Bookslut was born in an era of internet freedom. Today's web has killed it

The books community that my site joined was driven by enthusiasm not clicks, goodwill and not money – and that culture has goneI miss the internet. I know that, technically, the internet still exists. It’s the Facebook-, Twitter-filtered series of algorithms designed to put cat videos, think pieces, and advertisements in front of you. But I get nostalgic for the days before money invaded the internet – the early 2000s, in particular, when I created the literary blog and webzine Bookslut.com.Back then, nothing you did mattered. And that gave you freedom. Back then, the online book culture was run mostly by enthusiasts and amateurs, people who were creating blogs and webzines simply for the pleasure of it, rather than to build a career or a brand. I know that nostalgia is a stupid emotion, but still I regret the day money found the internet. Once advertisers showed up, offering to pay us to do the thing we were doing just for fun, it was very hard to say no. Or understand exactly what the trade-offs would be.The most disappointing revelation about the books world: even an intellectual is susceptible to clickbaitYou click on it, you own it. Related: Jessa Crispin: 'We're not allowed to say the Paris Review is boring' Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2016-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #books world #jessa crispin #paris review

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The Internet Archive doesn't feel safe in Trump's America

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[ Engadget | 2016-11-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jarett Kobek: ‘The internet has been enormously detrimental to society’

The author of Silicon Valley satire I Hate the Internet on the evils of social media, and how novelists have failed to tackle itWhen the novel I Hate the Internet came out in the US earlier this year, it had every likelihood of sinking without trace. It was self-published, it was by a young... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-11-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Massive Cyberattacks Dramatically Hurt Revenues for All Kinds of Internet Players

Heather Daniels owns a small business, Lyon's Prints, that she has run primarily on Etsy since 2014. Etsy was among the websites that fell victim to three waves of cyberattacks that lasted hours and rocked the web on Friday, also affecting Twitter, Pinterest, The New York Times, The Boston... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2016-10-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Internet Reacts to Bob Dylan’s Nobel Prize

The Internet proved predictably opinionated upon learning that Bob Dylan had been chosen as the 2016 laureate of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-10-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Guns Are Killing St. Louis

This article was first published by the Trace, a nonprofit news organization that covers gun violence in America. You can sign up for its newsletter here, or follow its reporting on Facebook or Twitter. Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2016-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Springsteen's 'Born to Run' Bosses Bestseller List

Bruce Springsteen's memoir sold more than 117,000 print copies in its first week on sale, making it the top selling title for the week ended October 2. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon Sweetman: Baby, I was born to read Bruce Springsteen's memoir

OPINION: I start more books than I finish now – as is the way of the working parent, the overzealous music fan, a keen reader with eyes bigger than my, erm, mind… Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2016-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Playboy's legal victory could change your freedom to link

A European legal battle may have just set precedent for when you can and cannot link to material without permission. Playboy's Dutch publisher Sanoma sued commercial media site GeenStijl to take down links to their photos of a TV celebrity, claiming... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2016-09-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Staff Pick: 'So Sad Today' by Melissa Broder

Contributing editor Sonia Jaffe Robbins recommends 'So Sad Today' by Melissa Broder, an earnest, sophisticated collection of essays exploring the roots and expressions of her own sadness. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bulky, heavy, pricey - yet flourishing. Art catalogs keep print alive in the digital era

As far as art books go, “Matisse in the Barnes Foundation,” published last year by Thames & Hudson, is pretty exquisite: Three hardback volumes, totaling 894 pages, that tell the story of the works that are a bedrock of the Barnes Foundation collection in Philadelphia. The books come in a... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2016-08-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Best of the week: The end of an era for digital media

Between massive shakeups at The Huffington Post and Gawker Media, this week marked the end of an era for digital publishing. For starters, late last week The Huffington Post announced that its namesake co-founder Arianna Huffington would be leaving the company to focus on a new company she’s... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2016-08-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Staff Pick: 'A Stolen Life' and 'Freedom' by Jaycee Dugard

Religion news editor Emma Koonse recommends 'A Stolen Life' and 'Freedom' by Jaycee Dugard, two memoirs detailing Dugard's kidnapping at age 11, her 18 years in captivity, and her path to recovery over the past six years of freedom. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-08-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Staff Pick: 'My Stolen Life' and 'Freedom' by Jaycee Dugard

Religion news editor Emma Koonse recommends 'My Stolen Life' and 'Freedom' by Jaycee Dugard, two memoirs detailing Dugard's kidnapping at age 11, her 18 years in captivity, and her path to recovery over the past six years of freedom. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-08-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google's Accelerated Mobile Pages project spreads to more of the web

Google’s effort to give the web a speed boost is pressing more firmly on the gas pedal.The Accelerated Mobile Pages Project is moving beyond news sites to include other destinations on the web. Google is partnering with sites like eBay along with several publishers in pushing the effort along.... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2016-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google Expands AMP in Search Results as Retailers Join Push for Faster Mobile Web

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[ Advertising Age | 2016-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How Bourne Was Born: Three Key Operatives in the Franchise

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-07-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook details a way to offer laser-based internet access

Have you wondered how Facebook might offer high-speed internet access using lasers? The company's Connectivity Lab is happy to show you. It just published a research paper explaining laser beam technology can deliver up to 2Gbps to remote places.... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2016-07-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing needs freedom of movement, says PRH HR boss

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[ The Bookseller | 2016-07-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House to Sell Fodor's to Internet Brands

Penguin Random House has reached an agreement to sell its travel division, Fodor’s, to Internet Brands, a Los Angeles-based online media and technology company. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why All Publishers Should Join the World Wide Web Consortium

As the IDPF considers a merger with W3C, Brian F. O'Leary makes a case for why all publishers should join the W3C to help shape the future of ebooks. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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