Welcome to my website. I’m a believer in an Internet for everyone, decentralized and accessible to all. Yet still half the planet has no access. I’m an early adopter and player with social media, yet mostly seeing how it works to benefit platforms and advertisers who show little genuine care for the rights and privacy of the users of those platforms. And I’m an experimenter with Web 3, trying to balance the enormous possibilities with the risks in order to see what’s next.
Here – at the intersection of business, communication and technology – I analyze and discuss trends, behaviours and practices in social and digital communication to help you (and I) understand the new landscapes and what they mean for each of us. Thanks for visiting.
Latest Articles
- The hashtag needs a refresh, says the man who created it
The hashtag has become ubiquitous on social media as a means of connecting conversations, topics and events. But 16 years after its invention, Chris Messina, the man who started it all, believes it’s time for an upgrade. In episode 355 of the For Immediate Release podcast I co-host with Shel … Read more - AI-generated disinformation: A new battleground for elections in 2024
In countries around the world, 2024 will bring elections. And something new is causing a lot of worry – disinformation generated by AI. How worried should we be about AI disrupting elections? This was a terrific topic for Shel and me to discuss in a short midweek episode of our … Read more - Benks new Z Flip5 case: sleek and grippable
In July I bought a new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 foldable phone. Since it arrived at the beginning of August I’ve been delighted with it and enjoy using it daily. At the time, I said it was a giant leap forward in foldable smartphones. I still hold that view, … Read more - A scientific sleuth leads the fight against fake data and images in science research
Believing that what you see, read and hear is real and truthful has never been under such a challenge as it is today. While technology plays a big role in creating this state of affairs, most egregious is the human faker, someone who sets out to deceive and profit with … Read more - Where do we go from X?
For as long as many of us can remember, the Internet has been a single entity, a vast digital sea where we could navigate freely between its various islands. Social networks stood tall and united, giving us separate but unified spaces to connect and share. Yet, it seems that unfettered … Read more - Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5: A giant leap forward
It’s hard to avoid the hype and buzz about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 foldable smartphone that’s been building over the past few months. It reached a crescendo before, during and in the days following Samsung’s huge “Galaxy Unpacked” launch event in Seoul, South Korea, on July 26, when … Read more - Bye bye Twitter bird
Are you still on Twitter? I am although I’m becoming more and more exasperated with the vandalism I see being done by Elon Musk as he continues to remake Twitter in his own image. Just a week ago, Musk posted a series of tweets indicating that the very name of … Read more - Digital PR: Recognising excellence
I was honoured to present some of the awards to winners of the UK Digital PR Awards 2023 contest at a dinner and ceremony in London on 12 July. The awards recognise excellence in digital PR across more than 25 categories. The judging process was rigorous, with an expert panel … Read more - T2: a new microblogging champion
When Twitter first appeared in 2006, it marked the start of enablement and empowerment of people who wanted a means of communication that was unfiltered, uncontrolled and unfettered. It would let you chat with your friends and engage in sharing news and information on a small scale, something that met … Read more
Asides / nevillehobson.fyi
Podcasts
