We talk about how we present ourselves on social media: what happens as we present different aspects of ourselves over time? How do we manage those changes? How does the flattening out effect of social media and searchability intersect (or conflict) with the way we think about our social circles in “real” (that is, embodied, non-virtual) life? Links Geocities Tripod Friendster Xanga Augustine’s Retractions First Friday in Raleigh “Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg thinks telepathy tech is on its way...
Oct 07, 2015•32 min•Season 3Ep. 11
We start talking about phones again, and this time manage not to veer off into talking about robots. On the other hand, we do end up talking about a broad Christian ethic of technology, life in communities, and the pull toward social constructivism or technological substantivism. Links Sap.py – Chris’ podcast with his wife about her experience learning Python Experience economy Post-scarcity economy Social constructivism Substantivism Previously on the show: 3.08: Juice Up the Weird Edges of the...
Sep 23, 2015•31 min•Season 3Ep. 10
In which we spend some time talking with Ryan O’Neal of Sleeping at Last about his soundtrack for the film Many Beautiful Things , and then branch out to discuss business and distribution models for artists in the 21st century. Links Many Beautiful Things : The score Stream it The documentary about Lilias Trotter trailer Sleeping at Last on television Kid President Notes on making “Mercury” Yearbook Box set iTunes Atlas: Year One Atlas: Year Two subscription Hans Zimmer The Buggles Rotten Tomato...
Sep 15, 2015•42 min•Season 3Ep. 9
In which we start by looking at how to think about buying new phones… And then pivot into a discussion of major economic transitions. Like robots. Links Carriers dropping subsidies: “T-Mobile faces war of words after killing subsidies, contracts” (CNET) “Verizon Wireless moving away from contracts and phone subsidies” (Ars Technica) “Sprint to end two-year contracts - now here come the deals” (CNN) Motorola Razr “Pre to postmortem: the inside story of the death of Palm and webOS” (The Verge) How...
Sep 08, 2015•30 min•Season 3Ep. 8
In which we quite aggressively tackle Amazon’s corporate treatment of its workers, and launch into a discussion of corporate ethics and responsibility. We also note that though we critique Amazon’s practices, we recognize that it has good effects in the world, some of them significant. The question is: at what point to the externalities associated with those benefits make dealing with any given company morally unjustifiable? Links The original piece which sparked this discussion: “Inside Amazon:...
Sep 01, 2015•30 min•Season 3Ep. 7
We geek, we gush, and we even manage to say a few serious things about the future of humanity while talking about New Horizons, Rosetta, science fiction, nation-state rivalries, and how we would love to go visit other places in the solar system (or galaxy). Errata: Chris said New Frontiers was an ESA probe; it was in fact a NASA probe. He was thinking of Rosetta , an ESA project to land on a comet—which they did, after the greatest gravity boost sequence in history : Slingshot this! Note: yep, t...
Aug 25, 2015•28 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Things were… messy this episode.
Aug 18, 2015•4 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Blogging is not what it was in 2008. It has changed in some ways for the better, in some ways for the worse, and in a few ways that it’s hard to tell. Picking up from an Iranian blogger, Hossein Derakhshan, who was jailed for his political views in 2008, we take a look at hyperlinking, the stream, and personal agency. How can we keep the good of the blog world of 2008 and the good of the stream? Links “The Web We Have to Save” (Hossein Derakhshan) His follow-up on the response “The End of Surfin...
Aug 18, 2015•28 min•Season 3Ep. 5
In which we look at how moms took over the internet, and how the shift from 18–34-year-old white males to not only middle-aged moms but also many other demographics is good for the web—even when it might seem a little strange to those who came of age on the internet in the years before Facebook was taken over by mommy bloggers. Spoilers: we only made one “your mom” joke the whole episode! Links “God-Tier: Facebook Moms Run the Meme Game” Mommy bloggers: “The Rise of the Mommy Bloggers” (Mashable...
Aug 11, 2015•30 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Ashley Madison got hacked and blackmailed by people who hate Ashley Madison’s adultery-as-a-business-model, erm, business model. We also hate adultery, but we’re not so sure that hacking and blackmail is the right solution to this particular problem. Links Ashley Madison hacked The DMCA Lives being ruined: “Married Man Whose Name Was Leaked In Ashley Madison Hack By The Impact Team Speaks: 20-Year Marriage, $19 Paid Delete” Very human reactions: “Ashley Madison hack: ‘Out of all the data breache...
Aug 04, 2015•29 min•Season 3Ep. 3
In which we continue our conversation from 3.01 , turning our attention from the system issues which led to the modern state of the web to what we ought to do about it—as consumers of content, as producers of content, and even as advertisers. Links Quartz: “Over one-fifth of people use ad-blocking software—and it’s beginning to hurt” Ad blocking: AdBlock Plus —associated with some not-so-savory practices, including letting advertisers buy their way onto a white list. μBlock: aiming to be super l...
