Where's Your Ed At

'Where's Your Ed At' by Ed Zitron explores the contradictions and ethical concerns within the tech industry, with a focus on influential figures like Marc Andreessen, Chamath Palihapitiya, and Elon Musk. It critiques the NFT market, Silicon Valley's culture, and touches upon the dangers of AI in art, promoting a more ethical and socially responsible approach to technology and investment.

Tech Industry Ethics Silicon Valley Culture Impact of Influential Tech Figures NFT Market Critique Artificial Intelligence in Art Journalistic Responsibility Digital Currency Concerns Platform Migration

Top posts of the year

And their main takeaways

Everything Looks Like A Nail

25075 implied HN points • 19 Oct 23
💼 Business Technology Venture Capital Inequality Economics
  1. Marc Andreessen wants to portray himself as a victim despite his immense success and wealth.
  2. Andreessen promotes a vision of continuous technological advancement, but his actions and investments often prioritize maintaining the status quo.
  3. Andreessen's manifesto is filled with contradictions and hypocrisy, advocating libertarian economic thinking while benefiting from government intervention.

You Are Not The Man In The Arena

24184 implied HN points • 30 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Startup Culture Tech industry Venture Capital Cryptocurrency Artificial Intelligence
  1. The man in the arena speech by Theodore Roosevelt emphasizes the importance of taking action over criticism.
  2. Chamath Palihapitiya symbolizes a detrimental mindset in Silicon Valley of valuing image over actual value creation.
  3. The tech industry's obsession with funding specific kinds of founders and companies has created a harmful monoculture that prioritizes profit over societal impact.

Elon Musk, Innovator

21662 implied HN points • 09 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Social media Advertising Economics Tech Innovation
  1. Companies fail when they lack awareness of market needs and resist changing with the times.
  2. Elon Musk's decisions with Twitter are making the platform less reliable and damaging its value.
  3. Musk's incompetent management of Twitter, high debt, and declining user trust may lead to significant financial challenges.

Elon Musk Is Dangerous To Society

21068 implied HN points • 13 Sep 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Technology Finance Media Government Corruption
  1. Elon Musk has significant influence due to his wealth and power, and his actions can negatively impact global events.
  2. Musk's decisions, personal beliefs, and interactions with authoritarian regimes raise concerns about his potential misuse of power.
  3. Coverage of Musk should shift to recognize him as a harmful actor who prioritizes his desires over societal well-being.

Monkey Laundering

20772 implied HN points • 26 Sep 23
💼 Business Cryptocurrency Venture Capital Investing Market Analysis
  1. Investing in NFTs as a way to own unique digital assets may not guarantee value or ownership of intellectual property.
  2. Many NFT projects overpromise benefits like voting power and ownership in the company, leading to unfulfilled expectations.
  3. The NFT industry is often characterized by scams, fake transactions, and inflated values, preying on the desperation of people seeking investment opportunities.
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A Continual Christmas

18249 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Policy Media Journalism Election Free speech
  1. Allowing hate speech can lead to a platform becoming a safe haven for harmful ideologies like nazism.
  2. Media properties have a responsibility to act ethically and not empower intolerant and genocidal ideologies.
  3. Journalism should prioritize clarity and truth over the illusion of objectivity, especially when addressing harmful content.

Empty Laughter

16914 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Comedy Artificial Intelligence Plagiarism Entertainment Creativity
  1. Art should be unique and come from personal experiences, not generated by AI or copied from others.
  2. Creativity is limited by the individual, and the magic of art comes from the context and experiences of the artist.
  3. Plagiarism and reliance on generative AI for art creation show a lack of curiosity, entitlement, and a desire to imitate rather than create.

Silicon Valley's Slaughterhouse

15430 implied HN points • 08 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Tech industry Venture Capital Startups
  1. Elon Musk is involved in a legal battle over accusations of anti-semitism and his actions have had significant impacts on advertising revenue and Twitter's valuation.
  2. Silicon Valley culture has devolved into a profit-driven, empty innovation environment fueled by venture capital, lacking real societal impact.
  3. The tech industry, led by venture capital, has created a culture of labor exploitation, hollow promises, and superficial startup culture, with the focus on profitability rather than meaningful innovation.

Junk Bond Trader

13056 implied HN points • 26 Oct 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Finance Marketing Management Investing
  1. Elon Musk is perceived as a modern-day hustler, skilled at manipulating media and markets without creating tangible value.
  2. Musk's success lies in picking companies and products that promise eternal growth, even if the reality doesn't align with the hype.
  3. The acquisitions of SolarCity, Twitter, and the Cybertruck showcase Musk playing outside the odds, relying on emotion, and making risky bets.

A Billion-Dollar Fraud In Plain Sight

10237 implied HN points • 01 Nov 23
💰 Finance Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud Bankruptcy Regulation
  1. Gemini's
  2. Earn
  3. program misled customers into investing in risky lender Genesis Capital.
  4. The NY Attorney General filed a significant fraud suit against Gemini, Genesis, and Digital Currency Group for misleading customers and covering up losses.
  5. The Winklevoss twins actively deceived customers, putting billions of dollars into an unstable lender and reaping profits while customers faced losses.

This Substack Is No Longer In Service

296 implied HN points • 26 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Internet
  1. The Substack newsletter 'Where's Your Ed At' has permanently moved to Ghost at wheresyoured.at.
  2. Visitors to ez.substack.com should now subscribe to the newsletter at the new domain to receive updates.
  3. The move was due to concerns over Substack's handling of content related to Nazis.