Technology and Society
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Daily Email (2014-04-22): Microsoft, Cloud Services, and Amazon
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Netflix and Net Neutrality
For anyone remotely connected to technology, the idea that net neutrality is an unabashed good seems incontrovertible, and one of the most popular examples of why it matters is Netflix. Consumers get a video competitor to their cable provider over said cable provider’s pipes; surely the end of net neutrality would mean the end of […]
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A Technological Optimist, but Just
In June, in response to claims that nine Internet companies were willingly passing information to the NSA, Apple released Apple’s Commitment to Customer Privacy: Apple has always placed a priority on protecting our customers’ personal data, and we don’t collect or maintain a mountain of personal details about our customers in the first place. There […]
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Motivation and Marx
On this (US) Labor Day weekend, I’m thinking about motivation, and the role it plays in creating great products that consumers love. It seems patently obvious that products created for love or passion are superior than those created for money or fear, yet the compensation model used in most of business hews much more closely […]
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Rebuilding the World Technology Destroyed
The Washington Post was headed for bankruptcy, and was finally sold for a pittance. Its buyer began his career on Wall Street, only to move into a burgeoning new industry, where he truly made his wealth. The newspaper he bought has a noble history, but will certainly earn losses for years to come. I’m talking […]
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Friction
The Internet has removed friction: that means a whole new set of possibilities; it doesn’t mean they are all good.