Five Things Tech: Musk vs Zuck, Internet Apocalypse, Threads, Substack, Chip Patterning Machines
Tech, Tech, Tech, Tech, Tech. Read what's important.
Let me start this edition of Five Things Tech with a book recommendation. A friend of mine asked for good books for summer reading and I suggested one of my all time favorite books. A book they should make mandatory in school and hand out to policymakers. It’s called Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins Of The Internet and when I read it 25 years ago, I couldn’t put it down. Yes, it is that good and I still believe that people have to understand the foundation of the internet and learn how some radically new tech concepts developed into what we now know as the internet. Hopefully people will then understand that the web and the internet are really two different things, functioning on different layers. So please buy this book and read it this summer.
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And while you wait for Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins Of The Internet to arrive on your doorsteps, go ahead and read the current edition of Five Things Tech!
What we miss in the Twitter vs. Threads debate
The missing concept is “for the common good” - and I doubt that Musk and Zuckerberg have any idea what that could mean. They only do what regulators require, not more. It’s interesting to see how Zuckerberg tries to be the good guy now, while Musk is creating a safe space for trolls and right-wing idiots on Twitter, which is his version of “free speech”.
Is the ‘internet apocalypse’ nigh? Breaking down the solar-storm science.
I’m not too worried. Because if this really happens, lack of internet-connectivity is probably the least of our problems. Until then, let’s us our 5G and Wifi to the max and watch as many reels as possible. So we can tell our kids lots of quick stories when the lights are out and the net is gone.
Instagram’s Threads: all the updates on the new Twitter competitor
What you guys probably don’t know is that I built a messaging company in 2005, called Mabber, which was based on open protocols and connected all the available instant messaging platforms at that time. And offered so much more: mobile, web, desktop. It was a really great idea with lots of amazing tech under the hood, at least for that time… and I will never forget how one developer once said to me “we should propagate status updates, so that friends know what somebody is doing, and maybe share some thoughts” and I said “I don’t think anyone would want that.” - haha. Anyhow, I’m pleased that there is some more innovation again in this field and that Threads seems to be on a path were it could become a node in a federated and decentralized network. Also, great timing on Zuckerberg’s side, hitting Twitter hard and making it easy for Insta users to join.
Substack Faces Fresh Competition in the Newsletter Wars
I’m a big fan of Substack and I don’t regret moving my newsletter here at all. But other platforms make it a lot easier to grow and and offer paid advertising in newsletters, whereas Substack focuses too much on subscriptions as the holy grail for newsletter monetization. And I think it will need to federate Substack Notes if it wants to stand a chance against the threat of Threads. Also, quick reminder for you: please upgrade to a paid subscription. You get so much more, especially my gratitude to for supporting Five Things!
The chip patterning machines that will shape computing’s next act
I love stories about the tech pioneers who invented the industry after World War II - and it continues to amaze me how they developed their concepts and used available tools to create new, powerful technology. Also, I when I read this article, I realized how little I do know about the design and manufactoring processes of the chip industry.
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