feeeeeels kinda iffy
Let me level: I’ve long known that Amazon is ‘bad,’
in an abstract, impersonal sense. And a sliver of my conscience has always quibbled with my auto-shipped dog food and Prime membership. But until coronavirus, it all felt too convenient to justify a major shift in my behavior. Like, eventually I’ll live up to all my values, right?! But for now, that one-click order is so much! faster and cheaper.
Anyway … a pandemic has a funny way of forcing you to face your values sooner. As businesses I knew/loved closed all around me, it felt urgent to support mom-and-pops & local makers. It helped that Amazon, as Brian Merchant put it, “has treated its workers brutally, bullied competitors, dodged taxes, and generally been a bad civic actor.” Also, it’s out of half the stuff we need. And the algorithmic prices are ridiculous.
The switch hasn’t been that hard. In fact, it surprised me how convenient and efficient even small-scale online-shopping has become. (Caveat: We’ve also nixed non-essential shopping, so I’m working with a limited sample.) Still: I’ve been heartened by the success of platforms like Bookshop.org. And it feels good to know I’m not inflating Bezos’ worth to ever-more-obscene heights.
It’s worth thinking about — today of all days! —as Amazon workers go on strike.
Links you can use
Recommended: Have not yet tried a chef-led Zoom cooking class, but its looks like a fun Friday night. Alternately: Stream Shakespeare live from the Globe Theater or join Atlas Obscura’s trivia night. I also saw this Zoom Bachelorette on Twitter, which … feeeeeels kinda iffy? But take my money, obviously, it’s for charity.
Reminder: I love getting your links. This is a two-way street! Feel free to hit “reply” to send me your favorite GIFs, reads on internet culture, and/or time-wasting apps and activities.
If you read anything this weekend
Quarantine is the future big tech wanted. But it isn’t exactly working as planned! “It was easier to think of the … online-first existence as not only possible but preferable when it was strictly a lifestyle choice. Being forced to live it, many of us are now discovering how much of the physical world we have taken for granted.” [Real Life]
Take a time machine back to the early 2000s: “pre-cancel culture, pre-#MeToo, pre-President Trump.” This was the heyday of The Chive, a once-tasteless website that now seems merely tacky and desperate. [The Verge]
The most heartbreaking essay you’ll ever read about online porn. And sexuality, intimacy, imagery, shame and the loneliness of being a third-party voyeur. [Longreads]
Obnoxious expats once made a killing as e-commerce middlemen Bali. But the “real-life video game” of dropshipping has grown increasingly difficult and scammy. [Wired UK]
The rebirth of the “community cookbook” in the digital era. They live on Google Docs and don’t require condensed soups … unlike every charity cookbook *I’ve* ever heard of. [NYT]
Postscripts
Virtual … protests, haircuts, facials, eel aquariums and college exam proctors. TIL my governor’s sister-in-law is a wacky wellness influencer. In praise of that Stanley Tucci video. In love with Austin Chiang. A compendium of Foundational Internet Writing (… I added the title case).
Inside the rise of the “affluent, urban” prepper and the “life coach for creators.” We are all, I fear, this pantsless, knowing (?) ABC reporter. AI can lie, sing and make weird memes, but not art or inventions. Jury’s out on whether it can legally deepfake Jay-Z’s voice without his permission. This week in conspiracies: 5G, the Benassis and Pizzagate, the sequel. Last but not least: Why it’s hard to get online groceries right now, and why everyone’s giving cash away on social media.
Thanks again for subscribing to Links. Sincerely: I appreciate it!! This takes me rather a long time to put together each week, so if you liked this edition please consider H/Ting or forwarding to a friend.
You can also send tips, submissions and hedgehog GIFs by hitting “reply.” Stay safe and sane out there!!
— Caitlin