Erkan Saka

Erkan Saka

@erkan.bsky.social

Academic and Blogger

1K followers288 following830 posts

Erkan Saka
@erkan.bsky.social

Serbia’s Students Defeat Vučić: A Protest Movement Became an Electoral Force 26 October 2026. Election figures below are preliminary; this article draws on reporting available on the morning after the vote.... https://erkansaka.net/2026/10/26/serbia-student-movement-election-victory-2026/

erkansaka.netSerbia’s Students Defeat Vučić: A Protest Movement Became an Electoral Force26 October 2026. Election figures below are preliminary; this article draws on reporting available on the morning after the vote. Serbia’s student movement has achieved something that once seemed extraordinarily difficult: an electoral defeat for Aleksandar Vučić’s political machine. As the Associated Press reports, Vučić conceded on Sunday, 25 October, after a parliamentary election contested by his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and the student-backed Students’ List.
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A video: “Why nobody uses Craigslist anymore?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31oqfd8myBI The video details the fascinating rise and eventual decline of Craigslist. Founded by Craig Newmark in 1995 as a simple email list for San… https://erkansaka.net/2026/10/26/rise-and-fall-of-craigslist/

erkansaka.netA video: “Why nobody uses Craigslist anymore?”The video details the fascinating rise and eventual decline of Craigslist. Founded by Craig Newmark in 1995 as a simple email list for San Francisco events, the platform ballooned into a multi-billion-dollar empire through natural network effects. Rather than maximizing profits, Newmark kept the site notoriously anti-commercial, retaining a rudimentary design, minimizing staff, and offering 99% of the site's services for free.
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@erkan.bsky.social

From “Bismillah, c’est les ténèbres” to Anime Flags: Popular Culture in the French Protests Research cut-off: 25 October 2026. A strange Snapchat greeting becomes a slogan. A cartoon pirate’s flag appears in… https://erkansaka.net/2026/10/25/pop-culture-in-protests-memes-music-symbols/

erkansaka.netFrom “Bismillah, c’est les ténèbres” to Anime Flags: Popular Culture in the French ProtestsResearch cut-off: 25 October 2026. A strange Snapchat greeting becomes a slogan. A cartoon pirate’s flag appears in demonstrations thousands of kilometres apart. A childhood soundtrack accompanies school blockades. A wetland bird becomes an emblem of resistance to luxury development. These examples suggest that understanding contemporary protest requires attention to the cultural materials through which people make their grievances visible.
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@erkan.bsky.social

I still like to listen to Metallica but this doesn’t change the fact they are not very good people (!) Recently, James Hetfield explains why you won't get any political statements at a Metallica show "And I just gotta… https://erkansaka.net/2026/10/25/metallica-political-statements-selling-out/

erkansaka.netI still like to listen to Metallica but this doesn’t change the fact they are not very good people (!)Recently, James Hetfield explains why you won't get any political statements at a Metallica show "And I just gotta say, Metallica is not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their bullshit, OK? We are here...no bullshit...we're here to forget about all the outside shit, OK? "Metallica's agenda is love, energy and heavy music, baby!" He didn't need to make an explanation, as we already know how hypocritical, filthy rich men they are, and they have already sold themselves out. 
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@erkan.bsky.social

A few days in Brussels for FWO meetings After a long time, I am in Brussels, attending my first FWO meeting. A full day of reviewing scientific research applications.... https://erkansaka.net/2026/10/23/brussels-fwo-meeting-museums-newspapers-meetings/

erkansaka.netA few days in Brussels for FWO meetingsAfter a long time, I am in Brussels, attending my first FWO meeting. A full day of reviewing scientific research applications. I don't have much time or desire to look around. Still stopped by the Musical Instrument Museum. If I can make it, I will see Atomium, and I am after three newspapers in German and Flemish before I board the plane back to İstanbul.
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The story of an AI-generated image in French Protests. I saw an X post claiming Israeli involvement in spreading disinformation related to the French protests. The post’s central claim has independent corroboration: an… https://erkansaka.net/2026/10/22/french-protest-disinformation-ai-images/

