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 ]

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Attica Locke lives in L.A., but she writes about what she knows — black life in Texas

Few contemporary writers have portrayed black Southern life with as much wit and heart-pounding drama as Attica Locke, whose latest book is the mystery “Bluebird, Bluebird.” Formerly a writer and producer on the television show “Empire,” Locke took the publishing world by storm with her debut... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-12-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon under fire for 'refusal' to pay Scottish real living wage

Amazon is under scrutiny for its apparent reluctance to sign up to the Scottish government’s "fair work" programme and pay employees the Scottish real living wage.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-11-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penelope Lively and Kamila Shamsie curate women's vote centenary reissues

Pair have chosen neglected books by female writers for a series launching to coincide with February’s anniversary of the Representation of the People ActFrom a neglected novel for adults by the beloved children’s author E Nesbit to a provocative short-story collection from the Urdu writer Ismat... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-11-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Industry Notes: National Book Award Live Stream Wednesday

The key event in the US National Book Foundation's annual awards program is the ceremony on Wednesday evening (November 15) in New York City. The post Industry Notes: National Book Award Live Stream Wednesday appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-11-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mostly Lit brings live show to FutureBook

Alex Reads, Rai, and Derek Owusu, the creators of the books and pop-culture podcast Mostly Lit, are to bring their live show to the FutureBook Conference. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-11-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon's rolling out stores after pulling shoppers online (Photos)

After spending two decades pulling bookstore shoppers to its business online, Amazon.com Inc. is trying to lure some of them back to brick-and-mortar stores across the country. Amazon Books has quickly expanded its footprint since opening its first bookstore in Seattle two years ago. Amazon now... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal

[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2017-11-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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These 14 Digital Publishers Are the Hottest Voices on the Internet. Here’s What They’re Doing

In the world of digital publishing, sites, brands and podcasts saw tremendous growth this year thanks to politics, partnerships and social media. By being true to themselves and leaning into what they do best, destinations like BuzzFeed's Tasty and Teen Vogue resonated with their audiences even... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2017-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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JK Rowling doesn't exist: conspiracy theories the internet can't resist

Nor does Finland. Or the Beatles. And Nasa never sent robots to Mars. Just some of the intrigues other than JFK the internet lovesThe much anticipated release of new files about the assassination of John F Kennedy have again thrown a spotlight on the conspiracy theories surrounding the US... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-10-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google makes it easier for businesses to take online bookings

Businesses in the US now have a new way to sign up with one of Google's booking partners and to add a booking button to their search listing. Anyone in the US with a Google My Business account can benefit from the addition of a booking button that enables people to book a reservation with a... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2017-10-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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JetBlue to remove its fares from several online travel booking sites

JetBlue Airways is removing its fares and schedules from 11 online travel booking sites, saying the move will cut costs and help keep fares low. The decision follows the lead of Southwest Airlines, which has long kept its booking information from some of the most popular online travel sites.... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-10-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Best of the week: Twitter live video lures publishers

This week, our top stories covered publishers’ interest in Twitter live video, Facebook’s sports streaming rights push and more. The post Best of the week: Twitter live video lures publishers appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2017-10-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As Facebook Live video dreams fade, publishers look again to Twitter

Twitter's approach to promoting and monetizing live video is winning fans among publishers. The post As Facebook Live video dreams fade, publishers look again to Twitter appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2017-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook and Twitter could face 'online abuse levy'

The government wants firms such as Facebook and Twitter to publish annual reports on abuse. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2017-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Can You Sue a Newspaper Based on How the Internet Interprets a Story?

In 2015, Eric Lipton, a two-time Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative reporter, published a long expose on the front page of the New York Times that delivered on its headline: “Food Industry Enlisted Academics in GMO Lobbying War, Emails Show.” The story was published in the wake of an academic... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2017-10-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook Live API Updates Shoot for Professional-Quality Videos

Facebook introduced two updates to its Facebook Live API (application-programming interface) aimed at enabling publishers and developers to create professional-quality live video. The two updates being introduced Wednesday are automated encoder configuration and frame-accurate start times.... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2017-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gamegate Target Zoe Quinn Can Teach Us How to Fight Online Hate

Gamergate's first target has a new book that's part memoir, part manifesto, and all about combating online harassment. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2017-09-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Australia to tax online book orders

Australia will reportedly begin a 10% tax on books ordered online from within Australia and shipped from abroad. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-08-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Australia to Tax Online Book Orders Shipped from Abroad

In July 2018, Australia will begin collecting a 10% tax on books ordered from within Australia online and shipped from abroad. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-08-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Australian Authors Start Online Marketplace

The Australian Society of Authors has launched a digital marketplace, showcasing and selling the work of writers to publishers, agents, and literary scouts throughout the world. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-08-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Electric Literature Serializes Joe Meno’s ‘Star Witness’ Online

The serialized story is part of Electric Literature's ongoing experiments with distributing literary works online, as well as an effort to grow its paying membership. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-08-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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