Winner 2012 Mary Shelley Award for Outstanding Fictional Work! Limited to 140 characters to confess his sins and meet his Maker, "tweeting" may not have been the best use of Willum Granger's final moments.
Executive Severance, a masterful work of Twitter microblogging fiction, is delightfully full of punny dialogue, clever character conditions, and a total lack of adherence to the old "rules" of
storytelling.
Executive Severance is a comic mystery created in Twitter that is compelling, entertaining and shows off what can be done in the 140-character form with style and mastery. With sendups of the mystery genre, social media conventions and cell phone behavior, Executive Severance is a cornucopia of word play and comic misdirection stuffed with punny dialogue and clever character conditions. ES has been called tight, tingling, and diverting.
What makes the print edition of Executive Severance truly exceptional is the amazing illustrations that accompany the story, produced by the acclaimed cartoonist, David Arshawsky.
Story Listening Through Social Media eBook - Story WorldwideStory Worldwide
Social media allows anyone to become a global publisher and participate in conversations. This document discusses how social media has democratized communication over time, from cave paintings to modern platforms like Twitter and Facebook. It also provides examples of how brands like Kogi Korean BBQ, Comcast, and Dell have successfully engaged consumers through social media to build communities and increase sales. The key lessons are that brands must listen to existing conversations, understand influencers, and engage consumers authentically rather than using traditional advertising approaches.
The document discusses Marshall McLuhan's views on electronic media like the telegraph. It provides context on the telegraph's development and impact. According to McLuhan, the telegraph had several key effects: it allowed for instant transmission of information over long distances, it weakened traditional power structures by enabling direct communication across hierarchies, and it fostered interdependence among social institutions. The document examines other media like the telephone and their unintended consequences, noting that new technologies often improve old media before their true effects emerge.
This document discusses the evolution of media from oral communication to modern digital platforms. It traces the progression from one-to-one communication to one-to-many broadcasting enabled by printing, then to many-to-many interactions online. The author argues that we are moving from an era of mass broadcast publishing controlled by a few, to one where anyone can publish personalized content through various digital channels. Key challenges for marketers and publishers are how to engage audiences and remain relevant in this new environment defined by personalization, immediacy and citizen participation.
The document discusses how new media and web-based technologies are being used by both mainstream and fringe groups for organizing, propaganda, and mobilization purposes. It provides examples of how Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign effectively utilized new media, while also examining how the French National Front party, American white supremacist groups like Stormfront, and others are tapping into new media's potential to spread their messages and recruit new members.
Digital Media, Storytelling and the Repression of CommunicationHanson Hosein
An installment of Town Hall's new series with University of Washington Department of Communication, The Revolution is Here: How Digital Media and Awakened Citizens Are Changing the World, features Hanson Hosein, director of UW's Master of Communication in Digital Media. Formerly a foreign correspondent for NBC News, Hosein will discuss how people under authoritarian regimes, such as Iran, are using new technologies to communicate, and seizing back some of the concentrated power formerly exerted through a tightly controlled state media.
Slideshow design by Jay Al-Hashal.
This document discusses the future of social media and how brands can adapt to changing technologies. In 3 sentences:
Brands are no longer defined by marketers but by online conversations, so they must become part of discussions to grow. As attention becomes scarce, brands need to provide entertaining, engaging content to be recommended rather than just interrupting people. By testing many ideas, embracing failures, and adapting quickly to changes online, brands can remain relevant in the future of social media.
The document discusses openness and sharing in technology and culture. It summarizes that people are freely sharing knowledge and connections online through social media and citizen journalism. It advocates for freely distributing your work online through various platforms to build an audience. It also promotes participatory group culture through open collaboration and sharing to empower communities.
Story Listening Through Social Media eBook - Story WorldwideStory Worldwide
Social media allows anyone to become a global publisher and participate in conversations. This document discusses how social media has democratized communication over time, from cave paintings to modern platforms like Twitter and Facebook. It also provides examples of how brands like Kogi Korean BBQ, Comcast, and Dell have successfully engaged consumers through social media to build communities and increase sales. The key lessons are that brands must listen to existing conversations, understand influencers, and engage consumers authentically rather than using traditional advertising approaches.
The document discusses Marshall McLuhan's views on electronic media like the telegraph. It provides context on the telegraph's development and impact. According to McLuhan, the telegraph had several key effects: it allowed for instant transmission of information over long distances, it weakened traditional power structures by enabling direct communication across hierarchies, and it fostered interdependence among social institutions. The document examines other media like the telephone and their unintended consequences, noting that new technologies often improve old media before their true effects emerge.
This document discusses the evolution of media from oral communication to modern digital platforms. It traces the progression from one-to-one communication to one-to-many broadcasting enabled by printing, then to many-to-many interactions online. The author argues that we are moving from an era of mass broadcast publishing controlled by a few, to one where anyone can publish personalized content through various digital channels. Key challenges for marketers and publishers are how to engage audiences and remain relevant in this new environment defined by personalization, immediacy and citizen participation.
The document discusses how new media and web-based technologies are being used by both mainstream and fringe groups for organizing, propaganda, and mobilization purposes. It provides examples of how Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign effectively utilized new media, while also examining how the French National Front party, American white supremacist groups like Stormfront, and others are tapping into new media's potential to spread their messages and recruit new members.
Digital Media, Storytelling and the Repression of CommunicationHanson Hosein
An installment of Town Hall's new series with University of Washington Department of Communication, The Revolution is Here: How Digital Media and Awakened Citizens Are Changing the World, features Hanson Hosein, director of UW's Master of Communication in Digital Media. Formerly a foreign correspondent for NBC News, Hosein will discuss how people under authoritarian regimes, such as Iran, are using new technologies to communicate, and seizing back some of the concentrated power formerly exerted through a tightly controlled state media.
Slideshow design by Jay Al-Hashal.
This document discusses the future of social media and how brands can adapt to changing technologies. In 3 sentences:
Brands are no longer defined by marketers but by online conversations, so they must become part of discussions to grow. As attention becomes scarce, brands need to provide entertaining, engaging content to be recommended rather than just interrupting people. By testing many ideas, embracing failures, and adapting quickly to changes online, brands can remain relevant in the future of social media.
The document discusses openness and sharing in technology and culture. It summarizes that people are freely sharing knowledge and connections online through social media and citizen journalism. It advocates for freely distributing your work online through various platforms to build an audience. It also promotes participatory group culture through open collaboration and sharing to empower communities.
Network Society: A Presentation to the CMI Guernseyguernseywebdesign
The document provides an overview of a presentation on social media and the network society. The presentation covers several topics:
1. The history of networks from railroads in the 1800s to the development of the internet and social media.
2. A discussion on media convergence and Rupert Murdoch's influence over news production, distribution, and consumption.
3. How Barack Obama successfully used social media tools like Facebook and Twitter in his 2008 presidential campaign.
4. The role of social media in social changes in North Africa like the Arab Spring uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.
