Automattic to Migrate Tumblr to WordPress Infrastructure

• Automattic has announced plans to migrate Tumblr’s backend to WordPress… and they want to do it without changing the Tubmlr user experience.
• “We’re not talking about changing Tumblr. We’re not turning Tumblr into WordPress… We’re talking about running Tumblr’s backend on WordPress. You won’t even notice a difference from the outside.”
• Automattic expects the move to benefit both platforms:
  • Tumblr will run on the proven WordPress.com platform, and will benefit from the collective effort that goes into the open source WordPress project.
  • The WordPress project will benefit from the tools and creativity created for Tumblr.
• The technical lift to migrate Tumblr’s more than 500 million individual blogs is mind-blowing!
• I think this will also be another excellent study to combat the “WordPress can’t scale” argument, should things go well.
• Automattic is now recruiting passionate developers and creative thinkers to join this ambitious project.

The Alarming Reality of ‘Active Listening’ Ad Targeting Exposed!

• First of all, haven’t we at least suspected this was going on all along? Or am I the only one who would be talking about something only to later be presented with mobile ads for that very product or service?
• Cox Media Group (CMG) claims it can target ads based on what potential customers say near device microphones.
• A pitch deck obtained by 404 Media provides more details on this “Active Listening” capability.
• The presentation explicitly names Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Bing as CMG partners.
• 404 Media first reported on Active Listening in December, based on information from CMG’s website before it was deleted.
• The pitch deck shows how CMG was marketing this product to companies interested in targeting customers based on microphone data.
• Google has removed CMG from its advertising Partners Program after 404 Media asked for comment on the slide deck.
• The full extent of how this technology works and its implementation remains unclear, but it certainly raises questions about the ethics and privacy implications of such technology.
• If this is true, and there is evidence to suggest that it is, have advertisers gone to far? Have we, as consumers, given away too much privacy for the sake of convenient tech?
• Read 404 Media’s ongoing coverage of the use of Active Listening to target you for ads.

Watermarking AI Content and Why It Matters

• California just passed a bill that mandates watermarks on AI-generated content to fight misinformation, and major companies like OpenAI, Adobe, and Microsoft are supporting it.
• The passing of this bill could set a national legal precedent for AI content regulation.
• Watermarks are intended to increase transparency and help consumers identify AI-generated material (and they “can’t” be removed).
• This law could protect you and your clients from future legal issues related to unmarked AI content. But does revealing your use of AI change things between you and your clients?
• There is no word, yet, on what the penalties will be for not using watermarking for AI content. However, understanding the method of detection is important because there is currently no completely reliable way to recognize AI content.
• The bill highlights the growing need for companies, agencies, and governments to manage AI tools ethically and honestly.
• In my agency, we don’t use AI to write content, but we do use it to brainstorm and enhance content. If your clients knew that AI had at least helped you with content writing, would you still use it?
• This isn’t a topic that is going away. Get the facts on Techcrunch and The Verge.

Worth a Look

• Which is more important – Good SEO or good content? It’s not that simple. This article explains how to prioritize SEO tasks to get the best possible performance in rankings, while providing useful content to users.
• While we’re on the subject, learn how you can get some easy SEO wins by leveraging Google Search Console in SearchEngineLand’s easy-to-follow guide.
• When you hear about a new SQL Injection Vulnerability, do you just nod and hope that no one asks you to explain what it means? The Admin Bar explains what SQL Injections are and why they are so dangerous.