Reddit's Case for Anonymity on the Internet
The site’s head claims that the policy of not collecting personal information allows people to be “more true to themselves.”
Forced Labor Is the Backbone of the World’s Electronics Industry
Poor people around the world are streaming into Malaysia in search of factory work. Once they arrive, they often find only hardship.
An App for Ejecting the Homeless
Amazon’s hometown has one of the nation’s worst homelessness problems. But instead of using its technology and its wealth to fix it, the city is making the problem worse.
Why Is There a ‘Gaming Disorder’ But No ‘Smartphone Disorder?’
The World Health Organization has proposed a behavioral addiction pathology for excessive video-game playing. But maybe the problem is in the economy more than the mind.
Against Big Philanthropy
Philanthropy sounds nice, but it’s still a tax-sheltered way that plutocrats exercise power, says Stanford's Rob Reich.
The Tech Industry Is Fighting Trump—and Mostly Losing
Legal opposition and strongly worded remarks could not defeat the president’s travel ban.
How Computers Parse the Ambiguity of Everyday Language
Words with multiple meanings pose a special challenge to algorithms.
Read This Article!!!
How many exclamation points do you need to seem genuinely enthusiastic?
The Male Echo Chamber of Political Twitter
The men who cover Washington’s politics have a greater audience than their female peers, and largely use that audience to talk to, and amplify the voices of, other men.
Civic Tech in a Time of Technopessimism
Since 2016, the technology industry has been looking for answers. Code for America might have one.
James Madison Would Be Horrified by a Tweeting President
The head of the National Constitution Center speaks out on how social media has eroded the founding father's vision for democracy.
Who Gets to Live in Silicon Valley?
Google and San Jose hope to make the city more affordable for working- and middle-class families, but they make matters worse.
I Delivered Packages for Amazon and It Was a Nightmare
Amazon Flex allows drivers to get paid to deliver packages from their own vehicles. But is it a good deal for workers?
But, Seriously, Where Are the Aliens?
Humanity may be as few as 10 years away from discovering evidence of extraterrestrial life. Once we do, it will only deepen the mystery of where alien intelligence might be hiding.
Transitioning on YouTube
While the platform’s other stars pull pranks in the hopes of going viral, Miles McKenna is helping fans figure out who they are.
Will a New Supreme Court Decision Change Online Shopping?
The Court just ruled that a state can collect taxes from a retailer that doesn’t have a physical presence in the state. Here’s what that means.
Disposable America
A history of modern capitalism from the perspective of the straw. Seriously.
The Meaninglessness of the Stock Market Index in a Digital World
It’s not a good snapshot of the economy, which is incomprehensible anyway, and we now have far more information to understand the country’s companies.
Brexit Could Cripple Britain’s Ports
Technology has streamlined Dover, the busiest port in the United Kingdom. But nothing has prepared it for the Brexit transition.
What Petty Nextdoor Posts Reveal About America
The hyperlocal social-media platform highlights small grievances—and proves that neighbors have more in common than they think.