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.
Inspired Media
The key for products and politicians used to be maximizing paid and earned media. What matters on the Internet, though, is inspired media.
Trump Appoints China Hawk to Trade Council, Apple and Chinese Manufacturing, Automation and Apple’s Risk
Tech generally and Apple in particular has reason to be concerned about Trump’s recent appointments; the company would be the biggest loser in any trade dispute
Tech and Trump: The Meeting, Google Self-Driving Cars = Waymo, Uber Deploys Self-Driving Cars in San Francisco
The rhetoric of the president-elect in his meeting with technology executives was more worrying that it appears. Then, Google is forcing its self-driving car initiative to actually build a business, while Uber launches self-driving cars in San Francisco in the most Uber way possible.
Tech and Trump, Tech and Politics
Tech executives are meeting with Trump, and it’s the right decision; now is the time, though, to establish the conditions when opposition is appropriate. Then, why technologists should not outsource politics.
The State of Technology at the End of 2016
The annual Stratechery review of the state of technology, and call to build products that unlock human potential
Fake News
Facebook is under fire for fake news and filter bubbles; they are a problem, but most of the proposed solutions are far worse.
Snapchat Spectacles “Launch”, Facebook’s Real Problem
Recent news about Snapchat (Spectacles) and Facebook (its effect on elections) couldn’t be more different; that’s why they are, in fact, related.
Donald Trump is the President-Elect, Tech Under Trump, The Big Picture
Donald Trump is the president-elect, and the temptation is to reduce his success to black-and-white issues. That would be a mistake for the tech industry in particular.
Follow-up: Governments’ Focus, Elizabeth Warren’s Speech on Competition, Facebook Changes the News Feed
One more follow-up to Tuesday’s Weekly Article, then why I don’t necessarily disagree with calls to regulate big platform players. Then, Facebook has changed the news feed, and while there will be an impact on media companies, the bigger news is what this says about Facebook.