@janvandenbulck.bsky.social
Do you talk about your tech as a "he" or "she"? Or give ChatGPT a name? You're only being human mediatedmessages.substack.com/p/ai-started...
AI started to sound like a person, until it didn’t
What Narrative Engagement can teach us about talking to machines
mediatedmessages.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Do you talk about your tech as a "he" or "she"? Or give ChatGPT a name? You're only being human mediatedmessages.substack.com/p/ai-started...
Happy Yearly “Daylight Savings Ends” news rehash to those who celebrate
November 2, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Happy Yearly “Daylight Savings Ends” news rehash to those who celebrate
The best Halloween costume for a department chair is a "Where's Waldo" outfit
(Image created with AI)
(Image created with AI)
October 31, 2025 at 2:41 PM
The best Halloween costume for a department chair is a "Where's Waldo" outfit
(Image created with AI)
(Image created with AI)
Halloween Notice To Department Chairs:
The most appropriate Halloween costume that sums up all perspectives (positive and negative) is a "Where's Waldo?" outfit
The most appropriate Halloween costume that sums up all perspectives (positive and negative) is a "Where's Waldo?" outfit
October 29, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Halloween Notice To Department Chairs:
The most appropriate Halloween costume that sums up all perspectives (positive and negative) is a "Where's Waldo?" outfit
The most appropriate Halloween costume that sums up all perspectives (positive and negative) is a "Where's Waldo?" outfit
Early in my career, I often taught public speaking seminars. I always tried to base it on research insights, not just gut feelings. The most impressive research was and remains Prof. Max Atkinson’s insights on how to get applause. open.substack.com/pub/mediated...
How to get applause
The simple science behind successful speeches: triads, timing, and signals audiences can’t resist.
open.substack.com
October 25, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Early in my career, I often taught public speaking seminars. I always tried to base it on research insights, not just gut feelings. The most impressive research was and remains Prof. Max Atkinson’s insights on how to get applause. open.substack.com/pub/mediated...
Do you use your phone while watching TV? Good. Second-screening isn't a crime or a sin. open.substack.com/pub/mediated...
Are you on your phone while watching TV? Good.
Why second-screening makes sense and requires no guilt
open.substack.com
October 13, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Do you use your phone while watching TV? Good. Second-screening isn't a crime or a sin. open.substack.com/pub/mediated...
Sure, it's 10/10, but outside of the USA it's actually 10/10!
October 11, 2025 at 1:39 AM
Sure, it's 10/10, but outside of the USA it's actually 10/10!
FEED: “Here is an exciting piece. It looks free.”
ME: (Click)
PIECE: “Not so fast: $1 a month for three months and then an undisclosed amount and no way to ever click your way out of a subscription”
ME: “Now I will *never* subscribe”
FEED: “Made you look!” (makes note in the Book of Algorithm.)
ME: (Click)
PIECE: “Not so fast: $1 a month for three months and then an undisclosed amount and no way to ever click your way out of a subscription”
ME: “Now I will *never* subscribe”
FEED: “Made you look!” (makes note in the Book of Algorithm.)
October 9, 2025 at 6:05 PM
FEED: “Here is an exciting piece. It looks free.”
ME: (Click)
PIECE: “Not so fast: $1 a month for three months and then an undisclosed amount and no way to ever click your way out of a subscription”
ME: “Now I will *never* subscribe”
FEED: “Made you look!” (makes note in the Book of Algorithm.)
ME: (Click)
PIECE: “Not so fast: $1 a month for three months and then an undisclosed amount and no way to ever click your way out of a subscription”
ME: “Now I will *never* subscribe”
FEED: “Made you look!” (makes note in the Book of Algorithm.)
These are the only three exercises I recommend for staying healthy until you are 100. Follow me for more, because tomorrow I will describe 4 different exercises that are the only ones I recommend to stay healthy until 100
October 5, 2025 at 5:21 PM
These are the only three exercises I recommend for staying healthy until you are 100. Follow me for more, because tomorrow I will describe 4 different exercises that are the only ones I recommend to stay healthy until 100
“Is it something we did?”
I received another one of these annoying emails from a company I once bought something from. Do they think they can guilt-trip me into buying more stuff? It is so off-putting.
“No, it wasn’t anything you did… until you sent me this message!”
I received another one of these annoying emails from a company I once bought something from. Do they think they can guilt-trip me into buying more stuff? It is so off-putting.
“No, it wasn’t anything you did… until you sent me this message!”
September 26, 2025 at 7:34 PM
“Is it something we did?”
I received another one of these annoying emails from a company I once bought something from. Do they think they can guilt-trip me into buying more stuff? It is so off-putting.
“No, it wasn’t anything you did… until you sent me this message!”
I received another one of these annoying emails from a company I once bought something from. Do they think they can guilt-trip me into buying more stuff? It is so off-putting.
“No, it wasn’t anything you did… until you sent me this message!”
I learn new media effects phenomena from my students. One anecdote is not a theory, but can be a signal worth studying. Yesterday, I learned that social media currently focuses a lot on “micro-imperfections” you didn’t realize you had. Are you sure your elbows look normal? You looked, didn’t ya?!
