The hottest Social media Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Why TikTok ‘Knows You’: The Data Trick That Makes It Tick

The Daily Bud • 12 implied HN points • 25 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. TikTok's algorithm is really good at guessing what you want to watch next. It keeps improving by watching how you interact with videos.
  2. Unlike other apps, TikTok avoids mixing user data, which helps keep recommendations super personal. This means you get content that's more tailored just for you.
  3. The way TikTok designs its data storage prevents recommendations from getting mixed up. This leads to a cleaner and more enjoyable experience while using the app.

GAN-tastic politics enthusiasts

Conspirador Norteño • 40 implied HN points • 06 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. A network of fake accounts with GAN-generated faces is spamming users with phrases like 'politics enthusiast'.
  2. The fake accounts have repetitive behaviors and characteristics, such as long handles with many vowels and repetitive use of certain phrases.
  3. Some replies from the fake accounts show signs of being artificially generated, with error messages and tagging issues.

My favorite reads from the plague year

Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends • 79 implied HN points • 31 Dec 20
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. The post recommends various interesting reads from the plague year, spanning topics like TikTok, Instagram, internet drama, and unique internet trends.
  2. It expresses gratitude to readers for their support and highlights the essence of the newsletter in curating engaging internet content.
  3. The post also touches on crazy internet phenomena like wolf-kink erotica, right-wing conspiracies, and provides insights into the evolving internet culture and how people utilize the internet now.

Problem 21: Rotate List[Facebook/Meta]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 19 Jan 22
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. The post discusses a coding problem from Facebook/Meta about rotating a list by k elements without creating a copy.
  2. There is a mention of a premium subscription to access the solution to the problem and other high-quality breakdowns of coding problems.
  3. The post also highlights the benefits of mock interviews for job preparation and offers a free mock interview for referring paid subscribers.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

My Pensacola lecture: why the First Amendment matters, and why I fear for its future

Unreported Truths • 35 implied HN points • 02 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. Many Americans, especially young people on the left, are losing belief in free speech and the First Amendment.
  2. Social media censorship is a crucial issue, with concerns about misinformation and how it is defined.
  3. Elite institutions, journalists, and academics have shown a diminishing appetite for free expression, with Donald Trump's election in 2016 being a significant trigger.

TikTok and Critical Mass

God's Spies by Thomas Neuburger • 65 implied HN points • 26 Apr 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. Critical mass is essential for successful revolt - like Bernie Sanders' campaigns reaching critical mass in 2016 and 2020.
  2. Social media platforms like TikTok could play a significant role in building critical mass for sparking the Next American Revolt.
  3. There's a possibility of Gen Z individuals starting to act in a more revolutionary way, reminiscent of actions seen in modern-day France.

The $94,900 X account

Conspirador Norteño • 12 implied HN points • 31 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. Buying a social media account like @crypt0mutant for $94,900 is a risky move. There's a good chance it won't work out and the account might get banned.
  2. These accounts have a history of being renamed and repurposed, which makes it hard to trust them. Many followers might not even be real.
  3. The accounts post repetitive replies and promote random crypto coins, but they don't get much engagement. This suggests their followers aren't very active or interested.

Anatomy of an online outrage mob

Conspirador Norteño • 72 implied HN points • 13 Feb 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. Right-wing social media influencers can cause online outrage mobs by tagging institutions on Twitter.
  2. 72 school district, university, and hospital accounts experienced a significant spike in mentions after being tagged by an influencer.
  3. The barrage of tweets following these tags often include threats of real-world violence, violating Twitter's terms of service.

Happy Holidays

Conspirador Norteño • 40 implied HN points • 24 Dec 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. The blogger will continue exploring deceptive uses of generative AI related to the 2024 U.S. election season.
  2. There will be a focus on dissecting and debunking misleading coverage of misinformation in mainstream publications.
  3. Less content will be dedicated to consolidating older threads from Twitter, with a shift towards discussing other platforms like Bluesky and Mastodon.

How does Live Streaming Work [System Design Sundays]

Technology Made Simple • 19 implied HN points • 03 Oct 22
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. Systems design is complex and involves understanding intricacies built over years by many people.
  2. Avoid overwhelming yourself by trying to study everything when preparing for systems design interviews; focus on what you know, are interested in, or relates to your work.
  3. In systems design interviews, emphasize your expertise, ability to manage stakeholder needs, handle ambiguity, and foresee challenges; mentioning industry practices from engineering blogs can make you stand out.