Jul 28, 2015•30 min•Season 3Ep. 2
In which Stephen and Chris are back at it, with a discussion of the role advertising plays in the modern web—the good, the bad, the ugly, and the wonderfully hilarious. What makes advertising good or bad? How do companies get “native ads” right—and wrong? Links Denny’s Tumblr That Huge Pork Heist John Gruber/Daring Fireball Ben Thompson/Stratechery Why Web Pages Suck , on the same topic as today’s show… but posted two days after we recorded it. Andrew Sullivan/The Dish Before You Go Europe’s dem...
Jul 21, 2015•32 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Show NotesChris and Stephen reflect on Season 2: what did we talk about, what have we learned, why do we take breaks, and what changes can you expect for Season 3? For that matter, when is Season 3 coming? And what in the world is the difference between a “series” and a “season” anyway? Before You Go Patreon —it’s a thing; we’ll be doing it. Keep an eye out. Music “Enanthropoisis” by Chris Krycho. Permission granted to remix! Seriously. It’s Creative Commons Attribution licensed, just like all o...
May 12, 2015•25 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Show NotesChris and Stephen take three recent articles about the super-structure of how our society pays for college and scrutinize the issue. How does American society value what college delivers? (What does it deliver?) How do we fund it? Should we fund it? We take the time not just to ponder, but to celebrate an unlikely organization that’s doing some incredibly innovative moves in the space. Also Stephen inadvertently insults a whole group of people. Sorry about that. Before You Go “The Brut...
May 05, 2015•32 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Show NotesChris and Stephen do something different this week and read Alan Jacobs’ 79 Theses on Technology (For Disputation) as an oral presentation. We throw in some thoughts at the end, thereby jumping into the conversation ourselves. But mostly we give Alan Jacobs the credit he is due and give his thoughts the space they deserve. Before You Go The Middle East Music “Mind Your Manors” by The Bandicoots. Used by permission. “Winning Slowly Theme” by Chris Krycho. “I am moved by this music” -Aes...
Apr 29, 2015•28 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Show NotesChris and Stephen give three cheers for Dan Price, who voluntarily cut his own pay and raised the pay of his employees to a minimum of $70K a year. We discuss the nature of money, income inequality, how we can fix problems in non-governmental ways (sometimes, and in some ways), and about the limits of praise. We also inaugurate Mr. Price into the newly-founded Winning Slowly Hall of Fame amidst celebratory explosions. (No, really.) Before You Go SpaceX Rocket’s First Stage Crashes Duri...
Apr 22, 2015•29 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Show NotesChris and Stephen note the launch of Tidal with some skepticism, then contrast the service with what could be considered Tidal’s polar opposite: YouTube. We look at the international aspects of music distribution, and think about how youth factor in to the ever-changing equation. And, good news, there’s a happy ending. I love happy endings. Before You Go Iran and the Obama Doctrine by Thomas Friedman Music “Number One” by The Sideshow Tragedy. Used by permission. “Winning Slowly Theme”...
Apr 14, 2015•30 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Show NotesChris and Stephen use the news of communications tool Slack’s recent hacking incident to discuss the nature of digital security. Along the way we make a plea for candy, claim that almost all companies are digital companies now, offer some security tips to our listeners, and deliver a long bloopers reel. We hope we induce just enough paranoia to get things moving in your security life, but not too much. Before You Go These maps show why internet is way more expensive in the US than Euro...
Apr 07, 2015•31 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Show NotesChris and Stephen use Chris’s first two ridesharing experiences as a jumping-off point to discuss services like Uber and Lyft from a host of angles: ethical, financial, technological, social, legal, and personal. Put on your seatbelts, folks: this one’s a long one. Note: Chris told the drivers of his Lyft and Uber rides that he was going to talk about his experience on this podcast, and they agreed to talk with him. Before You Go NC State: PKP brothers must vacate house by the weekend ...
Apr 03, 2015•32 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Show NotesChris and Stephen discuss the ethics of individual health, a complex and idiosyncratic problem if there ever was one. How do we be responsible stewards of our bodies? How do we think about activities and intakes in moral, ethical, deeply personal ways? We suggest thinking about personal health in community, as well as from a spiritual perspective. Before You Go As Two Oklahoma Students Are Expelled for Racist Chant, Sigma Alpha Epsilon Vows Wider Inquiry Music “Red” by Mt. Wolf. Used b...