erkansaka.netThe story of an AI-generated image in French Protests.I saw an X post claiming Israeli involvement in spreading disinformation related to the French protests. The post’s central claim has independent corroboration: an AI-generated image falsely presented as evidence of violence during the French protests originated with a pro-Israel outlet and then circulated widely. But “Israel-based disinformation” needs an important qualification: the reporting establishes the image’s source and misleading dissemination, not an Israeli government-directed operation or a coordinated network physically based in Israel.
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A video: “The Rise and Fall of MSN Messenger, the Chat App That Defined Online Life Before Social Media” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5dGkgXCgyE "The Rise and Fall of MSN Messenger" chronicles the journey of Microsoft’s iconic chat… https://erkansaka.net/2026/10/21/msn-messenger-rise-and-fall/

erkansaka.netA video: “The Rise and Fall of MSN Messenger, the Chat App That Defined Online Life Before Social Media”"The Rise and Fall of MSN Messenger" chronicles the journey of Microsoft’s iconic chat application from its launch in 1999 to its eventual demise. The video explores how Microsoft leveraged its massive Hotmail user base and Windows XP integration to overtake early pioneers like ICQ and AOL's AIM, making MSN Messenger a cultural cornerstone for an entire generation before the term "social media" even existed.
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Europe’s Protests in 2026 in France, Spain, Portugal and Albania: Housing, Schools and Everyday Costs Reporting checked on 20 October 2026. A classroom without enough teachers, a rental contract about to expire,… https://erkansaka.net/2026/10/20/europe-protests-2026-housing-schools-cost-of-living/

erkansaka.netEurope’s Protests in 2026 in France, Spain, Portugal and Albania: Housing, Schools and Everyday CostsReporting checked on 20 October 2026. A classroom without enough teachers, a rental contract about to expire, a household budget stretched beyond its limits: these are everyday problems with increasingly visible political consequences. Across several European countries, demonstrations are bringing questions about public services and affordable living back into the streets. The Guardian’s European protests explainer brings these national stories together.
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Update in the French Protests This is an update to my 8 October 2026 post. I feel a bit pessimistic. This scale of protests mostly brings in a more conservative/reactionary government.... https://erkansaka.net/2026/10/18/update-in-the-french-protests/

erkansaka.netUpdate in the French ProtestsThis is an update to my 8 October 2026 post. I feel a bit pessimistic. This scale of protests mostly brings in a more conservative/reactionary government. Let's see how this will go. via French Student Protests After 8 October 2026 Since 8 October, the lycée movement has not simply continued at the same level: school blockades have declined, but the conflict has broadened into a much larger anti-government mobilisation around education, public services, inequality and the cost of living.
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@erkan.bsky.social

A direct consuquence of Tera/Pusula investment-fund crisis: MSCI has imposes an index freeze MSCI is responding to concerns about the same underlying problem: funds closely connected to listed companies may hold and trade… https://erkansaka.net/2026/10/18/msci-turkey-index-freeze-fund-crisis/

erkansaka.netA direct consuquence of Tera/Pusula investment-fund crisis: MSCI has imposes an index freezeMSCI is responding to concerns about the same underlying problem: funds closely connected to listed companies may hold and trade their shares in ways that obscure who really controls them and how much stock is genuinely available to independent investors. However, MSCI’s announcement does not name Tera or Pusula or make a criminal finding against them.[msci][t24.com]
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A video: Yahoo!: The $125B Company That Burned Itself to the Ground https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yyw60w4AjVc This video chronicles the dramatic rise and devastating fall of the internet pioneer Yahoo. Starting as a simple web directory… https://erkansaka.net/2026/10/16/yahoo-rise-and-fall/

erkansaka.netA video: Yahoo!: The $125B Company That Burned Itself to the GroundThis video chronicles the dramatic rise and devastating fall of the internet pioneer Yahoo. Starting as a simple web directory created by Stanford students in 1994, Yahoo soared to a $125 billion valuation during the dot-com bubble. However, a crippling identity crisis—failing to decide whether it was a search engine, a media company, or an email provider—caused it to lose ground to focused rivals like Google and Facebook.
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@erkan.bsky.social

A personal witnessing of judicial cruelty/ ordeals in Türkiye Dear readers, I have, from time to time, reported on sham trials against opposition municipalities. I've reported on so many cases that I stopped reporting… https://erkansaka.net/2026/10/14/turkey-municipal-crackdown-friend-detention/

erkansaka.netA personal witnessing of judicial cruelty/ ordeals in TürkiyeDear readers, I have, from time to time, reported on sham trials against opposition municipalities. I've reported on so many cases that I stopped reporting altogether recently. There may be real corruption cases, of course, but no one can convince ordinary citizens that these are essentially politically motivated. Here is what happened in one of the municipal operations in which a dear friend was detained:
Erkan Saka
@erkan.bsky.social

