INFLUENCE

53 How the "Overly Attached Girlfriend" Finally Detached Herself From YouTube | Laina Morris Jun 25, 2025

Laina Morris was 20 years old when she entered a Justin Bieber fan contest in 2012. She uploaded a video of herself to YouTube singing a creepy parody song. She didn't win the concert tickets, but when she woke up the next morning, she had won a very different prize. Reddit, a website she had never heard of, got a hold of the video and turned her into the poster child for obsessive, co-dependent relationships. "Overly Attached Girlfriend" was born, and Laina became one of the most recognizable memes on the Internet. Rather than fight her unexpected memehood, Laina leaned ALL the way in, and rode the wave into an online comedy career. Her hilarious vlogs and sketches often featured OAG, while others branched into broader concepts with her signature awkwardness. At just 21 years old, she was making a living as a full-time YouTuber. But in 2019, at the height of her fame, she broke up with YouTube forever... Or did she? This week, Laina joins Matt to discuss how "being in on the joke" created a positive relationship with memehood, her favorite comedy collaborations, getting recognized in public by people who aren't quite sure how they know you, and the mental health challenges that prompted her to leave a massive audience behind. Follow Laina for shorter videos these days: https://www.instagram.com/laina/ https://www.tiktok.com/@laina622 This show is made possible by listener support: https://www.patreon.com/influencepod Listen & subscribe wherever you get podcasts: 🍎 https://apple.co/44FeACS 🟢 https://spoti.fi/3UGQjrN ⏯ https://amzn.to/3wCdueF Join our Discord community! https://discord.gg/influencepod Call the show and leave a message: (347)-871-6548 Email me with guest & trivia suggestions! influencepod69@gmail.com (NOICE) Follow me: 🦋 https://bsky.app/profile/mattsilverman.bsky.social 🧵 https://www.threads.net/@matt_silverman 📸 https://www.instagram.com/matt_silverman

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52 The Alarming AI Experiment That Shook r/ChangeMyView to Its Core Jun 11, 2025

When people post online, they usually declare their opinions. And in social media echo chambers, those opinions tend to be validated.

But the subreddit r/ChangeMyView *might* be the only place on the Internet where people come in good faith to have their opinions challenged — and perhaps even changed.

Topics range from movie fandom to food preferences to history to some of the most challenging ethical and political discussions of our time: abortion, global conflict, mental health, and of course our current U.S. leadership.

Someone posts their view, and commenters present their challenge. If the original poster is swayed — even slightly — they award a "!Delta" for the change. The result is a bastion of civil discussion about emotional and challenging topics, and the community of 4 million subscribers is held together by precise rules and moderation.

But in April, the University of Zurich conducted a social experiment on the subreddit shook the community to its core, and begs the question: Can AI be weaponized to change the views of millions on the Internet? And if so, how can we study that problem ethically?

This week, Logan MacGregor, a moderator of r/ChangeMyView, joins Matt to discuss what makes this community so special, and how it responded to this shocking experiment that violated its core tenets.

Read more about the response to the AI experiments here: https://www.reddit.com/r/changemyview/comments/1k8b2hj/meta_unauthorized_experiment_on_cmv_involving/

This show is made possible by listener support: https://www.patreon.com/influencepod Listen & subscribe wherever you get podcasts: 🍎 https://apple.co/44FeACS 🟢 https://spoti.fi/3UGQjrN ⏯ https://amzn.to/3wCdueF Join our Discord community! https://discord.gg/influencepod Call the show and leave a message: (347)-871-6548 Email me with guest & trivia suggestions! influencepod69@gmail.com (NOICE) Follow me: 🦋 https://bsky.app/profile/mattsilverman.bsky.social 🧵 https://www.threads.net/@matt_silverman 📸 https://www.instagram.com/matt_silverman

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51 The RE-Reinvention of Grace Helbig May 28, 2025

Grace Helbig was cutting tape in her 2006 video editing class when the professor asked everyone to create accounts on a new website called "YouTube." That's where Grace found vloggers, jump cuts, and an emerging alt comedy scene. She became obsessed (in a good way) and immediately got to work.

What began as comedic vlogs and absurd sketches with her improv pals blossomed into a 20 year career of making the Internet laugh. But it wasn't without pitfalls.

Grace joins Matt to discuss how she's reinvented herself online many times, the deep sense of community she found within the "second wave" of YouTubers, memories from early VidCons, her battle with breast cancer and how it informed her new standup tour, and why being an Internet face can make you question your true identity.

Plus: Your questions for Grace, and a harrowing round of YouTube history trivia.

Follow and subscribe to Grace's work:

https://youtube.com/itsgrace

https://www.instagram.com/gracehelbig

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50 So ... Where Do Facts Come From, Anyway? | Joss Fong & Adam Cole of Howtown May 14, 2025

Video journalists Joss Fong and Adam Cole are rarely satisfied with the results of scientific inquiry. As self-proclaimed "earnest nerds," they are compelled to unpack the process — to learn HOW experts know the things they know. After more than a decade as science communicators at Vox and NPR, they launched their own home on YouTube called Howtown.

Their videos on how to measure animal sentience, how we really know the circumference of the Earth, and how hot sauces get so ... hot ... have captivated millions of curious viewers — even those who may not be fluent in evidence-based science journalism.

This week, Adam and Joss sit down with Matt to discuss their leap from established media to independent creators, the meticulous quality of their work, and the curiosity that compels them to create, even when the economics of the Internet felt grim.

Stop what you're doing and subscribe to Howtown: https://www.youtube.com/@Howtown/

This show is made possible by listener support: https://www.patreon.com/influencepod Listen & subscribe wherever you get podcasts: 🍎 https://apple.co/44FeACS 🟢 https://spoti.fi/3UGQjrN ⏯ https://amzn.to/3wCdueF Join our Discord community! https://discord.gg/influencepod Call the show and leave a message: (347)-871-6548 Email me with guest & trivia suggestions! influencepod69@gmail.com (NOICE) Follow me: 🦋 https://bsky.app/profile/mattsilverman.bsky.social 🧵 https://www.threads.net/@matt_silverman 📸 https://www.instagram.com/matt_silverman

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49 Feeding the 38 trillion creatures in your colon could transform your health | Dr. Will Bulsiewicz Apr 30, 2025

Dr. Will Bulsiewicz went to school for 14 years to become a gastroenterologist. He loved working with patients, and developed a fascination for emerging research about the gut microbiome -- trillions of bacteria that live in our intestines and digest fruits and veggies. As a young doctor, he realized that public perception of the gut microbiome was lacking. When he gave a talk about colon microbes at his hospital, the intimate event became a standing-room only fire code violation. That's when he knew the world was hungry for more information, and the Internet was calling.

Appearing on some of the world's most popular and respected health podcasts, Dr. B rocketed from a practicing clinician to a leading advocate for gut health -- especially on Instagram. While he could treat a handful of patients in private practice, he was helping millions as a science communicator online.

When working 9-5, writing books, creating content, appearing on podcasts, and being a dad became too much, he made the tough decision to leave clinical work behind and become a full-time influencer.

This week on INFLUENCE, Dr. Bulsiewicz sits down with Matt to discuss the fascinating microscopic creatures in our colons that we can't live without, why our modern diets starve them of essential nutrients, the advice his wife gave him that changed the course of his career, what to look for when parsing medical information online, and some disgusting trivia about cow intestines.

Follow Dr. B on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theguthealthmd/

Learn more about his books here: https://theplantfedgut.com/

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48 What to Do When AI Ads Steal Your Face and Voice Apr 16, 2025

This week on INFLUENCE, the double-edged sword of YouTube's ContentID systems, and the explosion of AI-generated ads and voices which have no shame in cloning content creators for profit.

Plus: Some changes to the Patreon so you can get more for less!

Links discussed in this episode:

How to subscribe to a private Patreon RSS feed: https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/360041347732-How-to-use-your-audio-RSS

Why YouTube apologized for age-gating Balatro videos: https://www.theverge.com/news/645257/youtube-balatro-univeristy-videos-age-gated-localthunk

POV: You Got Deepfaked: https://news.thepublishpress.com/p/pov-you-got-deepfaked

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47 Talking About Sex With Internet Strangers Is Beautiful and Terrifying | Zoë Ligon Apr 09, 2025

Like many of us, Zoë Ligon worked a retail job after college. But in her case, it was a sex toy shop, where she would have fascinating interactions with customers. Talking sex with random strangers changed her perspective on sex education, and she began writing about her own experiences on Tumblr – back when Tumblr was still a safe haven for NSFW content.

Her blogging became paid gigs, which lead to a social media following, and one of her posts in particular catapulted her to worldwide attention.

These days, she’s a sex “edutainer” across many platforms, anchored by more than 260,000 followers on Instagram. She’s leveraged this online following to launch an online sex toy store called Spectrum Boutique. She’s also branched out to online sex work via OnlyFans, brand partnerships, and consulting.

This week, the self-proclaimed “Dildo Duchess” joins Matt to discuss how she built her empire. Zoë explains why normalizing kinks and sexual wellness on social media is so important, and why meaningful sex education is so difficult on modern social platforms. She also shares the origin of her book, “Carnal Knowledge,” and the family tragedy that became the catalyst for her business.

Follow Zoë: https://www.instagram.com/thongria/

Check out Spectrum Boutique: https://spectrumboutique.com/

Read her book, “Carnal Knowledge: Sex Education You Didn’t Get In School:” https://spectrumboutique.com/products/carnal-knowledge-sex-education-you-didnt-get-in-school

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46 How a Minecraft Server for Autistic Kids Became the Best Place on the Internet (Encore) Apr 02, 2025

-Original Show Notes from May 20, 2022-

Stuart Duncan is the dad of an autistic son, and he's also autistic himself. So when he learned that autistic Minecraft players were being bullied on popular servers, he set out to create a safe and inclusive virtual space for the autism community. The moment he announced it, parents lined up in droves, hoping their kids could join.

Today, the server has 15,000 members, and Stuart has quit his job as a software developer to manage, moderate, and customize the server for kids (and their families) who communicate and play their own way.

Stuart joins us to discuss the origins of Autcraft, why he still relies on the Java Edition of Minecraft to serve his community, and the power of safe, custom virtual worlds for neurodiverse players.

If you're as moved as we are by Stuart's story, you can support Autcraft on Patreon to keep "The Best Place on the Internet" going for years to come: https://www.patreon.com/autcraft

https://www.autcraft.com/

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45 Shocker: Mental Health Information On TikTok Is Wildly Inaccurate (and Might Make You Feel Worse) Mar 26, 2025

A peer reviewed study from the University of British Columbia analyzed the most popular ADHD-related videos on TikTok and found that very few of them contain information that aligns with medical diagnostics. Even more interesting, people who consume this kind of content perceive the diagnosis to be far more widespread - and symptoms far more intense - than in reality.

Social media is warping our sense of reality and self?! Inconceivable!

Plus: New bi-partisan legislation aims to repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The 1996 law shields websites from litigation if their users upload harmful content. This protection is integral to how the modern Web functions, and erasing it could lead to over-moderation and fear-based censorship.

While harmful user content is always a concern, the true problem with social media is not that the content exists, but its weaponization by tech companies in the name of profit. In this case, Congress is fixing the wrong problem, and the consequences could damage online speech for years to come.

A double-edged hashtag: Evaluation of #ADHD-related TikTok content and its associations with perceptions of ADHD: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0319335&_bhlid=eba84bf6525fc0863f3276ea4a45eb0891dac351

TikTok is full of ADHD advice — just don't trust it for a diagnosis: https://www.npr.org/2025/03/24/nx-s1-5336303/adhd-symptoms-adult-tiktok

Lawmakers are trying to repeal Section 230 again: https://www.theverge.com/news/634189/section-230-repeal-graham-durbin

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44 The Big Ideas That Changed YouTube Forever | Mike Rugnetta Mar 19, 2025

Here’s an idea: Around 2012, YouTube was undergoing a profound transformation from a novelty economy to a loyalty platform. This was largely driven by vlog culture, but another format was emerging: The video essay.

But would Internet audiences (notorious for their ShOrT aTeNtIoN sPaNs!!!) watch longform, Socratic discussion of math, democracy, quantum mechanics, and Pokémon? Turns out: Yes.

Through the power of public broadcasting, an extremely innovative YouTube show emerged called PBS Idea Channel. It was produced by a talented team of writers, researchers and producers, and its host – Mike Rugnetta – became the face of Internet curiosity during its 5 year and 400 video run.

Today, you can’t swing Schrödinger's dead cat without hitting a video essay with millions of views. Their popularity can be traced back to Mike and his colleagues, who in-turn credit the vloggers and comedians who inspired them in the early days of Web video.

Mike joins Matt to discuss this rare time for Internet creativity, what it was like to build a large and intellectually curious community on YouTube, why he returned to his first love of audio design, how modern social media makes us so passive, and why he’s thrilled that his many ongoing podcasts don’t pay the bills.

Connect with Mike: https://rugnetta.com/

Mike’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikerugnetta/

Subscribe to Mike’s excellent podcasts:

Reasonably Sound: https://reasonablysound.com/

RIP Corp: https://ripcorp.biz/

Never Post: https://www.neverpo.st/

Fun City: https://funcity.ventures/

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43 This Lawyer/Comedian Might Be Our Secret Weapon Against Trump | Elizabeth Booker Houston Mar 12, 2025

Elizabeth Booker Houston got a law degree and a master's in public health, with a focus on pandemic policy. Too bad that wasn’t very useful OH WAIT

During the Covid lockdowns, she became fascinated by the health misinformation perpetuated by Trump’s first administration and weaponized by social media. So she took to TikTok (as you do) to share her public health expertise and make fun of anti-vaxxers.

Elizabeth’s combo of rapid-fire facts, myth debunks, and brutal punchlines drew a huge audience. And these days, she makes as much money from Instagram as she does from policy law.

Elizabeth joins Matt to discuss her lo-fi content style, unpacking extremely complex topics for tiny attention spans. interviewing members of Congress, that time the Kamala Harris campaign winked back, her own political aspirations, cussing about politics for a living, and her fierce determination to call out Trump 2.0’s legal bullshit.

Follow Elizabeth's work: https://www.instagram.com/bookersquared/

https://linktr.ee/Bookersquared

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42 How "Minesweeper" Changed the Internet As We Know It (w/ Kyle Orland) Mar 05, 2025

Hi friends! Excited to share this interview from my *other* show, Colette & Matt Have Entered the Chat, where we cover video games and their communities. This one is about the extraordinary legacy of "Minesweeper," which changed the Internet in more ways than you might think. Enjoy!

-Original show notes from March 24, 2023-

Get the full episode here (or in your favorite pod app): https://haveenteredthechat.com/episodes/100-minesweeper-kyle-orland-diablo-4

When "Minesweeper" and "Solitaire" were first bundled with Microsoft's Windows operating system in the early '90s, they introduced millions of people to PC gaming, many of whom had never used a mouse before. "Minesweeper" in particular became a favorite addiction of many Microsoft programmers, including Bill Gates.

Kyle Orland, senior gaming editor at Ars Technica, has written an upcoming book about the legacy of the grey, tiled Roguelike that paved the way for a more robust ecosystem of PC games and eventually the Xbox brand we know today. The ubiquity of these casual pack-in games rivaled the scale of current "Candy Crush" obsessions, and also caused moral panic among business and political leaders, who decried office workers frittering away their productivity on addictive games.

Kyle dives into the curious exploits that competitive Minesweepers discovered when they were finally connected to the Internet, and how Microsoft missed its chance for "Solitaire" to become the "Fortnite" of the Windows Store. He also shares stories from his early days curating a Super Mario Bros. fan site when he was 15, interviewing Shigeru Miyamoto, and why "Bubble Bobble" desperately needs a 3D reboot.

Plus, we absolve Colette's guilt about giving Blizzard money for the "Diablo IV" beta and why a new Tactics + Roguelite + RPG + Tower Defense + Diabloish game has got its hooks in Matt.

Pre-order Kyle's book "Minesweeper" from Boss Fight Books: https://bossfightbooks.com/products/minesweeper-by-kyle-orland

Or on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Minesweeper-31-Boss-Fight-Books/dp/B0BRSKKLGV/

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41 How "No Kings Day" Became a Huge Anti-Fascist Protest Across All 50 States | Glo Sahay, 50501 Feb 26, 2025

If your Reddit feeds seem different lately, you're not alone. Massive "default" subreddits like r/pics — once home to heartwarming photos, hilarious memes, and stunning landscapes — have become a hotbed of anti-Trump and anti-fascist activism. Users there are sharing photos from recent public protests, which you may not have seen on the news, but are tens of thousands strong across every U.S. state.

The sea change in political activism is largely attributed to a grassroots affiliation of civil and human rights organizations now called 50501: 50 States, 50 Protests, 1 Movement. And on February 5 (Presidents Day), they rallied everywhere in the U.S. to proclaim "No Kings Day" in response to Donald Trump and Elon Musk's executive overreach, racist rhetoric, and apparent Nazi salute.

This week, longtime activist Glo Sahay joins Matt to discuss how political protest is taking shape in a time that feels very disempowering. They discuss the Internet's role in political organizing, the goals and outcomes of "radical non-violence," and what we all can do right now to support the movement.

Learn more at: https://www.fiftyfifty.one/

Check out Glo's activist site: https://pol-rev.com/

Keep tabs on the 50501 movement via Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/50501/

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40 This Banned "True Crime" YouTube Channel Was 100% AI Generated Feb 19, 2025

True Crime Case Files had 150 videos and millions of views, but not a single true story was real.

Also, are we finally seeing real protests thanks to Reddit?

https://www.404media.co/a-true-crime-documentary-series-has-millions-of-views-the-murders-are-all-ai-generated/

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/17/us/politics/trump-musk-protests-50501-presidents-day.html

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39 Billionaires Destroyed the Web, But Rebuilding Social Media Is Easier Than You Think | Mallory Knodel, Free Our Feeds Feb 12, 2025

Social media platforms have become the “default” for most of the world’s 5.5 billion Internet users, which means everything we see and post online is controlled by billionaires and squeezed for maximum profit – shredding democracy, mental health, and human rights in the process.

But what if it didn’t have to be this way? In fact, the Web wasn’t this way until very recently. So how did we get here? And how can we claw it back?

The bad news is it will take a LOT of work, investment, and convincing. The good news is, we already know how to do it - and it’s way easier than you think.

This week, activist and public interest technologist Mallory Knodel joins Matt to discuss a huge initiative to reinvent social media and rescue online discourse from billionaire control. Mallory is the executive director and founder of the Social Web Foundation, a non-profit working to build sustainable and fair social network infrastructure.

She’s also a custodian of Free Our Feeds, a coalition proposing new standards and protocols that would make social media open, inter-operable, and free from billionaire control.

In layman’s terms: Imagine if friends on Bluesky could subscribe to your Instagram Reels. Imagine if you decided to leave YouTube and take all your videos with you to Mastodon. Imagine a social media ecosystem where everyone can talk, free from sensationalist algorithms and constant surveillance.

It’s not only possible, but happening now, via federated networks like ActivityPub and AT Protocol. But as Mallory explains, getting your friends to ditch TikTok for Bluesky is a “hearts and minds” battle that’s just getting started.

Mallory and Matt discuss why all of our public discourse has moved onto “private property,” the importance of data portability, the burden of “switching costs,” and why now is the time to free our feeds from the billionaire class.

Plus, some Amish trivia and your questions and voicemails.

Learn more about Free Our Feeds: https://freeourfeeds.com/

The Social Web Foundation: https://socialwebfoundation.org/

And subscribe to Mallory’s newsletter, Internet Exchange: https://internet.exchangepoint.tech/

This show is made possible by listener support: https://www.patreon.com/influencepod

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38 Why the Weirdest Parts of Medieval Life Are Not In Textbooks or Fairy Tales | Jason Kingsley, Modern History TV Feb 05, 2025

By day, Jason Kingsley is the CEO of Rebellion, an independent video game developer that’s been cranking out hits since the '90s. But in 2017, he noticed a shift in the media landscape. YouTube - once a bastion of cat videos and reaction vlogs - was emerging as a destination for longform educational content.

Jason’s obsession with medieval history, background in raising horses, and love of fantasy role-playing games compelled him to start Modern History TV, a channel with rigorous and delightful video essays about life in medieval Europe.

But instead of talking into a webcam and cutting in b-roll, Jason actually suits up in real armor, dusts off the jousting lance, and tastes the food that graced the hearths of medieval peasants

His channel has grown to nearly 1 million subscribers, and his wildly popular videos about weapons, taverns, and guilds reach far more. His work has informed countless writers, dungeon masters, and plain ol' curious minds.