5. Issues around who controls the internet and debate around western vs. Chinese influence online.
Social media what's going? v3 by Laurent François aka lilzeonLaurent François
The 3rd edition of "Social Media: what's going on?". 2011 trends on social media, insights. This presentation is used as an introduction to digital marketing in the era of Social Web.
Author: Laurent François aka lilzeon
1. The document discusses how shifts in dominant communication mediums, from oral to print to broadcast to digital, can transform how people think, relate, and create.
2. It analyzes the effects of two previous revolutions - the shift from oral to print communication in the 15th century, and the recent shift from print to broadcasting in the mid-20th century.
3. As digital media like computers and the internet become dominant, it will likely bring an even more radical transformation through characteristics like interconnection, complexity, acceleration, intangibility, convergence, and immediacy.
The document discusses the concept of the "global village" proposed by Marshall McLuhan and how the internet has impacted this idea. Specifically, it notes that the internet reduces the barrier of physical distance, expands social spheres through the openness of the web, and allows for rapid spreading of global news through enhanced online communication. This forces increased global involvement according to McLuhan's perspective.
The document discusses key concepts from chapter 2 of "A Critical Introduction to Media and Communication Theory" including:
1. Media can be viewed as institutions, organizations, products, or technologies.
2. Harold Innis' ideas of time bias and space bias which influence how media distribute information over time and space.
3. Marshall McLuhan's concepts of "the medium is the message" and how different media act as "extensions of man" and influence society in different ways.
4. McLuhan's distinction between "hot" and "cool" media and how they require different levels of engagement and participation.
This document is the introduction to the 10th anniversary issue of Culture Machine focusing on "Pirate Philosophy". It discusses how internet piracy is challenging traditional ideas of authorship, intellectual property, and cultural production. Specifically, it notes that piracy does not have an inherent political meaning and can be used to support various philosophies. Additionally, the introduction experiments with "pirating" the author's own article by removing the original version and only making a peer-to-peer distributed version available in order to raise questions about issues like authorship and intellectual property in the digital age.
Spreadable Media: How to Make Word of Mouth Work for YouSocial Media Today
Today's marketers are facing a reset on their understanding of how web 1.0's "stickiness" has been supplanted by web 2.0's "spreadability." Great content is shared, and that has major implications for brands around the world. Audiences want to engage with brands, but it requires the fine art of "listening" and building the zeitgeist that surrounds the brand's eco-system, so that the brand becomes part of the story. When brand marketers get spreadable media right, they foster an emotional relationship with the brand that should be at the heart of all brand strategy.
Listen to the archive for an in-depth look at how spreadable media is reshaping the contemporary understanding of content and messaging.
“Transmedia” has become the new buzzword for multi-platform narratives, but in the digital age, transmedia isn’t just how we consume entertainment narratives, it’s how we experience the narrative of our lives.
John Breslin is a lecturer and researcher who co-founded the discussion forum boards.ie and publishing company New Tech Post. He discusses predictions about the future of technology from Mark Twain, Arthur C. Clarke, and Ray Kurzweil, and how emerging technologies will allow for augmented reality, brain uploading, and voice-controlled access to personalized digital content by 2040.
Creating Abundant Communities: The second human potential movementLucian Tarnowski
I'm in Nashville today doing the closing keynote speech at the Global Action Summit. My talk is titled 'Creating Abundant Communities: The Second Human Potential Movement'. Check out my slides here
Connectivity has changed how humans interact and share information. Through social networks, people can instantly and globally connect over shared interests, copy behaviors from others, and influence each other's opinions. While human social behaviors remain the same, the scale and speed of connectivity through social media has created an environment where attention is scarce and cultural ideas spread exponentially. For brands to be successful, communication needs to appeal to fundamental human social behaviors by being inherently social, rather than focused on content alone. Social networks are primarily about connections between people rather than sharing content.
Web 2.0 has enabled new forms of social interaction and user participation online. This has changed how people share information and experiences. Early internet platforms in the 1980s like Usenet allowed people to share text-based information but had limitations. The rise of the World Wide Web in the 1990s made it easier to set up websites focused on specific interests, and discussion forums became popular areas for sharing experiences and expertise within communities.
Egypt - history's first "Facebook revolution"?Giuseppe Lugano
Are we witnessing Revolution 2.0 spreading throughout the globe, enabled by mobile technologies and social networking?
Viewpoint by Giuseppe Lugano published on Helsinki Times 9(
Social media allows everyone to broadcast their thoughts and participate in global conversations. This represents a shift from traditional one-directional publishing to many-to-many communication. To be successful, brands must listen to what is being said about them on social media, analyze who the influential voices are and what they are saying, and then strategically join relevant conversations to shape perceptions. This requires understanding your brand's story and vision to guide engagement efforts.
The information network created by Sir Tim Berners-Lee in 1990 to connect people to knowledge has become an important place to navigate who and what we know, as well as who we think we are. But how much of a revolution is it? This lecture will trace some of the most important developments in social uses of information technologies in order to ultimately argue that the Web does offer unprecedented opportunities to access information and galvanise communities of practice, but that the impact of this new medium will reflect an evolution rather than a revolution of communication practices.
Mass media can be classified into eight industries in the late 20th century: books, newspapers, magazines, recordings, radio, movies, television and the internet. As digital technology expanded in the late 20th/early 21st centuries, what constitutes mass media has become more complex, with cell phones, video games and online media now included. The history of mass media traces back to ancient performances, with the first printed book in 868 AD and Gutenberg's printing press allowing mass book production in the 15th century, establishing the first true mass media.
2.MIL 2. The Evolution of Traditional to New Media Traditional vs. New Media,...FrishanGainCabral1
This document outlines the evolution of traditional media to new media through different eras:
1. Pre-Industrial Age: Communication was through cave paintings, clay tablets, and papyrus.
2. Industrial Age: Printing press allowed mass production of books and newspapers. Telegraph, telephone, and motion pictures were invented.
3. Electronic Age: Invention of transistor led to technologies like radio, computers, and television.
4. New/Information Age: Personal computers, internet, social media, smartphones, and digital technologies became widespread. Information can now be stored, shared and communicated digitally around the world instantly.
New media refers to mass communication technologies that emerged in recent decades, including the internet, websites, and digital/interactive media. It allows for two-way communication and user participation. While some see new media as empowering citizens and democratizing information, others argue it remains consolidated among large media companies and does not replace traditional media. New media also raises questions about privacy, information quality, and how technology shapes human communication and society.
This document discusses the evolution of media from prehistoric times to the modern digital age. It describes four ages: 1) Pre-Industrial Age where communication methods included cave paintings, clay tablets, and papyrus. 2) Industrial Age brought printing presses and the telegraph. 3) Electronic Age saw the development of radio, TV, and early computers. 4) Information Age is driven by the Internet and digital technologies, including smartphones, social media, and wireless connectivity between devices (the Internet of Things). The document also outlines the roles of media in a democratic society such as being a channel of communication, watchdog, resource center, and advocate.
