I think one of the worst things the internet did to reading was turn it into a pathetic competitive sport. You don’t need a 45 book goal. You just need to read what you actually like, at your own pace, and let the ideas sink in longer than a fleeting Instagram reel.

Digital overload is real. 📱💻 More consumers are appreciating the trust, focus, and permanence that print provides in an always-on world. Print and paper still matters x.com/twosidesna/status/2062…

Somewhere along the line, we lost the understanding of why the census is so important. Also not every person and business will comply just because they are asked, e.g speeding and red lights. The fines and visits provide incentives to complete the questionnaire.

Google, the world’s near-monopolistic tool for navigating the internet and accessing online knowledge, isn’t very good at doing that anymore. Whatever it has done to itself, there is now “a broad consensus among users, researchers, and tech analysts that Google Search has gotten noticeably worse… Academic studies, user satisfaction surveys, and recent search behavior reports confirm that the platform feels more cluttered, less accurate, and more frustrating to use than it did years ago.” I know this, as you do, not only through personal experience, but also because Google’s own Gemini — its self-proclaimed “flagship ecosystem of generative artificial intelligence technologies” — just told me so. Read more: timesofisrael.com/googles-ha…

Digital overload is real. 📱💻 More consumers are appreciating the trust, focus, and permanence that print provides in an always-on world. Print and paper still matters. twosidesna.org/northamerica-… #LovePaper #SustainablePrint #PrintMatters

One thing that’s been lost culturally is the satisfaction of hanging up on someone. You’d slam this fucker down and if you were mad enough you might even get a little “ding” from the ringer. Trust me when I say it felt fucking great.

New from yours truly: Education has always done two things at once—it gave us a common vocabulary and a common world. The question for the AI age is whether we can preserve either as schooling becomes ever more personalized. thenext30years.substack.com/…

Independent bookstores are multiplying, although many people still think they're dying out ctvnews.ca/business/article/…

Coca-cola is aiming to use 35-40% recycled material in its primary packaging by 2035 coca-colacompany.com/about-u…

"Reclaiming the Internet: How Big Tech Took Control - and How We Can Take It Back" by @oliviersylvain is a MUST-READ for everyone interested in AI, and it's our 37th recommended book. Join the book club for free below.

Amazon is increasing the use of recyclable paper mailers and fiber-based packaging across America as part of its plastics reduction strategy. The scale of its network means even small shifts create major ripple effects throughout the paper industry aboutamazon.com

Uber’s COO has said that it’s getting “harder to justify” its AI costs because there was no way to show a link between AI spend and any meaningful increase in useful features. This is the first time I’ve seen a company say this directly. businessinsider.com/uber-coo…

The majority of Canadian consumers feel they shouldn't pay extra for paper bills or statements. Learn how Two Sides North America is challenging greenwashing claims and advocating for options to receive paper documents. Discover more #paperfacts in our Trend Tracker Survey! twosidesna.org/trend-tracker… #trendtracker #paper

A new government agency?? After we have denigrated the work of govt for decades, suddenly the govt should deal with this big hairy problem?? #AI #publicsector #govt

It has been a year or so since I was in the trenches on the election fraud claims, and I forgot how frustrating the pattern can be: > person makes claim about fraud > explain how you know the claim is misleading or invented > person says claim never got heard by the courts > explain how the claim was investigated by LEO or heard before a judge or a court and then got dismissed > person says LEO/judge/courts are corrupt and in on the scheme > explain that there are pro-Trump LEO/judge/courts who examined and dismissed the claim > person says this is just because the truth would be too destabilizing for society And around and around... Every now and again you break through and convince folks, which is worth it. But "stolen election" theories are so much more about vibes than hard evidence, which makes them extremely difficult to address. A lot of people just can't believe Biden beat Trump in 2020, and that's all it comes down to.

I never understand how these numbers are calculated. Ask any consumer and their telecom bills have steadily increased or maybe it’s just me? #telcom #inflation #price #increase

Chief executive James Daunt says the bookstore will stock AI-written books that are clearly labeled as such. Online book lovers think it's a fatal move. f-st.co/dSqhHOc

I just had the craziest experience at the airport. We are about to board a flight to Atlanta when the pilot from the incoming plane walks out of the jetway. Guy is probably late 50s, salt and pepper hair, military look. The kind of pilot you instantly feel good about seeing on your flight. Pilot walks over to the counter, gets on the PA system, and starts addressing everyone. “Folks, I’ve been doing this a long time. Flying one of these jets is easy. The hard part is looking at 130 people and telling them their flight is going to be delayed.” Audible groans throughout the boarding gate. Most people here are flying to Atlanta as a layover before another flight. 130 people just had their day become a complete mess. The pilot goes on. “I get it, trust me. But here’s the deal: During our landing, we had a small mechanical issue. I’m not your pilot for the next leg, but I don’t feel confident the jet’s safe to fly until we have a mechanical team look it over, and I don’t feel comfortable asking the next pilots to fly you guys until we get confirmation.” He points at the agents next to him behind the counter: “Now, none of this is the agents’ fault. Please be kind to them. I’m the one who made this decision, not them, so any inconvenience you experience is my fault. Just please know that I don’t do this lightly, and I’m only doing it because I believe it’s in the best interests of everyone’s safety.” Now this is where the story gets crazy. The pilot puts the microphone down, grabs his suitcase, and all the people in the gate… Start clapping. I’m not joking, everyone starts clapping for the guy. 130 people who just had their travel plans ruined give an ovation to the guy who made the decision and delivered the message. All because he addressed them with decency and transparency, took ownership of the decision, made it clear that it was necessary, and explained why it was in everyone’s best interest. It’s honestly one of the best examples of strong communication—of strong leadership, for that matter—that I’ve seen in a long time. @Delta, whoever your Atlanta to Wichita pilot was this morning, he’s one of the good ones. Please tell him the delayed passengers of flight 1637 appreciate what he did.

Of course it does. Scott didn’t think it was important to be accurate or pay for a fact checker!