Mitch Joel's Blog: Six Pixels of Separation, page 50

SPOS #896 – Zeynep Ton On The Case For Good Jobs

Welcome to episode #896 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #896. Renowned scholar and dynamic force in the business academia and consulting world, Zeynep Ton has dedicated her career to scrutinizing the nuances of operational management through a lens that values not just the customers and investors but the employees who are often regarded as mere cogs in the wheel. With her home base at the MIT Sloan School of Management, she leverages her role as a Professor to delve deep into the symbiotic relationship between employee satisfaction, customer service, and investor returns. Her insightful research has graced the pages of prestigious publications like the Harvard Business Review, Organization Science, and Production and Operations Management, making her a formidable voice in the business analysis sphere. Before her tenure at MIT Sloan, Zeynep honed her craft at Harvard Business School for seven years, earning accolades for her exceptional teaching acumen. In 2014, Zeynep pulled together a decade and a half of rigorous research in her ground-breaking book titled, The Good Jobs Strategy – How the Smartest Companies Invest in Employees to Lower Costs and Boost Profits. This work not just chalked out but vivaciously argued that a blueprint of superior returns and outstanding service is incomplete without weaving in investment in employee well-being with operational strategies that spur productivity and morale. Now, she’s back with her latest book, The Case for Good Jobs – How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay, and Meaning to Everyone’s Work. It feels like perfect timing for a book like this, if you look at the workforce and how the economy is moving. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 54:07.Hello from beautiful Montreal.Subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.Please visit and leave comments on the blog – Six Pixels of Separation.Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.Check out ThinkersOne.or you can connect on LinkedIn.…or on Twitter.Here is my conversation with Zeynep Ton.The Case for Good Jobs.The Good Jobs Strategy.Follow Zeynep on LinkedIn.Follow Zeynep on X/Twitter.This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #896.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Six Links Worthy of Your Attention #689

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, Interesting Bits, HBS, chair of Strata, Startupfest, FWD50, and Scaletechconf; author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (Rebus Foundation, PressBooks, LibriVox) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see.”

Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another: 

Bendito Machine – Animatic – YouTube . “My partner used to be a VJ. When she needs to entertain people, she has a reel of weird videos, and five of them are this series called Bendito Machine. They’re two-dimensional, weirdly troubling, and sort of tell a story. The story tends to change depending on what’s playing; she put on Zamfir’s pan flutes once, and it fundamentally altered what the video was about. This is the first one; it’s up to you whether you watch the rest, but they’re trippy.” (Alistair for Hugh and video below). Who’s Afraid of Lorne Michaels? – Longreads . “This is not a story about comedy. ‘More interesting to consider is what the thing says, and whether what it says is true. More interesting still is what it costs, and whether this cost is worthwhile.’ And there is a lot to consider when one person controls so much of an industry, and finds himself a writer in title but a benefactor of the talent meatgrinder atop which sits the writers’ strike. This long piece pulls no punches (‘Perhaps there is an inverse correlation between rent prices and SNL’s quality’). But it’s a great look at what we allow for the sake of the status quo.” (Alistair for Mitch). How America Got Mean – The Atlantic . “(It’s becoming difficult to navigate these links, with more and more content behind paywalls, but I think you can read an article or two for free from The Atlantic. Or it should be accessible in Apple News if you use that? Anyway.) It’s no big news that the USA is getting more and more polarized, but there are other deeply worrying stats to consider: ‘More than half of all Americans say that no one knows them well. The percentage of high-school students who report ‘persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness’ shot up from 26 percent in 2009 to 44 percent in 2021.’ There are many etceteras to list, including growing suicide rates, annecdotal evidence of increasingly eggregious rudeness towards employees in service businesses as well. Blue-suit conservative David Brooks has a theory that the US used to teach civil morality in our schools and other institutions, but that since the 70s or so they have stopped doing that. I’m not sure I buy this theory, but there’s something to the erosion of civic engagement and sense of duty that makes me very nervous (in the USA… but Canada as well).” (Hugh for Alistair). My Generation – Harper’s Magazine . “(Ditto above about free access to articles!) Related to the above, here’s Justin E. H. Smith talking about the disconnect between the moral sensibilities of Gen X vs. more recent generations, and ‘our’ difficulty understanding the very different approach coming after us. Note: if you cannot access the article, here’s a link to a very good podcast convo with the author.”   (Hugh for Mitch).   Meta to drop ‘Facebook News’ tab in some European countries – Reuters . “As Canada continues to deal with terrible fallout of the Online News Act (Bill C-18), the other shoe is starting to drop. For those who are not up to speed on why Facebook is no longer allowing users to post links to news sites (and why news sites are no longer allowed to post on Facebook)… and why Google may no longer index news websites in Canada, I’d recommend you listen in to my podcast where I discuss everything in detail with Michael Geist: SPOS #895 – Michael Geist On Google And Meta Blocking News Links And The Future Of Media. With that, I have been screaming that this isn’t just a ‘Canada issue,’ and here we go. In fact, the few who actually like Bill C-18 will often to point to Australia as an example of how this insanely idiotic law has worked. I am willing to bet that as soon as the contracts that were established in Australia come due, Facebook will also leave that market. Yes, I am still in duress over this entire carnival of crazy.” (Mitch for Alistair). Outpost News: Britain’s smallest radio station – Monocle . “While we’re on the topic of media… here’s a charming little documentary about a small (and remote) local radio station. Take a look at how great media can be, and how powerful it is for community building. I’ve often wondered what the world would be like if all news outlets were, simply, a small business… run for the people in the community to everyone’s benefit… one that doesn’t need the power or the mass advertising that ultimately created more Barons than true value…” (Mitch for Hugh and video below).