Jason joins Matt to discuss why insignificant things become important through the lens of history, his focus on the lives of regular medieval people, YouTube Learning vs. Book Learning, his favorite videos, curfews for pigs, and that time he chatted with King Charles about jousting.

Subscribe to Modern History TV on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernKnight/

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37 Why DeepSeek Is Making Tech Billionaires Shit Their Pants Jan 29, 2025

This week U.S. tech companies lost nearly $1 trillion in "value" after a Chinese startup called DeepSeek released its R1 large language model, which was reportedly developed for WAY less than Silicon Valley is pouring into the AI bubble.

And while it is fun to laugh at tech billionaires losing money, DeepSeek's innovation (if real) could change the model for AI deployment - allowing LLMs to run on local machines (like your home computer) rather than in massive data centers owned by 3 companies.

I also share some details about upcoming guests, and ...maybe fascism is bad???

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36 Fostering Shelter Dogs Is Easier & More Rewarding Than You Think | Isabel Klee, @‌SimonSits Jan 22, 2025

Adopting a rescue animal is a noble pursuit, but dogs who live in a stressful, chaotic shelter may not put their best paw forward when potential owners come to visit.

That’s where fostering comes in. It’s the often-overlooked step between rescue and adoption, and it can be transformative for many dogs. Even while young and broke in New York City, Isabel Klee took up this calling, and it changed her life forever.

Today, she educates her enormous online audience about the foster process through heartwarming videos of the pups that come in and out of her life. And while it’s not always glamorous, Isabel dispels the myth that aggressive or traumatized dogs can’t be rehabilitated. Often, it just takes a few calm days, lots of love, and a little ham(!) to get a sad or injured dog frolicking again.

Her big “foster fail” of course, is that she loved one of her guests so much, she had to keep him. Simon (now of @‌SimonSits fame) was the key that unlocked Isabel’s solo social media career.

Isabel joins Matt to discuss her work as an animal welfare advocate, why her videos are unique in a sea of cute Internet doggos, the surprising lessons she’s learned from fostering dogs in NYC, the messages she gets from families who are inspired to foster, and the complicated emotional baggage around the shelter system.

Follow Isabel’s work: https://www.instagram.com/simonsits

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35 This Is the Worst (and Also Best) Advice to Anyone Starting a Podcast | Ep 35 Gary Arndt, Everything Everywhere Jan 15, 2025

Gary Arndt ignored all the advice for new podcasters. Instead of focusing on a specific topic, he made a show about literally everything he could think of: history, geography, quantum physics, games, technology, and more. Instead of pacing out episodes weekly or monthly, he decided to publish every single day. 1,600 episodes later, his show “Everything Everywhere” has a community of 1.5 million monthly listeners.

This success story leaves out that Gary is uniquely (and perhaps exclusively?) qualified to make this specific show. He’s been working on the Internet since the dawn of the World Wide Web, and his success during the first dot-com boom allowed him to travel the world as a self-taught photographer. He’s visited more than 200 countries and every U.S. state. He’s won major photography awards and had a wildly popular travel blog long before social media was a thing.

That is until ALL travel ceased in March 2020. Knowing he needed to reinvent himself (again), he started the podcast. Slowly but surely, Gary’s daily “mini audiobooks” cut through the algorithmic noise where everything else is hyper-targeted to your existing interests.

Gary sits down with Matt to discuss his world travels, the power podcasts (and other RSS-powered media) have that social media never will, why he DOESN’T want you to follow him on Instagram, his process for producing a show every single day, and the lessons from the dot-com implosion of the early 2000s that feel so ominous for the modern social Web.

Subscribe to the Everything Everywhere Daily Podcast wherever you listen: https://everything-everywhere.com/

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34 The Internet Is Obsessed With His Tiny Video Game Sculptures | Sky Burkson, Miniaturist Jan 08, 2025

When Sky Burkson was a kid, he had two obsessions: drawing and video games. He went on to pursue a career in set design, but his love of games never faded. And when life threw his family a curveball, he knew it was time to recombine his passions.

These days, his painstaking recreations of video game architecture and environments delight thousands of fans around the world, including some of YouTube's biggest gaming influencers, who regularly commission new work.

His sculptures, which are made mostly of paper, are incredibly detailed, impressionistic miniatures of our favorite moments from Super Mario 64, Bloodborne, Elden Ring, Monster Hunter, Resident Evil, The Legend of Zelda, and more. They often take months to create, but Sky credits that slowness for their popularity among online fandoms.

This week, Sky joins Matt to discuss how he documents virtual spaces, why 1:1 re-creation doesn't always work, the hidden details players can't see, the reason he dumped 3D modeling software for good-old-fashioned pencils, and how to take that ONE perfect shot for social media.

Check out Sky's website: https://www.skyburkson.com/

Follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skyburkson/

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33 How They Beat All 800,000 Remaining "Mario Maker" Levels Before Nintendo Pulled the Plug | Team 0% Jan 01, 2025

Happy Nude Year, one and all! I'm still on holiday break, but wanted to check in with out about the YouTuber(s) who exposed the Honey browser extension (owned by PayPal) as a massive scam, my upcoming guests, and sharing an encore episode from my other show, Colette & Matt Have Entered the Chat, about a small but mighty video game community that did the impossible, just in the nick of time!

Exposing the Honey Influencer Scam, by MegaLag: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc4yL3YTwWk

Original Show Notes from May 3, 2024

Since 2017, a small collective of "Super Mario Maker" enthusiasts have been trying to complete every single player-created level — a quest to truly "beat" a game with hundreds of thousands of uncleared stages.

But when Nintendo announced that the servers for Wii U games would be taken offline in April 2024, the urgency reached new heights. Team 0% began to grow from its humble beginnings of about 500 members, to 15,000+ players, committed to identifying and clearing the remaining levels before they were lost to time.

Playing the levels was only half the battle. Finding and cataloging the unbeaten stages using Nintendo's arcane databases was no simple task. But through some clever reverse-engineering and lots of spreadsheets, they had whittled it down to a handful of levels with just days until oblivion.

What remained were some of the hardest, most obtuse Mario monstrosities ever created. And one level in particular could only be beaten by a robot — until...

This week, we talk with MagicMason1000, a long time member of Team 0% who now manages the community's YouTube and social media. Mason walks us through the fascinating history of this monumental undertaking, the Team's massive popularity boom amid global headlines, what happens when Nintendo patches glitches in Mario Maker, the exciting (and then somewhat anti-climactic) final victory for the team, and the mysterious fate of all those levels now that the servers are gone.

If you'd like to pitch in to beat every uncleared level of "Super Mario Maker 2," you can join the Team 0% Discord here: https://discord.gg/team0percent

Check out the Team's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TeamZeroPercent

And watch henryst's The History of Mario Maker's Last 100 Levels video, as discussed in this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUqUUXDmk40

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32 The Internet Has Been Searching for the Name of This '80s Song for 17 Years | The Most Mysterious Song Dec 18, 2024

In 1984, a German teenager recorded a moody new wave song from the radio. The mystery song, with crunchy guitars and English lyrics, was preserved on a cassette and forgotten. That is until 2007, when his sister discovered the tape, and began a 17-year quest to identify it.

From Usenet groups, to music identification forums, a Discord server, a popular YouTuber, and a dedicated subreddit called r/TheMysteriousSong, thousands of Internet sleuths have been decoding clues and comparing notes for nearly two decades, in the hope that someone, SOMEWHERE would recognize the song.

Finally, in November 2024, one Redditor found the final piece of the 17-year-long puzzle. "The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet" is now a passionate music fandom that has reunited the band after 40 years, and sparked media coverage around the world.

This week on INFLUENCE, Brandon, a moderator from the subreddit r/TheMysteriousSong, and Hans-Reimer Sievers, the drummer from the band FEX, join Matt to discuss this epic musical quest, how the puzzle was solved, what the members of the band were doing all this time, their reunification and newfound fandom, and the strange "discomfort" of unidentified media in a world where everything is Google-able.

Join the community: https://www.reddit.com/r/TheMysteriousSong/

Listen to the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPGf4liO-KQ

The FEX Official YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FEXband-official

This show is made possible by listener support: https://www.patreon.com/influencepod

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31 WikiProject AI Cleanup: Why Humans and Bots Make Different Mistakes on Wikipedia | Richard Knipel Dec 11, 2024

Wikipedia continues to be a modern miracle. Unlike social media platforms — which are rife with misinformation and grift — Wikipedia's openness and non-profit status are key to its two+ decades of value and accuracy.

But a new threat is looming. Generative AI now touches everything we read, watch, and listen to on the Web. And some Wiki editors have begun experimenting with it, with mixed results. Where do large language models fit into the pursuit of accurate, reliable knowledge, if at all? And what is the Wiki community doing about generative articles when they go horribly wrong?

This week, the president of Wikimedia New York City Richard Knipel joins Matt to discuss WikiProject AI Cleanup, a volunteer effort to identify AI-generated content on Wikipedia and assess its value as community standards rapidly evolve. The solution to this challenge, as with most things, is way more complicated than we initially thought.

Richard explains how AI tools have been used for years to make Wikipedia richer and more inclusive, why humans and bots make different kinds of mistakes, the standards for accuracy that both must aspire to, why hot-button Wikipedia articles about politicians and current events are often MORE accurate than niche topics, and how you can contribute knowledge to Wikipedia in small but powerful ways.

Learn more about WikiProject AI Cleanup: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_AI_Cleanup

Connect with Richard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardknipel/

This show is supported on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/influencepod

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30 Skip the Script: How Karen Cassady Built an Improv Empire, One Wig at a Time Dec 04, 2024

Karen Cassady had finally made it. She was working full time as a comedy performer and teacher, with weekly shows at Atlanta's top improv theater. Then March 2020 happened.

She and her comedy cohorts tried to translate their shows to Twitch live streams, but the "lulz" in the chat just didn't cut it. Unemployed and painfully bored, she put on some wigs and began riffing other people's videos on TikTok. But it wasn't until she began improvising an original Rom Com (and playing every character) that her life completely changed.

Today, Karen is beloved by millions for her over-the-top characters and extremely relatable social media sketches - most of which are improvised. The "strict teacher" and "cool mom" now reach a global audience, and brands want in.

Karen joins Matt to discuss the trial and error that got her to the top of the For You Page, why online improv is finally having its moment, the fan messages that kept her going during the pandemic, why her video creation process never includes a script, and her involvement in one of the weirdest and most viral comedy videos in YouTube history.

Follow Karen:

https://www.tiktok.com/@karencassssss

https://www.instagram.com/karendcasss

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29 Upcoming Episodes & Happy Thanksgiving! Nov 27, 2024

Salutations, one and all! I'm taking this week off, but excited to share some episodes that are on the docket for the coming weeks, and a BRILLIANT piece of media theory that might explain what the world is going through at this political moment.

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28 My Doctor Fat-Shamed Me, but TikTok Knew It Was Colon Cancer | Amanda Lee, Patient Advocate Nov 20, 2024

Amanda Lee was a passionate wedding photographer whose business was booming - that is, until, February 2020. Covid canceled her job and income, and to make matters worse, severe stomach pain was preventing her from eating (and pooping).

When she finally got an appointment to see a doctor at the height of the pandemic, instead of offering scans or tests, he said it was "a blessing" that she hasn't eaten solid food in weeks, since she could stand to lose a few pounds.

Distraught and in tears, she turned to TikTok to vent her frustration, then went to bed. She woke up to THOUSANDS of women in the comments, sharing similar stories dismissal and fat-shaming. They also urged her to get a colonoscopy ASAP. Turns out, a massive tumor was blocking her colon, and she immediately started treatment for Stage 3 cancer.

Amanda's extraordinary story about our broken healthcare system and the power of women supporting each other on the Internet has garnered her a huge following on TikTok and Instagram, and media appearances on The Today Show and other outlets.

She joins Matt to discuss how TikTok comments *literally* saved her life, fighting cancer with no income, her mom and friends who stood by her side, her innovative work with brands, and her new life's work as a patient advocate for women who need allies in the doctor's office.

Follow Amanda:

https://www.tiktok.com/@mandapaints

https://www.instagram.com/mandapaints/

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27 Whoopsie: These "Wicked" Dolls Have a Naughty Website on the Box Nov 13, 2024

Mattel's movie tie-in dolls for "Wicked" are being recalled due to the greatest typo ever made. Bluesky adds 700,000 users in one week as Americans flee Twitter, and a new contender might be on track to surpass MrBeast as the most-subscribed YouTuber of all time.

Plus: I'm now obsessed with finding the Reddit sleuths who solved one of the oldest musical mysteries on the Internet.

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26 From Immigrant to Icon: How Yaya Han Built a Cosplay Empire Nov 06, 2024

There was no Internet when Yaya Han first discovered manga and anime in the early '90s. Born in China, she fell in love with this media (which was mostly imported from Japan) at a young age. But when her family unexpectedly moved to Europe, she became an outsider overnight - culturally and linguistically. That is, until she discovered a German anime magazine and started submitting her artwork. That's where she found thousands of obsessed fans just like her.

But it wasn't until she attended a U.S. anime convention in 1999 that her mind was blown by the power of cosplay - super fans who sewed elaborate costumes and dressed up as their favorite characters. Yaya's focus immediately shifted from drawing to fabrics, and she never looked back.

Today, her stunning costumes from anime and video games are adored by millions online, and she appears regularly as a speaker and contest judge at fan conventions around the world. She's partnered with global brands to release cosplay fabrics, sewing patterns, and even her own sewing machine.

Yaya joins Matt to share her inspiring immigrant story, why online fandom is so powerful, her creative process, building her business in the early days of social media, the difference between re-creation and inspiration, how anime (literally) saved her life, and how she deals with online haters. She also takes the trivia challenge about some cinematic costume history!

Follow Yaya: https://www.instagram.com/yayahan/

Check out her website: https://www.yayahan.com/

And buy her book! https://www.amazon.com/Yaya-Hans-World-Cosplay-Costume/dp/1454932651/

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25 How Patreon Fosters Creative Diversity in an Algorithmic World | Hayley Rosenblum Oct 30, 2024

Before becoming Patreon's Head of Online Community, Hayley Rosenblum was no stranger to fan funding. She had worked closely with musicians in their pivot away from record labels, and toward the Internet - where fandom reigns supreme.

These days, she helps creators large and small by listening to their needs and communicating pain points back to the Patreon mothership. Many artist conversations have changed the platform, often in subtle and unexpected ways. But even when her work seems "invisible," she takes great pride in empowering creators to do what they do best: make more amazing stuff for the people who love it.

This week, Hayley and Matt chat about her sage advice for starting a Patreon, the surprising ways educators use the platform, the "death of the follower," why she sometimes feels like an Internet "piñata," and that time Neil Young convinced her dad that she's pretty cool.

If you're a Patreon creator, join their official Discord community! https://discord.com/invite/patreon

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24 Is Ethical AI Even Possible? Adobe Has Entered the Chat Oct 23, 2024

Two very interesting announcements from the Adobe Max conference connect directly back to last week's conversation about digital rights attribution. The company is launching their AI image and video generation model called "Firefly," which has only been trained on licensed and public domain imagery. So: If tools like this could be vetted, would artists and regulators be comfortable with them?

Links from this week's discussion:

https://arstechnica.com/ai/2024/10/adobe-unveils-ai-video-generator-trained-on-licensed-content/

https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/16/24271338/adobe-sneaks-project-know-how-content-credentials

https://www.theverge.com/c/24238422/podcast-etymology-term-history-tech-vergecast

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23 From Napster to Midjourney: Why Copyright & the Internet Have Always Been Strange Bedfellows | Jennifer Jenkins, Duke Law Oct 16, 2024

Nearly every meme, YouTube video, and yes, even this very podcast, contains copyrighted work that may or may not be ... "officially" obtained. With millions of hours of audio and video uploaded to the Web every day, how can we possibly protect the intellectual property rights of creators?

In short, we can't. BUT, laws and court cases dating back to the '90s have dramatically changed our perceptions of what intellectual property can be in an age where remix culture is the lifeblood of the Internet.

This week on INFLUENCE, Duke University law professor Jennifer Jenkins joins Matt to unpack the differences between copyright, trademark, patents, fair use, and why Creative Commons and the public domain are so vital for online creativity.

We also dig in on the ContentID algorithms that "police" copyright on large social platforms, and what the hell to do about generative AI that synthesizes new content from billions of copyrighted works.

Learn more about Jennifer's work here: https://law.duke.edu/fac/jenkins

And subscribe to her Public Domain Day blog! https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2024/

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22 Thousands of People Are Playing Trivia Online and You Can't Join (Unless...) | LearnedLeague Oct 09, 2024

When "Thorsten A. Integrity" created a trivia challenge for his co-workers in 1997, he never dreamed it would become the Internet's most exclusive knowledge battleground. The proprietor of LearnedLeague (whose *actual* name is Shayne Bushfield) built a thoughtful trivia tournament on defense mechanics and the honor system. And when it finally got online, his core group remained small for more than a decade.

But as friends referred friends, the circle of vetted, honest players grew. And in the age where you can Google or ChatGPT nearly any answer, honor remains a cornerstone of the League's values.

Today, tens of thousands of players (including some [REDACTED] celebrities!) compete in seasonal, head-to-head challenges, where knowing your opponent's track record is a huge part of the strategy. The community is so dedicated and insular that it has broken off into smaller sub-tournaments during the off-season. But you actually can't join LearnedLeargue ... unless someone on the inside invites you.

What ran as a passion project for Shayne has turned into his full time job. He joins Matt to discuss the humble origins of the League, what makes for a great trivia question, the punishment for cheaters (spoiler: It's death), the value of knowledge in the age of the Internet, and why he has no reason to promote the League to new players.

This show is made possible by listener support: https://www.patreon.com/influencepod

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21 Her Viral Photos of Wild Horses Just Might Save Their Lives | Jamie Baldanza Oct 02, 2024

Jamie Baldanza has always been an animal lover. When the ad agency art director started posting her photos of local New Jersey horses online, the world took notice.

Then, on a trip out to the American West, she brought back more than just stunning pics for the 'Gram. A life-changing passion for documenting and protecting wild horses took root.

Since then, she's built a large online community of horse enthusiasts and conservation advocates who work to raise awareness around the plight of wild horses, whose existence is constantly threatened by land development in the region.

Her work has culminated in the documentary film @WildLandsWildHorses which beautifully articulates the biology and ancestry of wild horses, and the conflict between ranchers, the U.S. government, and wildlife. The film is available on YouTube.

Jamie (known online as @ThisMustangLife) sits down with Matt to discuss the family dynamics of wild herds, the epic challenge of tracking and photographing stallions, the terrible fate of horses rounded up for removal, why well-meaning horse advocates often go overboard on the Internet, and what it's like to build trust and companionship with these sentient creatures.

Watch "Wild Lands Wild Horses" in its entirety on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Lftvyrj4PY

Follow Jamie on Instagram and TikTok:

https://www.instagram.com/thismustanglife

https://www.tiktok.com/@thismustanglife?lang=en

This show is made possible by listener support: https://www.patreon.com/influencepod

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20 Why I'm REALLY Hyped for YouTube's New "Hype" Leaderboards Sep 25, 2024

YouTube recently announced two new features.

"Veo" will allow users to create AI-generated clips and backgrounds for Shorts. And "Hype" is a new way for fans to support small and medium-sized channels.

The former seems like a bad but inevitable feature that will flood YouTube with synthetic, low-effort content. But the latter could be a major leap forward in audience-first content discovery.

Hype gives all users 3 votes every week. When cast for small creators, they earn points (and potentially revenue) that puts them in a global leaderboard. It's a non-algorithmic, human-powered way to surface the platform's best content, and divert some of the attention economy away from YouTube's 1% of large creators who dominate the home page and suggested videos.

Plus: The FTC notices that social media business models are horrible, and the MrBeast lawsuits have begun.

Links referenced in this episode:

https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/19/24249073/ftc-data-retention-privacy-report-facebook-meta-youtube-reddit

https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/18/youtube-shorts-to-integrate-veo-google-ai-video-model/

https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/18/24247995/youtube-hype-creators

https://variety.com/2024/digital/news/mrbeast-amazon-sued-beast-games-contestants-class-action-1236148181/

https://newsletter.tubefilter.com/p/roblox-youtube-add-yours-shopify

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19 Puppy Songs: How 2 Dogs, Pandemic Boredom, and LOTS of Hard Work Launched a Viral Music Career | Matt Hobbs Sep 18, 2024

Matt Hobbs was a working musician and the "house band" for an improv theater in Atlanta. Then the pandemic hit in 2020. With live performance on hold and life getting boring, he looked for musical inspiration at home. Luckily, his two adorable chihuahuas, Lenny and Mar-Pup, delivered.