Unboxing VII: Cataloging the Magazine Collection I finally began receiving new boxes from my father's storage. Expect more personal content soon! For this post, I wanted to share my magazine/ journal collection, not as… https://erkansaka.net/2026/10/13/magazine-journal-collection-nokta-memories/

erkansaka.netUnboxing VII: Cataloging the Magazine CollectionI finally began receiving new boxes from my father's storage. Expect more personal content soon! For this post, I wanted to share my magazine/ journal collection, not as ambitious as the newspaper one! I just cataloged the 1230th one there. I used the same trick with the magazine collection, using ChatGPT and Google Drive sheets. This is ongoing, but if you want to take a look, …
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@erkan.bsky.social

A photo: ‘Book brigade’ moves 7,400 books by hand to the bookstore’s new space [in Canada] A beautiful moment. I wanted to share it with you. Around 280 volunteers formed a human chain to relocate books, …... https://erkansaka.net/2026/10/12/ottawa-book-brigade-human-chain-books/

erkansaka.netA photo: ‘Book brigade’ moves 7,400 books by hand to the bookstore’s new space [in Canada]A beautiful moment. I wanted to share it with you. Around 280 volunteers formed a human chain to relocate books, says co-owner.  When Ottawa bookstore The Spaniel's Tale decided to move to a larger space a block away, co-owner Cole Davidson said they had no plans to host a "book brigade." " actually came from our customers, who brought us many, many articles of different bookstores over the years that have done it," said Davidson.
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What happens when you investigate the funding corruption? Journalism in Shackles İsmail Saymaz and Murat Ağırel are wearing electronic ankle monitors because a court placed them under…... https://erkansaka.net/2026/10/12/ismail-saymaz-murat-agirel-house-arrest/

erkansaka.netWhat happens when you investigate the funding corruption? Journalism in Shacklesİsmail Saymaz and Murat Ağırel are wearing electronic ankle monitors because a court placed them under house arrest in an investigation into their reporting and comments about investment-fund and capital-market transactions. Prosecutors allege that their statements misled the public; both journalists dispute that allegation. This is a judicial-control measure during an investigation, not a sentence following a conviction.[trthaber][
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A video: “Pirate Bay Survived 23 Years. The Internet Made Sure of It” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipEcRV9bMAI The video details the history and remarkable resilience of The Pirate Bay, a torrent indexing site… https://erkansaka.net/2026/10/11/the-pirate-bay-history-digital-piracy-streaming/

erkansaka.netA video: “Pirate Bay Survived 23 Years. The Internet Made Sure of It”The video details the history and remarkable resilience of The Pirate Bay, a torrent indexing site launched in 2003 by three Swedish founders. Despite facing intense political lobbying from the entertainment industry, multiple server raids, massive lawsuits, and the eventual international manhunt and imprisonment of its creators, the site survived. Ultimately, the video argues that The Pirate Bay exposed a fundamental flaw in the entertainment industry, proving that consumers desperately wanted instant, barrier-free access to content—a realization that directly paved the way for modern streaming platforms like Netflix and Spotify.
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@erkan.bsky.social

Norway’s sovereign wealth fund is one of the big losers in Türkiye’s funding scandal Why the fck did they invest? As if they need this. Besides Norway's Fund, Citibank seems like another foreign loser.... https://erkansaka.net/2026/10/09/tera-pusula-scandal-norway-fund-citibank/

erkansaka.netNorway’s sovereign wealth fund is one of the big losers in Türkiye’s funding scandalWhy the fck did they invest? As if they need this. Besides Norway's Fund, Citibank seems like another foreign loser. The foreign names emerging in the current Tera/Pusula investment-fund scandal are Norway’s sovereign wealth fund and, more tentatively, Citibank. But the key distinction is exposure: reporting identifies investments in shares linked to the investigation, not verified amounts these investors have actually lost.
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@erkan.bsky.social

