American Grad Student from Georgia Fesses Up to Authoring “Gay Girl in Damascus” Blog

Writing from Istanbul, Turkey, the American grad student Tom MacMaster, currently studying at the University of Edinburgh, confessed to being the “sole author” of the blog “A Gay Girl in Damascus.” MacMaster began the blog in February and featured entries of the fictional life led by Amina Abdallah Araf al Omari, a young lesbian blogger half-Syrian, half-American who had only recently relocated to Damascus. However, Amina Araf sprouted entirely from MacMaster’s head and his readers were unaware.

That’s why whirlwind media coverage ensued last week when a posting, supposedly written by Amina’s cousin, delivered the news that Amina had been taken at gunpoint by men of the Baath Party militia to an unknown location. Social media was used extensively to get the word out about Amina’s abduction and to campaign for her liberation. The poster at the right was one of the images used by activists to petition for Amina’s cause. It’s believed that even the U.S. State Department opened an investigation into Amina’s disappearance.

He himself a committed activist for Middle Eastern causes, MacMaster issued a more than somewhat half-hearted apology for deceiving the world’s media outlets and the blog’s readership. The apology was posted on the “Gay Girl” blog which was, perhaps begrudgingly, re-titled “A Hoax.” Snippet one: “While the narrative voıce may have been fictional, the facts on thıs blog are true and not mısleading as to the situation on the ground.” Snippet two: This experience has sadly only confirmed my feelings regarding the often superficial coverage of the Middle East and the pervasiveness of new forms of liberal Orientalism.”

Although the cause was a false one, this episode shows the effectiveness with which social media can be used to disperse information quickly and organize masses of people around it.

Read More:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/a-gay-girl-in-damascus-comes-clean/2011/06/12/AGkyH0RH_story.html?hpid=z4

http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/gay-girl-blogger-a-975766.html

http://damascusgaygirl.blogspot.com/2011/06/apology-to-readers.html

Find the Path to Blogging Success with the “How to Make a Blog Book”

It’s never been easier to learn how to become a successful blogger! Not when you have access to a tremendous resource like the “How to Make a Blog Book” by renowned social media expert Murray Newlands. In this book, you’ll learn tips and tricks for building and promoting your blog from some of the leading minds in the industry. This includes our own President and CEO Pierre Zarokian, who has contributed a section detailing the “Top 10 SEO Tips for Blogging.”

The “How to Make a Blog Book” offers secrets and lessons from leading bloggers about a range of topics important to beginning bloggers. Tips include how to set up your blog, developing intriguing content and marketing and monetizing your blog.

Best of all, this book is available for free! Simply check out the Facebook page for the book to find two easy steps that will allow you to get a free copy of “How to Make a Blog Book.”

FTC imposes big fines on dishonest bloggers

The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that the Federal Trade Commission, looking at cracking down on what it considers to be unfair advertising practices, has issued new rules that will require bloggers who are paid to endorse certain products to reveal these arrangements or face penalties of up to $11,000 per violation.

“Given that social media has become such a significant player in the advertising area, we thought it was necessary to address social media as well,” said Richard Cleland, assistant director for the division of advertising practices at the FTC.

The move – which is the first update of the agency’s endorsement rules in more than 30 years – has been applauded by consumer rights group concerned about what they considered to be abuses of the concept of “honest opinion.”

Our CEO, Pierre Zarokian, to Speak on Social Media Marketing

Our CEO, Pierre Zarokian, will be speaking on Social Media Marketing on August 6, 2009 at Tech Super Club in Santa Monica, CA.

Topics he will cover will include: major social media sites and usage stats; in depth look of Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin; Twitter Automation Tools; Social Bookmarking; Blog Strategies and more.

For more info visit:

http://www.techsupperclub.com/Social_Media_August_6.html