The Conspiracy Theory That Dominated Twitter During the Super Bowl Is Worse Than You Think

Proof • 34 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. The article discusses a conspiracy theory that circulated on Twitter during the Super Bowl, involving Satanists and the Democratic Party infiltrating the event.
  2. The author points out the dangerous spread of disinformation by MAGA and Elon Musk on Twitter, highlighting the harm it can cause.
  3. The text highlights a pattern of conspiracy theories and misinformation spreading on social media platforms, influencing public opinion and creating division.

Who let the birds out? 🐣🐥🐣

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 39 implied HN points • 02 May 22
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. Elon Musk is close to owning Twitter, which has over 2 billion users. This could change how the platform is run.
  2. Musk has criticized Twitter's management for limiting free speech and content moderation. He believes in promoting more open discussions.
  3. The deal has sparked a lot of attention and debate about the future of social media platforms and how they should operate.

Love, happiness, blessings, and spam

Conspirador Norteño • 32 implied HN points • 16 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. Spam accounts use repetitive and fake positive messages to amplify content, making it appear more popular than it actually is.
  2. Researchers are now facing difficulties in mapping out spam account networks due to limitations in data access.
  3. Spam network accounts use GAN-generated faces and peculiar vowels in account names, creating an association with suspended spam networks.

Twitter is Censoring Substack

Tessa Fights Robots • 62 implied HN points • 07 Apr 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. Twitter is censoring Substack articles, including preventing users from liking posts with Substack links.
  2. The internet, including Twitter, has been influenced by larger corporations like the alphabets, leading to concerns about surveillance and censorship.
  3. The author suggests that society is living a lie and it may take a lifetime to realize and shed those falsehoods.

Mark Zuckerberg Wants You To Think That His Algorithms are All-Powerful

Never Met a Science • 50 implied HN points • 28 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. Temporal validity in social media experiments may be challenging due to the fast-paced nature of platforms like TikTok.
  2. Social media companies emphasize the power of their algorithms to drive ad revenue, but may be cautious about influencing elections.
  3. The interaction between producers and consumers, influenced by social feedback, plays a crucial role in the dynamics of social media content.

Into the Universe of Technical Images

Never Met a Science • 38 implied HN points • 12 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. Deleting social media accounts can lead to feeling much better mentally and emotionally.
  2. Transitioning from written content to technical images can be a powerful way to communicate complex ideas.
  3. Exploring new mediums like video lectures can enhance the reach and impact of academic research beyond traditional formats.

The New Jersey Drone Situation, but With Jokes

I Might Be Wrong • 13 implied HN points • 19 Dec 24
😂 Humor Social media
  1. Recently, strange flying objects have been spotted in New Jersey, causing a lot of buzz and confusion among locals. Many people joked around trying to figure out if they were drones, aliens, or just planes.
  2. Rumors spread quickly on social media, with citizens flooding a Facebook group about the mystery. Despite various tips sent to authorities, it turned out most sightings were easily explained, like airplanes and stars.
  3. Politicians jumped into the conversation, making some silly statements and fueling conspiracy theories. In the end, it was just a case of overactive imaginations and a good dose of humor about the situation.

On TikTok, The Algorithm Optimizes YOU

Never Met a Science • 55 implied HN points • 31 May 23
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. TikTok's algorithm shapes content creators' behavior based on feedback and viral success.
  2. The algorithm aims to keep both creators and consumers engaged, but risks leading to repetitive content.
  3. Data science and algorithms in platforms like TikTok create simplified simulations of reality for optimization, focusing on subjective metrics.

Aidan Walker: Gossip Girl Memes And Elizabethan Court Poetry

Do Not Research • 19 implied HN points • 15 Oct 22
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. Gossip Girl Title Remixes meme trend began during the early weeks of the first coronavirus lockdown spring of 2020, sparking various creative iterations while following a set of formal rules.
  2. Both memes and Elizabethan court poetry relied on informal (non-monetary) modes of content transmission, like copying manuscripts or circulating poems in commonplace books, reflecting a similar shared need for clout or influence over money.
  3. Memes, like the Gossip Girl Title Remixes, thrive when adhering to established formal rules and patterns but risk degradation and decline when creativity strays too far, emphasizing the importance of consistency for survival.

Nick Bird: I will Not Rest Until Every Coal Car in America is Covered with Politigram Memes.

