Podcast Summary – Vine: Six Seconds That Changed The World

Episode: "Did We Bring Back Vine?"

Host: Benedict Townsend (with co-host Mary Goodheart)
Guest: Evan Henshaw-Plath ("Rabble”), Creator of Divine
Release Date: January 16, 2026

Overview

This bonus episode explores the remarkable and unexpected return of Vine in the form of "Divine," a new video social platform built with the blessing (and funding) of Jack Dorsey and the vision of Evan "Rabble" Henshaw-Plath. The host, Benedict Townsend, and Rabble reflect on Vine’s cultural legacy, what went wrong with social media, and whether a new, values-driven platform can recapture Vine’s magic while learning from its and modern platforms’ mistakes.

Episode Structure & Key Topics

• The surprise emergence of "Divine" as Vine’s spiritual successor (00:10–02:08)
• Who is Rabble? His early social media activism and legacy (02:49–04:54)
• The case for rethinking social media: openness vs. corporate control (05:18–07:42)
• Divine’s philosophy: open, human, anti-AI slop (09:27–12:55)
• Technical and community challenges: rapid viral growth, moderation, and interface (14:01–16:35)
• Archive resurrection: bringing classic Vines back (21:18–22:36)
• Governance, the Social Media Bill of Rights, and Rabble’s manifesto (23:12–23:46)
• Addressing AI training rumors and ethical concerns (24:05–26:29)
• Legal realities: Vine trademarks and Elon Musk’s involvement (27:36–28:36)
• Sustainability and money: Can Divine avoid Vine’s financial fate? (31:19–32:55)
• Final reflections: hopes, skepticism, and champagne budget jokes (33:09–end)

Detailed Breakdown

The Divine Revelation (00:10–02:08)

• Townsend shares a LinkedIn message from Rabble, the creator of Divine, crediting the Vine podcast as his inspiration.
• Divine is not just an interface clone but has unique principles, especially a strong anti-AI video stance and access to Vine’s original video archive.

Who is Rabble? Social Media Pioneer (02:49–04:54)

• Full name: Evan Henshaw-Plath, known as "Rabble."
• Key early roles: First employee and lead engineer at Odeo (which became Twitter); activist for open, democratized media.
  • Quote (03:52):
    Rabble: “It’s a little embarrassing that I said it, but I’ve had a career where I bounced back and forth between startups and activism... It's important to realize that social media wasn't invented by a person. It was invented by a community of people exploring how to use the Internet in its native form.”

The Internet Lost Its Openness (05:18–07:42)

• Early social media (forums, blogs) had open APIs and interoperability.
• Once profit-driven, major platforms closed off access and controlled user experience.
  • Quote (05:57):
    Rabble: “...third party Twitter accounts, don’t spend all your time in farmville... use the official Facebook thing, use the official Twitter app. That’s sort of the moment right before Vine comes out where a new model for how these things work... much more app-centric.”

Big Tech’s Centralized Power & The Dorsey Regret (07:42–09:27)

• Rabble recounts a 2017 meeting with Jack Dorsey, referencing the Trump Twitter ban and the absurdity of leaving major speech policing to individuals.
  • Quote (08:21):
    Rabble: “We lived in a world where we were all dependent on this one guy to decide who had access to this major platform. And the Internet shouldn't be like that... The Internet was designed by a bunch of engineers, and they have a mantra: ‘We reject kings, presidents, and voting. We believe in rough consensus and running code.’”

Divine’s Mission: Reviving Vine’s Spirit, But On Open Foundations (09:27–12:55)

• Divine is built as an open source, values-oriented project, explicitly allergic to “AI slop" (low-value or deceptive synthetic content).
• Recording authenticity is central: using Proof Mode and both AI/human moderation to keep videos “real.”
  • Quote (11:24):
    Rabble: “The deception is not fine. And the lack of humanity in a lot of this AI generated content is profound. It’s hollow, it lacks humanity... I want to have a space where it’s not being shoved down my throat.”

Building Divine: Nostalgia and New Challenges (13:09–16:35)

• Rabble claims it took “a few days” to get a prototype up.
• The name “Divine” is both a nod and a reinvention: “It almost immediately got incorporated with the same creative energy.”
• Beta launched to massive demand (150k signups on Day 1), surprising the solo-founder. Many original Viners joined, asking for “agency over AI slop."
• Divine’s interface purposefully channels Vine’s iconic simplicity and constraints, updated for modern expectations.

Inside the Divine Beta (16:10–17:26)

• Hosts demo Divine’s beta: visually and functionally a close Vine twin (green palette, record button, Explore page).
• Classic content: Archive videos are visible, tagged with a “V original” watermark.
• Early moderation struggles, but a strong sense of community and nostalgia.

Algorithms, Moderation & Choice (17:26–21:18)

• Divine doesn’t ban algorithms but lets users choose them, or opt for human-curated feeds—emphasizing agency over what’s seen.
  • Quote (18:14):
    Rabble: “The problem isn’t the algorithms. The problem is who has a say over them, who has agency... You can optimize an algorithm for happiness or show you just cats... Algorithms aren’t bad, it’s the power dynamic behind them.”
• Moderation is “impossible at scale,” but Divine lets communities set their own moderation policies, with “hard lines” for legality and safety.

