The Facebook control you didn’t know you were missing

Facebook needs one simple button.

It seems that every few weeks now, we run across some article or other about the angst within the walls of Facebook, about how it can fix some problem or another.

I mean, when you blanket the globe, there are inevitably going to be kinks in the fabric you have to iron out. Smooth and pleasurable experiences keep people coming back for more, and the business model requires the site to be as sticky as possible. Everything from the tones and textures of the notifications, to the layout, to the names of the options you have — all are tested and re-tested to make the place as open and engaging as possible.

Even the algorithm.
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The Social Media Outhouse

This is not an essay about American foreign policy.

This is not an essay about racism.

This is not an essay about what is proper in social discourse.

I will tend to ignore comments about the above, because this is instead about how the White House has made an Outhouse out of social media — and by extension, mainstream media.

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A little less social

I deactivated my Facebook account. Just got too tired of people yelling at each other over misunderstandings, and failure-to-try-to-understand ings. Then I got weary of making them angry, by not siding with them quickly enough against the latest … [Continue reading]

Five Years Talking

Obviously, I have been talking for much longer than that. However, today marks five years being a spokesman for Alabama Power. That's an odd sort of thing to remember, as it did not involve a massive employment change, or promotion. If you'd … [Continue reading]

When Personalization Becomes Impersonal

In my daily work, I end up on the receiving end of many solicitations. Often I am not the person they really want to reach, and more often than not what they are pitching has little relevance to my business or my industry. Sometimes, those pitches … [Continue reading]

What Questlove, Nate Silver and Andy Dick taught me about viral headlines

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A Field Guide for Spotting Social Fakery

I have written before about the art of spotting fake online accounts. Many of the tactics the tricksters use remain the same, but get a fresh coat of paint to maintain the illusion of appearances. For the most part, you really don't even have to know … [Continue reading]