What We’re Reading: October 8, 2015

Everyone you know will be able to rate you on the terrifying ‘Yelp for people’ — whether you want them to or not (Washington Post)
by Caitlin Dewey
“You can already rate restaurants, hotels, movies, college classes, government agencies and bowel movements online. So the most surprising thing about Peeple — basically Yelp, but for humans — may be the fact that no one has yet had the gall to launch something like it.”

Are Independents Just Partisans in Disguise? (NPR)
by Shankar Vedantam
“Every election cycle, independents generate enormous amounts of interest as candidates, pollsters and the media probe their feelings. These voters are widely considered to hold the key to most elections.”

Kickstarter’s Campaign for Syrian Refugees Has Already Raised $1 Million (The Atlantic)
by Bouree Lam
“This is Kickstarter’s first-ever non-profit campaign. Previously, the site prohibited campaigns that raised money for a charity or cause. Earlier this year, Kickstarter reincorporated as a public benefit corporation—a legal designation that states that the company’s aim will aid the public.”

Anatomy of a Black Actress: Viola Davis (The Toast)
by Fanta Sylla
“Viola Davis is not going anywhere. As spectators, our responsibility is to start training our gaze to look at her in a way that enables her to explore her creativity and express herself uncensored. In a way that is, if not loving, liberating.”