Should Twitter Have an Edit Button?

Function with Anil Dash

#User Experience #Software Development #Tech News #Vox Media Podcast Network #Vox Media #News #Tech #Arts #Graphic Design

30:14

"It is a scientific fact that these macaques, like all other primates, including humans, are communicating. They communicate in much the same way we do - facial expressions, vocalizations, body postures, those kinds of things." - Jeff Kerr Jeff Kerr is PETA foundations Chief Legal Officer. I asked him to come on the show to talk about one of PETA’s current lawsuits against the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Nathional Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). PETA is arguing that the monkeys being tested on in a government run facility are capable of communication (or “are communicating”). And that we have a constitutional right under the First Amendment to receive their communications. This could be a game changer in allowing us to see what’s really going on in labs that are funded by taxpayer money, and which have so far been censored from public view. PETA’s lawsuit follows years of NIH’s attempts to deny Freedom of Information requests banning PETA executives from its campus and illegally censoring animal advocates’ speech on NIH’s public social media pages. Through the lawsuit, PETA is seeking a live audio-visual feed to see and hear real-time communications from the macaques who have been kept isolated, used in fear experiments, and had posts cemented into their heads. Anthropologists and other scientists have studied macaque and other primate communications for decades and know that the monkeys communicate effectively and intentionally through lip smacking, fear grimaces, body language, and various cries and sounds—all of which constitute speech under the law. Primatologists can analyze that speech on a deeper level to share their stories with the world.…

7 years ago 1:00:55

MP3•Episode home

If you're an active Twitter user, you've probably made a typo or a mistake in a tweet before that you wish you could correct. You could delete the tweet and just write another one, or Twitter could create a feature that users have adamantly requested for years -- an edit button. Even Twitter's CEO Jack Dorsey has mulled over this feature, and according to recent news, it may just happen.

Enabling a button to edit your tweets sounds like an easy thing to set up from a user standpoint, but like most technological features, implementing it comes with its own positives and negatives.

This week on Function, we look at this popular feature request from the expert and the user side. We talk with Leslie Miley, former engineering manager at Twitter, about the behind-the-scenes technical and ethical considerations that need to take place to carry out this feature from a product level.

We also talk to Andy Carvin, author, professor, and former social media editor at NPR. Andy knows firsthand how one misinformed tweet can have a dangerous ripple effect, and talks about how the possibility of editing that tweet may have caused even more damage.

Guests

Other Links

Charles Johnson, one of the Internet’s most infamous trolls, has finally been banned from Twitter (The Washington Post)
NPR's Giffords Mistake: Re-Learning the Lesson of Checking Sources (WBUR News)

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26 episodes

Should Twitter Have an Edit Button?

Function with Anil Dash

227 subscribers

published 7 years ago

MP3•Episode home

Enabling a button to edit your tweets sounds like an easy thing to set up from a user standpoint, but like most technological features, implementing it comes with its own positives and negatives.

Guests

Other Links

Charles Johnson, one of the Internet’s most infamous trolls, has finally been banned from Twitter (The Washington Post)
NPR's Giffords Mistake: Re-Learning the Lesson of Checking Sources (WBUR News)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

26 episodes

#User Experience #Software Development #Tech News #Vox Media Podcast Network #Vox Media #News #Tech #Arts #Graphic Design

All episodes

1
Bonus: Why Online Safety is a Human Rights Issue 32:09

5 years ago32:09

32:09

In keeping with our season long discussion of trust on the internet, on this bonus episode of Function - we explore online safety. Writer and activist Feminista Jones talks about the lasting effects of online harassment. Then, Anil talks with Tarah Demant of Amnesty International about an Amnesty report that calls out the abuse and harassment women face on Twitter. Finally Anil speaks with Gina Bianchini, CEO of Mighty Networks , about her platform and what it takes to build safer online communities. LINKS: Toxic Twitter - Amnesty International Report Mighty Networks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

1
Bonus: Live from Texas Tribune Fest: Reclaiming Community on the Web 57:29

5 years ago57:29

57:29

The integrity of the internet is at stake -- what have we lost and how do we get it back? At the 2019 Texas Tribune Festival, Anil spoke with web scholars and writers about reclaiming the internet through historical context, how we are tethered to social media and the inventive ways marginalized people have always reinvented the platforms available. Panelists Charlton McIlwain Anne Helen Petersen Sarah T. Roberts Siva Vaidhyanathan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

