Reverse Engineering, the Cycle of Culture, and the Dark History of White Bread
The story of white bread’s rise and fall offers a lesson in the circular nature of manufacturing and consumer culture.
The Super Bowl Ad We Really Wanted to See
Stephen Colbert offers a Super Bowl advertisement for a local independent bookstore.
Talking About – and Maybe Even Selling – Books in a Pandemic
With their audiences in COVID-19 lockdown, publishers are testing out new marketing strategies while some authors are taking matters into their own hands.
The Common (and Bland) Language of Pandemic Era Marketing
How many advertisements have you seen from companies expressing their concern and solidarity with their customers? Can you remember any of them, or have they all blurred together? There may be a reason why…
Data Analysis: How Effective Is TrendMD?
A reanalysis of TrendMD experimental data reveal details on its effectiveness, novelty, and bias.
Study: Recommender Systems May Increase Citations
TrendMD may drive traffic, saves, and citations, according to a new study by the founders and employees of TrendMD. Deeper analysis of their results reveal overstated results and a lack of context. Should these papers be considered sound science just another form of marketing?
Guest Post — The Library is the Brand
Libraries provide vital digital services to their host institutions. If these services carry clear library identity branding, it strengthens the library’s position in the university and enables it to secure the budget and political capital necessary to do its work.
When Does Enhancement Become Deceit? Advertising Food Tricks
Think science has issues with image manipulation? Wait till you see these advertising tricks used to make food look appetizing.
Has Google Become a Journal Publisher?
Google’s journal about artificial intelligence (AI) coming from editors and authors associated with Google and Google Brain raises questions about conflicts, vanity publishing, and Google as a media company.
Guest Post: GDPR Day Is Here – What Happens Next?
Organizations have been busy sending out opt-in notices and privacy policy updates, but how many will be “compliant”? Anne Stone discusses the consequences for innovation in scientific research, openness initiatives and data transparency.
Recurring Dream — Organizations with Subscriptions Are More Valuable
Even Silicon Valley is finding that recurring revenues (aka, subscriptions) lead to more valuable businesses, while helping smaller companies thrive.
The Race to the Bottom — Short-term Bargains versus Long-term Vitality
Haggling for cheaper content today will certainly have hidden and unpleasant costs — large and small — down the road.
Is #DeleteFacebook Going to Change Academic Life and Scholarly Publishing?
What might the recent backlash to revelations about how Facebook was exploited mean for the scholarly ecosystem?
Artificial Intelligence and the Infrastructure of Surveillance Authoritarianism
Techno-sociologist Zeynep Tufecki provides a stark view of the potential future of artificial intelligence (AI) and the possible dystopia toward which we are heading.
Blindspot — Was a Key Factor Missed in the Study of Viral Lies?
A recent study of the spread of lies on Twitter is an important advance, but the authors missed a potentially huge factor, and one we can’t ignore.