France’s 2026 Student Protests: Education Crisis, Parcoursup and Police Violence What began in late September as a localized high school walkout in the eastern suburbs of Paris has rapidly snowballed into one of the… https://erkansaka.net/2026/10/08/2026-french-student-protests-education-crisis/

erkansaka.netFrance’s 2026 Student Protests: Education Crisis, Parcoursup and Police ViolenceWhat began in late September as a localized high school walkout in the eastern suburbs of Paris has rapidly snowballed into one of the largest and most volatile youth protest movements in France in decades. Over the past three weeks, hundreds of thousands of high school pupils (lycéens), university students, teachers, and trade unionists have taken to the streets and blockaded hundreds of schools across the country.
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@erkan.bsky.social

A video: “A (Brief) History of 4chan” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2bXmcab5y4 This video explores the complete, complex history of 4chan, tracing its origins back to 1995 within the Japanese underground… https://erkansaka.net/2026/10/07/4chan-history-internet-culture-anonymous-radicalization/

erkansaka.netA video: “A (Brief) History of 4chan”This video explores the complete, complex history of 4chan, tracing its origins back to 1995 within the Japanese underground internet. What started as anonymous text bulletin boards (like Ayashii World and 2channel) evolved into image boards that heavily influenced global internet culture. The video outlines how 4chan, launched by 15-year-old Christopher "Moot" Poole in 2003, became a chaotic sandbox that birthed some of the most iconic internet memes of all time, the hacktivist group Anonymous, and the SCP Foundation.
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@erkan.bsky.social

(As of 6 October 2026 morning) An in-depth report on Türkiye’s… https://erkansaka.net/2026/10/06/turkiyes-investment-fund-scandal-tera-pusula-and-the-september-october-2026-fund-crisis-executive-summary-status-as-of-6-october-2026-turkiye-is-dealing-with-a-large-still-unreso/

erkansaka.net(As of 6 October 2026 morning) An in-depth report on Türkiye’s Investment-Fund ScandalTürkiye’s Investment-Fund Scandal: TERA, Pusula and the September–October 2026 Fund Crisis Status as of 6 October 2026. Türkiye is dealing with a large, still-unresolved capital-markets crisis centered on investment funds managed by Tera Portföy and Pusula Portföy, but extending to Atlas Portföy, Hedef Portföy, A1 Capital Portföy, Bulls Portföy and Pardus Portföy. On 17 September, the Capital Markets Board of Türkiye (SPK) put…
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A video: “The Real Reason Tech Companies Removed the Headphone Jack” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlmJOblbpBc The video explores the real reasons the smartphone industry removed the 3.5mm headphone jack. While tech giants… https://erkansaka.net/2026/10/02/hy-smartphones-killed-headphone-jack/

erkansaka.netA video: “The Real Reason Tech Companies Removed the Headphone Jack”The video explores the real reasons the smartphone industry removed the 3.5mm headphone jack. While tech giants initially cited internal space constraints, water resistance, and "courage" as their main motivations, the video argues the shift was driven primarily by profit and ecosystem control. By eliminating an open-standard, universal port, companies successfully created a multi-billion-dollar market for wireless earbuds and locked consumers into proprietary "walled gardens."
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T24 is the latest victim in Internet Restrictions in 2026 T24 is just so mainstream. It is a pity that it was banned yesterday. Turkish authorities were very generous in censoring web sources in 2026.... https://erkansaka.net/2026/10/01/turkey-internet-censorship-2026-t24-web-blocks/

erkansaka.netT24 is the latest victim in Internet Restrictions in 2026T24 is just so mainstream. It is a pity that it was banned yesterday. Turkish authorities were very generous in censoring web sources in 2026. T24 news site shut down over ‘LGBT propaganda Below is a source-checked list of identified targets, not a claim that these are every 2026 restriction.[ifade.org][bianet][ifade.org] Websites and platforms…
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The decline of the national team, thanks to Montella and Turkish football authorities After the massive World Cup fkup, Mr. Montella seems to keep wasting a generation of skilled Turkish players.... https://erkansaka.net/2026/09/29/vincenzo-montella-turkey-criticism-squad-selection/

erkansaka.netThe decline of the national team, thanks to Montella and Turkish football authoritiesAfter the massive World Cup fkup, Mr. Montella seems to keep wasting a generation of skilled Turkish players. The main criticisms Selection and loyalty. Lille goalkeeper Berke Özer was left out of the September squad despite being voted the club’s August player of the month. The contrast drew attention because Altay Bayındır was selected despite reportedly not yet playing for his new club, and Samet Akaydın had played only 33 minutes for Trabzonspor.
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The legend of Köfteci Yusuf: Affordable Mass Dining in an Expensive Turkey There is a growing chain restaurant in Türkiye: Köfteci Yusuf. Literally, it means "meatball shop." As far as I remember, I never ate… https://erkansaka.net/2026/09/28/kofteci-yusuf-business-model-affordable-dining-turkey/

