New_ Public

We’re a nonprofit R&D lab that’s reimagining social media. Join us in building digital public spaces that connect people, embrace pluralism, and build community.

Public Key

npub1dmu30axh63xcd2d40pj8lmnd008utpu9mz2ru3dnj9gd3kz2zr2qd74mg5

NIP-05 Address

wearenew_public_at_mastodon.social@mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsxa7gh7ntagnvx4x6hserlaekhhn79s7za39p7gkeez5xcmp9pp4qpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0wd68ytnsw43qz9thwden5te0v35hgar09ec82c30wfjkcctedt2d0n

Publishing to

relay.mostr.pub

ditto.pub/relay

relay.shitforce.one

Author Public Key

npub1dmu30axh63xcd2d40pj8lmnd008utpu9mz2ru3dnj9gd3kz2zr2qd74mg5

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Last Notes

2024-11-05 19:21:40

Some changes to social media since 2020:
* Twitter modeled that trust & safety is optional
* Meta moved to tamp down political speech
* TikTok has become a huge source of news for Gen Z
What effect do you think these are having now?
https://newpublic.substack.com/p/beyond-election-day-how-social-media

2024-11-04 16:17:45

To address how social media impacts US elections, it’s gonna take more than tweaks like displaying factual, reliable info on voting.
We need bold innovation and experimentation in how we connect and socialize on the internet.
https://newpublic.substack.com/p/beyond-election-day-how-social-media

2024-10-30 14:12:51

Just in time for the 2024 election: hiding posts about "laws, elections, or social topics.”
Meta puts their thumb on the scale without transparency, downgrading content related to what @npub1v4h…ejzl calls "wide swaths of the lived human experience."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/10/16/instagram-limits-political-content-shadowban-election-posts/

2024-10-28 13:33:15

Feeling the weight of division this election season? You're not alone! 🗳️
Join the Greater Good Science Center’s 7-Day Campaign for Connection Challenge, starting today, to help you navigate these polarized times with science-backed skills. #2024campaignforconnection
Sign up now: https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/what_we_do/major_initiatives/bridging_differences/7_day_challenge

2024-10-25 20:00:16

Are you the perfect Project Manager for our Local Lab? Do you…
✅ Keep teams aligned and productive?
✅ Have a keen eye for detail?
✅ Excel at keeping multiple workstreams moving?
✅ Have a high EQ and strong communications skills?
Check out the role on our jobs page:
https://newpublic.org/jobs
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/369/835/882/111/684/original/b6a3381a4f4b9776.png

2024-10-25 13:46:31

Public Spaces Incubator:
"By offering alternatives to commercial, algorithm-driven social media platforms, the goal is to support the work of broadcasters and other organizations in creating digital environments that are transparent, user-friendly and aligned with public values rather than profit motives."
https://www.ebu.ch/news/2024/10/germany%27s-public-broadcasters-help-drive-international-public-spaces-incubator-and-open-their-streaming-technology-to-more-innov

2024-10-24 15:13:09

When community leaders curate the best of our digital spaces, they amplify our shared joys and triumphs, and rise above the noise.
A community newsletter might be a way to emphasize wholesome posts that people may have missed in their feed and boost more camaraderie among neighbors.
https://newpublic.substack.com/p/reviving-the-community-newsletter

2024-10-09 16:22:30

It looks the whitehouse reddits posts in r/florida and r/georgia have been removed by mods. I guess not even the President can bypass rules created and maintained by subreddit mods!
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/278/382/804/464/093/original/1a9517b28921dab3.png

2024-09-13 14:00:05

Two new exciting part-time opportunities at New_ Public this fall:
We are hiring a Social Media Fellow and a Research Fellow to help us drive impactful change in the future of online communities.
For both:
20 hours a week
$40 per hour
Remote U.S. or Canada
https://newpublic.org/jobs

2024-09-09 13:31:33

Why is it so hard to meet your neighbors? It can feel so nerve-wracking and high stakes, but also, too easy to put off forever.
There’s still hope: Founding Steward of Common Agency Deborah Tien shares how they are building hyperlocal online infrastructure to help make lasting connections in communities throughout the US.
https://newpublic.substack.com/p/why-dont-we-know-our-neighbors

2024-08-20 13:51:02

Strong local digital spaces actually have the potential to make our offline communities more resilient and prepared for difficulty:
“When hard times arrive — in the form of a natural disaster or a difficult school budget debate — Front Porch Forum members know more of their neighbors and have a history with each other to draw upon.”
https://newpublic.substack.com/p/the-vermont-miracle-how-one-local

2024-08-16 19:40:15

🧑‍🌾 We’ve been forming groups for over fifty years… why are most of them organized worse than your average neighborhood garden club? How do we make them better?

