Webworm FAQ

For Newbies:

1. What is Webworm?

Webworm is an investigative journalism newsletter sent from me (David Farrier), direct to you (via your inbox).

While I work a lot in documentary (Tickled, Dark Tourist and Mister Organ) and podcasting (Flightless Bird), my main focus for the last six years has been Webworm. The next edition might see me worming my way into some weird corner of the internet, or investigating someone IRL that's up to bad stuff. Sometimes Webworm is light-hearted and funny, other times it's very serious.

Webworm is where I reported live from the ground in Minneapolis, broke stories about the systemic abuse going on New Zealand’s biggest megachurch, covered billion dollar toy company Zuru successfully obtaining anonymous details of its detractors, and followed celebrity IT-brand Lonely as it descended into QAnon chaos.

Webworm also has a website, where you can peruse all of my stuff from the last six years: www.webworm.co.

Webworm also built up a lively and engaged community around it, which has led to the best comments section on the internet (I'm serious).

2. How do I get Webworm?

You can sign up to receive Webworm to your inbox, for free, by clicking here:

All of my public interest journalism is free for everyone. This is incredibly important to me: A paywall should never be in the way between readers and important stories.

Again: You can sign up for Webworm and get all my public interest journalism delivered to your inbox, for free. Oh, and with no ads.

3. How does Webworm survive if it's free and has no advertising, dummy?

This project is only made possible thanks to paying Webworm supporters, who power Webworm.

In return for their generosity, they get extra material from me. This includes pieces that are more personal (like my ADHD diagnosis), go behind-the-scenes (like how we made Tickled), and just offer a bigger view into my world. They also get extra pieces that I commission from writers and journalists that I love. We also do regular AMAs, and you get access to the Webworm community in the comments section.

Paying members also get the warm fuzzy feeling of supporting a thing that they like and believe in. A paid membership is $6.99 a month (USD) – about the cup of a fancy cup of coffee. Or it's cheaper (by about 20%) if you pay annually.

Only sign up as a paying member if it causes you zero financial hardship, and cancel anytime by logging in at www.webworm.co.

4. When it comes to the community that exists on Webworm, are there any rules or moderation in place?

I view Webworm a bit like this cute little bar that I run. I love that people come here to talk and share their thoughts – but if people are rude, homophobic, transphobic or racist: They are not welcome here. So here are the House Rules that I wrote about three years ago, that still hold.

FAQ For Subscribers

1. I want to:
   a) change my email address!
   b) change my credit card details!
   c) change my subscription type!
   d) cancel my membership!
   What do I do?

Head to www.webworm.co, login to your account (usually in the top right), and do all of that stuff from the portal. It's dead easy.

2. What is the most helpful thing I can do for your work?

If you haven't already, and it causes you zero financial hardship, become a paying member. This literally keeps Webworm going, and keeps it 100% ad-free:

3. What is the second most helpful thing I can do for your work?

Share Webworm with others. Forward them a Webworm missive from your inbox that you've liked, or share the website: www.webworm.co. It's really pretty and people might like to visit!

Each story on the site has its own URL – share that, too. Share, share, share away. Remember, all my public interest journalism has no paywall.

4. Can I give a one-off donation to Webworm?

Yes, you can. Click here. You can change the suggested amount and give whatever you see fit.

5. Can I gift a Webworm subscription to a friend? Or enemy?

Yes, you can do that too. Click here.

6. I really want to be a full Webworm member to get all your stuff, but I can't afford $6.99 USD a month. What can I do?

In free editions of Webworm, I regularly offer 50%-off discounts to become a full member. Subscribe as a free member, and keep an eye out.

Or if that discount still means you suffer financial hardship in any way (maybe you're a student or are on a benefit) just email me – davidfarrier@protonmail.com – tell me what's going on, and I will sort you out with a full membership.

7. I was signed up for Webworm back when it was on Substack, but now it's on Ghost. Do I have to resubscribe, or do anything?

Absolutely nothing. I moved you – and all your payment details – over to Ghost. Whatever your deal was before - it holds. You were a paying member? You still are - some amount, same payment cycle. On the free list? You still are. You were signed up at a discounted rate because you're a student or on a benefit? You are still on that rate.

8. I am on a discounted rate - but when I look in my account settings at www.webworm.co, it says I am a full member - but at the full price too! What happened to my discounted rate?

Please don't panic. You are still paying the discounted price. Basically, your profile is showing that you are on the "full member" tier, which is worth the "full member" price. But you are getting the full member price at your discounted rate.

Yes, I know this is confusing and hopefully this will be remedied in the future.

9. Webworm is not arriving in my inbox! What gives?

First up, check your spam and promotions tab, as Webworms may have been filtered to there. Drag those bad boys into your inbox, and add "webworm@ghost.io" to your address book, and/or as a trusted sender.

Still not finding them? Head to www.webworm.co, login to your account, and click "manage" next to "emails" – and make sure your emails are set to "on".

Still having issues? Email me, David Farrier, your tech support: davidfarrier@protonmail.com.

10. I am a full member, and I am getting sick of being notified when someone replies to one of my comments. How do I turn this off?

Head to www.webworm.co, login to your account, and click "manage" next to "emails" – and turn off the notifications for comments.

11. When Webworm was on Substack, you had a lively comments section that I loved. Where has that gone?

It's still here – nothing has changed. If you're a paid member, you get to comment under any Webworm piece as per usual. Just click this button that you'll see in most Webworm emails:

Or go to www.webworm.co, login, and you can comment under any piece. As always, the Webworm community is awesome.

12. When I comment here I don't have a cute little profile photo. How do I get one?

You can create a free account at Gravatar.com, using whatever email you use for Webworm. Gravatar ("Globally Recognized Avatar") links your email to an image, so when you interact with a website that supports Gravatar (like Webworm does), your avatar automatically appears next to your comments. I did it, and it seems to work great.

13. Okay, so Webworm is no longer on Substack, it's hosted on Ghost. Is Ghost an app we should download? What do I do with the Substack app?

As far as Webworm is concerned, you can go ahead and delete the Substack app. There is no "App" for Ghost - Webworm is best read:

1) In your email inbox
2) On the website: www.webworm.co

14. I want to find and read one of your old pieces! What happens to the old Webworms? Are they gone?!

They are not gone. They all live happily at www.webworm.co. There is a search option so you can look up keywords to help you find old pieces.

15. Remind me why you took Webworm off Substack again?

I explain why I left Substack in August of 2025 in this newsletter. It explains the Nazi issue and a host of other things that made me realise I needed to run Webworm on the open source "Ghost" instead. Feel free to share that piece around, as it's kind of a good primer about what Webworm stands for as a whole: webworm.co/webwormisleavingsubstack.

16. I love Webworm so much, can I wear it on a t-shirt?

Why yes you can. The Webworm merch store (www.webworm.store) has t-shirts, hats, mugs and stickers that reflect the madness of the world Webworm tends to explore. Get the original Webworm graphic designed by my brother, or enter the world of Kiwi artist Jess Johnson. It all ships worldwide, and items are available in a variety of sizes and colours.

I really hope this AMA answered your question, or questions.

If anything is not covered here, email me – davidfarrier@protonmail.com – and I'll do my best to answer.

David.