so... what is normal?

Feednet is a quarterly-ish news roundup on technology, community organizing, and learning how and what to learn. Read old versions here.

Notes on Feednet: as you know, everything is very normal

 (the new normal)

Hi,  Did you notice that the tone has shifted?   The emails from Pizza Hut, Sephora, and that fitness influencer you almost bought crystals from in 2017 no longer say "THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED".  Now they're chill, they're the calm after the storm. They're like 'Haha, we're all doomed still and live in a failed state and our entire business model has collapsed but want to watch us on Instagram Live again?"   It's the new normal!  Here are 3 types of new normal:  + Working 2050's new episode is from Mara Lazer, who predicts some pieces of New Orleans' future --with "flexibility" and uncertainty as a part of normal life.   + This is a pdf of the first European 'witch hunter manual' from the 1400s. It was used during the Inquisition, the Salem Witch Trials, it's probably in Caliban and the Witch? Apparently the guy who wrote it only did so because he got kicked off a witch trial by his bishop for being "too obsessed" with the woman on trial. it's weird but also... normal that the first doxxer in history defined the entire era.  + Sorry those last two were not fun. Here's a fun one: I've been putting up 'sci fi in the day to day' writing prompts on social media -- if you want to write a response for this week, send your response back: 3 sentences of a normal work message people will send in the future.    Stay safe,

• H