2024-08-13 13:50:47

There is a social media revolution happening right in America’s backyard.
Front Porch Forum, a homegrown, family-owned platform in Vermont, is fostering stronger, more engaged communities than Silicon Valley behemoths Facebook and Nextdoor.
https://newpublic.substack.com/p/the-vermont-miracle-how-one-local

2024-08-09 13:48:51

RESEARCH: Moderating a WhatsApp group can be a lot like parenting.
Researchers found more benefits in creating different tailored tools that cater to the unique needs of each moderation style than having one universal tool.
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2401.08091
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/932/377/705/028/780/original/e5e1510fdf87ec2f.png

2024-08-08 18:01:43

UNDER CONSTRUCTION ⚠️👷🚧🏗️
Just like the physical infrastructure in the communities where we live, our digital public spaces require regular care and maintenance from time to time.
What website, app, or digital service on the social internet could use a significant overhaul?

2024-08-05 14:01:59

Social media continues to shape culture at a furious pace, sparking trends and rewriting what's cringe.
Cool: Powerpoint night parties
https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/of-interest/2024/07/28/powerpoint-night-parties/
Uncool: Sharing photos of "mainstream" tourism
https://mashable.com/article/social-media-travel-sightseeing-uncool
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/909/780/026/321/958/original/fe513feddd0e3357.jpeg

2024-07-25 18:17:45

Many social media platforms rank comments based on engagement, which means the most heated, toxic arguments get the spotlight. This can be an awful incentive structure.
Ravi Iyer from USC's Neely Center on ways how we could "optimize for quality" we could do instead.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPejVimHJ6s

2024-07-01 17:03:59

Imagine if an online discussion is more like a town hall meeting — every participant has equal opportunity to respond and the loudest or most aggressive voices can’t commandeer the room.
This is just one example of what Public Spaces Incubator is working on for public media broadcasters.
https://newpublic.substack.com/p/how-were-building-with-international

2024-06-24 14:22:57

It may be broken, but we’re not giving up on public conversation online!
New_ Public Lead Designer Victoria Sgarro and Senior Product Director Min Li Chan take a deep dive into product design for Public Spaces Incubator.
https://newpublic.substack.com/p/how-were-building-with-international

2024-05-31 17:05:31

RESEARCH: On decentralized social networks like Mastodon, community moderators can choose to defederate — disconnect from another group to protect themselves from harassers and undesirable content.
The effects of defederation include reduced activity on blocked servers, but not necessarily less toxic content.
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2404.02109
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/536/788/075/905/166/original/4f440092e3e693fe.png

2024-05-03 20:38:36

Would you go see The Social Network 2?
Almost 15 years after the release of the movie The Social Network, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin is reportedly working on a sequel that grapples with tensions between Facebook’s growth and its integrity.
“Facebook has been, among other things, tuning its algorithm to promote the most divisive material possible.”
https://variety.com/2024/film/news/aaron-sorkin-social-network-2-sequel-january-6-facebook-1235983390/

2024-04-23 19:20:36

What would actually happen with a TikTok ban?
New users will be unable to download the app, and current users will lose access to any updates. While some could find workarounds — including offline app installations or VPNs — for most Americans, the app will eventually become inoperable.
“For the majority of people, it will be lots of trouble”
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/congress-potential-tiktok-ban-how-would-it-work/story?id=109490158

2024-04-22 14:03:01

We tend to discuss Big Tech's control of the internet with cold terms like "monopoly" and "antitrust."
But this wonderful piece in Noema talks about "rewilding" the internet.
https://www.noemamag.com/we-need-to-rewild-the-internet/
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/315/239/176/210/077/original/3124f183e0539a60.png