September 23, 2025 at 6:51 PM
I learn new media effects phenomena from my students. One anecdote is not a theory, but can be a signal worth studying. Yesterday, I learned that social media currently focuses a lot on “micro-imperfections” you didn’t realize you had. Are you sure your elbows look normal? You looked, didn’t ya?!
Are you sharing memes, jokes, and reels incessantly? Guess what, so do I. Somebody called it "pebbling," and I am here for it!
open.substack.com/pub/mediated...
open.substack.com/pub/mediated...
Pebbling: How sharing memes can get us in touch with our inner penguin
Jokes as relationship maintenance
open.substack.com
September 22, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Are you sharing memes, jokes, and reels incessantly? Guess what, so do I. Somebody called it "pebbling," and I am here for it!
open.substack.com/pub/mediated...
open.substack.com/pub/mediated...
Summer’s best find: Parker novels. Richard Stark’s prose is like his main character: mean, fast, no ballast, no emotion.
September 19, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Summer’s best find: Parker novels. Richard Stark’s prose is like his main character: mean, fast, no ballast, no emotion.
I am currently conducting an unintentional self-experiment. After an Android update, I moved my social media folder from the second to the opening page of my phone. It is scary how often I automatically swipe to my social media, which I notice each time because the folder is no longer there!
September 16, 2025 at 4:48 PM
I am currently conducting an unintentional self-experiment. After an Android update, I moved my social media folder from the second to the opening page of my phone. It is scary how often I automatically swipe to my social media, which I notice each time because the folder is no longer there!
Welcome to another year of "I've done it before, but I don't remember how" on Canvas/Blackboard/Your Institution's Online "Learning" "Environment". Don't worry, they've changed everything over the Summer anyway
August 24, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Welcome to another year of "I've done it before, but I don't remember how" on Canvas/Blackboard/Your Institution's Online "Learning" "Environment". Don't worry, they've changed everything over the Summer anyway
Phone spam is the most remarkable thing ever: phone companies enabling or letting or being unable to prevent the total destruction of their own service. Are there other examples like this? Horses delivering the first cars?
August 20, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Phone spam is the most remarkable thing ever: phone companies enabling or letting or being unable to prevent the total destruction of their own service. Are there other examples like this? Horses delivering the first cars?
Our department is hiring an open-rank professor in media industries. Deadline 8 September. lnkd.in/emRKfibd
LinkedIn
This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn
lnkd.in
August 19, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Our department is hiring an open-rank professor in media industries. Deadline 8 September. lnkd.in/emRKfibd
Easy media effects prediction: Jason Momoa’s Chief of War will lead to a considerable increase in people interested in and learning Ōlelo Hawaiʻi, the Hawaiian language
August 19, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Easy media effects prediction: Jason Momoa’s Chief of War will lead to a considerable increase in people interested in and learning Ōlelo Hawaiʻi, the Hawaiian language
Communication is hard and every message can be interpreted in more than one way. Or is a fire alarm an exception?
open.substack.com/pub/mediated...
open.substack.com/pub/mediated...
Is a fire alarm the purest form of communication?
The hidden complexity of everyday communication
open.substack.com
August 8, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Communication is hard and every message can be interpreted in more than one way. Or is a fire alarm an exception?
open.substack.com/pub/mediated...
open.substack.com/pub/mediated...
Lee Child's Reacher books are underappreciated wordsmithing works of art. He keeps chipping away at the non-essentials until pretty soon an entire book will consist of three-word sentences:
July 25, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Lee Child's Reacher books are underappreciated wordsmithing works of art. He keeps chipping away at the non-essentials until pretty soon an entire book will consist of three-word sentences:
I am now so old I get carpal tunnel syndrome from simply scrolling down to my birth-year
July 24, 2025 at 3:55 PM
I am now so old I get carpal tunnel syndrome from simply scrolling down to my birth-year
Caught in a conflict loop? Communication theory has a suggestion open.substack.com/pub/mediated...
Having a big argument with a loved one? Ask a dolphin
Couples, Conflict, and Communication
open.substack.com
July 23, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Caught in a conflict loop? Communication theory has a suggestion open.substack.com/pub/mediated...
Critics mock Gen Z’s fascination with astrology: how could anyone believe there are only twelve kinds of people? Fair enough. But then why do we treat entire generations as if they each have a single personality type? We don’t even have twelve generational labels for all the people alive today.
July 20, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Critics mock Gen Z’s fascination with astrology: how could anyone believe there are only twelve kinds of people? Fair enough. But then why do we treat entire generations as if they each have a single personality type? We don’t even have twelve generational labels for all the people alive today.
For the sake of us Murderbot fans: will somebody please produce “The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon“?!
July 19, 2025 at 8:59 PM
For the sake of us Murderbot fans: will somebody please produce “The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon“?!
My latest newsletter, about reality, fiction, and perceived realism.
mediatedmessages.substack.com/p/what-a-pop...
mediatedmessages.substack.com/p/what-a-pop...
July 18, 2025 at 9:29 PM
My latest newsletter, about reality, fiction, and perceived realism.
mediatedmessages.substack.com/p/what-a-pop...
mediatedmessages.substack.com/p/what-a-pop...