Business Insider: Gen Z’s safe space. “Occupy Wall Street, Notorious RBG, cottagecore. These and several other lasting internet trends and IRL movements of the 2010s were born not on Twitter, on Facebook, or in the mainstream media but on Tumblr. You might remember it as the blogging platform that became one of the most hyped startups in the world before fading into obsolescence — bought by […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/04/02/business-insider-gen-zs-safe-space/

Teen member of Musk's DOGE once provided support to a cybercrime gang
By Georgie Hewson

Records revealed by Reuters show the teen, who now has access to departments including Homeland Security, provided services to a cyber crime ring known as "EGodly" prior to his US government role.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-27/doge-staff-big-balls-provided-tech-support-to-cybercrime-ring/105101466

'Absolute cesspit': Mother of murdered teen Brianna Ghey backs under-16 social media ban
By Heloise Vyas

The mother of British transgender teen Brianna Ghey speaks out in support of a social media ban for children aged under 16.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-24/brianna-ghey-mother-calls-social-media-absolute-cesspit/105088636

University of Pennsylvania: How #ChristianTikTok Users Understand and Utilize the Platform’s Algorithm. “Are you reading this article right now? Maybe you found it on our website, stumbled upon it in a newsletter, or — who knows — perhaps it was delivered to you by divine intervention. [Editor’s note: heh.] That’s one of the reasons you might see a video from “Christian TikTok,” […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/03/23/university-of-pennsylvania-how-christiantiktok-users-understand-and-utilize-the-platforms-algorithm/

The 'worst word in the world' is now used to describe a must-have hairstyle
By Virginia Trioli

A quick search reveals how common, casual and uncoupled from shame and insult the term now is.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-22/see-you-next-tuesday-reclaimed-white-lotus-bob-kpop/105074682

Ars Technica: Study finds AI-generated meme captions funnier than human ones on average. “On average.” “A new study examining meme creation found that AI-generated meme captions on existing famous meme images scored higher on average for humor, creativity, and ‘shareability’ than those made by people. Even so, people still created the most exceptional individual examples.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/03/20/ars-technica-study-finds-ai-generated-meme-captions-funnier-than-human-ones-on-average/

Elon Musk’s IQ Is Irrelevant – Jesse Singal https://www.inbella.com/958820/elon-musks-iq-is-irrelevant-jesse-singal/ #BudgetDeficits #CelebritiesTopics #DepartmentOfGovernmentEfficiency #DonaldTrump #ElonMusk #FederalBudget #InternetCulture #opinion #SocialMedia #TrumpAdministration

A cult of expert personality happens in a niche topic or hobby community, when well-regarded experts start to care more about image and ego than about information and education.

Here's my description of how to recognise and avoid them: https://tradescantia.uk/article/cults-of-expert-personality/

Tubefilter: Can old TV shows find a Netflix Effect on YouTube?. “An attempt to revive a bygone television spinoff is also a novel twist on a common marketing tactic. In recent months, studios and other rights holders have started making classic films and TV shows available for free on YouTube, where a new generation of viewers can revive interest in older productions.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/03/15/tubefilter-can-old-tv-shows-find-a-netflix-effect-on-youtube/

The Verge: The future of the internet is likely smaller communities, with a focus on curated experiences. “Our research makes one thing clear: power is shifting back to the consumer (the fediverse signals this). Consumers crave community, but on their own terms — seeking deeper, more meaningful connections with those who truly matter (something we identified in 2014). Authenticity is at the […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/03/11/the-verge-the-future-of-the-internet-is-likely-smaller-communities-with-a-focus-on-curated-experiences/

Some of my best friends in the internet.

Lol, @levhita is in that picture.

This is an interesting take, and I find myself hoping that the fediverse and the revival of blogging will bring some of the rewilding the internet sorely needs.

#blogs #internetculture

We Need To Rewild The Internet
https://www.noemamag.com/we-need-to-rewild-the-internet/

"I will not argue ..."gets a new start, this time with silk sewing thread. I'm very happy with the w and less so with the I, but this will do.

Having this in the family room where I can see it while I'm online has been immensely helpful to me in protecting my peace & expendable energy. Indeed, I have not been arguing with ignorant assholes online (or off) and it's going swimmingly. #embroidery #internetCulture

ETA picture

The internet be like:

You stole millions of dollars from senior citizens. Do you want to come on my podcast and sell your newest sales course?

Then we can talk about aliens for 2 hours.

#UbuWeb, an avant-garde #web #archive that has existed independently for 30 years, is adding new content again.
No ads, no links to social media. Only #art (#text, #image #video) for you to #discover.
https://ubuweb.com/

Mashable: They met on Tumblr, and their relationship outlasted their accounts . “Before Tumblr lost its way through multiple sales, banning explicit content and losing droves of users, the microblogging site was the place to be online. Like any good social media platform, it brought people together, including couples.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/02/15/mashable-they-met-on-tumblr-and-their-relationship-outlasted-their-accounts/

A Weird Corner of the Internet – Floor 796
In the sea of generic social media and governments speed running their way to Nazism Floor 796 brings back some good old internet oddness. I spent 20 minutes scrolling around absorbing what’s happening and I still could spend time seeing what’s going on.

If you know of more odd places online I’d love to see you share them.
https://curtismchale.ca/2025/02/12/a-weird-corner-of-the-internet-floor-796/
#LinksOfInterest #internetculture #popculture

“It’s a culture that moves fast but breaks people,”

Prof. Ariel Anbar, quoted in the NY Times today and speaking about internet culture (although the phrase also applies to the 'culture' [for lack of a better word] of the current Musk-Trump regime based in DC).

It's from a very interesting article about the experience of one woman in science, her team's article in Science, and the intense backlash she suffered afterwards: Dr. Felisa Wolfe-Simon #arseniclife

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/11/science/arseniclife-felisa-wolfe-simon-retraction.html

New York Times: The Agony of Adoring Online Dogs. This link goes to a gift article. “There’s something distinct and humbling about forming a parasocial relationship with, and experiencing heartbreak from, an animal you’ve never met. Now that many of us have been on social media for a decade or more, it’s becoming impossible to not brace for the inevitable. And when these animals ‘cross […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/02/11/new-york-times-the-agony-of-adoring-online-dogs/