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

Tech, Culture and Connection

Social Web

Friday July 31, 2015

What Selfies Tell Us About Ourselves And How Others See Us

Ramona Martinez is under no illusion that this selfie is a work of art. Ramona Martinez/NPR hide caption

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Ramona Martinez/NPR

Opinion

Social Web

What Selfies Tell Us About Ourselves And How Others See Us

July 31, 2015 • Ramona Martinez is a production assistant at NPR who worked on an All Things Considered story earlier this week about the culture and meaning of selfies. She offers a selfie postscript.

Tuesday July 28, 2015

Social Web

As Twitter Flirts With Hearts, Will You Miss The Stars?

July 28, 2015 • A different Twitter greeted some users when they logged on Tuesday as the social media company tries to win more hearts — and users.

Twitter Takes Down Unoriginal Jokes, But All Of Yours Are Probably Safe

Comedian Ari Shaffir performs at the 2015 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in June in Manchester, Tenn. Shaffir has said fellow comedian Carlos Mencia stole his joke about who would build a fence on the U.S.-Mexican border. Copyright on jokes is difficult to prove, and it turned out two other comedians had made similar jokes as well. John Davisson/Invision/AP hide caption

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John Davisson/Invision/AP

Social Web

Twitter Takes Down Unoriginal Jokes, But All Of Yours Are Probably Safe

July 28, 2015 • A freelance writer got the company to take down several unauthorized uses of her humor by what she says are robot accounts, but legal scholars say proving copyright on jokes is difficult.

Monday July 27, 2015

Narcissistic, Maybe. But Is There More To The Art Of The Selfie?

To selfie, or not to selfie? iStockphoto hide caption

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iStockphoto

Social Web

Narcissistic, Maybe. But Is There More To The Art Of The Selfie?

July 27, 2015 • Some say selfies are a mark of our narcissistic culture. But what about a little photoshopping? Is this further evidence of our vanity — or a platform for our personal brand and self-expression?

Narcissistic, Maybe. But Is There More To The Art Of The Selfie?

Listen · 6:54 6:54

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Saturday July 18, 2015

What Does Your Uber Driver Think Of You?

An Uber app is shown in Washington, D.C. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images

Gadgets & Apps

What Does Your Uber Driver Think Of You?

July 18, 2015 • Uber passengers are accustomed to rating drivers. But with Uber feedback, judgment goes both ways. A couple of simple steps can show you your Uber passenger rating — if you really want to find out.

Monday July 13, 2015

On College Campuses, Suicide Intervention Via Anonymous App

Screen shot of a Yik Yak exchange where one person expresses thoughts about possibly hurting him/herself, and others respond. Samantha Braver hide caption

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Samantha Braver

Apps

On College Campuses, Suicide Intervention Via Anonymous App

July 13, 2015 • Yik Yak, which allows users to post anonymously, is infamous for bullying and sexist posts. But it has also become a space for college students to post suicidal thoughts and get reassuring responses.

On College Campuses, Suicide Intervention Via Anonymous App

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Wednesday July 8, 2015

The Blog Ewe Didn't Know Ewe Needed: Google Sheep View

These sheep in England chose an ill-advised napping spot as the Google Street View van drove through town. Google hide caption

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Google

Social Web

The Blog Ewe Didn't Know Ewe Needed: Google Sheep View

July 8, 2015 • It's the year of the sheep, so it follows that a new blog would celebrate the woolly four-legged creatures. Readers submit sheep spottings from around the world, with the help of Google Street View.

Sunday July 5, 2015

Reddit CEO Says Miscommunication Led To Blackout Protest

Interim CEO Ellen Pao says Reddit is working on improved tools for the site's moderators. Beck Diefenbach/Reuters /Landov hide caption

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Beck Diefenbach/Reuters /Landov

Social Web

Reddit CEO Says Miscommunication Led To Blackout Protest

July 5, 2015 • A user revolt briefly shut down the social-site last week after a key employee was dismissed. Interim CEO Ellen Pao says the company has "apologized for not communicating better" with site moderators.

