July 7, 2019
SOMETHING NEW
Born from the hosting team that brought you the branded podcast Breach, So, Bob is a podcast that informs and entertains with episodes surrounding internet surveillance and privacy. Alia Tavakolian and Bob Sullivan head up this Spoke Media show, and together create a sense of wonder to accompany an equal sense of dread about the trappings of our increasingly technological world. The hosting combo provides the perspective of an eager and well-informed millennial who nonetheless admits she has a lot to learn, and a battleworn tech journalist who possesses a guarded but healthy optimism about the state of the change in the world. So, Bob takes a layman centered approach, placing the concerns of the average user in the forefront to guide case studies seeking to understand whether tech is good or evil.
This is the right question, albeit one that trends towards the same answer in every case: it depends on how the tech is being implemented and dissected.
Before journeying forth into your initial listen, let go of any vision you might have for the show to adjudicate on issues like whether smart meters should exist or whether apps should have the ability to charge users to access data. These and other inconspicuously implemented products are out of the bag. The real question is how concerned we should be of certain things that cross a line, and what measures individuals can take to reign in their own data. There is no broad right or wrong answer here (other than, of course, that companies could all stand to be a good deal more transparent), and the production shies away from trafficking in absolutes. As frustrating as it can be to live in that gray area, it is definitely the right tack to adopt if the goal is to enlighten folks about the deals we’ve made and continue to make by playing a passive role in data exploitation.
Despite the lack of disseminating authoritative takeaways, So, Bob does have an interest in asking big questions. Think more collegiate philosophy class and less fundamental Sunday school. Some of the best episodes are the ones where tech intersects with a broader societal question. For example, “Is Technology Fueling Overwork?” does a good job of contextualizing human fallibility in the midst of corporate overreach. It highlights our interactional relationship with tech alongside cultures that have pushed a vision of work/life despite implicitly yearning for more and more of an employee’s time. There is also an intriguing psychological thread here about whether we place the blame on manipulative companies preying on our weaknesses or our own lack of willpower.
In addition to the big picture questions, we are treated to Minisodes: bite size explainers informed by listener questions about a specific instance of ill-defined-yet-pervasive technology. This is refreshing, especially since a minisode or podcast extra is couched as some kind of bonus perk, a deleted scene or some other bit of digital ephemera that a production team wants to air but doesn’t feel it can integrate into a standard episode. The So, Bob minisodes are their own thing and don’t read as afterthoughts, still contemplative in nature but a little more focused around getting an answer to a specific query. Maybe my favorite part of the whole series comes in what feels like a minisode inserted near the end of the penultimate episode of season one (“Is Targeting Creepy?”), a profile featuring Spoke Media president Keith Reynolds explaining how the company conducts their advertising practice.
Bob makes a salient point in the last episode of season 1, regarding the rise of a middle class after property was made available for a much larger swath of society. In a world where data is a commodity, the lack of an ability of citizens to retain a right to personal data may signal a slide into more far-reaching digital serfdoms than the ones that already exist. The more we can reclaim ownership of the data so many third parties have couched as their right to collect and retain, the greater chance we’ll have at staving off this sort of neo-feudalism. This can all, understandably, feel a bit conspiratorial. What can Facebook or Google really do with my information, anyway? It can be so very tempting to relinquish control in the glow of an ever-expanding newsfeed, simply assuming the bargain of data for access is mutually beneficial enough not to worry. If, however, you are using technology and have even a little inkling of curiosity about what goes on behind the scenes, So, Bob is a brilliant way to dip your toe in the waters of the resistance.
Before journeying forth into your initial listen, let go of any vision you might have for the show to adjudicate on issues like whether smart meters should exist or whether apps should have the ability to charge users to access data. These and other inconspicuously implemented products are out of the bag. The real question is how concerned we should be of certain things that cross a line, and what measures individuals can take to reign in their own data. There is no broad right or wrong answer here (other than, of course, that companies could all stand to be a good deal more transparent), and the production shies away from trafficking in absolutes. As frustrating as it can be to live in that gray area, it is definitely the right tack to adopt if the goal is to enlighten folks about the deals we’ve made and continue to make by playing a passive role in data exploitation.
Despite the lack of disseminating authoritative takeaways, So, Bob does have an interest in asking big questions. Think more collegiate philosophy class and less fundamental Sunday school. Some of the best episodes are the ones where tech intersects with a broader societal question. For example, “Is Technology Fueling Overwork?” does a good job of contextualizing human fallibility in the midst of corporate overreach. It highlights our interactional relationship with tech alongside cultures that have pushed a vision of work/life despite implicitly yearning for more and more of an employee’s time. There is also an intriguing psychological thread here about whether we place the blame on manipulative companies preying on our weaknesses or our own lack of willpower.
In addition to the big picture questions, we are treated to Minisodes: bite size explainers informed by listener questions about a specific instance of ill-defined-yet-pervasive technology. This is refreshing, especially since a minisode or podcast extra is couched as some kind of bonus perk, a deleted scene or some other bit of digital ephemera that a production team wants to air but doesn’t feel it can integrate into a standard episode. The So, Bob minisodes are their own thing and don’t read as afterthoughts, still contemplative in nature but a little more focused around getting an answer to a specific query. Maybe my favorite part of the whole series comes in what feels like a minisode inserted near the end of the penultimate episode of season one (“Is Targeting Creepy?”), a profile featuring Spoke Media president Keith Reynolds explaining how the company conducts their advertising practice.
Bob makes a salient point in the last episode of season 1, regarding the rise of a middle class after property was made available for a much larger swath of society. In a world where data is a commodity, the lack of an ability of citizens to retain a right to personal data may signal a slide into more far-reaching digital serfdoms than the ones that already exist. The more we can reclaim ownership of the data so many third parties have couched as their right to collect and retain, the greater chance we’ll have at staving off this sort of neo-feudalism. This can all, understandably, feel a bit conspiratorial. What can Facebook or Google really do with my information, anyway? It can be so very tempting to relinquish control in the glow of an ever-expanding newsfeed, simply assuming the bargain of data for access is mutually beneficial enough not to worry. If, however, you are using technology and have even a little inkling of curiosity about what goes on behind the scenes, So, Bob is a brilliant way to dip your toe in the waters of the resistance.
From: Spoke Media
Recommended for: Anyone who wishes to know more about what the heck is going on in the world of controlling data.
Drop Schedule: Monday, Weekly (Season 1 concluded last week)
Average episode length: 40 minutes (15 minutes for Minisodes)
Rating: Gotta Have It
THE LIST
Even if you skip out on the rest of So, Bob (which you shouldn't...see above review) you should absolutely take in this fabulous journey into the world of tracking. From expert devil's advocate testimony to a glimpse into podcast advertising (seriously, thrilling stuff!) this is the go-to episode for anyone who browses the internet or uses web-based technology.
The intro to this first episode of this enthralling show pleased me so much. I feel like I may derive some sort of ASMR-like joy simply from listening to things along the lines of the first 3:30 of this episode. I don't want to spoil your experience of this show with any further detail.
Rough Translation has had some great episodes over the past couple seasons, but this story might be their most gripping. It's a coming-of-age story wrapped in a multi-generational struggle of cultural identity, all veiled in grief.
Do you file taxes? Even if that sounds like an extremely boring attempt to prompt a listen, take a chance on the latest from Reply All. I have started to see the phrase 'dark pattern' pop up all over the place, and thanks to this episode I've got a great reference point.
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