Great essay from @davekarpf re @caseynewton.bsky.social, which I quote in an essay of my own that will come out shortly.
I was planning to sit out the current round of tech-criticism internet drama.
But I always read @caseynewton.bsky.social, and I think he misses a key point about market power and the purpose of tech criticism.
TL;DR: we shouldn't grade the tech barons on a curve.
open.substack.com/pub/davekarp...
But I always read @caseynewton.bsky.social, and I think he misses a key point about market power and the purpose of tech criticism.
TL;DR: we shouldn't grade the tech barons on a curve.
open.substack.com/pub/davekarp...
Weighing in on Casey Newton's "AI is fake and sucks" debate
AI is real, but the hype is manufactured. A dose of skepticism is helpful for seeing how this story goes.
open.substack.com
December 11, 2024 at 8:58 PM
Great essay from @davekarpf re @caseynewton.bsky.social, which I quote in an essay of my own that will come out shortly.
Do you remember when he got called a bedbug and melted down and quit Twitter
December 12, 2024 at 9:45 PM
Do you remember when he got called a bedbug and melted down and quit Twitter
New post: Threads enters the fray.
(It’s a paradise for brands and influencers. Hard pass.)
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/threads-enters-the-fray?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
(It’s a paradise for brands and influencers. Hard pass.)
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/threads-enters-the-fray?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
July 6, 2023 at 8:49 PM
New post: Threads enters the fray.
(It’s a paradise for brands and influencers. Hard pass.)
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/threads-enters-the-fray?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
(It’s a paradise for brands and influencers. Hard pass.)
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/threads-enters-the-fray?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Story time: Three years ago, the Claremont Institute was planning to bring John Eastman to APSA, where he could share the same crackpot bullshit that he said on stage next Giuliani on Jan 6.
Several hundred APSA members signed an open letter demanding they be disinvited. medium.com/@davekarpf/a...
Several hundred APSA members signed an open letter demanding they be disinvited. medium.com/@davekarpf/a...
An Open Letter to the American Political Science Association regarding John Eastman and the…
(Members of the APSA can sign on to this letter by clicking here)
medium.com
September 6, 2024 at 3:23 PM
Story time: Three years ago, the Claremont Institute was planning to bring John Eastman to APSA, where he could share the same crackpot bullshit that he said on stage next Giuliani on Jan 6.
Several hundred APSA members signed an open letter demanding they be disinvited. medium.com/@davekarpf/a...
Several hundred APSA members signed an open letter demanding they be disinvited. medium.com/@davekarpf/a...
Prof. @davekarpf.bsky.social gives Marc Andreessen's freshman writing seminar essay thorough feedback:
Why can't our tech billionaires learn anything new?https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/why-cant-our-tech-billionaires-learn?r=evw8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Why can't our tech billionaires learn anything new?https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/why-cant-our-tech-billionaires-learn?r=evw8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
October 19, 2023 at 2:40 PM
Prof. @davekarpf.bsky.social gives Marc Andreessen's freshman writing seminar essay thorough feedback:
Why can't our tech billionaires learn anything new?https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/why-cant-our-tech-billionaires-learn?r=evw8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Why can't our tech billionaires learn anything new?https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/why-cant-our-tech-billionaires-learn?r=evw8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I’ve been on Bluesky for two weeks.
So, inevitably, I wrote about why Bluesky is so much better than Twitter.
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/bluesky-is-just-twitter-without-the?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
So, inevitably, I wrote about why Bluesky is so much better than Twitter.
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/bluesky-is-just-twitter-without-the?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
May 18, 2023 at 12:06 AM
I’ve been on Bluesky for two weeks.
So, inevitably, I wrote about why Bluesky is so much better than Twitter.
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/bluesky-is-just-twitter-without-the?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
So, inevitably, I wrote about why Bluesky is so much better than Twitter.
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/bluesky-is-just-twitter-without-the?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Back in 2018, when many of my research peers were banging the "government should regulate Facebook" drum, I wrote a piece arguing that they were unserious.
"Which member of the Trump golf and real estate empire ought to be in charge of regulating digital media platforms?"
medium.com/@davekarpf/t...
"Which member of the Trump golf and real estate empire ought to be in charge of regulating digital media platforms?"
medium.com/@davekarpf/t...
The Infowars Purge, and Life among Responsible Information Monopolies
(Adapted and updated from my remarks at the 2018 International Communication Association Annual Meeting.)
medium.com
November 6, 2024 at 9:28 PM
Back in 2018, when many of my research peers were banging the "government should regulate Facebook" drum, I wrote a piece arguing that they were unserious.
"Which member of the Trump golf and real estate empire ought to be in charge of regulating digital media platforms?"
medium.com/@davekarpf/t...
"Which member of the Trump golf and real estate empire ought to be in charge of regulating digital media platforms?"
medium.com/@davekarpf/t...
I don't have your email address. But if you happened to write a quick message to davekarpf [at] gmail then I might be awfully clumsy with ctrl-C ctrl-V.
