It has been a while since I edited a newsletter, and what better time than near the end of the year to take on the mantle again.
We are starting to wind down our activities for the holidays, but the internet keeps on giving because the scammers keep on taking. Mark spins a yarn about an attempted scam using the company Norton anti-virus as a cover, and I give a massive update on the emerging scandal about souvenir plot company Established Titles running afoul of YouTube influencers.
If you attended the conference or listened to our recent podcast, you'll know tha I spoke about the internet subculture that is tradwives, and their connection to alt-right circles. It was inspired by Mark Dunick's presentation on alt-right organisations in Aotearoa, and I noticed that the fascist organisations that Dunick spoke about were, by design, “pale, male, and stale”. Surprisingly, right-wing extremists have enough awareness to know that it is a problem, and are starting to see the ideology of tradwives as the solution.
Finally, this week is a notable week in skeptical history, with Christchurch being the primary setting.