What Twitter’s Blue Tick says about the value of symbols and authentication

Last Thursday (20th April 2023), Twitter began removing the blue ticks from formerly verified users who had failed to subscribe to the new Twitter Blue service. The blue tick was once a symbol of “authenticity”, confirming that the holder of that account was indeed the person or institution referred to in the name or description of the account. Moreover, … Continue reading What Twitter’s Blue Tick says about the value of symbols and authentication

More than a party – A consumer behaviour look at the impact of government sleaze on public health

Trust in politicians in the UK has taken a tumble, recently. The IPPR revealed that, as of the end of last year, the British Public’s distrust in politicians was at an all-time high: Image source Moreover, according to YouGov numbers, as of last week, almost 2/3 of all UK adults disapproved of the Government’s record … Continue reading More than a party – A consumer behaviour look at the impact of government sleaze on public health

We are more willing to trust tech companies with our sensitive data than the government

Contact tracing is a key mechanism for monitoring the evolution of communicable diseases. For instance, it is routinely used in the case of sexually transmitted diseases, to trace people who may have been infected, and to urge them to get tested and take precautions to avoid infecting others. Other applications include tuberculosis, measles, chicken pox, … Continue reading We are more willing to trust tech companies with our sensitive data than the government

Role of robot appearance vs behaviour on users’ perception

Robots are increasingly playing a role in customer service – be it taking orders in restaurants, providing information in banks, or delivering items in hotels. For the investment in customer service robots to be worthwhile, though, customers need to enjoy interacting with them, and they need to trust them. A robot’s appearance has a key … Continue reading Role of robot appearance vs behaviour on users’ perception

Too big to fail

I was interviewed, recently, for a school project on financial services. One of the questions concerned the reasons why, sometimes, a bank is described as 'too big to fail'. Here is my take. Anything to add to help this Y12 student? Question: Why was Bank [name of bank] described as 'too big to fail'? Financial … Continue reading Too big to fail