Social Web : All Tech Considered Sites like Facebook and Twitter have revolutionized the Web, altered how we interact with each other and even changed the way news is gathered and delivered. Read about the impact of social media and its continuing evolution.

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Social Web

Tuesday March 29, 2016

When You Become The Person You Hate On The Internet

Turnbull/Getty Images/Ikon Images

Opinion

Social Web

When You Become The Person You Hate On The Internet

Fresh Air

March 29, 2016 • Author Sarah Hepola has complained for years about the random hatred of the Internet. Then, with one careless post, she became part of the problem.

When You Become The Person You Hate On The Internet

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Friday March 25, 2016

The Work Productivity Tool Giving Hope To Belgium's Bereaved

A woman looks at a poster of a missing person at a memorial for victims of attacks in Brussels on Wednesday. Valentin Bianchi/AP hide caption

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Valentin Bianchi/AP

Social Web

The Work Productivity Tool Giving Hope To Belgium's Bereaved

March 25, 2016 • As people continue searching for their loved ones, they are turning to social media for help. One site, Trello, lets friends and family keep an active list of those who remain unaccounted for.

Thursday March 24, 2016

Microsoft Chatbot Snafu Shows Our Robot Overlords Aren't Ready Yet

The Twitter profile for Tay.ai, Microsoft's short-lived chatbot. Microsoft/Screenshot by NPR hide caption

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Microsoft/Screenshot by NPR

Social Web

Microsoft Chatbot Snafu Shows Our Robot Overlords Aren't Ready Yet

March 24, 2016 • Kids these days: Microsoft's millennial chatbot, Tay, turns into a genocidal maniac. A day later, the company took it offline, with a final tweet: "c u soon humans need sleep now."

Teen Girls Flip The Negative Script On Social Media

The Benicia Compliments page sprang up on Instagram as a platform for girls attending Benicia High School to tag each other in positive social media posts. Shawn Wen/Youth Radio hide caption

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Shawn Wen/Youth Radio

Opinion

Social Web

Teen Girls Flip The Negative Script On Social Media

YR Media

March 24, 2016 • Teen girls experience a lot of hate online. While parents and teachers try to address these problems from outside girl culture, teens have been coming up with their own social media solutions.

Teen Girls Flip The Negative Script On Social Media

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Monday March 7, 2016

In Memoriam: Ray Tomlinson, Who Put The @ Sign In Your Email

Ray Tomlinson celebrates after receiving the 2009 Prince of Asturias Award Laureate for the Technical and Scientific Research from Spain's Prince Felipe. Miguel Riopa/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Miguel Riopa/AFP/Getty Images

Social Web

In Memoriam: Ray Tomlinson, Who Put The @ Sign In Your Email

March 7, 2016 • Do you remember your first email? Tomlinson, who died Saturday at 74, had earlier told NPR he accepted the title of "inventor of email," but his first email was forgettable and so forgotten.

Monday February 29, 2016

Teen Girls And Social Media: A Story Of 'Secret Lives' And Misogyny

Nancy Jo Sales interviewed more than 200 teenage girls about their social media and Internet habits while researching her book American Girls. Knopf hide caption

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Knopf

Social Web

Teen Girls And Social Media: A Story Of 'Secret Lives' And Misogyny

Fresh Air

February 29, 2016 • Author Nancy Jo Sales says the Internet fosters a kind of sexism that is harmful to teen girls. Her new book is American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers.

Teen Girls And Social Media: A Story Of 'Secret Lives' And Misogyny

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Wednesday February 24, 2016

Are You Liking Facebook's New Emojis? Scrap That. Do You 'Wow' Them?

Facebook's new 'reactions' are getting a lot of... reactions. Facebook hide caption

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Facebook

Social Web

Are You Liking Facebook's New Emojis? Scrap That. Do You 'Wow' Them?

February 24, 2016 • Facebook rolled out five new emojis globally. Now, users can not only "like" a post but also choose "haha," "angry" and other options. Users are taking to social media to voice their reactions.

