With brief, occasional, italicized and sometimes gratuitous commentary…
• From TechCrunch, a story about how "Instagram’s new Twitter competitor Threads is already losing steam." Third party data suggests that "the number of daily active users on Threads dropped for the second week down to 13 million, a 70% decline from a July 7 high point. By comparison, Twitter’s daily active users are around 200 million."
However, "Despite this seemingly worrying trend, it’s far too soon to count Threads out yet. By other metrics, the app is continuing to grow its user base and traction in global markets, which, in time, could also boost its usage — especially as the app’s feature set improves."
Actually, to be fair, Twitter doesn't have any active users anymore - because Twitter doesn't exist under that name anymore. Owner Elon Musk has rebranded it as "X," saying that the goal is to expand its portfolio of services so that it also offers" comprehensive communications and the ability to conduct your entire financial world." I'm dubious - there are an awful lot of folks who grew tired of trusting Musk's Twitter with their 140-character messages, and they'll be less willing to trust Musk's X with comprehensive communications and their financial data.
Threads has the ability to step into a breach that Musk may be creating.
• From the Seattle Times:
"Amazon and workplace safety regulators from the e-commerce giant’s home state on Monday kicked off what’s expected to be a weekslong trial that may well determine the future of work at Amazon’s warehouses.
"Regulators with the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries have fined Amazon four times since 2021, alleging that inspections of three of its warehouses showed workers were at a high risk of injury due to repetitive motions and, in some cases, a fast pace of work. Amazon appealed all four citations, arguing its employees worked at a comfortable pace and that the company already made changes that were bringing down injury rates.
"Both parties appeared on Monday before a judge from the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals, an independent state agency responsible for hearing appeals related to workers’ compensation, safety citations and other decisions made by Labor and Industries.
"L&I is asking Amazon to make changes to its warehouses that it says will reduce the risk of injury among its workforce. The department didn’t specify which changes Amazon must make but offered suggestions, including introducing new equipment and creating a formal job rotation program to help workers avoid injuries from repetitive motions.
"Amazon is asking the court to dismiss the citations, arguing that it has not violated any state laws and should not be forced to make any of L&I’s proposed changes. Those changes would be 'tremendously disruptive,' Amazon wrote in court documents."
