In other words, GOOD STUFF.

Guys, 2014 has been real. In a word: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us ... and now we have 2015. Onward!

1. What Internet culture will look like in 2015. Okay, okay -- it will look an awful lot like 2014 did. But now all these irritating trends have names! Like "performative piety" (#bringbackourgirls), "anti-virality" (#slatepitch) and "conservative neutrality" (every Google auto-complete meme, basically).

2. On the insensitivity of algorithms. Facebook took a lot of heat for a "Year in Review" feature that surfaced traumatic memories to some users. But Facebook isn't alone in the algorithmic murk: any service that recommends follows runs the risk of recommending, say, a past abuser.

3. This essay is supposedly about cover songs on YouTube. It's actually about the nature of Internet culture, the human need to balance good and evil, and the changing face of outsider art. In other words, GOOD STUFF.

~Party like it's 2015 wut ~

Postscripts: The sad Internet. The real "Black Mirror." How to spend your New Year's with Netflix and how to avoid a New Year's hangover. The year in lists (hey! remember that song?): fake viral photos, schadenfreude, terrible words, and ... other lists.

Wishing you a happy, healthy and not-terribly-hungover 2015. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for supporting Links this year. The newsletter comes back Monday. Happy New Year!!

Until then,
@caitlindewey

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