'Sweatshop' Bloggers Drop Dead

Sensationalist Times piece spun out of nothing, says Slate

(NEWSER) - The relentlessly self-analytical blogosphere had a field day with the recent New York Times story on bloggers allegedly writing themselves to death. But as the Internet exploded with reaction to the paper's claims, a Slate critic points out that the dire trend story was backed up by the thinnest tissue of circumstance. "Let's not kid ourselves that any white-collar work ranks high among dangerous professions," sniffs Timothy Noah in Slate. 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»

(NEWSER) - The blogosphere might not be the future of news sprung fully formed from the corpse of old media, Michael Massing writes in the New York Review of Books, but neither is it “parasite” feeding on newspapers. “The practice of journalism, far from being leeched by the Web, is being reinvented there, with a variety of fascinating experiments in the gathering, presentation, and delivery of news.” More»

Linkability is key, blogger writes

(NEWSER) - While the blogosphere is generally considered a free-for-all medium where any topic or opinion is fair game, it’s actually governed by narrow rules, Jeremy Beer writes on Front Porch Republic. “It is uncommon for someone to write a piece about something that is not immediately pertinent to the contemporary ‘conversation’—as defined by the blogosphere,” he writes. That makes it rare for “anyone to write anything ‘original’ at all.” More»

More people are using the web to share stories about breakups

(NEWSER) - Call it therapeutic or call it revenge, but more ex-spouses are airing their dirty laundry on the Internet—and courts are supporting them even if their former partners are not. Personal blogs have quadrupled since 2003, the New York Times notes in a look at the trend, with many using them to dish about everything from marital affairs, divorce proceedings, or their ex's profile on Match.com. More»