1
Barnes and Noble's surprising turnaround
Digital platforms are struggling, meanwhile a 136-year-old book retailer is growing again. But why?
Ted Gioia
A trustworthy guide to music, books, arts, media & culture by Ted Gioia. Click to read The Honest Broker, a Substack publication with hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
- Popular posts
- 18
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- #318 personal
Visit tedgioia.substack.com → RSS feedOn Hacker News Sep 2021 – May 2023
Society, Policy & Culture 15Tech Industry & Business 7Life, Learning & Writing 5History & Retro Computing 5Career & Management 2Science & Space 1
2
ChatGPT: The Slickest Con Artist of All Time
Or 10 tweets about ChatGPT
3
Record labels dig their own grave, and the shovel is called TikTok
It's not just the music biz—legacy media outlets everywhere are playing the same dangerous game. Here's how it will play out.
4
Where did the long tail go?
'The Long Tail' was supposed to boost alternative voices in music, movies, and books—but the exact opposite happened. What went wrong?
5
My best techniques for evaluating character
These methods have helped me enormously—and can save you much heartache and anxiety
6
You Don't Need a Mentor–Find a Nemesis Instead
In which the author expostulates on his odd notions about sports, music, and life
7
Books That Changed How I Hear Music
But none of them are music books
8
New numbers on music consumption
And it's not just the dominance of old songs—the whole creative culture is losing its ability to innovate. But why?
9
If AT&T Had Managed the Phone Business Like Google
Imagine a Silicon Valley strategy implemented with the United States phone system 100 years ago. It's not a pretty picture.
10
The fake artists problem on streaming platforms
Recent revelations from an alleged industry insider paint a disturbing picture
11
Is old music killing new music?
All the growth in the music business now comes from old songs—with consumption of new music actually shrinking. How did we get here, and is there a way back?
12
A prominent composer lost his Wikipedia page
Bruce Faulconer deserves better, but the system seems rigged against him
13
Why did The Beatles get so many bad reviews?
An inquiry into how critics stumble
14
How to commit murder inside a locked room
Few genres are more preposterous than the locked room mystery. The premises are absurd and plot solutions ridiculous—but still I keep on reading.
15
A doctor who treated Bach and Handel with disastrous results
Dr. John Taylor treated Bach and Handel with disastrous results, perhaps causing the death of both composers. Did it impact the course of Western music?
16
How Did Elevators Lose Their Music?
My informal survey reveals the decline of an insipid but historic genre
17
The decline and fall of the hit instrumental song
Nowadays vocalists control popular music—but that wasn't always true
18
Observations on tragedy in a digital age
Viewed in the proper light, influencer is a career path of tragic dimensions.