The desire to stand out has declined significantly over the last 20 years, according to a new study. That has serious implications for society, business, and communicators. Meanwhile, shutting off comments on your social media channel could have worse repercussions than putting up with comments you don’t want to see. Also in this episode, The fediverse is gaining traction, which leads one commentator to wonder if it’s time for governments to set up their own instances. Corporate boards are bracing for more anti-DEI backlash, but does that mean they’re backing away from their goals? Gen Z’s enthusiasm for Kamala Harris’s U.S. presidential bid is no accident, as her campaign cracks the content code, notably on TikTok.  Generative Artificial Intelligence is changing the search engine optimization (SEO) game. In his Tech Report, Dan York reports on new Threads features, Spotify and YouTube taking Apple’s podcast crown, the photo manipulation capabilities of Google’s new Pixel 9 line of phones, and one company’s stand against AI.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, September 23.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat most Thursdays at 1 p.m. ET. To obtain the credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly, request them in our Facebook group, or email fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Links from this episode:

• Fediverse for Freedom


• Fewer people want to stand out in public than 20 years ago


• Corporate boards brace for DEI backlash


• DEI efforts may be under attack, but companies aren’t retreating from commitments


• FIR #418: These Are Our Rock-Solid Beliefs – Unless You Don’t Like Them – FIR Podcast Network


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  Research: What Happens When Influencers Turn Off Comments
  
  


• You’re Wrong, Joel Spolsky & Dave Winer, Blog Comments Have Incredible Value


• Inside the Gen-Z operation powering Harris’ online remix


• Content is king at the DNC


• Kamala Harris’ Campaign Is Launching a Twitch Channel


• How the Harris Campaign Beat Trump at Being Online


• US election: Meet the Kamala Harris influencer army


• Kamala Harris’ Campaign Is a Windfall for Influencers


• ‘Hottie’ Dems and Chappell Roan stans: meet the 200 TikTokers who scored access to the convention


• 57+ MILLION VIEWERS: Massive TV and Online Viewership for Night One of Democratic National Convention


• The Evolution of Search: 5 SEO Trends in 2024 and 2025 [+ New Data]


• Ethan Mollick on LinkedIn: I have said it before, but marketers need to think about how to advertise

Links from Dan York’s Tech Report:

• Meta’s X rival Threads gains multiple drafts, audience insights and more


• Meta lets you cross-post from Instagram and Facebook to Threads. Here’s how to do it.


• Threads confirms it is experimenting with ephemeral posts


• Apple Loses Its Podcasting Lead to YouTube and Spotify


• No one’s ready for this


• Procreate takes a stand against generative AI, vows to never incorporate the tech into its products

Raw Transcript (from Riverside.fm)

Neville Hobson:

Hi everyone and welcome to episode 425 of Four Immediate Release. This is the long form monthly edition for