Topic: Social Listening

The hosts announced a fix for IPv6 connection issues that had prevented some listeners from accessing the live stream. They also addressed a decline in donations, attributing it to listener anger over the show's refusal to take a definitive side in the Israel-Palestine or Russia-Ukraine conflicts. The discussion highlighted the pressure on independent media to conform to specific political outrages to maintain funding.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched the "Early AI Supported Response and Social Listening System" (EARS) to monitor global conversations and "infodemics." The dashboard tracks keywords like Ivermectin, Moderna, and vaccine passports to help governments adjust their messaging. WHOIS records confirm the domain is owned by the WHO in Geneva, Switzerland, marking a significant step in real-time social media surveillance.

A dispute involving a listener's complaints about the "Troll Room" login and perceived insults toward his wife was addressed. The hosts clarified that the issues were actually related to the "No Agenda Social" Mastodon instance rather than the live chat room. The segment touched on the challenges of managing a large independent community and dismissed accusations of ageism and tech illiteracy.

Rene Duresta and Jonathan Morgan founded Data for Democracy, a collective that eventually led to the creation of New Knowledge. In an interview with Kara Swisher, Duresta explains how the group transitioned from tracking ISIS and anti-vaccination narratives to monitoring "manipulated narratives" for brands. The hosts point out that Morgan was focused on the "alt-right" rather than Russia immediately prior to the 2016 election.

A series of listener donations are read, including a $214.63 contribution from Jamie, a long-haul truck driver and ham radio operator (K3EOP). Another donor, Charles Schultz, contributed 10% of his first Social Security check after reaching full retirement age. The segment features various "jingles" requested by donors, including themes related to "Mac and Cheese" and "Donald Loves Nazis."

An anecdote about a joke gone wrong at a PC World event illustrates the sensitivity of corporate environments. The hosts warn that once a creator relies on advertisers, they become vulnerable to "social justice warrior" tactics where activists contact sponsors to force content changes or cancellations.

Adam Curry vents about the lack of etiquette from callers who don't identify themselves immediately. This leads to an anecdote about a man with Tourette's syndrome on a flight who was removed due to his vocal tics and erratic behavior, which the hosts attribute to extreme social anxiety.

A letter from a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison describes the political climate of the campus as a "liberal social justice island" within a conservative state. The listener credits the podcast with helping him navigate multicultural learning communities and media constructions of radicalism. The segment also includes various jingle requests and technical troubleshooting of audio clips.