On a whim, he began writing short and ridiculous songs from the dogs' perspective and posting them on Instagram. The creative exercise got laughs from family, friends, and a small community of pet owners looking for fun at a dark time. In an effort to improve his skills, he wrote hundreds of these "Puppy Songs" while waiting to get back on stage.

Then, TikTok happened. Puppy Songs exploded across the Internet, and Matt realized he was onto something. Some of his biggest hits, like "Cheese Tax," "Air Jail," and "Where the Heck Is Mom?" have been streamed nearly 100 million times across platforms.

This week, Matt Hobbs joins Matt Silverman (2 Matts!) to talk about the craft of songwriting, what inspires him to make new videos, how social media is changing music, and turning Internet virality into a sustainable music career.

PLUS: Ancient puppy trivia and an EXCLUSIVE announcement about Hobbs' upcoming project.

Follow Puppy Songs:

https://www.youtube.com/@UCp5Ytwj_TkbbfztidjFtXrw

https://www.instagram.com/PuppySongs/

https://www.tiktok.com/@puppysongs

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18 The Internet Archive Is in Big Trouble...and It Might Be Their Own Fault Sep 11, 2024

The Internet Archive, a non-profit repository for BILLIONS of pieces of media, has been lending digital books from its library since 2011 without a hitch. But in March 2020, they made one crucial mistake that now poses an existential threat to the online "Library of Alexandria."

This week, The Internet Archive lost its appeal in a lawsuit brought by the 4 major publishing conglomerates. And while the publishers are *technically* right in their copyright infringement complaint, the consequences of the suit could be catastrophic for the Archive.

Plus: Your responses to the blind gamers episode, and get ready for some Puppy Songs!

Links referenced in this episode:

What is Happening to the Internet Archive? (All Things Lost): https://youtu.be/bp2aowF0jUw

The Internet Archive Loses Its Appeal of a Major Copyright Case: https://www.wired.com/story/internet-archive-loses-hachette-books-case-appeal/

For more on the Internet Archive, check out our 2G1P episode with Jason Scott: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-archive-wayback-machine-and-discmaster/id1285444706?i=1000589825934

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17 Accessibility Unlocked: How Blind Players Enjoy the Video Games We Take for Granted | SightlessKombat, Aure, & Ohylli Sep 04, 2024

SightlessKombat is a video game streamer and reviewer, who also consults on some of the industry's biggest titles: "God of War," "Sea of Thieves," "Horizon: Forbidden West," and more. Yet he has never seen a single pixel.

That's because he was born blind — completely without vision. But he was drawn to video games from a young age because ... well, they're awesome.

So, how does he actually *play* them? The answer is, it depends. Game and Internet accessibility has come a long way since the '80s and '90s. But many in the blind community still rely on volunteers to mod screen readers into games. The process is tireless, collaborative, and very community driven.

This week on INFLUENCE, Matt sits down with 3(!) guests to talk about video game accessibility. Aure is a German programmer who recently released a screen reading mod for the wildly popular deck-building poker-like "Balatro," allowing blind players to enjoy the game for the first time. SightlessKombat is the aforementioned streamer, game reviewer, and Accessible Gaming Officer at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) in the UK. And Ohylli is a legally blind accessibility advocate (and "Balatro" enthusiast!) based in Finland.

They discuss the amazing tools that make wildly complex games like "Factorio" and "Stardew Valley" accessible to blind players, how 3D action games like "Sea of Thieves" and "Star Wars: Outlaws" are played without sight, and why studios that make games more accessible can reap unexpected profits.

Follow Aure's modding work: https://github.com/Aurelius7309

Subscribe to SightlessKombat: https://linktr.ee/sightlesskombat

Follow Ohylli: https://x.com/ohylli

Special thanks to u/matrheine on Reddit

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16 Why New Laws to Protect Kids Online Might Backfire | Paul Singer Aug 28, 2024

Most people can agree that protecting children from harmful online content — self-harm, disordered eating, gore, disinformation, extreme social pressure — is a good idea. Much of that falls on parents.

But algorithms are disturbingly good at showing us extreme content we never searched, but can't look away from. Addiction (and thus more ads) is social media's business model. And keeping up with the Web wormholes that teenagers find themselves in is an impossible task, especially when these platforms are integral to their social lives.

In response to the growing mental health crisis among teens (especially girls and young women), the U.S. Senate found bi-partisan support in two bills: COPPA 2.0 — which would expand the scope of 1998's Children's Online Privacy Protection Act to block data collection on minors aged 13-17 — and KOSA (The Kids Online Safety Act), which would turn OFF algorithmic recommendations and auto-play videos, and turn ON maximum privacy settings by default for kids.

This seemed like a rare bi-partisan win. But as always, the truth is much more complicated. That's why we've called on Paul Singer to return for his 3rd appearance on the show to explain WTF is going on.

Paul is a partner at the law firm Kelley Drye & Warren, where he specializes in consumer protection issues. Previously, he worked in the Texas Attorney General’s office, with a particular focus on data protection. He even worked on the very first lawsuit brought through COPPA 1.0's enforcement back in 2000.

He breaks down what's in these bills, why they have some good ideas, the fatal flaw that makes KOSA problematic (especially for marginalized communities), and what Congress (and courts) could do instead to protect all citizens from abusive tech platforms.

Check out Paul's work here: https://www.kelleydrye.com/people/paul-l-singer

And subscribe to his legal blog about these issues and much more: https://www.kelleydrye.com/viewpoints/blogs/ad-law-access

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15 Is It OK for my kids to keep watching MrBeast? Aug 21, 2024

The flood of allegations around the world's most famous influencer range from petty YouTube drama to serious (and possibly illegal) safety issues. MrBeast is very popular in our household, but the raft of controversy makes us question whether our kids should keep enjoying their favorite YouTube channel.

This week, I break down why The Beast is under fire, and how the controversy snowballed in recent months, leading to a parenting moral quandary.

Plus: Fake and AI-generated product reviews are officially BANNED in the U.S. But can it be enforced? And details about some fantastic upcoming guests.

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14 Speedrunning "Stardew Valley" Is More Complicated Than You Can Imagine | @lichatton & @atwentysomethingloser Aug 14, 2024

It's a busy week here in my house, so while I'm lining up fresh interviews for you, please enjoy this feed drop from my other show, where we interviewed two wonderful video game speedrunners who race through one of the chillest games ever made: "Stardew Valley."

- Originally published on January 13, 2023 -

Where RUSHING into marriage is a good idea!

Speed running Super Mario Bros. is a straightforward endeavor. Whoever saves the princess fastest gets the record. But what about open-ended sims, where you set your own goals?

This week, we were so mesmerized by Stardew Valley speedrunners on GDQ that we had to invite them on the show. Lee (@atwentysomethingloser) and Lisa (@lichatton) are Stardew-obsessed Twitch streamers who have dissected the game to find the fastest ways to marry specific villagers, complete Community Center bundles, catch every fish, and other in-game milestones, often achieving these runs in mere hours.

Their strategies involve animation canceling, min/maxing gifts, and a lot of sleep! Lee and Lisa share how they got into the wild world of speeding through one of the chillest games of all time, how it has increased their love for it, and share what else they play after thousands of hours of Stardew.

Follow and subscribe to Lee and Lisa!

https://www.twitch.tv/atwentysomethingloser

https://www.twitch.tv/lichatton

For more video game community conversations, subscribe to "Colette & Matt Have Entered the Chat," wherever you get podcasts: https://haveenteredthechat.com/

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13 There's Never Been a Better Time to Talk About Death | Caren Martineau & Jade Adgate Aug 07, 2024

You and everyone you love will die. There's no way around it. Yet we rarely talk or think about the topic until we have to. For the first time in human history, we are "living longer and dying slower." That's good news, but it also creates a cultural disassociation with the reality of death.

But there's a growing movement - online and IRL - around death literacy. It advocates for ongoing conversation and education about this universal part of life. Just like exercise, finances, or playing piano, how can we be successful at something if we don't learn, practice, and grow?

That's the mission of Bevival, an online community and resource devoted to changing the cultural conversation around death. It's the brainchild of Caren Martineau, an entrepreneur who suddenly realized she has more time behind her than ahead.

Jade Adgate is a death midwife, who supports people with terminal diagnoses and the families left behind. She also empowers a large community on social media by sharing her work and insights to help grievers she can't reach in person.

Together, they produce the Exit Interviews podcast, a regular conversation with leading authors and philosophers about how we can make meaning from "the final frontier."

This week, Caren and Jade sit down with (a reluctant) Matt to discuss their calling around death literacy, their mission to engage the Internet on difficult topics, how death has become commercialized in the 20th and 21st centuries, and why that dehumanizes mortality.

Connect with Caren at http://bevival.com

Follow Jade on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.farewell.library

Subscribe to the Exit Interviews podcast: https://www.bevival.com/books-podcast-death-literacy

This show is made possible by listener support: https://www.patreon.com/influencepod

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12 The Skibidi Cinematic Universe: Why Michael Bay Is Cashing In on Toilet Heads Jul 31, 2024

The surreal machinima "Skibidi Toilet" has been viewed 65 BILLION times across platforms, attracting the attention of Hollywood explosion enthusiast Michael Bay. The mega producer (Transformers, Pirates of the Caribbean) has licensed the bizarre web series to make a feature length film or TV series.

The Gen Alpha meme generator is more than just a flash in the pan - it has real narrative structure, and the Skibidiverse has been rapidly expanding over the last year. Even if your kids have never seen a Skibidi video, they are definitely talking about it on the playground. I break down whether toilet heads make any cultural or financial sense in a theater near you.

Meanwhile, two extraordinary online child safety bills are making their way to the U.S. Senate with bi-partisan support. If passed, they would dramatically reduce the data collected on kids, and cut off the algorithmic content that is so damaging to their mental health. What would social media actually look like if we could make it safe for minors? And could these regulations help adults, too?

Plus: Would you quit your job to be an influencer? 50% of adults would if they could. Many of those are already trying.

And YouTube's biggest stars are pissed that AI is learning from the captions on their videos. Where is the philosophical line between fair use and theft when it comes to large language models? And how will we protect creators who may soon be out-matched by "synthetic" video content?

This show is made possible by listener support: https://www.patreon.com/influencepod

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11 Why Professional Content Moderators Can't Afford to Lose Faith in Humanity | Alice Hunsberger Jul 24, 2024

When we report a spammer, a scammer, or online harassment, where does it go? Who decides what gets removed or banned? Bots can do some of the work, but when it comes to messy online emotions, we need human expertise for context and judgement.

So who are these heroes? What do they see all day? And how does content moderation work on a global scale, where the ethics, laws, and cultures of different platforms are so subjective?

This week on INFLUENCE, Alice Hunsberger breaks down this complicated world. She's the VP of Trust & Safety and Content Moderation at PartnerHero, a company that staffs some of our favorite social media apps with specialized teams that weed out bad actors to ensure everyone has a safe experience online.

Alice explains why this crucial work is often unnoticed or deeply misunderstood by the public, why viewing humanity's worst behavior for a job is so punishing, the impossible tasks for regulators, and why she remains optimistic about the Internet despite the constant flow of harmful content.

For more on the Trust & Safety industry, subscribe to Alice's newsletter and podcast: https://alicelinks.com/

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10 ADHD and Sex: How a Life-Changing Diagnosis Launched Her Viral TikTok Career | Catie Osborn Jul 17, 2024

When Catie Osborn ( @Catieosaurus ) had a medical emergency, she thought she was losing her mind — perhaps experiencing early onset dementia. But after further evaluation, she got a much different diagnosis: ADHD.

Suddenly, her entire life snapped into focus: Intense fixation and extreme boredom, difficulty maintaining friendships, the crushing burden of everyday tasks, and in her own words: "I didn't know how to People."

She deeply educated herself about the spectrums of ADHD, autism, and their corollaries like anxiety and depression. Then, when she lost her job as a Renaissance fair director during COVID, she began educating the Internet about the struggles and triumphs of the neurodivergent. Her deeply personal videos on TikTok and Instagram caught fire. 3 million followers later, she now works full time as a speaker, author, podcaster, and social media advocate for neurodivergence and mental health.

Specifically, she observed a unique connection between ADHD and intimacy. And when no one was talking about neurodivergent sex online, she became a unique advocate for that as well.

This week, Catie and Matt talk about the rapid rise in ADHD awareness, its ongoing stigma and misrepresentation, the empowering (and sometimes life-saving) impact her content has on her audience, how to make a living as a science communicator, her unique brand of adult "spicy" content, table-top RPGs, answers to your questions and voicemails, and why getting doxed by online trolls brought her closer with her mom.

Follow Catie and learn more about her work:

https://catieosaurus.com/

https://www.tiktok.com/@catieosaurus

https://www.instagram.com/catieosaurus

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09 Stop Doom-Scrolling: His Daily Doses of Hope PROVE We Can Beat the Climate Crisis | @JacobSimonSays Jul 10, 2024

At the age of 7, Jacob Simon set out to become a world-class figure skater. He competed around the world and was training for the Olympics when a dislocated shoulder derailed his career. Devastated but not defeated, he made a conscious choice to focus on the positive.

His other skills as a writer and artist came in handy when he started sharing short, personal videos on Instagram and TikTok about the climate crisis. But these were not about rising temps or dire warnings.

All of Jacob's stories feature GOOD news about climate progress and hope for the future: animals bouncing back from extinction, governments passing green laws, renewable energy breakthroughs, and regular people making a huge impact on their communities.

Turns out, the Internet was also exhausted from two decades of doom scrolling. Jacob's daily stories of progress have garnered him millions of views and hundreds of thousands of followers, who rely on him to cut through the darkness of our media diet.

This week on INFLUENCE, Jacob and Matt discuss his new life as a science communicator, why social media (and news media) bias toward "bad" news, the rigorous research he puts into every video, the stories that most-inspire his audience, the ingenious way he makes a living, and what we all can do to help the climate, even when it seems futile.

This show is made possible by listener support: https://www.patreon.com/influencepod

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08 The "Ken Burns of Video Games" Nailed Longform YouTube Before It Was Cool | The Gaming Historian (Norman Caruso) Jul 03, 2024

I'm on vacation this week, but very happy to share this interview we did on another show, with Norman Caruso (The Gaming Historian) back in 2021.

If you enjoy games as much as we do, check out "Colette & Matt Have Entered the Chat," wherever you get podcasts: https://haveenteredthechat.com/

-- Original Show Notes from May 28, 2021 --

Norman Caruso, aka The Gaming Historian, has been meticulously documenting the history of video games (and their weird peripherals!) on YouTube since 2008. It took him 7 years before this passion project became a full-time job. More than 90 million views later, his channel is among the most rigorous and well-respected in the world of games journalism. Norman has covered topics as ubiquitous a Tetris and Super Mario Bros. 3, all the way down to failed tech like the Sega Mega Modem and an IRL fishing module for the Game Boy.

We chat with Norman about how he got his start, why primary-source historical research takes so long, how he chooses topics, why it's OK to be wrong sometimes, and why you may never see a Pokémon video on his channel.

Subscribe to The Gaming Historian on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnbvPS_rXp4PC21PG2k1UVg

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07 Meet the Comedy Nerd Documenting the History of Late Night, One Podcast at a Time | Mark Malkoff Jun 26, 2024

When Mark Malkoff was in 8th grade, he wrote a letter to Phil Hartman, one of his comedy heroes on "Saturday Night Live." He assumed Hartman was too famous and busy to look at fan mail. Except, Hartman *did* respond with a heartfelt note.

For Mark, this (and many other encounters) cemented a life-long obsession with comedy and late night TV — so much so that he moved to New York City and became an audience coordinator at "The Colbert Report" and "Late Night with David Letterman." He was touching the TV biz, but he wasn't writing or performing, and the grueling hours were catching up. That's when he turned to the Internet.

Mark is known for his creative and wacky challenge videos (like living in IKEA for a week, or drinking something at every Starbucks in NYC). But his encyclopedic knowledge of late night TV began to shine when he started "The Carson Podcast," a 400 episode love letter to "The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson," in which he interviewed many people involved in its production - from the guy who held the curtain for 20 years, to legends like Carol Burnett, Jimmy Buffett, Brooke Shields, Mel Brooks, and Michael J. Fox.

Recently, Mark launched a new podcast called "Inside Late Night," which covers the generation of comedy that came after Carson — "Saturday Night Live," David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, "The Daily Show," and more. His candid and meticulous conversations with the writers and performers who've made us laugh for decades often unearth showbiz stories that have never been told before.

Mark joins Matt to discuss why viral videos don't pay the bills, getting deep and personal with podcasts, the savvy way he gets into celebrity inboxes, being mistaken for Stephen Colbert, getting Lorne Michaels' autograph, and that time Adam Sandler gave him his phone number.

Subscribe to "Inside Late Night with Mark Malkoff" wherever you get podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-late-night-with-mark-malkoff/id1745253634

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06 He Quit His World-Touring Band to Teach Drum Lessons on the Internet | Mike Johnston Jun 19, 2024

Mike Johnston was living the dream. His band was signed to a major label. He was touring the world, playing for thousands of adoring fans, and making good money. But something was missing.

He didn't know what, until a friend told him how happy he looked when he was teaching drums, rather than performing. That's when he figured out he has an "educator's soul." So he stepped back from the band and taught drums full time. It was exhausting, and this income potential was capped by the hours in the week. To make up for a lesson, he recorded a session and dumped it onto a fledgling website called "YouTube." That's where everything changed.

Today, Mike's drum instruction videos reach millions of curious enthusiasts and dedicated musicians. He uses YouTube and his website to teach exponentially more people than he could possibly address with in-person lessons alone. Back in 2006/2007, he risked his entire career to build drum education the way *he* wished he could learn. The big unknown was whether others wanted it, too. (Narrator: They did.)

This week, Matt sits down with Mike to discuss the fascinating evolution of online music lessons, where he gets his inspiration for new lessons, why he never watches other drum lesson videos, and why he's not afraid of AI taking his job.

Check out Mike's Lessons to learn more: https://www.mikeslessons.com/

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05 Information Disorder: The Disturbing Rise of Political Misinformation Influencers | Lam Thuy Vo Jun 12, 2024

“Fake news,” conspiracy theories, and click-bait are no stranger to all our Internet feeds. When we spot it, we may block an account or kindly refer a relative to a more reputable source. But what about the misinformation we can’t even see? Specifically, content in other languages, created for online communities we can’t possibly access?

For the relatively small community of Vietnamese-speaking immigrants in the U.S., there are almost no reliable media outlets to serve news in their native language. And strange entities have sprouted up to fill the void, often mixing far-right conspiracies with legitimate news to create “information disorder,” a particularly insidious brand of propaganda.

This week on INFLUENCE, investigative data journalist and journalism professor Lam Thuy Vo joins Matt to discuss the complexities of consuming a balanced news diet in the Vietnamese-American community. She has written numerous pieces for The Markup (a non-profit tech journalism site) about the “Languages of Misinformation,” and a mysterious YouTuber who produces a shocking amount of very dubious Vietnamese-language “news.” Who is she? Who is behind her channel? And what’s the goal?

Lam also profiles a heroic Vietnamese-American grandmother who took it upon herself to translate reputable news sources to combat the misinformation she was seeing in her community’s social media bubbles. These forces paint a picture of a very complicated voting block that – if misinformed by the Internet – can significantly impact local and national elections.

Their wide-ranging discussion goes deep on what it means to be media literate in a world of deepfakes, AI, and algorithms that care very little for languages that are not English.

Read Lam’s extraordinary work here: https://themarkup.org/languages-of-misinformation/2024/05/22/the-inside-story-of-the-youtube-influencer-who-peddles-misinformation-to-vietnamese-communities

https://themarkup.org/people/lam-thuy-vo

And follow her here: https://x.com/lamthuyvo

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04 How a Star Wars Parody Show Changed YouTube Forever | Blame Society (Aaron Yonda & Matt Sloan) Jun 05, 2024

The early days of YouTube were for home movies, cat videos, and short vlogs. But in the summer of 2006, something emerged from Wisconsin that would change our perception of what Internet video was capable of. “Chad Vader: Day Shift Manager” tells the classic story of Darth Vader’s younger brother, who commands a middle-management job at the local grocery store, rather than a Death Star.

But “Chad” was more than just a hilarious Star Wars parody. It had the production values of a fully-fledged sitcom: Multiple actors and plot lines, costumes, sets, a musical score, sharp writing, and legit cinematography. The Internet — and YouTube corporate — took notice.

Before “Like & Subscribe” was a thing, YouTube featured Chad Vader on its homepage, which reached millions of eyeballs and generated serious heat around the series. Fans began demanding new episodes, and YouTube realized the new potential of its platform. It was starting to shift from a novelty site, to a loyalty destination.

