I hope this leaflet finds you in good shape (or at least not too bad). As history repeats itself, another anonymous messaging app is flooding your social media feeds — and renewing concerns about online bullying. I’m Jordan Parker Erb, and I’ll explain it all below.
Let’s get started.
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1. The popularity of a new anonymous messaging app is booming. NGL (short for “Not Gonna Lie”), a platform for teens to send and receive anonymous messages, has racked up millions of downloads in the past few weeks. We’ve seen this type of app before – and it never ends well.
- NGL’s predecessors, Ask.fm, Yik Yak, Yolo and LMK, have been criticized for facilitating cyberbullying and harassment. The last three are all closed, although Yik Yak . is closed Live last fall.
- Although the website asserts that it algorithmically excludes “harmful language and bullying”, NBC News found Some inappropriate phrases crept through the gaps.
- However, anonymous apps have an almost irresistible appeal for younger users: “I guess there’s a bit of ego — I think someone might want to share something with you anonymously,” one of the people who used NGL told me.
Read the full story here.
In other news:
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2. TikTok confirmed that employees residing in China can access US user data. The company confirmed a BuzzFeed News report that employees had frequently accessed the data, but said they could only access the data through an “approval process.” Get the rundown here.
3. If you are looking for a job in the field of technology, you must know these people. To get a job at a fast-growing startup, it’s helpful to know a “talented partner” – someone who works at a venture capital firm like Accel or Index Ventures who specializes in recruiting – so we’ve identified 24 talented partners you should know.
4. A former NASA official warned that SpaceX’s “bro culture” could cause Elon Musk to lose his leadership. Laurie Garver said that SpaceX may struggle to recruit and maintain its workforce, saying, “The best and smartest, they will not tolerate behavior that is really a distraction.” Read more of her comments.
5. An Instagram account of a beagle and a cat has raised thousands of dollars so far this year. 27 year old who runs Instagram account for her pets She’s made brand deals with companies like PetSmart — and has made $22,000 so far. How she invested her pets account.
6. Amazon customers in Europe will now have an easier time canceling Prime than those in the US. Following complaints that Amazon’s “complex” cancellation process was violating EU consumer laws, the company agreed to allow European customers to cancel their prime memberships with just two clicks. Look at what that means.
7. After getting a job at Google through Craigslist, this employee became one of its top engineers. Michael Wiacek spent 13 years at Google, and became one of the handful of principals – the highest-ranking software engineers – at the company. He shares the biggest lessons he learned at Google.
8. Marc Andreessen says telecommuting will cause an “earthquake” in how and where people live. The famous Silicon Valley investor and partner in venture capital fund a16z said remote work could be a “real turning point” in community development – and he’s excited about the possibility. This is what he said too.
Possibilities and endings:
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9. Step up your Google Docs game with these hacks. If you use Google Docs regularly, features like translating the entire document or creating custom shortcuts can help improve your experience. See the 11 Google Docs features that will make your life easier.
10. Opportunists flip Teslas for profits of up to $7,000. As production of electric cars struggles to meet demand, some Tesla owners are selling their cars for thousands more than they spent, the Los Angeles Times reports. What we know about electric car flipping.
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Sponsored by Jordan Parker Erb in New York. (Notes or tips? jerb@insider.com or tweet Tweet embed.)
