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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Living Oasis owner enters insolvency

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 04/08/2011 - 14:30 The parent company of Living Oasis bookshops has entered insolvency. Suppliers were issued with an insolvency notice for The Nationwide Christian Trust (NCT), signed by its owner Ray George, on 1st August. The first meeting... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Living Oasis owner puts chain up for sale

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Fri, 29/07/2011 - 09:19 The owner of Living Oasis is in talks with a “third party” to buy the chain after he closed two of his four remaining shops. Ray George, chairman of the Nationwide Christian Trust (NCT), which bought 19 former Wesley Owen... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Living Oasis decline "extremely regrettable" - BA

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kent wins Libraries Change Lives award

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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AOL's HuffPost Enters Crowded Online Arena With HuffPost Celebrity Site

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[ AllThingsD | 2011-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Living Oasis closes another branch

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fourth Living Oasis to close

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gollancz deal to put Encyclopedia of Science Fiction online

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ AllThingsD | 2011-07-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Internet Advertising Hits Record $7.3 Billion in First Quarter

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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-05-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Internet companies must fund creativity, claims French minister

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Living Oasis Edinburgh to close

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Editor & Publisher | 2011-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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