Remember Aaron Swartz? He was a prime example of what the internet and the web can be. When he was 14 he was already contributing to the web with the RSS specification. This was made popular during the glory days of blogging and it inspired innovation within its field of sindicating content.
Aaron had downloaded a large ammount of scientific articles using the University’s access and network.
This is an extreme example of how “information wants to be free”. This is a phrasing that as been around since 1984 and needs some updates, specially for us in the Communication or Public Relations (PR) fields.
Before social media, most of the online information was indeed of public interest, published by universities or the result of individual hobbies and projects. This was before Google and other big companies began building databases about us and to manipulate our behaviour through targeted ads.
Interesting reads about this topic:
Within PR we understand that some information is valuable as a competitive advantage, other needs to be made public to help foster relationships and strengthen corporate culture.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) didn’t come about because we trust companies to respect the users’ privacy. It sets important limitations to how companies store and use our personal identifiable information (PII)
This was a big step to protect that personal information and contain its amoral use by corporations.
I joined Twitter back in February 2007, and right now I have stopped using it and those 16 years worth of tweets are “trapped”.
Yes, Google, Twitter and other social media platforms have to allow some sort of export of your content. Which doesn’t mean you can easily import it into your computer or another website.
Formats are important when we want to ensure interoperability and a seamless use of information.
This is why we should worry about Search Engine Optimisation and User Experience. It’s an important part of getting our message to the right publics. And it is also why librarians are so important today. They are the best at sorting through information, curating it, and making it available.
And this is also an opportunity in the field of AI.
https://www.carbonbombs.org/, is an excellent example of what can be done when Public Information is put together. This website makes the connection between current fossil fuel projects, the companies behind them, and the banks finnancing them.
This week, three writing companions using AI.
Jasper - Create content faster with artificial intelligence.
Compose AI - Compose AI is a free Chrome extension that cuts your writing time by 40% with AI-powered autocompletion.
Rytr - Rytr is an AI writing assistant that helps you create high-quality content.
I am a Digital Strategist, divided between tech and creativity, working for the Lisbon Collective and teaching in the Masters Course of …
The New Yorker published a nice piece about Why The Internet Isn’t Fun Anymore. And the scenario described is spot on. The algorithms that social …
What’s going on with OpenAI, Sam Altman and Microsoft? I have no idea and will not try to stitch up a theory like everyone else. Instead I just want …
I got excited with the work that started last week. A bit of context first. Since 2021, I have been running the Gregory MS Project and it grew more than I …
If you missed it, OpenAI held a conference with some exciting news for developers. …
Remember Aaron Swartz? He was a prime example of what the internet and the web can be. When he was 14 he was already contributing to the web with the RSS …
Things never happen at the speed we want. It’s either too fast and we feel overwhelmed or too slow and we feel anxious. When I am faced with the …
I had to pause this newsletter for personal reasons and I missed it. Writing these notes became a reflection that calms me and helps me make sure I’m on …
The regular topic on my mind these last two weeks is how some details ammount for nothing towards a certain goal. And it’s not about the size of …
The right value in the right place People, content, and publics are like chess pieces, their value changes when they move. And spotify found out about this …
Sometimes life is just a bit too heavy. Long story short, I have Multiple Sclerosis, hence why https://gregory-ms.com/ is such a dear project to me. And …
Information is ammunition, data is the new gold. This is true since the time of Sun Tzu, and we still haven’t figured it out. A lot of time and money …
On my mind lately, Public Relations exists as a profession because organisations can’t be trusted to be ethical and responsible on their own. Psychology …
The people don't come because you grandiose motherfuckers don't play shit that they like. If you played the shit that they like, then people would come. …
I don’t know why, but lately I have been seeing Tarot readings using TikTok’s Live Video. While I tend to respect other’s beliefs, this one is something I …
A graph, a process, a mind map or a collection of notes, everything can be seen as a network of sorts. I have been coming across the concept of network in …
AI is generating some interesting work but still isn’t able to understand the complex context required for effective communication. It may never do so in …
The unbiased and dispassionate approach can be the best thing an agency brings to a business or brand, as long as their method is solid and the results …
“Think Different” used to be Apple’s motto. Lately I wonder where that motto is in the way they run their business, and how much we are …
Been trying to catch up with, well, life. Work wise, at the Lisbon Collective we have built an extensive in depth audit for websites of any size. Given a …
This is going to be a shorter newsletter than usual. “Life is what happens when you’re busy making plans” was a very true statement last week. I had the …
There is something on my mind lately, have you noticed LinkedIn is filled with answers to questions nobody asked? Other social media channels are filled …
Some quick news, about GregoryAI) and what me an António Lopes have been up to. Last week we registered a Non Profit after an epic battle against …
This Friday 26 I will be participating in a live radio show to talk about what we are doing with GregoryAI to push Multiple Sclerosis Research further. …
Where’s my Web? After this week’s major win, I have been searching for that feeling of community we had online. I found only a box of …
Ok this one is a bit different, come here. The GregoryMS project received a fantastic spotlight by the Público newspaper, “Bruno e os amigos criaram …
My latest endeavour, writing a paper on the impact of AI for PR. It will include a Case Study for Gregory, the Multiple Sclerosis research assistant and …
Writing these weekly notes is an exercise in memory. What did I do this last week? Am I on track for what I want to achieve? After the tribulations, this …
You’d think coming back to my routine would be easy, no? I did too, but it wasn’t. Between clients, school and life as we know it, I barely …
Still here, still standing. Last two weeks, I’ve been in the hospital (nothing serious) and only returned to my routine Friday 7^th. This meant …
Week 13 comes with little in terms of thrills. I’ve been out of commission, sort of. Which is not to say that I haven’t been scheming and …
Oh what a week! I had the opportunity to chat with third year PR students about what AI means to them and the Future of their discipline. If you are …
Not much this week, work as been demanding. On a personal note, I’ve been looking into finding a path to get the autologous hematopoietic stem cell …
Lately my friends hear me say this a lot, “I know it’s not meant to be easy, but why does it always have to be a struggle?”. …
Things haven’t been easy lately. I’ve been working in growing the Lisbon Collective agency, and focusing on my health. Also, Gregory AI was …
Enter your email to get a weekly digest of new posts.
