Matt Nelson never intended to create one of the most popular social media accounts on the internet. In fact, when he made his debut—a Twitter account in 2014—his only real goal was to practice his comedy routine while he studied professional golf management at Campbell University in North Carolina.
Nelson, 27, realized that anytime he would show off his golden retriever or insert her into a joke, the post would do really well. “They were pretty universally loved,” he told The Daily Beast. “I was like, ‘Oh, amazing. I think the internet loves dogs just as much as I do.’”
It was in that realization that WeRateDogs—an account dedicated to rating photos of dogs on a scale of 10 with the final tally always exceeding the scaled limit—was born in 2015. The account quickly became a hit, setting itself apart from the typical noise and cynicism of Twitter.