Function with Anil Dash

Are we making sure the tech we create is usable for the people we say we want to help?

Accessibility is more than a buzzword. Anil speaks with Emily Ladau, co- host of The Accessible Stall podcast; Alex Haagaard, Director of Communications at the Disabled List, and Vilissa Thompson, founder of Ramp Your Voice, about accessibility bias in tech and what abled designers can unlearn in order to create more inclusive apps.

These activists are dedicated to making sure disabled people are represented in the design processes within tech and all facets of society.

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Does the internet help or harm our mental health?

In this season two premiere of Function, Anil explores how the web made an impact on his mental health and talks to experts like Dr. Elias Aboujaoude, Stanford University psychiatrist and author; and web creators Desi Rottman and Angelo Stavrow about the how the internet is changing the way we see ourselves and interact with others.

Together, they explore the consequences of our love affair with the internet and discuss ways to use the internet to manage our mental health.

Guest Links:

Dr. Elias Aboujaoude

http://www.eliasaboujaoude.com/

Desi Rottman

https://www.desidoes.dev/

Angelo Stavrow

https://angelostavrow.com/

LINKS:

https://glitch.com/@AngeloStavrow/self-care-apps

https://glitch.com/@desilove/mental-health

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On our season finale of Function, Anil sits down with Alex Kleinco-founder and CEO of Kano Computing live from the Google Assistant Playground at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Coding education for kids is wildly popular, from books and toys to after school programs from non-profit organizations, companies are putting lots of money and resources behind helping create the next generation of programmers. But is that enough? A few years ago, Anil wrote about his skepticism behind these efforts, wondering if perhaps they are missing the mark on teaching proficiency over literacy.

Alex's company Kano creates kits for all ages that help make coding and computing skills as simple and fun as putting together LEGO bricks. He shares what motivated him to empower kids and beginners to create technology.

Thank you for listening to the first season of Function! As we take a break and prep for season two, we want to learn more about you. What do you like about Function? What would you change? Tell us everything in our audience survey! Visit voxmedia.com/podsurvey and let us know what you think.

References and other notes:

• Harry Potter Coding Kit
• Glitch user Samarth Jajoo
• "It's more than just 'teach kids to code'" (Anil Dash)
• Steve Jobs "bicycle for the mind" reference
• Kara Swisher's 2010 interview with Mark Zuckerberg
• DJ Focus

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Squarespace. Mailchimp. Casper. Blue Apron. If you're a regular podcast listener, then there's no doubt you've heard ads from these companies, among many others. Podcasting's reach has grown exponentially over the past few years, and companies like these are spending millions of dollars to reach listeners whenever, wherever and however they tune in. But is this truly effective? What type of ads work best? And if you're not a podcast from a big media organization, how can you can get a piece of the pie?

This week on Function, we examine the world of podcast advertising. Anil sits down with Francesco Baschieri, president of Voxnest, and talks about some of the trends and technology behind podcast ads. We also hear from New York City podcasting duo Jade + XD and pull back the curtain on advertising and monetization from an independent media perspective.

How does podcast advertising stay ahead of tech like adblockers? What happens when an ad is automatically placed in your podcast by the network that goes against both the host and the audience? You'll find out the answers to all this and more on this week's episode!

But first, a word from our sponsors....

Guests

• Francesco Baschieri
• Jade + XD

Other Links

• Voxnest
• Jade + XD's Website
• Dynamic Ad Insertion — What it is and Why You Should Be Utilising It (Voxnest)
• Podcasts, Analytics, and Centralization (Stratechery)
• But First, A Word From 100 Podcasts' Sponsors (FiveThirtyEight)

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Epic Games' Fortnite is one of the most popular video games in the world, and a big part of that popularity comes from their emotes -- dances and other gestures which are used in the game as taunts or celebratory moves. However, many have called out Epic Games for these emotes, claiming that they have been stolen and renamed in Fortnite without permission or citation from their creators or sources.

On this week's episode of Function, we explore the concept of commodifying culture through video games. We talk with Ty Robinson, a former game animator for Konami's Dance Dance Revolution, about the technology behind putting dance moves into video games. And we also speak with Brooklyn rapper 2 Milly, an artist at the center of the controversy surrounding Epic Games' and their use of his dance, the Milly Rock.

Guests

• Ty Robinson
• 2 Milly

Other Links

• BlocBoy JB's Shoot dance
• The Backpack Kid's Floss dance
• 2 Milly's tattoo of himself Milly Rocking

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