Published inHackerNoon.com·Aug 2, 2018We Need a Summit on Ethical TechI get inspired all the time when reading yet-another thought-provoking and well-researched think piece on Medium regarding ethics in the tech industry. Or the lack thereof, a finger-wagging I-told-you-so. Or a proposal for a code of ethics. Or a I-once-was-blind-but-now-I-see missive from a tech industry veteran. There is clearly enthusiasm around the ethical use of technology. But after my inspirational high wears off, I am always left with a mix of hope and anxiousness:Tech3 min readTech3 min read
Published inHackerNoon.com·Jul 19, 2018ConsenSys Founder Joe Lubin on the Future of BlockchainWe’ve interviewed some interesting and provocative characters on Funny as Tech, a podcast and live show I co-host alongside UCB comedian Joe Leonardo. People like Manoush Zomorodi, Baratunde Thurston, Bridget Carey, Nir Eyal, Laurie Segall, and comedian Chuck Nice. Our goal is to tackle the thorniest issues in technology with…Blockchain15 min readBlockchain15 min read
Published inHackerNoon.com·Nov 21, 2017All Tech Is HumanOur relationship with technology, and social media in particular, is ripe with irony, impulse, and irrational behavior. We have a love/hate with Facebook and our smartphones, which seem to offer us a mixture of both freedom and servitude. The average American spends over fifty minutes a day on the…Technology5 min readTechnology5 min read
Published inChatbots Life·Sep 7, 2017What Is the Future of Conversation? Special Guests to Appear on Funny as Tech September 29th in NYC to DiscussOur relationship with tech is messy…let’s discuss! Funny as Tech is a freewheeling tech comedy panel show that happens monthly in NYC. On Friday, September 29th at 7:30 pm, Funny as Tech will welcome x.ai’s Dennis Mortensen, design researcher Pamela Pavliscak, and tech humanist Kate O’Neill to take a deep…Artificial Intelligence5 min readArtificial Intelligence5 min read
Aug 9, 2017Funny as Tech Live Show August 21st in NYC with Special GuestsOur relationship with technology is messy…let’s discuss! Funny as Tech is a freewheeling tech comedy panel show, taped for podcast. The next show is Monday, August 21st from 8–9 pm. Tickets can be reserved at: bit.ly/FunnyAsTechAug21 Monthly shows happen at the Peoples Improv Theater (123 E 24th Street) in NYC…Comedy5 min readComedy5 min read
Jul 14, 2017Manoush Zomorodi and Douglas Rushkoff to Appear on Funny as Tech July 17th in NYCOur relationship with technology is messy, to say the least. Funny as Tech is a monthly live show (taped for podcast) in NYC that takes a deep-dive into our absurd present and uncertain future with a focus on how social media tech is impacting us — often to the point…Podcast4 min readPodcast4 min read
May 17, 2017Funny as Tech Launches June 2nd in NYC with Special GuestsFunny as Tech, a live show/podcast that provides comedy and conversation for our brave new world, will hold its inaugural show on Friday, June 2nd at the PIT Loft in NYC at 10:30 pm. Special guests for June 2nd include TJ Allard (Emmy Award winning Producer, NBC), Lori White (Director…Comedy5 min readComedy5 min read
Sep 8, 2016We’re at Now, Now: Interview with Douglas RushkoffNote: this article and interview was originally done in March 2014. Given its subject matter, and the fact that Douglas Rushkoff was looking towards the future, it seems ripe for revisiting. Rushkoff recently launched the podcast Team Human. By David Ryan Polgar Our life has turned into an absurd moment…Technology6 min readTechnology6 min read
Jan 14, 2015The Ethics of Twitter Pump-N-DumpsWelcome to the age of metrics anxiety. Each new day brings new us numbers we can track. On Twitter, there are three that are prominently featured: how many tweets have you sent, how many accounts do you follow, and how many accounts follow you. Those numbers may trigger internal judgments…4 min read4 min read
Published inSitcom World·Jul 15, 2014Zack Morris on Tech EtiquetteWe all know his brick-phone, but we may have forgotten his guidance to put down our phones and connect. — By David Ryan Polgar Everything I needed to know in life, I learned from my years at Bayside. I learned about integrity from Principal Belding. I learned about the dangers of drugs from Jessie Spano. …Technology3 min readTechnology3 min read
