The best article about Facebook I’ve read in a long time – an excellent summary of recent history there.
April 13th, 2013
Meat – a charming short story about mankind
Meat – a charming short story about mankind:
“They’re made out of meat.”
“Meat?”
“Meat. They’re made out of meat.”
“Meat?”
“There’s no doubt about it. We picked up several from different parts of the planet, took them aboard our recon vessels, and probed them all the way through. They’re completely meat.”
“That’s impossible. What about the radio signals? The messages to the stars?”
“They use the radio waves to talk, but the signals don’t come from them. The signals come from machines.”
April 10th, 2013
when properly done, a visceral app actually causes your body to release endorphins.
Worth a read considering this was a real emphasis with Facebook Home and its UI physics too.
April 10th, 2013
“That output does not rise or fall in direct proportion to the number of hours worked is a lesson…”
““That output does not rise or fall in direct proportion to the number of hours worked is a lesson that seemingly has to be relearned each generation.””
– Bring Back the 40 Hour Work Week via @tomstandage
April 7th, 2013
The Power of Swarms Can Help Us Fight Cancer, Understand the Brain, and Predict the Future
The Power of Swarms Can Help Us Fight Cancer, Understand the Brain, and Predict the Future:
In the 1980s cognitive scientists began to posit that human cognition itself is an emergent process. In your brain, this thinking goes, different sets of neurons fire in favor of different options, exciting some neighbors into firing like the waggling bees, and inhibiting others into silence, like the head-butting ones. The competition builds until a decision emerges. The brain as a whole says, “Go right” or “Eat that cookie.”
Great little Wired piece about the study of swarm patterns and transferring the lessons between different disciplines.
April 7th, 2013
If someone smart makes (what looks like) a dumb decision, then they probably know something you don’t. There is, of course, a chance that you know something they don’t, but the further away from the situation you are, the less likely that is.
A good examination of the Marissa Meyer stuff from various angles. Having worked remotely for almost 6 months now, a lot of this rings true for me. I wonder if one lesson is that you need a working from home programme managed by someone who has a fully done it for a decent duration.
April 4th, 2013
You don’t want experts. You want jacks-of-all-trades
You don’t want experts. You want jacks-of-all-trades:
I feel like this is one of those things that’s easy to say when you happen to be a generalist. The fact is, people are either specialists or mediocre generalists. Or worse… Mediocre specialists.
April 4th, 2013
Why Bitcoin poses an interesting ethical conundrum for journalists paidContent
Why Bitcoin poses an interesting ethical conundrum for journalists paidContent:
“What are the ethics of writing about Bitcoin if you’ve bought some?” – David Meyer
Kind of says this in the article but I think buying a small amount and declaring it is probably sweet spot. The fact is if you’ve invested with a hope to make some real money and then not mentioned it, it’s such a conflict of interest you could only be doing it on purpose.*
*and no, I don’t own any…
April 4th, 2013
“why not offer an alternative cut back version of Google results that shows fewer ads and reminds the user why they fell in love with the search engine in the first place?”
–
Google Zero: the answer to the backlash | MaxTB.com
I wrote this a little while ago but with the recent spate of changes to Facebook, it makes me wish they would introduce something similar too.
I don’t know what’s going on with my Facebook page anymore, it’s such a hassle to work out who can see what and the question of what value it’s providing me is more and more limited.
Why does it matter what I Like if there are 100 trivial things? Why does anyone need to know my favourite quote or 50 favourite films (in no order)?
The thing is, unlike a lot of people, I actually have this site for things like that. I have a place where I can exist, express myself and show who I am on my own terms. Then use Facebook if I ever want to extend the reach of that content. Or Twitter. Or the “next big thing”.
It’s obviously a rare approach but I’d extend it to marketing efforts too – these things are just channels and not to be trusted by investing too much within their high and closed walls. Use them and abuse them.
In business, that’s easy because it’s your job to spend time working out how to do that. In private life, it’s just an increasing pain in the arse.
April 4th, 2013