What We’re Reading
A few good pieces the Collaborative team came across this week …
Perspective
I can be such an asshole to people less fortunate. The Uber driver I get pissed off at when he ignores Waze. During yesterday’s ride to JFK: “Dude, it’s not that hard, look at the arrows on your phone and go where they point you.” The homeless on the subway, whom I avoid eye contact with. The waiter who doesn’t take my order promptly. Jesus (mostly) sets me straight and has shaped my political views as I’ve gotten older. My Jesus is constantly reminding me, when I get angry at the Delta ticket counter representative, to look at his life … and look at mine.
Because, here’s the thing, I’m only several million California taxpayers and an empathetic admissions director at the University of California away from standing behind that Delta ticket counter dealing with an asshole. An asshole clad head to toe in John Varvatos, complaining about his seat. I’m talented, yes. But more than anything, I’m fortunate. And my gods carry the water of reminding me.
Information
In terms of what happens in the platform, I am concerned. I am a citizen in this world. I feel the weight of how our tool is used in society and how it’s been used for good and how it’s used for stuff I’m not proud of.
For instance?
Like creating bubbles and echo chambers. I’m not proud of that. Like, we definitely help divide people. We definitely create isolation. We definitely make it easy for people to confirm their own bias. We’ve only given them one tool, which is follow an account that will 90 percent confirm whatever bias you have. And it doesn’t allow them to seek other perspectives. It contributes to tribalism. It contributes to nationalism. And it’s counter to what we need the world to consider, which is, how do we solve climate change? There’s no country anywhere on the planet that’s gonna solve it alone. How do we solve AI taking all of our jobs or nuclear war? These are global conversations, and it’s gotta be pointed in that direction. Right now it’s pointed inward.
Different views
AI:
Longevity
Catherineau was founded in 1750, designs and manufacturers made-to-measure to interiors for aircraft and yachts. The company’s customers are the rich, famous, and powerful – mainly in France. The company employs 90 people and has annual sales of €10 million. From the start, the company has been controlled by its founder and heirs. It has been passed down through nine generations.
The company’s founder Pierre Catherineau began the company making cartwheels. Then in 1820, his son started a new business customizing scows. Scows are small sailing vessels. The business would evolve and grow from generation to generation. In the 1960’s the company ventured into Aeronautics and business aviation. In the 1980’s the company started innovating by patenting its own lightweight composites to reduce weight of its aircraft fittings.
Catherineau credits their success and endurance to the following values:
Constantly reinventing their business to survive
Constantly adapting to their environment
Meeting and Exceeding customer requirements
Misinformation
Facebook users ages 65+ shared 7x as many fake news articles as 18-29 group due in part to a digital literacy gap.
FB features not set up well for older people. Highlights importance of digging into different group’s engagement stats to look for (massively) negative side effects.
Reversing trends
Twenty-three private institutions have reduced tuition since 2016, according to the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. “The trend is beginning to pick up,” said David L. Warren, the association’s president. These schools view cuts as “an important tool,” he said, to help them stand out in a crowded market.
Have a nice weekend.