The Elan Gale internet hoax sums up all that is rotten about our online lives | Hadley Freeman

When I was a teenager, I thought it would be great to be an adult and be surrounded by people who weren't mean to each other all day. Enter stage left: the world wide webBack in the early 90s, when I was still at school and words such as "friend" and "message" were nouns as opposed to verbs, a particular incident occurred. For a month or so, a book had been circling among my classmates in which we wrote anonymous mean things about each other, and the statements that were deemed the funniest – invariably, the meanest – would get (anonymous) stars of approval. One day someone wrote in the book that a classmate whom I'll call Rose had made out with her cousin. More details about this fascinating make-out session were added to the book daily, and reading about Rose and her cousin became the only reason any of us wanted to come to school in the mornings. Eventually the writer of the story, whom I'll call Charlotte, couldn't resist claiming the attention she felt was duly hers and let her involvement be known.The saga now reached peak hysteria and Rose tearfully went to a teacher. Charlotte was forced to admit that she had made the whole thing up, all because she wanted some stars. (Naturally, the most salacious story a privileged, protected 13-year-old girl could think of was someone making out with their cousin.) All of us stared down at the floor as she confessed, because even though we knew Charlotte had now laid herself open to the most deliciously sharp mockery, hadn't we... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-03 00:00:00 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "The Elan Gale internet hoax sums up all that is rotten about our online lives | Hadley Freeman"


Your odds of a match in the Ancestry DNA online database keep increasing

If you’ve ever wondered about where you came from, and I mean an answer more substantial than Hoboken, then you’ve probably at least played around some with family history. We’ve all seen some old pictures, asked grandma a couple of questions, perhaps even dug in a little deeper. There are many... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2019-06-02 17:46:43 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #head start


What happens to our online identities when we die?

By 2100 there could be 4.9bn dead users on Facebook. So who controls our digital legacy after we have gone? As Black Mirror returns, we delve into the issueAndrew Scott Q&A: ‘I never get angrier than with passwords or apps’Esther Earl never meant to tweet after she died. On 25 August 2010,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-06-02 05:00:37 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #twitter account #harry potter #early teens #four-year battle


The Full Nerd ep. 94: Live from Computex! AMD vs. Intel, killer laptops, and Steve from Gamers Nexus

In this episode of The Full Nerd, Gordon Mah Ung, Mark Hachman, and Adam Patrick Murray dig into the hottest hardware new of Computex, straight from MSI’s booth on the show floor, where they’re joined by Steve Burke, editor-in-chief of Gamers Nexus!Gordon, Mark, and Adam kick things off by... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2019-05-31 14:11:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #show floor


BookExpo 2019: On Raising Kids Who Live to Read

'How to Raise a Reader' coauthors Pamela Paul and Maria Russo will discuss their book during today’s eponymous panel moderated by Jane Pauley, TV journalist and host of 'CBS Sunday Morning.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-05-30 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #jane pauley


Live From BookExpo 2019, 'But That's Another Story'

Podcaster/moderator Will Schwalbe recorded his panel with authors Stephen Chbosky, Nicole Dennis-Benn, and Aarti Shahani and turned the live on-site BookExpo event into the next episode of his podcast. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-05-30 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #nicole dennis-benn


Footage of Beatles' only Top of the Pops live show found

David Chandler raids his attic to find a 90-second film of the Fab Four performing Paperback Writer. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2019-05-29 15:58:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


BookExpo 2019: Stephen Savage Discloses the Secret Lives of Road Signs

Ever wonder what the silhouetted figures on road signs do when no one’s around? Stephen Savage shares his findings in a wordless picture book, 'Sign Off' (S&S/Beach Lane, May). Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-05-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #secret lives


Hachette to host Pride event at Waterstones Piccadilly with Duffy and Gale

Hachette’s Pride Network is holding an event at Waterstones’ flagship Piccadilly store during the run-up to Pride in London featuring 17 of the publisher’s LGBTQ+ authors. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-05-22 12:13:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #lgbtq+ authors #waterstones piccadilly


‘Beyond Nine Lives’: Salon’s New Owners Look to Trim Costs as They Seek Easy Profit

Salon’s new owners say they see an easy path to profits for the troubled news publisher. On May 8, Salon Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2019-05-20 19:00:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #trim costs


Jack the Ripper’s victims are famous in death, but what were their lives like?

Hallie Rubenhold brings humanity, dignity and sympathy to five poor women who met their end in Victorian London. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2019-05-17 16:48:04 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #victorian london


Online bookseller aims to boost diverse children’s literature

A new online bookshop has launched to promote books, graphic novels and gifts that feature characters from under-represented backgrounds. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-05-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #under-represented backgrounds #feature characters #graphic novels #promote books


Five new things about online campaigning

In 2017, pro-Labour posts and memes were shared more widely on Facebook than Conservative messages. What has changed since then? Continue reading at BBC World

[ BBC World | 2019-05-13 00:19:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #online campaigning


R.L. Stine’s ‘Little Shop of Monsters’ and ‘Rotten School’ headed to the screen

More books by R.L. Stine, whose "Goosebumps" and "Fear Street" series inspired the nightmares of a whole generation, are headed to the screen. Stine's picture book "The Little Shop of Monsters" and his book series"Rotten School" are set to be adapted into animated on-screen content. It's not... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-05-08 17:25:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #book series #picture book #series inspired


Singapore debates a law targeting fake news online. Critics warn of a chilling effect

Facebook, Twitter and Google have been under fire all over the world for not doing enough to police their platforms for misinformation. The Singaporean government thinks it has a solution: a law that imposes jail time and hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential fines for posting or failing... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #chilling effect


The Guardian view on extremism online: who will guard the watchdogs? | Editorial

The social media advertising giants of the web have great power. When they admit this, they will come under pressureThe decision by Facebook to ban six prominent figures of the alt-right movement, along with Louis Farrakhan, from both Facebook and its subsidiary Instagram, is a significant... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #social networks #held responsible #traditional publishers #significant development #louis farrakhan


Creative writing graduates will 'never make a living as novelists', says Self

Will Self has declared literature to be "morphing into a giant quilting exercise", suggesting that no current creative writing graduates will make a living from literary fiction. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-05-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #literary fiction


How Three Magazines Are Streamlining Their Online Editorial Processes

Sponsored by Submittable By and large, magazines have adapted to the digital world. They’ve stabilized their workforce and continue to combat falling subscription rates. Yet, there are two areas where publishers are still adjusting to a new normal. First, the amount of content that writers,... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2019-05-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #online form #threecase studies #smaller staff #unique solutions #growing exponentially #ve stabilized #digital world #publishers produce


Penguin Live events with Moran, France and Portas announced

Penguin Live has unveiled its summer season of events, which sees tours from a host of top authors including Caitlin Moran and "Queer Eye" star Tan France, along with live podcast events featuring Scarlett Curtis to mark Feminist Book Fortnight. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-04-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #queer eye #summer season #penguin live


Pullman and SoA call on government to tackle online book piracy

Society of Authors president Philip Pullman and 32 other leading writers have called on the government to tackle “the blight” of online book piracy. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-04-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #leading writers


Society of Authors Calls on UK Government to Fight Online Book Piracy

'Book piracy threatens authors' livelihoods' according to a new appeal from the Society of Authors to the British government to help protect copyright. The post Society of Authors Calls on UK Government to Fight Online Book Piracy appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-04-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #protect copyright #british government #uk government