Happy “The Clock in the Car and on my Stove are Right Again” day to those who celebrate
08.03.2026 17:18
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Happy “The Clock in the Car and on my Stove are Right Again” day to those who celebrate
Seeing something in the media isn't the same as seeing it happen in person, but it can still elicit emotions, and those emotions can show up in your dreams. I use fiction as an example because it is the purest (or most extreme) example to illustrate how this works.
open.substack.com/pub/mediated...
Person: “So, what is it you do for a living?”
Me: “I am a Two Step Verification operator.”
One thing is missing from the comments on AI’s use of the em dash: WHY does it use it so often?
Even with the purest intentions and the most thorough fact checking, news is always a product of choices made by humans. open.substack.com/pub/mediated...
REPORTER: “So then ordinary people ran out of water and electricity because of data centers.”
100 YO MAN: nods
REPORTER: “Trying to find a cure for cancer?”
100 YO MAN: “Nono!”
REPORTER: “Then what were the data centers for?”
100 YO MAN: “For making videos of a cat playing a trumpet.”
Seriously, best day of the year for dads
Don't get fooled by the person in your audience nodding and smiling during your talk. Or rather: don't fool yourself!
open.substack.com/pub/mediated...
When they're effective, data visualizations play a critical role in teaching and communication. In a rich new blog on data visualization, @scientificdiscovery.dev cites a 2021 review of research on what works in data visualization, coauthored by RCGD's Priti Shah.
I once accidentally told an audience something they thought was the best advice they had ever had. If they were right, it can make you a better public speaker, too!
open.substack.com/pub/mediated...
Who knew that logging in over and over again and confirming your identity and humanity every step of the way was going to be such a big part of daily life!
Image with text “Data Communication Scholarship. Deadline: Feb 23. For undergraduate and graduate students. Find out more at https://myumi.ch/Xeo1y.”
📣 Scholarship alert! 📣
Showcase your #data skills — apply for the ICPSR Data Communication Scholarship by Feb. 23: https://myumi.ch/Xeo1y
#Data #LoveData26 #HigherEd #ICPSR #DataScience #ScholarshipAlert
The Cambridge Dictionary is correct to call the term "parasocial" to our attention, but it is not new. See my quick overview in my newsletter
open.substack.com/pub/mediated...
“Did you sleep well?”
It used to be one of the easiest questions to answer because it was entirely subjective. Nowadays, I hear more and more people respond, “I don’t know,” then say, “Let me check,” and look at their Apple Watch or Fitbit.
Do you talk about your tech as a "he" or "she"? Or give ChatGPT a name? You're only being human mediatedmessages.substack.com/p/ai-started...
Happy Yearly “Daylight Savings Ends” news rehash to those who celebrate
The best Halloween costume for a department chair is a "Where's Waldo" outfit
(Image created with AI)
Halloween Notice To Department Chairs:
The most appropriate Halloween costume that sums up all perspectives (positive and negative) is a "Where's Waldo?" outfit
Early in my career, I often taught public speaking seminars. I always tried to base it on research insights, not just gut feelings. The most impressive research was and remains Prof. Max Atkinson’s insights on how to get applause. open.substack.com/pub/mediated...
Do you use your phone while watching TV? Good. Second-screening isn't a crime or a sin. open.substack.com/pub/mediated...
Sure, it's 10/10, but outside of the USA it's actually 10/10!
FEED: “Here is an exciting piece. It looks free.”
ME: (Click)
PIECE: “Not so fast: $1 a month for three months and then an undisclosed amount and no way to ever click your way out of a subscription”
ME: “Now I will *never* subscribe”
FEED: “Made you look!” (makes note in the Book of Algorithm.)
These are the only three exercises I recommend for staying healthy until you are 100. Follow me for more, because tomorrow I will describe 4 different exercises that are the only ones I recommend to stay healthy until 100
“Is it something we did?”
I received another one of these annoying emails from a company I once bought something from. Do they think they can guilt-trip me into buying more stuff? It is so off-putting.
“No, it wasn’t anything you did… until you sent me this message!”
I learn new media effects phenomena from my students. One anecdote is not a theory, but can be a signal worth studying. Yesterday, I learned that social media currently focuses a lot on “micro-imperfections” you didn’t realize you had. Are you sure your elbows look normal? You looked, didn’t ya?!
Are you sharing memes, jokes, and reels incessantly? Guess what, so do I. Somebody called it "pebbling," and I am here for it!
open.substack.com/pub/mediated...
Summer’s best find: Parker novels. Richard Stark’s prose is like his main character: mean, fast, no ballast, no emotion.
I am currently conducting an unintentional self-experiment. After an Android update, I moved my social media folder from the second to the opening page of my phone. It is scary how often I automatically swipe to my social media, which I notice each time because the folder is no longer there!
Welcome to another year of "I've done it before, but I don't remember how" on Canvas/Blackboard/Your Institution's Online "Learning" "Environment". Don't worry, they've changed everything over the Summer anyway
Phone spam is the most remarkable thing ever: phone companies enabling or letting or being unable to prevent the total destruction of their own service. Are there other examples like this? Horses delivering the first cars?