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on Twitter, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Freekbass On This Month’s Groove – The No Treble Podcast

Freekbass is this month’s conversation on Groove – The No Treble Podcast.

You can listen the new episode right here: Groove – The No Treble Podcast – Episode #105 – Freekbass.

Who is Freekbass?

In the electric bass universe, Freekbass is a monolith — a true groove guru who doesn’t just play bass, but embodies it (and, this includes dressing up like a Zebra for one of his frequent TikTok live streaming shows). Revered by industry titans and showcased on the covers of countless bass magazines, Freekbass has also been a vital voice in our community. It’s a resume befitting a musician who has been christened “The New Spiritual Warrior for the Funk” by none other than Bootsy Collins, a mentor whose influence is deeply ingrained in Freekbass’ sonic identity. Freekbass’ collaborations read like a who’s-who of the funk world — Bernie Worrell, Mike Gordon, Corey Glover, and a galaxy of other luminaries. His side project, Headtronics, featuring DJ Logic on beats and Richard Fortus (Guns n’ Roses) shredding the guitar, serves as an experimental playground for live improvisational magic. Meanwhile, his core ensemble, Freekbass & The Bump Assembly, is a rhythmic powerhouse that’s been shaking stages since 2016 with a lineup that boasts talents like drummer Rico Lewis and keyboardist Sky White. And as if that’s not enough, Freekbass is a veritable fountain of knowledge — a seasoned educator whose master classes at events like Gerald Veasley’s Bass Boot Camp have become essential gatehrings for aspiring bassists. With nine albums to his name, including his latest release, Krameria, and a pivot to digital platforms where he connects with fans through live-streamed original tunes and industry interviews, Freekbass remains an unceasing force in a world that can never get enough of that low-end magic. If you don’t believe me, just head over to TikTok and watch his livetreams every Sunday – Friday at 10pm eastern. Enjoy the conversation…

What is Groove – The No Treble Podcast?

This is an ambitious effort. This will be a fascinating conversation. Our goal at Groove is to build the largest oral history of bass players. Why Groove? Most of the content about the bass revolves around gear, playing techniques, and more technical chatter. For us, bassists are creative artists with stories to tell. They are a force to be reckon with. These are the stories and conversation that we will capture. To create this oral history of why these artists chose the bass, what their creative lives are like, and where inspiration can be found.

