We are trying to do a transfer of technology that allows people to express themselves without taking risks. It is about free speech, that's all.

Engineering serendipity is this idea that we can help people come across unexpected but helpful connections at a better than random rate. And in some ways it's based on trying to reassess this notion of serendipitous as lucky - to think of serendipitous as smart.

Reading the text of my blog itself is not really the interesting part. The exciting part is how the Internet allows me to be the eyes and ears for the people sending me postings from Africa.

It's fine to have social media that connects us with old friends, but we need tools that help us discover new people as well.

I study the ways new media shapes people's perceptions of the world.

You can make the case that slacktivism is important because it makes people feel affiliated to a movement and be part of it, and talk about it.