CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

  BOOK ONE  

FEEDING THE MONSTER

HOW BLOGS WORK

      I    BLOGS MAKE THE NEWS

    II     HOW TO TURN NOTHING INTO SOMETHING IN THREE WAY-TOO-EASY STEPS

   III    THE BLOG CON: HOW PUBLISHERS MAKE MONEY ONLINE

    IV    TACTIC #1: BLOGGERS ARE POOR; HELP PAY THEIR BILLS

     V    TACTIC #2: TELL THEM WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR

   VI    TACTIC #3: GIVE THEM WHAT SPREADS, NOT WHAT’S GOOD

  VII    TACTIC # 4: HELP THEM TRICK THEIR READERS

 VIII   TACTIC #5: SELL THEM SOMETHING THEY CAN SELL (EXPLOIT THE ONE-OFF PROBLEM)

     IX    TACTIC #6: MAKE IT ALL ABOUT THE HEADLINE

      X    TACTIC #7: KILL ‘EM WITH PAGEVIEW KINDNESS

    XI    TACTIC #8: USE THE TECHNOLOGY AGAINST ITSELF

   XII   TACTIC #9: JUST MAKE STUFF UP (EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING IT)

  BOOK TWO  

THE MONSTER ATTACKS

WHAT BLOGS MEAN

 XIII    IRIN CARMON, THE DAILY SHOW, AND ME: THE PERFECT STORM OF HOW TOXIC BLOGGING CAN BE

   XIV  THERE ARE OTHERS: THE MANIPULATOR HALL OF FAME

     XV  CUTE BUT EVIL: ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT TACTICS THAT DRUG YOU AND ME

  XVI   THE LINK ECONOMY: THE LEVERAGED ILLUSION OF SOURCING

  XVII  EXTORTION VIA THE WEB: FACING THE ONLINE SHAKEDOWN

XVIII THE ITERATIVE HUSTLE: ONLINE JOURNALISM’S BOGUS PHILOSOPHY

  XIX   THE MYTH OF CORRECTIONS

    XX   CHEERING ON OUR OWN DECEPTION

   XXI   THE DARK SIDE OF SNARK: WHEN INTERNET HUMOR ATTACKS

  XXII  THE 21ST-CENTURY DEGRADATION CEREMONY: BLOGS AS MACHINES OF HATRED AND PUNISHMENT

XXIII   WELCOME TO UNREALITY

XXIV   HOW TO READ A BLOG: AN UPDATE ON ACCOUNT OF ALL THE LIES

CONCLUSION: SO…WHERE TO FROM HERE?

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

NOTES

WORKS CITED

FURTHER READING

INDEX