The Internet is like booze—a little bit gives you a pleasant buzz. Too much, though, and you’ll want to barf. And 2014’s Internet, a lot of times, had us running for the toilet. From creeps and trolls to hoaxes and hackers, these are the things that made us want to say sayonara to the Interwebs this year.
2014 will be remembered as the year creeps got the spotlight. On and offline, offenses ranged from awful Tinder messages to violent threats on Twitter to street stalking.
Nothing enthralled a nation and divided friendships like Florida’s (where else?) three-breasted woman. #NoMoreHoaxesIn2015.
This tweet revealing how much Silicon Valley interns make
$8,500 with a $5k housing stipend? Thanks, Dropbox! $44/hour and a $5k relocation payment? That would be LinkedIn. $9,300/month? Go to FitBit. Silicon Valley interns are out-earning us all, and it’s depressing as hell.
Richard Dawkins’ Twitter fails
I think Buddha once said, “Be quiet.” Richard Dawkins could learn a thing or two from him, especially the next time he wants to tweet about aborting babies with Down syndrome.
Gamergate, Gamergate, Gamergate
In one of the most distressing events of the year, nerd entitlement hit 100. Women like (gaming blogger Anita Sarkeesian) were threatened, doxxed, and driven from their homes.
Let’s all make a goal for the New Year: no more selfies at funerals, accident sites, and genocide memorials (I’m looking at you, Danny Green).
The seemingly endless “Fappening,” as it was nicknamed, violated celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence. If that wasn’t bad enough, it spawned article after article about how she deserved it. Made no mistake: this was a sex crime.
Oh Facebook, you treat your users so badly, but we just can’t quit you. A prime example: your “real name” policy, which unfairly targeted the LGBTQ community.
2014’s “Worst People in the World” award goes to those who said Christy Mack deserved being beaten nearly to death by War Machine, her abusive ex-boyfriend, just because she’s a porn actress.
In the famous words of The Princess Bride’s Inigo Montoya, “You keep using that word…I do not think it means what you think it means.”