April 6, 2024 at 4:56 PM
I don't have your email address. But if you happened to write a quick message to davekarpf [at] gmail then I might be awfully clumsy with ctrl-C ctrl-V.
My latest, on substack: “on political communication as a mission science”
TL;DR: there are types of science that aim to help advocates and policymakers. My field hasn’t always aimed to help. We damn well should.
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/on-political-communication-as-a-mission
TL;DR: there are types of science that aim to help advocates and policymakers. My field hasn’t always aimed to help. We damn well should.
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/on-political-communication-as-a-mission
July 13, 2023 at 3:19 PM
My latest, on substack: “on political communication as a mission science”
TL;DR: there are types of science that aim to help advocates and policymakers. My field hasn’t always aimed to help. We damn well should.
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/on-political-communication-as-a-mission
TL;DR: there are types of science that aim to help advocates and policymakers. My field hasn’t always aimed to help. We damn well should.
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/on-political-communication-as-a-mission
Broligarchs are wrong.
The future’s for the people.
No kings or tech lords.
#zentao
H/T to today's newsletters from @davekarpf and @gilduran and always the late David Graeber
The future’s for the people.
No kings or tech lords.
#zentao
H/T to today's newsletters from @davekarpf and @gilduran and always the late David Graeber
February 25, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Broligarchs are wrong.
The future’s for the people.
No kings or tech lords.
#zentao
H/T to today's newsletters from @davekarpf and @gilduran and always the late David Graeber
The future’s for the people.
No kings or tech lords.
#zentao
H/T to today's newsletters from @davekarpf and @gilduran and always the late David Graeber
A Campaign Reset
Thank you, Mr. President.
@DaveKarpf
She’s a #prosecutor. Donald Trump is a convicted felon.
She’s a #woman.
Donald Trump’s hand-picked justices overturned #Roe.
Let’s go.
#Harris2024 #Kamala2024
open.substack.com/pub/davekarp...
Thank you, Mr. President.
@DaveKarpf
She’s a #prosecutor. Donald Trump is a convicted felon.
She’s a #woman.
Donald Trump’s hand-picked justices overturned #Roe.
Let’s go.
#Harris2024 #Kamala2024
open.substack.com/pub/davekarp...
A Campaign Reset
Thank you, Mr. President.
open.substack.com
July 22, 2024 at 9:23 AM
A Campaign Reset
Thank you, Mr. President.
@DaveKarpf
She’s a #prosecutor. Donald Trump is a convicted felon.
She’s a #woman.
Donald Trump’s hand-picked justices overturned #Roe.
Let’s go.
#Harris2024 #Kamala2024
open.substack.com/pub/davekarp...
Thank you, Mr. President.
@DaveKarpf
She’s a #prosecutor. Donald Trump is a convicted felon.
She’s a #woman.
Donald Trump’s hand-picked justices overturned #Roe.
Let’s go.
#Harris2024 #Kamala2024
open.substack.com/pub/davekarp...
This -- @davekarpf's wonderful examination of Wired's Long Boom predictions -- is why I mock the job title "futurist "
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/the-curse-of-the-long-boom?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/the-curse-of-the-long-boom?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Hey! It's me! in @WIRED! Talking about The Long Boom and the lessons we can take from all those optimistic 90's-WIRED predictions that didn't turn out so well.
(Syndicated from Substack)
https://www.wired.com/story/long-boom-predictions-wired/
(Syndicated from Substack)
https://www.wired.com/story/long-boom-predictions-wired/
July 27, 2023 at 2:09 PM
This -- @davekarpf's wonderful examination of Wired's Long Boom predictions -- is why I mock the job title "futurist "
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/the-curse-of-the-long-boom?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/the-curse-of-the-long-boom?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
And here's your aisle of the record store... skyangles.com/s/542q3w0i
@davekarpf follows back 1896 followers — Skyangles
Biggest fans include @aoc, @atrupar, @gtconway
skyangles.com
May 14, 2026 at 6:35 PM
And here's your aisle of the record store... skyangles.com/s/542q3w0i
Here's @davekarpf lucid on AI and research.
AI kills the paper and good riddance
https://davekarpf.beehiiv.com/p/can-ai-replace-social-science-researchers
AI kills the paper and good riddance
https://davekarpf.beehiiv.com/p/can-ai-replace-social-science-researchers
Can AI Replace Social Science Researchers?
No. No it can't. Come on, now.
davekarpf.beehiiv.com
March 6, 2026 at 6:14 AM
Here's @davekarpf lucid on AI and research.
AI kills the paper and good riddance
https://davekarpf.beehiiv.com/p/can-ai-replace-social-science-researchers
AI kills the paper and good riddance
https://davekarpf.beehiiv.com/p/can-ai-replace-social-science-researchers
New essay: huxley’s electorate, or, a minimalist theory of democracy.
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/huxleys-electorate?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/huxleys-electorate?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
June 26, 2023 at 3:59 PM
New essay: huxley’s electorate, or, a minimalist theory of democracy.
