In the latest installment of Computer AF, Anne Ahola Ward and John Boitnott addressed topics ranging from the rise of BlueSky and YouTube’s AI-driven Dream Screens to a defense of Thanksgiving’s overlooked charm. It makes for a lively exploration of the interplay between technology, tradition, and pop culture that you don’t want to miss.
Thanksgiving as a Celebration Worth Savoring
Thanksgiving is often treated as a footnote between Halloween and Christmas, but Ward and Boitnott argue it deserves more. Ward goes as far as to champion the holiday’s unique identity, describing it as a cozy pause for gratitude. For her, the holiday shines brightest when paired with traditions like watching Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, a film she lauds for its authentic Thanksgiving narrative.
But there are still pressures surrounding Thanksgiving, particularly for women who often take on much of the holiday’s preparation. Boitnott emphasized the stress that planning and cooking can bring but noted that simplifying the menu can alleviate the burden. Ward, for instance, opts for a honey-baked ham to bypass the hassle of turkey, leaving more time for crafting a robust lineup of side dishes — what she calls the real stars of the feast.
BlueSky’s Meteoric Rise and Threads’ Growing Pains
Despite the holiday season, the social media landscape refuses to slow down. BlueSky has emerged as a strong alternative to platforms like Threads, with a recent surge to 20 million users highlighting a growing appetite for independent-feeling platforms. Ward shared her early experience with BlueSky, praising its clean, ad-free interface but critiquing its lack of tools for easily importing contacts.
Threads, in contrast, has stumbled in its efforts to retain users. Its recent updates, including a dedicated following feed, have been met with lukewarm reception. There’s even a certain irony in these long-delayed features that could have been done anytime. The consensus? Threads feels like a half-hearted attempt by Meta to compete in the Twitter alternative space, whereas BlueSky offers a more organic appeal.
YouTube’s Dream Screens and the Shift in Content Creation
YouTube’s new Dream Screens feature is another interesting development. It uses AI to create customizable video backgrounds for Shorts, reflecting the platform’s ongoing effort to stay relevant in the TikTok era. With it, users can input text prompts to generate dynamic settings, adding an element of creativity to videos. But it is all to be taken with a grain of salt, considering it might have a big impact on production quality.
Additionally, with Shorts now extended to three minutes, YouTube is positioned to cater to both the short-form and long-form content audience, blurring the lines between formats.
Watch the full episode here.
