Election Season and Algorithms

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Mark Fonseca Rendeiro

As the American election draws ever closer, Mark ponders how AI could maybe help run any not for profit independent podcast. He also dives into the familiar struggle with publishing quickly and fighting the big companies vs joining them in an effort to just keep your content online and reach people. Later some chit-chat about how he used to accidentally nullify all his ballots in Dutch elections only to discover after 10+ years his votes never counted. This leads to some jabs at the “you must vote” moral policing that kind hearted Americans do to one another. Mark assures you, dear listener, that you if you choose not to vote, he will not shun you. Also if you unknowingly spoil your ballot, no judgement here. This and some other topics on this episode… tune in!

The Summer of 2001 Through 2024 Ears

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Mark Fonseca Rendeiro

Im in the kitchen preparing a meal for the family with just enough time to describe a little radio activity I’ve been working on. It involves listening back to talk radio programs from the end of the summer of 2001 and the leadup to 9/11. Hearing how people spoke and thought back then which is, of course, extremely familiar as I was there and these programs are from my home region. All this through the lens of what we are living through in 2024 and the ways we think and function now. Some people may not want to go back, I find it fascinating to do so.

Dark Days: A Traditional Monologue Episode

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Mark Fonseca Rendeiro

Instead of the interview style podcasts this program has been about for almost 2 decades, today we’re back to the other great tradition of old school personal publishing — the monologue.

Janelle Ward: The Shifting Sands of Social Media

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Mark Fonseca Rendeiro
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Janelle Ward

Janelle Ward and I were once eager grad students at the University of Amsterdam where we dove head first into the world of personal publishing before most of the world had any idea what this was or why it would matter.

20+ years later, we are communications professionals, somehow still sitting in the Netherlands, watching events unfold online and offline.

The past few months, with the growing unrest and major changes taking place at social media companies, we wonder if this is a major moment that will define the next era of personal publishing and existing online? Today we chat about what it might all mean and what we remember about how we got here.

Matthew Dons: Making Cancer History

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Mark Fonseca Rendeiro
In Haarlem, NL
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Matthew Dons
In Tokyo, JP

Matthew Dons is back! And after having been diagnosed with terminal cancer over 6 years ago; that’s saying something!

Today on the program we continue to follow his story of life, not after cancer, but with cancer. Including the launch of his new online course to help combat the misinformation that has found its way into every corner of the internet. “Making Cancer History” is the course he is teaching and people around the world are taking notice!

Trui Hanoulle: Women Who Dare To Move

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Mark Fonseca Rendeiro
In the Netherlands
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Trui Hanoulle
in Belgium

For Trui Hanoulle it started as an interest in going places and learning about people. Over the past two decades what followed became a life’s work; to gather stories about women who dare to move even in the face of prejudice, stereotypes, and other elements of gender barriers.

Today on the podcast Trui joins me to talk about her mission and what she has seen and learned from the back of a motorcycle across continents and within cultures that many of us do not often hear from. She has also been kind enough to share photos of her project “Move She Does” which you can see here or in your podcast app as the episode plays.