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/huxleys-electorate?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/huxleys-electorate?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
New, on substack:
I read all of WIRED’s product reviews from 1993-1997. It was a delightful mess. And also a reminder of how consumer tech development has slowed down.
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/90s-tech-culture-was-a-jumbled-mess?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
I read all of WIRED’s product reviews from 1993-1997. It was a delightful mess. And also a reminder of how consumer tech development has slowed down.
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/90s-tech-culture-was-a-jumbled-mess?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
90's tech culture was a jumbled mess
A tour through WIRED's old "Fetish" product review section
open.substack.com
August 12, 2023 at 12:32 PM
New, on substack:
I read all of WIRED’s product reviews from 1993-1997. It was a delightful mess. And also a reminder of how consumer tech development has slowed down.
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/90s-tech-culture-was-a-jumbled-mess?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
I read all of WIRED’s product reviews from 1993-1997. It was a delightful mess. And also a reminder of how consumer tech development has slowed down.
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/90s-tech-culture-was-a-jumbled-mess?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
December 13, 2024 at 3:45 AM
My latest, on substack: “bullet points: big money ruins everything+pronatalism’s fake apocalypse.”
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/bullet-points-big-money-ruins-everythingpronatal?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/bullet-points-big-money-ruins-everythingpronatal?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Bullet Points: Big money ruins everything+pronatalism's fake apocalypse
I’m vacationing in California this week. (Take the family to L.A., they said… the weather is always perfect in L.A., they said…). I’ve read a couple of pieces during the trip that I want to sh...
open.substack.com
August 26, 2023 at 3:12 PM
My latest, on substack: “bullet points: big money ruins everything+pronatalism’s fake apocalypse.”
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/bullet-points-big-money-ruins-everythingpronatal?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/bullet-points-big-money-ruins-everythingpronatal?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
New on substack: “on the declining relevance of digital petitions.”
(This is part 3 of my The MoveOn Effect, 10 Years Later series.)
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/on-the-declining-relevance-of-digital?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
(This is part 3 of my The MoveOn Effect, 10 Years Later series.)
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/on-the-declining-relevance-of-digital?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
On the declining relevance of digital petitions
Part 3 in "The MoveOn Effect at 10" series
open.substack.com
August 16, 2023 at 1:34 PM
New on substack: “on the declining relevance of digital petitions.”
(This is part 3 of my The MoveOn Effect, 10 Years Later series.)
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/on-the-declining-relevance-of-digital?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
(This is part 3 of my The MoveOn Effect, 10 Years Later series.)
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/on-the-declining-relevance-of-digital?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
New, on Substack: “The Curse of the Long Boom.”
I take a look at an iconic piece of 90’s techno-optimism and ask why its authors now insist they were right all along.
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/the-curse-of-the-long-boom?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
I take a look at an iconic piece of 90’s techno-optimism and ask why its authors now insist they were right all along.
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/the-curse-of-the-long-boom?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
July 22, 2023 at 1:17 PM
New, on Substack: “The Curse of the Long Boom.”
I take a look at an iconic piece of 90’s techno-optimism and ask why its authors now insist they were right all along.
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/the-curse-of-the-long-boom?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
I take a look at an iconic piece of 90’s techno-optimism and ask why its authors now insist they were right all along.
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/the-curse-of-the-long-boom?r=eeyg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
You had me at “Great essay from @davekarpf”
December 11, 2024 at 11:03 PM
You had me at “Great essay from @davekarpf”
Lovely review of @adambecker’s new book by @davekarpf.substack.com
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/book-review-more-everything-forever?r=107km&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/book-review-more-everything-forever?r=107km&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Book Review: "More Everything Forever"
A book that takes Silicon Valley's unserious ideas seriously, and then delightfully tears them apart.
davekarpf.substack.com
May 1, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Lovely review of @adambecker’s new book by @davekarpf.substack.com
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/book-review-more-everything-forever?r=107km&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/book-review-more-everything-forever?r=107km&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
My latest, on substack: I wrote about how Apple’s Vision Pro fits into a future where, some days, you just can’t go outside.
“On Jackpot Technologies, or, what Apple’s new headset is actually *for*.
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/on-jackpot-technologies-or-what-apples
“On Jackpot Technologies, or, what Apple’s new headset is actually *for*.
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/on-jackpot-technologies-or-what-apples
On Jackpot Technologies, or, what Apple's new headset is actually *for*
The future is going to be worse than the present. Strap in, tune out.
open.substack.com
June 8, 2023 at 6:52 PM
My latest, on substack: I wrote about how Apple’s Vision Pro fits into a future where, some days, you just can’t go outside.
“On Jackpot Technologies, or, what Apple’s new headset is actually *for*.
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/on-jackpot-technologies-or-what-apples
“On Jackpot Technologies, or, what Apple’s new headset is actually *for*.
https://open.substack.com/pub/davekarpf/p/on-jackpot-technologies-or-what-apples