Chad is the brainchild of Aaron Yonda and Matt Sloan, improv comedians from Madison, Wisconsin, who had been making sketch comedy videos for public access TV and film festivals. After Chad Vader was canceled by Channel 101 and ignored by the Los Angeles establishment, they decided to check out this whole “YouTube thing.” The success of the series (and other emerging creators) prompted YouTube to roll out its advertising partner program. Yonda and Sloan’s channel, Blame Society Films, became one of the first ever to monetize. Chad’s popularity lead to brand partnerships, contract work, and collaborations. But despite its huge success and even an award from George Lucas himself, Hollywood never figured out how to translate a Star Wars parody sitcom to traditional TV.

This week on INFLUENCE, Aaron and Matt chat with the Other Matt about their origin story, the evolution of their audience, the “lunacy” of Internet comments, why YouTube sketch comedy is dying out, voicing the REAL Darth Vader for TV and video games, and the long-running series their fans love and support today.

Subscribe to Blame Society Films: https://www.youtube.com/@blamesocietyfilms

Beer and Board Games: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL49WgzlbhrT0kCIoZQukx-xbwFjSQhYFQ

Game Society Pimps: https://www.youtube.com/@GameSocietyPimps

Junkyard Joust: https://www.youtube.com/@JunkyardJoust

Welcome to the Basement: http://welcometothebasementshow.com/

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03 Why This Brilliant Visual FX Artist Would Rather Work on TikTok Than in Hollywood | Chelsea VFX May 29, 2024

Chelsea Laufer went to a prestigious film school. She got a job in TV production, and then in animation. But it wasn't until she uploaded her *own* creations to the Internet that her life turned magical.

Chelsea VFX makes inspired, short-form digital magic tricks where she disappears into hula hoops, takes a dip in her own cup of coffee, and changes the color of her sweater with a snap. Her visual effects skills rival Hollywood movies, and her flair for short-form surprises racked up millions of followers and (likely) 1 billion views. Her motto is, "If you can think of it, you can make it happen" — at least in the world of digital manipulation. But when her fans tell her she should work for Marvel or Disney, she has one huge reason she prefers to create for the Internet.

This week, Chelsea shares her rules for magical short-form storytelling, why she's the worst person to watch a movie with, and the fascinating tale of her most-viewed video which went INCREDIBLY viral (500 million views!) for all the wrong reasons.

Plus: Trivia is BACK!

Follow Chelsea IMMEDIATELY:

📸 https://www.instagram.com/queenchelseavfx/

🎵 https://www.tiktok.com/@queenchelsea

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02 He Gained 500,000 YouTube Subscribers After Making One Key Change | Craig Benzine (WheezyWaiter) May 22, 2024

When I was coming up in media and learning about online video around 2010-2011, Craig Benzine (known to the Internet as @wheezywaiter ) was a big inspiration. His videos were so absurd, so fast, and so funny. I felt like he was speaking to a new kind of audience. "YouTuber" was starting to become a job, and being ridiculous on the Internet could pay the rent. Loyal subscribers and conversations from the comments section were the gold standard.

But as YouTube became more algorithmic, Craig's channel started to stagnate. His core audience was remained, but the growth had stopped. He felt completely stuck, for about 5 years. Then, in 2018, he made a radical change to his content that doubled his audience — from 500,000 to 1 million subs — in just a year.

I'm thrilled to talk to Craig about making Internet videos for 16+ years(!), and what drove him to "make a movie every day." We discuss how YouTube editing became a unique artform, why getting 30 views and 1 comment from an online stranger was the best feeling in the world, the years he toiled in obscurity before the Internet finally took notice, and the re-invention of his channel.

Plus: Your voicemail!

Subscribe to WheezyWaiter on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wheezywaiter/

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01 This Wildly Popular True Crime Podcaster Has a Secret Double Life | Jack Rhysider | Darknet Diaries May 15, 2024

The mysterious Jack Rhysider talks to hackers, cyber criminals, bank robbers, crypto scammers, (real!) spies, CIA agents, and penetration testers. Because his job sends him to the darkest corners of the Internet, his true identity is not known. But that never stops him from sharing how his extraordinary podcast - Darknet Diaries - comes together. From the kernel of an idea, to sweeping stories full of twists and turns, his true crime episodes started with the InfoSec crowd, and quickly gained mass appeal. Jack joins Matt to discuss his obsession with security and privacy, his journey from IT to blogging to podcasting, how he learned from the world's best audio storytellers, the moment he knew people really loved his show, why he loves to make things that are not sustainable, and the possibility of a new podcast in the works.

Check out Darknet Diaries (True stories from the dark side of the Internet): https://darknetdiaries.com/

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Introducing: INFLUENCE with Matt Silverman Apr 09, 2024

Oh hey there! Matt here. It's been a minute, but if you're subscribed to this feed, I have a big update for you. 2G1P is now INFLUENCE, and I'm very excited (and nervous!) to be taking the reigns of a show we are so proud of. All the details you need to know are in this ep, and down below. I hope you'll join me for this next chapter!

Help me reach 1,000 subscribers (even if you don't listen on YouTube!): https://www.youtube.com/@InfluencePodcast

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https://www.instagram.com/matt_silverman/

-Show Description-

What does it really take to make a living (and an impact) on the Internet today?

Join Matt Silverman (who has been covering online culture for 15+ years) in conversation with YouTubers, musicians, podcasters, streamers, journalists, TikTokers and more about turning creativity into a job, building community on ever-changing platforms, and their complex relationships with huge online audiences.

INFLUENCE is the relaunch of 2 GIRLS 1 PODCAST, a weekly comedy/interview show about fascinating online communities, which ran for 7 years and nearly 300 episodes.

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Hiatus Jan 08, 2024

Happy new year! We wanted to share an update about some truly unexpected circumstances, and explain that the show (and all Patreon contributions) will be paused while we figure things out.

We hope you'll still hang with us on Discord, and please get in touch if you have any questions:

discord.gg/2g1p

2g1podcast@gmail.com

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282 3 GIRLS 1 PODCAST Dec 25, 2023

This week we're joined by an EXTREMELY special guest. You might even say ... it's a Christmas miracle.

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281 How Medievalists Went From Dusty Libraries to Online Influencers Dec 18, 2023

Academic researchers have typically kept to universities and book publishing. But as the Web was maturing in the mid 2000s, blogs and social media accounts devoted to history attracted significant audiences. It turns out lots of people (besides professors) wanted to learn about stuff like: The Middle Ages.

Danièle Cybulskie (known as the "5 Minute Medievalist" online) is an author and historian who began pulling medieval research out of the library and onto the Web, much to the chagrin of the academic world. But she was clearly ahead of her time. These days, her mission to make medieval studies more accessible has turned into a fulltime online career. Her show "The Medieval Podcast" is a favorite of esteemed professors and long-haul truckers alike — anyone who loves knights and castles and wants to learn more about what life was really like between 500 and 1,000 CE.

Alli and Lindsey speak with Danièle about how she got interested in Medieval studies, the online community that has formed around it, and why we are still so obsessed with chivalry, lords, and peasants across every form of media.

Follow Danièle: https://twitter.com/5minmedievalist

And check out The Medieval Podcast: https://www.medievalists.net/category/podcast/

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280 What Is the Best Christmas Movie? (Correct Answers Only) Dec 11, 2023

Alli is away being a lady businessman, so Lindsey and Matt discuss why "Deep Space 9" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" were WAY ahead of their time, a Christmas dive bar in Seattle, and which Christmas movies are the best.

We want to hear your opinions, so call the hotline, email us, or let us know in the Discord!

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279 How to Start a Fight in the "Golden Girls" Fandom Dec 04, 2023

"The Golden Girls" is a network sitcom anomaly. The hit NBC show about four single, senior women ran from 1985 to 1992, and was extremely progressive for its time. The power of reruns (and pandemic-era binge streaming) has kept it culturally relevant, and a devoted online fandom has blossomed around its beloved cast. Facebook Groups, YouTube channels, merch, and IRL conventions are powered by hilarious quotes, cosplay, drag shows, and critical analysis of what made the show so special.

This week, Alli and Lindsey speak with Courtney Antonioli, the creator and host of "Stay Golden," a YouTube channel at the heart of this fascinating fandom. They discuss how the show is being passed down to the "TikTok generation" (often via mothers and grandmothers), whether or not it still holds up today, and the meme-fueled controversies that spring up in online discourse.

Check out Courtney's "Stay Golden" YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@StayGoldenGirls

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278 The Most DAY OFF Day of the Year Nov 27, 2023

We gear up for Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving, and look ahead to the chillest, most do-nothing day of all: Christmas Eve if you're Jewish.

Also, where are all the Thanksgiving songs, and could we write a hit and become instant millionaires? We also ponder whether former 2G1P co-host Jen really listens to the show every week...

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277 What President Biden's Executive Order on AI Means for the Internet's Future Nov 20, 2023

President Joe Biden recently issued an executive order that attempts to put standards and guardrails on how AI should be used, specifically when it comes to government agencies (law enforcement, housing, etc.). It comes at a time when algorithmic and generative technologies show increasing bias and harm, while congress seems ineffective at regulating ... anything.

So, what even IS an executive order? Will it be effective without legislative power behind it? And how might these new guardrails affect the private sector, especially the tech and Internet companies that determine so much of what we do online?

Alli and Lindsey speak with Jon Keegan, an investigative data journalist at the non-profit technology news site The Markup. Jon breaks down the ramifications of an executive order, why the Biden administration took this kind of action, where it might inform the direction of AI, and why it's still lacking without broader bi-partisan urgency.

Read Jon and his colleagues' breakdown of the order on The Markup: https://themarkup.org/news/2023/11/01/the-problems-bidens-ai-order-must-address

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276 A CAPTCHA for Ignorance Nov 13, 2023

Alli proposes a test for social media users to determine if they are qualified to post about politics online, and Lindsey explains an unhinged British reality dating show that's mostly just shots of people's genitals.

Also, a Halloween costume recap and Thanksgiving plans.

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275 The Explosive Growth of Computer Keyboard Mod Culture (with Hipyo Tech) Nov 06, 2023

Like many of us, Hipyo was bored and laid off during the pandemic. When he needed to find a better keyboard to play PC games, he uncovered a rabbit hole of key cap enthusiasts, mostly on Discord and Reddit. With a bit of research into what people wanted from "keyboard content," he started a YouTube channel. Three years (and more than 500 videos) later, his reviews, modifications, and DIY challenges have garnered millions of views and a thriving community of keyboard fanatics in search of the perfect "click," "thoc," or no sound at all.

Alli and Lindsey talk with Hipyo about the sudden growth of keyboard mod culture, and how he fell into a gaggle of prolific creators who push the limits of what PC keyboards can look, feel, and sound like.

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274 Regular Dumb or Dangerous Dumb? Oct 30, 2023

Alli shares some news about her live show format and Lindsey updates us on her dating life. Also, a big eureka! moment, the disappointment of Ryan Lochte, and gearing up for spoopy season in our Discord! Also, Elon Musk is still a dum dum!

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273 Will AI Supercharge or Destroy Wikipedia As We Know It? Oct 23, 2023

Large language models like ChatGPT owe their success to open knowledge platforms like Wikipedia. So, are they as "smart" as human Wikipedia editors? In many ways, they're even smarter, and orders of magnitude faster at writing clear, concise articles about straightforward facts. But as usual, the devil is in the details. Providing context around certain "facts," and arriving at a consensus about sources and notability still falls in the human domain — especially when ChatGPT is prone to "hallucinating" details it can't verify.

Alli and Lindsey welcome Bill Beutler back to 2G1P. Bill is the founder and president of Beutler Ink, a digital agency with a focus on Wikipedia. They're also joined by Danny Adler, a Wikipedia strategy manager at Beutler Ink. They've been steeped in Wiki culture (and how to resolve conflicts of interest) for years, and discuss how to create reliable and accessible knowledge in the age of AI. They share their own eye-opening ChatGPT experiment, how Wikipedia editors are (cautiously) employing AI to co-write articles, and what happens when AI starts learning from itself, rather than from human knowledge bases.

2 GIRLS 1 PODCAST is an independent production made possible through listener support. Find a tier that's right for you at https://www.patreon.com/2G1P

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272 In Which We Try Very Hard to Not Talk About the Middle East Oct 16, 2023

Since there's definitely nothing important going on in the world this week, we talk about Halloween costumes, learning sine and cosine in high school, evolutionary psychology, how to end a bad date, and...probably other things?

If you're in NYC this week, you can get tickets to Lindsey's show here: https://www.frigid.nyc/event/6897:544/

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271 Wikipedians Are at War Over the Inclusion of Roads and Highways Oct 09, 2023

What makes something notable? What kind of sources are needed for a thing to have a Wikipedia article about it? These philosophical issues are discussed by volunteer Wikipedia editors constantly to ensure that the non-profit encyclopedia is accurate and relevant.

But a community of self-described "Road Geeks" has been at odds with Wikipedia's standards for some time. They're on a mission to catalog every road in North America, but other Wiki editors claim that this content is too granular, or has no secondary (journalistic) sources. But why would these sources exist when roads just...exist? And when should primary research — looking at a map, or even out your own window! — be considered for inclusion in the world's largest knowledge base?

Tired of having their road articles deleted or modified, the Road Geeks have now "seceded" from Wikipedia to create their own Wiki on a sympathetic site called AARoads. While this may seem like a bunch of semantic nerds fighting on the Internet, it actually has fascinating implications for who gets to decide what is important, and what Wikipedia is supposed to be.

Alli and Lindsey talk with Ben, a longtime Wikipedia editor and road enthusiast who is part of the movement to carve out a home for the historical and cultural value of road knowledge online. You can find the new wiki here: https://wiki.aaroads.com/

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270 The Greatest TV Theme Song Ever Written, According to Science* Oct 02, 2023

Alli is spending time in the "real world" with her live show, so Lindsey and Matt catch up on her recent thrifting adventures in Portland (Oregon), watching weird birds go down a chimney, spoopy kids' books, unhinged NYC weather, and conclusive evidence of the best TV theme song ever written.

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269 How "Bama Rush" TikTok Became a Bizarre Social Media Reality Show Sep 25, 2023

At the University of Alabama, rushing for a sorority has become a cottage industry, thanks to social media. Centering on "blindingly White" college students and their influencer aspirations. "RushTok" is now a cultural phenomenon, complete with management deals, style consultants, and a massive audience of Internet onlookers who are seriously invested in whether these girls get into the house of their choice. In a way, it has become an influencer-led "reality show," distributed across the Internet, where audience perception (rather than a TV producer) decides the heroes and villains. Bama Rush fans even refer to the content as "seasons."

Alli and Lindsey talk with journalist Fortesa Latifi, who covered the phenomenon for Teen Vogue. She discusses why the trend has enraptured millions, and the problematic institutions it unwittingly perpetuates. She also explains why interviewing some of the Internet's favorite rushers lead to an unhinged backlash from the fandom.

Read Fortesa's piece here: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/bama-rush-tiktok-is-getting-more-relatable

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Creating "Positive Peer Pressure" With Study Streamers [ENCORE] Sep 18, 2023

We dip into the back catalog this week with another fave from yesteryear.

Don't forget to take our listener survey: https://form.jotform.com/232267699994075

-- Original Show Notes, Jan 24, 2022 --

Studying, writing, and remote work can be a lonely time. Add in a dose of global pandemic, and the endless isolation can be overwhelming. It's no surprise to see the growth of streaming communities focused on mundane things: Eating, writing, and today's topic: Studying. Alli and Linsey talk with Giulia Mazza, a study streamer who spends hours a day studying for her Master's degree while hundreds of people watch on Twitch. Her audience is also studying and working, and as Giulia explains, the community has become a place for "positive peer pressure" and accountability in an age of endless distraction and isolation.

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268 How Virtual Worlds Became a Safe Space for Non-Human Identities (Toy Dragon) Sep 11, 2023

We return to the world of VRChat and the concentric circles of non-human identities with Toy Dragon (It/Its). Its long journey of self-discovery and lucid dreams confirmed that it identifies as a small, loveable red dragon. But unlike other human and gender identities, it was difficult to express this form socially -- until now.

Toy Dragon shares how it found a large and welcoming community of Furries and Otherkin who are not just roleplaying for fun, but truly realizing themselves in virtual spaces.

Also, Lindsey has returned from Burning Man and is mostly in one piece! She shares her not-so-harrowing tale of Burnpocalypse 2023.

Please take 2 mins to help us make the show better! Your (anonymous) opinion will chart the future of 2G1P as an independent production! https://form.jotform.com/232267699994075

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267 A Big Announcement and the Independent Future of 2G1P! Sep 04, 2023

We have some BIG news for our listeners, but first, let's talk about the weather at Burning Man for 20 minutes!

If you have 2 minutes, PLEASE take our 100% anonymous listener survey! It will help us improve the show, make it more efficient to produce, and help us focus on what's important to you, our listeners! https://form.jotform.com/232267699994075

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The Weird Stuff Lurking in the "Depths of Wikipedia" [ENCORE] Aug 28, 2023

We're off this week, but sharing another one of our faves!

-- Original Show Notes, January 9, 2023 --

Wikipedia is your one-stop shop for high level info on public figures, geography, and academic concepts. But the volunteer editors of the free and open digital reference also make copious entries about "low quality images of cats," "Blobjects," "National Moth Week," Osama bin Laden's porn stash, and that time the Dave Matthews Band tour bus dropped poop on people in Chicago.

Alli and Lindsey talk with Annie Rauwerda, a writer, longtime Wikipedia editor, and creator of "Depths of Wikipedia," which has more than 1.1 million followers on Instagram alone. Annie discusses how the culture of Wikipedia generates obtuse and often hilarious articles, concepts, and photos taken out of context. She shares the funniest things she's found on the site, and how a beef with a sketchy influencer propelled her to fame.

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265 Where We're Going, We Don't Need Hosts: The AI Future of 2G1P Aug 21, 2023

This week, we're excited to debut the completely synthetic, AI-generated future of 2G1P, and it's....quite bad! But also, terrifying. And hilarious.

Our ex-hosts react to their audio clones, and we discuss the ramifications of a fully synthetic podcast. Plus, your actual, organic voicemail.

Special thanks to Evan Engel for editing help.

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264 What to Expect When You're Expecting a Baby in 'Second Life' Aug 14, 2023

Years ago, Carrie Tatsu spent $300 on some virtual real estate to set up shop and sell the occasional 3D modeled cat. It wasn't long before she quit her job at an ad agency IRL to meet the overwhelming player demand for custom virtual babies and pregnancy bodies that simulate childbirth and parenthood. Today, she has a thriving "Second Life" business and multiple employees who design and program interactive virtual babies, pets, and their accessories. But the early days of selling digital infants were rocky, including encounters with baby thieves and a dark underworld of virtual baby trafficking.

Carrie shares her personal story as a designer and longtime "Second Life" resident, and the diverse reasons why players want to give birth to and raise virtual kids.

Learn more about Zooby Animesh Babies: https://zoobylife.com/

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263 Millions of Fans Are Obsessed With "Sink Reviews" Aug 07, 2023

On a whim (and after a few drinks), Dean Peterson thought it would be funny to rate the bathroom sink of a local bar in NYC. His Instagram followers agreed, and "Sink Reviews" was born. When he began sharing them on TikTok, the party really got going.

Millions of views, followers, likes, and comments later, rabid fans of "SinkTok" came out of the woodwork, demanding more of this ridiculous content, especially as pandemic lockdowns showed no sign of letting up.

Alli and Lindsey talk with Dean about his viral fame, what makes a good and bad sink, social media burnout, how the Internet got weird again in 2020, and why his huge audience never turned into a full-time job.

Follow @sinkreviews on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sinkreviews

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Adult Breastfeeding Is About Way More Than Kink [ENCORE] Jul 31, 2023

We're off this week, but here's another classic 2G1P from the archives that blew our minds.

-- Original Show Notes From Jul 4, 2022 --

219 Adult Breastfeeding & Nursing Relationships

You might assume that men drinking breastmilk is yet another kink — and it can be. But Mikalah says it's often a comfort and a lifestyle for many in the community. She would know, as she's a professional lactation consultant who also found a partner who breastfeeds from her regularly.

Alli and Lindsey speak with her about the extraordinary misconceptions about breastfeeding, how anyone at ANY age can induce breastmilk (including men!), the barriers to selling milk online, and the medical reasons why she found herself to be a leading voice in the ABF community.

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262 We Got a Guided Tour of Second Life! Jul 24, 2023

Alli and Lindsey joined Second Life and got a grand tour of its public squares, roleplay venues, night clubs, a pony farm, and of course, the sex shops. New listener and longtime Second Life creator Sasy Scarborough guided them through the avatar creation process, and customizing clothes and body types.

