What we read this week (7 June)

A rough week for Google Glass, Istanbul, Eric Schmidt’s book and MOOCs.

Young programmer, I urge you to consider both sides of the startup coin. There are so many ways to make a dent in the world.

–Alex Payne

  • Glass
    Dustin Curtis provides a levelheaded review of Google Glass and makes the long road ahead for Google fairly obvious.
  • Is there a Social-Media Fueled Protest Style? An Analysis From #jan25 to #geziparki
    Zeynep Tufekci has been studying social media, politics and social movements and is one of the best sources on Twitter for what’s happening in Istanbul and all over Turkey these days. Here she gives a lot of background to the current protests and her perspective about the connection between social media and protests.
  • The Banality of ‘Don’t Be Evil’
    Another brutal take-down of Eric Schmidt’s book “The New Digital Age,” this time by Julian Assange. We’re always a bit wary about his conspiracy theories. But his jabs at Schmidt’s agenda are a welcome antidote to the techno-determinism of the Silicon Valley.
  • You Can Stop Worrying About Moocs Now
    The MOOC hype seems to be running out of its disruption fuel. Unsurprisingly, the VCs are more interested in returns than “free education for everyone.” Time for companies like Coursera and FlatWorld Knowledge to refine their business models, which is not a bad thing, just not so revolutionary anymore.
  • Aaron Swartz: hacker, genius… martyr?
    A couple of months after his death, Elizabeth Day sits down with his girl-friend Stinebrickner-Kauffman to reflect on Swartz and the circumstances of his death. A good opportunity for us to keep remembering him.

Author: Johannes

Johannes is a strategist and consultant for digital communications. His work is informed by his experience of working with brands like Deutsche Telekom, MTV, Postbank, Maggi and Nike and by his insatiable appetite for finding the bigger patterns behind current developments in technology and science. Holding a diploma in Media System Design, Johannes is a regular speaker at web and marketing conferences like Republica and the Social Media Summit.