Twitter is in middle of a tumultuous time as a company. It is in play, thanks to an offer Elon Musk. It is a company that has underperformed as a business. It has anemic new user growth. The revenue targets are optimistic. Does Twitter have the right captain to navigate the company through the stormy seas. Is the CEO Parag Agarwal, who replaced Jack Dorsey, the man for the job? Continue reading Musk or Not, Twitter CEO Needs To Go
I recently saw the work of Nam June Paik, currently being exhibited at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (MoMA.) If you are unfamiliar with him, Paik has been called the “father of video art.” He was born in 1932 in what is now South Korea, lived in Japan, Germany, and the United States. He … Continue reading What does the Internet & Zoom have to do with Nam June Paik?
A connecting principle Linked to the invisible Almost imperceptible Something inexpressible Science insusceptible Logic so inflexible Causally connectible Nothing is invincible Synchronicity, The Police, 1983 Techmeme, reminded me that it has been ten years since the launch of Google+, the doomed-from-the-start social networking effort by Google, and a supposed competitor to Facebook. I was skeptical … Continue reading Synchronicity
Earlier this month, I pointed out that the pandemic, and being locked indoors is turning us to social media in large numbers. And now that Facebook, Snap, and Twitter have reported their numbers, it would be an opportune time to check my thesis. During the months of April, May, and June my thesis has seemed … Continue reading Social media’s out of control growth
To put it mildly, the last ten days have been tough to watch. Following the news triggers anger, and it makes me feel ashamed. At the same time, I am encouraged by a new generation working hard to break the status quo, attempting to save their future from what the nation’s collective past would foist … Continue reading The Good, The Bad & The Ugly (of Technology)
Snapchat announced that in 2018 an average of 3 billion snaps were sent every day. A single snap produces 0.1g of CO2 meaning that in just 24 hours Snapchat generates the carbon equivalent of 1 car driving for 54 years. This is, of course, microscopic in comparison to carbon emissions generated by the aviation industry … Continue reading Snap & Climate Change: Is there a link?
Like everyone else, I watched the Washington Social Media circus with interest. A lot of words were used. Crocodile tears shed. Promises made. Bouquets of derision thrown. But no one actually said what needs to be done with the social media platforms and their social responsibility.
The more I think about it, the more I believe that social platforms should take cues from real life social networks – cities, states, and nations. Just as these geographically defined social networks have amenities such a policing, rules and clear identities, our social platforms, and related online social environments to need to add a layer of humanness to the platform. Continue reading “Social networks & the online reality of identity”
Snap’s first quarterly earnings has taken a toll on the stock, thanks to Facebook and it’s all out assault on the company. User growth was more modest than expected. The company reported an adjusted EBITDA loss of about $188 million during the quarter, a number you find out if you look past the $2.4 billion … Continue reading Snap’s Silver Lining
When Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, recently went public, tech investors rejoiced. But will the startup make good on the hype? But more importantly, will this lead to the resurgence of the IPO market. Jury is still out. Here is why! Continue reading The Trouble with Silicon Valley’s IPO Optimism
Snap calls itself a camera company. The question is why? To paraphrase Freud, “sometimes camera isn’t really a camera” as I explain in my latest piece. No wonder Apple CEO Tim Cook likes Augmented Reality. Continue reading Why is Snap calling itself a camera company?
