Never Post

Lolcows and the Internet's "Digital Freakshow"

Executive Producer Jason Oberholtzer speaks to Dr. Jess Rauchberg about how the lolcow — a vulnerable Internet persona interacting with an unreliable and often malicious audience — relates to contemporary politics online and historic medieval spectacle. – Become a Never Post member at https://www.neverpo.st/ [https://www.neverpo.st/#/portal/] for an ad-free version of the show and bonus content – Find Jess Rauchberg: * The lolcow paper [https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/13675494251394108] – * Call us at 651 615 5007 to leave a voicemail * Drop us a voice memo via airtable [https://airtable.com/appIvXY8gz5ikRbF0/pagjGcjdYg2alw8cD/form] * Or email us at theneverpost at gmail dot com – Never Post’s producers are Audrey Evans, Georgia Hampton and The Mysterious Dr. Firstname Lastname. Our senior producer is Hans Buetow. Our executive producer is Jason Oberholtzer. The show’s host is Mike Rugnetta. – Never Post is a production of Charts & Leisure and is distributed by Radiotopia

The Disappearance of Tween Fashion [Archive Pull]

Originally published in our first episode I'm Mad, You're Mad, We're All Mad Here on January 31, 2024, enjoy Georgia's segment talking to Professor Elizabeth Wissinger about how the social internet helped erase an entire fashion demographic — namely, tween fashion for girls. Listen to the original episode here: https://www.neverpo.st/never-post-2/ [https://www.neverpo.st/never-post-2/] – Become a Never Post member at https://www.neverpo.st/ [https://www.neverpo.st/#/portal/] for an ad-free version of the show and bonus content – Find Elizabeth Wissinger: * Her website [https://www.elizabethwissinger.com/] * This Year's Model: Fashion, Media, and the Making of Glamour [https://nyupress.org/9780814794180/this-years-model/] – * Call us at 651 615 5007 to leave a voicemail * Drop us a voice memo via airtable [https://airtable.com/appIvXY8gz5ikRbF0/pagjGcjdYg2alw8cD/form] * Or email us at theneverpost at gmail dot com – Never Post’s producers are Audrey Evans, Georgia Hampton and The Mysterious Dr. Firstname Lastname. Our senior producer is Hans Buetow. Our executive producer is Jason Oberholtzer. The show’s host is Mike Rugnetta. – Never Post is a production of Charts & Leisure and is distributed by Radiotopia

When The Taliban Turned the Internet Off in Afghanistan

Contributing producer and Kabul-based journalist Ali Latifi tells the story of a roughly 48-hour period, at the end of 2025, when the Taliban turned off the entire internet in Afghanistan. – Become a Never Post member at https://www.neverpo.st/ [https://www.neverpo.st/#/portal/] for access to an ad-free feed, and member-only episodes. – * Call us at 651 615 5007 to leave a voicemail * Drop us a voice memo via airtable [https://airtable.com/appIvXY8gz5ikRbF0/pagjGcjdYg2alw8cD/form] * Or email us at theneverpost at gmail dot com – Cord Cutters * https://bsky.app/profile/netblocks.org/post/3mgrehog7wk23 [https://bsky.app/profile/netblocks.org/post/3mgrehog7wk23] * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_massacres [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_massacres] * Shutdown Tracker Optimization Project [https://www.accessnow.org/keepiton-data-dashboard/] * The Internet, Switched Off [https://cepa.org/article/the-internet-switched-off/]  * Internet Shutdown: How Governments Weaponize Connectivity [https://www.humanrightsresearch.org/post/internet-shutdown-how-governments-weaponize-connectivity] * Iran’s regime has shut down the internet in the middle of war [https://theconversation.com/irans-regime-has-shut-down-the-internet-in-the-middle-of-war-placing-civilians-in-the-crosshairs-277619] * How Iran shut down the internet and built a sophisticated system of digital control [https://theconversation.com/how-iran-shut-down-the-internet-and-built-a-sophisticated-system-of-digital-control-274570] * Afghanistan imposes internet blackout: What has the effect been so far? [https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/30/afghanistan-imposes-internet-blackout-what-has-the-effect-been-so-far] * The Kremlin says the internet is turned off to stop drone attacks. Russians are fed up [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-putin-internet-outage-whatsapp-b2870428.html] * Blocked and Bypassed: Russians Evade Internet Censorship [https://cepa.org/article/blocked-and-bypassed-russians-evade-internet-censorship/]  – Find Ali * https://authory.com/Ali [https://authory.com/Ali] – Thank you to Suha, Fara, Saeed, Samir, Ramin, Mohammad, Hamed, Jabar, Sanam Muradi, Haroun Rahimi, Naser, Ahmad Azizi and Saeed. This episode’s Contributing Producer is Ali Latifi. Never Post’s producers are Audrey Evans, Georgia Hampton and The Mysterious Dr. Firstname Lastname. Our senior producer is Hans Buetow. Our executive producer is Jason Oberholtzer. The show’s host is Mike Rugnetta. 1. These are the vague demands you make on me 2. (that I) assemble (to) recollect (to) decode (   ) associate 3. that I admit, fraught with difficulty, reintegration is no day at the beach in eggshell tints “The inmates start to get brave and a little crazy” when they hear that friendly voice–the matron 4. (But that’s also my mind, lost) Her epic poem on the constraints society places on the 5. misunderstood Excerpt of Sybil by Rebecca Wolf  Never Post is a production of Charts & Leisure and is distributed by Radiotopia