Mitchell StephensThinking Through Moving Mediasocial r.docxraju957290
This document discusses the ongoing communications revolution and debates what the key invention driving it is. It argues that while technologies like computers, the internet, smartphones etc. are often cited, the true revolutionary invention may be older - the moving image and moving word. It notes that new communication technologies often inspire complaints from older generations attached to older technologies. However, it finds that the current revolution has not generated as much grumbling from older people, perhaps because current digital technologies are still imitating older forms like print rather than developing wholly new content and uses.
Network Society: A Presentation to the CMI Guernseyguernseywebdesign
The document provides an overview of a presentation on social media and the network society. The presentation covers several topics:
1. The history of networks from railroads in the 1800s to the development of the internet and social media.
2. A discussion on media convergence and Rupert Murdoch's influence over news production, distribution, and consumption.
3. How Barack Obama successfully used social media tools like Facebook and Twitter in his 2008 presidential campaign.
4. The role of social media in social changes in North Africa like the Arab Spring uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.
5. Issues around who controls the internet and debate around western vs. Chinese influence online.
Social media what's going? v3 by Laurent François aka lilzeonLaurent François
The 3rd edition of "Social Media: what's going on?". 2011 trends on social media, insights. This presentation is used as an introduction to digital marketing in the era of Social Web.
Author: Laurent François aka lilzeon
1. The document discusses how shifts in dominant communication mediums, from oral to print to broadcast to digital, can transform how people think, relate, and create.
2. It analyzes the effects of two previous revolutions - the shift from oral to print communication in the 15th century, and the recent shift from print to broadcasting in the mid-20th century.
3. As digital media like computers and the internet become dominant, it will likely bring an even more radical transformation through characteristics like interconnection, complexity, acceleration, intangibility, convergence, and immediacy.
The document discusses the concept of the "global village" proposed by Marshall McLuhan and how the internet has impacted this idea. Specifically, it notes that the internet reduces the barrier of physical distance, expands social spheres through the openness of the web, and allows for rapid spreading of global news through enhanced online communication. This forces increased global involvement according to McLuhan's perspective.
The document discusses key concepts from chapter 2 of "A Critical Introduction to Media and Communication Theory" including:
1. Media can be viewed as institutions, organizations, products, or technologies.
2. Harold Innis' ideas of time bias and space bias which influence how media distribute information over time and space.
3. Marshall McLuhan's concepts of "the medium is the message" and how different media act as "extensions of man" and influence society in different ways.
4. McLuhan's distinction between "hot" and "cool" media and how they require different levels of engagement and participation.
This document is the introduction to the 10th anniversary issue of Culture Machine focusing on "Pirate Philosophy". It discusses how internet piracy is challenging traditional ideas of authorship, intellectual property, and cultural production. Specifically, it notes that piracy does not have an inherent political meaning and can be used to support various philosophies. Additionally, the introduction experiments with "pirating" the author's own article by removing the original version and only making a peer-to-peer distributed version available in order to raise questions about issues like authorship and intellectual property in the digital age.
Spreadable Media: How to Make Word of Mouth Work for YouSocial Media Today
Today's marketers are facing a reset on their understanding of how web 1.0's "stickiness" has been supplanted by web 2.0's "spreadability." Great content is shared, and that has major implications for brands around the world. Audiences want to engage with brands, but it requires the fine art of "listening" and building the zeitgeist that surrounds the brand's eco-system, so that the brand becomes part of the story. When brand marketers get spreadable media right, they foster an emotional relationship with the brand that should be at the heart of all brand strategy.
Listen to the archive for an in-depth look at how spreadable media is reshaping the contemporary understanding of content and messaging.
“Transmedia” has become the new buzzword for multi-platform narratives, but in the digital age, transmedia isn’t just how we consume entertainment narratives, it’s how we experience the narrative of our lives.
John Breslin is a lecturer and researcher who co-founded the discussion forum boards.ie and publishing company New Tech Post. He discusses predictions about the future of technology from Mark Twain, Arthur C. Clarke, and Ray Kurzweil, and how emerging technologies will allow for augmented reality, brain uploading, and voice-controlled access to personalized digital content by 2040.
Creating Abundant Communities: The second human potential movementLucian Tarnowski
I'm in Nashville today doing the closing keynote speech at the Global Action Summit. My talk is titled 'Creating Abundant Communities: The Second Human Potential Movement'. Check out my slides here
Connectivity has changed how humans interact and share information. Through social networks, people can instantly and globally connect over shared interests, copy behaviors from others, and influence each other's opinions. While human social behaviors remain the same, the scale and speed of connectivity through social media has created an environment where attention is scarce and cultural ideas spread exponentially. For brands to be successful, communication needs to appeal to fundamental human social behaviors by being inherently social, rather than focused on content alone. Social networks are primarily about connections between people rather than sharing content.
Web 2.0 has enabled new forms of social interaction and user participation online. This has changed how people share information and experiences. Early internet platforms in the 1980s like Usenet allowed people to share text-based information but had limitations. The rise of the World Wide Web in the 1990s made it easier to set up websites focused on specific interests, and discussion forums became popular areas for sharing experiences and expertise within communities.
Egypt - history's first "Facebook revolution"?Giuseppe Lugano
Are we witnessing Revolution 2.0 spreading throughout the globe, enabled by mobile technologies and social networking?
Viewpoint by Giuseppe Lugano published on Helsinki Times 9(
Social media allows everyone to broadcast their thoughts and participate in global conversations. This represents a shift from traditional one-directional publishing to many-to-many communication. To be successful, brands must listen to what is being said about them on social media, analyze who the influential voices are and what they are saying, and then strategically join relevant conversations to shape perceptions. This requires understanding your brand's story and vision to guide engagement efforts.
The information network created by Sir Tim Berners-Lee in 1990 to connect people to knowledge has become an important place to navigate who and what we know, as well as who we think we are. But how much of a revolution is it? This lecture will trace some of the most important developments in social uses of information technologies in order to ultimately argue that the Web does offer unprecedented opportunities to access information and galvanise communities of practice, but that the impact of this new medium will reflect an evolution rather than a revolution of communication practices.
Mass media can be classified into eight industries in the late 20th century: books, newspapers, magazines, recordings, radio, movies, television and the internet. As digital technology expanded in the late 20th/early 21st centuries, what constitutes mass media has become more complex, with cell phones, video games and online media now included. The history of mass media traces back to ancient performances, with the first printed book in 868 AD and Gutenberg's printing press allowing mass book production in the 15th century, establishing the first true mass media.
2.MIL 2. The Evolution of Traditional to New Media Traditional vs. New Media,...FrishanGainCabral1
This document outlines the evolution of traditional media to new media through different eras:
1. Pre-Industrial Age: Communication was through cave paintings, clay tablets, and papyrus.
2. Industrial Age: Printing press allowed mass production of books and newspapers. Telegraph, telephone, and motion pictures were invented.