1
How To Save the 2020 Election: Stopping Fake News 44:44

6 years ago44:44

44:44

Are social networks downplaying their complicity in the problem that is “fake news?”Anil talks to Fadi Quran of the people powered social advocacy group, Avaaz , about how tech is used to target groups of people and spread disinformation that affects our elections, relationships, and social justice movements. Together they discuss insidious nature of disinformation and misinformation, meet its victims, and go over solutions. Listen closely for the steps that platforms can take right now to stem the tide of fake news and fake accounts. LINKS: Avaaz.org Factbook.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

1
How to Save the 2020 Election: Journalism and Social Media 49:11

6 years ago49:11

49:11

What happens when social networks become social media, and tech starts making editorial decisions? Anil talks with NYU journalism professor Jay Rosen about the priorities of tech companies and how their faux neutrality and feigned ignorance has taken a toll on our news cycles and elections. Together, they identify the problems that the press is facing, like attention hacking and misinformation, in order to focus on how the press and us as citizens can reclaim “the news” and what they care about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

1
Purple Reign: What it Was Like to Work with Prince" 1:01:05

6 years ago1:01:05

1:01:05

Part 2 of Anil's discussion of Prince's complicated relationship with technology. How do you go from fan to colleague to friend with an icon? Prince’s manager, Phaedra Ellis Lamkins and Sam Jennings , one of Prince’s webmasters take us on a journey of growth and evolution of an artist realizing his worth and his power. As part of a team of trusted friends and confidants they helped “The Artist” realize tech dreams that would serve us all. We also learn that the vision of freedom we often associate with Prince isn’t what we thought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

1
Computer Blue: Prince's Online Legacy 51:22

6 years ago51:22

51:22

What does it mean to be on the receiving end of a Prince direct message? This week on Function, Anil takes us through Prince’s complicated relationship with technology through his eyes and the eyes of super fans Jay Smooth, social commentator and former host of WBAI's Underground Railroad; and Andrea Swensson , host and writer at Minnesota Public Radio’s The Current, where she helms The Local Show, a weekly show dedicated to exploring the Minnesota music scene. From being summoned to Paisley Park to being part of early crowdfunding and subscriber based models pioneered by Prince; we learn what it felt like to build a relationship with Prince online a decade before social media made artists accessible to fans. As Prince's relationship with technology evolved, he worked hard to control his image often times butting heads with his fans and record labels. ***Check out Anil's guest episode with Switched on Pop where he talked more in-depth about the ways technology influenced Prince's music. *** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

1
Introducing Reset: Can AI Teach You to Write Better 23:34

6 years ago23:34

23:34

Function is back next week with a new episode. In the meantime, check out Reset from Vox and Recode. Students across the country are graded by artificial intelligence. But does an algorithm really know how to write? Links to resources discussed: Flawed Algorithms Are Grading Millions of Students’ Essays How I’m using AI to write my next novel Featuring: @SigalSamuel @ToddFeathers About Reset Every story is a tech story. We live in a world where algorithms drive our interests, scientists are re-engineering our food supply, and a robot may be your next boss. Host Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why–and how–tech is changing everything. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Reset for free on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Stitcher , Overcast , Pocket Casts , or your favorite podcast app to get new episodes every week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

1
American as Apple Pie: How Racism Gets Baked into Technology 1:00:37

6 years ago1:00:37

1:00:37

Anil speaks with Dr. Ruha Benjamin , Associate Professor in the Department of African American Studies at Princeton University and author of Race After Technology , about design discrimination. They discuss how systemic racism is replicated in the technology we use and how tools like artificial intelligence, machine learning and software used in the criminal justice system are shaped by racial bias. Then he speaks with James Cadogan , VP of Criminal Justice, and Kristin Bechtel , Director of Criminal Justice Research, for Arnold Ventures, a non-profit that funds the Public Safety Assessment , a tool used by judges that predicts a person's likelihood to reoffend or return to court if released. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

