Hot
The ALSA ice bucket challenge
Some call it the lowest form of hashtag activism; others say it is a waste of water. However you feel about the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis association’s (ALSA) ice bucket challenge, the numbers do not lie. Since the challenge went viral in July, the association raised more than $41 million. More than $8.6 million of that was in one day. For perspective, the association raised $64 million in all of 2013. Ironically, this icy challenge is pretty hot right now.
Not
Trolling Zelda Williams
Social media users shed a collective tear on Aug. 11, when the shocking news of Robin Williams’ suicide was released. It was not long before his 25-year-old daughter, Zelda Williams, was harassed on Twitter by Internet trolls, people who post inflammatory statements online to intentionally upset someone else. The trolls, who Zelda identified as PimpStory and MrGooseBuster, sent her digitally-altered images of her father with bruises around his neck. Zelda’s last tweet following the harassment was on Aug. 13, stating that she is deleting Twitter from her devices for “a good long time, maybe forever.”
The Slate welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.