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Ugh, clickbait. If there’s one thing we hate about the internet, it’s how some people trick us into clicking on links with ambiguous headlines. “You won’t believe how amazing this thing is (and it’s so awesome it’ll blow your mind)!” No. Just tell us what the article’s about!

Fortunately, the Stop Clickbait team is here to help. They are the superheroes that we need (but don’t deserve)! Founded in 2016 by Daniel Tuttle, the main mission of this project is to eradicate clickbait by spoiling it with a few words.

The Stop Clickbait team reads through clickbaity articles and posts a summary for them, so we don’t have to waste our valuable time looking for needles (answers) in haystacks (padded articles with little substance).

"Since last year, we’ve begun to send potatoes to some of clickbait’s worst offenders," the Stop Clickbait team told Bored Panda. "People can now go to our website and select a clickbaiter they want to send a potato to in the mail. We’ll then write their name on the potato, take a picture of it, and then send the person its tracking number. We’ve already gotten some returned back to us so I hope they’re getting just as frustrated as we are reading their clickbait articles!" Read on for the rest of the interview!

More info: StopClickbait.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

Stop Clickbait told us that they continue to grow "everyday in countries around the world."

"This is really a movement centered around our users and we couldn’t do it without them. I think people fall so bad for clickbait because it takes advantage of inherent curiosity. If we get baited hard, a simple click can solve that itch, yet we never seem to learn it’s not worth it in the end," they explained.

As for what journalists ought to do, well, it's simple: "It’s better to build relationships with your users based on trust and integrity. Maybe clickbait will get you traffic in the short term, but in the long term, it is not sustainable. Do what’s not only best for your users, but also your organization in the long term."

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According to Stop Clickbait, their posts have been viewed over 400 million times. And their team continues to grow, with over 100 volunteers pitching in to, well, stop clickbait. They do what it says on the tin. It would be pretty ironic if they didn’t do what their name suggests.

The project already has over 211k followers on Facebook and 39k fans on Instagram. They have some awesome stuff, so be sure to check out their website and social media accounts.

The project hopes to influence journalists and editors around the world and to help guide them towards more informative, clear, and honest headlines. Very few readers enjoy being yanked around with ambiguous headlines. And most journalists would love to have the freedom to use honest headlines, without editorial oversight due to financial pressure.

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In an earlier interview with Bored Panda, Stop Clickbait founder Tuttle told us that he created it as a “fun little side project.”

“I am an advertising major, so, over the years, I've become very cynical when it comes to false advertising,” he told us what inspired him to create the project. “I am quite fascinated by the spread of online ads and started to think it would be not only hilarious but useful for many to go against the economy of the Internet; ad revenue.”

He continued: “Within a few days, it blew up with viral posts across social media channels and since then there have been vast amounts of support coming from all over the world. Since then, we have expanded into 10 different pages to specialize in different categories of clickbait as well as in 12 different countries around the world."

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What does a Foxxy say?
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don’t think we will ever afford to buy a house. With the high cost of living and renting how the hell can we save $30,000+ deposit just to get approved for a loan.

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Pamela24
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This seems like a piece of actually useful information and not really a clickbait.

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Tuttle is optimistic about the future. In his opinion, the internet could be clickbait-free. As long as we handle things the right way, of course. “Social media companies need to provide tools to content producers to incentivize them to keep their content on their social media page.”

“One way they can do this is to provide options to generate revenue by posting on social media like Facebook or Twitter. Right now there are no ways to make money directly through social media thus content providers are needing to redirect their traffic somewhere where they can be more profitable like their website," he pointed out to Bored Panda.

"Another thing we fight for is to promote media literacy. By being able to read a headline and tell the difference between a journalist with integrity or simply someone using sensationalism to generate a click, the user can make an educated decision on who to support."

Tuttle added that they are “the little people joining together to fight against the fake news, and we're having an impact. It's time to fight against the economy of the Internet; it's all in the name, it's time to stop clickbait." That’s the spirit! With a sunny outlook like that, it’s not hard to believe that we can live in a world where internet journalism is transparent and to-the-point.

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chi-wei shen
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

... and don't trust essential oils no matter how often your neighborhood Karen tries to convince you.

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Kaisu
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why are MAGA people so desperate to get oppressed, as if that's fun?

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Karen Fernley
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Snow globe? Does that mean these flat earth idiots actually accept the earth is a globe? 😂

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Carrot dude
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wait, I'm not quite sure how this works. Do you get out of your running car to check the tire and someone jumps in and drives off? maybe? IDK

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Kaisu
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't know if your child eating a bristle of a barbecue brush is every mom's nightmare, I'm sure most moms wouldn't even think of it

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Johnny
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This one actually works... you just need to duct tape it around your neck to seal it securely. After you die of suffocation you won't catch coronavirus.

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Carol Emory
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

STOP THROWING CIGARETTE BUTTS ON THE GROUND PEOPLE!! They fray when they get wet, which ducks and geese eat thinking they're bread. It clogs the animals intestines and the poor bird eventually dies a slow death from starvation. Stop killing all the ducks and geese!

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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Too bad pharmaceutical companies and the government have strongly focussed on anti weed campaigns for decades that there is still a lot of taboo and misinformation about the subject.

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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Blame the parents for their stupidity. Some people do not even consider the child before naming them.

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Kaisu
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There was a little black girl selling lemonade because she wanted to make money to go to Disneyland and some white woman actually called the cops on the child because she suspected the child didn't have a proper permit

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StinkyMonkey
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

YOU DON'T NEED TO SHOWER EVERYDAY. In fact, it's way better for you not to, unless you work a job that leaves you filthy. Even just water strips a lot of natural grease from your skin, which you need to stop it from drying out, never mind the body wash most people insist on using. You can wash your pits, privates and feet everyday without having a full body shower every single day.

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Carol Emory
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Look for pools of water too. If you can get in water over your head, they will back off and go home.

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4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Had to look up what this zombie deer thing was. It is a prions disease similar to mad cows disease.

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BusLady
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hattie McDaniel won best supporting actress, but was not allowed to attend the premiere. She was the first A/A ever to win an Oscar.

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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hmmm, I actually question this because prion diseases can cause erratic and violent behaviour. since zombie deer is a prions disease what makes them so sure that deers won’t attack humans or other animals. My poppa ended up in a mental institution because he got violent and erratic from a genetic form of prions disease (Gerstmann Straussler Sheinker syndrome) and my Aunty was literally ripping at her skin when she had it.

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Kurisurin Sutaringu
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I should change my wallpaper then... maybe it's okay for me to put a fictional character on there?

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Kjorn
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

when i say media just try to create problems… we have the proof now.

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Random Panda
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, but you can hear the sound of Tony Stark building that franchise in a cave :D

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