The biggest killjoy you ever clicked

A U.S. presidential candidate -- in the year 2016!! -- retweeted a Photoshop fail so bad and blatant it makes LiLo look like an editing queen. Does he notice the weird cut-and-paste of the subjects? Does he care that the lighting's different on each?!!! Like it's okay for your weird uncle to post this stuff on Facebook, but even Trump should have better taste in weak conspiracy memes.

1. If Huck Finn took place on the Internet, it'd probably read something like this: A veteran troll tires of his old ways and decides to fake his death. In the aftermath, he feels relieved ... but also kinda bereft. The fellow gamers in his forum had become his closest friends -- and they were justifiable disturbed to learn his "suicide" was just another prank on them.

2. In order to stay on top of the world, Facebook needs to sell you a fiction: That it's a neutral, hands-off, agnostic platform free of cultural or ideological restrictions. In actuality, Facebook does have a distinct moral code, which it's spreading around the world. Whether that bothers you probably depends on how much it matches yours!

3. BUT WHAT DO THE TEENAGERS THINK? Maya Kosoff, doing the Lord's work, has compiled the kids' opinions on just about everything. (FYI: It's no longer cool to use the words "bae" or "on fleek.")

.... anticlimactic
(link)

Pocketable: This isn't strictly about the Internet, but it relates to our concerns: How can modern, thinking people be so damn irrational? (4149 words/17 minutes)

Postscripts: Twitter beef. Pork chops. The Chickening. "The biggest killjoy you ever clicked" and a search engine for memories. Would you read a book of your own Facebook posts? 'Cause THAT sounds like a slog. Why you should read the comments and stranger's tweets about God. How to send your troll to jail. How to (not) become a pro-gamer. Controversial opinion of the day: Slack is no better than email. Kanye West's Twitter rant, read as Shakespearean tragedy. The L.A. ice cream diet is proof that America's still pretty damn great, actually.

See you tomorrow!
@caitlindewey

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