The world has been on the brink of revolutionary technological change for a while now and Chat GPT and related generative AI technologies might just have tipped us over into a brave new world. Ordinary folks are starting to see the power and possibilities with AI. We are about to see the flourishing of many innovative solutions that are driven by the combined power of … Continue reading Chat GPT changes everything (and some of it is bad)
“…never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” Churchill, Speeches: Never Give In, Never 29 Oct 1941 Winston Churchill is famous for many things. He was a master with words … Continue reading Never give in
In my previous post, Radical shifts in the media economy, I spoke of the changes that have arisen in the media landscape, touched upon the democratization of communication, and mentioned the emergence of the influencer economy. Today I am going to delve into the influencer economy and some of its implications for society now and in the future. What is the influencer economy? At its … Continue reading The influencer economy
Radical shifts in the media economy: Social media has delivered an enormous shock to civil society in the West. It has been weaponised by nations who do not love democracy and the freedoms that we have come to enjoy. Back in 2007, when I predicted the great democratization of communication that social media enabled and the death of the traditional news media, I did not … Continue reading Radical shifts in the media economy
As the various Occupy protests fan out around the world many of us are trying to make sense of them, and to ascertain into which particular mental box these protests ought to go. This interview of Jesse LaGreca, a vocal member of the Occupy Wall Street protests and writer for the Daily Kos, by Fox News is fascinating. It gives an insight into the kinds … Continue reading Occupy Wall Street Activist Slams Fox News Producer In Un-Aired Interview
There are so many angry people these days. It’s something I don’t really remember from my youth and childhood. Only in recent years does it seem that everyone is angry. I’ve been trying to understand why there should be more anger now than in the past. It might be something to do with our standards now. Standards for everything are so much higher now than … Continue reading Are we living in the age of rage?
I was reading Bill Bonner’s recent post Zombies Born of Government Spending where he posits the notion of zombies in our economy. As Bill defines it: “In economic terms, a zombie is a parasite. He contributes less to the economy than he takes from it. He lives at the expense of others.” His argument is that social welfare programs as practised by most of the … Continue reading What kind of zombies have we created?
Want is a funny word. It can mean different things, such as: “absence or deficiency of something desirable or requisite” or “to be lacking or absent, as a part or thing necessary to completeness”, or “to feel a need or a desire for; wish for”, or “to wish, need, crave, demand, or desire” (Source Dictionary.com) The scenes in the UK of rioters and looting were … Continue reading Riots, desire, consumerism, community and values.
It seems strange watching the sad events unfolding in the United Kingdom from such a distance. With the spreading riots, looting, and mob violence it is apt to recall the words of Charles Dickens describing turbulent times past: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the … Continue reading London riots: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times
Over the weekend I listened to this moving talk from the Burmese pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, where she examines what drives people to dissent. Reflecting on the history of her own party, the National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi, examines the meaning of opposition and dissident. She also explains her reasons for following the path of non-violence. … Continue reading Dissent and Securing Freedom – Aung San Suu Kyi shares her ideas
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