Episode 91: The Metaverse

11/05/21 • 52 min

Katherine Druckman and Doc Searls talk to Kyle Rankin about the metaverse of Facebook and beyond, how it may intersect with Web 3 and blockchain, as well as Second Life and the verses that came before.

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Special Guest: Kyle Rankin.

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Snow Crash: Stephenson, Neal: 2015553380958: Amazon.com: Books
Building a Multibillion-Dollar Company in 18 Months (with Hopin’s Johnny Boufarhat) — Hopin is one of the fastest-growing startups in history. Founder and CEO Johnny Boufarhat joins Azeem Azhar to talk about how he grew the virtual events company from six employees in February 2020, at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, to more than eight hundred, and a valuation of almost $8 billion, a year and a half later. Johnny explains how he seized the opportunity presented by the pandemic, what it was like learning to lead at one of the fastest-growing startups in history, and why he dreams of a future in which a founder’s location is no impediment to success.
Nilay Patel on Facebook’s Reckoning With Reality—And the Metaverse-Size Problems Yet to Come | Vanity Fair — After a decade covering the Zucks, Googles, and Ubers of the scene, the Verge editor in chief reflects on tech’s troublesome relationship with the rest of the world.
Facebook’s fatal flaws. Facebook is doomed. | by Doc Searls | Medium — Nobody can fix this. Facebook is doomed. True, all companies are mortal. (Geoffrey West has been telling us how and why for years.) But Facebook is actually designed to fail in a world that stops tolerating the way Facebook works, and can’t quit working.
The Metaverse Was Lame Even Before Facebook - The Atlantic — It was terrible then, and it’s terrible now.

Reality 2.0 around the web:
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Special Guest: Kyle Rankin.

Support Reality 2.0

Links:

Snow Crash: Stephenson, Neal: 2015553380958: Amazon.com: Books
Building a Multibillion-Dollar Company in 18 Months (with Hopin’s Johnny Boufarhat) — Hopin is one of the fastest-growing startups in history. Founder and CEO Johnny Boufarhat joins Azeem Azhar to talk about how he grew the virtual events company from six employees in February 2020, at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, to more than eight hundred, and a valuation of almost $8 billion, a year and a half later. Johnny explains how he seized the opportunity presented by the pandemic, what it was like learning to lead at one of the fastest-growing startups in history, and why he dreams of a future in which a founder’s location is no impediment to success.
Nilay Patel on Facebook’s Reckoning With Reality—And the Metaverse-Size Problems Yet to Come | Vanity Fair — After a decade covering the Zucks, Googles, and Ubers of the scene, the Verge editor in chief reflects on tech’s troublesome relationship with the rest of the world.
Facebook’s fatal flaws. Facebook is doomed. | by Doc Searls | Medium — Nobody can fix this. Facebook is doomed. True, all companies are mortal. (Geoffrey West has been telling us how and why for years.) But Facebook is actually designed to fail in a world that stops tolerating the way Facebook works, and can’t quit working.
The Metaverse Was Lame Even Before Facebook - The Atlantic — It was terrible then, and it’s terrible now.

Previous Episode

Episode 90: Can Facebook Be the Good Guy?

Katherine Druckman and Doc Searls talk to Shawn Powers and Petros Koutoupis about Facebook’s metaverse focus and whistleblower problems.

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Special Guests: Petros Koutoupis and Shawn Powers.

