If you've been wondering why footballers get racially abused online all the time, why some people make disgusting death threats on social networks, or why presumably otherwise sensible celebrities say offensive things in their tweets about other people, a new book may well provide the light bulb of clarity you've been seeking. It's certainly something I've wondered about: why, in the past few years, has there been such a significant and notable increase in vile behaviours online where people … [Read more...] about Unpicking the vicious cycle of anger, hostility, and outrage on social networks
Books
SDF 30: Of Giants and Donkeys
On the first day after Brexit Day, Thomas, Sam and I joined in conversation on the Big Day that didn't happen. #NoBrexitDay, in a hashtag. In this latest installment of our Small Data Forum podcast, episode 30, we again discuss the political shenanigins in the ongoing Brexit saga as we now head towards a General Election in the UK on December 12. We set the scene with a just-published book from the four men behind 'Led By Donkeys,' a political activism campaign that unfolded on … [Read more...] about SDF 30: Of Giants and Donkeys
Why the gig economy fits well with the lives of Baby Boomers
We Baby Boomers are benefiting significantly from the gig economy, says author, speaker and optimist Tim Drake. Not just as consumers by it providing lower prices and more convenience, but as participants too. It’s an important bolt-on to something bigger, he says, enabling new ways of doing business to emerge, and a fresh outlook on what ‘work’ is. But is it something we should think about taking a much more active role in? Baby Boomers fit into what I call Generation Cherry. Indeed, that … [Read more...] about Why the gig economy fits well with the lives of Baby Boomers
The Fourth Transformation: A vision of the near tomorrow from Shel Israel and Robert Scoble
One of the things I like most about The Fourth Transformation, the new book from Shel Israel and Robert Scoble published in December 2016 that I just finished reading, is the way in which it will help you to join up the dots and begin to understand the fundamental, disruptive and accelerating changes we already see around us brought by advances in technology - notably, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) - and massive shifts in people's … [Read more...] about The Fourth Transformation: A vision of the near tomorrow from Shel Israel and Robert Scoble
From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker
In a few weeks' time, the next episode in the Star Wars saga will be in the cinema. I already have my tickets and can't wait to see it! It's hard to imagine sometimes that the very first Star Wars film - what's now known as "Episode 4: A New Hope" - in the Star Wars series was released in 1977, nearly 40 years ago. I was at the opening night in London. Before that, though, I'd read the book, the novel written by George Lucas according to the book's title page, that became the movie. In … [Read more...] about From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker
#FuturePRoof: “The biggest ever conversation about the future of PR” launches
#FuturePRoof, a crowdsourced book and community with the bold ambition of asserting the value public relations has, launched today. The book aims to kick start the biggest conversation ever about the future of public relations. It is available as a free download and printed copies are priced £25.99 from Blurb. Edited and curated by public relations consultant and agency owner Sarah Hall, with a foreword from Ketchum’s chief engagement officer Stephen Waddington, the 33-chapter book covers … [Read more...] about #FuturePRoof: “The biggest ever conversation about the future of PR” launches
#PRstack: How to get better at digital PR
Last week, a new version of #PRstack, a publication whose content was created by more than 30 contributors, was published. It's the second edition of a highly-acclaimed guide and resource that was first published in May 2015. It comprises a series of case studies by PR practitioners exploring modern aspects of PR practice in over 40 examples of tools used in public relations, content marketing, and search engine optimization. From the ebook's foreword written by Stephen Waddington, who … [Read more...] about #PRstack: How to get better at digital PR
Is it time for a post-capitalism post-communism mashup?
Books on politics and political issues rarely capture my attention or my imagination. During the past decade, I have read just three books about politics, all biographies - Margaret Thatcher, Bill Clinton and Tony Blair. Probably great fodder for Freudians who'd like to pop me in a pigeon-hole. Good luck with that! My own self-analysis of why these works did attract me tells me that each addresses times and experiences of significant change and, indeed, upheavals in society, in political … [Read more...] about Is it time for a post-capitalism post-communism mashup?