Wired 14.12: The Secret World of Lonelygirl - The Diigo Meta page

• 17 Apr 08
  

  Heather Wenzel
  • Lonelygirl15 wouldn't exist without the explosion of broadband and the advent of
    YouTube – and partly by the appeal of a hybrid form of storytelling.
    Lonelygirl15 is a mashup of homemade video diary, soap opera, and mysterious,
    hint-laden narrative like Lost.
  • In short, they were planning to exploit the anonymity of the Internet to pull
    off a new kind of storytelling, and they worried they were on shaky legal
    ground.
  • 3 more annotations...
  • • Goodfried's advice was simple. "If anyone asks point-blank if you're real, don't
      answer the question," he said. "Don't lie to people. The answer is no answer. In
      my mind, it's the equivalent of not lying. But if people talk to Bree like she's
      Bree, that's fair game."
    • A conventional TV episode airs once at a certain time; even if it's great, it
      can only serve to attract viewers to future episodes. On YouTube, a video can be
      streamed at any time
    • It's a concept that the Internet portals understand better. "Yahoo says it wants
      to be the network of the 21st century," Beckett says. "And we're the production
      company of the 21st century."
• 13 Mar 08
  

  dchristal
  • Lonelygirl15 didn't get them sued for deceiving the public

    • 

      dchristal on 2008-03-13

      Herein lies another problem with the internet, the anonymity. Posing as a fake person could get them in trouble in this forum, but what about how the creeps that pretend to be 20 when they are 55? Or Second Life Even? It is very hard to define what is right and what is wrong on the internet.
  • As Bree, she struck up friendships with people in Sweden, Scotland, Ireland,
    Portugal, Australia, Mexico, and all over the US.

    • 

      dchristal on 2008-03-13

      It amazes me how widespread the popularilty of this character became. Since I'm not huge into watching YouTube videos or even reading (or watching) blogs besides PostSecret unless someone insists I must see something, it is hard for me to imagine Lonely Girl having such a devoted and widespread following.
  • 4 more annotations...
  • • Could it be, one fan wondered, that the whole thing was an elaborate ad campaign
      for the retailer?

      • 

        dchristal on 2008-03-13

        Like Travelocity's Roaming Gnome commericals.
    • She'd deleted it when she became Bree, but Google cached a copy

      • 

        dchristal on 2008-03-13

        This is one of the things about internet that scares me... none of it goes away. In this case a deleted MySpace came back to haunt her. I never really understood why they just can't be deleted and be gone. I know this a major problem that a lot of people have with site likes MySpace or Facebook.
    • interactivity, as opposed to the passivity of television

      • 

        dchristal on 2008-03-13

        Basically, American Idol meets a soap for the internet. I feel like there have been shows were users could vote for their endings, I just can't think of the show I am thinking of. This "revolution" if it occurs, will make the line between TV and internet even more hazy.
    • "You make movies for the big screen, sitcoms for TV, and something else entirely
      for the Internet.

      • 

        dchristal on 2008-03-13

        Interesting... if this idea takes off the genre will completely change. Networks try to map out exactly who would be watching their programs, and inthsi case viewers can be anyoen from anywhere.
• 19 Jan 07
  

  Tom McLeod

Public Stiky Notes

• 
  dchristal on 2008-03-13
  Herein lies another problem with the internet, the anonymity. Posing as a fake person could get them in trouble in this forum, but what about how the creeps that pretend to be 20 when they are 55? Or Second Life Even? It is very hard to define what is right and what is wrong on the internet.
• 
  dchristal on 2008-03-13
  It amazes me how widespread the popularilty of this character became. Since I'm not huge into watching YouTube videos or even reading (or watching) blogs besides PostSecret unless someone insists I must see something, it is hard for me to imagine Lonely Girl having such a devoted and widespread following.
• 
  dchristal on 2008-03-13
  Like Travelocity's Roaming Gnome commericals.
• 
  dchristal on 2008-03-13
  This is one of the things about internet that scares me... none of it goes away. In this case a deleted MySpace came back to haunt her. I never really understood why they just can't be deleted and be gone. I know this a major problem that a lot of people have with site likes MySpace or Facebook.
• 
  dchristal on 2008-03-13
  Basically, American Idol meets a soap for the internet. I feel like there have been shows were users could vote for their endings, I just can't think of the show I am thinking of. This "revolution" if it occurs, will make the line between TV and internet even more hazy.
• 
  dchristal on 2008-03-13
  Interesting... if this idea takes off the genre will completely change. Networks try to map out exactly who would be watching their programs, and inthsi case viewers can be anyoen from anywhere.

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