Internet Babylon : secrets, scandals, and shocks on the information superhighway /

This book looks at the Internet from a sordid and entertaining perspective. The line between truth and fiction is blurred on the 'net, just as it is in Hollywood, and so are the scandals involving well-known movie and TV personalities, politicians, and the Internet's own brand of celebriti...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author:	Holden, Greg
Corporate Author:	SpringerLink (Online service)
Format:	eBook
Language:	English
Published:	Berkeley, Calif. : Apress, [2004]
Subjects:	Internet > Anecdotes. Internet. Electronic books. Anecdotes.
Online Access:	Connect to the full text of this electronic book

Table of Contents:

Part 1 The Rich and (In)Famous 1
Chapter 1 Family Values in Babylon 3
Family Togetherness, Internet-Style 4
Giving Family Members a Voice 13
Long-Lost Family Members Get IDed Online 19
Home Sweet Home Page 24
Point, Click, Order a Child 27
Family Stress, Internet-Style 30
The Internet Saved My Mind 31
Chapter 2 Washed Up in Babylon 35
From the Small Screen to the Small Monitor 35
From the Public Eye to Public Service 49
She Will Survive, in Bigger Form 52
What Do You Do After You've Changed the World? 53
Chapter 3 The Babylon Enquirer 55
Titillating Television Tidbits 55
Scandalized Sports Stars 59
Tarnishes on the Silver Screen 65
Making Waves on the Airwaves 69
Sex and Porn and Rock 'n' Roll 71
Celebrity Garbage Picking 74
Part 2 The Afterlife 77
Chapter 4 Unsolved Mysteries in Babylon 79
To Catch a Criminal 79
Who Was Deep Throat? 84
Strange Events 85
Mysterious Deaths 90
Chapter 5 Death in Babylon 95
Documenting the Dead 96
Preserving the Dead 102
Remembering the Dead 105
Embracing Death 110
Laughing at Death 115
Chapter 6 God in Babylon 119
Gods, Saints, Sisters, and Singers 119
Places and Ways of E-Worship 129
Beliefs That Inspire Disbelief 138
Part 3 Bad Boys and Naughty Girls 145
Chapter 7 Hackers and Other Internet Heroes 147
The White Hats and the "Hacker Ethic" 148
Notorious Hacker Exploits 154
Now They're on Our Side...Aren't They? 161
Of Cyberpunks and Cyberhavens 164
Chapter 8 Spam and Other E-Mail Follies in Babylon 169
...But First, a Word About the "Other" Spam 170
Kings and Queens of Spam 172
The Best and Worst E-Mail Pitches 176
Great Spam E-Mail Hoaxes 183
Turning Spam into Art 185
Other E-Mail (Mis)Adventures 188
Chapter 9 Low-Down, Dirty Scum in Babylon 193
Cold-Blooded Killers 193
Hate Groups and Terrorists 200
Forbidden Images 205
Perverts and Child Molesters 209
Chapter 10 Flakes and Fanatics in Babylon 213
Part 4 Big Brother Is Watching 229
Chapter 11 Political Intrigue in Babylon 231
Canny Candidates 231
Looking for a Few Good Spies 238
Wartime Observers 239
Politicians, Bores, and Hypocrites 244
Chapter 12 Scandals in Babylon 253
The "Zippergate" Scandal That Broke Online 253
Other Political Scandals 259
Chapter 13 Government Secrets in Babylon 269
Health and Safety, or the Lack of It 269
CIA: Coverage on the Internet Abounds 275
Not-So-Secret Government Activities 277
Eavesdropping on the President 281
Part 5 Did You Hear the One About...? 285
Chapter 14 Tongue Lashings in Babylon 287
The Complaint Department: Anger and Protest 287
Killed by Corporations 293
Just Plain Hate 297
Chapter 15 Silliness, Fun, and Games in Babylon 307
Of Animals and Computer Keyboards 307
Fun with the Nine-to-Five Grind 312
The Online Silliness Hall of Fame 313
Toilet Humor 324
The Search for the End of the Internet 329
Simply Pointless Activity 331
Chapter 16 Gossip in Babylon 335
Love and Sex 335
Inside Information 339
Politics and Terrorism 344
Business and Workplace Rumors 346
Chapter 17 Internet Legends, Myths, and Symbols 351
Unlikely Heroes 352
Foundations of the Internet 361
Images Worth a Thousand Data Bits 365
Chapter 18 Dressing Up Your Home Page
and Yourself 375
Making a Name-and a Life-for Yourself Online 375
Gender Benders and Dresser-Uppers 387
Kinky Communities 393
Home Page Wreckers 396
Part 6 Big (and Not So Big) Business 401
Chapter 19 E-Commerce Comedies in Babylon 403
Dot-Com Disasters 403
eBay Disasters 411
Weird and Wacky E-Commerce Hall of Fame 413
Laughing All the Way to the Bank 424
Chapter 20 But Is It Art? 427
Celebs Can't Stop Creating 427
Art for Computers 432
Projects for Those with Time on Their Hands 436
View Digital Displays, If You Dare 441.