NEW RESOURCES

Mission Local: Hidden history of BART revealed in newly digitized newsletters. “Did you know that BART employees used to get big bonuses for coming up with ideas that saved the transit authority money Resourceful city workers whose insights were rewarded are immortalized in the pages of BARTalk, the organization’s old newsletter, alongside fun events in BART history, features on rarely acknowledged jobs, and details about the much-anticipated annual picnic. Now, thanks to an unofficial project by BART enthusiast Vincent Woo, two decades of the newsletter have been digitized and are available online for public perusal.”

University of Hawaii: Online Archival Resource Documents Political Debates Surrounding the H-3 Freeway. “The event will launch an online resource that curates archival materials from U.S. federal, Hawaiʻi state, and community levels that document the political processes and debates surrounding the construction of the H-3 freeway.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

Tubefilter: Creators are making less content about Ukraine. AIR Media-Tech wants to change that–by bringing them in to visit.. “AIR Media-Tech (a Toronto-based creator services company founded in 2010 by Ukrainian co-founders Sergii Bielousov and Stepan Mikhaylov) is launching Brave Voices for Ukraine, a program encouraging content creation, fundraising, and especially for creators to visit Ukraine and create videos while they’re there. AIR Media-Tech says it’s planning to have creators visit Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, later this year and in early 2024.”

The Verge: Microsoft Lists is now available for everyone on iOS, Android, and the web. “Microsoft’s task management app, Microsoft Lists, is now available for everyone to use. Launched in 2020, Microsoft Lists was originally limited to just business and enterprise users, before a limited preview for consumers last year. Microsoft is now letting anyone with a Microsoft Account access this free version of Microsoft Lists through iOS and Android apps and on the web.”

USEFUL STUFF

Search Engine Journal: Integrating ChatGPT With Google Sheets For Enhanced Data Analysis. “ChatGPT remains one of the most talked about tools in the world of SEO. Some users are finding ways to leverage the platform for content and SEO; others use it to create ads, optimize meta titles, create structured data, and be more productive overall. And being more productive by integrating ChatGPT and Google Sheets together makes a lot of sense to me.”

AROUND THE INTERNET WORLD

Business Post (Ireland): Google workers protest over ‘unequal’ treatment in lay-offs. “Close to 200 staff at the tech giant have signed their names to a petition that says the severance deals it is offering to around 20 recruiters impacted by ongoing lay-offs are worse than a previous round of job cuts earlier this year. The petition, submitted to management at the company on Friday, calls on Google to offer staff impacted by current and future layoffs ‘equal severance compensation’ to what was paid out during lay-offs in March.”

BBC: The people going ‘monk mode’ to limit social media use. “With the proliferation of social media platforms and devices vying for our attention, a growing number of people are looking for ways to help them resist the urge to continually check notifications and scroll through social media feeds. This has seen a surge in popularity this year of an approach to productivity called ‘monk mode’. This involves dedicating yourself to a single task with no tech or other distractions.”

Apple Insider: Tim Cook confirms Apple is researching ChatGPT-style AI. “Apple CEO Tim Cook has told UK press that the company is ‘of course’ working on generative AI, and that he expects to hire more Artificial intelligence staff in that country. Just hours after Apple put a spotlight on how it supports over half a million jobs in the UK, Tim Cook has been talking about increasing that by hiring more staff working in AI.”

SECURITY & LEGAL

Arkansas Times: Whistleblower says governor’s office illegally altered, withheld records related to podium purchase. “An anonymous former state employee came forward Friday claiming to have evidence that the Arkansas governor’s office doctored documents and unlawfully withheld financial records that should have been made public under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA.”

MENAFN: Kerala Police Issues Advisory On Using Google Maps While Driving. “The Kerala Police has emphasised the need for caution when using Google Maps in light of the deaths of two young doctors in a car accident in Ernakulam while using the app. … The Kerala police took to Facebook and wrote that most accidents involving Google Maps occur during monsoon season. In the past, travellers would look at landmarks and other signs to inquire for directions. However, people continue to depend on the map.”

RESEARCH & OPINION

The Guardian: As social media grows in Kenya, so does the disturbing and toxic ‘manosphere’. “It was not so much a rabbit hole I found myself down, but in a whole warren of sexist content when I began researching a story on Kenya’s ‘manosphere’ – a loosely connected network of websites and social media platforms that promote misogyny online. What I saw was disturbing: scores of tweets, posts and video content that denigrated, objectified and “slut-shamed” women, or encouraged men to exercise coercive control.”

The National Tribune (Australia): Bushfire tweets reveal role of social media in emergencies. “A study on social media activity during the Black Summer bushfires has revealed how the discussions changed through the phases of the disaster, and how critical social media is in disseminating information during natural disasters. The Charles Darwin University and University of Wollongong analysed how X, formally known as Twitter, users discussed the 2019/20 bushfires to better understand how social media could be used to ensure the severity of natural hazards are being communicated effectively.” Good morning, Internet…

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