Google and China: Flip, Flop, Flap

Google’s Beijing offices in 2010, when the company decided to stop censoring its results and exit the market. I’ve been covering Google’s rather tortured relationship with China for more than 15 years now. The company’s off again, on again approach to the Internet’s largest “untapped” market has proven vexing, but...Read more

On Leaving the Bay Area

I first moved to the Bay area in 1983. I graduated from high school, spent my summer as an exchange student/day laborer in England (long story), then began studies at Berkeley, where I had a Navy scholarship (another long story). 1983. 35 years ago. 1983 was one year before the...Read more

When Senators Ask Followup Questions, You Answer Them.

Following my Senate testimony last month, several Senators reached out with additional questions and clarification requests. As I understand it this is pretty standard. Given I published my testimony here earlier, I asked if I could do the same for my written followup. The committee agreed, the questions and my...Read more

The Tragedy of the Data Commons

Before, and after? A theme of my writing over the past ten or so years has been the role of data in society. I tend to frame that role anthropologically: How have we adapted to this new element in our society? What tools and social structures have we created in...Read more

My Senate Testimony

(image) Today I had a chance to testify to the US Senate on the subject of Facebook, Cambridge Analytica, and data privacy. It was an honor, and a bit scary, but overall an experience I’ll never forget. Below is the written testimony I delivered to the Commerce committee on Sunday,...Read more
My Predictions for 2018

My Predictions for 2018

The post My Predictions for 2018 appeared first on John Battelle's Search Blog. (cross posted from NewCo Shift) So many predictions from so many smart people these days. When I started doing these posts fifteen years ago, prognostication wasn’t much in the air. But a host of way-smarter-than-me folks are...Read more
Predictions 2017 – How’d I Do This Year?

Predictions 2017 – How’d I Do This Year?

The post Predictions 2017 – How’d I Do This Year? appeared first on John Battelle's Search Blog. Every year, I make predictions, and every year, I score myself. As I wrote nearly 12 months ago, 2017 felt particularly unpredictable. As it turns out, my musings were often on target. Except when...Read more
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