iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 15h

What moves books? Pictures of them with analog tech, I assume. Does this do anything?

A photo of a Polaroid SX-70 instant camera with a flashbar on top of a copy of the book Against Convenience by Gabe Bullard.

Reposted by Gabe Bullard

@funkygiesing.bsky.social @funkygiesing.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

"exploring how platform-driven news, analytics, and changing media habits have contributed to the decline of original reporting, arts criticism, and local news." Via @niemanreports.org

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Got an angry email about how I fail to mention things in the “lightly sourced” book. Then the person declared they didn’t finish it. I shouldn’t respond to these things, but I just sent page numbers for the things I failed to mention, then the page range for the citations.

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

For folks curious about the book…I narrate the audiobook. You can hear me place emphasis on words!

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Julie Beck @julieebeck.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

reading @gbullard.bsky.social's Against Convenience really made me think about how many of our beloved conveniences come at the cost of our relationships and community--so I wrote about it: www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026...

theatlantic.com

Convenience Is Lonely

Far too many innovations keep us from other people.

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Reposted by Gabe Bullard

Nieman Reports @niemanreports.org · 25/09/2026

In “Against Convenience,” @gbullard.bsky.social NF '15 examines whether modern technology is actually improving our lives — and what we’ve lost in the pursuit of convenience. niemanreports.org/gabe-bullard...

niemanreports.org

Seven Takeaways on Convenience and News - Nieman Reports

In “Against Convenience,” Nieman Fellow Gabe Bullard delves into modern media consumption habits

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Longreads @longreads.com · 16/09/2026

"The public commons is a place people stop at on their way somewhere else. Everyone eats the same value meal because there’s nothing else to eat." Read our excerpt from @gbullard.bsky.social's new book, AGAINST CONVENIENCE: longreads.com/2026/09/15/c... @hanoversquarepress.bsky.social

longreads.com

Eating Alone - Longreads

Soggy fries, ghost kitchens, and a $19 bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich: what we've actually gained on the path to convenience.

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I got an invite from a professor who asked if I'd be on his podcast, but could not guarantee it would drive any sales of the book. Not to undercut my mission here, but folks, there's nothing I would like more than to be on your academic, obscure, or niche podcast. I'll go on the big ones, too.

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PT Klein @ptklein.com · 15/09/2026

Incredibly excited to pick up @gbullard.bsky.social’s new book! Book club anyone? 🤓

The cover of Gabe Bullard’s Against Convenience: Embracing Friction in an Age of Endless Ease

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

My book, Against Convenience, is out today in the UK/Europe. Next week in the U.S. againstconvenience.com

The cover of the book "Against Convenience: Embracing Friction in an Age of Endless Ease" by Gabe Bullard. The title is on a plastic delivery bag.

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Making videos to promote the book and I captured what most of my friends have been seeing for the last year.

A still from a video. Gabe, the author, sits in front of a Jake Longstreth painting of a Taco Bell in front of Mt. Shasta. Gabe is holding up his book, titled Against Convenience. The caption on the video says "I write about this in my book."

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

I think I'll see real success in my critical work as soon as I take an idea that's existed in theory for decades and rebrand it using modern slang. The tasteslop strivecels are buy-maxxing.

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

My complaint with Axios has always been that it so clearly doesn't respect the readers' intelligence. It's babying in its framing and "brevity." It purports to break down complicated issues, but it really just says no issue is actually that complicated.

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

People are dunking on this, but is from Axios, a website founded on the idea that paragraphs are too much. www.axios.com/2026/08/11/r...

axios.com

Robot book club

Reading books with an AI partner

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

I got so fed up with a fashion faux pas I had to make a video. www.youtube.com/shorts/qJK_X...

youtube.com

Guys keep making this one mistake when dressing

YouTube video by Gabe Bullard

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Reposted by Gabe Bullard

Dawn @502eire.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

I would buy this anyway to support Gabe but I will definitely be reading this. bring back friction! (I should take my own advice!)

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

I don't understand the attitude here. He's more popular than other channels musicians appear on (allegedly—it's not really accurate to compare straight YouTube views against multichannel outlets like the NYT), but poor him because these stars don't come on? www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ocuf...

youtube.com

Why Paul McCartney Won't Be On My Channel

YouTube video by Rick Beato

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

In the first episode of The Critic, we learn that Jay Sherman is 36 years old.

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Me for the next couple months: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDTw... Pre-order here: againstconvenience.com

youtube.com

The Critic - Buy My Book

YouTube video by RichUncleFloyd

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

More broadly, I worry that this leads to a general burying of originality. Punditry, critiques of criticism, reinterpreting the same meme format for your videos…the priority is the take, not the thing to have a take about.

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

I reinstalled IG to promote the book (pre-order now!) I occasionally get served videos of people listening to public radio shows from 25+ years ago (TAL, mostly) and marveling at "how people talked back then."

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

This is happening elsewhere, too. Take "The Odyssey." I see far more talk about the far-right reaction, the Emily Wilson piece, and the box office than I do about the movie itself. I like that an LRB essay can generate some talk, but what is game everyone's playing?