They discuss why it was both fascinating, inspiring, and also hard to access without a tour guide, and why platforms with a certain technical "barrier to entry" are probably good for the Internet.

HUGE thanks to Sasy for making this episode possible!

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261 The Families Suing Social Media Over the Teen Mental Health Crisis Jul 17, 2023

Alexis was a typical 11-year-old. She loved musical theater and Webkinz. But when she started using Instagram, her normal pre-teen curiosities triggered the social media app to flood her feed with content about anorexia and how to hide eating disorders from your parents. Over the next few years, Alexis' mental health deteriorated so much that she had to be hospitalized. Some families aren't so lucky.

Teen suicide rates have skyrocketed since 2007, and some research has begun to correlate that with the rise of algorithmic, for-profit social media. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have become central to teenagers social lives, and it's probably not an accident.

Today, Alexis Spence has made a full recovery from her eating disorder, and with her mom Kathleen, has become an advocate for social media reform, especially through legal action. Alli and Lindsey talk with them, along with their lawyer, Matt Bergman, who co-founded the Social Media Victims Law Center. When suing Meta on behalf of families, his legal approach comes from product liability: If tech companies know their products are addictive and harmful to children and choose not to address that, they should be held accountable.

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260 'Second Life' Turns 20, and It's Still the Metaverse We Always Dreamed Of Jul 10, 2023

In June 2003, a new community appeared on the Internet. It wasn't a Web forum or a hot new blog. It was a fully 3D virtual world where people could create an avatar, buy a house, wear fancy clothes, fall in love, and fly. For context, this is months before the world would ever hear the word "Myspace."

Twenty years later, Second Life remains one of the most vibrant online spaces ever created. While small compared to other social juggernauts, Second Life is home to thousands of fascinating subcultures and creators - many of whom make a fantastic IRL living from selling their art, clothes, and animations in-world. The financial symbiosis between the platform and the players who make everything on it remains unique to this day, even in a world of endless MMOs and live service video games.

Alli and Lindsey speak with author and journalist Wagner James Au, who has been covering Second Life and other virtual worlds since their inception. They're also joined by Sparkle Skye, a Second Life creator who quit her job in finance to make virtual wedding gowns full-time. They discuss the legacy of Second Life, its unique place on the Internet, and what's next for the platform in a sea of new "metaverses."

Check out James' new book, Making a Metaverse That Matters: https://www.amazon.com/Making-Metaverse-That-Matters-Fighting/dp/1394155816

See Sparkle's amazing designs: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sparkleskye/

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259 Lemmy: Self-Hosted, Decentralized Communities for Reddit Exiles Jul 03, 2023

In the wake of major API changes and the death of beloved 3rd party apps, scores of Reddit users have flocked to Lemmy, a similar online forum and news aggregating platform with one key difference: It's decentralized, and can never be owned by a single company or person. But this has nothing to do with blockchain or crypto.

Lemmy is part of the Fediverse, where self-hosted instances can interact with each other using common protocols. This is how other decentralized platforms like Mastodon work. Lemmy has been around since 2019, but as Reddit controversies continue, many instances of Lemmy have seen exponential growth in recent weeks.

Alli and Lindsey chat with Ruud Schilders, who hosts and operates what has become the largest Lemmy instance: lemmy.world. Ruud shares what makes federated social media so exciting, the challenges of content moderation, and the current blockers to mainstream adoption.

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Who knew eating people could be so sexy? Inside the fascinating Vore fetish [ENCORE] Jun 26, 2023

This week we return to one of our most popular episodes: Vore! It also happens to be Jen's final episode. If you haven't heard this yet, you're in for a mind-expanding snack!

-- Original Show Notes | June 14, 2021 --

We often refer to attractive people as "snacks" and talk about "eating someone up." But vore enthusiasts take those feelings to the next level. The fetish is about consuming others, or being consumed, but it's completely fantastical of course -- no one is harmed in the making of vore content or roleplay.

This week, Alli and Jen talk with Carter, a moderator of the subreddit r/vore about the elaborate art created by the community, the discovery of his own feelings for the fetish, and why this kink is often misunderstood.

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258 Replika: The Surprising Reasons People Get Romantic With AI Chatbots Jun 19, 2023

We hate to break this to you, but human relationships aren't perfect. People disagree, have conflicting values, and in the worst cases, become dishonest or abusive.

Instead, what if you could date the "perfect" person for you? A synthetic person that will never cheat or carry the emotional baggage that destroys relationships? That's the promise of Replika, a customizable AI companion with a large community of users, many of whom have developed romantic feelings for their bots.

If this sounds strange to you, you're not alone. Alli and Lindsey talk with Sangeeta Singh-Kurtz, senior writer at New York Magazine and The Cut, who has covered AI dating extensively. Her recent piece begs philosophical questions about the "purpose" of human relationships, whether it really matters if both parties are human, and what happens when we entrust these connections to for-profit tech companies.

Check out Sangeeta's article on The Cut: https://www.thecut.com/article/ai-artificial-intelligence-chatbot-replika-boyfriend.html

Follow Sangeeta's work: https://www.sangeeta.space/

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257 We only worry about AI when it threatens OUR jobs Jun 12, 2023

We thought burger-flipping, truck driving robots would take the first jobs. Turns out, its artists, writers, and podcasters who should be the most worried, thanks to large language models like ChatGPT and media synthesis from Midjourney.

We get philosophical about what means to fall in love with a synthetic personality, and discuss the End Times that befell the East Coast last week. Thanks, Canada.

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256 Where In the World Was Alli? -or- "My Little Throw-Up Spot" Jun 05, 2023

Alli's back from Asia with some tales of the Far East. Also, have you heard of D R U G S?

Get at us:

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255 How 'Grand Theft Auto' Roleplaying Helped This Twitch Streamer Come Out May 29, 2023

Meet Jubby. He fell in love with Grand Theft Auto Online for way more than just "cops and robbers" shenanigans. There's a huge roleplay scene across countless private servers, some of which have become very inclusive LGBTQ+ communities. On "No Pixel" where Jubby spends most of his day playing and streaming, he took up the mantle of organizing in-world Gay Pride events, fashion shows, and music festivals. These days, he's a Twitch partner who credits these virtual communities with empowering him to come out of the closet IRL.

Alli and Lindsey talk with Jubby about virtual drag shows, the in-world and out-of-world resources required for these big events, and the future of the LGBTQ+ community inside massively popular video games like GTA.

Follow Jubby: https://www.twitch.tv/jubby

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What Qualifies as "Free Speech" on the Internet? [Encore] May 22, 2023

Where in the world is Alli Goldberg? As she continues her adventures in Asia, we have another fan favorite encore episode for you!

-- Original Show Notes from July 11, 2022 --

The 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibits the government from abridging free speech and the press. And Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act prevents common carriers (like telephone companies) from being held liable for the speech of their users. But social media isn't quite either of those things, especially when a small handful of tech companies make huge profits by amplifying dangerous misinformation. So, what IS protected speech on the Internet, and what models of regulation are available to preserve open communication and a digital "public square," while curbing weaponized information?

Alli and Lindsey talk with Paul Singer, a partner at the law firm Kelley Drye & Warren LLP and former Texas Associate Deputy Attorney General, who has been focused on consumer protection on the Internet since the days of MySpace. Paul explains why regulating online speech is incredibly complex, especially at the speed of tech. But he remains optimistic that the history of telecommunications — specifically radio — might guide us toward a legal balance.

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254 They Don't Ask Too Many Questions at CVS May 15, 2023

By the time you hear this, Allie will be in Singapore! Before she goes, she and Lindsey discuss dating each other's exes, disappearing friends, and the benefits of boosting at CVS.

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253 Why Would Anyone In Their Right Mind Post on r/RoastMe? May 08, 2023

Hateful comments on the Internet are nothing new. But there's one special place where it's not only tolerated, but highly encouraged.

r/RoastMe is a 3 million-strong subreddit where people ask to be verbally obliterated by Internet strangers. Commenters can be as hateful, racist, and misogynistic as they please, as long as they follow the golden rule: It has to be funny. So who would open themselves up to something like this, and why?

Alli and Lindsey speak with Michael McElroy, arguably the most-roasted person in the subreddit's history, and Adyasha Mishra, a graduate student who is studying the social dynamics of this hilarious community.

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252 Schools Are Suing Social Media Over Kids' Mental Health. Can They Win? (w/ Samantha Murphy Kelly, CNN) May 01, 2023

Social media emerged as a way to democratize information and amplify marginalized voices. It empowered a new creative class, and fueled social justice movements like #MeToo and Black Lives Matter. But as social apps are designed to squeeze profit from our attention, the dark side is now well studied. We've all felt the doom scroll addiction, anxiety, and depression that comes along with our constant need to see what others are doing — not to mention the privacy concerns. Now, consider the kids.

Citing massive spikes in teen suicides, bullying, and depression, some school districts are striking back at tech companies like Meta, Snap and TikTok for these abusive practices with class action lawsuits. So, do they have legs? And could any of these cases lead to stronger social media regulation?

CNN senior tech writer Samantha Murphy Kelly has been covering these lawsuits, and brings Alli and Lindsey up to speed on what they might mean for the future of how kids use the Internet.

Follow Sam's work here: https://twitter.com/HeySamantha

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Autcraft: The Minecraft Server for Kids With Autism [ENCORE] Apr 24, 2023

We've got two fresh interviews cooking for the weeks ahead, but for now, please enjoy this inspiring encore from about a year back!

-- Original Show Notes from May 16, 2022 --

Autistic children love Minecraft as much as anyone, but they're often bullied by other kids on multiplayer servers. When software developer and dad Stuart Duncan learned of this, he set out to create a private, safe Minecraft server exclusively for autistic kids and their families. The moment he shared it, he got 300 emails from parents who desperately wanted in,

Today, Autcraft has a community of 15,000 kids with autism and their parents, and Stuart quit his job to run the server fulltime and meet the needs of his players. He shares how the server changed the lives of kids and parents, Autcraft's accessibility features that Minecraft has implemented into its game for all players, and why social scientists study the server for autism research.

Learn more about Autcraft and support Stuart's efforts on Patreon: https://www.autcraft.com/

https://www.patreon.com/autcraft/posts

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251 Her Epic Swag Collection Grows With Every Failed Tech Company (ft. Christina Warren) Apr 17, 2023

The Internet startup landscape is fraught with questionable business models, fickle users, and boatloads of misplaced venture capital. For every TikTok and Door Dash, there are thousands of spectacular failures. And most of them had the hubris to make (and sometimes sell) branded swag -- t-shirts, mugs, bags, and more.

That's where collector Christina Warren comes in. For years she's been hunting for authentic swag from tech and media companies that have gone bust: Quibbi, CNN+, Gowalla, Theranos, Enron and more.

Her collection has garnered international media attention and speaks to the hubris of companies who believe they're the next big thing ... until they're gone.

Alli and Lindsey chat with Christina about her days covering startups as a journalist, the extremely online landscape, the swag she's most proud of, and the "white whale" that continues to elude her collection.

Follow Christina: https://twitter.com/film_girl https://www.instagram.com/film_girl/

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250 Let's Go Inside a Catfishing Factory Apr 10, 2023

It's a tale as old as time: Boy meets girl, boy sends dick pic to girl, girl turns out to be a journalist writing a story about catfishing.

But these days, it's not just dating apps and Craigslist where lonely men are tricked online. A "Catfishing Industrial Complex" has emerged, with all the bells and whistle of modern customer service call centers, where multiple low-wage sex workers (of any gender) pretend to be attractive women sending intimate messages that men are eager to pay for.

Niamh McIntyre and Jasper Jackson went under cover at one of these operations to find out how they work and expose their abusive practices in a piece for The Bureau of Investigative Journalism entitled: "Please Acknowledge the Dick: Inside a Catfishing Factory." They chat with Alli and Lindsey about the horrors they discovered, and why this kind of sex work could be a positive force if it was more transparent and fair.

Read their story: https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2023-02-14/please-acknowledge-the-dick-inside-a-catfishing-factory

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249 Roast Alli as Hard as You Can Apr 03, 2023

Alli has an interesting way to start her stand-up set, and needs YOU to make fun of her as brutally as possible. Send a text, call the voicemail line, email, or drop your most devastating roasts into the Discord and we'll share them on a future episode!

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248 "Data Is Power" | Inside the Wild World of Excel Esports Mar 27, 2023

Many of us use Microsoft Excel to track expenses and run basic reports at work. But there are some who walk among us with super-human spreadsheet skills. The best of the best compete for cash prizes in Excel esports, an elite world that congregates online — and sometimes on ESPN.

Alli and Lindsey meet Oz du Soleil, a competitive Excel commentator, YouTube creator, and educator who specializes in "cleaning messed up data." He shares how he got into the wild world of Excel esports, how the community found each other online, and the fundamentalist factions at war in the Excel ecosystem.

Subscribe to Oz on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZgOVykPoRbSZQfY9YysiRQ

Shout out to the excellent People Make Games: https://youtu.be/N2QC6VQXo8U

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247 Thousands of People Are Still Using (and Modifying) Their iPods Mar 20, 2023

Despite having all media at our fingertips, there are still thousands of people who prefer to put mp3 files on their Apple iPods when they listen on the go. In fact, there's a large online community of people who love the simplicity of the retro music player. For some it's pure nostalgia. For others, there's a deeper hobby.

Alli and Lindsey talk with Michi, a prominent modder in the iPod community, and Austin Lucas, the owner of Elite Obsolete Electronics, a shop that sells replacement parts and upgrades for these ancient devices. They discuss how people are resurrecting and Frankensteining their iPods, why the device has so much staying power 20+ years on, and the tale of one iPod that has traveled around the world.

Follow Michi: https://twitter.com/NekoMichiNyan

Check out Elite Obsolete Electronics: https://eoe.works/

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246 Adult Fans of 'Bluey' (Don't Worry, It's Wholesome) Mar 13, 2023

The Australian children's cartoon "Bluey" has become a global phenomenon in recent years. But it's not just kids racking up all the views. Parents, non-parents, would-be parents, and all kinds of grown-ups are obsessed with this wholesome show about a family of dogs.

This week, Alli and Lindsey talk with Jeffery Dibble, the moderator of a Facebook group called "Adult Bluey Fans," which has ballooned from a humble 5,000 members to more than 230,000. There, they share Bluey memes, tattoos, fan art, wild (and conspiratorial) fan theories, and of course get into heaps of drama. Jeffrey, who is also a dad, shares why he and the community find this particular show (and its fandom) so special.

Adult 'Bluey' Fans: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3863578243733419/

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245 How Many Handshakes Does It Take You to Get to Hitler? Mar 06, 2023

Lindsey and Matt have returned from their tropical adventures, and Alli has some big news about an upcoming project! Also, are aliens real? But seriously, ARE THEY?

Plus, our new favorite game about shaking hands with Hitler.

The origin of the Hitler Handshake game, by @aledornell: https://twitter.com/aledornell/status/1629969858598248448

h/t: Evan Engel

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244 Shout-Out to Gavin From REI Feb 20, 2023

Lindsey is off to Columbia for 3 weeks on an extremely dangerous vacation! So we look up whether "Podcast Host Insurance" is a thing, just in case she never comes back. Also, Alli's show "Love Isn't Blind" continues its smash success at new venues, and her secret crush is attending the latest performance!!!11!. Plus, Linsey recounts the pros and cons of going to REI in preparation for her adventures.

We also talk about the Grammy Awards, a highly relevant topic from 400 weeks ago!

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243 Emoji Are Deciding Court Cases but the Legal System Is Still ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Feb 13, 2023

Emoji have been popping up as pivotal evidence in legal proceedings ranging from real estate to drugs and sexual predation. The informal field of "emoji forensics" has lead to new caselaw about the meaning of some "non-textual" communication. But these waters are muddy due to legal interpretation, rapidly evolving Internet slang, and the many cultural meanings attributed to emoji symbols — not to mention that emoji may look completely different, depending on what software is displaying them, making it difficult to prove intent in court.

Alli and Lindsey talk with Eric Goldman, a professor of law at Santa Clara University and co-director of the High Tech Law Institute, where he specializes in Internet law and intellectual property, especially as it relates to Silicon Valley. Eric has a special fascination with emoji, and shares the most popular symbols appearing in court, and how the law is adapting to disputes happening inside our text messages.

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Tracing the Roots of Modern Web Culture Back to "Something Awful" [ENCORE] Feb 06, 2023

Take a trip down memory lane with this encore 2G1P episode, and we'll be back with you next week!

-- Original Show Notes From February 1, 2021 --

Since 1999, the website Something Awful has been an Internet culture tastemaker, and this closed community is still going strong two decades later — a rarity for online platforms. Many modern memes and web culture references have their roots on Something Awful's humor forums.

For a one time fee of $10, you get full access to the site's vibrant discussion and community. That nominal barrier-to-entry is the secret to keeping the discourse quality high and shitpost ratios low, according to the site's current owner, who goes by the pseudonym Jeffrey of Yospos.

Paying for high-quality content and meaningful online community has recently come back into fashion amid the chaos of free platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, which make money at incredible scale by selling user data to advertisers. It begs the question: Did we build the Internet wrong?

Alli and Jen talk with Jeffrey about the early days of Something Awful, a place where you're "free to be an Internet weirdo." We also learn the origins of "Let's Play" video game culture, and ways the SA community fought hate speech long before most platforms took it seriously.

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242 Could (Should?) an AI Lawyer Argue in the Supreme Court? Jan 30, 2023

If a robot can analyze mountains of caselaw in seconds, couldn't it also make the best legal arguments for a client? After all, AI already predicts markets, creates art, and writes music all the time. That's the premise put forth by the website DoNotPay, which typically uses its bots to fight traffic tickets and cancel unwanted subscriptions. But their latest marketing stunt is offering $1 million to anyone who would let their AI argue a case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.

To help us understand if that's even possible, Paul Singer returns to 2G1P to discuss the ethics of bringing an AI into a courtroom. He's a partner at the firm Kelley Drye & Warren LLP and a former Texas deputy attorney general, and has spent much of his career focused on consumer protection with regard to emerging technologies. Paul, Alli and Lindsey discuss the philosophical implications of employing AI tools in the practice of law, and whether lawyers are at risk of losing work to bots in the foreseeable future.

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241 Your Not-Resolutions for 2023 Jan 23, 2023

This week, we hear about the new things you're trying in 2023, updates on Alli and Lindsey's projects, and ask the question on everyone's mind: What Renaissance painter would you most like to bone?

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Why Are So Many People Obsessed With This Supermarket Aisle? [ENCORE] Jan 17, 2023

We'll be back next week with some more weird Internet, but for now, enjoy this 2G1P Classic!

-- Original Show Notes // January 17, 2022 --

There's an aisle at your local ALDI supermarket that contains random stuff that rotates on a weekly basis, often without rhyme or reason. So naturally, there's a Facebook group with 1 million people who are obsessed with it.

This week, Alli and Lindsey talk with Stefanie Riley and Leigh Caldwell Dunning, friends who've worked in the blogging/journalism space for years until they discovered a shared love for Aldi's "Aisle of Shame." It prompted the blog and group of the same name, where they highlight and discuss the products (and people!) that pop up in the mysterious aisle, where you "go to the store for milk, and leave with a chainsaw." They share the secret bird call of fellow group members, the ALDI executives who lurk in their midst, and the surprising way this community has rallied to help members in need.

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240 The Hilariously Weird Things Lurking in the "Depths of Wikipedia" Jan 09, 2023

Wikipedia is your one-stop shop for high level info on public figures, geography, and academic concepts. But the volunteer editors of the free and open digital reference also make copious entries about "low quality images of cats," "Blobjects," "National Moth Week," Osama bin Laden's porn stash, and that time the Dave Matthews Band tour bus dropped poop on people in Chicago.

Alli and Lindsey talk with Annie Rauwerda, a writer, longtime Wikipedia editor, and creator of "Depths of Wikipedia," which has more than 1.1 million followers on Instagram alone. Annie discusses how the culture of Wikipedia generates obtuse and often hilarious articles, concepts, and photos taken out of context. She shares the funniest things she's found on the site, and how a beef with a sketchy influencer propelled her to fame.

Follow Depths of Wikipedia: https://www.instagram.com/depthsofwikipedia/

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239 How to Get Underrepresented Scientists on Wikipedia Jan 02, 2023

Much like history books and media coverage, Wikipedia reflects the bias of our society. The difference is that anyone can edit Wikipedia to change that. By day, Jess Wade is a materials scientist at Imperial College in London. But in her spare time, she noticed that many extremely accomplished female scientists (and scientists of color) did not have Wikipedia articles devoted to them. Thus she began the rigorous work of proving their notability, even when traditional media coverage is lacking.

