I guess for some, it is not surprising, but I am surprised. TikTok is not a marginal platform. More than a hundred million American users are using it, and the American government is unashamedly banning it for national security reasons. That’s the declaration of defeat. US-based social media platforms have focused on profit so intensely … Read more
No need to be alarmed! I just got overwhelmed with the stuff I am working on. While working on several papers and projects, I have to finish up grading- and some undergraduate students are acting ruder than normal- some graduate students are disappointing- but only a few, but it still hurts me- and in the … Read more
American users are flocking to RedNote, a Chinese social media app, for several key reasons: Looming TikTok Ban The primary driver is the impending ban on TikTok in the United States, set to take effect on January 19, 2025, unless the Supreme Court intervenes[1][4]. With 170 million American TikTok users at risk of losing access … Read more
When an industry gets mature and starts getting commoditized, we almost always see a race to the bottom. Whether it was automobiles, TVs, computers, or appliances, Asian brands eventually destroyed Western brands thanks to their comparable reliability and far better economics. Within the computer market, the Asian brands that were winning were Asus, Acer, and … Read more
Free Our Feeds is a recently launched campaign to create a social media ecosystem free from billionaire control. Some notable figures in the digital world are leading this campaign. However, I am a bit upset with focusing on the AT Protocol instead of an existing and relatively adopted ActivityPub protocol. Below, you will see the … Read more
The tension between the MAGA movement and Elon Musk continues, particularly in the lead-up to Donald Trump’s inauguration. This conflict has become a significant point of contention within Trump’s base, highlighting deep divisions over immigration policy and the influence of tech billionaires in the incoming administration. Key Developments Steve Bannon’s Attacks on Musk Steve Bannon, … Read more
I started watching Gassal, and it was better than I expected. In some ways, it can be classified as more artsy than mainstream. However, because the public TV channel produced it, it was immediately trapped between opposing political circles. Apart from the content, this one seems to follow another public TV product, Leyla ile Mecnun—conservatives … Read more
As more than 60 German and Austrian academic organizations depart X, a day after Musk’s Weidel talk, I have curated a list of institutions that left X. I have also looked to see if these academic organizations are looking for alternatives. There are just too many alternatives, and engagement levels are still low. Media Organizations … Read more
Several major tech companies have implemented anti-DEI measures or scaled back their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Here’s a list of the notable cases: Meta (Facebook) Terminated major DEI programs, including those for hiring, training, and supplier selection[1][4] Ended its “Diverse Slate Approach” to hiring[1] Discontinued representation goals[1] Cut its DEI team[1] Google Started defunding … Read more
A leading Turkish fact-checking organization, Teyit, sent a letter to followers signed by its founder, Mehmet Atakan Foça. Translated by DeepL Dear Erkan In the Age of Pinocchios, it is getting harder and harder to access accurate information. Information that is polluted, distorted, hollowed out and turned into a partisan tool for political and economic … Read more
2024: Ecological struggles in Turkey Bianet :: English 2024 was a year when on both the global and national level, heat records were broken and the impact of the climate crisis was felt in the clearest way. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) declared that the global mean surface air temperature for the January-September period in … Read more
Did you know that much of the gaming community is boycotting Asus? In fact, even many large YouTubers who have an extensive history with Asus have turned on the company. Why, you ask? Well, one of the main reasons that Asus rose to fame was because of their high-quality hardware. This is what led to … Read more
This report is part of Data Narratives, a Civic Media Observatory project that aims to identify and understand the discourse on data used for governance, control, and policy in El Salvador, Brazil, Turkey, Sudan, and India. Read more about the project here and see our public dataset. Access the Artificial Intelligence Narratives report in PDF Turkey In Turkey, hype … Read more
President-elect Donald Trump’s territorial ambitions for Canada and Greenland stem from a combination of strategic, economic, and geopolitical factors: Strategic Importance Greenland’s Location: Trump views Greenland as crucial for U.S. national security due to its strategic position between North America and Europe[3]. The island’s location offers a unique geopolitical advantage, particularly as the Arctic opens … Read more
Istanbul has been named the world’s most congested city for 2024, according to the INRIX 2024 Global Traffic Scorecard[1][2][3]. The report found that drivers in Istanbul lost an average of 105 hours to traffic congestion in 2024, placing it at the top of the global rankings[2][3]. Global Rankings Istanbul’s position as the most congested city … Read more