Benedict Townsend

This is a Global Player original podcast. The true story of Vine begins as soon as it ends. A legacy that will shape the internet for a decade and gift us the world we have today, although not really sure how good of a gift that is. Thanks, Vine. In our last episode, do you believe in life after Vine?

This is a Global Player original podcast. The true story of Vine begins as soon as it ends. A legacy that will shape the internet for a decade and gift us the world we have today, although not really sure how good of a gift that is. Thanks, Vine. In our last episode, do you believe in life after Vine?

Oh, yes. Yes. For the listener, Kenny is showing me a beautiful glass trophy with a whale tail, like a dolphin tail at the top. Is that right? What is that?

Oh, yes. Yes. For the listener, Kenny is showing me a beautiful glass trophy with a whale tail, like a dolphin tail at the top. Is that right? What is that?

This is my baby right here. Fun. That's a rare thing to have. That's very cool. Thank you. How did that feel? Did it feel bittersweet? Did you know at the time I'm probably going to be the last one?

This is my baby right here. Fun. That's a rare thing to have. That's very cool. Thank you. How did that feel? Did it feel bittersweet? Did you know at the time I'm probably going to be the last one?

And then, yeah, they discontinued it. On the 28th of October, 2016, for the first time in three years, the world woke up without any new Vines. With new uploads disabled, the app exists in a watch-only state.

And then, yeah, they discontinued it. On the 28th of October, 2016, for the first time in three years, the world woke up without any new Vines. With new uploads disabled, the app exists in a watch-only state.

Right, so they're kind of shifting what Vine... Vine servers aren't even cold before the post-mortem begins. One day later, an article was published, entitled Inside the Secret Meeting That Changed the Fate of Vine Forever.

Right, so they're kind of shifting what Vine... Vine servers aren't even cold before the post-mortem begins. One day later, an article was published, entitled Inside the Secret Meeting That Changed the Fate of Vine Forever.

For months, the Vine Street showdown was known only to insiders and select creators, but details were suddenly being made public. Taylor's article set the online world alight, partly for its general juiciness, but also because it provided a tidy answer to the open question, who killed Vine? The pitchforks were out almost immediately.

For months, the Vine Street showdown was known only to insiders and select creators, but details were suddenly being made public. Taylor's article set the online world alight, partly for its general juiciness, but also because it provided a tidy answer to the open question, who killed Vine? The pitchforks were out almost immediately.

Yeah, 100%.

Yeah, 100%.

Karen is the first to admit that the 1600 group had power, that they were crucial to Vine's survival. But Taylor's version of history still irritated her.

Karen is the first to admit that the 1600 group had power, that they were crucial to Vine's survival. But Taylor's version of history still irritated her.

From the point of view of Vine HQ, it was forces from above rather than below that had been crippling Vine's potential long before the meeting had ever taken place. The prevailing narrative? That a group of the biggest Viners brought down the app after a climactic multi-million dollar showdown was captivating and cinematic.

From the point of view of Vine HQ, it was forces from above rather than below that had been crippling Vine's potential long before the meeting had ever taken place. The prevailing narrative? That a group of the biggest Viners brought down the app after a climactic multi-million dollar showdown was captivating and cinematic.

It was one of the main things that drove me to start this project in the first place. But like most captivating cinematic stories... It's just not true. Vine died in October 2016, but as we've found over the course of our series, the app had been atrophying for nearly a year before that.

It was one of the main things that drove me to start this project in the first place. But like most captivating cinematic stories... It's just not true. Vine died in October 2016, but as we've found over the course of our series, the app had been atrophying for nearly a year before that.