Listen in:  Groove – The No Treble Podcast – Episode #105 – Freekbass.

Are you interested in what’s next? How to decode the future? I publish between 2-3 times per week and then the Six Pixels of Separation Podcast comes out every Sunday. Feel free to subscribe (and tell your friends). 

CTRL ATL Detour – Can Billionaires Reboot The City?

Should a city be built by a government or by the people?

That might be a deep question about how our systems are structured.

It could be more pragmatic.

How many people feel like they pay way too much in taxes, and is that all of that money truly impacting those that need it the most?
How is the infrastructure of your city humming along (roads, schools, affordable housing, parks, libraries, etc.)?
How do we feel about investors (including many tech billionaires) who want to build a city, with the hopes of running it better than the government can?

Welcome to California Forever.

Flannery Associates (led by a former Goldman Sachs trader) has spent $800 million scooping up over 50,000 acres of land near an Air Force base in Solano County near San Francisco.
The money comes from investors like Marc Andreessen, Laurene Powell Jobs, Stripe CEO Patrick Collison and LinkedIn co-founder, Reid Hoffman.

The dream?

A green, walkable city, job creation, safety, and renewable energy initiatives like solar farms with tens of thousands of new homes and orchards and over a million new trees.

No, this won’t be a quick build.

While facing a myriad of challenges to how the land was acquired to local opposition from city council and beyond, the biggest issues will be zoning.
The land is mostly zoned for agricultural use, not residential or commercial, which means Flannery Associates will need to get a rezoning pushed through, which is no easy task in California.
More here: The Silicon Valley Elite Who Want to Build a City From Scratch (via The New York Times).

So… can this become a true utopia or is this another toy for billionaires to escape places like San Francisco?

What is Tech Tuesday?

Every Tuesday – for just a few minutes – I join Heather Backman (my old buddy from her days on CHOM FM and Jack 103) on the air at 95.9 Star FM to give a quick blast about the current state of technology, media and Internet culture.
We call it Tech Tuesday (and we do it in just a few minutes).

Once the segment goes live on 95.9 Star FM, I will post it here for you to listen in, learn, share and engage.

Mitch Joel · CTRL ATL Detour – Can Billionaires Reboot The City?

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Michael Geist On Meta And Google Blocking News Links And The Future Of Media – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #895 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to

When it comes to the digital economy, the law and the media, everyone should be following Dr. Michael Geist. Now, more than ever, his voice may be the only “truth” we are seeing in the media as Canada deals with the massive fallout that is Bill C-18 (Canada’s Online News Act). My primer on this ridiculous law is here: Big Tech, Big Media, Big Trouble And Big Lies. With that, the issues (and opportunity) bleed well beyond the borders of Canada and should strike fear into anyone interested in our global digital economy. For a long while, Michael has been reshaping the landscape of Internet and E-commerce Law from his academic pulpit at the University of Ottawa. With credentials that read like an academic’s dream — degrees from Osgoode Hall, Cambridge, and Columbia — he’s not just dissecting law… he’s writing it, in real-time, for a digital age. You’ve likely stumbled upon his incisive columns, where he distills complex technology law issues into digestible wisdom. But wait, there’s more. Michael is the maestro behind a slew of copyright books that are nothing short of revolutionary. Titles like, The Copyright Pentalogy, and, In the Public Interest, are shaking the foundations of Canadian copyright law, carving out a new roadmap for the digital era. He’s not just penning books… he’s also editing monthly technology law publications and running a blog that’s become a go-to resource on Internet and intellectual property issues. Michael’s reach isn’t confined to academia or print… he’s a boardroom staple too. Whether it’s Ingenium, Internet Archive Canada, or the Electronic Frontier Foundation, his advisory skills are in high demand. He’s even steering the digital strategy for Waterfront Toronto, leading it into uncharted technological waters. His influence is such that he was named among the 50 most impactful people on intellectual property globally and among the 25 most influential lawyers in Canada, multiple years running. Why does Michael matter? Because in a world wrestling with the ethics and laws of a digital frontier, he’s the sage we didn’t know we needed, but can’t afford to ignore. We dig deep into the media landscape, the mis-step of the government, why Meta proactively decided to no longer allow users to post links out to news websites, and why everyone (no matter where you live) should be paying attention to what Meta, Google and others technology companies are doing. Enjoy the conversation…

