Engaged Reading Time - Issue #42

Afternoon, all. Here's today's selection of links for your edification.

Troll Country

I've got a longer piece about the downsides of social profile for journalists coming — maybe even by Thursday — but in the meantime, here's two of the pieces informing my thinking.

Meet the man keeping 8chan, the world's most vile website, alive

Meet the man keeping 8chan, the world's most vile website, alive

Increasingly, the majority of people are content to experience the online world through the warm, blue-white glow of Facebook. But beyond the closed ecosystems of giant tech companies, the open web remains populous, anonymous, strange and sometimes, very unpleasant.

Redefining the first rule of the Internet

Redefining the first rule of the Internet

"Never read the comments" is a terrible idea. Here's what you could do instead.

(Full disclosure: Open Democracy are a former client)

Handy Tools

Twitch launches subscriber-only streams, but only for creators who don’t violate its rules

Twitch launches subscriber-only streams, but only for creators who don’t violate its rules

Twitch is giving its streamers a chance to offer a new, VIP-like feature to their most loyal viewers: subscriber-only streams. The new initiative may encourage viewers to spend $5 a month to support streamers.

Financial Times launches a 'Story Playbook' to help journalists tailor content for digital readers

Financial Times launches a 'Story Playbook' to help journalists tailor content for digital readers

Want to learn how to create profile cards and charticles? The platform offers publicly downloadable guides and templates on how to get started

The New Elite

The Global Economy Runs on Parties You’re Not Invited To

The Global Economy Runs on Parties You’re Not Invited To

And the big social platforms are all part of it now. Remember when the internet was about emerging voices and disintermediation? Instead, we've just built up new gatekeepers, more ruthless than the old.

We Regret to Inform You the UK's Ad Regulator Has Deemed Anyone With 30,000 Followers a Celebrity

We Regret to Inform You the UK's Ad Regulator Has Deemed Anyone With 30,000 Followers a Celebrity

(Only around 21,000 to go for me…)

Anyone with more than 30,000 social media followers considered a celebrity, advertising watchdog rules

Anyone with more than 30,000 social media followers considered a celebrity, advertising watchdog rules

Another take on the same issue.

And the journalist reaction to this was… interesting, as friend of the newsletter Ben Whitelaw was quick to point out:

You're following Ben, right? And subscribed to his newsletter?

And Finally…

Emma Chamberlain Is the Most Important YouTuber Today

Emma Chamberlain Is the Most Important YouTuber Today

Teens are swapping the "authentic" for the, well, authentic… Here's what's happening amongst the young people. 👨🏻‍🦳