The corruption inherent in addiction economics
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The corruption inherent in addiction economics

I’ve been studying the economic intersection of capitalism and addiction. It is a highly profitable and always a sordid business. A recent history of businesses based on addiction For a recent book project, I looked into what the tobacco companies did in the 20th century. We all know today that nicotine is addictive and cigarettes…

AI tools write with an “accent.” Here’s how to detect it
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AI tools write with an “accent.” Here’s how to detect it

AI tools like Anthropic, ChatGPT, and Perplexity generate text intended to mimic human writing. They’re pretty good writers. But they write with telltale signs that they’re not human; you might say they write with an “accent.” Any native speaker can tell when another speaker’s first language doesn’t match the one he’s speaking. If you’re speaking…

Ghostwriter, copywriter, or freelance marketer?
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Ghostwriter, copywriter, or freelance marketer?

I recently received a query to see if I, as a ghostwriter, could help with some freelance work. Here’s how the query read (I’ve made minor edits to conceal the requester’s identity): Is this a ghostwriter? No. I’ve spent quite a lot of time this year with ghostwriters. Ghostwriters’ primary job is, of course, writing….

The cult of ignorance; textual skulduggery; virtual fashion models: Newsletter 10 April 2024
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The cult of ignorance; textual skulduggery; virtual fashion models: Newsletter 10 April 2024

Newsletter 39: Ignorance is a curse and a cult, Google and Meta rationalize AI ripoffs, the reality behind “birds aren’t real,” plus three people to follow and three books to read. Can we please stop idolizing ignorance? Twenty years ago, the Boston Red Sox did something that seemed impossible: after a supposedly cursed championship drought…

Spoilers: the last taboo

Spoilers: the last taboo

People share nearly anything online these days — including things that no one would ever have considered sharing publicly years ago. People post about their problems with lovers, their medical problems, their political attitudes, their struggles and triumphs with religion, and their fights with merchants. The express opinions on the mental acuity of presidential candidates,…

The thread
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The thread

I never write anything without the thread in mind. What is the thread? It is the throughline of any blog post, essay, or book chapter. Start with the end in mind. What is the point? Write the title and the lede based on that. Then, the setup. What is the problem? What is have I…

Information provenance; author focused publishing; RuPaul’s bookstore: Newsletter 6 March 2024
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Information provenance; author focused publishing; RuPaul’s bookstore: Newsletter 6 March 2024

Newsletter 34: Who tells the truth, authors back a new publishing model, Spotify’s audiobook subscription, plus three people to follow, three books to read, and chance to meet other authors in Northern Cal. Says who? Trump advisor Steve Bannon once described his communications strategy this way: “The real opposition is the media. And the way…

If you demonstrate statistical incompetence, why should we trust you?
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If you demonstrate statistical incompetence, why should we trust you?

People making a point tend to cite statistics. And with simple tools like SurveyMonkey, anyone can create a poll. But if you don’t know how statistics really work, you can seem like a fool. I don’t trust people who use statistical tools in a misleading way. Do you? What’s wrong with this poll on LinkedIn?…