Hello fellow citizens of the internet! Andrew here. Welcome to today’s edition of web_crawlr.
Our top stories today are about: An influencer warning others about an Airbnb that was like a “prison cell,” Twitter (or X) once again verifying an account that had the N-word in its handle, a look at why the map in Ahsoka is a bad MacGuffin, and how a Harvard bro is facing backlash for building a website where people rate AI-generated women.
After that, we’ve got one last “Dirty Delete” column from our Investigative Reporter Claire.
See you tomorrow!
— A.W.
⚡ Today’s top stories
🏠 WTF
‘Just terrifying’: Influencer says Airbnb was ‘prison cell’ that looked nothing like photos
A travel creator is warning others to stay vigilant after showing up at what she says is an Airbnb that was more like a “prison cell” than a cozy rest stop.
💻 TECH
Twitter again verifies account with N-word in handle
The account’s verification comes as Twitter owner Elon Musk threatens to sue the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a civil rights group that campaigns against antisemitism and extremism.
🎬 CULTURE
Why Ahsoka’s map is such a bad MacGuffin
Star Wars fans are sick of map MacGuffins. But Ahsoka has a bigger problem: The show doesn’t even understand how MacGuffins work.
🤖 AI
Harvard bro sparks immediate backlash with new ‘SmashOrPassAI’ site, where users rate AI-generated women
The website drew swift backlash online.
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🗳️ Dirty Delete
By Claire Goforth
Investigative Reporter
How to find dirty deletes on your own
In each edition of web_crawlr we have exclusive original content. On Thursdays our Politics Reporter Claire Goforth goes deep on the social media history of politicians, political groups, and politically-adjacent figures in her “Dirty Delete” 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 you inbox.
🕸️ Crawling the web
Here is what else is happening across the ‘net.
🐝 A pest control professional has shared a surprising hack on how to treat bee and wasp stings usinga common kitchen ingredient.
🍟 The key to getting your order quickly from a drive-thru is perhaps to be patient—at least, according to a McDonald’s worker.
🍒 Elderberries are known for their healing properties against colds, but many may not know the potential side effects they carry. One TikToker walks viewers through their shock at learning more about these potent berries—and how she was almost “un-alived” by them.
🏝️ These smart home gadgets will turn your home into a high-tech paradise you never want to leave.*
🍴 An Olive Garden server revealed in a viral video how much she made in tips while working a 12-hour shift on a weekend.
☕ Baristas seem to have a lot of difficulty with one particular part of drink orders: dome lids.
✈️ A TikToker who applied to be a flight attendant for Emirates Airlines posted a video claiming that the company rescinded her job offer after she disclosed that she had an eating disorder in her youth.
🍪 Do Starbucks, Great American Cookie, and Subway all use the same brand of cookies?
✏️ From the Daily Dot archive: Here’s a look at the wild history of fanfic censorship.
*The Daily Dot may receive a commission in connection with purchases of products or services featured here.
👋 Before you go
Working in retail can oftentimes be a mundane experience filled with repetitive tasks that aren’t exactly exciting. This is something that a Lowe’s employee and TikToker named Chris (@ludichrispeed) captured in a viral post that’s accrued over 1.1 million views.
In the clip, he shows himself manually preparing a bunch of bricks for a customer, and viewers who saw his video were hit with flashbacks of their own experiences working in retail.
“Just another day in the workforce,” Chris writes in a caption for his viral TikTok which features a sped-up recording session of him manually placing 170 bricks, one by one, by hand, onto a flatbed cart from a shelf.
🎶 Now Playing: “Closing Time” by Semisonic 🎶