The Future, Now and Then

The Future, Now and Then Substack explores the intersection of historical digital futures, contemporary tech culture, political discourse, and the ethical challenges surrounding emerging technologies and platform moderation. It critically examines techno-optimism, the implications of AI, the creator economy, and reflects on the socio-political dimensions of technology.

Digital Culture and History Political Communication Strategies Technology and Society Ethics in Technology AI and Machine Learning Tech Industry Critique Moderation and Platform Policies Future Predictions and Speculations Creator Economy Social Media Dynamics

The hottest Substack posts of The Future, Now and Then

And their main takeaways

The Gravitational Force of Tech Money

144 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
💼 Business Tech Wealth Economy Capital Finance
  1. Gravitational impact of money increases with scale, where extreme wealth creates societal problems beyond personal purchasing power.
  2. Tech billionaires accumulating astronomical sums of money have industry-warping and societal impacts, shaping the future and institutions.
  3. The concentration of vast capital in the hands of a few leads to comical ineptitude and problems society struggles to address, highlighting flaws in the tax system.

The State of the Union, and the shape of the Presidential race

95 implied HN points • 08 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Election Campaign Strategy Media Coverage Supreme Court
  1. Biden's State of the Union speech signaled his reelection message and the upcoming Presidential race is expected to be extremely close.
  2. Biden effectively contrasted his record with Trump's, using past actions to his advantage.
  3. Media coverage may continue to focus on Biden's age, but the expectations set for him allow him to surpass them, while Trump's campaign quality may work to Biden's benefit due to Trump's past incompetence.

Paul Graham, proto-techbro.

131 implied HN points • 15 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Tech History Finance Literature Media
  1. Paul Graham's 2004 essay showcases Silicon Valley culture before the emergence of techbros.
  2. The cultural shift in Silicon Valley was influenced by migration waves from the financial industry in the 90s and after the 2008 global financial crisis.
  3. Tech culture has evolved to value charisma and charm over traditional intelligence, as seen in YCombinator's focus on popularity and connections.

Bullet Points: OpenAI looks for its FarmVille, 90s tech nostalgia, and more on the Substack drama

237 implied HN points • 13 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI Nostalgia Media Content Moderation Platform
  1. OpenAI is aiming to become a platform similar to how Facebook invited developers for apps.
  2. Nostalgia for 90s tech optimism is prevalent but may not be constructive for the present tech landscape.
  3. The Substack management issues are conflicting with their core value of empowering writers to build their own audience.
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The myth of technological inevitability

197 implied HN points • 24 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Science Ethics Innovation Policy Artificial Intelligence
  1. Technological change is perceived as inevitable and can happen in regulated or new industries.
  2. The concept of heroic scientists driving innovation is unrealistic and scientific progress is a slow, collaborative process.
  3. The public sector plays a significant role in shaping the direction of scientific progress and technological advancement, impacting the pace and outcomes.

"One Weird Trick" for effective strategic political communication campaigns

244 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Communication Campaigns Policies Content Moderation Ideology
  1. Frame your communication as reasonable and your opponents as ridiculous to win in political campaigns.
  2. Effective communication matters most when your opponents are vulnerable and the issue stays on people's minds.
  3. Recognize when you're in a bad position and retreat before causing more damage to your organization.

Read Write Own, Reviewed

79 implied HN points • 26 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Blockchain Web3 Cryptocurrency Venture Capital Internet
  1. Chris Dixon's book 'Read Write Own' discusses the impact of blockchain technology, but fails to address the potential downsides of Web3 projects and the financial risks involved.
  2. Dixon's vision for Web3 revolves around tokenomics and a future where everyone is an owner and investor, which can lead to increased financial precarity and reliance on speculative investments.
  3. The book highlights Dixon's overconfidence in blockchain technology, lack of detailed understanding of technical aspects, and his past involvement in hyped NFT and play-to-earn ventures, casting doubt on his ability to provide a realistic and innovative vision for the future of the internet.

Bullet Points: On Bluesky, the Vision Pro Jackpot, and the Quiet Period before the Election

91 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Social media Elections Billionaires
  1. BlueSky, a new platform similar to Twitter, has opened to the public, focusing on community-building and content moderation through decentralization.
  2. The Apple Vision Pro headset's purpose in today's world is unclear, but it may find relevance in a future shaped by climate crises and technological advancements.
  3. The 2024 Presidential election cycle hasn't truly kicked off yet, indicating that the media coverage may be premature and not fully indicative of the final outcome.

Old Gambler Yells at Clouds

97 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Gambling Sports Regulation Society
  1. The gambling economy was better off when it was shady and inaccessible.
  2. Legalizing and barely regulating sports betting has led to excessive gambling and exploitation.
  3. Regulating vice is only beneficial if accompanied by serious regulation to avoid negative consequences.

Dumb Money Squared

97 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
💰 Finance Stock Market Retail Investors Private Equity
  1. Different generations have their own moments of 'we're democratizing finance'
  2. Retail traders bring more money into the stock-gambling market under the guise of democratizing finance
  3. Be cautious of celebrating retail traders' victories as they may inadvertently strengthen the financial system over time

The chroniclers of the crypto collapse

151 implied HN points • 19 Dec 23
💰 Finance Crypto Books Journalism Scandal Investigation
  1. Authors faced with unexpected events can choose to adjust their approach or stay true to their original vision.
  2. Different writers responded differently to the changing fortunes in the blockchain world, resulting in varied books.
  3. Michael Lewis' book about the crypto collapse did not adapt to the unfolding events and may eventually be forgotten.