Not What You Know, but How You Know: Science Communicators Roundtable

Mike talks with science communicators Alex Dainis, Trade Dominguez and Joe Hanson about what it’s like trying to do their job in today’s information environment. – Become a Never Post member at https://www.neverpo.st/ [https://www.neverpo.st/#/portal/] for access to extended and bonus segments, and our side shows like “Slow Post”, “Posts from the Field” and “Never Watch” – * Call us at 651 615 5007 to leave a voicemail * Drop us a voice memo via airtable [https://airtable.com/appIvXY8gz5ikRbF0/pagjGcjdYg2alw8cD/form] * Or email us at theneverpost at gmail dot com – Alex Dainis * https://www.instagram.com/AlexDainis/ [https://www.instagram.com/AlexDainis/] * https://bsky.app/profile/alexdainis.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/alexdainis.bsky.social] * https://www.helicasemedia.com/ [https://www.helicasemedia.com/] Trace Dominguez * https://www.instagram.com/tracedominguez/ [https://www.instagram.com/tracedominguez/] * https://www.threads.com/@tracedominguez [https://www.threads.com/@tracedominguez] * https://www.youtube.com/tracedominguez [https://www.youtube.com/tracedominguez] * https://thatsabsurdshow.com/ [https://thatsabsurdshow.com/] Joe Hanson * https://www.instagram.com/drjoehanson/ [https://www.instagram.com/drjoehanson/] * https://www.youtube.com/@besmart [https://www.youtube.com/@besmart] * https://www.youtube.com/@pbsterra [https://www.youtube.com/@pbsterra] – Never Post’s producers are Audrey Evans, Georgia Hampton and The Mysterious Dr. Firstname Lastname. Our senior producer is Hans Buetow. Our executive producer is Jason Oberholtzer. The show’s host is Mike Rugnetta. teach us about life gently implored the little beings and stretched their arms for love of the other shore  Canto XVII (for Diana) by Alejandra Pizarnik Never Post is a production of Charts & Leisure and is distributed by Radiotopia

News Post: On the Impending Silicon Goods Shortage

Mike chats with Jeffrey Parkin of Rogue and Rory Carroll of Alloy about the impending chip shortage caused by the construction boom in AI Data centers. How did this happen, why is there no easy way out, and how should you – as a consumer – be thinking about this these things? – Become a Never Post member at https://www.neverpo.st/ [https://www.neverpo.st/#/portal/] for access to an ad-free feed, and member-only episodes. – * Call us at 651 615 5007 to leave a voicemail * Drop us a voice memo via airtable [https://airtable.com/appIvXY8gz5ikRbF0/pagjGcjdYg2alw8cD/form] * Or email us at theneverpost at gmail dot com – News Links * New Mexico's Internet Affordability Program [https://communitynets.org/content/acp-gone-new-mexico-creates-first-state-level-internet-affordability-program] * https://acpdashboard.com/ [https://acpdashboard.com/] * Affordable Connectivity Program [https://www.fcc.gov/acp] * TikTok's usership steadies post-sale [https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/16/tiktok-us-joint-venture-user-data-no-mass-exodus-oracle-mgx-silver-lake-larry-ellison-trump.html] * TechCrunch on TikTok's usership steadying [https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/03/tiktok-recovers-from-dip-in-usage-that-benefited-rival-apps-following-u-s-ownership-change/] * Temu’s global rise runs into a regulatory wall [https://restofworld.org/2026/temus-raids-fines/] * The political effects of X’s feed algorithm [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10098-2] * Pope says beware of the internet [https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-02/pope-dialogue-priests-rome-young-people-internet-prayer-study.html] * Exclusive: Goldman Sachs launches AI-free index [https://www.axios.com/2026/02/20/ai-goldman-sachs-stocks-index] * Substack, Polymarket announce partnership [https://thehill.com/homenews/5745387-substack-polymarket-partnership-prediction/] * Looming Taiwan chip disaster [https://indianexpress.com/article/world/taiwan-chip-disaster-silicon-valley-tsmc-10549784/] * U.S. aim to curb China's chipmaking access [https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/us-lawmakers-push-curb-chinas-access-chipmaking-tools-5924376] * Will Intel deliver leading-edge chips? [https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2026/02/the-us-needs-leading-edge-chip-research-can-intel-deliver-will-it-even-try.html] * Taiwan won't move chip production to U.S. [https://www.pcmag.com/news/taiwan-were-not-moving-40-of-chip-production-to-us-despite-trade-deal] * Why Taiwan Fears ‘America First’ Risks Eroding Its ‘Silicon Shield’ [https://www.stimson.org/2025/why-taiwan-fears-america-first-risks-eroding-its-silicon-shield/] – Chip Chat * Rogue.site [https://www.rogue.site/] * Alloymag.com [http://alloymag.com] – Never Post’s producers are Audrey Evans, Georgia Hampton and The Mysterious Dr. Firstname Lastname. Our senior producer is Hans Buetow. Our executive producer is Jason Oberholtzer. The show’s host is Mike Rugnetta. Never Post is a production of Charts & Leisure and is distributed by Radiotopia