Ethan Zuckerman (@EthanZ) / X

Ethan Zuckerman

39.4K posts

Ethan Zuckerman

@EthanZ

UMass Amherst, Global Voices, Berkman Klein Center. Previously MIT, Geekcorps, Tripod. No longer posting here. See @[email protected], @ethanz.bsky.social

Pittsfield, MA

ethanzuckerman.com/blog

Joined March 2007

Ethan Zuckerman
@EthanZ
May 9, 2023
I can't stop staring at this map. There's a 20 year gap in life expectancy between deep red areas of the US, like the southeast, and blue areas like New England. Your lifespan in the US relates directly to where you live and how it's governed.
Column: America's decline in life expectancy speaks volumes about our problems
From latimes.com
Ethan Zuckerman
@EthanZ
Aug 21, 2019
About that @BostonGlobe story... On me, and deciding to leave @MIT @medialab:
On me, and the Media Lab
From medium.com
Ethan Zuckerman
@EthanZ
Apr 25, 2022
Okay, like virtually everyone else who studies social media, I'm fascinated by @elonmusk's takeover of Twitter. Let me say upfront: I have no idea what Twitter will be like under Elon's leadership and neither do you. But that's the point.
Ethan Zuckerman
@EthanZ
Apr 17, 2020
I lack words to describe how stupid and dangerous this is. If social distancing to conquer #COVID19 becomes a political and cultural war, we're all doomed.
Ethan Zuckerman
@EthanZ
Jan 21, 2017
"Build your wall. My generation will tear it down." #WomensMarch #Houston
Ethan Zuckerman
@EthanZ
Jul 28, 2016
Vending machine at @medialab accepts bitcoin, stocked only with @soylent. Surely this is a metaphor for something.
Ethan Zuckerman
@EthanZ
Apr 8, 2023
I was with @zephoria at this meeting. What struck me was that Crow clearly knew there was controversy in deciding to keep Nazi artifacts in his house. In a display room off the balcony to his library was a set of swastika emblazoned dishes, silverware and linens.
danah boyd
@zephoria
Apr 8, 2023
Years ago, I attended a meeting about the future of democracy at Harlan Crow’s “house” (which was staged as a museum). I left deeply shaken by the Nazi memorabilia on display. Apparently I wasn’t alone. washingtonian.com/2023/04/07/cla… 1/5
Ethan Zuckerman
@EthanZ
Nov 4, 2022
Long thread - buckle up. TL:DR; yes, you should join Mastodon. But you should stay on Twitter as well. What we need are more and different online communities, not just an exodus from a troubled platform.
Ethan Zuckerman
@EthanZ
Apr 25, 2022
Replying to @EthanZ
It's embarrassing that we've been willing to have our public, civic conversations on platforms controlled by corporate boards. Musk's purchase of Twitter just makes that absurdity even more apparent. Unfortunately, the solution is not as simple as mass migration to Mastodon.
Ethan Zuckerman
@EthanZ
Apr 25, 2022
Replying to @EthanZ
We already know little about how Twitter handles content moderation or how their algorithms work, and taking the company private makes it likely we will know less. What we do know is this: two billionaires will now control four of the major digital public sphere platforms.
Ethan Zuckerman
@EthanZ
Apr 28, 2020
Next steps: this fall, I will be joining @UMassAmherst as an associate professor of public policy, information and communication and launching a new research center, the Institute for Digital Public Infrastructure. Excited and grateful: ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2020/04/2…
Ethan Zuckerman
@EthanZ
Sep 12, 2019
"MIT does not deserve its women." medium.com/@selamie/remov…
Ethan Zuckerman
@EthanZ
Apr 15, 2021
I got the news today that I've been granted tenure at @UMassAmherst. My feelings are multilayered and complicated - lots of gratitude for the institutions that have taken a gamble on me, and recognition of the privilege that's made this possible:
A milestone I never expected - Ethan Zuckerman
From ethanzuckerman.com
Ethan Zuckerman
@EthanZ
Apr 8, 2023
Replying to @EthanZ
They were not immediately visible - you needed to lift a leather cover to see them. In other words, he wanted to display them but only for those he wanted to see them. Why our hosts decides to host an event for us there I may never know.