A reply to Noah Smith: tech optimism vs tech pragmatism, cont'd

128 implied HN points • 26 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Regulation Innovation
  1. Noah Smith discusses different types of techno-optimism and highlights the importance of choosing the right policies for innovation.
  2. Being a tech pragmatist involves actively promoting beneficial policies or questioning potential negative impacts of technology.
  3. Tech optimism as a political project can aim to benefit certain classes while ignoring democratic accountability.

Notes from #WIRED30

73 implied HN points • 07 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Futurism AI Internet Tech Culture Digital Media
  1. Tech's center of gravity has shifted in the past 30 years in Silicon Valley, futurism, and WIRED.
  2. Tim Berners-Lee's effort to give users control over data faces challenges from established tech giants.
  3. WIRED is drawing boundary lines around the AI debate, embracing diverse perspectives and urging attention to the limitations of large language models.

We should all be Luddites now

133 implied HN points • 08 Sep 23
🎭️ Culture History Technology Labor Criticism Rebellion
  1. The Luddite rebellion was about labor power and resistance to technology that would harm workers.
  2. Legitimate pathways for voicing resistance being limited can lead people to embrace illegitimate tactics for change.
  3. Being a modern-day Luddite means advocating for fair distribution of wealth and power in the digital future.

The Two Bets

97 implied HN points • 09 Aug 23
🎭️ Culture Technology History Environment Politics Literature
  1. Two bets from the past illustrate contrasting viewpoints on the trajectory of society.
  2. The outcome of these bets reveals the complexities of predicting future trends.
  3. The tension between techno-optimism and environmental concerns continues to shape societal narratives.

90's tech culture was a jumbled mess

86 implied HN points • 12 Aug 23
🕹 Technology History Tech Culture
  1. WIRED's 90's product reviews were aspirational marketing for an ideal 'netizen.'
  2. The tech culture mix in WIRED reviews reflected 70s counterculture and 80s yuppie culture.
  3. Consumer tech in the 90s felt the rapid changes of Moore's Law, with prices dropping and capabilities rising quickly.

On WIRED magazine's startup phase (1993-1997)

44 implied HN points • 04 Oct 23
💼 Business Startups Magazines Founders Tech Culture Business Models
  1. WIRED magazine's startup phase (1993-1997) was like a tumultuous startup journey, filled with rapid growth and financial struggles.
  2. Louis Rossetto led WIRED as a startup, investing in various ventures but facing financial challenges.
  3. The magazine's early years were marked by rapid expansion, big ambitions, and struggles to adapt to the changing tech landscape.

...I guess we should talk about the #TwitterFiles.

46 implied HN points • 07 Dec 22
  1. Elon Musk's #TwitterFiles are turning out to be a dud.
  2. Opinion journalists Taibbi and Weiss are handling the files, not investigative journalists.
  3. The Hunter Biden laptop story is a manufactured controversy used for attention and grievance-traffic.

The Hollow Core of Kevin Kelly's "Thousand True Fans" Theory

66 implied HN points • 23 Aug 22
  1. The creator economy is facing challenges and becoming more difficult
  2. Thousand True Fans theory focuses on building a direct relationship with supporters for creators to make a living
  3. There are issues with the theory including wealth inequality impacting who can be 'true fans' and the need for public funding to support artists

Against Jackpot-Longtermism

68 implied HN points • 13 Aug 22
  1. Longtermism prioritizes 'existential risks' at the expense of other important issues like wealth inequality, racism, and climate change.
  2. Longtermism is based on the premise of preparing for Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) despite uncertainty in AI research.
  3. Rejecting Longtermism means caring for the future with a discount rate while prioritizing the needs of people alive today.

Be Less Trashy, Substack.

53 implied HN points • 16 Aug 22
  1. Substack needs to treat writers and editors better to succeed as a service provider.
  2. Substack isn't unique infrastructure and should avoid being unkind to its users.
  3. Maintaining good infrastructure and treating users well is crucial for Substack's success.

Talking "Bretbug" in the Classroom

82 implied HN points • 28 Jan 22
  1. Conflict expansion in politics is crucial, influencing both the audience and the issues.
  2. Managing the duration of a political conflict is as vital as managing the content.
  3. Winning the attention war doesn't always translate to meaningful, lasting change in structural power.

What Facebook Is Good For, and Why It Can't Be Good Anymore

31 implied HN points • 04 Aug 22
  1. Facebook used to be good for maintaining personal connections, but it has shifted focus to big money and dominance.
  2. Silicon Valley's version of capitalism prioritizes phenomenal growth and big money over sustainability and smaller, more positive returns.
  3. The internet's future risks becoming overly financialized and dominated by big money, leading to potential negative outcomes.

Andrew Yang and Tinkerbell Politics

26 implied HN points • 29 Jul 22
  1. Andrew Yang's Forward Party lacks specific policies
  2. Forward Party's approach is criticized as a Tinkerbell Strategy
  3. Structural features of the American political system hinder success of third parties like Forward Party