Ever clicked on a Facebook video promising something shocking only to watch 10 minutes of filler before realizing you've been played? Welcome to the world of Watchbait—those misleading, overhyped videos designed to manipulate your curiosity (and your patience). In this episode, Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer break down the worst offenders and share tips on how to avoid the bait-and-switch trap.

Then, they take ChatGPT’s Agentic AI demo for a spin—can AI truly operate autonomously, or is it just a glorified to-do list assistant? And in Gen AI Stump, we challenge ChatGPT to stop being so agreeable. Can we make it argue? Can it actually push back? Or is it doomed to eternal politeness?

Tune in for some digital myth-busting, AI experimentation, and a few laughs along the way.

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In this episode of Surprise – It’s Not a Toaster, Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett dive into the wild world of online comments—from YouTube rants to Google reviews and Twitter’s never-ending chaos (which is basically just one giant comment section). They trace the history of internet commenting, exploring how we went from early, nerdy UseNet forums to today’s digital free-for-all of trolling, toxicity, and the occasional comedy goldmine.

But are comments good or bad for us? Studies show exposure to negative comments can increase anxiety, impact sleep, and even drive consumer behavior—making or breaking businesses. At the same time, Google loves well-moderated comments for SEO, proving that even the worst takes have value (sometimes).

Also in this episode:

Join us as we laugh, rant, and question the very fabric of online discourse—because sometimes, the best response to a terrible comment is just closing the browser tab.

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In this episode of Surprise—It’s Not a Toaster, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer rant (just a little) about the ever-growing paywall problem—because apparently, reading an article online now requires a monthly subscription, your firstborn child, and a secret handshake. While they fully support paying for quality content, they debate whether the web’s overreliance on paywalls is actually helping or just locking great content behind digital fortresses.

Next up: a "tech tip" on AI Tar Pits—the sneaky tools and techniques websites use to block AI models from scraping their content for free. Should AI get a free lunch, or is this just another front in the content wars?

Finally, the hosts put GenAI to the test—can it take a confusing technical need (like a hob/docking station) and translate it into plain English with an actually useful recommendation? Spoiler alert: AI might just be the ultimate tech translator we never knew we needed.

Tune in for rants, revelations, and a little AI-fueled magic!

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In this episode of Surprise—It's Not a Toaster, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer dive into the labyrinthine world of Terms & Conditions (and EULAs)—those digital novels we all “agree” to without reading. From hilarious (and horrifying) examples of what companies sneak into the fine print, to asking the big question: why does signing up for software feel like selling your soul? Then, they shift gears to geek out over better, faster website design, featuring an unlikely but brilliant contender—McMaster.com (yes, the industrial supply site). Finally, the hosts put GenAI through its paces, asking it to "simplify" classic, mind-bending literature. Can AI turn Moby Dick into a bedtime story? Tune in for laughs, insights, and AI-powered shenanigans!

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In this episode of Surprise—It's Not a Toaster, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer dive into the messy world of social media content moderation (or lack thereof). From platforms hitting the snooze button on moderation to the search for unbiased news with AllSides.com, the hosts tackles today’s digital dumpster fires with humor and heart. And as the cherry on top? They put ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude in the hot seat to see if GenAI can save us all from the chaos. Tune in for insights and some AI-powered solutions—or not!

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In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer reflect back on the last 30 episodes and share insights on things we’ve learned, how we’re evolving and predict what we’ll be talking about in the new year.

In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer discuss the history of the annual “Word of the Year” presented by various sources (including the Oxford English Dictionary). They also share a useful Bluesky plug-in to help curate news, and then test GenAI’s ability to create unique pub trivia facts.

In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer discuss the current state of journalism and the rise of social influencers in becoming primary news sources. They also share their experience with Bluesky as then test GenAI’s ability to create poetry. 

Annoyance: Online influencers and the fall of journalism

Tech Rec: 

AI Stump: 

• ChatGPT or Shakespeare? Readers Couldn’t Tell the Difference—and Even Preferred A.I.-Generated Verse

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In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer discuss their frustration with the shifting expectations around achieving AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). Ed then shares his personal experience using Apple AirPods as a hearing aid, and Chris conducts an experiment to see if asking GenAI questions politely yields different results compared to using insults.

In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer discuss the growing trend of artificial online sales events and delve into the potential impact of AI Agents. They also explore a study commissioned by Apple, highlighting the limitations of GenAI’s logical reasoning abilities.