TBA

What are we actually learning when stories go viral — and who decides what counts as “evidence”?

In Episode 008 of Logging In, Techie and Luna unpack a viral video by content creator Nick Shirley, who accused Somali-owned daycare centers in Minnesota of fraud, using a misspelled word on a childcare sign as a key signal of alleged illegitimacy. Rather than adjudicating guilt or innocence, the episode focuses on something more fundamental: how people are learning to interpret information online.

The conversation explores how algorithms reward confidence over context, how visual “gotchas” like spelling errors become stand-ins for truth, and how audiences are being trained — often unintentionally — to draw sweeping conclusions from incomplete data. From YouTube journalism and crowd-sourced investigations to the real-world harm caused when virality outpaces verification, the episode asks whether the internet is teaching people how to think critically, or simply how to react quickly.

At its core, this episode is about learning: what we absorb, what we miss, and how easily the tools meant to inform us can end up distorting reality instead.

Technology often presents itself as helpful — crowdsourcing answers, finding discounts, filling in gaps where systems fall short. But what happens when that help causes harm?

In Episode 007 of Logging In, Techie and Luna unpack two very different stories with the same underlying question. First, they reflect on how Reddit’s role in investigations has changed over time, comparing the Boston Marathon bombing aftermath with a recent local case in Rhode Island at Brown University and asking whether online crowds have actually learned from past mistakes — or if the risks have simply shifted.

In the second half, the conversation turns to the Honey browser extension and growing concerns about how coupon tools operate behind the scenes. From affiliate code overrides to data collection and lawsuits involving PayPal, the episode explores how “saving money” online can quietly impact creators, businesses, and users alike.

Across both topics, the episode asks a bigger question: when technology steps in to help, who is it really helping — and who pays the price?

Some weeks don’t leave much room for headlines, hot takes, or polished conversations.

In Episode 006 of Logging In, Techie and Luna take a quieter approach, processing local events and the emotional weight that comes with living online during moments of real-world violence. Rather than diving into a specific tech topic, the episode becomes a check-in — about how constant notifications, breaking news, and algorithm-driven feeds shape the way people absorb fear, grief, and uncertainty.

Recorded in the aftermath of a shooting close to home, the conversation reflects on how technology changes the pace of processing hard events, how information overload can blur reality, and why sometimes the most honest response is simply slowing down. This episode isn’t about solutions — it’s about acknowledging where things are, and making space for being human in public.

You open the same shopping app, add the same items, and somehow end up with a different total than someone else.

In Episode 005 of Logging In, Techie and Luna break down how shopping apps quietly personalize prices, fees, and promotions based on who you are, where you live, and what the algorithms think you’ll tolerate. From Instacart and social-driven pricing to loyalty programs, surge fees, and discounts that aren’t really discounts, the episode exposes how modern commerce tests consumers individually instead of treating everyone the same.

The conversation widens to the human cost of invisible pricing systems: gig workers squeezed from both sides, shoppers unknowingly paying premiums, and the slow disappearance of transparency in everyday transactions. When prices depend on profiles instead of products, what does “fair” even mean?

Cyber Monday is supposed to be the biggest sales day of the year — unless the platform you rely on goes dark.

In Episode 004 of Logging In, Techie and Luna unpack a global Shopify outage that locked small businesses out of their own stores during Cyber Monday, while corporate messaging and scheduled posts carried on like nothing was wrong. From stalled checkouts and inaccessible admin panels to stock dips and quiet PR responses, the outage becomes a case study in how fragile “always-on” systems really are.

The conversation expands into a broader concern about automation making high-stakes decisions without human flexibility. From AI-assisted judging in Olympic figure skating to insurance claims, hiring systems, and algorithm-driven approvals, the episode questions what gets lost when precision replaces judgment and numbers override nuance. When systems decide outcomes at scale, who’s accountable — and who gets left behind?

Plus, a Water Cooler break covering global headlines, culture, and why modern systems seem optimized for efficiency, not empathy.

In Episode 003 of Logging In, Techie and Luna dig into Apple’s rare confirmation of layoffs, the growing pressure to upgrade devices that still work, and the creeping sense that users are now adapting to systems instead of systems adapting to people. What used to feel intuitive now feels exhausting, and what once “just worked” increasingly comes with friction, nudges, and compromises.

The conversation expands into the broader culture shift surrounding technology: AI tools that sound confident but feel hollow, creativity being replaced by productivity metrics, and the strange emotional weight of devices that demand more attention while offering less joy. From Face ID fatigue and update anxiety to holding onto old hardware out of stubborn loyalty, the episode captures a shared feeling many users struggle to name — something important has gone rotten, and it didn’t happen all at once.

Plus, a Water Cooler break covering layoffs, AI-generated music, early Black Friday fatigue, refunds, politics, and the quiet ways “progress” keeps asking for more than it gives back.

In Episode 002 of Logging In, Techie and Luna dig into a growing online trend where creators promise to pay off debt, fund goals, or perform stunts one penny at a time for every new follower. What starts as a clever engagement hack quickly turns into a bigger conversation about algorithm pressure, burnout, and the strange economics of attention.

From student loans and monetized empathy to why platforms always change the rules once people start “winning,” the duo questions whether these viral strategies are sustainable — or just the latest digital treadmill. Plus, a Water Cooler break packed with headlines, and an on-brand reminder that technology never fails quietly.