The Future

World Dispatch: Neopets was run by scientologists

There goes your childhood.

The Future

Coded language

The Future

World Dispatch: Neopets was run by scientologists

There goes your childhood.

Every Monday through Thursday, The Outline World Dispatch brings you stories about Power, Culture, and the Future. We guarantee you’ll feel smarter and more hydrated.

It may sound like an urban legend but it’s true: The business practices behind Neopets, those cute virtual pets that taught you how to spell and code in the early 2000s, are directly connected to the Church of Scientology.

Today on the Dispatch, the writer behind the scoop, Sarah Bellman, sits down with fellow Neopets nerd and Outline Senior Developer Erik Hinton to chat about the making of this story. As Dr. Frank Sloth once said, “before trying to take over the world, it's perfectly fair to give yourself an unfair advantage.”

Give it a listen, and let us know what you think on Twitter. We’re @OutlineDispatch. We promise not to secretly brainwash you.

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