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"


Marie Claire Goes Low-Budget with Live Valentine's Day Game Show

Marie Claire is a highly polished magazine; its recent foray into digital video was not.The Hearst-owned title live-streamed its first dating show "The Love Match" on Friday, where three women "looking to find love" were paired with one of three eligible bachelors. Marie Claire staffers... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #digital business #google hangout #find love


S&S buys Johnny Rotten memoir

Simon & Schuster has signed the world rights to a new autobiography by Sex Pistols singer... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #world rights #simon schuster


This Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Star Is Convinced Social Media Is Ruining Our Lives

Specs Who Brandi Glanville Age 41 Accomplishments Star of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills; author (her new book, Drinking and Dating: P.S. Social Media Is Ruining Romance, will be released Feb. 11) Base Los Angeles What’s the first information you consume in the morning? I guess it... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2014-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #favorite magazines


Rakuten to buy Internet messaging app Viber for $900 million

Japan’s Rakuten will acquire instant messaging and calling app developer Viber Media for US$900 million, the e-commerce giant said Friday, highlighting its moves to penetrate new markets.Rakuten’s purchase of the messaging and VoIP company follows its acquisitions of Canada’s ebook platform... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #user base #digital space #company aims #e-commerce giant #$900 million


Granta buys novel on Yorkshire Ripper hoax

Granta has bought a debut novel by London writer Mark Blacklock, based on the story of John... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


The Love Lives of Japanese Literary Giants Get Manga-ized

The latest popular trend in manga looks at the sometimes unconventional romances and culinary habits of some of Japan's greatest writers. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #greatest writers


Mail Online fuels DMGT ad revenue rise

Daily Mail publisher reports that website's ad revenues increased by 48% to £14m in the final three months of 2013Mail Online's ad revenues increased by almost 50% to £14m in the final three months of last year, more than offsetting a fall in print advertising to keep the Daily Mail titles in... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #solid performance #dmg media #partially offset #sales decline


Blackboard Plans New Online Bookstore

Blackboard, a learning management system that provides the online educational environment for many higher educational institutions, plans to launch an online bookstore for its platform. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #online bookstore


Mail Online to switch to .com domain name

Publisher thought to have paid potentially as much as £1m-plus in bid to boost international traffic, particularly in the USMail Online is switching from a .co.uk to .com homepage address, following protracted negotiations with the US paper that owned the dailymail.com domain name.Owner Daily... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #similar move #west virginia #british tabloid


Online Retailer Books For Animal Lovers Debuts

Launched a month ago in Exeter, N.H. by Jeremy Townsend, Books for Animal Lovers is an online retailer offering just what its name specifies—books about animals. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #animal lovers #month ago


Parnassus Books Launches Online Lit Journal

Parnassus Books launches "Musing," an online literary journal featuring author interviews, book recommendations, and bookish news. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #book recommendations


CUP to launch online Jonson archive

The complete writings of Ben Jonson will soon be available in an online archive which took... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Wall Street Beat: VC money pours back into Internet companies

Venture capitalists poured more money into Internet companies last year than they have since the dot-com bust, according to a survey published Friday.Internet companies in the U.S. took in US$7.1 billion from VCs in 1,059 deals in 2013, the highest level of Internet investment in terms of... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #highest percentage #thomson reuters #highest level #internet companies #strong year


QR Codes Are Alive and Well and Living in China

QR codes have been called many names. Ugly. Has-been. A failure. Marketing expert Scott Stratten even has a book out called "QR Codes Kill Kittens."But not so fast: In China, those checkerboard-like codes are enjoying a renaissance.That's thanks to WeChat, Tencent's hot mobile app, which has 272... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #qr codes


Southern Living Partners Up for New Vertical

Southern Living has produced bridal content before, but Time Inc.'s regional lifestyle brand chose to partner with a small independent publisher for deeper penetration into the vertical. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2014-01-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #southern living


New York Times Redesign Points to Future of Online Publishing

The last time The New York Times embarked on a wholesale redesign of its Web site, in 2006, the iPhone wasn't on the market. Tablets like the iPad were still years away. So the new design that The Times is unveiling Wednesday is generating mu ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2014-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #web site #online publishing


Infographic: Where Do People Live The Longest?

When the grim reaper comes for you has a lot to do with where you're born.Everyone dies, but depending on which country you live in, you could die significantly sooner compared with people born in other countries. That's the takeaway from this simple but striking infographic by Omani designer... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #big book #people live


PW Online and On Air: PW’s Digital Year in Review

Last year was a great year for PW online. We added new podcasts and newsletters, made a ton of friends on Twitter and Facebook, and have had the busiest year ever at publishersweekly.com. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #busiest year #great year #pw online


Books 'can help kids cope with problematic online images'

  Author Michael Rosen has said sex in teenage fiction can help young people deal with... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-12-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


From frat boys to executives, Pikesville natives grow in the online photo business

Ryan Millman has come a long way since his college days of printing photos from frat parties. Now a full-blown manufacturer, he oversees a suite of four photo-related companies that churn out everything from T-shirts and photo books to canvas prints for major commercial retailers. Continue reading at Baltimore Sun

[ Baltimore Sun | 2013-12-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #photo books