internet
Generation Y: generation who?
That's the magic of labels. Y follows X. It's a wise-cracking generation born between the eighties until the mid-1990s. They are media and tech-savvy and are denied much of the traditional shifts in their lives when it comes to careers, families and finances. Hells bells, this magazine is also derived from it. Different brushes apply different strokes to the term: in Spain, Yers are defined rather unimaginatively as a 'lost generation', whilst in Russia popular culture has branded them 'generation Pepsi'. In Poland, they're the 'net generation' who have managed to push their internet freedom ideas out onto the streets, whilst French and German female authors debate 'generation us' and their merits when it comes to sex and loyalty (Image: (cc) mightyboybrian/ flickr)
- Read the special edition Generation Y: generation who?
- German books on generation Y: crisis of ego and well-being
- Digital native 'stars' of Serbia, Belgium, Germany and France to watch
- Russian film ‘Generation P’: pepsi with director Victor Ginzburg
- Polish youth, the ‘digital natives’ taking over in 2030
- Lucia Martin: Spanish youth are ‘you can see them coming’ generation
- French book attempts sex, loyalty, internet definition of 'generation y'
Shitstorm
What do an elephant hunted by an outed Spanish king and a poem critical of Israel by a German nobel prizewinner have in common? The German internet world called them ‘shitstorms’ of current news situations, picking up on a stateside phrase whose usage doesn’t seem to have spread across the EU
Anti-Putin protests continue in run-up to March 2012 elections
Russia’s very public objection to electoral fraud after parliamentary elections in early December was largely forgotten by western media in January. One Brit takes the temperature of the feeling on the streets of Moscow
internet, protest, vladimir putin, soviet, russian federation, euweek, politics
ACTA, megaupload and kopimism: it'll all be e-right, just don't click download
The internet is looking pixelised. In the course of just a few months, the online community has downloaded an all-encompassing anger. The closure of megaupload marked the launch of an attack against piracy by various opaque laws and international treaties. The children of the internet are now searching desperately for the link which will take them to their favourite TV series, which form part of their virtual culture. The protests of citizens unable to find a balance between their rights and their responsibilities continue, expressing fear of the end of a system where ‘everything is free’. In times of uncertainty, some people worship the god of ‘copy’, others worry about the huge bill which they will have to pay when everything changes and others still envision the birth of e-rights. None of them are willing to lift their hands from the keyboard just because the authorities say so.
- Read the special edition ACTA, megaupload and kopimism: it'll all be e-right, just don't click download
- Isak Gerson, founder of kopimist church: 'File-sharing' is not 'stealing'
- Megaupload vs Sopa and Pipa: it'll be e-right on the night
- A future post 'consumption', that deadly 21st century internet disease
- Megaupload, FBI, anonymous: internet battle over copyright
- Are you confiscating my ipod? EU citizens against ‘Acta’ treaty
Peace in 2011: 'solutions to conflicts do exist’
From democratic aspirations to the transformation of the media game, Cathy Van Dorslaer, a Belgian psychologist specialising in the prevention of conflicts, explains why she believes 2011 stood under the sign of peace
internet, josé luis rodríguez zapatero, democratisation, egypt, psychology, techno-media, europe
Paul Lewis: call him ‘special projects editor’
At The Guardian, the award-winning British-Spanish journalist, 30, handles investigative news in an innovative method via social networks and micro-blogging sites – it even helped him crack stories about two murders. Interview
internet, belgium, brunch, techno-media, london, journalism, riots
Elections 2012: glimpses of social network Putin-bashing
On 7 October, the 59th birthday of Vladimir Putin, one pro-kremlin activist composed a couplet with a nod to a soviet-era poem, ending with the words ‘thanks for this Putin’. The rhyme provoked a deluge of tweeted criticism levelled at the Russian prime minister. Could this be the beginning of a protest wave?
internet, dmitry medvedev, vladimir putin, techno-media, russian federation, facebook, twitter
Environment: the maggot in Steve Jobs’ apple
While tributes to its CEO Steve Jobs flood the web, don't forget Apple’s lack of green credentials
internet, techno-media, death, consumers, media, united states, steve jobs
From Breivik to Khaled Said: a digital revolution
The year 2011 showed us the force of new media in political debates, whether in the European protests, the Arab revolutions or the terrifying attack committed in Norway in July. Political engagement is now affordable for everyone, everywhere. Is this immediacy which now defines political engagement compatible with our democracies?
