In 2005, Myspace pages were flooded with the saying “Samy is my hero” and then suddenly, the platform went dark. Dexter talks with Jack Rhysider, host of the podcast Darknet Diaries, about Samy Kamkar, how he accidentally took down the biggest social media platform at the time, and how it changed the modern Internet. 

Got something you’re curious about? Hit us up killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.

Listen: 
Jack’s Darknet Diaries episode with Samy: https://darknetdiaries.com/episode/61/

In 2005, Myspace pages were flooded with the saying &ldquo;Samy is my hero&rdquo; and then suddenly, the platform went dark. Dexter talks with Jack Rhysider, host of the podcast Darknet Diaries, about Samy Kamkar, how he accidentally took down the biggest social media platform at the time, and how it changed the modern Internet.&nbsp;
Got something you&rsquo;re curious about? Hit us up <a href="mailto:killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc">killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc</a>, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.
Listen:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Jack&rsquo;s Darknet Diaries episode with Samy: https://darknetdiaries.com/episode/61/</li>
</ul>

Were we sleeping when everything changed? Seems like the technologically driven future is already here. On killswitch, we explain the right NOW of our super charged technological lives. New host Dexter Thomas answers questions big and small – like who’s behind Shrimp Jesus, and could you get arrested by a computer?

kill switch also brings the DIY back to tech – “How to Now” on everything from how to run your own LLM to tips to keep your data safe. Because the more “user-friendly” our devices get, the less we understand how they work, and the less control we have. We’re here to help you take back control. And if we can’t… Well, maybe we need to look for the kill switch.

 

Were we sleeping when everything changed? Seems like the technologically driven future is already here. On kill switch, we explain the right NOW of our super charged technological lives. New host <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dexdigi/?hl=en">Dexter Thomas</a> answers questions big and small &ndash; like who&rsquo;s behind Shrimp Jesus, and could you get arrested by a computer?
kill switch also brings the DIY back to tech &ndash; &ldquo;How to Now&rdquo; on everything from how to run your own LLM to tips to keep your data safe. Because the more &ldquo;user-friendly&rdquo; our devices get, the less we understand how they work, and the less control we have. We&rsquo;re here to help you take back control. And if we can&rsquo;t&hellip; Well, maybe we need to look for the kill switch.
&nbsp;

kill switch

Were we sleeping when everything changed? Seems like the technologically driven future is already here. On killswitch, we explain the right NOW of our super charged technological lives. New host Dexter Thomas answers questions big and small – like who’s behind Shrimp Jesus, and could you get arrested by a computer?

kill switch also brings the DIY back to tech – “How to Now” on everything from how to run your own LLM to tips to keep your data safe. Because the more “user-friendly” our devices get, the less we understand how they work, and the less control we have. We’re here to help you take back control. And if we can’t… Well, maybe we need to look for the kill switch.

Were we sleeping when everything changed? Seems like the technologically driven future is already here. On kill switch, we explain the right NOW of our super charged technological lives. New host <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dexdigi/?hl=en">Dexter Thomas</a> answers questions big and small &ndash; like who&rsquo;s behind Shrimp Jesus, and could you get arrested by a computer?
kill switch also brings the DIY back to tech &ndash; &ldquo;How to Now&rdquo; on everything from how to run your own LLM to tips to keep your data safe. Because the more &ldquo;user-friendly&rdquo; our devices get, the less we understand how they work, and the less control we have. We&rsquo;re here to help you take back control. And if we can&rsquo;t&hellip; Well, maybe we need to look for the kill switch.

the hack that broke myspace

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/6343a59b-5383-48a6-b283-b3d8015fb958/transcript

Wartime propaganda isn’t new – but the use of AI slop in churning out propaganda videos is. And in this proxy war, Iran is winning. Dexter talks to Matthew Gault, who recently wrote about the Iran-US slopaganda war for 404 Media, about the strategy behind Iran’s videos, why the US is losing online, and how AI has amplified an age-old war tactic.

Read Matthew’s piece for 404: https://www.404media.co/iran-is-winning-the-ai-slop-propaganda-war/

Hit us up: killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc, or @killswitchpod and @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.

