{"podcast":{"title":"The Stupid History Minute","slug":"the-stupid-history-minute-4049187","podcast_index_feed_id":4049187,"rss_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/show/4965707/episodes/feed","website_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-stupid-history-minute","image_url":"https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/18875e53f7c5089bf3fd2f8c03f7abf3.jpg","author":"Keb Pound","episode_count":1000,"summary":"Most people take everyday things for granted — but what if you could actually know the weird, surprising, and often hilarious stories behind them? I’m Keb Pound, and this is The Stupid History Minute — the most binge-able podcast in the world. One minute at a time, I break down the overlooked, the ordinary, and the absolutely ridiculous parts of everyday life. From the history of paperclips to why we say “bless you” after a sneeze, each episode delivers a fast, funny fact you’ll actually remember. Whether you're a trivia nerd, a podcast junkie, or just someone who loves learning weird stuff quickly, you’ll walk away a little smarter (and maybe a little more sarcastic). Don’t stay stupid — give me a minute. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-stupid-history-minute--4965707/support .","last_synced_at":"2026-08-01T14:17:31.460766+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-stupid-history-minute-4049187"},"episode":{"title":"Paying for Wikipedia","slug":"paying-for-wikipedia","published_at":"2026-04-29T07:00:02+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-stupid-history-minute-4049187/paying-for-wikipedia","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-stupid-history-minute-4049187","url":"https://www.spreaker.com/episode/paying-for-wikipedia--71024955","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/71024955/paying_for_wikipedia.mp3","summary":"A look back at Wikipedia's 2013 April Fool's prank that simulated the introduction of a paid subscription model. The episode explores how the threat of a paywall revealed the deep public value placed on free, open knowledge.","meta_description":"Explore the history of Wikipedia's 2013 April Fool's prank and the public reaction to the simulated introduction of a paid subscription model.","key_points":["Main idea: Wikipedia used an April Fool's joke in 2013 to simulate a shift from free access to a paid subscription model","Tension: The announcement created immediate panic because it threatened the core mission of free, open-source knowledge","Practical takeaway: The intense user reaction served as a metric for how much the public relies on free digital information","Failure mode: The prank succeeded by targeting the one thing users value most: their wallets","Core lesson: Pretending to remove a free service can highlight its true necessity and value to society"],"chapters":[{"start_ms":0,"title":"The 2013 Prank","summary":"An introduction to Wikipedia's April Fool's joke regarding paid access to articles."},{"start_ms":10000,"title":"The Threat to Free Knowledge","summary":"How the announcement of subscription fees claimed to be necessary for maintaining quality."},{"start_ms":20000,"title":"User Panic","summary":"The immediate reaction from users when the idea of a paywall felt believable."},{"start_ms":30000,"title":"The Value of Free Information","summary":"Reflecting on how the prank demonstrated the high value of open-access information."},{"start_ms":50000,"title":"Conclusion","summary":"Final thoughts on the impact of the prank and the importance of free digital resources."}],"topics":["Wikipedia","Internet History","April Fool's Day","Digital Commons","Subscription Models","Open Knowledge","Media Literacy"],"duration_seconds":76,"processing_state":"processed","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-stupid-history-minute-4049187/episodes/paying-for-wikipedia/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-stupid-history-minute-4049187/paying-for-wikipedia.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}