Digital Discourse Database

Number of Posts: 51
Posts 21 - 30

Free Tools to Keep Those Creepy Online Ads From Watching You

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Newspaper | The New York Times
Date | 18.2.2016
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | marketing, privacy, threat
Summary | Many companies track potential customers' internet activity so that they find out when someone, for instance, has the flu and will likely respond to flu medication advertisements. They collect data about all users when they visit a tracking website and then tailor advertising to specific target groups. This is a violation of our privacy because this process is very obscure and it is difficult to protect oneself from it but there are a few softwares one can get to stop companies from tracking one's online activity.
Image Description | Hands typing on a laptop keyboard.
Image Tags | computer/laptop, hand(s)

The rise of Uber means less love for London’s traditional black cabs

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Newspaper | Washington Post
Date | 1.1.2016
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | marketing, smartphone, threat
Summary | The app Uber is taking up much of official taxi companies' business. The iconinc London cab is endangered. Uber offers much cheaper rides than taxi cabs because the drivers do not have to go through any training - they just use their smartphone's GPS to drive customers. Customers also use their smartphone apps to hail an Uber ride.
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Gaming the System: Bots Inflate Instagram Egos

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Newspaper | The New York Times
Date | 7.6.2017
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | Instagram, marketing
Summary | The author of the article posted a picture of the New York Times headquarters on Instagram, and got 11 comments from strangers, and none of them is related to the author. There is big marketing reason behind those comments; if a user follows or likes a public account's post, those accounts can in return use their automated liking and commenting. This is a marketing tactic used by companies in hopes that random Instagram users will like those automated public accounts in return. Small businesses want to have a lot of likes and followers in order to get some attention. However, the follower count is not representative of true following or of the work done by the business.
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Major Banks Team Up On Network That Allows Instant Digital Payments

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Newspaper | The New York Times
Date | 13.6.2017
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | marketing
Summary | Major American banks are ready to introduce Zelle, a new app that allows customers to transfer money. But Zelle is already facing competition with other apps such as Venmo. Zelle actually has some advantages: big banks have teamed up behind Zelle for marketing reasons. Also, Zelle will be fast (faster than Venmo), ubiquitous, and free. Customers who would like to send money to other people need their phone number or email address. If their recipient's bank is part of Zelle's network of banks, they can make the transfer.
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An App for Our Inner Cheapskate

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Newspaper | The New York Times
Date | 23.7.2017
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | marketing, privacy, social media
Summary | The app Venmo is a payment service app that allows money transfers between people who have their bank accounts connected to their phone. Margaret Pennoyer is an elementary school teacher who had to pay the organizers of a bachelorette party $31.98 and $20.62. The fact that the amount was calculated to the penny surprised Pennoyer. She said that this app ''changes friendships and makes them more transactional''. The app also promotes the "everyone for themselves" idea. People seem to be less generous now; everyone has to pay exactly to the cent. Venmo is also like any other social networks; you can see what other people's transactions are. For instance, Margaret Pennoyer saw through the app that her cousins socialized recently and didn't invite her.
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Little Expressions on the Big Screen

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Newspaper | The New York Times
Date | 28.7.2017
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | emojis, marketing
Summary | The Emoji movie tells the story of a "meh" emoji named Gene who can express more emotions than just the blasé feeling. The emoji leader wants to get rid of Gene because of his versatility. The movie is idiotic, and shows that Hollywood still thinks that the idiotic can seem less so just by hiring famous actors and by polishing it up a little.
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Emoji Art, From 'Moby-Dick' to Hollywood

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Newspaper | The New York Times
Date | 29.7.2017
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | emojis, marketing, smartphone
Summary | The Emoji movie represents our consumerist and capitalist society, where big tech companies try to sell their products to children. Before emojis made it to Hollywood, other artists used them. For instance, Emoji Dick is a translation of the book Moby Dick; Book from the Ground is a book written in pictograms; Boring Angel video is a video from the internet artist John Michael Boling, which shows a series of emojis; Garden of Emoji Delights represents The ''Garden of Earthly Delights'' (Renaissance work of art) with layers of hundreds of emoji; and finally, the MoMa acquired the original set of emojis for its permanent collection.
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'The Emoji Movie' Draws Audiences

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Newspaper | The New York Times
Date | 31.7.2017
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | emojis, marketing
Summary | The Emoji movie (Sony) surprisingly became a box office success, despite critics that hated the movie. But we people should not underestimate the taste of American people. Sony already had other successes this summer: ''Baby Driver'' and ''Spider-Man: Homecoming''. The Emoji movie cost about 50 million dollars to make.
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Facebook Groups Act as Weapons Bazaars for Militias

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Newspaper | The New York Times
Date | 6.4.2016
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | Facebook, law, marketing, threat
Summary | Since Facebook has enabled the transmission of payments via the site, it has seen an increase of commerce on the platform. Most worryingly, many Middle Eastern Facebook group pages advertise and apparently sell fire arms (everything from pistols over machine guns to missiles) via Facebook. Facebook has forbidden the sale of fire arms on their platform but they have to rely on users to report such cases.
Image Description | Images of the weapons on sale on Facebook, ISIS fighters, and refugee boats.
Image Tags | Facebook, male(s)

'Chat bots' ready to take aim at big money

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Newspaper | USA Today
Date | 13.4.2016
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | artificial intelligence, Facebook, marketing
Summary | Facebook is opening its messenger to businesses. They can now market their services on the Facebook messenger and enable users to make purchases or talk to cusomer service through the messenger. The service is operated by artificial intelligence chatbots and is an attempt by Facebook to "own more of consumers' 'mobile moments.' "
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