internet, anders behring breivik, civil society, europe, arab spring, anders breivik, jasmine revolution
‘Webouting’ site publishes list of ten ‘gay’ politicians in Italy
On 23 September, an Italian LGBT movement ‘outed’ ten homophobic politicians who they have esteemed have ‘ulterior motives’ for their overt phobia online. Is it a criminal action or justifiable revenge? 75% of the country’s gay community have agreed with the US-based blog's initiative
internet, italy, lgbt, homosexuality, human rights, social networks, politics
'Real democracy NOW!': #spanishrevolution becomes #europeanrevolution
Spain’s so-called 15-M has become 29-M, referring to the dates of the sit-in protests of a Spain in May which saw local elections swinging to the favour of the opposition conservatives. The rage is sweeping Italy, Belgium and France
internet, democratisation, brussels, spain, precarity, youth, madrid
Censorship: EU vs Turkey's 138 internet domain name ban
Rated ‘partially free’ in the reporters without borders freedom index, Turkey is the European country with the highest amount of domain name bans. The Turkish telecommunications directorate list of 'expurgatorial words' - for example, you can't use the word for sister-in-law (Bildaz) - was sent to web hosting companies on 28 April. In the EU there are less amusing comparisons
internet, tower of babel, pornography, censorship, languages, youtube, turkey
Ukraine, Belarus, Egypt...free the online activist in you
Ukraine’s ‘Day of Wrath’ against its president on 14 May has been organised online. Belarus’ internet is the only escape from regime propaganda. The Arab world reported its transitions online. Amidst these examples, Peter Ludlow, cyber rights activist and philosophy professor at Northwestern University in Illinois, emphasies that politics can be influenced in bottom-up solutions. Interview
internet, activism, protest, belarus, iryna vidanava, kiev, minsk
Social networking in Sarajevo: analyse this (over Bosnian coffee)
Bosnia's capital wears its war wounds from the 1992-1995 war with Serbia honestly, the signs on its bomb-shelled buildings and pavements. What about its mental scars fifteen years on? Amidst a blaze of foreign healing initiatives, few private psychologists and one 'social networking internet cafe', this is a society which is resolved to solve its problems - globalised as they are - over coffee
internet, cities, psychology, bosnia and herzegovina, communication , youth, radovan karadzic
Hungary media law: France journalism cases no better
On 15 March tens of thousands of Hungarians protested against the government's planned media law. Even the European parliament's socialist, liberal, ecologist and far left politicians adopted a resolution asking for the suspension of the law, which 'needs re-examination'. Republication of an interview with a Rue89 journalist
internet, corruption, censorship, hungary, journalism, viktor orbán, society
Pure player
Two English words swim around a country where anglicisms have managed to stay out of fashion. An era of internet business models is turning that counter-trend around, focussed mainly on the French and American e-media landscapes. Backgammon and ladies men have nothing to do with it (anymore). Phrase of the week
internet, tower of babel, europe, media, european media, language
Google Books Ngram Viewer: scan ‘Europe’, ‘crisis’ and ‘unemployment’
The new online search tool can trace the history of each of the 500 billion words words in google’s 5.2 million scanned books, dating back 500 years. As Europe’s medias select their words of the year, is it time to take a step back from the terms which defined 2010?
internet, tower of babel, languages, europe, nick clegg, war, google
New year, new sex? cafebabel.com's statistics success
We raise our hands, we're an internet magazine. Every Monday our eyes glaze at the top ten most-clicked articles onsite. In between an investigation on the porn industry in Budapest, a focus on the ideal Swedish woman or an exclusive interview with the Italian porn veteran Rocco Siffredi, we find an analysis on the economic crisis of 2008! We won't hide our deploring eyes anymore at internet's fickle hand; instead, we've chosen to celebrate the start of 2011 with those very articles which are our website hits. From a hit parade throbbing with Berlin swingers and European red-light districts, we wish you a happy new year. We're back onsite on 5 January 2011!
by
by
by
by