This episode was livestreamed on YouTube. Catch the next one live by subscribing to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod

Wartime propaganda isn&rsquo;t new &ndash; but the use of AI slop in churning out propaganda videos is. And in this proxy war, Iran is winning. Dexter talks to Matthew Gault, who recently wrote about the Iran-US slopaganda war for 404 Media, about the strategy behind Iran&rsquo;s videos, why the US is losing online, and how AI has amplified an age-old war tactic.
Read Matthew&rsquo;s piece for 404: <a href="https://www.404media.co/iran-is-winning-the-ai-slop-propaganda-war/">https://www.404media.co/iran-is-winning-the-ai-slop-propaganda-war/</a>
Hit us up: killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc, or @killswitchpod and @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.
This episode was livestreamed on YouTube. Catch the next one live by subscribing to our channel: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod">https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod</a>

why Iran is winning the AI propaganda war

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/1b1a6749-b92d-46c0-9a4f-b41f00356941/transcript

Ethan Zuckerman helped design the amateur web as we know it. In the 90s, he worked at Tripod, providing free web space for anyone to build their own site. His invention, pop-up ads, helped make that possible. The industry ran with it, and the Internet was never the same.

Since then, Ethan’s been on a mission to fix the Internet and bring it back to what he hoped it would be – he even sued Facebook over it. Dexter talks to Ethan about how to make advertising less surveillant, a “free-trade coffee” model of the web, and why ad blockers might hint at a way to make Facebook a better place.

Hit us up: killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc, or @killswitchpod and @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.

Links: 
Ethan Zuckerman and Chand Rajendra-Nicolucci’s proposal on Forgetful Adveritising: https://law.yale.edu/sites/default/files/area/center/isp/documents/zuckerman.pdf
Ethan’s op-ed in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/05/opinion/facebook-court-internet-meta.html
Ethan and Isaac Brickman’s proposal for middleware: https://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/JMYZ3GJKPE7UTCN8ZR3K/full
kill switch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod

Ethan Zuckerman helped design the amateur web as we know it. In the 90s, he worked at Tripod, providing free web space for anyone to build their own site. His invention, pop-up ads, helped make that possible. The industry ran with it, and the Internet was never the same. Since then, Ethan&rsquo;s been on a mission to fix the Internet and bring it back to what he hoped it would be &ndash; he even sued Facebook over it. Dexter talks to Ethan about how to make advertising less surveillant, a &ldquo;free-trade coffee&rdquo; model of the web, and why ad blockers might hint at a way to make Facebook a better place.
Hit us up: <a href="mailto:killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc">killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc</a>, or @killswitchpod and @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.
Links:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Ethan Zuckerman and Chand Rajendra-Nicolucci&rsquo;s proposal on Forgetful Adveritising: <a href="https://law.yale.edu/sites/default/files/area/center/isp/documents/zuckerman.pdf">https://law.yale.edu/sites/default/files/area/center/isp/documents/zuckerman.pdf</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Ethan&rsquo;s op-ed in the New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/05/opinion/facebook-court-internet-meta.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/05/opinion/facebook-court-internet-meta.html</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Ethan and Isaac Brickman&rsquo;s proposal for middleware: <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/JMYZ3GJKPE7UTCN8ZR3K/full">https://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/JMYZ3GJKPE7UTCN8ZR3K/full</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">kill switch on YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod">https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod</a></li>
</ul>

he monetized the web. now he has a plan to fix it

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/f55dd139-bd0b-4e16-9d38-b417015aff57/transcript

India’s tech industry was supposed to be a ticket to the middle class, a way out of poverty. Instead, for many workers, it’s become something else: long hours, intense competition, and a growing mental health crisis. Dexter talks to journalist Parth MN about the mounting pressure inside India’s tech workforce, the rise in suicides among engineers, and how a system built for relentless growth leaves little room for failure. 

Got something you’re curious about? Hit us up killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.

Read + Watch: 
Parth’s article, “Death of an Indian tech worker” - https://restofworld.org/2026/india-tech-workers-crisis-suicide/ 
VICE’s video, “ The Women Behind the Indian Farmers Protest” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knMUaiBiw4U 
kill switch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod

India&rsquo;s tech industry was supposed to be a ticket to the middle class, a way out of poverty. Instead, for many workers, it&rsquo;s become something else: long hours, intense competition, and a growing mental health crisis. Dexter talks to journalist Parth MN about the mounting pressure inside India&rsquo;s tech workforce, the rise in suicides among engineers, and how a system built for relentless growth leaves little room for failure.&nbsp;
Got something you&rsquo;re curious about? Hit us up <a href="mailto:killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc">killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc</a>, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.
Read + Watch:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Parth&rsquo;s article, &ldquo;Death of an Indian tech worker&rdquo; - <a href="https://restofworld.org/2026/india-tech-workers-crisis-suicide/">https://restofworld.org/2026/india-tech-workers-crisis-suicide/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">VICE&rsquo;s video, &ldquo; The Women Behind the Indian Farmers Protest&rdquo; - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knMUaiBiw4U">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knMUaiBiw4U</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">kill switch on YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod">https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod</a></li>
</ul>

how the tech boom is killing India’s best coders

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/90b32dbe-acba-4b14-9782-b410014c173a/transcript

the hack that broke myspace

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