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Exclusive: Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen warns company's encryption will aid espionage by hostile nations — A Facebook spokesman said: “The reason we believe in end-to-end encryption is precisely so that we can keep people safe, including from foreign interference and surveillance as well as hackers and criminals.
Scripting News: Facebook is us — The bullshit about Facebook keeps coming. It's not a fucking autocracy, it's a carrier. You could say everything you say about FB about a city like NY.
(15) Post | LinkedIn — I've got a big Twitter thread with tons of screenshots from the unredacted docs between Facebook and Google
Before the “Whistleblowers” there were “Goodbye” posts: leaving #Facebook Engineering in 2016 because of #China, User Content, and #EndToEndEncryption – dropsafe — Before the “Whistleblowers” there were “Goodbye” posts: leaving #Facebook Engineering in 2016 because of #China, User Content, and #EndToEndEncryption In 2016 I quit the best job I ever had: the most impactful, the most challenging, and (yes) the best paid. I did so in part because of explicable burnout from shipping a radical product, but also and primarily because of a shift in Facebook’s company goals towards degrading user-experience for profit, and for experimentally building message-censorship infrastructure to offer-up as a gift and to show willing, for entry into the Chinese market.
Eva on Twitter: "It is still a bad idea to idolize whistleblowers instead of focusing on the revelations the whistleblowers bring forward, but Frances Haugen says that her opinions on end-to-end encrypted messaging were misinterpreted and mischaracterized and e2e messaging is good, ok?" / Twitter — It is still a bad idea to idolize whistleblowers instead of focusing on the revelations the whistleblowers bring forward, but Frances Haugen says that her opinions on end-to-end encrypted messaging were misinterpreted and mischaracterized and e2e messaging is good, ok?
My interview with Steven Levy of Wired re: Frances Haugen leaking my Facebook Engineering “Goodbye Post” – dropsafe — My interview with Steven Levy of Wired re: Frances Haugen leaking my Facebook Engineering “Goodbye Post”
Facebook CIA Project: The Onion News Network ONN - YouTube
So...what now? - by Charlie Warzel - Galaxy Brain — There’s so much reporting out there from the consortium of news outlets on ‘The Facebook Papers’ that I don’t really know what to do or where to start. Over at Protocol they’ve colle...

Next Episode

Episode 92: The DIY Episode

Doc Searls, Katherine Druckman, Shawn Powers, and Kyle Rankin talk right to repair Apple devices, cocktails, and our nerdy hobbies.

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Special Guests: Kyle Rankin and Shawn Powers.

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Everyone Is a Genius: Apple Will Offer Parts and Tools for DIY Repairs | iFixit News — Early next year, a previously impossible repair will be possible: you can buy an iPhone screen directly from Apple, use Apple’s repair guide (and tools, if you want) to install it, and have it fully work as intended, using Apple’s diagnostic software. And you won’t have to own an authorized repair shop to do it.
Apple Self Service Repair Program | Right to Repair - Consumer Reports — In a major win for advocates, device owners and independent repair shops will soon have access to dozens of Apple parts, tools, and manuals—at the same price as authorized shops
Apple (AAPL) Aims for Fully Autonomous Car - Bloomberg — Apple Inc. is pushing to accelerate development of its electric car and is refocusing the project around full self-driving capabilities, according to people familiar with the matter, aiming to solve a technical challenge that has bedeviled the auto industry.
DIY Cocktails: A Simple Guide to Creating Your Own Signature Drinks: Marcia Simmons, Jonas Halpren: Amazon.com: Books — Black Rose, Blood Orange Tequila & Soda, Kentucky Apple Sour: the newest trend in cocktails is creating your own! Now, the editors of DrinkoftheWeek.com have concocted the only guide that teaches you to create your own infallible thirst-quenchers. Using a simple system of basic ratios, you will learn to: Mix new flavor combinations for the perfect new blend using the Flavor Profile Chart as a guide Master advanced mixology techniques from infusing liquors at home to creating custom-flavored syrups Serve the perfect drink every time, whether it kicks off a rowdy party or winds down a romantic evening! With only nine ratios to master, you'll shake, stir, roll, and build literally thousands of unique and exceptional cocktails. All you need is a good thirst, an active imagination--and this guide!
Amazon.com: Mixology Dice® (tumbler) // Laser Engraved Wood Dice for Craft cocktail inspiration - Christmas gift, boyfriend gift, gift for him, gift for guys : Handmade Products — Whether you’re a newbie or a pro behind the bar, Mixology Dice will take your cocktail game to the next level. Along with providing seemingly endless inspiration (over 1.5 million combos!), this set of dice is actually a clever system for actually learning the art of mixology.
Redwood Empire Whiskey - Our Whiskeys — The Northern California Coast is a unique place, one of the few in the world where giant redwood trees grow. A place of inspiration and renewal. This same cool climate makes it a perfect place to produce sublime whiskey. Aging barrels here allows for a slow and even extraction of flavor, producing a whiskey of exceptional balance and complexity. Taste what our Redwood Empire inspires.
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