3. Electronic Age: Invention of transistor led to technologies like radio, computers, and television.
4. New/Information Age: Personal computers, internet, social media, smartphones, and digital technologies became widespread. Information can now be stored, shared and communicated digitally around the world instantly.
New media refers to mass communication technologies that emerged in recent decades, including the internet, websites, and digital/interactive media. It allows for two-way communication and user participation. While some see new media as empowering citizens and democratizing information, others argue it remains consolidated among large media companies and does not replace traditional media. New media also raises questions about privacy, information quality, and how technology shapes human communication and society.
This document discusses the evolution of media from prehistoric times to the modern digital age. It describes four ages: 1) Pre-Industrial Age where communication methods included cave paintings, clay tablets, and papyrus. 2) Industrial Age brought printing presses and the telegraph. 3) Electronic Age saw the development of radio, TV, and early computers. 4) Information Age is driven by the Internet and digital technologies, including smartphones, social media, and wireless connectivity between devices (the Internet of Things). The document also outlines the roles of media in a democratic society such as being a channel of communication, watchdog, resource center, and advocate.
Mitchell StephensThinking Through Moving Mediasocial r.docxraju957290
This document discusses the ongoing communications revolution and debates what the key invention driving it is. It argues that while technologies like computers, the internet, smartphones etc. are often cited, the true revolutionary invention may be older - the moving image and moving word. It notes that new communication technologies often inspire complaints from older generations attached to older technologies. However, it finds that the current revolution has not generated as much grumbling from older people, perhaps because current digital technologies are still imitating older forms like print rather than developing wholly new content and uses.
This is lecture 5 of a course on social media at the University of Winchester. This covers a brief overand history of blogs, microbloggs and Twitter, the public sphere and some of the research on # hastags and the consequences of using twitter.
Original title: Technology Transforming Media, Transforming Us.
This is a Keynote (the app) talk I gave at Webvisions' 2013 NYC Conference in March. It's my perspective on mass communication/media from the Stone Age to today.
This document discusses the work and ideas of Marshall McLuhan and Jean Baudrillard regarding media and technology. McLuhan coined the phrase "the medium is the message" and predicted concepts like the global village and World Wide Web. Baudrillard built upon McLuhan's work and theorized about hyperreality and how media constructs our perception of reality. Both viewed media as having significant impacts on society and believed new technologies would continually reshape human experience.
This chapter discusses the major developments in communication technology throughout history and their cultural impacts, including:
1) Printing helped standardize languages and spread knowledge during the Reformation. The telegraph and telephone conquered space and time by allowing instant communication.
2) Photography and motion pictures brought visuals to publications and changed leisure activities. Radio and TV broadcasting brought news and entertainment into homes.
3) The digital revolution changed how information is stored and transmitted, enabling e-commerce. Mobile media took over some mass media functions and changed etiquette.
4) Social media opened new channels for connecting people through sites like Facebook and Twitter. Each new medium changed culture while older media continued alongside.
The document discusses key aspects of postmodernism according to academics like Jean Baudrillard and Francois Lyotard. It argues we now live in a postmodern era for reasons such as culture and society collapsing into one another due to media dominance, an emphasis on style over substance, a breakdown of distinctions between art and popular culture, and a confusion over time and space due to technological advances. It also discusses the decline of grand narratives as ideologies and religions lose influence.
Social media has existed for centuries in various forms. Cicero exchanged letters with friends and allowed copies to be distributed in Roman times. In the Middle Ages, Paul instructed the Colossians and Laodiceans to share his letters. Martin Luther's 95 Theses spread rapidly throughout Germany in the 15th century. Coffeehouses in the 17th century functioned as social media environments where people exchanged ideas and news. While some criticized social media for distracting from important matters, others saw benefits like accelerating revolutions by synchronizing public opinion. Overall, social media is not a modern fad but rather part of a long tradition dating back to ancient times, with modern blogs and microblogs continuing analogous functions as past pamphlets
1) Post-modernism refers to developments in various fields like art, literature, philosophy and the rise of relativism where there are no absolute truths.
2) Jean Baudrillard and other post-modernists argue that reality and media representations have become blurred, with people obtaining knowledge about the real world from simulated media portrayals.
3) Some key aspects of post-modernism include the decline of grand narratives, cynicism about ideologies, and media playing a large role in circulating cultural codes and shaping identities and experiences.
The document is an agenda for a workshop on using social media tools like LinkedIn and Facebook. It provides background information on print media, broadcast media, and new media. It introduces fictional characters like Print, Broadcast, and New Media to represent different eras of communication. It then discusses key aspects of social networking sites Facebook and LinkedIn, including definitions, timelines of development, and values for professional and personal networking. The document aims to educate participants on utilizing new media tools for networking and online communities.
Chapter 12 of a university course in media history by Prof. Bill Kovarik, based on the book Revolutions in Communication: Media History from Gutenberg to the Digital Age (Bloomsbury, 2nd ed., 2015).
The document discusses the evolution of the "memeplex", which refers to the system through which memes are launched and evolve, particularly in digital environments like social media. It traces the key developments from the earliest computer networks and use of the term "meme" in the 1970s through the rise of social media platforms and their role in accelerating the spread and mutation of internet memes. Major events discussed include the creation of the internet, web, email, smartphones, social networks like Myspace and Facebook, and the role of politicians like Donald Trump in harnessing memes for their campaigns.
Nicholas Carr argues that Google and constant internet use may be negatively impacting our ability to focus and think deeply. He notes that the internet provides immense access to information but that our consumption of online data may be hindering concentration. Carr also suggests that hyperlinks on the internet encourage quick jumps between topics rather than sustained, thoughtful reading. While technology has increased information availability, Carr poses the question of whether this is eroding our capacity for reflection and complex cognition.
The document provides an overview of a presentation on social media and the network society. The presentation covers several topics:
1) Media: It discusses Rupert Murdoch and convergent technologies in media and how social media has altered the production, distribution, and consumption of news.
2) Politics: It examines how Barack Obama successfully used social media in his 2008 presidential campaign.
3) Social: It explores power shifts in North Africa with a discussion on social media's role.
4) Control: It looks at homogenization in the US vs control in China regarding social networks. The presentation then provides more details on the history and evolution of networks leading into the modern network society.
The document discusses mass media, defining it as a set of messaging techniques used for cultural, informational and advertising purposes. It then provides a brief history of various mass media types - television was first broadcast in the 1930s in Germany, radio transmission was pioneered in the late 1890s, newspapers originated over 2000 years ago under Julius Caesar, and magazines and the internet both developed in the late 20th century. The document concludes by noting that mass media has a significant influence on public opinion and society through the transmission of news, advertising, and other content, but that it also has disadvantages like reducing family time and potentially increasing school failure.
Similar to The Tedium is the Message: Communicating and Creating with the New Social Media (20)
At Digidev, we are working to be the leader in interactive streaming platforms of choice by smart device users worldwide.
