Gumroad faces backlash over alleged NFT ambitions

Just as many of the ugliest online fights begin these days, Brian "Box" Brown, an Eisner-winning illustrator and comic artist, sent a seemingly innocuous tweet. It read, in part, "my former regular freelance employer has let me know they'll be...Embracing NFTs 🙃 so...we had to part ways." The then unnamed business, Gumroad, shot back the next day with a now-pinned response denying it had plans to enter the controversial crypto-collecting space, and has since attacked detractors from its corporate account, provided conflicting information and alienated a growing portion of the artist community it serves. How did it get so bad?Gumroad, for the unfamiliar, is a digital goods sales platform, which hosts anything from art to ebooks to self-help courses. It was built in 2011 by then-19-year-old CEO Sahil Lavinglia, who is perhaps the only consistent figure within the company. Following a period of growth Lavinglia had to lay off staff in 2016 after failing to raise more money. The company survived, but as it is presently structured, Gumroad is something of an anomaly. The number of full-time employees, according to one the CEO's blog posts is "none. Not even me," preferring to maintain a contractor workforce. It also espouses a version of radical transparency, choosing to make its product roadmap and board meetings public. The image of an all-remote workplace free from deadlines or meetings belies a somewhat haphazard business. Some former workers seemingly signed no contracts... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2022-02-08 21:00:47 UTC ]
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Lust, Rivalry, and Ambition Culminate in a Betrayal at an Elite Art School 

Set on the idyllic New England campus of an elite art school called Wrynn, and situated against the backdrop of the Occupy Wall Street movement, Antonia Angress’ debut novel Sirens & Muses is an exemplary depiction of what can occur at the intersection of art and adolescence. This... Continue reading at Electric Literature

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I could not believe how bravely Salman Rushdie faced the threats to his life. That’s true courage | Hadley Freeman

In our conversations and emails, his determination to not let the fatwa define him has been evidentThat Salman Rushdie was nearly murdered at an event in New York while talking about whether the United States was a safe haven for exiled writers is an irony he’d have rejected as too far-fetched... Continue reading at The Guardian

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'iCarly' alum Jennette McCurdy alleges Nickelodeon offered her hush money

'iCarly' and 'Sam & Cat' star Jennette McCurdy says in her new memoir that Nickelodeon offered her $300,000 not to talk about her experiences there. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-08-06 01:42:15 UTC ]
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Alleged book thief Filippo Bernardini may avoid trial in the US

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[ The Guardian | 2022-07-14 11:21:45 UTC ]
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Families of residents who may have been abused at Winnipeg care home disgusted by allegations

Families of people who live in a privately owned Winnipeg personal care home want to know why two care aides were allowed to work for months after allegations were brought forward that they had abused 15 residents. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2022-06-22 20:00:25 UTC ]
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James Patterson apologizes for saying white male authors face ‘racism’

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James Patterson Apologizes For Saying Older White Male Writers Face Racism

“I absolutely do not believe that racism is practiced against white writers," the bestselling author said. Continue reading at HuffPost

[ HuffPost | 2022-06-15 06:32:10 UTC ]
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James Patterson claims White male writers face ‘another form of racism’

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[ The Washington Post | 2022-06-14 14:28:52 UTC ]
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James Patterson feels the heat after saying white men face 'another form of racism'

Bestselling author James Patterson is concerned for white male writers, whom he thinks are having difficulty finding work in the entertainment industry. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

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Toto Albanese steals the post-election show as News Corp front pages do an about-face | The Weekly Beast

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Colleague feared Craig McLachlan could take his own life after articles alleging harassment, court hears

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A Sci-Fi Writer Returns to Earth: ‘The Real Story is the One Facing Us.’

Kim Stanley Robinson, one of the most acclaimed living science fiction writers, is done with deep space narratives. His focus now is on solving real problems — like climate change. Continue reading at The New York Times

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Leading NFT blockchain Flow announces $725 million Ecosystem Fund to drive Web3 innovation

The fund will be available to developers globally and will focus on those in the decentralized finance, gaming, and digital content space. Flow, one of the leading blockchains in the Web3 arena, has announced the launch of a new fund designed to spur innovation among those building apps, games,... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2022-05-10 09:00:23 UTC ]
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Craig McLachlan defamation trial: 11 women expected to allege misconduct by actor, court hears

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News publisher Lee faces renewed pressure from hedge funds

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Maryland Library E-book Law Faces Permanent Injunction

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'Hundreds' of Salesforce employees pushback on NFT cloud project

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[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2022-02-18 22:58:45 UTC ]
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China’s true ambitions, and what they mean for the U.S.

Elizabeth Economy looks closely at Xi Jinping's push to make China the center of the world. Continue reading at The Washington Post

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The enduring obstacles and imbalances facing Black athletes and coaches

Post columnist John Feinstein explores the dynamics of race in professional baseball, basketball and football. Continue reading at The Washington Post

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