Data, data everywhere, but ethics in short supply. The latest episode of the Small Data Forum podcast follows the classic narrative arc of a three-act story. Beginning, middle, and end. The set-up, the confrontation, and the resolution. Thesis, antithesis, synthesis. And although our wide-ranging discussion did run the risk of leaving all three co-hosts in the depths of despair, Neville Hobson, Thomas Stoeckle, and I end up hoping that the asteroid NASA predicts is hurtling towards earth … [Read more...] about SDF Podcast 18: Inertia, ethics, and breaches of trust
Business
For Immediate Release 134: We start with Starbucks and end with drones
In this April edition of The Hobson & Holtz Report, Neville and Shel talk about… Starbucks’ response to a racial incident in Philadelphia that went viral and sparked protests In an effort to reduce “noise pollution,” Ghana wants Muslims to issue the call to prayer via WhatsApp The line between earned and paid media is blurring and consumers don’t care which is which There’s a reckoning coming for terms and conditions Augmented Reality is making huge inroads (except in … [Read more...] about For Immediate Release 134: We start with Starbucks and end with drones
Exposing the realities of our relationships with Facebook and other social platforms
This week has been an extraordinary one, not only for Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg and members of the US Congress but also for users of Facebook and other social networking platforms wherever they are in the world. Indeed, it has been a week of revelation and food for considerable thought on a grand scale. During two days, on April 10 and April 11, the Facebook co-founder and CEO appeared before members of the US Senate and Congress to answer questions about Facebook and how it handles … [Read more...] about Exposing the realities of our relationships with Facebook and other social platforms
SDF Podcast 17 – “Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after it”
The SmallDataForum convened in late March, and as for our big story, we had several candidates and angles on the same theme of the use and abuse of data. This episode's show notes were written by Thomas Stoeckle. Sam is now a newly published author of a book about how to tell powerful and purposeful stories with data, Narrative by Numbers. A very timely (and equally timeless) topic and title. A recently published study in Science about the velocity and spread of true and false news … [Read more...] about SDF Podcast 17 – “Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after it”
For Immediate Release 130: Facebook’s Moments of Truth
In this monthly episode of The Hobson & Holtz Report aka FIR 130, the major discussion surrounded Facebook and the growing crisis embroiling the social network over alleged misuse of data about users and their friends by the political consultancy and data mining firm Cambridge Analytica. Shel and I offered a plethora of opinion and considered some of the elements of this kerfuffle from a communicator's perspective. Other stories that made the discussion list in this episode included … [Read more...] about For Immediate Release 130: Facebook’s Moments of Truth