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Odia New Web Series at your fingerprint.mikedanoffice
Stay ahead of the curve with the latest in Odia entertainment! Our Odia new web series promise an exciting blend of fresh narratives, talented performances, and engaging plots. Immerse yourself in the evolving world of Odia storytelling with our curated selection of cutting-edge web content. for more visit: https://aaonxt.com/series
The Future of Independent Filmmaking Trends and Job OpportunitiesLetsFAME
The landscape of independent filmmaking is evolving at an unprecedented pace. Technological advancements, changing consumer preferences, and new distribution models are reshaping the industry, creating new opportunities and challenges for filmmakers and film industry jobs. This article explores the future of independent filmmaking, highlighting key trends and emerging job opportunities.
The Unbelievable Tale of Dwayne Johnson Kidnapping: A Riveting Sagagreendigital
Introduction
The notion of Dwayne Johnson kidnapping seems straight out of a Hollywood thriller. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, known for his larger-than-life persona, immense popularity. and action-packed filmography, is the last person anyone would envision being a victim of kidnapping. Yet, the bizarre and riveting tale of such an incident, filled with twists and turns. has captured the imagination of many. In this article, we delve into the intricate details of this astonishing event. exploring every aspect, from the dramatic rescue operation to the aftermath and the lessons learned.
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The Origins of the Dwayne Johnson Kidnapping Saga
Dwayne Johnson: A Brief Background
Before discussing the specifics of the kidnapping. it is crucial to understand who Dwayne Johnson is and why his kidnapping would be so significant. Born May 2, 1972, Dwayne Douglas Johnson is an American actor, producer, businessman. and former professional wrestler. Known by his ring name, "The Rock," he gained fame in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) before transitioning to a successful career in Hollywood.
Johnson's filmography includes blockbuster hits such as "The Fast and the Furious" series, "Jumanji," "Moana," and "San Andreas." His charismatic personality, impressive physique. and action-star status have made him a beloved figure worldwide. Thus, the news of his kidnapping would send shockwaves across the globe.
Setting the Scene: The Day of the Kidnapping
The incident of Dwayne Johnson's kidnapping began on an ordinary day. Johnson was filming his latest high-octane action film set to break box office records. The location was a remote yet scenic area. chosen for its rugged terrain and breathtaking vistas. perfect for the film's climactic scenes.
But, beneath the veneer of normalcy, a sinister plot was unfolding. Unbeknownst to Johnson and his team, a group of criminals had planned his abduction. hoping to leverage his celebrity status for a hefty ransom. The stage was set for an event that would soon dominate worldwide headlines and social media feeds.
The Abduction: Unfolding the Dwayne Johnson Kidnapping
The Moment of Capture
On the day of the kidnapping, everything seemed to be proceeding as usual on set. Johnson and his co-stars and crew were engrossed in shooting a particularly demanding scene. As the day wore on, the production team took a short break. providing the kidnappers with the perfect opportunity to strike.
The abduction was executed with military precision. A group of masked men, armed and organized, infiltrated the set. They created chaos, taking advantage of the confusion to isolate Johnson. Johnson was outnumbered and caught off guard despite his formidable strength and fighting skills. The kidnappers overpowered him, bundled him into a waiting vehicle. and sped away, leaving everyone on set in a state of shock and disbelief.
The Immediate Aftermath
The immediate aftermath of the Dwayne Johnson kidnappin
Orpah Winfrey Dwayne Johnson: Titans of Influence and Inspirationgreendigital
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In the realm of entertainment, few names resonate as Orpah Winfrey Dwayne Johnson. Both figures have carved unique paths in the industry. achieving unparalleled success and becoming iconic symbols of perseverance, resilience, and inspiration. This article delves into the lives, careers. and enduring legacies of Orpah Winfrey Dwayne Johnson. exploring how their journeys intersect and what we can learn from their remarkable stories.
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Early Life and Backgrounds
Orpah Winfrey: From Humble Beginnings to Media Mogul
Orpah Winfrey, often known as Oprah due to a misspelling on her birth certificate. was born on January 29, 1954, in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Raised in poverty by her grandmother, Winfrey's early life was marked by hardship and adversity. Despite these challenges. she demonstrated a keen intellect and an early talent for public speaking.
Winfrey's journey to success began with a scholarship to Tennessee State University. where she studied communication. Her first job in media was as a co-anchor for the local evening news in Nashville. This role paved the way for her eventual transition to talk show hosting. where she found her true calling.
Dwayne Johnson: From Wrestling Royalty to Hollywood Superstar
Dwayne Johnson, also known by his ring name "The Rock," was born on May 2, 1972, in Hayward, California. He comes from a family of professional wrestlers, with both his father, Rocky Johnson. and his grandfather, Peter Maivia, being notable figures in the wrestling world. Johnson's early life was spent moving between New Zealand and the United States. experiencing a variety of cultural influences.
Before entering the world of professional wrestling. Johnson had aspirations of becoming a professional football player. He played college football at the University of Miami. where he was part of a national championship team. But, injuries curtailed his football career, leading him to follow in his family's footsteps and enter the wrestling ring.
Career Milestones
Orpah Winfrey: The Queen of All Media
Winfrey's career breakthrough came in 1986 when she launched "The Oprah Winfrey Show." The show became a cultural phenomenon. drawing millions of viewers daily and earning many awards. Winfrey's empathetic and candid interviewing style resonated with audiences. helping her tackle diverse and often challenging topics.
Beyond her talk show, Winfrey expanded her empire to include the creation of Harpo Productions. a multimedia production company. She also launched "O, The Oprah Magazine" and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, further solidifying her status as a media mogul.
Dwayne Johnson: From The Ring to The Big Screen
Dwayne Johnson's wrestling career took off in the late 1990s. when he became one of the most charismatic and popular figures in WWE. His larger-than-life persona and catchphrases endeared him to fans. making him a household name. But, Johnson had ambitions beyond the wrestling ring.
In the early 20
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Leonardo DiCaprio: The Hollywood Icon
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio was born in Los Angeles, California, on November 11, 1974. His journey to stardom began at a young age with roles in television commercials and educational programs. DiCaprio's breakthrough came with his portrayal of Luke Brower in the sitcom "Growing Pains" and later as Tobias Wolff in "This Boy's Life" (1993). where he starred alongside Robert De Niro.
Rise to Stardom
DiCaprio's career skyrocketed with his performance in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" (1993). earning him his first Academy Award nomination. He continued to gain acclaim with roles in "Romeo + Juliet" (1996) and "Titanic" (1997). the latter of which cemented his status as a global superstar. Over the years, DiCaprio has showcased his versatility in films like "The Aviator" (2004). "Start" (2010), and "The Revenant" (2015), for which he finally won an Academy Award for Best Actor.
Environmental Activism
Beyond his film career, DiCaprio is also renowned for his environmental activism. He established the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998, focusing on global conservation efforts. His commitment to ecological issues often intersects with his public appearances. including those related to the Super Bowl.
