The biggest determinant of your health, on average?
Where you live, and the deeply historical reasons that public policy there is what it is.
"“Your health is only 10 percent influenced by the medical environment and maybe 20 or 30 percent in behavioral choices. The social and political determinants of health are overwhelmingly what you’re seeing in these maps.”"
one of the most enlightening things about seeing people opine about an industry you're actually a part of is realizing how many opinions that go viral are just a person's biases, put in such a way that other people agree
this isn't meant as judgment -- it's just human nature
this teaches me as much about *myself* and my own beliefs as anything
Following Elon Musk’s lead, Big Tech is surrendering to disinformation
Facebook and YouTube are receding from their role as watchdogs against conspiracy theories ahead of the 2024 presidential election
"The evolution of the companies’ practices was described by more than a dozen current and former employees... The new approach marks a sharp shift from the 2020 election."
Max Read's weekly newsletter is a consistent source of joy
"the increased prominence of the tech industry [on Twitter] means increased prominence for the communities and cultures adjacent to the tech industry, i.e. Race-Science Reactionaries and Hustle Business Mindset Guys. (On the flip side, the decreased prominence of media workers means decreased prominence for their adjacent groups, Annoying Academics and Well-Meaning But Gullible Mainstream Democrats.)"
not sure I’ve ever read anything in my life that made me sadder or angrier than this account in the Post of the testimony of 4 women in the trial in Texas seeking clarification on the state’s abortion law, so doctors might possibly be able to give necessary care again
There’s been a lot of chatter over the past week about what’s happening to Twitter’s traffic and engagement, as well as that of Threads, and whether the two are related and ~what’s it all mean for the future of social media~
This is my attempt to cut through some of the noise, with actual data – and empirical observations.
that said, yes, obviously, the nature of a new technology determines the size of its ultimate audience
the fact that only "all-consuming" = good is a product of the growth at all costs mindset, doesn't reflect what actually makes online social networks good for individual users
it's weird how often people blame the technology of Mastodon for the failure of users to stick around instead of the most blindingly obvious, actual reasons:
1. habits are hard to break. people used to twitter or insta or FB are going to instinctually open those apps first
2. network effects are incredibly powerful. switching social networks isn't like trying a new toothpaste. networks move to new services *slowly* even when they're incredibly popular
I'm trying to understand how -- and if -- productivity tools for coders are affecting jobs in the tech industry.
If you're a manager or a coder who feels like the productivity that comes from using ChatGPT or a within-IDE tool is affecting hiring in your company (even of contractors), or the demands being placed on you, I would love to hear from you!!