Reddit CEO Says Miscommunication Led To Blackout Protest

Listen · 3:33 3:33

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Tuesday June 23, 2015

What's Trending On Instagram? A Battle With Twitter

Instagram's latest update features curated photo collections and trending tags. Instagram hide caption

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Instagram

Social Web

What's Trending On Instagram? A Battle With Twitter

June 23, 2015 • Instagram wants to be a source for your news. The photo-sharing app is rolling out an update that features trending tags and a beefed-up search tool that should help it compete with Twitter.

Friday June 12, 2015

How Twitter Can Revive Itself, Even Without Naming Snoop Dogg CEO

Twitter is one of the most popular social media sites, but it's going through major changes. Jonathan Alcorn/Getty Images hide caption

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Jonathan Alcorn/Getty Images

The Industry

How Twitter Can Revive Itself, Even Without Naming Snoop Dogg CEO

June 12, 2015 • Twitter is going through a lot of changes, including switching CEOs. But, analysts say, stalled user growth and discouraging financial results call for more change than just new leadership.

Sunday June 7, 2015

By clicking "Like" and commenting on Facebook posts, users signal the social network's algorithm that they care about something. That in turn helps influence what they see later. Algorithms like that happen all over the web — and the programs can reflect human biases. iStockphoto hide caption

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iStockphoto

Social Web

What Makes Algorithms Go Awry?

June 7, 2015 • Every time you "Like" a Facebook post, among other things, you help provide data to an algorithm. But algorithms, like the humans who design them, aren't foolproof — and can reflect bias.

What Makes Algorithms Go Awry?

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Wednesday June 3, 2015

A Taxi App Aims To Build Trust Where Crime Is High

Traffic stands still in Nairobi. People in Kenya's capital don't like getting into cabs driven by strangers. They prefer to call drivers they know or who their friends recommend. Goran Tomasevic/Reuters/Landov hide caption

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Goran Tomasevic/Reuters/Landov

Gadgets & Apps

A Taxi App Aims To Build Trust Where Crime Is High

June 3, 2015 • In Nairobi, people don't like getting into cabs driven by strangers. They prefer to call drivers they know or who their friends recommend. A new app assigns drivers a trust score based on social ties.

A Taxi App Aims To Build Trust Where Crime Is High

Listen · 3:30 3:30

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Tuesday June 2, 2015

Coming Soon: More Ads On Instagram, And A 'Buy' Feature On Pinterest

Pinterest will soon allow users to buy products they find directly through the app. The company says users have been asking for that feature for a while. Pinterest hide caption

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Social Web

Coming Soon: More Ads On Instagram, And A 'Buy' Feature On Pinterest

June 2, 2015 • Pinterest will launch an in-app "buy" button, and Instagram will soon target ads using demographic data from Facebook.

Wednesday May 13, 2015

Facebook Courts News Giants Into A Deal To Share Viewers, And Revenues

Nine media organizations, including The New York Times and National Geographic, have signed a deal to distribute their content through a new Facebook feature called "Instant Articles." Facebook hide caption

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Facebook

The Industry

Facebook Courts News Giants Into A Deal To Share Viewers, And Revenues

May 13, 2015 • Nine media organizations, including The New York Times and National Geographic, have signed a deal to distribute their content through a new Facebook feature called "Instant Articles."

Facebook Courts News Giants Into A Deal To Share Viewers, And Revenues

Listen · 3:07 3:07

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Monday May 4, 2015

As Emojis Spread Beyond Texts, Many Remain [Confounded Face] [Interrobang]

Comedian Aziz Ansari became a pioneer of emoji language use in 2011, when he transcribed the hit Jay-Z and Kanye West song, "Ni**as In Paris." azizisbored.tumblr.com hide caption

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azizisbored.tumblr.com

Behavior

As Emojis Spread Beyond Texts, Many Remain [Confounded Face] [Interrobang]

May 4, 2015 • There's a growing tendency to bring the tiny hieroglyphs off phones, but not everyone is fluent. New takes on emoji integration suggest misunderstanding may be remedied with universal translation.

As Emojis Spread Beyond Texts, Many Remain [Confounded Face] [Interrobang]

Listen · 7:38 7:38

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