Chris Hughs vs. Facebook

Chris Hughs vs. Facebook

(Originally Published May 9, 2019) Facebook co-founder Chris Hughs has penned a very long editorial calling for the break up of Facebook into its constituent parts of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. I personally doubt if breaking up Facebook will solve many of the...
Pichai’s Privacy Pitch

Pichai’s Privacy Pitch

(Originally published May 8, 2019) Yesterday evening, Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote an op-ed in the New York Times re-affirming Google’s commitment to privacy. Personally, I’d like to see Google go a little farther in their commitment to privacy, but this is a good...
Hockey Helmets and Online Ads

Hockey Helmets and Online Ads

Photo by Francesco Paggiaro from Pexels In 1979, the NHL passed a rule dictating that all hockey players must wear helmets. The rule was overwhelmingly popular among hockey players, although very few had ever worn helmets voluntarily before it was passed. Why didn’t...
Of Joy and Capitalism

Of Joy and Capitalism

Photo by frankie cordoba on Unsplash Capitalism & Consumerism When I was an economics undergrad, I heard a lot about ‘hedons’. A hedon is the theoretical measure of pleasure that people gain from consuming something. Hedons are impossible to measure in the real...