Favorite Follows in 2015
Even the most casual Interneter will from time to time be faced with a question as old as time itself: to follow or not to follow.
The Internet is cluttered with content. Some good, some bad. Some hmm, some simply meh. But in all that browsing, you eventually find something that makes you say, “You know what? I do need more of this in my life!”
Behold. My top five digital finds of 2015, and the ones I most look forward to following in 2016.
Reply All
Podcast | PJ Vogt & Alex Goldman for Gimlet Media |
As a fan of old-school, independent podcasts, I was hesitant to download the more heavily produced, narrative shows springing up around me. In 2015, I started listening to one of Gimlet Media’s first shows, Reply All. The series excels at exploring Internet culture and general cyber-amazingness, while maintaining a friendly, natural candor between co-hosts.
For me, that dynamic is important because podcasts are so personal to each listener. As a consummate listener, you develop a lot of trust and respect for people who bring you ~40 minutes of ear hole happiness each week. Gimlet’s full suite of shows are among the few that I listen to as soon as they are released, but Reply All holds a special place in my earbuds.
To that end, a show about the Internet can often lead to entirely new sections of the web that deserve your attention. Enter, Professor Jeff Jarvis.
ProfJeffJarvis
Follow on Twitter at @ProfJeffJarvis
Prof. Jeff Jarvis is an influential open web advocate and also the victim of one of the most entertaining forms of cyber-bullying I’ve seen in years.
The parody Twitter account mocks those who preach the advance of technology and digital content trends. It’s a theme that too many of us can relate to. I generally despise cyber-bullying, especially through parody accounts, but in fairness, the account seems to mock an entire segment of people, just as Jeff’s expense.
Emm Roy
Positive Doodles Tumblr
Hiding behind the depth of grotesque and intensely negative material on the web is an array of positive messages that go beyond cliché Pinterest quotes. Emm Roy’s Positive Doodles blog is one of the few that stands out from the crowd. The concept is simple: doodled animals, saying things that make you feel better about your shitty life.
Gay of Thrones
Funny or Die | Jonathan Van Ness
When a coworker ended a team meeting with Funny Or Die’s Game of Thrones weekly recap show, my PC-side was a little uncomfortable… at first. Within a day of each episode airing, host Jonathan Van Ness and his team recap the show’s main events with Van Ness as gossipy hair dresser to a new guest each week.
You don’t even have to watch the show to get a kick out of Chris being called Blonde Cher and a medieval story told with aggressive pop-culture flair.
Apparently, there’s a Walking Dead version out now. 🙌
What I’m Holding
"You say Potato, I say Vodka. It's FRIDAY and I'm in the middle of my friend's potato vodka distillery.“ www.instagram.com
This was a late find in 2015 for me, but the content this small team is putting out is innovative and fresh. The concept is remarkably simple: a centered hand, holding something timely and relevant on an eye-popping background. The imagery catches my eye as I scroll through my Instagram feed and is among my favorite creative feeds around.
Social media is what you make it. The value you get from it is tied directly to the company you keep. I often find people who aren’t enjoying a follow-based platform, like Twitter, for example, just aren’t following users that match their interests. In 2016, I encourage you to discover new accounts. There’s no shortage of great content out there, you just have to be willing to follow.