Accessibility links
Social Web : All Tech Considered Sites like Facebook and Twitter have revolutionized the Web, altered how we interact with each other and even changed the way news is gathered and delivered. Read about the impact of social media and its continuing evolution.
All Tech Considered

All Tech Considered

Tech, Culture and Connection

Social Web

Saturday

Tech Week: Sony's Cyber Woes, And A Coating To Ease Ketchup's Flow

Sony Pictures was forced to cancel the release of its film The Interview this week after the hacking group, Guardians of Peace, threatened theaters that planned to screen the movie. AFP/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
AFP/Getty Images

Innovation

Tech Week: Sony's Cyber Woes, And A Coating To Ease Ketchup's Flow

In our weekly roundup of tech headlines, we get you up-to-date on Sony's troubles after North Korea targeted its film The Interview, and tell you a community organizer's advice for tech companies.

Sunday

Marine Corps Finds It Tough To Shut Down Sexist Facebook Groups

This Nov. 19 screenshot shows the cover photo of an unofficial Marine group on Facebook called Just the Tip, of the Spear. The group and those like it have been accused of promoting sexism and of acting as a forum for hate speech. Just the Tip, of the Spear - 21/Facebook hide caption

toggle caption
Just the Tip, of the Spear - 21/Facebook

Social Web

Marine Corps Finds It Tough To Shut Down Sexist Facebook Groups

Female Marines are being humiliated and generally degraded by their peers on Facebook. The groups' pages are frequently shut down, but return within days due to a dedicated following.

Monday

Microsoft Wants To Mine Data Like A Social Network

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella speaks at the Future Decoded conference in London on Nov. 10. The company hopes to create new social tools to increase productivity in and out of the workplace. Kevin Coombs/Reuters /Landov hide caption

toggle caption
Kevin Coombs/Reuters /Landov

The Industry

Microsoft Wants To Mine Data Like A Social Network

Microsoft is going social. With more than a billion people using Office, the company hopes to gather data and create social tools to help users be more productive in their workplaces and lives.

Microsoft Wants To Mine Data Like A Social Network

Listen · 4:00
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/363019213/363101538" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Behind The Scenes, Storyful Exposes Viral Hoaxes For News Outlets

Storyful is making a business out of verifying material on social media for journalists and news organizations. Storyful hide caption

toggle caption
Storyful

The Industry

Behind The Scenes, Storyful Exposes Viral Hoaxes For News Outlets

Journalists regularly turn to this social media organization to seek out and verify online material that could bolster traditional reporting.

Behind The Scenes, Storyful Exposes Viral Hoaxes For News Outlets

Listen · 5:13
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/359684575/359760649" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

Wednesday

Facebook Apologizes For Name Policy That Affected LGBT Community

San Francisco City Supervisor David Campos (right) walks with drag queen Sister Roma to a news conference on Sept. 17 about a Facebook policy that requires people to use their "real" names on their profiles. The site said Wednesday it will modify how the policy is enforced. Eric Risberg/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Eric Risberg/AP

Society

Facebook Apologizes For Name Policy That Affected LGBT Community

The social networking site will not change its requirement for people to use "real" names on their profiles, but it will adjust how alleged violations are reported and enforced.

'Ello' Aims For A Return To Ad-Free Social Networking

Ello is a new, invitation-only social network that aims to thrive and survive on a business model that does not include selling user data or advertising. Ello.co hide caption

toggle caption
Ello.co

Social Web

'Ello' Aims For A Return To Ad-Free Social Networking

Turnstyle

Ello is the viral social network of the moment. Ad-free, invitation-only and with the option of anonymity, it's generating tons of chatter as the latest alternative to Facebook.

'Ello' Aims For A Return To Ad-Free Social Networking

Listen · 3:54
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/352838479/352925491" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Sunday

Facebook Requires Real Names. What Does That Mean For Drag Queens?

Drag queens Lil Miss Hot Mess (left) and Sister Roma join other activists for a news conference at San Francisco City Hall on Sept. 17 to speak out against Facebook's rule on using legal names for profiles. Eric Risberg/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Eric Risberg/AP

Society

Facebook Requires Real Names. What Does That Mean For Drag Queens?

Dozens of queens' profiles were deactivated recently because they used stage names. Facebook says requiring real names curbs abuse, but LGBT groups say it's restricting — for drag queens and others.

Friday

Wednesday

Saturday

For Rare Languages, Social Media Provide New Hope

An Aymara woman prepares to take part in a pageant in La Paz, Bolivia, in 2013. Jaqi-Aru, a community of volunteers is working on translating the Facebook interface in the indigenous language of Aymara. Juan Karita/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Juan Karita/AP

Social Web

For Rare Languages, Social Media Provide New Hope

Linguists and native speakers around the world are turning to Facebook, Twitter and other sites to help pass indigenous, minority and endangered languages on to new generations.

Listen to Tongva word of the day

Audio for this story is unavailable.

Monday

We Asked, You Answered: Going To Extremes To Disconnect On Vacation

Our readers wrote in on how they tried to take a vacation from their smartphones. Christian Wheatley/iStockphoto hide caption

toggle caption
Christian Wheatley/iStockphoto

Society

We Asked, You Answered: Going To Extremes To Disconnect On Vacation

Giving up digital devices — even if for just a few hours or days — is a struggle. Whether it was to catch up on the news or peek in on the World Cup, NPR listeners found it tough to kick the habit.

We Asked, You Answered: Going To Extremes To Disconnect On Vacation

Listen · 2:43
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/329551013/329585232" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Saturday

Monday

Friday