The Super Bowl: An American Institution
History and Significance
The Super Bowl is the National Football League (NFL) championship game. is one of the most-watched sporting events in the world. First played in 1967, the Super Bowl has evolved into a cultural phenomenon. featuring high-profile halftime shows, memorable advertisements, and significant media coverage. The event attracts a diverse audience, from avid sports fans to casual viewers. making it a prime platform for celebrities to appear.
Entertainment and Advertisements
The Super Bowl is not only about football but also about entertainment. The halftime show features performances by some of the biggest names in the music industry. while the commercials are often as anticipated as the game itself. Companies invest millions in Super Bowl ads. creating iconic and sometimes controversial commercials that capture public attention.
Leonardo DiCaprio's Super Bowl Appearances
A Celebrity Among the Fans
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Leonardo DiCaprio House: Malibu Beachfront Retreat
A Prime Location
His Malibu beachfront house is one of the most famous properties in Leonardo DiCaprio's real estate portfolio. Situated in the exclusive Carbon Beach. also known as "Billionaire's Beach," this property boasts stunning ocean views and private beach access. The "Leonardo DiCaprio house" in Malibu is a testament to the actor's love for the sea and his penchant for luxurious living.
Architectural Highlights
The Malibu house features a modern design with clean lines, large windows. and open spaces blending indoor and outdoor living. The expansive deck and patio areas provide ample space for entertaining guests or enjoying a quiet sunset. The house has state-of-the-art amenities. including a gourmet kitchen, a home theatre, and many guest suites.
Sustainable Features
Leonardo DiCaprio is a well-known environmental activist. whose Malibu house reflects his commitment to sustainability. The property incorporates solar panels, energy-efficient appliances, and sustainable building materials. The landscaping around the house is also designed to be water-efficient. featuring drought-resistant plants and intelligent irrigation systems.
Leonardo DiCaprio House: Hollywood Hills Hideaway
Privacy and Seclusion
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Design and Amenities
The Hollywood Hills house is a mid-century modern gem characterized by its sleek design and floor-to-ceiling windows. The open-concept living space is perfect for entertaining. while the cozy bedrooms provide a comfortable retreat. The property also features a swimming pool, and outdoor dining area. and a spacious deck that overlooks the cityscape.
Environmental Initiatives
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The Tedium is the Message: Communicating and Creating with the New Social Media
1. The Tedium is the Message?
Communicating and Creating
With New Social Media
Robert K. Blechman, Ph.D.
New York Public Library
September 4, 2012
―My name is Robert Blechman and I am a Twitter novelist.‖
2. My Other Links
Twitter RKBs_Twitstery
Whale Fire www.executiveseverance.blogspot.com
A Model Media Ecologist
www.robertkblechman.blogspot.com
Other Sites
The Savage Mind on Madison Avenue
http://savagemindmadave.blogspot.com/
The Heart of the Matter
http://rkbheartmatter.blogspot.com/
2
4. Of course, my title ―The Tedium is the Message‖ is a play on media theorist
Marshall McLuhan’s famous dictum ―The Medium is the Message.‖
McLuhan wrote that ―Technological environments are not merely passive
containers of people but are active processes that reshape people and other
technologies alike.‖
My talk today is about new social media in general and about Twitter in
particular. I will talk about the rise of Internet based social media in the context
of the history of communication advances and the possible impact of social
media on public and private discourse. I will end with a discussion about my
own efforts to use social media for creative endeavors. If you came tonight
wondering whether it is possible to actually write an entire novel in Twitter,
SPOILER ALERT! The answer will be YES!
4
6. Is Twitter Making Us Dumber?
―In a Twitter discussion, opinions and our tolerance for others’ opinions are
stunted. Whether or not Twitter makes you stupid, it certainly makes some
smart people sound stupid.‖
-Bill Keller, The New York Times Magazine, May 18, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/magazine/the-twitter-trap.html?_r=1
The shortcomings of social media would not bother me awfully if I did not
suspect that Facebook friendship and Twitter chatter are displacing real rapport
and real conversation, just as Gutenberg’s device displaced remembering. The
things we may be unlearning, tweet by tweet — complexity, acuity, patience,
wisdom, intimacy — are things that matter.
-Bill Keller, The New York Times Magazine, May 18, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/magazine/the-twitter-trap.html?_r=1
A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that the net, with its constant
distractions and interruptions, is turning us into scattered and superficial
thinkers.
-Nicholas Carr, The Telegraph, August 7, 2010
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/internet/7967894/How-the-Internet-is-making-us-stupid.html
6
9. Every new medium of communication is initially met with fear and
trepidation by someone. The printing press, invented by Johannes
Gutenberg in 1440, allowed the general public to have access to books
and thus to knowledge that had not been available to them before.
General literacy was of some concern to Catholic priests who feared a
population with access to Bibles in their own native language. How could
the laity be trusted to interpret the word of God? Martin Luther soon
proved their fears anything but groundless. Luther translated the Bible
into German and the Catholic hierarchy’s monopoly on divinely revealed
knowledge evaporated.
The printing press also led to broader inquiries into science, the arts,
history and human nature, known in hindsight as ―The Renaissance‖.
This first technology of mass production provided the model for
industrialization, the factory system of manufacture as well as the
economic system of capitalism. In addition, a literate populace was the
foundation for democracy
9
11. In addition, print based literacy lead to standardization of
spelling, rules of punctuation and mandates about proper
grammar, things about books we take for granted today. For
example, it wasn’t until 75 years after the invention of the
printing press that someone thought to number the pages of a
book.
Attitudes toward new media change over time. In The
Gutenberg Galaxy, Marshall McLuhan noted how Elizabethan
playwrights thought print publication of their work a form of
prostitution.
11
12. The Gutenberg Galaxy
Alas, ‘tis true I have gone
here and there
And made myself a motley
to the view
Gor’d mine own
thoughts, sold cheap
What is most dear…
Sonnet 110
12
13. In Sonnet 110 William Shakespeare wrote:
Alas, ‘tis true I have gone here and there
And made myself a motley to the view
Gor’d mine own thoughts, sold cheap
What is most dear…
The publicizing or confessional outing of private views seemed to
the writers of Shakespeare’s era to warrant the association of the
printing press with pornography and filth.
13
14. The Gutenberg Galaxy
So long as men can
breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this
gives life to thee.
Sonnet 18
14
15. In addition to the splitting of the public and private self, McLuhan
noted the promise of immortality poets saw in the printing press.
Sonnet 18
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this,
and this gives life to thee.
15
17. The next breakthrough in communications, the telegraph, was
invented by Samuel Morse in 1837,followed closely by the
Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone in 1876. The telegraph enabled
communication across almost any distance.
According to McLuhan, ―It was not until the advent of the telegraph
that messages could travel faster than the messenger.‖ (UM p.
