Stream of Reading (Prepare to be Forwarded) – An Archive of What I'm Reading
There is a reason we live in a golden age of dystopian science fiction: Increasingly, it feels like it is coming true. From “The Hunger Games” to “Elysium,” stories depict a world in which the trend of growing wealth and income inequality continues to its logical conclusion. This narrative seems inevitable because it has occurred…
People often say that online behavior would improve if every comment system forced people to use their real names. It sounds like it should be true – surely nobody would say mean things if they faced consequences for their actions? Yet the balance of experimental evidence over the past thirty years suggests that this is not the case….
A few years ago, the software start-up GitHub faced an uncomfortable truth: It could be a pretty unpleasant place. It was 2014 and the company was growing rapidly as a hub for programmers to collaborate on coding projects. But as its user base grew, so too did its problems. A GitHub developer, Julie Ann Horvath,…
never again FEATURE November 11, 2016 by Ijeoma Oluo Donald Trump is not my #1 concern. Yes, I am concerned about Trump. I’m fucking terrified. But that’s nothing compared to how I feel about the people who voted for Trump. In four years, in eight years, they’ll still be here—regardless of…
An Alternative Plan Michael Kimmelman, New York Times architecture critic Train stations are more than just a bunch of platforms for getting places. They’re portals. New York used to have two of the world’s most ennobling entrances, announcing the city in all its ambition and glory, Grand Central Terminal and the…
The wistful refrain among religionists has for some time now been the same: the religiously unaffiliated will return to religious practice one of these days. New numbers from a survey jointly conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute and Religion News Service, however, might crush whatever hope is left about luring Nones back into the…
All over America, people have put small “give one, take one” book exchanges in front of their homes. Then they were told to tear them down. Three years ago, The Los Angeles Times published a feel-good story on the Little Free Library movement. The idea is simple: A book lover puts a box or shelf…
In March of last year, Fusion published an article detailing the ways in which Nextdoor, a social network for neighbors, had become a home for racial profiling. In the “Crime and Safety” forum of many Nextdoor communities, users were reporting people as “suspicious” seemingly based primarily on the color of their skin. Nextdoor CEO Nirav…
Steven Universe is a beloved animated children’s show known for its smart and progressive depictions of its diverse and lovable cast of characters. But these positive qualities in the show itself have led to a very ugly turn of events in the Steven Universe fandom, after a beleaguered fanartist said she attempted suicide after being…
For weeks, presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump has been touting his “youge!” fanbase with Mexicans, women, a slew of other minorities — often times alienating them with the same breath. On Wednesday, he added “the gays” to his list. On a campaign stop in Atlanta, Trump attempted to frame this past weekend’s horrific shooting in…