It’s Fine to Never Meet IRL
“You still haven’t met?” My cheeks flush at the question, and I feel a combination of frustration and shame not dissimilar to when someone questions why I’m still masking, avoiding…
In Praise of AI-Generated Pickup Lines
Yes, it falls within the realm of deception if people pass on AI-generated lingo as their own, but that’s why it’s vital to create a standard of disclosure. And I…
Dating Apps Have a Filter Bubble Problem
It only took three days of swiping before he popped up. I froze, thumb hovering over the X. I scrolled through his photos and prompts, looking at what he had…
I Found My Chosen Family on Social Media
Six months after I first posted on Instagram, I left my husband and kids behind and set out, alone, to drive 348 miles to meet a bunch of strangers in…
What Web3 Can Learn From Archive of Our Own
Without context, fanworks might not seem like something worth preserving—a problem that long predates the web. Many fanzines and other collections have been lost forever; as the Fannish Estate Planning…
Can’t Decide What to Do About Twitter? Here Are Some Options
Not everyone is impressed with Mastodon. Some call it clunky and slow, some in the security world say it’s far from perfect, and because different servers may be run differently,…
Avoiding Twitter? Try These Interest-Based Discord Servers
Are you looking for an alternative to Twitter since Elon Musk acquired it? Some social media users switched over to Mastodon, a decentralized option with similar structures. For anyone who’s…
How to Get Started on Mastodon
The big difference, though, is the content warning system. This is a subtle thing to grasp but an important one. The early culture of the Fediverse and Mastodon were shaped…
Musk’s Twitter Will Not Be the Town Square the World Needs
In April, as he prepared to make his offer to buy Twitter, Elon Musk asked on the site if “a new platform is needed” for “the de facto public town…
Growing Old Online
Sometimes when I can’t sleep, I put the Twitter app back on my phone and scroll aimlessly. I’m trying to hurt my own feelings, and I’m always successful. I want…