erkansaka.netThe legend of Köfteci Yusuf: Affordable Mass Dining in an Expensive TurkeyThere is a growing chain restaurant in Türkiye: Köfteci Yusuf. Literally, it means "meatball shop." As far as I remember, I never ate meatballs there! But since one branch is within walking distance of where I live, I go there sometimes for breakfast or dinner. As food prices increase rapidly, this chain restaurant offers many families an affordable meal. The red meat offered is both reliable and affordable.
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@erkan.bsky.social

A video: The Strange Collapse Of Evernote https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO9-WTEQdBs The video explores how Evernote grew from a revolutionary tech darling into a billion-dollar "unicorn," only to fade into obscurity.... https://erkansaka.net/2026/09/28/evernote-rise-and-fall/

erkansaka.netA video: The Strange Collapse Of EvernoteThe video explores how Evernote grew from a revolutionary tech darling into a billion-dollar "unicorn," only to fade into obscurity. While it initially solved a massive problem by digitizing and organizing physical notes, receipts, and ideas, Evernote eventually collapsed under the weight of its own grand ambition. The company's vision to become a "100-year startup" led to rampant feature bloat, a neglected core product, and a series of PR disasters that left the door wide open for competitors to take over the market.
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As of 27 September 2026 morning, what we know about The TERA Fund Scandal in Türkiye? We may be witnessing one of Türkiye's biggest financial scandals. Here is a roundup by Perplexity:... https://erkansaka.net/2026/09/27/tera-fund-scandal-turkiye-2026/

erkansaka.netAs of 27 September 2026 morning, what we know about The TERA Fund Scandal in Türkiye?We may be witnessing one of Türkiye's biggest financial scandals. Here is a roundup by Perplexity: The TERA Fund Scandal in Türkiye Status: 27 September 2026 Executive assessment The “TERA scandal” is best understood as a fund-liquidity crisis combined with a widening criminal investigation into alleged market manipulation, self-dealing, fraud and suspicious money flows. It is not solely a TERA affair: the regulatory intervention covers 131 funds established by seven portfolio-management companies—Tera, Pusula, Hedef, Atlas, A1 Capital, Pardus and Bulls.
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My new UNESCO-related roles Two related appointments occurred in the last couple of weeks. I was first recommended to join the…... https://erkansaka.net/2026/09/25/unesco-chair-cultural-policy-diplomacy-istanbul-bilgi/

erkansaka.netMy new UNESCO-related rolesTwo related appointments occurred in the last couple of weeks. I was first recommended to join the UNESCO Türkiye National Commission Communication Experts Panel (UTMK). Then my esteemed colleague Serhan Ada decided to retire, though he will still teach a few classes in our doctoral program. Serhan Ada is a prominent Turkish poet, writer, and academic. He was born on October 15, 1955, in İzmir, Turkey.
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A video: “The rise and fall of Yahoo” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMctBbsRISE The Rise and Fall of Yahoo chronicles the history of the early internet pioneer, from its origins as a Stanford student project to its staggering $125 billion… https://erkansaka.net/2026/09/23/rise-and-fall-of-yahoo/

erkansaka.netA video: “The rise and fall of Yahoo”The Rise and Fall of Yahoo chronicles the history of the early internet pioneer, from its origins as a Stanford student project to its staggering $125 billion peak valuation. The video explores how Yahoo lost its dominance through a series of massive missed opportunities—including failing to buy Google and Facebook—and how a fundamental lack of focus and leadership missteps ultimately led to the company being sold to Verizon for a fraction of its former worth.
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Estimated Schengen acceptance rates for Turkish citizens in the last decade I have asked Perplexity to collect information about Schengen visa application rates. Here is what we found:... https://erkansaka.net/2026/09/21/schengen-visa-acceptance-rates-turkiye-2015-2025/

