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Ernie Smith

When Atari Was Politicized

The story of how the “Atari Democrats” came to shape the way politics and technology work together, for good and bad.

Mar 24, 2023

Mar 24, 2023

Ernie Smith

Lessons In Pivoting: The Live Events Company That Became a Tech Company Overnight

The story of One Day University, an online education platform that learned something about its own ability to survive during the pandemic.

Feb 20, 2022

Lessons In Pivoting: The Live Events Company That Became a Tech Company Overnight

Feb 20, 2022

Ernie Smith

Why Gmail Always Cuts Off Your Favorite Newsletter

Popular email clients, particularly Gmail, have a tendency to cut emails off after a 102-kilobyte limit. Why the heck is that?

Dec 26, 2020

Why Gmail Always Cuts Off Your Favorite Newsletter

Dec 26, 2020

Ernie Smith

The Reason Low Overpass Crashes Are So Fun to Watch

Why low overpasses are often so damaging to trucks, RVs, and other large vehicles — and why the ensuing crashes are so fun to watch.

Nov 1, 2020

The Reason Low Overpass Crashes Are So Fun to Watch

Nov 1, 2020

Ernie Smith

Why Iceland Banned Beer—But Not Liquor—for Nearly 75 Years

For decades, it was easier to get a bottle of vodka in Iceland than a pint of beer. The reason why comes down to Icelandic politics.

Oct 13, 2020

Why Iceland Banned Beer—But Not Liquor—for Nearly 75 Years

Oct 13, 2020

Ernie Smith

Why the World Still Needs Laugh Tracks

“Canned laughter,” a controversial element of most television comedy, feels unnerving in its quarantine-era absence.

May 31, 2020

Why the World Still Needs Laugh Tracks

May 31, 2020

Ernie Smith

Before There Was Corona Beer, There Was Ayds Candy

The surprisingly true story of Ayds, a diet suppressant candy that was incredibly successful … until its name became a big problem.

Apr 3, 2020

Before There Was Corona Beer, There Was Ayds Candy

Apr 3, 2020

Ernie Smith

Why Milk Crates Are Almost Too Perfect For Storing Stuff

How the milk crate, a commonly stolen type of container, became the target of legal regulations that were once novel—but now problematic.

Nov 13, 2019

Why Milk Crates Are Almost Too Perfect For Storing Stuff

Nov 13, 2019

Ernie Smith

The Creatively Tense Power of Doing Things the Wrong Way

Pondering the way that the creative process is often directed by rules which, in many cases, stifle creativity.

Nov 9, 2019

The Creatively Tense Power of Doing Things the Wrong Way

Nov 9, 2019

Ernie Smith

St. Helena: The Tiny, Remote Island With the Expensive Airport

Two years ago, a tiny island in the Atlantic Ocean got its first airport — perhaps the world’s most obscure, but necessary, airport.

Oct 24, 2019

St. Helena: The Tiny, Remote Island With the Expensive Airport

Oct 24, 2019

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Ernie Smith

Editor of @readtedium, the dull side of the internet. You may know me from @ShortFormBlog. Subscribe to my thought machine: http://tedium.co/

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