Mar 17, 2015•29 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Show NotesChris and Stephen “review” Rich Mullins’ 1993 album A Liturgy, a Legacy, and a Ragamuffin Band because it’s beautiful, thoughtful, and still relevant today. The music is still passionate, raw, and wild; the lyrics are still pensive, powerful, and awe-struck. We look at how Mullins wrote the album as a letter to Christians about how to be alive in the hope of Christ and reality of America. Also, there’s hammered dulcimer. Thanks to our listener Austin Taylor for encouraging us to review...
Mar 10, 2015•30 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Show Notes In which we talk about how companies have to deal with the inherent leak-ability of digital media, especially things like movie trailers. How should Marvel respond to whoever leaked the first Age of Ultron trailer? Stephen and Chris have a friendly disagreement about the best way to respond to this kind of thing. Today’s blooper section is… amazing. Alternate title we ultimately decided not to foist upon you: MPAAwful. You can thank Stephen for that one (as well as the much better act...
Mar 04, 2015•31 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Show Notes In which we ask: What exactly is art? Specifically, is photography art? But more generally, can anyone actually define art? How does the difficulty in defining art affect the makers of art, and why do people spend so much time trying to draw lines around it? How have democratizing forces changed the nature of art in the last few decades, and what does that bode for our future? Before You Go N.B. In addition to the clarifications Stephen offered, we should note that Chris’ initial desc...
Feb 24, 2015•31 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Show NotesIn which we ask: Is Elon Musk really Iron Man? (We have no evidence that he has a suit, but really, it seems like he should.) We reflect on how longer-term approaches are helping Tesla and SpaceX do things that few other companies are doing, how we hope other companies learn from their example, and how it would be nice if “capitalism” meant what it used to mean—long-term investment, not short-term greed. Before You Go “In Chapel Hill Shooting of 3 Muslims, a Question of Motive” “NC Sta...
Feb 18, 2015•29 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Show Notes In which we look at Zoë Keating’s ongoing kerfuffle with YouTube. Is YouTube strong-arming indie artists? Should megacorporations force all their clients—customer and producer—to fit in a one-size-fits-all setup, or should they take the long view and do what is best not only for the bottom line but also for the relationship between artist and audience. Oh, and what about those monopolies and monopsonies? They might have some extra ethical responsibility, too! Before You Go LEGO Announ...
Feb 10, 2015•30 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Show Notes In which we talk about Marco Arment, Kirby Delauter, and the general phenomenon of things you say on the internet going viral (often when you least expect them to). How do you deal with the reality that your audience is never limited but may universalize at any moment? What is the audience’s responsibility, and what are creators’ responsibilities? How do we deal charitably with authors writing “in-house” on controversial topics? P.S. You’re going to want to listen to the bloopers on t...
Feb 03, 2015•34 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Show Notes In which we discuss news app Circa, the value it provides in the rapidly evolving world of new journalism, and why we’re super sad about it. (Hint: it’s a Silicon Valley startup and you know what that means about its business model. Namely: as near as we can tell, they don’t have one.) Before You Go Churches Torched In Anti-Charlie Hebdo Protests Drop in Ebola cases ‘signals turning point’ Music “Everglow” by Jared Foldy. Used by permission. “Winning Slowly Theme” by Chris Krycho. Use...
Jan 27, 2015•29 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Show NotesIn which we talk about iPhone cameras, long-term thinking in general—including the kind that lets you keep going even when no one in your lifetime gets what you’re doing—and finally some thoughts on the first (non-beta) season of Winning Slowly. Chapters Intro (0:53) People Taking Pictures With iPhones (0:53–10:12) Whether or Not It Pays Off (10:12–19:38) What Do You Think? (19:38–25:05) Conclusion (25:05–26:29) A Mistake (26:29–26:40) Music “Absent Within Skies” from Value to Survival...
Nov 18, 2014•27 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Show NotesIn which we talk about science journalism—the ways in which it is sometimes broken, the reasons why it ends up broken in those cases, and the responsibilities of scientists, scientific journalists, and the science-reading public in publishing and interpreting scientific findings. Science is hard. Reporting on it is hard. Making policy on it is hard. And we need all of them. Chapters Intro (1:27) SCIENCE Drives Policy! (1:27–8:02) Elitist, Protectionist, Obstructionist, Obscurantist? (8...
Nov 11, 2014•25 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Show NotesIn which we take a megachurch pastor’s resignation as a jumping off point for talking about individualism and community in the church, self-aggrandizement in the name of evangelism and church growth, and the danger of cults of personality, not only but especially in Christian communities. Chapters Intro (0:46) Ups and Downs and Foibles (0:46–7:19) Individualism and Community (7:19–14:42) Self-Aggrandizement in the Name of Other Good Things (14:42–24:41) Cults of Personality (24:41–31:3...
Nov 04, 2014•33 min•Season 1Ep. 16