127) Henry David Thoreau warned that the telegraph might be no
more than a conduit for news that ―Princess Adelaide has the
whooping cough.‖
17
19. According to historian Tom Standage, there was an Internet during the
Victorian Era, based on the telegraph. The telegraph was
―a new communications technology that allowed people to communicate
almost instantly across great distances, that revolutionized business
practice, gave rise to new forms of crime and inundated its users with a
deluge of information. Romances blossomed over the wires. Secret codes
were devised by some users…The benefits of the telegraphic network
were relentlessly hyped by its advocates and dismissed by its skeptics.
Governments and regulators tried and failed to control the new medium.
Attitudes toward everything from news gathering to diplomacy had to be
completely rethought. Meanwhile, out on the wires, a technological
subculture with its own customs and vocabulary was establishing itself.‖
(The Victorian Internet. p. VII-VIII)
Sound familiar?
19
21. In 1895, Guglielmo Marconi built a wireless system capable of
transmitting signals at long distances. Radio was initially an operator-
to-operator form of communication used by amateurs. Early TV was
really just radio with pictures. Both mass media matured into significant
conduits for entertainment, news and commerce.
Though McLuhan suggested that radio and then television made us all
neighbors by creating a ―global village,‖ critics like Newton Minnow
called television a ―vast wasteland‖
21
26. This brings us to the digital age. The printing press, the telegraph, radio
and television required access to large amounts of capital to bring
about functional operations. Control of the medium meant control of
content.
That all changes with the Internet. Barriers to entry are removed and
anyone, at least in theory, can produce videos, audio programs,
commentary, books and news reports. Consumers become producers.
Consumers can view their videos on YouTube, record their diaries and
critiques on WordPress, pin their pictures on Pinterest, capitalize on
their business connections on Linkedin and count their friendships on
Facebook. This brings us to Twitter.
26
28. Twitter is an online application that is part blog, part social
networking site, part cell phone/IM tool, all designed to let users
answer the question ―What are you doing?
28
29. Who is Tweeting?
• Over 500 million active users as of 2012
• Over 340 millions tweets daily
29
30. History repeats itself as we learn to adapt to publication of our
private lives and thoughts in the era of the new social media.
Internet resources like Twitter and Facebook offer to democratize
the publication process, but also permit the unintentional outering of
previously private spaces.
Although most individual tweets say very little, or seem tedious and
mundane at best, ardent Twitter users argue that the true value of
Twitter comes from following people over time, developing an
understanding of who they really are and knowing—in real time—
what they are doing and how they feel about it.
30
31. Why Is It Significant?
• Twitter creates a new channel of communication
• Twitter facilitates a new way of seeing and
understanding people
31
32. Although most individual tweets say very little, ardent Twitterers say
that the magic comes from following people over time, developing a
sense of who they really are and knowing—at nearly any moment—
what they are doing and how they feel about it.
32
33. What Are Some Downsides?
• The most common criticism of Twitter is that
it enables inane interaction
• As an asynchronous broadcast service, there
is no guarantee that any individual tweet will
be read
33
34. Gaining Twitter Followers
• Celebrities have an advantage
– Lady Gaga – 28,844,130 followers
– Justin Bieber – 27,179,383 followers
– Katy Perry – 25,681,620 followers
…
– CNN Breaking News – 8,593,231 followers
– BBC Breaking News – 3,906,762 followers
34
37. Lady Gaga’s Twitter Spam: Up to 72 Percent of Megastar’s followers
could be fake
37
38. Brevity is the Soul of Wit
“What could be more
practical for a man caught
between the Scylla of a
literary culture and the
Charybdis of post-literate
technology to make himself
a raft of ad copy?”
38
39. While McLuhan didn’t have anything to say about posting in
Twitter, media scholar Paul Levinson has noted that McLuhan’s
penchant for aphorisms like ―the medium is the message‖ or ―we
all live in a global village‖ would have made him a natural tweeter.
The closest McLuhan came to Twitter was his observation about
navigating through digital technology:
What could be more practical for a man caught between the
Scylla of a literary culture and the Charybdis of post-literate
technology to make himself a raft of ad copy?
39
41. MIT Media Theories Sherry Turkle believes that friendships based
screen interactions have limitations.
•Weak connections vs. strong conversations
•We’ve become accustomed to a new way of being ―alone together.‖
•Texting and e-mail and posting let us present the self we want to be.
•E-mail, Twitter, Facebook do not substitute for conversation.
41
50. The New Yorker magazine has given legitimacy to the notion of Twitter
literature. Starting on May 24, 2012 Jennifer Egan tweeted ―Black Box,‖
at the rate of one tweet per minute for an hour each night until she
completed her Twitter short story.
50
52. To challenge the negative responses to Twitter I conceived a literary
experiment: Was it possible to maintain a narrative structure and attract
a reading public in Twitter, 140 characters at a time?
I coined a new term ―Twitstery‖ for the Twitter mystery genre and
created a Twitter account ―RKBs_Twitstery‖ as a container for my
detective novel ultimately titled Executive Severance.
Starting on May 6, 2009 I posted a new Executive Severance tweet
twice a day every day for 15 months, never missing a deadline.
52
54. Why a detective story? McLuhan noted that ―In reading a detective
story the reader participates as co-author simply because so much
has been left out of the narrative.”
Twitter is also intensely participatory and yet necessarily limited and
so I adopted the detective genre as the driver for my story. Would my
hero solve the crime? Would he undergo physical and mental trials?
Would he get the girl? Would he spawn a publishing franchise?
The detective genre provided an accessible façade to what I
conceived to be a new type of poetry. My work would be a sort of
sheep in wolf’s clothing.
54
58. Twitter’s 140 character limit required intensive wordsmithing, the
omission of punctuation in some cases and a lot of counting.
Spelling, punctuation and grammer had to bend to the dictates of the
medium. In other words, the standards we have accepted since the
printing press are now being challenged by Digital Age literacy.
I cultivated brevity, concision and succinctness.
58
60. I soon realized that episodic nature of the Twitter timetable forced me to
adopt the serial techniques of newspaper comic page story telling. I
needed to learn the narrative strategies of Al Capp, Chester Ghould or
Milton Caniff as well as Raymond Chandler and Mickey Spillane. How
did comic strip authors hold their readers’ attention each day and tell a
joke while moving the story forward?
60
62. I didn’t have the advantage of artwork, so I had to duplicate the effect
with words alone. I spent a lot of time in the New York Public Library
across the street reading archives of comics dailies. Comic strip
artists can’t assume that their readers will see every issue published,
so story telling in the funny pages involved a lot of repetition. By the
same token, I couldn’t be sure that my readers would catch every
tweet posted. The last panel of the Friday strip was often the first
panel of Monday’s entry. I decided that I wouldn’t do a lot of repeating
as my Twitter history was readily available to my followers.
62
64. So Twitter storytelling forces considerations similar to advertising, and
also similar to daily comic strips. Many have written about the negative
influence of Twitter on spelling, grammar and punctuation.
I would suggest that Twitter detractors consider the gold in the Twitter
stream, not just the dross.