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via Apple Podcast or whatever platform you may choose):  #895 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Michael Geist On Meta Blocking News Links And The Future Of Media – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #895 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to

When it comes to the digital economy, the law and the media, everyone should be following Dr. Michael Geist. Now, more than ever, his voice may be the only “truth” we are seeing in the media as Canada deals with the massive fallout that is Bill C-18 (Canada’s Online News Act). My primer on this ridiculous law is here: Big Tech, Big Media, Big Trouble And Big Lies. With that, the issues (and opportunity) bleed well beyond the borders of Canada and should strike fear into anyone interested in our global digital economy. For a long while, Michael has been reshaping the landscape of Internet and E-commerce Law from his academic pulpit at the University of Ottawa. With credentials that read like an academic’s dream — degrees from Osgoode Hall, Cambridge, and Columbia — he’s not just dissecting law… he’s writing it, in real-time, for a digital age. You’ve likely stumbled upon his incisive columns, where he distills complex technology law issues into digestible wisdom. But wait, there’s more. Michael is the maestro behind a slew of copyright books that are nothing short of revolutionary. Titles like, The Copyright Pentalogy, and, In the Public Interest, are shaking the foundations of Canadian copyright law, carving out a new roadmap for the digital era. He’s not just penning books… he’s also editing monthly technology law publications and running a blog that’s become a go-to resource on Internet and intellectual property issues. Michael’s reach isn’t confined to academia or print… he’s a boardroom staple too. Whether it’s Ingenium, Internet Archive Canada, or the Electronic Frontier Foundation, his advisory skills are in high demand. He’s even steering the digital strategy for Waterfront Toronto, leading it into uncharted technological waters. His influence is such that he was named among the 50 most impactful people on intellectual property globally and among the 25 most influential lawyers in Canada, multiple years running. Why does Michael matter? Because in a world wrestling with the ethics and laws of a digital frontier, he’s the sage we didn’t know we needed, but can’t afford to ignore. We dig deep into the media landscape, the mis-step of the government, why Meta proactively decided to no longer allow users to post links out to news websites, and why everyone (no matter where you live) should be paying attention to what Meta, Google and others technology companies are doing. Enjoy the conversation…

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via Apple Podcast or whatever platform you may choose):  #895 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

SPOS #895 – Michael Geist On Google And Meta Blocking News Links And The Future Of Media

