The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here to get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
Hello fellow web crawlers! Andrew here. Welcome to today’s edition of web_crawlr.
Our top stories today are about: Conspiracy theories exploding online about the upcoming solar eclipse, how many people wish former President Trump’s April Fools joke was actually real, a woman’s wild experience unboxing a “lost package,” and a Dutch Bros. worker sharing how she got revenge on a rude customer.
After that, our Assistant Editor Kira has got a “Decoding Fandom” column for you.
See you tomorrow!
— A.W.
⚡ Today’s top stories
🌘 CONSPIRACY
Christians claim solar eclipse path through ‘biblical’ towns prove U.S. is ‘wicked’
A total solar eclipse set to take place next week has conspiracy theorists in a panic, leading many to suggest that the natural occurrence could be linked to the apocalypse.
🗳️ POLITICS
‘I can dream, right?’: Trump shares April Fool’s announcement he’s suspending his campaign
Former President Donald Trump may have temporarily gotten his critics’ hopes up after sending out an email that claimed he’d suspended his campaign for the 2024 presidential election.
📦 WTF
Woman buys a lost package on Facebook Marketplace. She can’t believe what she receives
People online have started sharing videos of them unboxing “lost packages,” where the contents are a mystery to the buyer. One woman went viral for sharing her “crazy experience” of unboxing a sex doll.
☕ LABOR
‘She drank it up’: Former Dutch Bros. worker shares how she secretly got revenge on customers
One former Dutch Bros. Coffee employee says she once took revenge on a rude customer, not by messing with a drink she ordered, but by offering her a “new beverage” that was heavy on sugar and fatty “ice cream milk.”
We crawl the web so you don’t have to. Sign up to receive web_crawlr, a daily newsletter from the Daily Dot, in your inbox each day.
🎓 Learn to internet
💰 SPONSORED
Boost your social cred with the Audacious School of Astonishing Pursuits
Join Brendan Gahan, a seasoned expert/former Chief Social Officer of Mekanism, in his transformative 7-part ‘Social Megamachine’ course from the Audacious School of Astonishing Pursuits. This course distills his vast experience into actionable insights, covering everything from content creation to influencer collaborations. Whether you’re dealing with evolving trends or platform updates, Brendan’s course offers the tools and knowledge to elevate your social media game and advance in your career.
Sign up now, there’s limited spots available.
⭐ Decoding Fandom
By Kira Deshler
Assistant Newsletter Editor
SuperCorp fans create new ship with Melissa Benoist, Katie McGrath characters
In each edition of web_crawlr we have exclusive original content every day. On Wednesdays our Assistant Newsletter Editor Kira Deshler dives deep into the world of fan culture in her “Decoding Fandom” column. If you want to read columns like this before everyone else, subscribe to web_crawlr to get your daily scoop of internet culture delivered straight to your inbox.
🕸️ Crawling the web
Here is what else is happening across the ‘net.
🧀 In a viral video, a Goodwill customer shared the outrages things he found in the store and how much they cost, including expired Kraft Mac & Cheese.
🧊 A Chick-fil-A customer who’s a big fan of the chicken chain’s pebble ice was surprised to discover a method for ordering a bucket of ice off the “secret menu.”
🍴 This Texas Roadhouse server went viral for sharing the things you do that servers hate.
🚗 If you’ve thought about becoming a driver for a ride-hailing service to pick up some cash, this expert shared which car is the best for it.
🏖️ A 19-year-old Airbnb customer went viral on TikTok after sharing that she traveled 10 hours to her Airbnb on the beach, but wasn’t allowed to enter her rental property because she’s too young.
🍟 This McDonald’s manger got a lot of attention online after revealing what it’s really like to be in charge.
📹 From the Daily Dot archive: Here’s how local governments are surveilling their workers.
📝 Question of the Day
Everyone’s got opinions, and we want to know yours. Just click a button below to answer the question, and tomorrow we will let you know how fellow web crawlers like you answered.
ARE YOU PLANNING ON TRYING TO SEE THE SOLAR ECLIPSE NEXT WEEK?
To answer questions like this in the future, sign up for web_crawlr here.
👋 Before you go
A female private investigator is warning people about the potential vulnerability they’re opening themselves up to when responding “STOP” to text messages from businesses.
TikTok creator Lisa (@therealpinklady), who describes herself as a “female private investigator and business consultant,” said in a recent video that sending such a response could give private investigators access to information from your phone.
Her video has been viewed more than 2 million times.
🎶 Now Playing: “Wild Heart (Live Demo)” by Stevie Nicks 🎶