In the beginning, readers of tedious British populist tabloids would write in with facile and trivial "reader's tips". Then, Viz got into the act with their "Top Tips". (Things took a weird but brief detour in 1996 when McDonald's briefly got involved, but no matter)

Then, the web made everything old new again, and a lot of terribly earnest young men and women started posting "life hacks". And then Jason Kottke posted a satirical "popcorn hack".

Soon, everyone was getting in on the act.

Wibble wibble, yip yip.