The dream of a democratic web has turned into a nightmare of moderation crises, content mines, and billionaire overlords.

After spending decades as a Texas prison inmate, Arnulfo Ayala flinched last month when a captain at the newly reopened Bartlett Unit extended an arm to shake the confessed killer’s hand.

It's holiday season, but that doesn't have to mean waiting in long lines for big sales to buy the hottest toy or newest game ...