64
66. McLuhan wrote that ―Technological environments are not merely
passive containers of people but are active processes that reshape
people and other technologies alike.‖ (The Gutenberg Galaxy p. 5)
Twitter encourages writing in aphorisms. It is said that King Solomon
was considered wise because he knew 3000 proverbs by heart and
could bring them to bear in his judicial deliberations. Proverbs were
typical of an oral culture where memory was the only means of
preserving knowledge.
Consider Twitter as a training ground for the proverbs of the Digital
Age. Perhaps in the future, it will become the norm to produce our
literature 140 characters at a time.
Speaking as a Twitter novelist, I certainly hope so.
66
68. And now, with your indulgence, I will read Chapter 1 of Executive
Severance. To give you the full Twitter experience, I will display each
tweet on the screen behind me.
68
69. Executive Severance
Chapter 1: The Twitstery Begins
Willum Mortimus Granger was beside himself. In fact
when his body was found the top half was right next to
the bottom 117
Granger's body was split in two. "Well, we can rule out
suicide" said the coroner. "I rule out NOTHING!" I
replied 114
Selfbisection was not at the top of my list of likely
solutions. I hate ceding any ground when it comes to
crime deduction 122
"Maybe this was self inflicted. Then how do you explain
the other 3 1/2 victims just like this I have at the
morgue?" 117
69
70. Executive Severance
Chapter 1: The Twitstery Begins
So Granger wasn't the only one cut down in his prime.
"You said 3 1/2 victims. You have half a body?" "No.
Siammese twins." 123
Willum Mortimus Granger and 3 1/2 others (as per the
coroner) were dead, their bodies sliced in half. 100
I stared at Granger's lower torso. Marshall McLuhan
famously claimed that the wheel was an extension of
our feet. Now I got it! 127
Granger had owned a perfume concern, a blue coal mine
and two pickle factories. His company was called
Lavender Blue Dilly Dillly 129
70
71. Executive Severance
Chapter 1: The Twitstery Begins
Hit hard by the economic downturn, LBDD failed the
smell test, couldn't sink to new depths and finally
everything didn't go sour 128
A cloning pioneer, Granger had replaced every part of his
body. Calling his lab Body Parts R Us, he was literally a
self made man 129
If the economic downturn had hit Granger's cloning lab,
Body Parts R Us, like it did at LBDD, he could have lost
arm and a leg 126
I knew a lot about Granger. By chance I'd just read his NY
Times best-seller "100 Things You Need To Know About
Me Before I Die" 128
71
72. Executive Severance
Chapter 1: The Twitstery Begins
"I was born at a very young age." begins Granger's
autobiography, 100 Things..., "I was very close to my
mother at the time." 125
Born to a family of neo-vegans, Granger ate only oats til
age 17 when he became the first entrant to win the
Kentucky Derby without a horse. 140
A self-taught fly fisher, when Granger discovered the
sport's purpose was to catch fish, he released the flies
back into the wild 129
I looked at Granger's severed torso. Here... and here lay
the remains of an entrepreneur, athelete, scientist and
podcast mime. 127
72
73. Executive Severance
Chapter 1: The Twitstery Begins
Sure he was a failed entrepreneur, uncertain athlete,
questionable scientist. But he was undeniably a world
class podcast mime. 127
Who can forget Grangers's podcast masterpiece, "Man
Walking Against the Wind"? Or "Man Trapped in an
Invisible Cube"? 117
Now he was ready to perform his final mime podcast
"Man Silent as the Grave." Placing my cell next to his
torso, I ... 118
pressed RECORD. Willum Granger was dead because,
despite all his advantages, he couldn't be in two places
at the same time. 123
73
74. Executive Severance
Chapter 1: The Twitstery Begins
We stood a moment in a respectful silence which the
doctor broke asking "How can you do mime in a
podcast?" Just then my cell rang 130
Granger's last podcast would be ruined! I scooped up my
cell wondering when I uploaded "Torn Between Two
Lovers" as a ringtone. 127
My own phone was strangely silent. By the time I pried
the other cell phone from Granger's cold dead hand,
the music had stopped. 129
Looking for Caller ID I saw two things: Granger had been
on Twitter at the moment of his death and the battery
was almost dead. 127
74
75. Executive Severance
Chapter 1: The Twitstery Begins
Granger had been Tweeting when he died! This phone
was the Holy Grail, the Rosetta Stone, the Jeopardy
Daily Double of this case. 129
If Granger Tweeted his assailant's name, or some clue, I'd
wrap up this case and tackle those 3 1/2 other victims
at the morgue. 128
If Granger wrote "Hey, Larry from LBDD! What are you
doing here?" Or "Saw Vince from the lab" Those would
be a definite leads. 128
Granger had married twice, divorced 3 times. His last
wife had been really, really mad at him. Perhaps a she
would be fingered in a Tweet. 140
75
76. Executive Severance
Chapter 1: The Twitstery Begins
I needed to know three things. What was the motive for
the murder? What was the method? What was this
stuff I just stepped into? 129
"What is this stuff, tapioca?" "No," said the coroner
"That's his spleen." "It looks just like tapioca."
"Believe me, its not." 129
Doc's words reassured me. Tapioca always turns my
stomach. Wiping my shoe on Granger's shirt, I tapped
the phone on with my pen. 129
As the phone came to life the coroner scoffed "Do you
seriously believe you can solve this case by following
Granger on Twitter?" 129
76
77. Executive Severance
Chapter 1: The Twitstery Begins
"I won't follow his tweets to learn where he'll be. I
already know with grave certainty where he's
going to be from now on." 125
"I'll solve this murder not by tweeting forward, but
by retweeting backward," I hit ENTER and
Granger's final Tweet appeared: 125
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaa 140
aaaaaaaaaaa 11
77
78. Executive Severance
Chapter 1: The Twitstery Begins
Either Granger wanted his followers to know he suffered
an extremely slow, painful death, or his finger got stuck
on the "a" key. 129
"aaaaaaaa...?" said the coroner. "That's it?" "It may be a
code of some kind." I replied "All I have to do is figure
out the key" 129
The coroner continued, "Facing imminent death, as a final
act Granger logs onto Twitter and tweets 'aaaaaaa…' to
his followers?" 128
"Does that description do justice to the scenario you're
painting here?" "Maybe we should look at his next-to-
last tweet." 122
78
79. Executive Severance
Chapter 1: The Twitstery Begins
The coroner was getting on my nerves. I should put him
on my suspects list. Once again I tapped the cell to
view Granger's tweet: 129
"Stomach unsettled" Granger had tweeted, "I guess that
tapioca didn't go down well." I glared at the coroner.
He just shrugged. 129
The lab team was done and wanted to put Granger into
body bags. His phone too. There wouldn't be another
tweet out of either. 126
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81. My Other Links
Twitter RKBs_Twitstery
Whale Fire www.executiveseverance.blogspot.com
A Model Media Ecologist
www.robertkblechman.blogspot.com
Other Sites
The Savage Mind on Madison Avenue
http://savagemindmadave.blogspot.com/
The Heart of the Matter
http://rkbheartmatter.blogspot.com/
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