"Hot" in 2015

Today's edition of social media clusterf%&$ is brought to you by Best Buy, a washed-up electronics store that -- out of sheer holiday desperation, I'm sure -- tried to capitalize on its minor, morbid role in the podcast Serial with a tweet mocking the show. Said show is, you'll remember, a work of NONFICTION, and thus not appropriate for your jokey brand tweets. Yeah, I know, all brands are people ... but this was really weak! Onward:

1. Wikipedia is an almighty mess. The Internet's own encyclopedia may look just fine from where you sit, but behind the scenes, its army of volunteer editors are beginning to devolve into a senseless, sexist mob.

2. A user's guide to Internet trolls, those "lunkheaded goons from the primordial Internet ooze." Step 1: Admit you'll never beat them. Step 2: Block and report mercilessly.

3. ~Not so fancy.~ After almost 50 years in operation, Cat Fancy -- that iconic pioneer of the cat media space -- unceremoniously folded last week. It's the result, alas, of a massive shift in "cat culture," which this writer insists is a real thing.

You can do it, puppy!

Pocketable: On the origins of "cyberfeminism," a weird, fascinating and long-forgotten chapter in early Internet history. Here's parts 1 and 2. (In sum: 3240 words/13 minutes)

Postscripts: Extrapolated art. Keurig hackers. The story behind AOL's little yellow man. Friendly neighborhood PSA: You should avoid dating writers and T. Swift, if you can. You're a PERSON, not a user. (Just kidding: You're a product, obvi.) There are racists both on Spotify and in your Facebook feed. Last and certainly not least: normcore, insect protein bars, and digital drugs -- some things that will be "hot" in 2015.

Until tomorrow!
@caitlindewey

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