The Most-Read Backchannel Stories of 2017

We're a few days into a new calendar year, but that doesn't mean 2017 is gone for good--the best writing will stay relevant for years to come. Last year may not have been the smoothest year in Silicon Valley (or anywhere, for that matter), and certainly 2018 has arrived with a laundry list of grievances against the tech giants whose once-fluffed, regulation-free cushions are quickly thinning beneath them. But innovation continued just the same. These are the themes that fascinated us most and, we're delighted to report, the stories you read most. To both celebrate and reflect on the year behind us, here are 2017's most-read Backchannel stories, arranged chronologically.