark Zuckerberg’s expressed willingness to use said power for political ends means it’s time to consider countermeasures.