In a 2011 talk at the Chaos Communication Congress in Berlin, author and activist Cory Doctorow argued that future policy fights over copyright, security, and control would really be fights about restricting general-purpose computers themselves. He framed the debate as moving beyond copyright disputes into a broader struggle over who controls what computers are allowed to do.
en.wikisource.org
· 2026-09-13
A guide on workplace humor examines how leaders and employees can use jokes to build rapport without embarrassing themselves or colleagues. It draws on an example of a finance director opening a results presentation to hundreds of staff with humor, illustrating how tone and timing shape whether a joke lands well in a professional setting.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-13
CISA, the FBI and international partners published a joint advisory this month titled 'Communicating Under Pressure: Best Practices for Service Providers,' addressing poor communication during IT and OT outages. The guidance calls on companies to move away from PR-driven messaging and instead give users transparent, actionable updates about root causes and expected impacts during disruptions.
darkreading.com
· 2026-09-11
A roundup of insights from 25 business leaders outlines how they maintain team alignment during unpredictable economic conditions. The leaders emphasize clarity, consistent communication, and a strong sense of purpose as tools to keep employees productive and motivated despite external turbulence.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-11
Researchers led by psychologist Tobias Brosch at the University of Geneva analyzed 71 studies covering over 216,000 participants to compare climate-communication strategies. Published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, the review found that messages evoking awe, wonder or hope were more effective at motivating climate-friendly behavior than purely scientific fact-based appeals, while messages emphasizing personal responsibility often failed or backfired.
nature.com
· 2026-09-11
A workplace consultant describes coaching a client whose budget and headcount request got lost inside a dense slide deck full of revenue charts and staffing data. The consultant argues the core ask should come first, not buried behind supporting evidence, and offers a four-step framework for structuring presentations so leadership actually absorbs the request.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-10
Research highlighted in the report shows people are talking to each other less often than in the past, a shift attributed largely to rising reliance on digital communication over in-person interaction. Analysts warn this decline in conversation is already affecting mental health and workplace dynamics, yet most organizations have not adjusted policies to address it.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-10
UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy announced plans to introduce legislation forcing Apple and Google to build device-level safeguards preventing children from taking, sharing, or viewing nude images on phones and tablets. The move comes after a three-month voluntary compliance deadline given in June, which Nandy says produced only partial improvements from the companies.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-08
A roundup drawing on input from industry experts outlines 16 workplace skills that are becoming more important as AI tools become more common in businesses. The list spans communication, critical thinking, leadership and adaptability, areas the experts say depend on human judgment that AI cannot replicate.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-04
More than 200 employees at the Wikimedia Foundation voted 158-14 to join the Communications Workers of America, with results tallied by the National Labor Relations Board. The unionizing group spans software engineering, finance and communications roles across the roughly 700-person, largely remote nonprofit behind Wikipedia.
wired.com
· 2026-09-04
New research examining phone-free classroom policies, now adopted by a growing number of states, finds essentially no measurable improvement in student test scores and only marginal shifts in other outcomes like behavior. Cell phone restrictions in schools aren't a new phenomenon either—Maryland first banned phones and pagers in classrooms back in 1989 to curb communication tied to illegal activity.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-03
Conversational AI features are letting employees speak their thoughts aloud rather than type and heavily edit emails, reports, and presentations. This shift could reduce time spent perfecting formal, buttoned-up business language in favor of a more natural, spoken tone in workplace writing.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-03