Do Not Research • 19 implied HN points • 15 Oct 22
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. Graffiti writers aim for maximum visibility through strategic location choice and sheer quantity, with a focus on covering freight cars due to their mobility across the continent.
  2. In the world of online memes, clout is more beneficial for front-end distributors than producers, highlighting the importance of influencing influencers and remaining small to avoid competition.
  3. Meme producers, like graffiti writers, engage in a lifestyle of creating semi-anonymous content that aims to convey, generate, or negate specific ideas intentionally, ultimately shaping the online marketplace of ideas.

If that sounds cool and fun to you

Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends • 59 implied HN points • 16 Apr 21
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. The market for faux-liquor or non-alcoholic beverages is vast, with products like Töst, Seedlip, Lyre's, and others being marketed mainly on Instagram.
  2. Many products fall under the 'Instagram brands' category, characterized by minimalist branding, direct-to-consumer models, and high price points, appealing to a specific demographic.
  3. There is a trend on Instagram towards products with aspirational consumerism, wellness themes, and pastel branding, often aimed at the 30-something middle-class demographic.

✅ Monday briefing: Media startups, no normal, writing about ethnicity, AI industrialising, comment control, Linkedin newsletters, robot writers, and more…

Wadds Inc. newsletter • 79 implied HN points • 15 Mar 21
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. There's an increase in new digital media startups that are changing how journalism is done, despite many traditional newsrooms cutting costs.
  2. Companies like Unilever are moving towards more inclusive marketing by avoiding the term 'normal' in their products and being mindful of image edits.
  3. AI technology is developing quickly, but there are important ethical concerns about its use, especially in areas like surveillance and content creation.

The Audience Does Not Exist

Never Met a Science • 55 implied HN points • 15 May 23
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. The concept of audiences is constructed through measurement and influenced by technological determinism.
  2. Social media provides an explosion of public audience measures, leading to anxiety and self-assessment.
  3. Creators of online content receive specific feedback, shaping their content based on quantitative metrics and engagement measures.

We All Need to be Loved

We're Gonna Get Those Bastards • 5 implied HN points • 11 Jun 25
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. Loneliness can cause serious health issues and is a big problem today, often made worse by social media and dating apps.
  2. Having love and belonging in our lives is more important than having food or a home. Love helps us grow and achieve our goals.
  3. If you're in a relationship, it's important to cherish it. Everyone deserves love, and it can lead to greater happiness and success in life.

✅ Monday briefing: FT Edit, trans 101, influencer marketing, public distrust, website energy crash, TikTok best practice, no authority, communication challenges, media usage, and more...

Wadds Inc. newsletter • 39 implied HN points • 04 Apr 22
💼 Business Social media
  1. The Financial Times has created a new app to attract more readers by offering daily curated articles. This app is free for the first month and then charges a subscription fee.
  2. Influencer marketing is growing and now takes up about 3% of marketing budgets. Influencers help connect brands with audiences in a way that traditional ads might not.
  3. Public trust is being affected by campaigns that spread distrust about competitors, like TikTok. Companies should focus on transparency and ethical communication to build trust with the public.

The less sense it makes, the more attractive it becomes

Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends • 59 implied HN points • 12 Mar 21
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. The more nonsensical something is, the more appealing it can be, like with AI romance and internet trends
  2. There are detailed Wikipedia debates about Joe Biden's dogs, questioning their notability and training methods
  3. The rise of NFTs and other unconventional trends shows how the less sense something makes, the more ironic and attractive it becomes in popular culture

Nate Sloan: The Tradition of Posting

Do Not Research • 59 implied HN points • 20 Apr 21
🎨 Art & Illustration Social media
  1. Reactionary social media accounts are embracing 'tradition' without irony, advocating for a return to traditional art and architecture.
  2. Some accounts use anachronism to juxtapose historical periods and styles, challenging modernist aesthetics.
  3. Critique of contemporary architectural aesthetics includes a call for a clearer relationship between form and function, pointing out flaws and pitfalls in modern design.

✅ Monday briefing: Testing GPT-3, AI sceptics beware, AI skills, AI plagerism, local newsletters, news in 2023, media events planner, marketing and sales gap, and more...

Wadds Inc. newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 16 Jan 23
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. GPT-3 can create decent text but struggles with more complex writing tasks, like biographies. Its ability to summarize information is seen as a strong point.
  2. There is a divide in the PR industry about AI like GPT-3, with some viewing it as a threat and others as a helpful tool. It's suggested that everyone should try these tools to see their potential.
  3. Local newsletters are becoming more popular as some news outlets reduce their print editions. Many publishers are focusing on community through emails and podcasts.