They're all the rage
We do not usually do this at Links, but since it's Friday and this is a special occasion, I would like to dedicate today's newsletter to my mother, Debbie. AHEM. Ten months ago, when this newsletter was a fragile, fledgling thing, my mother (a) secretly unsubscribed (b) fronted like she didn't and (c) later, in a fit of guilt, admitted she didn't "get it." This was a sad shock to my coddled Millennial self, but ... I eventually overcame.
Anyway, I'm telling you this for two reasons: First because, apropos of nothing, mom came back today! (*Waves.*) And of course I hope a warm welcome will encourage her to stay. Also, if you notice a sudden downturn in swear words and off-color jokes -- now you know why! My mother's reading now; we gotta keep it PG, guys.
1. There is no such thing as the "perfect response." The Internet loves a perfect response, much as it likes a [complex subject of your choice] summarized "in one tweet." It's quick and it's clicky and it's satisfying. It's also 100% fantasy.
2. Digging through a digital legacy. Jessamyn West's father wasn't just well-wired: He had Twitter and Flickr and Google Docs and a complex automated home system, "lifehacked up the wazoo." But when he died, West was left with all that stuff. And what's an "executrix" to do?
3. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SPEND A WEEK IN CAPS LOCK. (Mostly everyone wants you to turn it off.)
This lamb was raised with dogs and still thinks she's a puppy.
Pocketable: Meet the gentleman who heads the modern "Men's Rights" movement, with all the baggage that entails. (6405 words/26 minutes)
Postscripts: What the Internet looks like. Why tech moguls fear AI. What losing to a computer tells us about pride. These are limericks for lost online loves and this is a Tinder-themed smoking PSA. The brain on Twitter. The Facebook page that just won't quit. Introductory lessons in "new media lit." If you told your parents you were starting a cat cafe, whaaaat exactly do you think they'd say? (Srsly, mom: They're all the rage.)
Enjoy the weekend! See ya Monday,
@caitlindewey
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