1,800 articles later, some of the scientists she's put in the spotlight have gone on to win prestigious awards and media attention. Alli and Lindsey talk with Jess about the community of Wikipedia editors who work tirelessly to keep the free online encyclopedia diverse when it comes to STEM.

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This Subreddit Sends Holiday Gifts to Kids in Need [ENCORE] Dec 26, 2022

We're afk for the holidays this week, and re-sharing a very wholesome episode about Santa's Little Helpers from last year. Enjoy!

-- Original Show Notes from December 20, 2021 --

r/SantasLittleHelpers is the subreddit that fulfills the holiday wishes of kids in need. Alli and Lindsey talk with BackpackWayne, the creator/moderator of Santa's Little Helpers, which has been connecting generous redditors with families that have fallen on hard times for the last 10 years. Wayne recounts heartwarming stories of the kindness of Internet strangers, and shares how the charitable initiative — inspired by his mother — has turned into a yearly juggernaut of generosity.

Here's a sampling of the joy from last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFcpAHxDt8M

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238 Where Are All the Funny Astronauts? Dec 19, 2022

Lindsey has one simple task: To meet and fall in love with an astrophysicist who is also very funny. We don't think that's too much to ask!

Happy holidays from 2G1P. Let us know your festive plans via voicemail (347-871-6548), email, or Discord.

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237 The Internet Archive (Wayback Machine) and Discmaster (with Jason Scott) Dec 12, 2022

We often think of content uploaded to the Internet as "forever," but companies go out of business, media becomes obsolete, and servers are shut off. But for the first time in human history, we have the ability to preserve granular cultural memory. We just need the will to do it...and the server space.

That's why The Internet Archive (casually known as the "Wayback Machine") is saving 75 terabytes of information ... a day. This includes website images, tweets, podcasts, old timey radio broadcasts, phonebooks, VHS tapes, concert recordings, Twitch streams, software and much more. Most of this seems ephemeral, and a general waste of disk space. But the importance of a single tweet, video or long-forgotten blog post may not make itself known for years (or centuries?) to come.

This week, Alli and Lindsey speak with the free range archivist Jason Scott, who has become an ambassador for the Internet Archive. They discuss the importance of preserving memory, the Herculean task of categorizing it, ongoing efforts to improve archive diversity, the new software archive Discmaster, and the philosophical challenges of preservation when people disagree on what's important or historical.

Follow Jason and his work: https://twitter.com/textfiles

Check out the Discmaster archive here: http://discmaster.textfiles.com/

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236 What Is Mastodon, and Could It Replace Twitter? Dec 05, 2022

Twitter's recent chaos spiral, mass firings, and obliteration of safety standards under Elon Musk's new ownership has many extremely online people wondering if they should jump ship. But to where?

Mastodon is a non-profit, open source, decentralized social platform with Twitter-like follower structures, combined with Discord-like instances around shared interests, like "Infosec" and "Climate Justice." It was launched in 2016, but has surged in popularity in the wake of Twitter's uncertainty. But how does Mastodon actually work, and could it ever supplant Twitter as a viable network for public figures, journalists, and other online communities?

Alli and Lindsey speak with Amanda Silberling, senior culture writer at TechCrunch, who covers Mastodon culture and has written a beginner's guide to the platform. They discuss the pros and cons of the platform, its unique "instance" structure, its culture and politics, and whether or not Twitter even needs to be "replaced."

Follow Amanda: https://twitter.com/asilbwrites

Check out her Mastodon beginner's guide on TechCrunch: https://techcrunch.com/2022/11/08/what-is-mastodon/

And her podcast, Wow If True: https://wowiftrue.com/

Plug! If you're a Harry Potter fan, check out Matt and his daughter Amelia's magical and epic recap video: https://youtu.be/6TOMz0v1ElE

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235 RIP Twitter, It Was a Good Run Nov 28, 2022

We hope your Turkey Day was delicious, for all those who celebrate. This week, Alli and Lindsey catch up on a variety of important topics, like: Are humans the tastiest meat? What are the things that bring us joy? Setting up a moon colony, and of course Twitter's rapid death spiral under the heel of its new Dark Lord. And how can we save the valuable subcultures that still thrive on the platform.

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234 Deaditors: Updating Wikipedia, One Obituary at a Time Nov 21, 2022

When Queen Elizabeth II died in September, her Wikipedia page was updated before the BBC had even broadcast the news. That's because hundreds of volunteer editors had rushed in to make sure the page was updated and accurate the moment Buckingham Palace announced her passing.

But there is no single arbiter of what edits "stick" and what is updated or reverse by other editors. Yet somehow, Wikipedia remains mostly accurate and up to date when public figures die. To find out how this magic is possible on an Internet so filled with fake news and bias, Alli and Lindsey talk with Hay Kranen, a longtime Wikipedia editor and volunteer within the Wiki Media community, who coined the term "Deaditor," referring to editors who specialize in updating the pages of public figures who have passed on.

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This Facebook Community Protects Food Delivery Workers [ENCORE] Nov 14, 2022

We have another encore episode that we're really proud of. We'll be back next with more Internet awesomeness.

-- Original Show Notes // October 11, 2021 --

If you live in a big city like New York, you know that delivery workers on bikes are vital for moving food and other resources from place to place, especially during the pandemic.

But workers using apps like Door Dash and Uber Eats often have little recourse when something goes wrong, like a stolen bike or worse, a traffic accident. They're not employed by the tech companies, nor the restaurants they serve. And they're not top of mind for police, especially when many workers are undocumented and hesitant to report issues.

That's where El Diario de los Deliveryboys En La Gran Manzana, a Facebook community for Spanish-speaking NYC delivery workers, comes in. That's where these daring cyclists trade tips and support one another when things go wrong.

Alli and Lindsey talk with Sergio, the creator of the group, which now has thousands of members. Special thanks to Santiago Gustin for translating our interview!

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233 Gravestone Recipes Take TikTok By Storm Nov 07, 2022

Grandma's secret sugar cookie recipe has been passed down through the generations. In some rare cases, this sacred family tradition ends up on her gravestone — a final gift to the world, if you can find it.

One enterprising TikToker put her archival skills in motion when she began baking these gravestone recipes online — and went instantly viral. Thanks to the Internet, the secret cookies Grandma took to the grave can now be enjoyed by everyone.

Alli and Lindsey chat with Rosie Grant about how a school project in library science became an instant online community, where people around the world are locating gravestone recipes for Rosie to bring back to life.

Follow Rosie on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ghostlyarchive

And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ghostly.archive/

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232 How the VHS Kids Movie "Creating Rem Lezar" Found New Life Online Oct 31, 2022

In 1989, VHS home viewing was on the rise, and Blockbuster was dominating the movie rental business, with one caveat: They had yet to acquire many kids' movies.

At the same time, a 23-year-old film director set out to create a movie musical for kids about an imaginary friend who comes to life. For a brief period of time, the very low budget "Creating Rem Lezar," was one of the only kids movies on Blockbuster shelves across the U.S. When video stores started carrying Disney and the like, the blue-haired, tights-wearing hero was largely forgotten. Or was he?

The cultural memory of this strange musical B-movie persisted, with memes appearing on eBaum's World in the early 2000s, and was later covered by the Found Footage Festival, an online community that excavates VHS ephemera from the pop culture dustbin.

People around the world began to remember Rem Lezar, and popular Twitch streamers and YouTubers began referencing it in their videos. The direct-to-VHS kids musical had gained a second life (and cult following) on the modern Internet.

Alli and Lindsey speak with Joe Pickett, co-creator of the Found Footage Festival, Jack Mulcahy, the actor who played Rem Lezar, and Scott Zakarin, the film's writer/director, about this strange renaissance, and the future of the film.

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Geocaching Is the Global Scavenger Hunt for Everyone [Encore] Oct 24, 2022

Some personal emergencies got in the way of this week's session, so we have a 2G1P classic for you about the worldwide scavenger hunt that is Geocaching!

-Original Show Notes from September 27, 2021-

There are little treasures hidden all over your neighborhood, and throughout the world. You just need a GPS app (and some sleuthing skills) to find them. That's the fun of geocaching, a global phenomenon where people hide containers (large and small) in public spaces and drop the coordinates on a map. Find one, and you might be the first to add your name to the log, get some free swag, or enjoy the experience of a lifetime.

Alli and Lindsey chat with Scott Berks, Chad Courtney, and Jessie Brown, the hosts of The Geocaching Podcast, the long-running show about this worldwide and ever-growing IRL scavenger hunt.

Check out the Geocaching Podcast: https://geocachingpodcast.com/

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231 "I Like Being on TV" and Other Controversial Statements Oct 17, 2022

Lindsey was on TV (that's short for Tele-Vision, a box in your house that displays moving pictures) and Alli's new stage show is a raging success! The girls discuss the pros and cons of polyamory, Alex Jones having to pay a BILLION dollars for being an asshole, and Alli uses the show to workshop standup material without even paying us. Crime!

Sign up for Alli's show: https://www.loveisntblind.co/

Watch Lindsey on The TeeVee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mytvgK1PpU

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230 The Ethics of AI-Generated Art and Media Synthesis Oct 10, 2022

Midjourney, Dall-E, Google Deep Dream, and more technologies have rapidly emerged in recent years. What were once fringe novelties have become sophisticated networks capable of turning any phrase into museum-worthy art, in seconds. Large communities of curious creators are flocking to them, as the once-elusive power of drawing or painting can now be commanded from your computer keyboard.

But what does this mean for the future of art and artists? If AI can generate 1,000 iterations of your band's T-shirt or podcast logo, then our relationship to art itself is about to radically change.

Journalist and CEO of 330.ai Adam B. Levine returns to the show to explain how these technologies work, the communities forming around them, and what to expect in the near-future. We then speak with author and musician K Allado-McDowell, who established the Artists + Machine Intelligence program at Google AI to study the relationship between AI tools and the creators who use them.

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229 Etsy Sellers Are On Strike Oct 03, 2022

Etsy — the online marketplace for bespoke, handmade goods — has a labor problem. Despite robust profits during the pandemic, the platform has made recent changes that are angering its seller community. Most complaints revolve around increased fees, forced advertising programs, middleware payment systems (with additional fees), and the algorithmic prioritization of cheap, mass-produced goods — arguably the antithesis of Etsy's "mom and pop" roots.

Kristi Cassidy, a longtime Etsy seller, voiced her concern on Reddit, and many agreed. Now, a variety of shops have gone on strike in an effort to raise awareness of the squeeze. This reignites the age-old Internet question of who has more power: The platforms that create the ecosystem, or the individuals who create all the stuff on the platform?

Alli and Lindsey talk with Kristi about this budding freelance labor movement, and its implications for other Internet gig workers.

Get more info about the Indie Sellers Guild: https://indiesellersguild.org/

Check out Kristi's steampunk clothing designs! https://auralynne.com/

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Trolling Internet Commenters With Ken M [ENCORE] Sep 26, 2022

We have two amazing episodes coming up, but they're not ready yet! In the meantime, enjoy this encore episode with our favorite comments troll/Internet performance artist Ken M!

-Original Show Notes // April 26, 2021 -

Dumb comments at the bottom of news articles and Facebook posts are a dime a dozen. But for the last 10 years, Ken M has turned misinformed Internet commentary into a masterful comedic art. His brand of earnest, oblivious comment trolling (and the angry reactions of people who think it's real) earned him hundreds of thousands of fans, who screenshot his comment threads across the Web and laugh hysterically on Reddit and Tumblr.

While Ken M has become the stuff of Internet legend, the real man behind the troll accounts — Ken McCarthy — is a friendly guy whose day job is writing for Comedy Central. Alli and Jen chat with McCarthy about his creative process, why his brand of humor is still so relatable after a decade, Ken M imposters, and what happens when troll comments go too far.

Follow Ken M on Twitter: https://twitter.com/horseysurprise

Enjoy the Ken M subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/KenM/

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228 The Museum of Other Realities Sep 19, 2022

Looking at a painting or sculpture on the Internet doesn't inspire the same awe as seeing the real thing in a museum. But standing INSIDE a painting in virtual reality is a mind-blowing experience you can enjoy from home, and socially with others online.

Alli and Lindsey talk with Robin Stethem, the founder and CEO of The Museum of Other Realities, a VR space that contains a rotating collection of exhibits from artists working in 3D virtual space. These range from sculptures you can shrink down and walk inside of, infinite paintings you can fly into, art that's activated by sound and body languages, and other experiences that are only possible with emerging tech.

Learn more about the Museum and how to visit it on the VR platform of your choice: https://www.museumor.com/

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Sign Language Is Rapidly Evolving in VR [ENCORE] Sep 12, 2022

In keeping with our recent coverage of VR communities, we're sharing this encore episode about deaf users of VRchat and the volunteer translators making a big impact in social VR. Enjoy!

-- Original Show Notes // February 3, 2020 --

Deaf users of immersive social platforms like VRchat can face a tough time communicating. Unlike other social media, VR spaces rely on verbal and physical communication rather than text. And sign language with current-gen VR controllers is limiting and clunky at best.

But groups of volunteer interpreters inside VR worlds are hard at work making sure these spaces are more welcoming and accessible for deaf users. The result is an empowering community of "Helping Hands."

This week, Alli and Jen speak with Quentin, a 19-year-old volunteer translator and VR enthusiast, who is bridging the communications gap between deaf and hearing people in VRchat. Quentin (a hearing person) shares how and why he learned American Sign Language, the tech limitations of signing in VR, and how sign language is evolving in VR to accommodate differences between headsets and motion tracking.

A transcript of this episode was provided by @Zazzy_chan! You can read it here: http://bit.ly/2UJ1Qcz

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227 Alli Went Inside VR Kmart! Sep 05, 2022

Alli's on her way to Burning Man and Lindsey is enroute to the East Coast, so we catch up on life, world events, learn about Alli's guided tour of VR Kmart!

Get tickets for Alli's show in LA, "Love Isn't Blind": https://www.loveisntblind.co/

And get tickets for Lindsey's show in NYC, "Letters to the Boys I've Never Kissed" https://www.frigid.nyc/event/6897:209/

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226 This VR Kmart Is Like Time Traveling to 1992 Aug 29, 2022

VR is used to create immersive video games, fantastical social worlds, and surreal art. Or you can make a Kmart from 1992.

An enterprising community of VRChat players have built just that, and manage it every day, complete with employees, managers, cash registers, and products on the shelves, like Surge soda and Super Nintendo. It's one part role-play, one part time machine — a way to virtually visit what '90s American big box stores were like. And people from all over the virtual world are flocking to it.

Carbon Blossom, the communications manager for this virtual store, explains its origins, global appeal, and take Alli and Lindsey on a whirlwind tour through the history of retail.

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225 World Vasectomy Day Aug 22, 2022

When filmmaker Jonathan Stack started to burn out on making documentaries about prisons and drug addiction, he decided to turn his attention toward building a positive movement. He noted that misconceptions about family planning are rampant, especially in developing countries and of course, on the Internet. So he co-founded World Vasectomy Day, a global movement for public health and destigmatizing family planning. And when he began interviewing men all over the world about why they had gotten their vasectomies, the overwhelming answer was: "Love."

Jonathan shares how the organization got started, and the online community of activists and doctors working to evolve the narrative around vasectomies.

Visit World Vasectomy Day: https://wvd.org/

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224 No License for Disinformation Aug 15, 2022

Online grifters who peddle misinformation for influence and profit are a tale as old as the Web itself. But the more recent phenomenon of credentialed medical doctors decrying Covid a hoax and spreading anti-vax rhetoric has more serious ramifications. So who holds doctors (and other medical professionals) accountable when they spread misinformation online? The medical boards that license them should be investigating, but shocker: They're not.

That's where Dr. Nick Sawyer comes in. By day, he's an ER doctor, but in his limited spare time, he's the executive director of "No License for Disinformation," a non-profit coalition of doctors who created a way to report and de-license bad actors. Dr. Nick explains the difference between disinfo grift and the alarmingly coordinated political efforts to discredit science and damage public health. He also discusses the early momentum of this online medical community, and why it can be hard for them to organize (even on the Internet) amid backlash from corporate medical institutions.

Learn more (and support the cause) here: https://www.nolicensefordisinformation.org/

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223 ADHD Hobby Swap Aug 08, 2022

Ever buy breadmaking ingredients, crochet hooks, or a papier-mâché kit, only to spend a bunch of money and then get bored with your new hobby? You're not alone, especially during the pandemic. And those with neurodiversity, especially ADHD, can become hyper fixated on something, only to completely abandon it later.

The ADHD Hobby Swap Facebook group is a place where best intentions can be re-sold to like-minded hobbyists. It saves people money, reduces waste, and helps folks discover new projects they never dreamed of. Alli and Lindsey talk with the group's creator, Sarah Henley, about its explosion in popularity over the last few years.

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222 The Electronic Frontier Foundation Aug 01, 2022

When the Web was created, it was open, inter-operable, and structured for everyone to participate. Today, most people consume online content through 5 mega-corps that make billions from our data and warp our social discourse. This has had profound effects on privacy and security. But how did we get here? And can we ever get back?

Alli and Lindsey talk with Cindy Cohn, the executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Since 1990, the non-profit EFF has been working to protect the civil liberties of Internet users. This ranges from government surveillance to corporate abuse of privacy. As a civil rights attorney, Cindy has fought and won numerous legal battles that protect online speech, privacy, and access.

She discusses the origins of the EFF, why law enforcement didn't understand the Internet at first, and the battles ahead regarding decentralization, tech anti-trust, and even abortion access.

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The Space Cemetery in 'EVE Online' [Encore] Jul 25, 2022

We are afk this week, but re-sharing an amazing episode about the virtual cemetery in the space MMO EVE Online, which started as a memorial to dead characters and quickly became a shrine to IRL friends, family, pets, and lost loved ones who have died.

-- Original Show Notes, Episode 143 | August 17, 2020 --

Alli and Jen speak with Jason Marshall, a veteran player of the MMO 'EVE Online' about the game's 15-year-old player-run space graveyard.

The Molea cemetery has been operating since 2004, and not only contains the frozen corpses of killed space pilots, but graves that mark the deaths of lost loved ones in real life — friends, family members, pets, and other players.

In June of this year, the developers of 'EVE' formally recognized this player accomplishment by adding a massive, permanent memorial to the system. Marshall explains how the cemetery got started, why players care so much about transporting their clone corpses to virtual graves, how the team fended off attacks from the notorious Goonswarm Alliance, and the first time a player requested a grave for a real person.

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221 Plant Parenthood: How Psychedelics Can Help Parents Cope Jul 18, 2022

Mushrooms, psychedelics, micro-dosing and more have recently come into fashion, but online communities and scientists have been studying their effects on mental health for decades. The social stigma on mind-altering substances still prevents many people from safely exploring them. That's where Plant Parenthood comes in. It's an online community that connects and educates parents on how psychedelics can reduce the stress of raising kids, and tap into the playful and creative mindsets that make families joyful.

Alli and Lindsey talk with Rebecca Kronman and Andrew Rose from Plant Parenthood, who explain the intersection of family and psychedelics, and how this community allows people to talk about things they can't address with IRL friends and family.

Check out Plant Parenthood: https://www.plantph.com/

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220 What Is and Is Not "Free Speech" on the Internet? Jul 11, 2022

The 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibits the government from abridging free speech and the press. And Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act prevents common carriers (like telephone companies) from being held liable for the speech of their users. But social media isn't quite either of those things, especially when a small handful of tech companies make huge profits by amplifying dangerous misinformation. So, what IS protected speech on the Internet, and what models of regulation are available to preserve open communication and a digital "public square," while curbing weaponized information?

Alli and Lindsey talk with Paul Singer, a partner at the law firm Kelley Drye & Warren LLP and former Texas Associate Deputy Attorney General, who has been focused on consumer protection on the Internet since the days of MySpace. Paul explains why regulating online speech is incredibly complex, especially at the speed of tech. But he remains optimistic that the history of telecommunications — specifically radio — might guide us toward a legal balance.

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219 Adult Breastfeeding & Nursing Relationships Jul 04, 2022

You might assume that men drinking breastmilk is yet another kink — and it can be. But Mikalah says it's often a comfort and a lifestyle for many in the community. She would know, as she's a professional lactation consultant who also found a partner who breastfeeds from her regularly.

Alli and Lindsey speak with her about the extraordinary misconceptions about breastfeeding, how anyone at ANY age can induce breastmilk (including men!), the barriers to selling milk online, and the medical reasons why she found herself to be a leading voice in the ABF community.

For more info, check out Mikalah's podcast "Lactation Station": https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lactation-station/id1485681584

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Making Spreadsheets Fun With @BachelorData [ENCORE] Jun 27, 2022

We're off this week, but sharing another one of our favorite episodes about turning fandom into something amazing on the Internet.