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

From everything I see, cable news is almost entirely people arguing about something that was reported elsewhere. Why is anyone watching it? Why are there so many accounts reposting it? I've devoted my life to journalism and I can't understand this. It's terrible.

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Jenny is such a great journalist.

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Hey! My book is a few dollars off on Bookshop. Get it and steer some cash to your local bookstore. bookshop.org/p/books/agai...

bookshop.org

Against Convenience: Embracing Friction in an Age of Endless Ease

Embracing Friction in an Age of Endless Ease

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Nieman Reports @niemanreports.org · 01/07/2026

OP-ED: A Source Thought I Was a Bot. How Can Reporters Prove They’re Human? @gbullard.bsky.social modifies his approach to reach skeptical contacts in the age of spam and scams niemanreports.org/bot-spam-jou...

niemanreports.org

A Source Thought I Was a Bot. How Can Reporters Prove They’re Human? - Nieman Reports

Reporter Gabe Bullard modifies his approach to reach skeptical contacts in the age of spam, scams, and artificial intelligence.

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

This might destroy my work as a digital strategist, but I can't keep secrets. Here is the top advice I give for boosting engagement. youtube.com/shorts/CgHY_...

youtube.com

One easy way to get more audience for short videos

YouTube video by Gabe Bullard

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Is this too much setup for a sub-60-second video encouraging book pre-orders? Nah. I want the ten people who see it to enjoy some quality.

A table with a typewriter on it. A camera on a tripod points at the typewriter. A microphone plugged into a recorder is behind the typewriter. A green notebook is also on the table.

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

After two years of research and writing, my book is now available for pre-order. It's a critique of technology, a brief history of chores, a critique of streaming and of the news business, and a few thoughts on what to do next. www.harpercollins.com/products/aga...

A photo of the book titled "Against Convenience: Embracing Friction in an Age of Endless Ease" by Gabe Bullard. The cover depicts a food delivery bag with the text printed on the bag.

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Is the Swiss ALF Hunter Thompson?

A screenshot of a digital ad. It says "ALF Casino" and shows two people in suits chasing a blue alien, who is carrying a briefcase full of money. The alien is dressed like Hunter S. Thompson from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A bucket hat, orange aviator sunglasses, a flowered shirt, and white shorts.

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

One of the saddest things in modern media is major outlets writing guides to Prime Day sales.

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

People like to joke "I bet you'd hate if I got your book on an e-reader or ordered it online." There's only one way to find out. Order it now for 25% off and see how I react.

An image of the cover of the book for "Against Convenience: Embracing Friction in an Age of Endless Ease" by Gabe Bullard on a tablet, a phone, and a hardcover book. The book cover is a plastic food delivery bag with the title as text on the bag. Above the image are the words "Barnes & Noble Sale! Preorder now for 25% off." Below are the details: 6/23-6/26, online exclusive, code:preorder25, US B&N Rewards and Premium Members Only."

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

Really I guess there's nothing stopping me from doing this.

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

My book critiquing technology isn't out for a few more months, so I'm going to release this picture now and get ahead of the scandal. Yes, I use computers and always have.

A photo of the author as a child, age four or five, sitting at a desk in front of a Commodore 64 computer. The screen reads "Game 1, Level 1."

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

People like to joke "I bet you'd hate if I got your book on an e-reader or ordered it online." There's only one way to find out. Order it now for 25% off and see how I react.

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

My feeds are so full of cable news clips, I realize I have no more sense of anything as a "show." It seems like CNN is just that panel with Scott Jennings and Fox is just The Five all day long?

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Anna Kornbluh @annakornbluh.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

"Convenience happens to be capitalist ideology. If art must take the shortest route to its effects, we've submitted to that ideology. Yet art can be enormously inconvenient! Art can luxuriate. Wander. Its distance from the prerogatives of the powerful is precisely where its force of resistance lies"

nybooks.com

Art for Our Sakes | Zadie Smith

I wasn’t going to come today. Partly because the act of coming here—to America, as a non-American—is now a fraught, stressful, and even dangerous

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Gabe Bullard @gbullard.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

I've been saying video podcasts look bad, especially when clipped. This is an example. For staging: it's cluttered; the mic cable is just hanging there; the book spines aren't facing a camera. For framing: we're too far away (this is meant for a phone screen) and the host's legs are cut off.

A still from an Instagram video for a podcast recording. Steven Spielberg sits in an armchair in the middle of the frame. He is behind a hexagonal coffee table, on which there are three large books with their spines facing to the left. He has a plastic water bottle and a plastic drink cup with a straw in front of him. Spielberg's chair is in the corner of a room. On the walls behind him are a number of posters—photos of musicians, movie posters, an ad for Chesterfield cigarettes, a vintage Red Sox calendar, and a sign that says "Basketball Hall of Fame" with an arrow pointing to the right. At the left and right edges of the frames are pairs of legs wearing khaki pants with white sneakers. The bodies of the people whose legs these are cannot be seen. Spielberg is speaking into a microphone on a boom stand. The cable for the microphone is not wrapped around the boom and sags as it moves to the side.

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