Humani: Jessie's Story
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Humani: Jessie’s Story turns the sitcom into a chatbot game

Jessie came into my life a couple of weeks ago. She was announced by her creators at PullString at the beginning of April as part of a conversation-based narrative game called Humani: Jessie’s Story, which you play on Facebook Messenger. You only need to say “hi” to meet Jessie, who is a 20-something girl who is not only experiencing a quarter-life crisis, but also looking for a job, a boyfriend, and a new apartment — all in the same day. You go along for the ride. As Jessie gives you the lowdown on how to get to a job interview, how to find the best shared house, or how…

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The rocky path to widespread internet access in India

This article is part of a collaboration with iQ by Intel. If you’re reading this, you probably have internet. In fact, you may rely on the internet for a significant portion of the day. You may wake up in the morning and check the weather on your phone, or use your laptop to type out a message to your boss or coworker. You’re one of the lucky 43 percent. In India, you’re one of the 29 percent. Facebook launched Internet.org in India alongside Indian mobile company Reliance Communications in early April, hoping to discover an efficient way to provide free…

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Facebook’s looking to streamline your next breakup

I started dating when MSN Messenger was still a thing and started breaking up in the era of Facebook, which was a good system right up until the moment that it wasn’t. That last comment is probably a fair description of all relationships. Social media did not create the awkwardness of breakups, but it did lengthen the gauntlet through which the newly single must run, and running is hard when all you want to do is stay in bed with Netflix and a tub of ice cream. Facebook has apparently decided to do something about this 21st century problem. In a…

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Following the digital ghosts of a dead social network

Do you worship at the altar of the microblog? Think about it. What’s your morning ritual? Reaching for your phone before you brush your teeth? Commenting on a Facebook status during the drive to work? Replying to emails between bites of a breakfast bagel? The trailer of Book of the Dead says it best: “Entertainment dominates our lives. We consume content and it consumes us.” We consume content and it consumes us.   Silverstring Media, the team behind Book of the Dead, calls the project a digital triptych, a three-part interactive project, on a world in ruins after the collapse…