In case you need some weekend reading material… here are my picks on social media, tech, start-ups, and women and work:
A Cautionary Tale of ICT4D Failure at Scale
If you missed this when it first came out 5/18, great analysis of a great idea that failed – a city-wide Wifi network started by MIT students in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Unlike many international intervention failures in Afghanistan, it has nothing to do with Afghanistan’s violence and everything to do with a lack of stakeholder engagement and long-term planning.
Reverse Engineering When and Why Controversial Tweets are Deleted
It seems that this week’s news is all about MIT students, but at least this article writes of a success rather than a failure. Niemen Labs highlights the research of an MIT student on social media censorship in China. Chi-Chu Tsang has been following the deletion of Weibos (the Chinese version of Twitter – Weibo is both the platform and the equivalent of a tweet) and mapping them against the context of current events in China. SO awesome. Makes me want to get a PhD.
Startup Culture: Values vs. Vibe
This article questions traditional ideas on what “culture” means at an organization, startup or not. It argues that the the stereotypical “startup culture” – short bursts of intensity and long periods of chill, lots of organizational bonding, etc – is actually reflective of a temporary state (vibe) rather than permanent core principles (the values). This post spoke to me in part because we talked a lot about “values” at McChrystal Group – and I think that this post’s interpretation of values is completely in line.
‘I’m Not Your Wife!’ A New Study Points to a Hidden Form of Sexism
Incredibly worrying study finds that men with stay-at-home wives tend to carry over their “traditional” views of women into the workplace. Surprising? Not at all. But a step back for feminism? Very much so. This is a great article not only because of the study it highlights, but the point about feminism – and feminist allies – that it makes at the end.