Wednesday February 17, 2016

Space Archaeologist Wants Your Help To Find Ancient Sites

A satellite image of the archaeological site of Tanis, after processing. Sarah Parcak used satellite data to find the ancient Egyptian city. Courtesy of Sarah Parcak hide caption

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Courtesy of Sarah Parcak

Social Web

Space Archaeologist Wants Your Help To Find Ancient Sites

February 17, 2016 • Sarah Parcak uses satellite imagery to identify hidden sites. The winner of the 2016 TED Prize now plans to invite everyone to help her locate historical treasures.

Space Archaeologist Wants Your Help To Find Ancient Sites

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Sunday February 14, 2016

Oh! Darling: Sir Paul's Audible Emoji For Your Valentine

Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Images

Social Web

Oh! Darling: Sir Paul's Audible Emoji For Your Valentine

February 14, 2016 • The former Beatle composed 10 five-second jingles to accompany Skype's love-themed emojis. They feature the sounds of his voice, a Moog synthesizer, guitar, harpsichord and other instruments.

McCartney's Octopus Moji

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Thursday January 28, 2016

How Do You Measure Passion? Figuring The Value Of Social Media Followers

Comedian and actress Grace Helbig is a star on YouTube. "Having an audience that listens to and resonates with your creative ideas is invaluable," she says. Paul A. Hebert/Invision/AP hide caption

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Paul A. Hebert/Invision/AP

Social Web

How Do You Measure Passion? Figuring The Value Of Social Media Followers

January 28, 2016 • Having millions of followers on Twitter or Instagram isn't necessarily a great achievement if they don't engage with you. Putting a value on social media followers is a burgeoning business.

How Do You Measure Passion? Figuring The Value Of Social Media Followers

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Monday January 25, 2016

Get A Grip On Your Information Overload With 'Infomagical'

John Hersey/WNYC

Society

Get A Grip On Your Information Overload With 'Infomagical'

WNYC

January 25, 2016 • Ever feel like you can't handle all the information pouring toward you from all the screens? But you keep reading and watching anyway? This five-day experiment from WNYC may just be for you.

Get A Grip On Your Information Overload With 'Infomagical'

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Saturday January 23, 2016

Yik Yak Tests Universities' Defense Of Free Speech

The Yik Yak app allows users to post anonymous messages, and to read anonymous messages posted in their current location. Ariel Zambelich/NPR hide caption

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Ariel Zambelich/NPR

Behavior

Yik Yak Tests Universities' Defense Of Free Speech

WABE

January 23, 2016 • The social media app allows users to post anonymous comments visible to others in the same area. It's become a breeding ground for racial and violent threats, and some colleges may ban the app.

Yik Yak Tests Universities' Defense Of Free Speech

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Wednesday January 6, 2016

140-Character Twitter: If You Leave, Thanks For These Gifts

Bloomberg via Getty Images

Social Web

140-Character Twitter: If You Leave, Thanks For These Gifts

January 6, 2016 • Twitter may or may not be lifting its famous 140-character length maximum. We look back at some of the ways the restrictions made us get creative and spurred new phenomena, like "twitterature."

Saturday December 26, 2015

QUIZ: Are You Up To Speed On These Quirky Tech Stories Of 2015?

How would this wild black bear react to a drone? Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket/Getty Images hide caption

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Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket/Getty Images

Social Web

QUIZ: Are You Up To Speed On These Quirky Tech Stories Of 2015?

December 26, 2015 • In 2015, we reported on lots of tech news and uncovered some off-the-wall themes and elements of familiar trends. Can you remember or figure out some of the interesting findings from our coverage?

Tuesday December 22, 2015

IBM's Watson analyzes a Twitter account of an unnamed user, breaking down needs, values and five personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism (aka emotional range). IBM hide caption

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IBM

Behavior

I Asked A Computer To Be My Life Coach

December 22, 2015 • Your online habits leave a constant digital trail. What does it say about the real you? I gave the world's most famous computer keys to my online life to see what it could tell me, about me.

I Asked A Computer To Be My Life Coach

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