Drudge Reports, Candidates Cower

Tone-setting blogger stuns GOP by taking a shine to Obama

(NEWSER) - The powerhouse news-aggregating Drudge Report is surprising its loyal fan base by straying from typically conservative output, Politico observes. Editor Matt Drudge had gained the affection of Republicans and ire of Democrats through previous election cycles, but this time the reclusive blogger has displayed a certain fondness for Barack Obama, while damaging Hillary Clinton and John McCain's presidential bids. More»

(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»

2008 changes US elections forever

(NEWSER) - Campaign drama has overshadowed the fact that 2008 has permanently changed the way elections are fought in America, the New York Times reports. From now on, supporters will be organized in new ways and funds will be raised differently, due primarily to brave new media worlds. With the help of tools like YouTube that didn't exist in 2004, even methods of attack—and response—have changed dramatically. More»

Blogger ponders path Web surfers take to his threshold

(NEWSER) - Freud would have a field day studying Google searches, posits a blogger who tracked the terms visitors to his web page used and found a window into man's pathologies. John Kelly, a columnist on leave from the Washington Post, writes in the Guardian about "how the fetishes, pathologies and strange obsessions of humankind are catalogued every day on the world wide web." More»

Wonkette, Idolator and Gridskipper become casualties of economic belt-tightening

(NEWSER) - Gawker Media is cutting loose three of its blogs, CNET reports: Wonkette, Idolator and Gridskipper. “To be blunt," explained Gawker founder Nick Denton in an internal email, "they each had their editorial successes; but someone else will have better luck selling the advertising than we did." Denton wouldn't comment on the prices the sites might've fetched. More»