Asher_Wolf quits Twitter, probably due to sexism
Posted: January 13, 2013 Filed under: Techology, Women | Tags: 9GAG, hackers, internet pranksters, misogyny, sexism, Twitter 5 Comments »
Sexism drove Asher_Wolf away from Cryptoparty and it looks like Twitter as well.
Last night she “ragequit” due to something related to hackers posing as “bronies” attacking her website? That is what the rumors on Twitter are saying, at least. I write “bronies” because Internet pranksters love disguising as them (or anyone they hate, really. The #cutforbieber folks, for instance, tried to blame it on 9GAG in various comment section of YouTube vlogs on the controversy).
The time stamp for the brony attack is from December, but the intention behind whatever drove the people to harass Asher_Wolf is still the same.
Her last tweet, according to Topsy, was “offline.”
While I had yet to attend a cryptoparty – it was on my agenda – I relied on her Twitter stream to keep me updated on all acts of Internet activism. She was in Australia, and her timing jived with my late night Internet wanderings when insomnia kicked in.
I get her point of not having to stick around and take abuse, but why quit Twitter when it was her site that was disturbed, not her news distribution service?
I feel like I am being punished.
1:30 pm Update:
On secondary inspection, it was probably the trolls that came out following her Aaron Swartz post.
1/16, 2:14am Update:
Asher_wolf is back on Twitter, no explanation for the hiatus.
I saw this video of Nellie McKay on Twitter.
Posted: February 17, 2012 Filed under: Art, Internet, Techology, Women | Tags: Nellie McKay, Online Communities, Twitter Leave a comment »Has my life changed?
I think it might have….
New Yorkers (and the world) need to chill out over the Great Bronx Zoo Cobra Escape
Posted: April 1, 2011 Filed under: Media, New York City, Science | Tags: Bronx Zoo, Egyptian cobra, Japan, Libya, new york city, Rahm Emanuel, Reptile, Snake, Twitter Leave a comment »
There's this rumor going around saying Lilith slept with snakes...
So, I am not a “snake expert”, and the post below is based off my limited experiences with snakes at friends houses and from my observations at the zoo. Oh, and, the fact that snakes are cold-blooded, meaning snakes are the temperature of their surroundings.
Psst, New Yorkers! The cobra is a cold-blooded reptile, and it’s 40 degrees outside! Why would the escaped cobra even leave the Reptile building?
Because there is obviously nothing to fear, I have to assume this is all because New York, New York was feeling jealous over all the national (and international) media attention Chicago’s been getting because of our newly elected Mayor Rahm Emanuel. As proof of how awesome our new mayor is, his fake twitter account is being made into a book. Does Mayor Bloomberg even have a fake twitter (a good one)? And are the tweets of the fake Bronx Zoo Cobra going to be made into a book? I scoff at myself for even posing the question. Well, maybe if the cobra actually kills someone.
You can probably tell, I don’t find the fake Bronx Zoo Cobra twitter account funny mainly because I refuse to forget that snakes are cold-blooded… (just like how squirrels can’t pickpocket people because they don’t have hands – I’m looking at you, Justin Kaufmann-)
As to why journalists (and their readers/viewers) have eaten this silly story up, my guess is the escaped Bronx Zoo cobra story lightens an otherwise somber international community worried about Japan, Libya, and budget deficits.
UPDATE: Before I hit the Publish button I google-newsed “bronx zoo cobra”, and do you know what was at the top of my search? The Egyptian cobra was found inside the Reptile building. I am soooo good.
Like me, the director of the Bronx Zoo Jim Breheny also doesn’t understand all the hub-bub over the snake, as evident by his behavior in the above press conference video.
Rahm’s second fake twitter, followed (perhaps written) by Karl Rove
Posted: February 16, 2011 Filed under: Chicago, Internet, Politics, Strange | Tags: Chicago, Humour, Illinois, Karl Rove, Online Communities, Rahm Emanuel, Twitter Leave a comment »The original fake Rahm’s twitter account has been getting more press lately, following the real Rahm Emanuel’s offer of $2,500 to the author if he/she reveals him/herself. See NBC’s article about it here, and here is USA Today’s.
Perhaps inspired by the popularity of this fake twitter, a new fake Rahm Emanuel twitter was created about 5 days ago, @MayorRahmE. This newer fake twitter has a little bit more than 300 followers, and is significantly lacking the wit (or any sense of humor, really) and intelligence of the original. The very first tweet on this new fake twitter is below:
This new fake twitter writes in CAPS AT IRREGULAR INTERVALS and seems to make fun of Rahm (and his ballet skills) directly, rather than indirectly like the ingenious original fake twitter.
Surprisingly, one of the original followers of this new, bad fake Rahm twitter is Karl Rove, or who ever is in charge of his twitter. Karl Rove does not follow the better, original fake Rahm twitter.
Today is “Abandon Digg Day”
Posted: August 30, 2010 Filed under: Techology | Tags: Abandon Digg Day, Adolf Hitler, digg, Humor, Kevin Rose, reddit, Slashdot effect, Twitter 6 Comments »
Hitler hates the new Digg V4 from Brandon Davenport on Vimeo.
Old Spice Rocks New Media, Masculinity
Posted: July 16, 2010 Filed under: Chicago, Entertainment | Tags: Alyssa Milano, Chicago Tribune, feminism, Huffington Post, Isaiah Mustafa, Kevin Rose, manly men, Masculinity, New Media, Old Spice, Old Spice Guy, Super Bowl, Twitter 3 Comments »Every where I go on the internet, I see the ads for Old Spice. Even more impressive, people off the internet can’t stop talking about the “Old Spice Guy”. He is every where I look, and I don’t mind.
