Media
New media platforms constantly transformed
Google dropped its 2024 search trends and while there's no surprises when it comes to elections, sport, and celebrities there's a few fun memes lurking high in these charts. Very demure, very mindful.
My fave surprise is seeing colcannon on the recipe list. A delicious way to make mashed potato a whole lot more delish courtesy of the Irish. When my Mammy busts it out it's always a hit.
Plus a quiet little appearance of "What flavour is the Grimace Shake?" I've tried it and I still don't know...
Also shout out to the 'How to' top ten for having some gems and some worrying signs... #2 was an Infinite Craft question, #5 and #7 were very manosphere related, and #10 was "How to turn off Meta AI" reminding us once again that most normal people don't find the AI being thrust into our apps and services particularly useful.
Blunt instruments won't solve the social media challenge
Parents are absent from the picture as politicians skip science to enact bad laws that create some nice feelings but do nothing to solve real problems.
Labor premiers and federal leaders are sure buying into some solid moral panic on social media and its impact on teens. I'm well on the record as no fan of Facebook, but when it comes to how to write policy we want evidence-based decisions. And one of the world's leading researchers on social media, who also happens to be based here in Australia, shares some choice words about last week's summit over at Crikey.
Axel Bruns
Great summer reads
16 great links to some of the best stories around the web that help you stay on top of what's next in digital.
What will the Canva of AI copy mean for writing?
Every industry has its practitioners who over charge and under deliver. Both graphic design and copywriting have more than their fair share.
Heavy the bird nest
At the end of the first week of Musk's Twitter, it's hard to put a finger on which part of the chaos engine has been the most damaging to the brand.
Saving Twitter from Twitter
There's never been a company with such a wide gap between its cultural impact and its economic success. Maybe a little chaos makes sense right now?
Slack, Canva, and a reset on where we spend our workday
In a year where every business is looking for an excuse to reduce costs, adding a few more 'essential' features to a subscription service can keep you off the cut list.
"It's not me, it's the algorithm!"
Executives say they can't stop the trends they're seeing on their platforms. Oh, really?
E3 who?
Reports of E3's death have been greatly exaggerated.
Seeing humanity in all the bot places
The LaMBDA situation is a reminder we're just too good at personification.
'Glass Onion' is the next 'Knives Out' mystery from Rian Johnson
Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig return for Glass Onion, the next Knives Out mystery featuring enigmatic investigator Benoit Blanc.
The power to know
Things 'everyone knows' usually need to be shared and shared again more often.
The quality of our questions
Back to basics for the media industry - or is it too late?
How to hack your Netflix profile recommendations
If your profiles are just people's names, you're doing it wrong.
The kids are bopping again... this week
Slang at the speed of meme culture.
Why one cute hamster says everything you need to know about what online learning should be
Online learning needs to be about relationships, not just info dumping, or it is destined to fail to support the messy, real world needs of students.
Logitech Litra Glow makes your face look good in video calls
Litra Glow is an easy-to-use and powerful USB light from Logitech perfect for content creators and office workers alike.
A cultural event horizon
Twitter showed its best and worst during the Smith/Rock Oscars incident.
Exploring the Backrooms
William Gibson's 'The Footage' meets a horror liminal space meme and I love it.
