INFLUENCE

By Matt SilvermanTechnology Leisure Hobbies

INFLUENCE episodes

June 11, 2018 36 Ten facts about internet history you probably don't know
Matt cancels this week's guest and challenges Alli and Jen to the ultimate fan-requested trivia showdown. The stakes could not be higher.

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1 hr 16 min
June 04, 2018 35 This AI-hosted podcast is here to kill us all
Procedural generation is no stranger to media like video games, but it's especially compelling (and creepy) in podcast form. Alli and Jen talk to PhD programmer James Ryan, the creator of Sheldon County, a generative podcast hosted by a synthetic voice that's different for every listener.

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1 hr 15 min
May 28, 2018 34 Who snopes Snopes?
Snopes.com has been debunking urban legends and internet rumors since the mid '90s. But in an age of unprecedented disinformation coming from the highest authorities and most ubiquitous online platforms, how does a professional fact checker stay relevant and sane? Alli and Jen talk to Brooke Binkowski, managing editor of Snopes.

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56 min
May 21, 2018 33 Reviewing airport carpets is the highest form of artistic criticism
Carpets for Airports is a website and community devoted to critiquing the largest art form ever devised -- the sprawling fabric underfoot when you're rushing to catch a flight. Do airport carpets have artistic and political meaning? Or are they merely functional? Alli and Jen talk to the "benevolent dictator" of the site, George Pendle, about which airport carpets stand the test of time.

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1 hr 10 min
May 14, 2018 32 The hidden cost of the exploding "Gig Economy"
Freelancing is on the rise, thanks in large part to technology. The modern internet allows people to work from anywhere, and access short-term gigs on the regular. Silicon Valley is saving us all from boring desk jobs, and traditional full-time employment is fading. Turns out, making a living as a contractor depends a lot on your socioeconomic background. Alli and Jen speak to Sarah Kessler, the author of "Gigged: The End of the Job and the Future of Work."

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1 hr 16 min
May 07, 2018 31 We got your emails VOLUME 2
A terrifying number of people have told us they listen to 2G1P to learn English. Please. THIS IS NOT AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM.

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23 min
April 30, 2018 30 Know Your Meme: Cataloging 10 years of internet culture
Memes can be as trivial as a waffle falling over or as powerful as a social movement. But defining them, tracking their origins, mutations, and meanings is a tough job. Fortunately, the brave souls at Know Your Meme have been at it for more than a decade so we can rest easy knowing Slender Man and Ugandan Knuckles will be preserved for future generations. Alli and Jen interview Brad Kim, editor-in-chief of Know Your Meme, who started his online odyssey as an immigrant and humble intern.

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1 hr 35 min
April 23, 2018 29 The story of Reddit's "Ask Me Anything"
From its humble beginnings on "Ask Reddit" to the day Obama dropped by, r/IAmA has been the place where anyone on the internet can talk directly to public figures, celebrities, and people with interesting jobs or experiences. Alli and Jen speak with the subreddit's top moderator Brian Lynch about the evolution of "Ask Me Anything," and some its craziest moments.

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1 hr 9 min
April 16, 2018 28 The most terrifying questions people ask on 'Is It Normal?'
Is It Normal? is a website where people anonymously share their uncertain proclivities about behavior, feelings, sex, and more, so strangers can vote on them. But what started as an experimental message board in 2004 has become an existential question about the definition of normalcy on the internet. Alli and Jen interview Udi Falkson, the creator of isitnormal.com.

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1 hr 7 min
April 09, 2018 27 Grandma Party Hotline
Telephone party hotlines are a relic of pre-internet teenage shenanigans. But if you post a phone number on the web and ask a lovable grandma to record the outgoing voicemail ... lots of people will call it. And they'll leave strange messages. Alli and Jen interview the mysterious creator of Grandma Party Hotline, where prank calls meet coping with mortality.

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1 hr 12 min