Techdirt Podcast Episode 46: Things We Got Wrong

from the oops dept

Over the past 15+ years, Techdirt and its team has made plenty of predictions and prognoses about various aspects of the world of tech — which means we've made plenty of mistakes. This week, our podcast is dedicated to discussing some of those poor predictions and figuring out what we can learn from them.

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Filed Under: mistakes, podcast, predictions

Techdirt Podcast Episode 45: No, You're Not The Product

from the even-if-you're-not-paying dept

There's a common refrain regarding services these days that "if you're not paying for it, you're the product" — but this notion is at best an oversimplification, and at worst outright untrue. This week, we look at the far more complex and diverse reality of how free services relate to their users.

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Filed Under: advertising, business models, free, you're the product

Techdirt Podcast Episode 44: Why The Freedom To Tinker Matters

from the crack-it-open dept

Last week, iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens joined us to discuss DMCA anti-circumvention exceptions, but that's just one specific facet of a broader issue: the freedom to repair, modify, reverse-engineer and generally tinker with the technology you own. This week Kyle is back to discuss why the freedom to tinker is a vitally important right — and one that is constantly under threat.

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Filed Under: anti-circumvention, dmca, kyle wiens, podcast
Companies: ifixit

Techdirt Podcast Episode 43: Why Do We Let An 86 Year Old Librarian Decide Who's Allowed To Innovate?

from the circumventing-anti-circumvention dept

One of the many strange and problematic features of modern copyright law is the DMCA anti-circumvention exception system, wherein the Librarian of Congress makes unilateral decisions about what you can and can't do with software and products that include DRM and other protections. This week we're joined by Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit and a long-time champion of the right to repair and tinker, to discuss the ins and outs of this system, and what is (or isn't) coming in the next round of exemptions.

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Filed Under: anti-circumvention, copyright, dmca, drm, kyle wiens, podcast
Companies: ifixit

Techdirt Podcast Episode 42: Adblocking Wouldn't Be A Problem If Ads Didn't Suck So Much

from the doesn't-ad-up dept

Lots of publishers freak out about the existence of adblockers. Some seek ways to get around them, others simply complain. This might seem like a situation where the desires of publishers and the desires of readers are irreconcilably opposed — but is that truly the case? This week, we discuss the popular reactions to adblocking and look at the real problem with online advertising: the quality of the ads themselves.

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Filed Under: adblockers, ads, advertising, podcast

Techdirt Podcast Episode 41: Privacy Policies Have Nothing To Do With Privacy

from the let's-get-rid-of-them dept

Privacy policies are ubiquitous online, and often required by law, but what are they really for? People don't read them, and when they do, they have a tendency to misunderstand them -- such as with the recent flare-up over poorly-contextualized changes to Spotify's policy. Plus, there's a built-in incentive for companies to write their policies as broadly as possible to avoid accidentally violating them, further stripping them of all purpose. This week, we discuss a simple question: are privacy policies an altogether stupid idea?

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Filed Under: podcast, privacy, privacy policy
Companies: spotify

Techdirt Podcast Episode 40: Is Silicon Valley Only Building Tech For The Rich?

from the focus-problems dept

Technological innovation is solving all sorts of problems, from major issues to minor inconveniences — but one criticism that often comes up is that Silicon Valley has a "by rich young white men, for rich young white men" culture, with most of its efforts focused on solving problems for a small, affluent minority. This week, Catherine Bracy returns as we try to understand this common complaint, how valid it is, and what can be done about it.

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Filed Under: catherine bracy, innovation, podcast, silicon valley

Techdirt Podcast Episode 39: Technology's Impact On Democracy

from the voice-of-the-people dept

From e-voting and online petitions to broad new avenues of communication between politicians and the public, technology is changing democracy, and has the potential to do so even more. This week we're joined by Catherine Bracy, the Technology Field Officer for Obama For America in 2012, to discuss the current and future impact of rapidly changing technology on the democratic process and whether these impacts have been "good" or "bad."

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Filed Under: catherine bracy, democracy, podcast, politics, technology

Techdirt Podcast Episode 38: Yes, There Are Business Models That Don't Need Intellectual Property

from the plenty-of-them dept

Time and time again, we hear the claim that without copyright and/or patents there is no way for creators to make money, or even any reason for anyone to create anything at all. This is obviously absurd on many levels, but in today's episode we look at the most immediate and practical ones: the many business models that aren't based on intellectual property, and approaches to incentivizing creativity and innovation that don't involve locking things down.

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Techdirt Podcast Episode 37: Humble Bundle Deserves More Credit For Its Many Innovations

from the shouldn't-be-so-humble dept

When people talk about today's most innovative technology and media companies, the discussion tends to orbit the usual suspects: Apple, Google, Facebook et al. But there's one small company that we've long believed deserves far, far more attention for its multitude of smart innovations: Humble Bundle. This week, we discuss the many subtle but extremely meaningful choices that have grown the Humble Bundle from a simple experiment into a revolutionary form of distribution, and wonder why the company doesn't get more credit as an innovator.

This week we're also unveiling our brand new podcast theme song written, produced and recorded by long-time Techdirt friend Dan Bull.

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Filed Under: humble bundle, innovation, podcast, video games