erkansaka.netEstimated Schengen acceptance rates for Turkish citizens in the last decadeI have asked Perplexity to collect information about Schengen visa application rates. Here is what we found: For the ten most recent fully published years (2015–2024), the acceptance rate for Schengen short-stay visa applications lodged in Türkiye fell markedly overall—from roughly 96% in 2015 to 85.5% in 2024—with the sharpest deterioration occurring after 2017 and around the pandemic period.
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Unboxing VI: Cataloging the Newspaper Collection The summer of 2026 went well, in terms of productivity, settlements, and short but beautiful vacations. I am redesigning my office on campus, including a few Billy… https://erkansaka.net/2026/09/20/unboxing-vi-cataloging-the-newspaper-collection/

erkansaka.netUnboxing VI: Cataloging the Newspaper CollectionThe summer of 2026 went well, in terms of productivity, settlements, and short but beautiful vacations. I am redesigning my office on campus, including a few Billy bookshelves from IKEA. This gave me space to unload more boxes from my father's storage. One of my personal activities in recent weeks is cataloging the newspapers I have been collecting since 2003. While Ertan and Ebru forced me to take short road trips in Texas during our doctoral studies, I found a new hobby that motivated me to go.
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A video: “When Being Better Isn’t Enough…The Fall Of Slack” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxMUFt5mp4Q Slack began as an accidental innovation—an internal communication tool developed at a game studio—that quickly… https://erkansaka.net/2026/09/18/slack-vs-microsoft-teams-rise-fall/

erkansaka.netA video: “When Being Better Isn’t Enough…The Fall Of Slack”Slack began as an accidental innovation—an internal communication tool developed at a game studio—that quickly revolutionized how businesses communicate. Before Slack, collaborative work relied almost entirely on cumbersome email chains. With its sleek user experience and channel-based messaging, Slack saw unprecedented organic growth, hitting a $1.1 billion valuation in just eight months. However, its success made it a target. Instead of acquiring Slack, Microsoft built Teams from the ground up, capitalizing on Slack's weak points in enterprise-level security compliance and video conferencing.
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Why do we need the university? Episode 12: The Campus as Social Infrastructure Here are more thoughts on academic life! Episode 12 is at your service: What the university has that cannot be delivered…... https://erkansaka.net/2026/09/17/why-university-campuses-still-matter/

erkansaka.netWhy do we need the university? Episode 12: The Campus as Social InfrastructureHere are more thoughts on academic life! Episode 12 is at your service: What the university has that cannot be delivered Two episodes ago I argued that the university's peculiar gift is slow time — the licence to sit with a question for fifteen years. In the last one I argued that its other gift is the encounter with what has not yet been written down.
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NAZA: Gaza, AI Warfare and a Historic Venice Ovation The 83rd Venice International Film Festival has just witnessed a profoundly historic moment. The premiere of…... https://erkansaka.net/2026/09/15/naza-gaza-ai-warfare-venice-film-festival/

erkansaka.netNAZA: Gaza, AI Warfare and a Historic Venice OvationThe 83rd Venice International Film Festival has just witnessed a profoundly historic moment. The premiere of NAZA, a chilling new documentary directed by Oscar-winning Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, received a staggering 25-minute standing ovation. This reaction not only sets a new record for the prestigious Italian festival but also highlights the urgent, harrowing reality of AI-powered warfare and the unimaginable civilian toll in Gaza.
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Operation “My Family is Safe” (Ailem Güvende) against the LGBTQ+ circles in Türkiye As of the 12–13 September 2026 operation, it now reaches beyond the routine suppression of Pride marches to include criminal investigations, raids on… https://erkansaka.net/2026/09/15/turkey-lgbtq-crackdown-2026/

erkansaka.netOperation “My Family is Safe” (Ailem Güvende) against the LGBTQ+ circles in TürkiyeAs of the 12–13 September 2026 operation, it now reaches beyond the routine suppression of Pride marches to include criminal investigations, raids on civil-society organizations and venues, detentions, online censorship, and policies framed around “family” and “morality.” The latest September 2026 operation alone placed 162 people, nine associations, and 13 businesses under investigation across 15 provinces.[reuters][ilga-europe]
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A video: “BuzzFeed: How a $2B Mistake Ended a Digital Media Giant” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxuICtZ6sPk The video chronicles the rise and dramatic decline of digital media giant BuzzFeed. While the… https://erkansaka.net/2026/09/12/buzzfeed-rise-fall-digital-media-platform-dependency/

