NEW RESOURCES

Offaly Express: New LGBTA+ digital archive set up by Offaly woman. “A new digital archive which showcases and supports LGBTQ+ artists has been set up by Offaly woman Rebecca Carragher who is founder and director of Queer Arts.” Focus is on LGBTQ creators in Ireland specifically; looks like it’s still being populated.

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

Search Engine Journal: WordPress 5.9 Rushed “In A Dangerous Way” Is Now Delayed. “WordPress recently decided that the third major version release for 2021 will be delayed to January 25, 2022. The project had fallen significantly behind to such an extent that core contributors as recently as last week voiced concerns about the feasibility of meeting the 2021 deadline.”

Spotify: Spotify Is Testing A TikTok-Like Music Discovery Tool. “Spotify is the latest platform to incorporate the TikTok format, following successful adaptations by the likes of YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat in the form of Shorts, Reels, and Spotlight. Spotify is testing a version of the format that would ostensibly serve as a way for users to discover new music via an endless vertical scroll of music videos.”

USEFUL STUFF

CNET: If you have an iPhone, you should know about these iOS privacy features. “Once you’ve downloaded the operating system, you’ll have access to Apple’s new FaceTime features that, for the first time, let Android and PC users participate. You’ll also get iMessage improvements that make it easier to track links and photos your friends have sent. And there’s access to plenty of new privacy and security features included with iOS 15. If you’re like me — one of the billion-plus people that use an iPhone — then I’d say it’s worth learning about new privacy updates available on Apple’s latest OS as well as going ahead and changing some of your settings right away.”

MakeUseOf: How to Create a Timeline in Google Slides . “Inserting a timeline into your presentation is a great way to simplify content and better tell your brand’s story. Instead of going back and forth between your company achievements and future plans, you can offer your audience a visual representation. Before you start to create the timeline, write down the information you want to add. Make sure you are adding only important information, as it shouldn’t be too crowded with text and call outs.”

AROUND THE SEARCH AND SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD

Mental Floss: 20 of the Most Important Moments in Internet History. “The internet is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? Believe it or not, it’s been around in the form that we now take for granted since the mid-1980s, and more primitive versions existed for two decades before that. All of which is to say, its evolution, and its ups and downs, are full of some fascinating details, detours, and events. Check out this list of the 20 most important moments in internet history.”

SECURITY & LEGAL

NBC News: Pinterest settles shareholder lawsuit over workplace culture. “Financial details of the settlement between Pinterest, a popular social media platform for sharing images, and the shareholder, the Employees’ Retirement System of Rhode Island, were not shared publicly. As part of the agreement, the company is releasing former employees from nondisclosure agreements in cases of racial or gender-based discrimination.”

Route Fifty: White House Holiday Warning Identifies Options for Reporting Ransomware. “Entities experiencing any suspicious cyber activity should report incidents to either the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency or the FBI, CISA Director Jen Easterly said in a White House press release highlighting a joint advisory from the agencies in advance of the Thanksgiving holiday break. ”

RESEARCH & OPINION

New York Times: Clearview AI does well in another round of facial recognition accuracy tests.. “In results announced on Monday, Clearview, which is based in New York, placed among the top 10 out of nearly 100 facial recognition vendors in a federal test intended to reveal which tools are best at finding the right face while looking through photos of millions of people. Clearview performed less well in another version of the test, which simulates using facial recognition for providing access to buildings, such as verifying that someone is an employee.”

Polygon: Assassin’s Creed Unity can’t help rebuild Notre-Dame, and that’s OK. “The damage to the cathedral was and remains extensive, but French President Emmanuel Macron immediately swore that it would be rebuilt. Following the fire, I saw more than a few articles pop up suggesting that the much-maligned 2014 video game Assassin’s Creed Unity could provide a way forward. Didn’t Ubisoft have some incredibly detailed 3D models of the cathedral lying around? Couldn’t architects, historians, and artisans make use of these boons? Well, no.” Good afternoon, Internet…

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