1
GIFs as Blackface 38:32

6 years ago38:32

38:32

It seems like every month a new cringe worthy picture of a public official in Blackface is shared on social media. The pictures usually surface decades after they were taken but they are born out of a long tradition of Blackface and racial mockery in America. But that tradition isn't just a part of our history, it's being replicated online through our use of GIFs. Anil talks with Dr. Lauren Michelle Jackson , author of White Negroes: When Cornrows Were in Vogue & and Other Thoughts on Cultural Appropriation and Kenyatta Cheese , digital enthusiast, cofounder of Everybody at Once , and founder of Know Your Meme , about digital blackface. They discuss how we can examine our online persona's and how algorithmic choices reflect systemic bias. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

1
Design Bias is Ruining Accessibility 48:16

6 years ago48:16

48:16

Are we making sure the tech we create is usable for the people we say we want to help? Accessibility is more than a buzzword. Anil speaks with Emily Ladau , co- host of The Accessible Stall podcast ; Alex Haagaard , Director of Communications at the Disabled List , and Vilissa Thompson , founder of Ramp Your Voice , about accessibility bias in tech and what abled designers can unlearn in order to create more inclusive apps. These activists are dedicated to making sure disabled people are represented in the design processes within tech and all facets of society. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

1
We Can't Just Log Off: Mental Health and Tech 40:24

6 years ago40:24

40:24

Does the internet help or harm our mental health? In this season two premiere of Function, Anil explores how the web made an impact on his mental health and talks to experts like Dr. Elias Aboujaoude, Stanford University psychiatrist and author; and web creators Desi Rottman and Angelo Stavrow about the how the internet is changing the way we see ourselves and interact with others. Together, they explore the consequences of our love affair with the internet and discuss ways to use the internet to manage our mental health. Guest Links: Dr. Elias Aboujaoude http://www.eliasaboujaoude.com/ Desi Rottman https://www.desidoes.dev/ Angelo Stavrow https://angelostavrow.com/ LINKS: https://glitch.com/@AngeloStavrow/self-care-apps https://glitch.com/@desilove/mental-health Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

1
Function S2 Trailer 2:28

6 years ago2:28

2:28

Function with Anil Dash is back with all new episodes on October 2. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1
It's More Than Just Teaching Kids to Code; Live from CES 44:45

6 years ago44:45

44:45

On our season finale of Function, Anil sits down with Alex Klein co-founder and CEO of Kano Computing live from the Google Assistant Playground at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Coding education for kids is wildly popular, from books and toys to after school programs from non-profit organizations, companies are putting lots of money and resources behind helping create the next generation of programmers. But is that enough? A few years ago, Anil wrote about his skepticism behind these efforts , wondering if perhaps they are missing the mark on teaching proficiency over literacy. Alex's company Kano creates kits for all ages that help make coding and computing skills as simple and fun as putting together LEGO bricks. He shares what motivated him to empower kids and beginners to create technology. Thank you for listening to the first season of Function! As we take a break and prep for season two, we want to learn more about you. What do you like about Function? What would you change? Tell us everything in our audience survey! Visit voxmedia.com/podsurvey and let us know what you think. References and other notes: Harry Potter Coding Kit Glitch user Samarth Jajoo "It's more than just 'teach kids to code'" ( Anil Dash ) Steve Jobs "bicycle for the mind" reference Kara Swisher's 2010 interview with Mark Zuckerberg DJ Focus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

1
Social Media, 20 Years Ago 1:02:19

6 years ago1:02:19

1:02:19

On Function, our focus is about how technology has influenced culture and communications, and nothing encompasses the intersection of these concepts more than social media. It's allowed us to express our innermost feelings, meet people that share our interests, and find community with others from all over the world. This week, we're doing something a little different. Anil sits down with some of the pioneers of the social web — Bruce Ableson (founder of Open Diary ), Lisa Phillips (former senior system administrator at LiveJournal ), and Andrew Smales (founder of Diaryland ) — for an oral history about social media 20 years ago. What was the Web like in 1999? How did these websites begin, and what did the media think about them? How have the features of these networks influenced the Web that we know today, and can we get that old feeling back of the early social web? Show notes and references: Brad Pitt parody site on Diaryland (archive.org) Who is the Real JT LeRoy? ( New York Magazine ) George R.R. Martin's LiveJournal page Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

1
How Are Personal Finance Apps Changing Our Money Habits? 38:40

6 years ago38:40