Ostensibly, it’s an analysis of online reaction to the LK-99 story but there is, as the saying goes, a lot to unpack here. The drama angle, for instance, speaks a lot to me, as a wrestling fan; it’s also alarming to think that ‘the real world’ might be reduced to the storytelling dynamic of pro wrestling (which I love dearly, but come on). #link
###
The Art Of Warez, a short documentary on ANSI art culture (with bonus Black Dice on the soundtrack). [c/o pete @ Thumped] #video
###
Tom Ewing, who used to run ILX, is incisive on online forums as a whole: “Left to its own devices, any online community, whether small or huge, will reflect the society it’s built in. Making something better takes effort and intervention.” #link
###
It’s weird; when I think about blogging today, it’s much more as an underground phenomenon compared to where it was in the middle of last decade. #link
###
There was more to the story of Snopes losing control of its domain, as Wired reports. #link
###
A deep dive into what appears to be some very shady goings-on within the stupidly expensive mattress business. #link
###
Matt Webb on the return of his communal short fiction blog, and how it fits on the internet today: “It seems to me that, sometime in the last 17 years, the web forgot the simple pleasure of making, and appreciating what’s made, together.” (Cynical old me thinks that’s because ‘the web’ isn’t a thing anymore; it’s all smartphones and social media and clickbait and humanity’s worst tendencies laid bare. Sigh.) #link
###
Who didn’t have this on their computer around the turn of the century? And the project is still going! Best of the web, no doubt. #link
###
This brand of obsessiveness is nothing new, but the way the internet breaks down so many barriers — between online celebrities and their fans; between private data and, well, anyone who wants it bad enough — lends a far creepier edge than ever before. #link
###
At time of posting, the Storify ends in August, but the tale continues on Adam’s Twitter account… [c/o Lowbrowculture] #link
###
…and these are the results. #link
###
The headline overstates things a tad, but GIFs are an easy way both to share and digest cool stuff from the indies, Japan, etc. #link
###
What a stupid name for what we’ve always called urban legends, or campfire tales, or simply folklore. I know where it comes from; still stupid. #link
###
“Sensible people — people who care about things like acceptance and inclusion — were complaining about Katy Hopkins being on the show. They talked about how they weren’t going to watch the show, and everyone inside the same echo chamber of opinions repeated the same thing, over and over again. Meanwhile, the people who were insulated from the uproar, the people who don’t know who Katy is (or worse, the people that agree with her) just watched the show anyway. Along with, I’ll bet, a lot of the people who said they wouldn’t. And then come the complaints to RTÉ and the cycle continues.” Yep, I was part of that echo chamber, I’ll own that. It still rankles that RTÉ refused to entertain complaints before the programme, as if the prospect of sheer wrongness doesn’t count, but RATINGS. #link
###
Blogs are still going, even if the denizens of the internet have moved to social media apps and all that noise. On a related note: The Favelog Writes Itself — on building a self-updating website that archives and catalogs your personal collections of favorites, saves, stars, and likes around the web
. It’s something I’ve wanted for a while but haven’t technically been able to do, what with not using Wordpress and all. #link
###
Can't add any more to what Tim Carmody says here. #link
###
Don't read this unless you've got a unicorn chaser at the ready, it's depressing as all hell. #link
###
More infoviz here, this time graphing the prejudice against the Guardian's female writers, besides the more controversial topics of 'debate', etc. #link
###