Resurrecting the Vine Archive (21:18–23:04)

• Vine’s content was saved by Archive Team (associated with the Wayback Machine), including videos, comments, and metadata.
• Divine is letting users reclaim accounts (where possible), even if they can’t recover passwords, and will take down content at the creator's request.

The Social Media Bill of Rights & Ownership (23:12–23:46)

• Rabble published a manifesto advocating user rights: privacy, identity control, algorithmic transparency, and community governance.
  • Quote (23:12):
    Rabble: “The right to privacy and security, the right to own and control your own identity and your followers, the right to choose and understand the algorithms that you’re using...”

AI Concerns & Ethical Assurances (24:05–26:29)

• Divine’s team emphatically rejects using user videos to train AI; this is written into their terms of service.
• Rabble is realistic: they can’t stop other companies from scraping data, but their intent and design are against such misuse.

Growth, Community, and Scalability (26:14–27:36)

• Divine’s explosion from hobby project to global story meant Rabble had to recruit from his “open source” activism network—some paid, many volunteer, all excited by the mission.

Trademarks, Musk, and Legal Gray Zones (27:36–28:36)

• Elon Musk owns the Vine trademark (possibly inactive) and the vine.co domain, but user content (the videos themselves) remains with creators.
  • Quote (28:04):
    Rabble: “He doesn't own the videos and the content themselves... We are not Vine. We are not attempting to pretend that this is the Vine app or the original. It’s an homage.”
  • Philosophy: "Ask forgiveness, not permission"—done as a personal project, fully open about legal ambiguity.

Full Circle: Podcast’s Influence & The Hope for a New Social Media Era (29:17–31:19)

• Rabble credits the Vine podcast as inspiration; hopes Divine will reclaim the “humanity” lost in corporate social media.
  • Quote (29:17):
    Rabble: “I’m incredibly appreciative of you and your podcast… told the story in its depth, in its complexity, in its contradictions. And I think that vine is something that is really culturally important. It is really meaningful to people.”
• Benedict and Mary savor their unexpected impact, but stress that sustainability remains the biggest unknown.

Will Divine Survive Where Vine Did Not? (31:19–32:55)

• Divine has no hard monetization plan—yet. The founders don’t want to fall into the ad-driven, engagement-maximizing traps of other platforms.
• Echoes of Vine’s own demise hover; success may hinge on whether users truly value openness and agency.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Rabble (03:52): “Social media wasn’t invented by a person. It was invented by a community of people exploring how to use the Internet in its native form.”
• Rabble (08:21): “We lived in a world where we were all dependent on this one guy to decide who had access to this major platform. And the Internet shouldn’t be like that.”
• Rabble (11:24): “The deception is not fine. And the lack of humanity... is profound. It’s hollow, it lacks humanity.”
• Rabble (18:14): “The problem isn’t the algorithms. The problem is who has a say over them, who has agency… Algorithms aren’t bad, it’s the power dynamic behind them.”
• Host Benedict (21:53): “Wow, it's like true Internet archaeology in a way.”
• Rabble (23:12): “The right to privacy and security... the right to own and control your own identity and your followers... the right to choose and understand the algorithms... and the right to portability and exit.”
• Rabble (28:04): “He [Elon Musk] owns the vine trademark... He doesn’t own the videos and the content themselves.”
• Rabble (29:17): “I’m incredibly appreciative of you and your podcast... I just feel incredibly lucky to be a part of a community of people being able to reclaim that and... build it.”

Key Timestamps

• 00:10 – Opening, the podcast’s impact on Divine’s creation
• 03:52–04:54 – Rabble’s background and vision
• 05:18–07:42 – How social media lost its open ethos
• 09:27–12:55 – Divine’s values: openness, authenticity, anti-AI content
• 13:09–15:18 – Building Divine, naming, and beta explosion
• 16:10–17:26 – Hosts demo Divine beta, discuss interface and archive integration
• 18:14–19:31 – Algorithm choice and power dynamics
• 21:18–22:36 – The Vine archive rescue
• 23:12–23:46 – The Social Media Bill of Rights
• 24:05–26:29 – AI/video training concerns addressed
• 27:36–28:36 – Trademark and Elon Musk topic
• 31:19–32:55 – Sustainability and the money question
• 33:09 – Light-hearted wrap-up, champagne joke

Tone & Style

The conversation is witty, nostalgic, and earnest, dissecting serious issues in social media with humor and deep cultural awareness. Guest Rabble balances technical and ethical insight with storytelling warmth, while Benedict and Mary keep things accessible, skeptical, and self-aware.

Useful For

• Anyone curious about the fate of Vine and new social media models
• Technologists or cultural critics interested in open source, moderation, and AI
• Listeners seeking hope for healthier online communities
• Vine nostalgics longing for six-second culture

Conclusion

"Did We Bring Back Vine?" is both a celebration and an in-depth investigation into whether it's possible to reboot a lost sensation with new principles. Divine’s launch is at once a tribute and an experiment: can an open, user-driven, anti-algorithmic, anti-AI “slop” platform thrive where Vine ultimately fell? The episode leaves listeners with cautious optimism—a sense that perhaps, with the right vision and community, the internet can be “funny on purpose” once again.