Wal-Mart Blog Lets Buyers Post Real Reviews

Web petitioners change actress' mind about case

(NEWSER) - Who says a blog can’t change anything? Not the folks at Shakesville , who assembled a petition opposing actress Emma Thompson’s decision to sign a petition of her own opposing Roman Polanksi’s arrest. Somehow, one member of the community finagled a meeting with Thompson, presented the document…and actually changed her mind. “She said, while she supported Polanski as a friend, a crime is a crime.” More»

Regime doesn't seem to mind as long as it doesn't challenge authority

(NEWSER) - Syria’s authoritarian regime has been quick to lock up bloggers who tweak it even slightly, but it seems to have turned the other cheek as a flame war over masturbation has erupted. One blogger’s call for a crackdown on the evidently widespread “secret habit” elicited a push for an “unprecedented Syrian Orgasm against absurdity, hypocrisy, and sanctimony,” while a third Web critic wants an entire week devoted to moral decay. More»

Data analysis tells you words to use and when to build your brand

(NEWSER) - You might think all you need to do to get your 140-character gems rebroadcast on Twitter is make them, well, good. Wrong. Fast Company looks at some data-proven tips from Hubspot's Dan Zarrella:

• Links work—If they're the right links: Retweets (or RTs) are three times more likely to have links than the general field, but use the right URL shortener. Newer services such as bit.ly are tops; old standby TinyURL is out to pasture.

(NEWSER) - If you think blogs are useless, think again: Scientists have developed a “hedonometer,” or happiness gauge, that analyzes personal online statements to pinpoint the overall contentment of the US population on a given day, the Discovery Channel reports. The program looks at sentences beginning with “I feel” and then grades the statement based on what follows. “Triumphant” gets an 8.87; “hostage” scores a 2.20. More»

(NEWSER) - Women's "infidelity blogs" have surged in number in recent years and they're attracting a large and loyal following, the Independent reports. The bloggers say they're not trying to flaunt their affairs, but rather to use anonymity to share details of their secret lives and find support among like-minded people. "I feel there is a definite lack of space for women to say the unsayable," says the founder of True Wife Confessions. More»