The hottest Online Influence Substack posts right now

He presents a toned-down version of himself to mainstream hosts while keeping a much more extreme persona for his core supporters.
Over time he shifted from mainstream conservative views to openly embracing bigotry, antisemitism, and admiration for authoritarian figures.
Attempts to marginalize or censor him have often backfired and increased his visibility, letting him grow from a small podcast to a wider cultural influence.

Momfluencers monetize their maternal identity on social media through sponsored content, affiliate links, and brand partnerships.
Momfluencer culture perpetuates reductive and exclusionary ideals of motherhood rooted in gender, race, and class.
Aestheticized motherhood by Cool and Trad Moms offers an illusion of certainty and personhood through visual representation.

There has been a shift towards real-world community building for meaningful change
Online engagement in politics shifted during the COVID years, favoring left-wing stream-based content
Challenges persist for right-wing dissidents in translating online presence to real-life engagement, facing entry barriers and biased institutions

Twitter has lost much of its influence compared to its heyday, now having less engagement and relevance in social media discussions. Many users are finding better alternatives for their online engagement.
Despite challenges, Twitter still holds some value for quick updates, memes, and keeping up with special interests. However, its growth seems stagnant, and it's not heading towards a broader 'everything app' vision.
The business model of platforms like Twitter faces inherent issues, as they struggle to balance being a platform and a publisher. This affects their profitability and long-term sustainability.

Availability cascades involve the idea of rumors spreading quickly through a population.
Through availability cascades, people copy each other and feel the need to stay informed on trending topics.
There are availability entrepreneurs who try to trigger cascades by highlighting specific topics and spreading them widely.

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Facebook may know more about you than you think, like preferences and background.
A Facebook rant by a woman in Guatemala had unexpected consequences for the government.
An essay about the perfection of databases by Paul Ford is worth reading.