OVERWORLD:
-Satan loves Telegram-

ONE BETWEEN:
-TikTok content is less likely to criticize China-

THE DEPTHS:
-Come hang out in this bomb bunker- 

“Perhaps to be too practical is madness.”
— Don Quixote

✦DISCOVERY PICKS✦

▶️ YouTube:
The Corporate Office Rant

✖️ X:
Humans next to big shit, so you understand the size of things.

❓
Mystery link.

Too safe

Satan loves Telegram.

Trying to buy some ecstasy? Or watch pedophile hunters assault predators? Or discuss conspiracies with some reasonable people? Or maybe you just want to organize a riot?

Come to Telegram, friend.

✦Enabler?✦

Telegram does not condone promoting violence or illegal content. But Telegram's moderation practices are still less stringent than those of US-based social media giants — Meta, Snap, and even X. As a result, extremist content, including hate speech and disinformation has found a cozy place to settle.

One key aspect of Telegram’s appeal to extremists is its flexible, and honestly pretty cool, content-sharing features. Users can cross-post material across multiple channels, very, very easily.

This simple technology lets disinformation and hate speech move freely, and rapidly into the mind of any ideologically vulnerable freak.

For example, after the tragic murder of three young girls in Southport, Telegram channels were used by extremists to incite anti-Muslim sentiment and coordinate riots.

Telegram’s moderators removed six channels directly linked to the riots, but the ease with which such content still proves its issues.

✦Origin✦

Telegram's origins trace back to Russian entrepreneur Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolai, who previously founded Russia’s largest social network VKontakte — which is like Facebook and Pirate Bay had a baby.

In 2013, the Russian government demanded user data from VKontakte, and Durov refused. As a result, he was forced out of the company. They banned Telegram in Russia, but Durov found ways around it. Telegram still worked through proxies and VPNs and users stayed loyal.

Telegram’s operations are now based in Dubai and is mostly funded by the Durov brothers themselves. And while user safety isn’t an issue, some say the platform might be too safe for questionable people.

✦QUICK HITS✦

✦Business & Tech✦

Probably marketing: OpenAI says its new voice interface for ChatGPT may lead users to form emotional attachments, raising concerns about trust and social impact. Their safety analysis addresses potential risks but lacks detailed transparency.

Rest easy: Former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, 56, passed away after battling lung cancer. A pioneering Google employee, she led YouTube for nearly a decade and championed education and women in tech.

Beef: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro banned X (formerly Twitter) for 10 days after a feud with Elon Musk, accusing Musk of inciting violence and violating Venezuelan laws. Also, Maduro challenged Musk to fight him, telling national television: “Elon Musk, I’m ready. I’m not afraid of you ... Let’s fight, wherever you want.”

✦Fashion & Culture✦

Damn: Charli XCX's new single "Von Dutch" has fueled Y2K nostalgia, sparking a fashion revival for the brand. The song's success boosted Von Dutch searches by 400%, driving a significant rebranding effort by the company.

✦Hmm… Interesting✦

Insane and cool post from 2009: The Gervais Principle, Or The Office According to “The Office”

Important: Pope Francis on the importance of literature

Hardware: How the SNES Graphics System works

For developers: How I Created 175 Fonts Using Rust

ONE

BETWEEN

Duh

TikTok content is less likely to criticize China.

No surprise, but TikTok shows less ‘Anti-China’ content than other social media, according to a new study.

Put your thinking cap or tinfoil hat on, both work here. An American study has found that a Chinese app is more pro-China than other American apps. That’s not to say that it isn’t true, more so that one must be aware of incentives. Take the information and find your own truth.

Obviously, TikTok has refuted this. They argue that the study’s methodology is wack. To them, creating new accounts and searching specific keywords doesn't accurately reflect a real user’s experience.

TikTok also noted its relative newness compared to rivals, suggesting that this could affect the availability of content related to older events.

THE DEPTHS

Brutalism

Come hang out in this bomb bunker.

After World War II, much of Hamburg was destroyed. One fat, badass bunker stood solid with little damage, though. The Feldstraße Bunker did its job, it was built during the war to survive it.

It was one of several air defense bunkers constructed by Nazi Germany to protect key cities from Allied bombing raids. The bunker, erected in 1942, was equipped with anti-aircraft guns and radar equipment to fend off air attacks, while its thick walls—over 3.5 meters in places—provided shelter for thousands of civilians during air raids.

Over the decades, it has been repurposed several times. In the post-war period, the bunker was used as a storage facility, and in the 1990s, it found new life as a cultural and creative hub.

The bunker is versatile; it’s been everything from a temporary housing for Hamburg residentsto a TV broadcasting center, and eventually, a venue for music and nightlife. Today, the bunker houses music studios, clubs, offices, and even a climbing wall on its exterior.

Now, after a €100 million renovation—far exceeding its initial €35 million budget—the bunker has been reborn as Bunker St. Pauli, blending its concrete austerity with lush greenery to create a unique urban oasis.

It even has a hotel operated by Hard Rock’s Reverb brand. The place offers 134 rooms, providing guests with panoramic views of Hamburg from its rooftop terrace.