Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (BitCurrent, Year One Labs, GigaOM, Human 2.0, Solve For Interesting, the author of Complete Web Monitoring, Managing Bandwidth: Deploying QOS in Enterprise Networks and Lean Analytics), Hugh McGuire (PressBooks, LibriVox, iambik and co-author of Book: A Futurist’s Manifesto) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see”.

Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another:

• The Ballad of Johnny France – Esquire. “Esquire‘s archives are online, sometimes. This one’s a doozy, by Richard Ben Kramer. ’Thus began a months-long search led by a rodeoman-turned-sheriff named Johnny France. And thus begins one of Cramer’s great lost, riveting stories.'” (Alistair for Hugh).
• What Is a ‘Computer’ Anymore? – The Atlantic. “It used to be a person who was good at math. Then it was a machine which did what we told it. Now, if the little numbered red circles that rule my life are any indicator, it tells us what to do.” (Alistair for Mitch).
• Bernie Takes on the Media – Scott Galindez – YouTube. “Donald Trump is leading the polls in the race for the big prize on the Republican side; crusty socialist Bernie Sanders is leading the polls for the Dems. The received wisdom is that neither of them can win, and that instead we are going to get a … a … a … Clinton v Bush election (Ugh). You can see why these two unlikelies are doing well. They say what they think, and lots of people agree with them. You might think Tump is a bombastic jerk, and that Sanders is a crazy old commie – and you’d be right, more or less, on both counts. But, it’s refreshing, if destined to be short-lived, to have the two leading voices saying things that no one, closer to the election, will dare say. Enjoy it while it lasts. Here’s a grouchy Bernie Sanders responding to reporters questions. Feel the Bern.” (Hugh for Alistair).
• The Creative Apocalypse That Wasn’t – The New York Times. “Digital has wreaked havoc on the business models of artistic production and distribution, but how has it impacted the actual artists? Are people really getting paid less to create art (music, books, movies, TV) than they used to? Steven Johnson does some impressive number crunching, and comes to the conclusion: things are OKer than you might have thought.” (Hugh for Mitch).
• You Really Don’t Need To Work So Much – The New Yorker. “I don’t care what Tim Wu has to say on the subject, I simply can’t slow down. I have notebooks everywhere, and they are filled with ideas. Stuff for clients, for this blog, articles I want to write, projects I want Mirum to launch, book ideas taking fruition… and so much more. I’m drowning in work. Not by force. Not because if I don’t, I can’t make rent. Those realities still get me out of bed in the morning, but I’m much more driven by something inside (the work muse?) that is pushing – more than ever. It’s not about unplugging. It’s not about slowing down. I have much more inside of me that I want to share with the world, professionally. Is there something wrong with me? Are you like this? Is it possible that work actually serves no one’s interest? Has work, simply, become make-work?” (Mitch for Alistair).
• Silicon Valley Icon Wants to Hack His Way to the Presidency – Wall Street Journal. “Whether you agree with the politics of Lawrence Lessig or not is irrelevant. He has ideas about how we… the people… can once again gain some traction when it comes to our government. Some people think it is way too far gone. Lessig is up to make true reform. How? Simple, pull in his Silicon Valley culture and, literally, hack the system. Open it up. For real. Open government. Do you think it can work? It’s hard not to be skeptical. Still, read this. Maybe this is America’s real moment of hope?” (Mitch for Hugh).

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on Twitter, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.