Two podcasts apps were banned in China; Apple has to follow local law, but how much censorship is Apple doing itself? Then Zoom demonstrates it can’t be trusted.
2020
MongoDB Cloud, MongoDB Versus AWS, MongoDB’s Playbook
MongoDB continues to thrive despite being built on “open source”; it is creating a playbook for other open source companies to follow.
Never-Ending Niches
The Internet changed how media competes to focus and quality, but quality is defined by your niche.
TikTok and Quibi, TikTok and Shopify, TikTok Complications
Quibi — and Shopify! — explain why TikTok is so successful. As always, though, the TikTok story is complicated by the Chinese connection.
Exponent Podcast: Speech and Systems
On Exponent, the weekly podcast I host with James Allworth, we discuss Dust in the Light. Listen to it here.
Zoom’s Earnings, Zoom and AWS, Zoom and End-to-end Encryption
Zoom didn’t just add free users: it’s revenue exploded as well. How AWS made that possible, and why Zoom’s encryption plans are a good idea.
Zuckerberg’s Choice, Zuckerberg’s Power, Zuckerberg’s Conviction
Why Mark Zuckerberg has made the right choice about Trump’s posts, why his power is a problem, and why his conviction is impressive.
Dust in the Light
The Internet ends gatekeepers and increases transparency, which has world-altering effects — both good and bad.
HBO Max Launches, Amazon and Roku, Apple in 3rd
HBO Max is confusing because of negotiations with cable carriers, which is expected, and negotiations with OTT resellers, which perhaps was not. Then, is Apple making a move?
Trump’s Executive Order, Section 230 In Court, Public Forums
President Trump is poised to sign an executive order that applies to social networks; its reasoning about Section 230 and public forums is not in line with judicial precedent.