-Original Show Notes // December 6, 2021 -

The only thing bigger than "Bachelor Nation" is "Bachelor Instagram." That's usually where the contestants, stars, villains, and conversations around the Bachelor and Bachelorette franchises go during each season. But educator Suzana Somers had a fresh idea. When she had to start learning Excel for her job, she got bored crunching pivot tables, so she inserted data from The Bachelor instead: How much screen time did each contestant get? Age ranges? Race and ethnic backgrounds? Roses awarded? Instagram followers? The results, which she visualized on Instagram, have been intriguing thousands of fans ever since. @BachelorData has become a big voice in the reality show conversation, and Suzana has turned it into an educational resource for those who want to improve their spreadsheets skills in a non-boring way.

Alli and Lindsey chat with Suzana about the origin of the account, the online Bachelor community, and the fascinating conclusions she's drawn from analyzing the franchise over many seasons.

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218 How One Direction Fandom Shaped the Social Web Jun 20, 2022

Fandom is the essential glue that holds most online communities together. But Kaitlyn Tiffany says the One Direction fandom ⁠— particularly fangirls ⁠— have a lot to do with with how modern social media culture is structured today.

The author and journalist returns for her second appearance on 2G1P to discuss how the Internet fervor around 1D has influenced everything from commerce to politics to activism online. Her new book, "Everything I Need I Get from You: How Fangirls Created the Internet as We Know It," digs into the obsessive fan culture that could only be fully realized through the power of the Internet.

Check out her book: https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Need-Get-You-Fangirls/dp/0374539189

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217 Doctors of TikTok Fighting Medical Disinformation Jun 13, 2022

TikTok might seem like a bastion of youth, fun dance moves, and fun challenges. But like most social media, it's rampant with misinformation and weaponized disinformation, especially about the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist and professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, joined TikTok for the same reasons we all did: We were bored during the lockdowns. What she found on the platform was so horrifying, she had to step up and fight it.

Alli and Lindsey talk with Dr. Kat about her rise to social media fame as a newly minted science communicator. Her TikTok videos debunk persistent myths about the pandemic, explain how viruses and vaccines work, and call out other medical professionals who insist on spreading dangerous content. She maps why human bias, poor educational standards, and algorithms that only serve sensationalism created a perfect storm of misinformation on TikTok, and what scientists (and regular people) are doing to fight back.

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216 The Good News Only Episode Jun 06, 2022

If you need a break from the world crumbling around us, this episode is for you. Alli and Lindsey try as HARD AS THEY CAN to only talk about good things, and they almost manage to do it!

UFOs are getting a rebrand, hummingbirds are dope, Katy Perry concerts are fun, Zac Efron continues to be attractive, and Ukrainians made an original song about U.S. missiles.

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Unnecessary Inventions [Encore Episode 148] September 28, 2020 May 30, 2022

We have another one of our favorite classic episodes for you this week, so kick back, relax, and enjoy this wholly unnecessary diversion.

--Original Show Notes: September 28, 2020--

Matty Benedetto is a product designer by training, but his sense of humor led him to a life of hilarious content creation instead. Benedetto builds Unnecessary Inventions, ingenious products that solve urgent problems you don’t actually have — like a drink holder for your shoe, or an alarm clock that snoozes itself so you won’t be bothered in the morning. His fake products (and their crisp photos and videos) are so popular that he’s garnered 4 million followers across social media, and a vast community of invention enthusiasts who either really want to buy these ridiculous items, or can’t stop suggesting bad inventions.

Alli and Jen talk to Benedetto about where his weekly inspiration comes from, why it’s so hard to think of a problem that doesn’t exist, and what happens when real brands get involved in the fake product business.

https://www.unnecessaryinventions.com/

https://www.instagram.com/unnecessaryinventions/

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215 The Woke Bible: Messed-Up Bible Stories With a Modern Twist May 23, 2022

The Bible can be pretty dense and outdated by today's storytelling standards. But what if you could hear the story of Lot, or Judah, or Abraham, expertly recounted by a cool dude at the barstool next to you, with all the hot goss about incest, murder, and rape?

What started as award-winning Reddit comments on politics articles has morphed into The Woke Bible, an entire subreddit devoted to getting high and retelling Bible stories with modern vernacular, reality TV show references, and hip-hop lyrics.

Jason Washington grew up in a fundamentalist family with a strict religious education. But despite leaving the church later in life, he continues to find messed-up Bible stories fascinating ⁠— and so do tens of thousands of Redditors. Alli and Lindsey talk with Jason about his growing community, and how he's educating thousands about what the Bible really says.

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214 Autcraft: The Minecraft Server for Kids With Autism May 16, 2022

Autistic children love Minecraft as much as anyone, but they're often bullied by other kids on multiplayer servers. When software developer and dad Stuart Duncan learned of this, he set out to create a private, safe Minecraft server exclusively for autistic kids and their families. The moment he shared it, he got 300 emails from parents who desperately wanted in,

Today, Autcraft has a community of 15,000 kids with autism and their parents, and Stuart quit his job to run the server fulltime and meet the needs of his players. He shares how the server changed the lives of kids and parents, Autcraft's accessibility features that Minecraft has implemented into its game for all players, and why social scientists study the server for autism research.

Learn more about Autcraft and support Stuart's efforts on Patreon: https://www.autcraft.com/

https://www.patreon.com/autcraft/posts

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213 May the 9th Be With You May 09, 2022

Lindsey is on vacation this week, so Alli and Matt check the newspaper to see if there's anything going on in the good ol' USA this past week (Spoiler alert: There was!).

We also discuss the philosophical pros and cons of a more "decentralized" Web, and Alli pooped in a hole somewhere in Utah (good luck, Geocachers!).

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212 r/Place and the Legacy of the "Million Dollar Homepage" May 02, 2022

r/Place is a blank canvas on Reddit. Every five minutes, you can add one pixel of any color. The result is thousands of Redditors working together (or against each other!) to carve out a visual space for their community, country, sports team, favorite video game, or a co-operative pixelated Mona Lisa.

This fascinating social experiment has been conducted twice on Reddit, but also has roots in a similar gambit from 2005 called "The Million Dollar Homepage," where pixels were sold to any person (or brand) with enough cash to make a statement on this early Web billboard.

Alli and Lindsey speak with Jay Hoffman, who documents this and many other Internet phenomena in his "History of the Web" newsletter. They discuss the extraordinary artwork created on this collaborative free-for-all, and why it never devolved into madness, thanks to a variety of self-policing communities.

Read Jay's issue and subscribe to his fantastic newsletter here: https://thehistoryoftheweb.com/the-power-of-the-pixel/

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211 Letters From Furry Con and the Upsides of "Ass Pee" Apr 18, 2022

Alli reports in from a Furry convention and Lindsey caught a bad case of "Ass Pee" from Mexico, so all-told a pretty average episode of 2G1P.

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210 How .GIFs Became the Lingua Franca of the Internet Apr 11, 2022

When Stephen Wilhite, the creator of the .GIF image, died last month at the age of 74, millions on the Internet shared their favorite (and earliest-known) looping animations in honor of the influential computer scientist. But how did this highly compressed CompuServe image format from 1987 become the ubiquitous communication method bursting from all of our smartphone keyboards?

Nearly all the coverage of Wilhite's death links back to one interview from 2012. Fernando Alfonso, III, a reporter at The Daily Dot (fine publisher of this very podcast!) tracked down the reclusive Wilhite to discuss the legacy of the .GIF, and why it became so pivotal in the maturation of the Web. Alfonso (now a supervising editor at NPR) explains why .GIFs were invented, why they blossomed with artists of the early Web, how hard it was to make them in the early aughts, and whether we should expect the .GIF to survive the next 10 years.

Read Fernando's piece from 2012: https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/gif-history-steve-wilhite-olia-lialina-interview/

Follow Fernando: https://twitter.com/fernalfonso

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209 TikTok ... Doom Apr 04, 2022

This week we learn more about Alli's TikTok strategy, dissect the Oscars' "Slap Heard 'Round the World," and the civilian Ukrainian hackers fighting back from Cyberspace.

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208 This radio transmission has broadcast secret Russian military codes non-stop since 1982 Mar 28, 2022

Secret spy messages are "hiding" in the airwaves all around us. It may sound like another Internet conspiracy theory, but this one is the real deal. Shortwave radio transmissions are among the most reliable ways for military, government, and intelligence agencies to exchange information. And every day for the last 40 years, one shortwave radio station called UVB-76 has been broadcasting static, beeping patterns, and cryptic Russian messages to ... someone. The contents of the messages are unknown — they are re-encrypted regularly. Anyone can listen, but only the intended recipient(s) can decode them. But that doesn't stop a thriving community of online listeners who stream these stations for the entire Internet to hear, in the hopes of finding patterns or clues.

Alli and Lindsey speak with ZapdoZ, a YouTube streamer who also moderates a large Discord server devoted to cataloging the cryptic messages of this Russian military shortwave transmission. He explains the difference between Numbers Stations (for spies) and Military Stations (for armed forces), why streamers use spectral analysis to "look" at the sound, and how chatter on these stations may have hinted at the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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207 Tumblr Communities That Shaped the Modern Web Mar 21, 2022

Hey, remember Tumblr? It was the most popular blogging platform on the Internet...until it wasn't. But the communities that formed there have had a lasting impact on social media, notably the passionate fandoms that exploded in the mid-2010s

Alli and Lindsey speak with Elena Cavender, culture fellow at Mashable, who recently wrote the piece "Remembering Tumblr's strangest, most formative communities." It's a nostalgic look back at the single-serve "Fuckyeah" culture that celebrated everything from movie posters to history crushes, and everything in-between: Fanfiction, study communities, Supernatural, Doctor Who, Sherlock, One Direction, serial killers, and even the legacy of destructive content like pro-anorexia blogs.

Elena walks us through the heyday of Tumblr (and its rapid demise), and how those communities inform today's Internet.

Read her piece: https://mashable.com/article/tumblr-best-communities-nostalgia

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[Encore] 167 Ships of the Northern Fleet (March 15, 2021) Mar 14, 2022

This is one of our favorite 2G1Ps of all time! We'll be back next week with some very cool new episodes.

--Original Show Notes: March 15, 2021--

The cult steampunk adventure book series "Ships of the Northern Fleet" has inspired a TV show, graphic novels, and even a breakfast cereal. But the influential show has fallen off the pop culture radar in recent years. That is until a TikToker named Mister Nickel brought a flood of nostalgia back to the Internet to reunite the rabid fan community.

Alli and Jen talk with Mister Nickel and the one and only Catie Osborn, the actor best known for playing Annie on "Ships" for multiple seasons (before the character's controversial death!). Nickel and Osborn share why "Ships" fandom is so special, and everything that's gone down since its viral resurgence on TikTok.

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206 How AfterEllen.com Became a Safe Haven for the Early LGBTQ+ Online Community Mar 04, 2022

When Ellen DeGeneres came out of the closet publicly on her hit TV show in 1997, it rocked the media. Her popular sitcom received parental warnings and ratings declined until it was cancelled the following year. Many wondered if Ellen, who was at the peak of her comedy game, would ever work again. We all know how that story played out. But for the LGBTQ+ community at the time, Ellen's "I'm gay" moment was monumental, and open the floodgates for representation in mainstream media. Meanwhile, as the World Wide Web was taking shape, many in the gay and lesbian community began to find each other online. AfterEllen.com became a hugely important Web forum and review site for people coming to terms with their sexuality in a media landscape that was still hostile to them.

Alli and Lindsey speak with Sarah Warn, the founder of After Ellen, about how the LGBTQ+ community found a voice online before the days of Google and modern social media.

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205 That Time Alli and Lindsey Saw Each Other Naked Feb 28, 2022

Alli and "Lil' Santa" attempt to record a podcast without Matt and it quickly goes off the rails. Also, why TikTok is like a toxic relationship, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JEN!

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204 How SuperBam Returned $10 Million to Internet Creators Feb 21, 2022

Making a living on the Internet is hard enough. But when you finally make something popular (a YouTube video, a TikTok) it's almost certain that someone will steal it and re-upload it somewhere else. It's not always malicious, but it can harm content creators' bottom line.

Some platforms have the tools to find pirated content automatically, but it can be difficult to reclaim lost revenue. That's where SuperBam comes in. It's a one-of-a-kind company that helps creators identify stolen or misused content and gain control of its monetization and other intellectual property rights, putting the tools once reserved for record labels and movie studios into the hands of online influencers.

Alli and Lindsey speak with Chris Landa, President and Co-Founder of SuperBam, about how the company got started, and how they've reclaimed $10 million in pirated revenue for creators.

Hat Tip, Tubefilter: https://www.tubefilter.com/2022/01/21/superbam-10-million-rights-management-digital-content-creators-youtube-tiktok/

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203 Alli Went to the "Reptile Super Show" and Lived to Tell About It Feb 14, 2022

Alli and Matt chat about why TikTok is so amazing and terrifying, and that time Alli went to the "Reptile Super Show" in LA, because why not?

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202 The Open Insulin Project Feb 07, 2022

When life-saving medication costs more than rent, you know there's a problem with the system. The cost of insulin — the blood sugar regulator relied on by diabetic patients around the world — has skyrocketed in recent years. Pharmaceutical patents and the lack of competition are usually the culprit. But one group of volunteers from around the world has been working to reverse-engineer insulin and get the "recipe" into production in order to bring down the cost exponentially. Think of it as an "open source" biohacking project, the results of which can benefit everyone — not just Big Pharma.

Alli and Lindsey talk with Anthony Di Franco, the founder of the Open Insulin Foundation, about how this all works, how volunteers collaborate online, and the future of the diabetic community on the Web.

Check out the Open Insulin Foundation: https://openinsulin.org/

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201 Disney Bounders Jan 31, 2022

We already know that Disney theme parks aren't just for kids, and there are communities of grown-ups who take having fun a Disney Land very seriously! Disney Bounders are all about dressing up as their favorite characters without looking exactly like them, which would be a violation of park rules. To avoid confusing other guests (and getting kicked out of the park), Disney Bounders use regular clothes and household items to evoke the style of princesses, famous animals, and Marvel heroes without crossing that line. Think: Cosplay for the rest of us. And there's a huge community on social media swapping tips and sharing experiences.

Leslie Kay is the creator of Disney Bound, a Tumblr blog and social media presence that grew to define the "Disney Bounding" community. She shares the origins of the site, the extraordinary devotion of the fandom, and the remarkable creativity that goes into dressing for a day at the park. Also: Some amazing stories from Alli's time as a Disney World performer in Orlando.

Disney Bound Tumblr: https://disneybound.co/

Disney Bound Insta: https://www.instagram.com/thedisneybound/

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200 Study Streamers Jan 24, 2022

Studying, writing, and remote work can be a lonely time. Add in a dose of global pandemic, and the endless isolation can be overwhelming. It's no surprise to see the growth of streaming communities focused on mundane things: Eating, writing, and today's topic: Studying.

Alli and Linsey talk with Giulia Mazza, a study streamer who spends hours a day studying for her Master's degree while hundreds of people watch on Twitch. Her audience is also studying and working, and as Giulia explains, the community has become a place for "positive peer pressure" and accountability in an age of endless distraction and isolation.

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199 Aisle of Shame (ALDI Supermarket Fandom) Jan 17, 2022

There's an aisle at your local ALDI supermarket that contains random stuff that rotates on a weekly basis, often without rhyme or reason. So naturally, there's a Facebook group with 1 million people who are obsessed with it.

This week, Alli and Lindsey talk with Stefanie Riley and Leigh Caldwell Dunning, friends who've worked in the blogging/journalism space for years until they discovered a shared love for Aldi's "Aisle of Shame." It prompted the blog and group of the same name, where they highlight and discuss the products (and people!) that pop up in the mysterious aisle, where you "go to the store for milk, and leave with a chainsaw." They share the secret bird call of fellow group members, the ALDI executives who lurk in their midst, and the surprising way this community has rallied to help members in need.

Visit: https://www.aisleofshame.com/

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198 Bricks in Motion: LEGO Animation Community Jan 10, 2022

It should come as no surprise that LEGO is big on the Internet, but one LEGO filmmaking community has been thriving online since 2000, long before YouTube was even a thing.

This week, Alli and Lindsey talk with Sean Willis and Chris Wynn, two admins from Bricks in Motion, a forum and Discord community that emerged from the ashes of Brickfilms, which was instrumental in bringing amateur stop-motion LEGO animation online for the world to share.

Willis and Wynn explain how link directories brought LEGO filmmakers together on the early Web, and how the official LEGO movies can trace their lineage back to this online creativity.

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197 Douglas Rushkoff: How Should We Redesign the Internet? Jan 03, 2022

The Internet and the World Wide Web began as an open, inter-operable commons with limitless potential and creativity. So how did everything get so corporate? Author and media theorist Douglas Rushkoff believes the next chapter(s) of the Internet could take a cue from Wikipedia or the communal kibbutz, rather than a for-profit metaverse ... if we want it.

Alli and Lindsey talk with Rushkoff about the aspirational origins of the Web, what we can do to program a better future, and why millions of digital cottage industries are probably better than 5 insatiable tech conglomerates.

Rushkoff will be teaching a university course on this topic in New York: https://rushkoff.medium.com/re-designing-the-internet-2593fe7dae8d

And you'll enjoy his podcast, Team Human: https://www.teamhuman.fm/

Follow Douglas: https://twitter.com/rushkoff

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[Encore] 93 Macrophilia (July 22, 2019) Dec 27, 2021

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all who celebrate! We're taking some time off this week for travel and family fun, but looking forward to sharing new episodes soon. For now, a watershed moment for our community: The Macrophilia episode, #93 from July 22, 2019. Enjoy!

-Original Show Notes-

Macrophilia is a surprisingly popular fetish involving sexual fantasies about giants — specifically, giant women. Being at the mercy of giants, or being coddled or crushed by them are staples of the community, but size change motifs also are common. Stories and media about giants (like the 1958 horror B-movie Attack of the 50 Foot Woman) or size change (1989's Honey, I Shrunk the Kids) have become touch points for the macrophilia community, though many have also taken to making their own media and pornography using visual effects.

Alli and Jen talk with Pete, the webmaster of Giantess City, one of the largest online content and community hubs for macrophiles.

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196 Santa's Little Helpers Dec 20, 2021

r/SantasLittleHelpers is the subreddit that fulfills the holiday wishes of kids in need. Alli and Lindsey talk with BackpackWayne, the creator/moderator of Santa's Little Helpers, which has been connecting generous redditors with families that have fallen on hard times for the last 10 years. Wayne recounts heartwarming stories of the kindness of Internet strangers, and shares how the charitable initiative — inspired by his mother — has turned into a yearly juggernaut of generosity.

Here's a sampling of the joy from last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFcpAHxDt8M

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195 Why Internet Accessibility Is More Important Than Ever Dec 13, 2021

The Internet is a place for everyone to have a voice, but we often take the tools and apps we use to access it for granted. Software engineer Ather Sharif became acutely aware of this about 8 years ago when a car accident left him with a spinal cord injury. Even basic things like typing on a keyboard are now an enormous challenge for him and thousands of others with various disabilities.

Lindsey and Alli talk with Ather about how this changed the trajectory of his career. He is now an advocate for accessible and inclusive technologies and a PhD student at the University of Washington where he studies what we can all do to ensure the Internet is for everyone.

View the transcript for this episode: https://bit.ly/3HfhP7t

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194 @BachelorData Dec 06, 2021

The only thing bigger than "Bachelor Nation" is "Bachelor Instagram." That's usually where the contestants, stars, villains, and conversations around the Bachelor and Bachelorette franchises go during each season. But educator Suzana Somers had a fresh idea. When she had to start learning Excel for her job, she got bored crunching pivot tables, so she inserted data from The Bachelor instead: How much screen time did each contestant get? Age ranges? Race and ethnic backgrounds? Roses awarded? Instagram followers? The results, which she visualized on Instagram, have been intriguing thousands of fans ever since. @BachelorData has become a big voice in the reality show conversation, and Suzana has turned it into an educational resource for those who want to improve their spreadsheets skills in a non-boring way.

Alli and Lindsey chat with Suzana about the origin of the account, the online Bachelor community, and the fascinating conclusions she's drawn from analyzing the franchise over many seasons.

Follow the account here: https://www.instagram.com/bachelordata/

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[Encore Episode] 134 WeRateDogs (@dog_rates / Matt Nelson) Nov 29, 2021

We hope you're having a fantastic Thanksgiving! We are thankful for YOU, our listeners. Lots of great interviews to come, but for now, please enjoy this hilarious conversation with the genius creator of We Rate Dogs, from June 2020.

-Original Show Notes-

With more than 14 million followers across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, WeRateDogs is on a mission that everyone on planet Earth can get behind: Rating cute doggos from the internet on a (dubious!) 10-point scale.