I see ads on College Humor, Hulu, and Huffington Post, and people talking about Isaiah Mustafa (the actor who plays the Old Spice Guy) on Digg, Reddit and Twitter. In case you’ve been living without a TV or internet since February, here is the link to the first Old Spice ad featuring Mr. Mustafa (that aired during the Super Bowl), and I’ve embedded the brand new commercial below. Please watch both commercials before continuing.
[youtubevid id="uLTIowBF0kE"]
Famous girl gamer used in viral marketing campaign for 'Repo Men' movie
Posted: March 11, 2010 Filed under: Entertainment, Film, Techology, video games | Tags: Alternate reality game, Ciji Thornton, Geneva Conventional, Reality television, Social network, starslay3r, the repo men, Twitter, Universal Pictures, Universal Studios, Video game, Viral marketing, Wired 1 Comment »Wired, Universal Pictures, and Lone Shark Games launched an alternate reality game combined with a manhunt. It’s connected to the upcoming March 19 release of the movie Repo Men. In the futuristic movie, characters who have received replacement organs from “the Union” fall behind on payments have to go on the run from Repo Men. In the new game, four real people have gone on the run, and it is the job of the public to find them.
via Wired.com What’s This Crazy #repomen Thing on Twitter?
Ciji Thornton (StarSlay3r) is one of the very few professional female gamers out there, and I was personally excited that she was picked to participate in this viral marketing campaign. She’s already been in two gaming reality shows and proven her acting chops, so if anything, this will only further her career…. and maybe get her an acting gig? It’s all about the connections, lady. Ciji’s got that punk rocker/”guitar hero” look (complete with tattoos) that works well with zombie movies, futuristic post-apocalyptic flicks, and if any studio wants to make a film revolving around video games, she is a natural shoo-in. And acting wouldn’t necessarily prevent her from gaming….
Says StarSlay3r on her website:
“I did this for the opportunity to take a break from my normal life. I’m hoping to meet new people, experience new things, and experience life on the run to the fullest extent. I’m going to be keeping a notebook with me at all times so that I can log everything that happens so that I can share my story upon my return. I hope the fact that I have a decent size fan base will help me to make it the full 30 days by having them tweet misdirecting information, planting moles in the repo men chat rooms and leaving messages to warn me when the repomen are getting close to figuring out my location. I’m very thankful that I was one of the 4 chosen out of hundreds of applicants and I can’t wait to start my adventure!”
Sadly, after having been on the run since February 25, Ciji’s journey ended yesterday. Ms. Thornton was caught at a skating rink by Geneva Conventional who is now $15,000 richer, thanks to grabbing not just Ciji, but another runner named Usman Akeju. (Woah, this viral marketing campaign is giving out money!?) Ciji’s capture is disappointing for a couple of reasons:
One, Ciji cannot win seven grand now that she has been captured, and we know she has a daughter back in Michigan. Cue the Les Miserables song “Castle on a Cloud”…. j/k!
Second, the clue that led Geneva Conventional to the skating rink to capture these two, was just for Usman Akeju who had an “assignment” there. It appears that Ciji was just tagging along. That sucks. That’s what you get for being friendly, Ciji!
And… for those of you who want to get involved in the manhunt and win some money before the movie comes out, go here to enroll, …..and here is a more in depth post by the Alternate Reality Gaming Network about Ciji’s capture (including links to podcasts and the video of Geneva Conventional talking about her experience).
Pope's cat gets hacked
Posted: March 10, 2010 Filed under: Strange, Techology | Tags: Bird, catholicism, Chico, Chico pope's cat, christianity, English language, hacked, hacked twitter account, hacking, joseph and chico, Lolcat, Online Communities, patron saint of cats, Pope, Pope Benedict XVI, Social Networking, st. francis, st. gertrude, to, Tony Blair, Toxoplasma gondii, Twitter 1 Comment »
Cover via Amazon
Last year someone at the Vatican had the epiphany that Chico, the pope’s cat, should have his own twitter account. I like to think that it was the pope himself, or his cat Chico, but sadly, I don’t think either of them know English. Some of the tweets were political and some are just plain adorable (the puns make me think native English speaker). Whoever this person is, wrote tweets for a couple of months, and then just stopped…. until today, of all days! What was this tweet, after a year of absence? Chico, the Pope’s cat, revealed that he purchased a Mac Heist nanoBundle 2. This new tweet is nothing at all like Chico’s old tweets….so I suspect hacking? (dun dun dun!!!!!!)
Some of my favorite Chico the Pope’s Cat tweets:
- Using the papal scratch post. (the very first tweet)
- The whole LOLCats thing is disturbing to me. I am a scholar just as my owner is. The Pope is constantly reading and I pick up things.
- Some have commented on popescats and “pope scat” and double meanings. Sorry but Twitter did not allow an apawstrophe.
- I joined Twitter because I heard about tweets, but looking around I can’t find a bird to catch.
- St. Francis is too friendly with dogs and birds. St. Gertrude of Nivelles is Patron Saint of Cats despite mouse on her staff.
- “Cat-loving Pope Benedict urged to stop wearing fur” I don’t mind if he wears fur at all http://is.gd/qB3D
- I wouldn’t mind giving Tony Blair a good scratch for the way he talks to my owner. http://is.gd/ru44
Recent Comments