Benj Edwards

Join Benj Edwards, a video game history expert, Kevin Bunch, an early tech aficionado, and Jared Petty, a video game design specialist, as they take a nostalgic journey through 1975 and 1985. They share amusing anecdotes about the origins of home gaming and the impact of early computing systems. The conversation dives into the evolution of titles like Gunfight and Wrecking Crew, the quirky launch of New Coke, and the memorable moments of charity events in '85. Get ready for laughs, insights, and a heartfelt look back at gaming's formative years!

Can we get rid of the bad bits of social media and keep the good? Is it possible to create a more positive social media experience than the one we get from the platforms that dominate the landscape today? In this episode, Elaine Moore asks what the social media platforms of the future should look like, and whether platforms designed for smaller groups of users with shared interests are the way forward.We hear from writer and tech historian Benj Edwards about the BBS era of the early 1990s; University of Massachusetts professor Ethan Zuckerman; Sarah Gilbert, researcher at Cornell University and Reddit moderator; and Jonathan Abrams, partner at 8-Bit Capital and the creator of Friendster.Presented by Elaine Moore. Produced by Edwin Lane and Josh Gabert-Doyon, Executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Original music by Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Special thanks to Hannah Murphy.Mentioned in this podcast:The Lex Newsletter: Reddit and the API apocalypseDiscord has won over gamers. Now it wants everybody elseReddit stands firm in clash with users as blackout on forums escalatesRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scott Chacon, a GitHub insider, reveals the secrets behind the platform's meteoric rise, emphasizing the importance of developer experience. Benj Edwards shares an emotional project using AI to recreate his late father's handwriting, blending technology with nostalgia. Dave Kiss dives into the current buzz around PHP, discussing its resurgence in the developer community. Meanwhile, Taylor Otwell talks about securing $57 million in funding from Accel, illuminating the challenges and opportunities in today’s tech landscape.