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Platformer covers the dynamic interplay between technology, particularly social media, and democracy, with a focus on Silicon Valley’s significant players like Elon Musk and platforms such as Twitter, Artifact, and Threads. It explores the impacts of leadership decisions, technological changes, and societal shifts on democracy.

Social Media Trends Silicon Valley Technology and Democracy Content Moderation Artificial Intelligence Platform Algorithm Changes Decentralized Networks Tech Company Challenges Journalism in Technology

The hottest Substack posts of Platformer

And their main takeaways

Why Platformer is leaving Substack

12755 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI Apps Innovation Social media Software Engineering
  1. Platformer has decided to move off of Substack and migrate to a new website powered by Ghost
  2. The decision was influenced by concerns over how Substack moderates content and promotes publications
  3. Substack faced controversies over hosting extremist content, leading to Platformer's decision to leave for a platform with more robust content moderation policies

Elon Musk fires a top Twitter engineer over his declining view count

4697 implied HN points • 09 Feb 23
  1. Elon Musk fired a top Twitter engineer over declining view counts on his tweets.
  2. Twitter employees are feeling stretched to the max due to the turmoil inside the company.
  3. Recent changes on Twitter, such as public view counts and glitches, may be contributing to the decline in engagement on the platform.
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What I learned in year three of Platformer

4461 implied HN points • 19 Sep 23
💼 Business Journalism Tech Platforms AI Advertising Industry
  1. Platformer has experienced significant growth in subscribers over the past year, thanks to various factors like talented staff, impactful stories, and the Substack recommendations engine.
  2. The broader tech media ecosystem is facing challenges with layoffs and diminishing vitality, prompting journalists to consider the challenges and opportunities of transitioning to independent journalism.
  3. Platformer's plans for the future include expanding the team with new hires, experimenting with newsletter ads, and potentially supporting independent journalism through investments or grants.

Twitter is dead and Threads is thriving

3262 implied HN points • 27 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Social media Tech industry Digital Content Artificial Intelligence Software Development
  1. Twitter underwent significant changes after Elon Musk's takeover, leading to a decline in daily users and financial setbacks.
  2. Musk's plan to pivot Twitter towards paid subscriptions failed, with less than 1% of users signing up for the premium service.
  3. Former Twitter employees have accepted the company's demise, with concerns about the future of the platform integrity at X.

It's time to change how we cover Elon Musk

3537 implied HN points • 08 Aug 23
🕹 Technology AI Social media Digital Media Antitrust AI Ethics
  1. It's important to approach coverage of Elon Musk with skepticism due to his history of broken promises and exaggerations.
  2. Journalists should be more skeptical and critical of Musk's statements, especially those that could impact markets or public perception.
  3. Musk's tendency to make bold announcements without following through highlights the need for increased scrutiny in media coverage of his statements.

Meta unspools Threads

3518 implied HN points • 05 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Social media Apps Decentralization Content Moderation Data Privacy
  1. Meta released Threads, a new app challenging Twitter, with a focus on content moderation and decentralization.
  2. Threads is a text-based messaging app similar to Twitter, allowing easy following of Instagram users with limited features.
  3. The success of Threads will depend on cultivating a vibrant community and continuous improvements to user experience.

The AI is eating itself

3419 implied HN points • 27 Jun 23
🕹 Technology AI Social media E-commerce AR Cybersecurity
  1. Generative AI is dramatically impacting the internet with a variety of changes to platforms and services.
  2. The increasing use of AI-generated content poses challenges such as misinformation, disruption, and a dilution of human wisdom.
  3. Research shows that relying on AI systems to generate data can lead to degradation and collapse of models, raising concerns for the future of the web.

Bluesky's big moment

3341 implied HN points • 02 May 23
🕹 Technology Social media AI Crypto Business Ethics
  1. Bluesky, a decentralized social network similar to early Twitter, is gaining popularity and could offer a unique alternative to mainstream social media platforms.
  2. Bluesky should focus on maintaining its decentralized nature while making it user-friendly, encouraging developers to build on the platform, and embracing the platform's quirky and fun atmosphere.
  3. Bluesky can potentially address issues in the Twitter ecosystem, such as content moderation and API accessibility, to differentiate itself further and attract a wider user base.

Why I'm having trouble covering AI

3243 implied HN points • 09 May 23
🕹 Technology AI Data Privacy Research Platforms Regulation
  1. Journalists face challenges in covering AI due to varying perspectives on risks and benefits.
  2. The debate between AI pioneers like Hinton and Schmidhuber influences how journalists cover AI.
  3. It's important for journalists to have a balanced approach in covering AI, considering both potential risks and advancements.

New cracks emerge in Elon Musk's Twitter

3164 implied HN points • 24 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Social media Software E-commerce Search Engines AI
  1. Twitter employees faced disruptions like Slack going down and Jira not working, causing frustration and questions about payment.
  2. Elon Musk announced plans to open source Twitter's algorithm, but doubts arise among employees about the transparency and actual release of the code.
  3. Twitter's performance has been degrading, with issues like increased latency during peak usage times, including events like the Super Bowl and a Twitter outage in Asia.

Reddit goes dark

2889 implied HN points • 13 Jun 23
🕹 Technology AI API Social media Education
  1. Reddit faced backlash from its user base after announcing changes to its API that would affect third-party apps and moderation tools.
  2. The move to limit third-party apps appears to be driven by Reddit's desire to increase profits and centralize control of its ecosystem.
  3. The crisis highlighted Reddit's heavy dependence on volunteer labor and the potential risks of outsourcing content creation and moderation to the user base.