Interesting picks off the internet
Among them, writing by AI, Portugal's success and a puzzle subscription.
Photo by Nihat from Pexels
My first pick off the net is one that may make you happy if you like words and puzzles. The New York Times Games subscription seems to be a steal at Rs. 1000 per year for 6 games, 4 of which are word games.
But, my second pick below darkens the euphoria a bit.
“I’ll explain why this is one of the worst things that could have been done to small businesses in India. By implementing this rule, cash flows of businesses all over India have been crunched—threatening their survival. It has cut off India as a market for international products and services. Above all, the ones who are winning as a result of this regulation are the big, legacy incumbents, with smaller companies paying the price.”
You’ve heard, I’m sure, of the new RBI regulation on recurring payments. If you are one of those who have had trouble with recurring subscription payments since it came into effect, this explainer by The Ken on what is going on is for you.
“So if I train an AI on everything Seth Godin writes, it may be able to copy his sentence structure and his frequent use of the word ‘you’ and his one-line paragraphs, but it can’t really be as witty as Seth, because Seth is always going in a direction you don’t quite expect.”
Discussions abound on whether AI will substitute writers. Here is writer Josh Bernoff’s take on why that will not happen.
“When a customer answers the question of what something is worth, economists call it ‘perceived value,’ and this mental notion of how many dollars they would trade for a good or service can be shaped and expanded.… So what might we call the opposite, the provider’s perception of their own product’s or service’s worth? Economists I asked couldn’t give me a satisfying answer.”
For those in the ever-expanding gig economy, there are still so many questions on how much to quote for an assignment. But, as per this article, one thing is clear - undercharging happens a lot.
“Despite the global financial crisis a decade ago and the more recent economic downturn driven by the pandemic, Portugal has emerged as a growth model for Europe’s smaller economies, which have struggled to balance cultural traditions and political values against the demands of much larger economies—such as Germany, France, and Italy—with which they share the euro.”
This piece from Foreign Policy explains how Portugal is turning out to be the little engine that could and is thriving much more than countries usually considered prosperous in Europe.
“Jutting out of the water, oyster-encrusted reefs glisten in the sun. These reefs are vibrant homes for marine life, a potential source of income for local people and … they could become a formidable force to defend Kutubdia Island from sea level rise.”
You don’t have to be a climate expert to understand that low-lying countries like Bangladesh will bear the brunt of climate change. But this engaging article shows that Bangladesh’s creation of oyster reefs will lead to a welcome confluence of harmony with nature, economic alternatives and sustainable climate action.
Until next time,
Michelle