Welcome to episode #895 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #895. When it comes to the digital economy, the law and the media, everyone should be following Dr. Michael Geist. Now, more than ever, his voice may be the only “truth” we are seeing in the media as Canada deals with the massive fallout that is Bill C-18 (Canada’s Online News Act). My primer on this ridiculous law is here: Big Tech, Big Media, Big Trouble And Big Lies. With that, the issues (and opportunity) bleed well beyond the borders of Canada and should strike fear into anyone interested in our global digital economy. For a long while, Michael has been reshaping the landscape of Internet and E-commerce Law from his academic pulpit at the University of Ottawa. With credentials that read like an academic’s dream — degrees from Osgoode Hall, Cambridge, and Columbia — he’s not just dissecting law… he’s writing it, in real-time, for a digital age. You’ve likely stumbled upon his incisive columns, where he distills complex technology law issues into digestible wisdom. But wait, there’s more. Michael is the maestro behind a slew of copyright books that are nothing short of revolutionary. Titles like, The Copyright Pentalogy, and, In the Public Interest, are shaking the foundations of Canadian copyright law, carving out a new roadmap for the digital era. He’s not just penning books… he’s also editing monthly technology law publications and running a blog that’s become a go-to resource on Internet and intellectual property issues. Michael’s reach isn’t confined to academia or print… he’s a boardroom staple too. Whether it’s Ingenium, Internet Archive Canada, or the Electronic Frontier Foundation, his advisory skills are in high demand. He’s even steering the digital strategy for Waterfront Toronto, leading it into uncharted technological waters. His influence is such that he was named among the 50 most impactful people on intellectual property globally and among the 25 most influential lawyers in Canada, multiple years running. Why does Michael matter? Because in a world wrestling with the ethics and laws of a digital frontier, he’s the sage we didn’t know we needed, but can’t afford to ignore. We dig deep into the media landscape, the mis-step of the government, why Meta proactively decided to no longer allow users to post links out to news websites, and why everyone (no matter where you live) should be paying attention to what Meta, Google and others technology companies are doing. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 1:13:16.Hello from beautiful Montreal.Subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.Please visit and leave comments on the blog – Six Pixels of Separation.Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.Check out ThinkersOne.or you can connect on LinkedIn.…or on Twitter.Here is my conversation with Dr. Michael Geist.Michael’s Blog (which is filled with Bill C-18 brilliance).Michael’s Podcast: Law Bytes.Michael on Substack.The Copyright Pentalogy.In the Public Interest.Follow Michael on LinkedIn.Follow Michael on Twitter/X.This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #895.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

SPOS #895 – Michael Geist On Meta Blocking News Links And The Future Of Media

Welcome to episode #895 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #895. When it comes to the digital economy, the law and the media, everyone should be following Dr. Michael Geist. Now, more than ever, his voice may be the only “truth” we are seeing in the media as Canada deals with the massive fallout that is Bill C-18 (Canada’s Online News Act). My primer on this ridiculous law is here: Big Tech, Big Media, Big Trouble And Big Lies. With that, the issues (and opportunity) bleed well beyond the borders of Canada and should strike fear into anyone interested in our global digital economy. For a long while, Michael has been reshaping the landscape of Internet and E-commerce Law from his academic pulpit at the University of Ottawa. With credentials that read like an academic’s dream — degrees from Osgoode Hall, Cambridge, and Columbia — he’s not just dissecting law… he’s writing it, in real-time, for a digital age. You’ve likely stumbled upon his incisive columns, where he distills complex technology law issues into digestible wisdom. But wait, there’s more. Michael is the maestro behind a slew of copyright books that are nothing short of revolutionary. Titles like, The Copyright Pentalogy, and, In the Public Interest, are shaking the foundations of Canadian copyright law, carving out a new roadmap for the digital era. He’s not just penning books… he’s also editing monthly technology law publications and running a blog that’s become a go-to resource on Internet and intellectual property issues. Michael’s reach isn’t confined to academia or print… he’s a boardroom staple too. Whether it’s Ingenium, Internet Archive Canada, or the Electronic Frontier Foundation, his advisory skills are in high demand. He’s even steering the digital strategy for Waterfront Toronto, leading it into uncharted technological waters. His influence is such that he was named among the 50 most impactful people on intellectual property globally and among the 25 most influential lawyers in Canada, multiple years running. Why does Michael matter? Because in a world wrestling with the ethics and laws of a digital frontier, he’s the sage we didn’t know we needed, but can’t afford to ignore. We dig deep into the media landscape, the mis-step of the government, why Meta proactively decided to no longer allow users to post links out to news websites, and why everyone (no matter where you live) should be paying attention to what Meta, Google and others technology companies are doing. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 1:13:16.Hello from beautiful Montreal.Subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.Please visit and leave comments on the blog – Six Pixels of Separation.Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.Check out ThinkersOne.or you can connect on LinkedIn.…or on Twitter.Here is my conversation with Dr. Michael Geist.Michael’s Blog (which is filled with Bill C-18 brilliance).Michael’s Podcast: Law Bytes.Michael on Substack.The Copyright Pentalogy.In the Public Interest.Follow Michael on LinkedIn.Follow Michael on Twitter/X.This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #895.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Six Links Worthy of Your Attention #688

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, Interesting Bits, HBS, chair of Strata, Startupfest, FWD50, and Scaletechconf; author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (Rebus Foundation, PressBooks, LibriVox) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see.”

Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another: 

Why the Apple Mouse charges from the bottom – Zac Bowling – Twitter/X . “I have an Apple Magic Mouse. It’s pretty amazing, TBH: I can scroll, and swipe sideways. Ergonomically it isn’t perfect. But the dumbest thing about it is that it has to be charged from below. That means you can’t use it while it’s charging. This is often cited as an example of bad design: Why not simply plug the charging cable into the top, and use it as a wired mouse? With good reason, says Zac Bowling in this long post. A fascinating case study of what it means to focus ruthlessly on design. Ultimately, good design is about tradeoffs… and Apple made some.” (Alistair for Hugh). AI-Created Art Isn’t Copyrightable, Judge Says in Ruling That Could Give Hollywood Studios Pause – The Hollywood Reporter . “This isn’t exactly a niche topic, but I’m including it here because I think it’s worth talking about. If we frame the writers’/actors’ strike as an economic one, the studios already won: We live in a world of such abundant content that we could never run out of things to consume. We went from ‘what’s on three channels at 8 PM’ to ‘every show ever, in every language, right now.’ Strikes rely on one party inflicting pain on another, and with streaming that pain isn’t nearly as severe. If, on the other hand, we frame it as a cultural battle, then the writers and actors are going about it wrong. In the same way we say, ‘no animals were harmed in this film,’ they need to encourage people to demand that ‘no generative AI was used in the making of this film.’ In that context, this is really interesting news: If the studios can’t copyright something made by AI, what does that mean for downstream satire, remixing, and repurposing?” (Alistair for Mitch). What are mini-forests and why do they matter? – The Boar . “Reading about tiny forests made me very happy: Tennis court sized forests planted in urban areas, with dense native species of shrubs and trees. They grow fast, attract all sorts of wildlife, and help keep cities cool.” (Hugh for Alistair). Montreal Mini-Forests – City of Montreal . “My other link was to a cool article about mini forests, which I was happy to read about. I was even happier to discover that Montreal — as part of a citizen-voted participatory budget allocation (!) — has awarded funding towards creation of 14 mini-forests in the city, including at a park this is a seven minute walk away from me. I plan to visit on my next constitutional walk!” (Hugh for Mitch). Meta’s news ban fails to dent Facebook usage – The Globe And Mail . “I am still neck-deep in frustration about Canada’s Online News Act. If you still need it, here’s my refresher on the law: Big Tech, Big Media, Big Trouble And Big Lies. And now that we’re a few weeks into this weirdness where Meta proactively stopped users from linking out to news websites and have stopped new media’s Facebook pages from being able to post, we have some data to share (which, aligns exactly with what I was thinking/worried about… news isn’t that big of a deal for users on Facebook): ‘Daily active users of Facebook and time spent on the app in Canada have stayed roughly unchanged since parent company Meta started blocking news there at the start of August, according to data shared by Similarweb, a digital analytics company that tracks traffic on websites and apps, at Reuters’ request… The estimates, while early, appear to support Meta’s contention that news holds little value for the company as it remains locked in a tense standoff in Canada over a new law requiring internet giants to pay publishers for the news articles shared on their platforms.’ So, now what does the government do? Meta is a business, and if they no longer wish to provide the service of news links, that is their choice. Wow, what a monstrosity of a mess and the losers will, without a doubt be: The general Canadian public and their access to news, journalists trying to get their stories out to a broader audience, local news organizations, online-only news organizations and beyond. The big, legacy players? They will continue to shrink, take on debt and struggle to find an expanding audience. What a tragedy of errors.” (Mitch for Alistair), How a Man in Prison Stole Millions from Billionaires – The New Yorker. “Yes, this article is worth the read, because it is a very crazy story. Yes, a great headline (that both rings true and delivers on its promise) is still something important for content creators to think about. Yes, without any real access to the Internet and smartphones, even prisoners can get access and use it in surprising ways. What a story… what a ride…” (Mitch for Hugh).

