Recent Articles

Zeynep Tufekci:

It’s important to realize that, in using these dark posts, the Trump campaign wasn’t deviantly weaponizing an innocent tool. It was simply using Facebook exactly as it was designed to be used. The campaign did it cheaply, with Facebook staffers assisting right there in the office, as the tech company does for most large advertisers and political campaigns. Who cares where the speech comes from or what it does, as long as people see the ads? The rest is not Facebook’s department.

Almost like these tools are the assault weapons used by politicians and advertisers.

A few people have asked me this question since I recommend both. I did some testing over at EDW.

Ben Yagoda, writing about why reviewers are often so off base:

Here’s the heart of the problem: The set of critics’ and audiences’ interests do not perfectly overlap but rather form a Venn diagram. In the audience circle, the pressing question is, “Should I spend some number of the dollars I have to my name and the hours I have left on Earth on this thing?” Critics get in for free and by definition have to read or watch or listen to whatever’s next up. So their circle is filled with relativistic questions about craft and originality and wallet quality and the often unhelpfully general “Is it good?” (Some of them even have an idea of what they mean by “good”; the rest are winging it.)

I loved this article because in my head it’s the crux of the problem with most review sites. I try very hard to answer the questions I would want to know about something before I bought it, which is why eschew bullshit like scoring. The above also perfectly encapsulates why sites like The Verge, or Carryology fail so miserably at writing helpful reviews. I’ve sent more backpacks back to companies than I care to think about because they are bad, and rather than contort myself to talk about the x thing that bag gets right, I move on. I am, however, by no means perfect.

Great recommendation from @hisaac on this DM only Twitter app. I started using it this morning and it’s just what I needed: access to the only useable part of Twitter.

Maya Kosoff:

Regardless of whether its justification is sound, the fact remains that Twitter is beholden to Trump, and it will continue to make up rules that accommodate his erratic behavior.

That’s the kind of shit that would keep me up at night.

Just finished this book, and while some elements feel a bit dated (it was published in 2015), it offers a good comprehensive look at what humans face at some point in the future as machines get better at doing things.

This is a terrible guide from Wirecutter, and their top pick — hell most of their picks, are a waste of your money. Bad guide, even for “most people.” I’m not alone in thinking this either.

I didn’t order one of these because it looks massive, but if you don’t like to pack light, and still want to fit it all in a bag. This is probably a good option. Either way, so,e interesting design choices in it.

John Gruber:

I feel like it keeps me on my toes to read the comments from people who don’t like Daring Fireball.

I used to read every comment someone made in reference to my site, by way of seeing an incoming link in my analytics and heading over to the source. I’d still do that if I had analytics to work from. It’s invaluable to see that commentary and downright painful to read it. (If you do link to the site, never be shy about sending me the link, even if it’s in disagreement with me.)

Yair Rosenberg on Twitter shutting down he bot he co-created which pointed out neo-nazis who were impersonating other people:

The real threat, apparently, was not these trolls — who today continue to roam the platform unchallenged — but our effort to combat them.

Absurd.

MG Siegler talking about his comfort and like of Alexa devices, has this to say about Siri:

Yes, I could ask Siri to do this as well. But, well, that’s not the relationship I have with Siri. Our relationship is more about pulling up random facts about a city when we’re out and about, walking around.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that I loathe Alexa devices. I don’t want one in my house, and if I showed up to a hotel room with one — I’d promptly unplug it. Same goes for a Google based device, or Facebook — these companies don’t have my privacy in their best interest. I question Apple’s HomePod too.

But I don’t get the non-use of Siri here. Hang on, let me step back first.

I’ve been around Alexa devices, used them enough, to know exactly what you get from them. I find them annoying at best. “ALEXA!” They aren’t overly smart if you ask me.

Neither is Siri.

But, Siri is always there. On your iPhone/iPad with a simple “Hey Siri” command. What’s more is that it’s tied to my voice on my devices. It’s not uncommon for there to be 2-3 iOS devices in a room at once in our house, and for one of my wife or me, to shout “hey Siri” to set a timer/remind/whatever. And the right device is the only one to respond.

Why would you prefer Alexa over that?

I don’t get this love of Alexa at all.