Todd Bishop is co-founder and editor of GeekWire, the largest technology news site in the Pacific Northwest and the hub of the Seattle region’s tech community.  A veteran technology journalist, Todd covers topics including AI, cloud computing, startups, and tech giants including Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Apple. He has interviewed many of the pioneers of the tech industry, including Bill Gates, Steve Wozniak, and Jeff Bezos. Todd hosts the weekly GeekWire podcast and is a regular guest on local and national television and radio shows. Before starting GeekWire with his longtime colleague, John Cook, Todd worked for newspapers including the Philadelphia Inquirer, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and Puget Sound Business Journal.  He graduated from California State University, Chico, with a double-major in journalism and business. He grew up in Orland, Calif., and lives in Seattle with his wife and daughter.

Todd stressed the importance of the super-power tech companies in our region. Amazon had been the most recent icon for impact in the tech industry. Amazon is now expanding into rural areas throughout the country and  its creating a culture clash throughout those communities. Their revenue this past year was 40 billion dollars.  Microsoft’s  presence with lasting tech implications and  is now rebounding with increased services in the cloud. Google’s new engineering center in our community on the waterfront and Apple’s commitment to new engineering growth in our area as well.  These companies are very instrumental for the spin-off of other diverse tech companies that have popped up in the past few years. Todd believes we will see increased growth in our region due to the tech revolution in the Life Science area because of our notable research institutions here in Seattle.   His prediction is we will not have enough engineers trained  for all the jobs that will be created in the Life Sciences to meet the demand in the coming years. 

Our speaker on March 4, 2021, was our member, Tim Lenihan, talking about the Seattle real estate market. Tim is a Partner with Modernden and a long-time University Sunrise Rotarian. Modernden was created by Tim Lenihan and Mike Ellis in 2014 to build homes that are both classic and timeless, with the best building quality possible. For more information, contact Tim at tim@modernden.com or www.modernden.com

The City of Seattle is growing at one of the fastest paces in the entire nation and it’s not slowing down.

Speaker Notes provided by Isaac McNally:

-Tim created his own Real Estate brokerage this past year, Modern Den, mostly high end residential homes 

-Seattle apartment rates have decreased about 25% this past year through Covid, yet increased demand for housing

-Real Estate prices are increasing 15-20% on most houses hitting the market. This is anticipated to continue for next 2-3 years

-Tech market increasing Seattle population, large migration from California

-Low interest rates increasing demand for Seattle housing, thus increasing housing pricing

-Covid separating the “haves” from “have nots” (restaurant businesses taking a big hit), mortgage forbearances increased at beginning of Covid but have decreased since. Banks are much more prepared for economic hits than in 2010.

-ADU, Additional Dwelling Units are increasing within the city, increasing population density. Laws now allow for three houses on one single family lot. 

-Misnomer that everyone is leaving the city

-Growth in suburban cities will temper the pace of growth in Seattle.

-With many big companies leaving Seattle for Bellevue etc., door may be opening for small companies and startups to exist once again in downtown Seattle

-Parking issues arising with population density and with DADU and ADU

-Zillow and Redfin estimate home values based upon trends, but are not always accurate

-Condo market lags behind the residential market. Currently an upswing for Condo market

-Seattle city council seems to have neglected many important issues in heightened focus of social equity issues. Parks have been neglected. Police are only partially staffed in the city because many have left.

-”Everyone will be working from home now” seems to be a misnomer. There will continue to be a demand for commercial space downtown, though reduced the next couple of years.

-Annual median income in Seattle around $108k and increasing.

-Everret is anticipated to see biggest growth in next ten years

-MHA tax has accumulated much money toward the city’s housing affordability, but it’s unclear how the city is using it. The city has not had success in attempt to solve homelessness issue

-Property taxes are increasing with home values

Melinda Haughey (pronounced “hockey”) is a researcher and Ph.D. student with the University of Washington Center for an Informed Public. 

She has spent the past three years studying online misinformation and disinformation with UW Professor Kate Starbird. Starting in 2019, Melinda began researching the emerging “misinformation beat” in journalism. She regularly works with journalists who report on the spread of problematic information online ,specifically looking for ways that academia can help them with collaborations and tools. 

Prior to joining UW, Melinda earned a Chemical Engineering B.S. from Texas A&M University and began her career with the U.S. Intelligence community in Washington DC. She later gained experience as a management consultant, data visualization expert, and program manager with Accenture before deciding to pivot to mis-/disinformation studies after the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. 

Here are Eric Ramsing’s meeting notes:

Tom Ranken called the meeting to order at 7:30am

1. Pam Mushen recited words of wisdom
2. Bob Swanson offered the Rotary Minutes, expressing how fortuitous it is that we live in a healthy Seattle.
3. Hal Beals introduced Melinda Haughey from the University of Washington, speaking of problematic online information.
   • Discussion of social media journalism and the challenges inherent with covering the new misinformation beat.
   • Introduced to the club, the Center for an Informed Public centered at UW.
   • Discussed misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories:

Misinformation = accidental presentation of incorrect information

Disinformation = presentation of incorrect information with the intent to mislead

• Key to determining (research) in exposing disinformation is determining the Source.
  • Journalists work to debunk: researchers are intent on qualitative peer review
  • Media Manipulation.
    • Embeded in online groups intent to mis-direct.
  • Journalist determination of when to Report/Publish (sequence of events)
    • Tweet (or similar event) appears
    • Research – True or False
    • False date spread (how far is dispersal)?
    • Platforms / data analysis (trustworthy or not)
    • In the end; “get it wrong” and get accused of feeding “fake news”

Plays into the narrative “don’t trust the media”

• Discussion of current challenges
  • Pam Mushen asked about the abolition of the Fairness Doctrine, eliminated during the Reagan Administration.
  • Recommended reading: Snopes.com and Politifact.com
  • Statement that intelligence communities are actively monitoring online sites
  • Question: “When to take Action”?
  • Many cannot differentiate between opinion and news (thanks FOX)
  • Discussion of the movement of hard, peer-reviewed news from traditional outlets to “nonsource” media ie., Facebook, Twitter, etc.
  • Mention of Allsides.com.
  • “Everyone is susceptible” but prime targets are the Right Wing and the Older Generation (targeted specifically for financial grift)
  • Current lawsuits filed by Dominion may be beneficial in helping to shut  down fake news.
  • “De-platforming” (closing inputs known to be false) works but tends to push such inputs further underground, such as Parler, etc.

Meeting closed at 8:30 with much more to be said…..