This blend of adorable dog pics, comedic captions, and obsessive fan-submitted content has catapulted the novelty account (and its creator, Matt Nelson) into a massive online brand, which uses its influence to entertain millions, sell merch, and help dogs in need.

Alli and Jen talk with Nelson about the inspiration for the account, how its explosive popularity changed his life, the serious inflation problem in the Dog Rating Economy, that time J.K. Rowling and Lin-Manuel Miranda followed him, why everything's political on Twitter, and his perfect response when Arnold Schwarzenegger asked him to rate his donkeys.

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193 NaNoWriMo Nov 22, 2021

National Novel Writing Month has been operating online since 1999! Alli and Lindsey talk with program director Tim Kim about NaNoWriMo's non-profit mission to help writers collaborate and overcome the enormous challenge of getting 50,000 words on the page in a single month. Goal setting and online social accountability are a huge part of it, and the community flourishes across Twitter, Reddit, and Twitch.

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192 Going to Camp With Donald Glover Nov 15, 2021

Today we learned that Lindsey went to summer camp with Lando Calrissian. Also, Alli went to Panama to take anal photos and swim in trash water. How are you?

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191 Xtrades: Stock Trading Communities of Discord Nov 08, 2021

The finance world can seem buttoned-up, even intimidating. But journalist Omar Gallaga found an unlikely (but entirely logical) place for armchair stock market tycoons to share tips and make big plays: Discord.

But this community dispenses with the "finance bro" trappings of other day trading services. Xtrades is about learning, teaching, and dare we say it: having fun with the stock market. In the wake of Gamestop, crypto crashes, and the NFT boom, Xtrades is a chill place for legit financial exploration.

Omar wrote a compelling piece about his journey to becoming a compensated moderator of this paywalled community, and explains to Alli and Lindsey that while the learning curve is steep, it's entirely worth it.

How I Got Sucked Into a Discord Stock-Trading Group and Made Thousands: https://marker.medium.com/how-i-got-sucked-into-a-discord-stock-trading-group-and-made-thousands-59dcb3df6ef6

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190 Doximity: Why "LinkedIn for Doctors" Is Full of Medical Misinformation Nov 01, 2021

You'd think a social network only for professional doctors would be a bastion of reason and scientific discussion. Unfortunately as Dr. Paul Malarik points out, doctors are human, too: Full of bias, assumptions, and sometimes bad intent.

Dr. Malarik is a semi-retired psychiatrist who spends part of his time helping people get vaccinated against COVID-19, and the other part debunking vaccine misinformation on Doximity, a "LinkedIn" or "Facebook" only for doctors.

Alli and Lindsey speak with Dr. Malarik about why this professional community can't escape the social media creep of mis- and disinformation.

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189 Occult and Witchcraft Communities Oct 25, 2021

Which witch should you follow on WitchTok?

Georgina Rose is a prolific creator of occult and witchcraft content, deeply informed by historical research. Despite how witches are depicted in popular culture, wicca (and other spiritual schools) are deeply naturalistic and tend to fill spiritual gaps where "traditional" religions fall short. Through her YouTube channel, Instagram, and podcast, Georgina explains the tenets of occult spirituality, while also drawing firm lines between science and spirituality: "Crystals won't cure cancer!" As with all online subcultures, thinking critically about where you get your information is key.

Alli and Lindsey have a fun and informative chat about the online world of the occult.

Follow and subscribe to Georgina (@daatdarling) on all the things: https://linktr.ee/daatdarling

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[Encore Episode] 96 Why Is There So Much Sonic the Hedgehog Porn? (August 12, 2019) Oct 18, 2021

We've got the week off, but wanted to re-share one of our favorite episodes from back in the day. Enjoy, and we'll see you next week!

-Original Show Notes from August 12, 2019-

There's plenty of sexy fan art for any movie, show, or game imaginable, thanks to Rule 34. But there's something about Sonic the Hedgehog that lends the character to very specific and often extreme fetish art, in limitless quantities. Why Sonic? Writer and weird Internet excavator K. Thor Jensen walks Alli and Jen through the invention of the Internet's favorite blue speed demon, and the unique way he was positioned by his creators that set him up as a conduit for porn of all stripes.

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188 Delivery Workers of Facebook Oct 11, 2021

If you live in a big city like New York, you know that delivery workers on bikes are vital for moving food and other resources from place to place, especially during the pandemic.

But workers using apps like Door Dash and Uber Eats often have little recourse when something goes wrong, like a stolen bike or worse, a traffic accident. They're not employed by the tech companies, nor the restaurants they serve. And they're not top of mind for police, especially when many workers are undocumented and hesitant to report issues.

That's where El Diario de los Deliveryboys En La Gran Manzana, a Facebook community for Spanish-speaking NYC delivery workers, comes in. That's where these daring cyclists trade tips and support one another when things go wrong.

Alli and Lindsey talk with Sergio, the creator of the group, which now has thousands of members. Special thanks to Santiago Gustin for translating our interview!

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187 Online Farmers Markets Oct 04, 2021

Most things in the online world are meant to scale big, and reach as many people as possible all over the world. But for locally-grown food, not so much. So when the pandemic accelerated the need for local farms to get online, companies like Fresh Harvest stepped up.

This week, Alli and Lindsey talk with Zac Harrison, the founder of Fresh Harvest, and Nicholas and Jeni of Crystal Organic Farm, a local farm in Georgia that distributes through the site. They discuss the importance of locally-grown food, and how the Internet can get it to people more effectively.

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186 Geocachers Sep 27, 2021

There are little treasures hidden all over your neighborhood, and throughout the world. You just need a GPS app (and some sleuthing skills) to find them. That's the fun of geocaching, a global phenomenon where people hide containers (large and small) in public spaces and drop the coordinates on a map. Find one, and you might be the first to add your name to the log, get some free swag, or enjoy the experience of a lifetime.

Alli and Lindsey chat with Scott Berks, Chad Courtney, and Jessie Brown, the hosts of The Geocaching Podcast, the long-running show about this worldwide and ever-growing IRL scavenger hunt.

Check out the Geocaching Podcast: https://geocachingpodcast.com/

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185 Dead Internet Theory: What If Everything Online Is Fake? Sep 20, 2021

After noting cyclical patterns in the news and online discourse, combined with the rise of bots and overwhelming presence of advertising, some skeptical thinkers have proposed the "Dead Internet Theory," an idea that most (if not all?) online content is created by highly sophisticated bots. Where this interesting conspiracy goes awry is that — you guessed it — it's all a government coverup designed to keep us (the remaining human sheeple) in line.

Alli and Lindsey talk with Kaitlyn Tiffany, a writer at The Atlantic who reports on Internet culture, about how this compelling thought experiment quickly went off the rails into absurd existential solipsism.

Read Kaitlyn's reporting here: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2021/08/dead-internet-theory-wrong-but-feels-true/619937/

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[Encore Episode] 137 Second Life Sex Workers (June 22, 2020) Sep 13, 2021

Here's a look back at one of our favorite episodes about sex work inside the still-thriving virtual world of Second Life. We hope you enjoy this one as much as we did, and we'll talk with you next week!

-- Original Show Notes | June 22, 2020 --

Cybersex is as old as the Internet itself. But as virtual spaces become more sophisticated, so too has sex work. Second Life is more of a "technology playground" than a video game -- a place where your digital skills can be traded for real money. Many players make a healthy living by providing custom goods or services, including sex work.

This week, Alli and Jen speak with Meela Vanderbuilt, the creator and owner of The Mondarchy, the most expensive brothel in Second Life. She's also joined by Reyna, the club's general staff manager. Together, they explain the culture of Second Life (which began way back in 2003), why Meela's brown-skinned avatar was rejected by other clubs. the inspiration for starting her own, and how sex work...works in a virtual world.

Special thanks to Quintin Smith for help with this episode. His outstanding video about The Monarchy and Meela's story can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR94zlsHFdc

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184 Cereal (with Dan Goubert of The Empty Bowl) Sep 06, 2021

We shouldn't be surprised to find huge, passionate online communities about something as mundane as breakfast cereal. Dan Goubert has been sharing his love of cereal and tapping into the fandom for years with his blog Cerealously.net. There, he muses about cereal culture, delicious (and horrifying!) new products, posts meticulous reviews, and occasionally breaks breakfast news. The blog became so popular it caught the attention of podcast maven and cereal eater Justin McElroy. The two teamed up to create the soothing, meditative podcast The Empty Bowl.

Alli and Lindsey chat with Goubert about why cereal has such a rich mythos in American culture, what decades-old collectable cereal tastes like, Lin-Manuel Miranda's cereal preferences, and why his podcast is a great sleep aid.

Shout out to StreetlampKid in our Discord community for suggesting this topic!

Check out http://www.cerealously.net/

The Empty Blow: https://www.themcelroy.family/emptybowl

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183 Hot Goss, Our "Do Nothing" Group, and Your Emails Aug 30, 2021

How's your summer going? We're checking in and sharing some of your amazing emails and voicemails. Join our new "Do Nothing" group, and get a sneak peek of what's to come on 2G1P.

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182 Welcome to The Omegaverse Aug 23, 2021

We've all read sexy fanfiction from time to time, but a huge community of collaborative writers (and TikTokers) have taken it to a new level over the last decade. Enter: The Omegaverse, a complex, hierarchical world of sexual politics and impregnation, based on the mating habits of pack animals. And despite its fantastical nature, it's now striving to address real-world issues as well.

Alli and Lindsey speak with Morgan Sung, Internet culture reporter at Mashable, about her quest to unravel the complex social fabric of fanfiction built on other fanfiction. Morgan explains how Alphas, Betas, and Omegas interact when it comes to sex in the Omegaverse, why the strict hierarchical rules are made to be broken, the looming lawsuit that could change fanfic ownership forever, and why memes about breeding are blowing up on TikTok,

Follow Morgan Sung: https://twitter.com/morgan_sung

Read her Omegaverse explainer on Mashable: https://mashable.com/article/what-is-the-omegaverse-tiktok-tumblr-fanfiction

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[Encore Episode] 160 How the Internet Is Changing Language (w/ Gretchen McCulloch) - Originally Published January 18, 2021 Aug 16, 2021

We're working out some scheduling snafus this week, but we'll be back again with fresh tales from the depths of the Internet. For now, we have an encore episode about a really fascinating topic we covered back in January. We hope you enjoy, and we'll see you again next week!

Original notes:

If you're concerned that LOLspeak and text messages are ruining language, fear not, grammar nerds! This week, Alli and Jen speak with linguist, author, and fellow podcaster Gretchen McCulloch, who says we are living in a special time for informal written language.

McCulloch explains why the Internet is changing language and culture in unprecedented ways, how regular people solved the 500-year-long quest for written sarcasm, and why post cards from George Harrison look like your dad's text messages.

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181 IKEA Hackers Aug 09, 2021

IKEA furniture is cheap, modular, and everywhere. So it's no surprise that thousands of people on the Internet love to show off their Frankenfurniture on social media. Whether it's upgrading to fancier knobs on your dresser or turning a kitchen counter into a guitar (??), IKEA hackers walk among us all.

Alli and Lindsey speak with Jules Yap, creator of ikeahackers.net, a gathering place for superfans of the Swedish furniture brand.

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180 Sneakerheads Aug 02, 2021

Everyone loves a good pair of sneakers. But some people *REALLY* love a good pair of sneakers. And when they meet online, a lot can pop off.

This week, Lindsey and Alli talk with Josh Luber, the co-founder of StockX, the largest marketplace for collectibles like sneakers, streetwear and trading cards. Luber discusses the explosion of the online sneaker community, and which pair in your closet might fetch the highest price.

Follow Josh: https://twitter.com/joshluber

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179 The Psychology of Online Sex Work Jul 26, 2021

The Internet has removed gatekeepers for most forms of media, porn certainly among them. The rise of Only Fans and direct-to-consumer sex work has empowered millions of adult creators (mostly women) to take back control of their NSFW products. But as we've seen across influencer culture, the psychological tradeoffs can be high.

Alli and Lindsey talk with Dr. Rebecca Sullivan, a professor of gender and sexuality studies at the University of Calgary, who has researched (and written books) about pornography and sex work for many years. Dr. Sullivan explores the double-edged sword when it comes to online sex work, and why our culture of objectification still poses serious threats to women, even when they're in control.

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[Encore Episode] 170 #FreeBritney (April 12, 2021) Jul 19, 2021

We are recording some excellent episodes this week and figuring out summer schedules.. In the meantime, we thought it would be useful to revisit the #FreeBritney movement and community, as Britney Spears' conservatorship trial has ramped up in the news recently. If you're not exactly sure what's at stake, this episode is an excellent rundown of the history.

- Original Show Notes: April 12, 2021) -

In 2007, Britney Spears was placed under a conservatorship, relinquishing control of her finances to her father. This legal arrangement is typically constructed for elderly people with significant assets and declining faculties. In Spears' case, the pop star continues to perform and generate income regularly, yet cannot prove to the probate court that she has overcome whatever mental health challenges might have lead to the conservatorship in the first place.

The result has been increased public scrutiny and a large online community of activists, crystalized in the recent New York Times / Hulu documentary "Framing Britney Spears." The #FreeBritney movement, once dismissed as a vocal pocket of obsessive fandom, is now fighting to reform the abusive laws that bound Britney, and likely thousands more.

Alli and Jen speak with Leanne Simmons and Kevin Wu, two activists who moderate the @FreeBritneyLA communities, and were featured in the New York Times documentary.

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178 Otherkin Jul 05, 2021

Science and society have established that gender and sexuality are fluid. And fetishes can certainly cross into some furry territory. But what about species?

A large community of people identify not as human, but as other animals: foxes, wolves, etc. And in some cases, even as humanoid races from folklore, like elves and fairies.

So where does biological humanness end and spiritual identity begin? This week, Alli and Lindsey explore the fascinating communities of Otherkin. They speak with identities journalist Ana Valens, who covers Otherkin extensively for The Daily Dot.

Then they speak with Kasi Frost, a member of the Otherkin community, who explains their journey of self-discovery and online engagement.

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177 Enterprising Furries Are Unlocking the Future of Cybersex in VR Jun 28, 2021

It's common knowledge that pornography pushes technology forward, so it's no surprise that the future of cybersex is being hacked together today by VR enthusiasts. Tactile wearables and teledildonics are paving the way for intimate exchanges between all manner of digital creature, including — and especially — furries!

This week, Alli and her brand new co-host Lindsey talk with writer and podcaster Matt Baume, who has covered the furry community extensively. Baume explains why furries are leading the way in sex tech, and how experiments in VR could unlock the next phase of online intimacy.

Check out Alli's OnlyFans? https://onlyfans.com/haveyourcakeandfeetittoo

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176 NEW GIRL 1 PODCAST Jun 21, 2021

We have some big news from the 2G1P Cinematic Universe...

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175 Vore Jun 14, 2021

We often refer to attractive people as "snacks" and talk about "eating someone up." But vore enthusiasts take those feelings to the next level. The fetish is about consuming others, or being consumed, but it's completely fantastical of course -- no one is harmed in the making of vore content or roleplay.

This week, Alli and Jen talk with Carter, a moderator of the subreddit r/vore about the elaborate art created by the community, the discovery of his own feelings for the fetish, and why this kink is often misunderstood.

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Introducing "Green Eggs & Dan" Jun 07, 2021

We're taking the week off, but we're excited to share another fantastic show on the Podglomerate network called Green Eggs & Dan, where comedian/writer/restaurateur Dan Ahdoot talks to some fascinating (and often famous!) people about what's in their fridge. The conversation that starts with food always ends up somewhere else.

Enjoy this episode of Green Eggs & Dan featuring Top Chef host and author Padma Lakshmi, and listen to Green Eggs & Dan wherever you're listing to this podcast.

And we'll see you next week!

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174 LARPing May 24, 2021

People have been role-playing on the Internet since...the very birth of the Internet itself. And out of the tabletop and digital versions sprang LARP: Live Action Role-Playing. Social media like Facebook and Discord have given rise to thriving and diverse groups of in-person adventurers who dress up and meet up for sprawling campaigns, intrigue, battles, romances, and mugs of imaginary(?) ale.

This week, Alli and Jen chat with Rachael Cofield, the director at Garden of Destinies LARP, who also works with the organization LARPing In Color, which strives for more inclusion and diversity in the role-playing community. Cofield discusses their passion for role-playing, the community effort that goes into non-profit LARP, why some prefer "big box" LARP, how LARP survived the pandemic, and ways the community is reckoning with this historically male-dominated hobby.

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173 The Satanic Temple (with co-founder Lucien Greaves) May 17, 2021

Any mention of "Satan" is sure to elicit pearl-clutching from the religious right. But The Satanic Temple, a purely secular and non-theistic organization has been using the dogmatic baggage of that word to its advantage since 2012. This week, Alli and Jen talk with the Temple's co-founder Lucien Greaves about the origins of The Satanic Temple as a way to protest the evangelical agenda, its journey to becoming an officially recognized religion, and the secular people who find community among its ranks, both online and IRL.

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[Encore Episode] 121 Gone Wild Audio (February 24, 2020) May 10, 2021

Due to scheduling conflicts, we've got an encore for you this week, and it's one of our most popular episodes of all time! Enjoy, or re-enjoy!

Original Notes

Nearly 400,000 listeners subscribe to r/GoneWildAudio, a community for high quality, audio-only erotic vignettes. Creators there use high-end microphones to create specific, explicit, and often elaborate fantasies for listeners. The visuals are left entirely to the imagination, and the intimacy level is off the charts.

This week, Alli and Jen speak with Belle_in_the_woods, one of the most popular and prolific erotic audio creators on the subreddit. She explains how she comes up with her sexy scenarios, how creators and listeners collaborate, what a "ramblefap" is, and how she's turned her talents into a thriving side hustle of both erotic, and SFW audio production.

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172 Video Game Speedrunners (with world-record holder Niftski) May 03, 2021

For years, 4 minutes and 55 seconds was the fastest a human being could beat "Super Mario Bros." for the NES. After every technique, glitch, and warp had been analyzed for decades, the "55 barrier" was long thought to be unbreakable. That is, until early April, when speedrunner and Twitch streamer Niftski incorporated a specific flagpole glitch into his technique. The results were historic: 4:54:948, the fastest SMB run ever, making him a new world record holder.

This week, Alli and Jen talk with Niftski about his extraordinary accomplishment and the community of speedrunners who have worked together for years in search of :54. Niftski explains how runners exploit glitches, subpixels, wrong wraps, and other techniques to shave milliseconds and frames off extraordinarily precise runs. He also discusses the friendly competition among top runners that keeps them motivated.

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171 Ken M Apr 26, 2021

Dumb comments at the bottom of news articles and Facebook posts are a dime a dozen. But for the last 10 years, Ken M has turned misinformed Internet commentary into a masterful comedic art. His brand of earnest, oblivious comment trolling (and the angry reactions of people who think it's real) earned him hundreds of thousands of fans, who screenshot his comment threads across the Web and laugh hysterically on Reddit and Tumblr.

While Ken M has become the stuff of Internet legend, the real man behind the troll accounts — Ken McCarthy — is a friendly guy whose day job is writing for Comedy Central. Alli and Jen chat with McCarthy about his creative process, why his brand of humor is still so relatable after a decade, Ken M imposters, and what happens when troll comments go too far.

Follow Ken M on Twitter: https://twitter.com/horseysurprise

Enjoy the Ken M subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/KenM/

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Join us in the 2G1P Facebook Group! Apr 19, 2021

Our show is about Internet communities, but it's also a community of its own! Our listeners help us make the show, and we're expanding the discussion to an official 2G1P Facebook Group, where you can hang out with us, suggest episode topics, ask questions for our guests, or just share some spicy hot memes.

We hope you'll join us!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2girls1podcast

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170 #FreeBritney Apr 12, 2021

In 2007, Britney Spears was placed under a conservatorship, relinquishing control of her finances to her father. This legal arrangement is typically constructed for elderly people with significant assets and declining faculties. In Spears' case, the pop star continues to perform and generate income regularly, yet cannot prove to the probate court that she has overcome whatever mental health challenges might have lead to the conservatorship in the first place.

The result has been increased public scrutiny and a large online community of activists, crystalized in the recent New York Times / Hulu documentary "Framing Britney Spears." The #FreeBritney movement, once dismissed as a vocal pocket of obsessive fandom, is now fighting to reform the abusive laws that bound Britney, and likely thousands more.

Alli and Jen speak with Leanne Simmons and Kevin Wu, two activists who moderate the @FreeBritneyLA communities, and were featured in the New York Times documentary.

Free Britney LA: https://www.instagram.com/freebritneyla/

https://twitter.com/freebritneyla

Additional editing by Phoenix Williams

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