86: ‘Diddling Your Feeds’ With Dave Wiskus

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The discussion covers the operational side of running podcast networks and shows, then pivots into a wide-ranging critique of Apple, Google, and Facebook product/design philosophies. Major themes include editing and sponsorship logistics, the Facebook mood-manipulation study, Yosemite/iOS 8 design direction, Google’s Material Design and wearables, and the long-term trajectory of cross-device continuity, privacy, and input/feedback design.

Main Topics: Podcast production workflow and the new role of the editor (Priority: 5/5): Dave describes taking over editing for the talk show, how he listens for overlap and audio issues rather than content, and why multi-person Skype recordings create crosstalk problems. He also explains how editing changes the way he evaluates audio quality and listens to podcasts. Standard.fm and centralized sponsorship sales (Priority: 4/5): The speakers explain the new arrangement for selling sponsorships across multiple shows via standard.fm, emphasizing that it is not a podcast network but a shared sales mechanism that reduces overhead and helps creators focus on their work. Facebook’s emotional-manipulation experiment and feed control (Priority: 5/5): They discuss Facebook’s published experiment that altered users’ feeds to test emotional response, with strong criticism of Facebook’s willingness to manipulate mood and the opaque, non-chronological nature of its feed compared with Twitter’s chronological model. Yosemite, iOS 8, and Apple’s design evolution (Priority: 5/5): A long segment evaluates Yosemite’s UI changes, with praise for the overall restraint and consistency, but frustration over default button states and emphasis on Retina-first design. iOS 8’s continuity, messaging, and responsiveness are also discussed as part of Apple’s broader ecosystem integration. Google Material Design and Android’s design culture (Priority: 4/5): They contrast Google’s Material Design with Apple’s HIG, arguing that Google’s documentation-heavy approach feels more explanatory than internally coherent. The discussion also covers Android app quality, fragmentation, and the challenge of designing for a heterogeneous platform. Wearables, Google Wear watches, and Apple’s likely response (Priority: 5/5): The conversation becomes skeptical of Android Wear and especially the Moto 360’s partially hidden circular display. The speakers argue that current smartwatch designs are aesthetically awkward, battery-constrained, and not compelling enough to justify daily charging unless Apple introduces something meaningfully different. Cellular data, SIM swapping, and continuity across devices (Priority: 4/5): They discuss traveling with temporary SIM cards, the confusion of iMessage and phone-number identity across carriers, and the broader desire for devices to separate data access from phone-number-based telephony. This leads into Bluetooth LE, tethering, and future laptop connectivity concerns.

Key Arguments: Podcast editing for a three-person Skype show requires listening to nearly every second because crosstalk and latency make overlap more likely than in two-person recordings. A centralized sponsorship sales service saves time and lets creators focus on product and software work rather than ad operations. Facebook’s problem is not merely experimentation, but that it openly tried to make users sad as part of a study; that crosses a moral line for many listeners. Twitter is perceived as more transparent because it preserves chronological order and gives users a clearer understanding of what they are seeing. Yosemite feels like an evolutionary refinement rather than a radical break, which makes it easier to adopt than iOS 7 did. The biggest practical usability issue in Yosemite is button-state feedback; the default blue button and its pressed state are too visually similar. Google’s Material Design documentation sounds over-abstract and marketing-heavy, and its philosophy is better understood visually than through its prose. Android’s fragmentation and lower paid-app conversion make high-end design investment less attractive than on iOS. Smartwatches that mirror phone notifications do not yet solve a compelling enough problem to justify frequent charging and awkward wrist hardware. Apple is likely to introduce wearables only if they have a genuinely novel use case rather than an iPhone-like screen strapped to the wrist.

Data Points: Podcast edit time: About 2 hours for a 2-hour episode - Dave says editing the talk show typically takes roughly real time because he must review nearly all audio for overlap and quality. Typical podcast edit overhead: About 1.5x - He notes that many people say editing usually takes roughly one and a half times the runtime. Marco’s ATP edit time: Around 3 hours - Referenced as a comparison for a more complex multi-person show. Facebook study population: 600,000 to 700,000 users - The emotional manipulation experiment is described as affecting a very large user sample. Data cap example: 50 bucks for 250 megabytes - Used to illustrate how expensive international cellular data can be when traveling. Verizon international add-on: 250 megabytes for 20 bucks - Discussed as a temporary data option before traveling abroad. Phone minutes usage: About 30 minutes per month - John says he personally uses very few voice minutes despite paying for cell service. Backblaze restores: Over 6 billion files - Mentioned to emphasize the service’s proven restore track record. Backblaze storage scale: Over 100 petabytes - Used as evidence of the service’s size and reliability. Backblaze pricing: $5 per month per computer - Described as unlimited backup with no upsells. Warby Parker glasses price: Starting at $95 including prescription lenses - Used to contrast Warby Parker’s pricing with traditional optical retail. Warby Parker titanium collection: Starts at $145 - Mentioned as a premium frame option. Transporter discount code: 10% off up to $35 with TTS10 - Promo code for purchasing the device with included storage. Transporter Sync discount: $20 off with TTS20 - Promo code for using your own USB drive with the transport device. Original iPhone anniversary: 7 years - Used to frame a retrospective on Apple, Google, and smartphones. Original iPhone photo size: About 200 KB - The original iPhone’s photos are described as surprisingly tiny by modern standards. Original iPhone photo example: 109 KB - One emailed image from the original iPhone was reported as 109 KB. iPad mini without Retina: 16 GB for $299 - Mentioned as an example of Apple still supporting non-Retina devices.

Pivotal Quotes: "this is what Facebook does time and time again" — John Gruber: Used to frame the emotional-manipulation experiment as consistent with Facebook’s history rather than an isolated mistake. "Material is the metaphor" — Google Material Design docs (quoted by John Gruber): Cited as an example of Google’s overly abstract design language. "it's not broke, don't fix it in terms of what it means to be a Mac app" — John Gruber: Summarizes his view that Yosemite is evolutionary and preserves core Mac conventions.

Implications: The episode suggests that users and developers are moving toward a world of integrated, state-synced devices—but only if companies preserve clarity, privacy, and real utility. It also signals skepticism toward flashy wearables and opaque platform design.