erkansaka.netA video: “BuzzFeed: How a $2B Mistake Ended a Digital Media Giant”The video chronicles the rise and dramatic decline of digital media giant BuzzFeed. While the company achieved massive success in the 2010s by optimizing its viral content (quizzes, listicles, and Tasty videos) for Facebook's algorithm, this heavy reliance on third-party distribution ultimately led to its downfall. When Facebook's traffic began to wane in favor of competitors like TikTok, and macroeconomic ad revenues softened, BuzzFeed faced severe financial pressure.
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For AI leaders Doom is a form of hype! I am so fed up with doomy statements from the AI leaders. I may have lost my patience with it.... https://erkansaka.net/2026/09/10/ai-doom-rhetoric-safety-hype/

erkansaka.netFor AI leaders Doom is a form of hype!I am so fed up with doomy statements from the AI leaders. I may have lost my patience with it. The latest instance is the BBC's report that Evan Hubinger, who leads alignment science at Anthropic, believes there is a "greater than 10% chance" that AI could "kill all humans" within the next decade. The occasion was the resignation of Jacob Coxon, a 27-year-old pretraining researcher who had worked at both OpenAI and Anthropic, and who wrote: "Neither company is acting responsibly.
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Finally! UK Leads Historic 12-Nation Move to Ban Trade with Illegal Israeli Settlements In a major shift in British foreign policy, the United Kingdom has announced a comprehensive ban on the import of goods produced in… https://erkansaka.net/2026/09/09/uk-ban-israeli-settlement-goods-west-bank/

erkansaka.netFinally! UK Leads Historic 12-Nation Move to Ban Trade with Illegal Israeli SettlementsIn a major shift in British foreign policy, the United Kingdom has announced a comprehensive ban on the import of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Unveiled on September 8, 2026, by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband under Prime Minister Andy Burnham's administration, the move marks one of London's strongest policy shifts on the Israel-Palestine conflict since its formal recognition of a Palestinian state last year.
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A video: Disinformation in the Swedish elections – findings so far https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5naENEmMgs Hosted by the Fojo Media Institute at Linnaeus University, this webinar covers early findings from "The… https://erkansaka.net/2026/09/08/swedish-election-disinformation-matryoshka-2026/

erkansaka.netA video: Disinformation in the Swedish elections – findings so farHosted by the Fojo Media Institute at Linnaeus University, this webinar covers early findings from "The Swedish Election Observatory" (Valet 2026). The briefing outlines the project's efforts to monitor, track, and fact-check disinformation, AI-manipulated media, and foreign interference targeting the 2026 Swedish elections, featuring collaborations with fact-checking agencies and the Counter Disinformation Network. Key Takeaways High Public Concern: Public polling indicates that a vast majority of Swedes anticipate artificial intelligence will be used to generate fake images and videos to sway the 2026 election.
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Political Earthquake in Saxony-Anhalt: AfD Secures Historic Victory but Falls Short of Absolute Majority On September 6, 2026, the political landscape of Germany experienced a seismic shift. The far-right Alternative for… https://erkansaka.net/2026/09/07/afd-saxony-anhalt-election-2026-germany/

erkansaka.netPolitical Earthquake in Saxony-Anhalt: AfD Secures Historic Victory but Falls Short of Absolute MajorityOn September 6, 2026, the political landscape of Germany experienced a seismic shift. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) swept the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, recording its strongest-ever result in any German state election. As initially reported by The Guardian, the result puts immense pressure on Germany's political firewall against the far right. While the AfD dominated the polls, their inability to secure an absolute majority sets the stage for a deeply complex and unprecedented political gridlock.
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HECAS Seminars 2026–27 open with Salvatore Maria Aglioti — 18–20 September One of the most exciting developments in my life is becoming a coordinator of a newly emerging center: …... https://erkansaka.net/2026/09/06/hecas-seminars-2026-27-open-with-salvatore-maria-aglioti-18-20-september/

erkansaka.netHECAS Seminars 2026–27 open with Salvatore Maria Aglioti — 18–20 SeptemberOne of the most exciting developments in my life is becoming a coordinator of a newly emerging center: Hekimbaşı Advanced Studies Center. We have a fantastic list of on-site seminars starting with Salvatore Maria Aglioti! Body, Brain, and Society: A Psychological and Neuroscientific Journey Salvatore Maria Aglioti Sapienza Università di Roma DATES 18–20 September 2026
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A video: “We’re Not Ready For AI Glasses” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrkwfI9-maM Brief Summary The video explores the sudden, explosive popularity of AI-equipped smart glasses—specifically the Meta Ray-Bans—and the… https://erkansaka.net/2026/09/06/ai-smart-glasses-privacy-surveillance/

