Make Your Own Data Gifs, Better Blog Posts & The Internet in 355 Slides

What’s New This Week?

What’s Up with the ‘Net?
You’d think that an entire year worth of online trends would be too much information to condense into one Power Point presentation. But you’d be wrong!  Each year, Mary Meeker, a partner in venture capitalist firm Kleiner Perkins, does a rapid-fire bazillion-slide-long (actually, 355) presentation of the year’s top takeaways. See this year’s presentation here and read Recode’s synopsis and analysis here.

Brits Slightly Dismayed at Facebook Political Ads
The Brits are having an ethical dilemma about the role of Facebook advertising in political elections. Until recently, political campaigns had spending limits on advertising and a ban on TV ads. But the rules don’t cover online advertising, so Facebook is suddenly cashing in. Here’s BBC’s coverage.

Artificial Intelligence Comes for… Me
Last week, I joked about robots taking over the world. But this article makes me worried that it’s really happening… to my job! Check out this scare tactic, oops I mean trend piece, on how artificial intelligence can help automate social media analysis and take the guesswork out of managing accounts.

Stuck in the Past?
Blackbaud’s VP of Data argues in HuffPo that nonprofits are relying on 100-year-old fundraising techniques and need to step up their data game.  “Some people fear that too much reliance on data and technology will de-humanize the art of fundraising,” reads the piece. “Nothing could be further from the truth.” Agree with him?

In other links…

• Researchers investigated how users adapt their personalities (and pictures) for different social media platforms.
• Stop being snarky on social media. Sarcastic brands make headlines, but people aren’t into it.
• Is it time to break up the tech monopoly, wonders Salon.com?

Advice of the Week

Better Blog Posts
If your organization has been blogging for a while, you probably know all the tips in this Entrepreneur.com article. But this piece provides great links to further studies and how-to articles (including this step-by-step guide on how to track blog engagement with Google Tag Manager.)

Cool Visualization of the Week

Make Your Own Data Gif!
A couple months ago, I featured some cool data gifs. This week, I’m thrilled to share a resource from Google for making your own. I can’t wait to try it!