Fear of Feds Censors Corporate Tweets

Remember, it hasn't actually been announced yet

(NEWSER) - Rob Shoesmith is currently camped outside London's Covent Garden Apple store in a tent, awaiting the release of the iPhone 5. Not all that weird, except of course that the iPhone 5 hasn't even been announced yet. Why is he doing it? As a "marketing and PR experiment," of course, and the Los Angeles Times notes that he's blogging about the whole thing. More»

Young people turn from long posts to short tweets

(NEWSER) - Just a few years ago, blogging was hot enough to be Merriam-Webster’s word of the year—but as Facebook and Twitter have grown, blogging has declined, the New York Times reports. The trend is particularly notable among the young: between 2006 and 2009, a survey found, blogging’s popularity among 12- to 17-year-olds dropped by half, while between 2008 and 2010, it fell 2 percentage points among the 18- to 33-year-old set. More»

Booming private exchanges move social networks' shares

(NEWSER) - The SEC wants information about the surging private stock exchanges that have grown up around top social networks, the New York Times reports. Shares of Facebook, Twitter, Zynga, and LinkedIn are all sought-after commodities—though none of the companies are publicly held. As the exchanges gain popularity, Wall Street investment pools are emerging to buy shares in the firms. More»

Maybe your embarrassing parents can help you land a TV deal

(NEWSER) - Easter and Passover are coming up, which means more embarrassing incidents at family get-together, plus a silver lining: You could potentially score a book deal. Chris Mathias, writing for Nerve , lists five blogs based on “familial eccentricities” that have scored their creators some cash—or at least some popularity:

• Shit My Dad Says : Moving back in with your parents doesn’t suck so bad when your 73-year-old father’s hilarious utterings end up getting you a TV show—starring William Shatner, no less.
• Tiny Art Director : An artist’s 5-year-old daughter offers harsh critiques of his work, often involving the addition of dinosaurs or dragons. The book will be out soon.

Conservative blogger uses tweet to notify impersonator of injunction

(NEWSER) - In a micro-blogging first, the UK’s High Court has ruled that a court order may be served via Tweet. The case concerns an anonymous wag who has been impersonating right-wing blogger Donal Blaney on Twitter, sending out tweets under his name with “mildly objectionable” content, the BBC reports. The court agreed with Blaney that using Twitter was the most logical way to deliver the cease-and-desist to the anonymous prankster. More»