erkansaka.netA video: “We’re Not Ready For AI Glasses”Brief Summary The video explores the sudden, explosive popularity of AI-equipped smart glasses—specifically the Meta Ray-Bans—and the severe privacy threats they introduce. While previous smart glasses like Google Glass failed, the new generation is selling in the millions because they look like normal eyewear while packing high-resolution displays, cameras, and AI assistants. However, because they conceal their recording capabilities so well, they are quietly capturing sensitive public and private data.
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Turkish Youtuber Ruhi Çenet’s documentary on Hasidic Life triggers various reactions I have to admit, although I knew about his videos from a very early time, I found them a bit cringe, not on my agenda.... https://erkansaka.net/2026/09/05/ruhi-cenet-hasidic-jews-documentary-asmongold-reaction/

erkansaka.netTurkish Youtuber Ruhi Çenet’s documentary on Hasidic Life triggers various reactionsI have to admit, although I knew about his videos from a very early time, I found them a bit cringe, not on my agenda. But he is persistent and successful in his approach to creating content. The key amplifier was streamer Asmongold: his live reaction brought Çenet’s documentary to a much larger American online audience, where discussion quickly moved from Hasidic life to welfare, taxation, political influence, representation, and antisemitism.[
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European scholars have a new rival: the Influx of US Researchers The global academic landscape is fiercely competitive, and the latest figures from the European Research Council (ERC)... https://erkansaka.net/2026/09/04/2026-erc-starting-grants-global-competition-us-researchers/

erkansaka.netEuropean scholars have a new rival: the Influx of US ResearchersThe global academic landscape is fiercely competitive, and the latest figures from the European Research Council (ERC) emphasize just how intense the pursuit of research funding has become. In September 2026, the ERC announced the awarding of 421 Starting Grants, totaling a massive €705 million investment under the Horizon Europe programme. While these numbers celebrate the brightest early-career minds, they also reveal shifting transatlantic dynamics and systemic funding pressures across higher education.
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A video: “The Real Reason WinRAR Still Exists https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBpuMA7XGpM The video explains the fascinating history and counterintuitive business model of WinRAR, the famous file compression software from… https://erkansaka.net/2026/09/02/winrar-infinite-free-trial-business-model/

erkansaka.netA video: “The Real Reason WinRAR Still ExistsThe video explains the fascinating history and counterintuitive business model of WinRAR, the famous file compression software from the 1990s. Famous across the internet for its infinite 40-day "free trial" that casual users famously never paid for, WinRAR somehow still generates tens of millions of dollars annually. It achieved this by allowing everyday people unrestricted access to the software, which built massive brand familiarity and established it as a global standard.
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Iceland, not interested Iceland's "No" to the EU: Sovereignty, Geopolitics, and the Digital Misinformation Battle On August 29, 2026, Icelanders headed to the polls for a highly anticipated referendum on… https://erkansaka.net/2026/08/30/iceland-eu-referendum-2026-sovereignty-misinformation/

erkansaka.netIceland, not interestedIceland's "No" to the EU: Sovereignty, Geopolitics, and the Digital Misinformation Battle On August 29, 2026, Icelanders headed to the polls for a highly anticipated referendum on whether to resume European Union membership negotiations. The result was a decisive blow to the EU's enlargement hopes: as Euronews reported in the immediate aftermath, the EU offered a "muted reaction" after 52.8% of voters rejected the proposal, compared to 47.2% in favor (with a high voter turnout of 82.5%).
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Digital Rights Under Fire: The U.S. Terror Designation of Autistici/Inventati and the Future of Secure Infrastructure On August 26, 2026, the U.S. State Department and Treasury took an unprecedented step… https://erkansaka.net/2026/08/29/autistici-inventati-us-terrorist-designation-digital-rights/

erkansaka.netDigital Rights Under Fire: The U.S. Terror Designation of Autistici/Inventati and the Future of Secure InfrastructureOn August 26, 2026, the U.S. State Department and Treasury took an unprecedented step in the realm of digital rights and counterterrorism by officially placing the Italian tech collective Autistici/Inventati (A/I) on the "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" list. Spearheaded by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, this decision has sent shockwaves through the digital rights community, fundamentally challenging the protections around secure communications, privacy, and open infrastructure.