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on Twitter, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Link or Sink – Will Canada’s Online News Act Reshape The Internet?

Whether you are based in Canada or not, this is an important story (and it provides insight into where the world of media might be going).

I’ve been passionately debating my disdain over Canada’s Online News Act (a law, Bill C-18) that forces Big Tech (primarily Meta and Google, for now) to pay legacy media companies when links (or “repurposed news”) are posted on their platforms that then drive traffic to these news media sites.
Instead of getting into the issue again, here is my primer: Big Tech, Big Media, Big Trouble And Big Lies.

I would also recommend reading these two pieces:

The Bill C-18 Regulation Fake-Out: Setting the Record Straight on When Bill C-18 Takes Effect and the Regulation Making Process via Michael Geist.Meta’s News Block Causes Chaos as Canada Burns via Wired UK.

But the news keeps evolving.

Meta (which includes Facebook and Instagram) have made the proactive business decision to no longer allow their users to post links to news sites and have blocked many news sites from being able to post to their own pages.
The government is portraying Big Tech as both a monster that is hoovering up Canada’s advertising revenue, while then calling them essential players in maintaining public safety (talk about government rhetoric).
The legacy media players – which have positioned themselves as the victims and reputable sources/the truth that all Canadians should have access to – are both creating salacious (and untrue) articles about the law and Big Tech, while not really talking about the reality that Facebook (and others) drive a lot of traffic that they then monetize through advertising, subscriptions, etc. Plus, if we are to be honest, the bulk of these news sites’ content sits behind a paywall that most Canadians do not pay for/have access to.

What does Big Tech really thing?

We don’t know.
Maybe they don’t believe there’s a real value in the links that people share from the news in relation to the other content that people create and share.
I would argue that content has value. but links? Not so much.
Maybe they, simply, don’t want to be stuck with a law that gives them no financial rails on what they might have to pay for providing these news media platforms with traffic.
Maybe they’re worried that if they play along and pay, these legacy media companies will simply amp up the amount of links and content to extract as much money as they like from Big Tech.
Maybe, if they pay news media for these links, it will force them to look at all of their creators and rethink how (or if) creators should be compensated.
To date, Google has not blocked any news from Canadian media sources.

It is a massive mess.

What can Canadians expect in the coming days, months and years?
What can other countries expect if there is a precedent set with this Canadian law?
What can Canadians do if they have, traditionally, relied on Facebook for these news links?
Is Google going to follow Meta and block links to Canadian news sites?

And, according to the Globe & Mail: Meta’s news ban fails to dent Facebook usage.

“Daily active users of Facebook and time spent on the app in Canada have stayed roughly unchanged since parent company Meta started blocking news there at the start of August, according to data shared by Similarweb, a digital analytics company that tracks traffic on websites and apps, at Reuters’ request… The estimates, while early, appear to support Meta’s contention that news holds little value for the company as it remains locked in a tense standoff in Canada over a new law requiring internet giants to pay publishers for the news articles shared on their platforms.”

What is Tech Tuesday?

Every Tuesday – for just a few minutes – I join Heather Backman (my old buddy from her days on CHOM FM and Jack 103) on the air at 95.9 Star FM to give a quick blast about the current state of technology, media and Internet culture.
We call it Tech Tuesday (and we do it in just a few minutes).

Once the segment goes live on 95.9 Star FM, I will post it here for you to listen in, learn, share and engage.

Mitch Joel · Link or Sink – Will Canada's Online News Act Reshape The Internet? – Tech Tuesday – 95.9 Star FM

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