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Losing Face on Facebook - 5 True Stories

by Colin McDonald, posted Jun 27th 2008 at 12:45PMFeatured Story



Even the charmed lives of beauty queens can be dragged through the mud by Facebook photos taken far away from the pageant stage. Miss New Jersey Amy Polumbo discovered this firsthand over the summer when she was the target of a strange "blackmail plot" centered on profile images of her partying and carrying on in a less than royal fashion. She ended up releasing the photos herself, and soon everyone was wondering what the fuss was all about -- from venture capitalists to gossip reporters, Facebook has a tendency to get people riled up.
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Top 7 Holiday E-Cards

by Colin McDonald, posted Dec 24th 2007 at 11:12AM

'Tis the season to spread holiday cheer by inserting photos into ridiculous cartoons (after you've finished shopping, of course)! Here are the top 7 options that you can use to keep things fresh, because friends, family, coworkers, and all of your targets deserve a uniquely festive brand of e-spoofing.


What are these crazy foreigners doing? Dive in and find out...
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Holiday Hijinks: Top 7 Custom E-Animations

by Colin McDonald, posted Dec 18th 2007 at 6:21PM

7. Rattlebox


OK, if you've made it this far you're a true e-card connoisseur, a holiday prankster of the highest caliber. Perhaps you've even been a bit bored with our prior entries, writing them off as not edgy or blatantly sexual enough. Well, now that the end of the list is here, it's time to get crazy, so meet Rattlebox, which just launched a stable of holiday videos with customizable text that guarantee you'll be sending out something truly, um, eccentric.

BONUS: While some are wrapped up in the holidays, the cooler ones among us are in the throes of fantasy football playoffs. Your trash talk is sure to stand out with this little number from Coke. And whatever season you may be enjoying, here's hoping it's e-toon-tastic!

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Holiday Hijinks: Top 7 Custom E-Animations

by Colin McDonald, posted Dec 18th 2007 at 5:49PM

6. Lord of the Strings


We're not sure what tennis has to do with Yuletide cheer, but we know you won't want to miss out on the chance to watch your face of choice perform strange stretches before being pelted with tennis balls. And hey, it's called 'Lord of the Strings'! Get it?
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Holiday Hijinks: Top 7 Custom E-Animations

by Colin McDonald, posted Dec 18th 2007 at 5:38PM


This one's a little too corporate at times, but Panasonic gets points for providing the ability to add six photos of your nearest and dearest to the cast of the above-pictured animation. And who knows? When deployed strategically on your gift-challenged relatives, it could deliver your best holiday haul yet!

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Holiday Hijinks: Top 7 Custom E-Animations

by Colin McDonald, posted Dec 18th 2007 at 5:32PM

4. SnowJoke


You know holiday animations have arrived when The Weather Channel gets in on the fun, and its highly customizable offering does not disappoint. Put your significant other in a 'couple' with Abe Lincoln for guaranteed laughs.

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Holiday Hijinks: Top 7 Custom E-Animations

by Colin McDonald, posted Dec 18th 2007 at 5:15PM

3. JibJab


JibJab's always been an innovator in this field, and it doesn't don't disappoint this year with the many holiday-themed animations featured on its homepage and throughout the site. There is plenty of elf action going on in the snowball fight one, and there's definitely a shot to the private parts involved, so how can you go wrong?

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Holiday Hijinks: Top 7 Custom E-Animations

by Colin McDonald, posted Dec 18th 2007 at 4:51PM

2. ScroogeYourself


If you can ElfYourself no more, Office Max has you covered with the recently-released ScroogeYourself. It's great for lampooning the boss or dropping subtle hints to other humbugs in your life, but we find a picture of Tiny Tim to be particularly hilarious.

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Holiday Hijinks: Top 7 Custom E-Animations

by Colin McDonald, posted Dec 18th 2007 at 4:29PM

1. ElfYourself


OfficeMax's viral sensation not only inspired countless silly dances on YouTube when it came out last year; it also brought e-animations to an even wider audience. The site is back in 2007 with an elfy vengeance, providing the sophisticated technology necessary for the 'elfamorphosis' of up to four people at once.

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Is This Web Site 'Hot or Not?' CommandShift3 Lets YOU Decide

by Colin McDonald, posted Dec 14th 2007 at 6:44PM



CommanShift3.com


Who doesn't remember Hot or Not, that bastion of Web 1.0 semi-sleaze and lost productivity? The simple hotness rating site hit almost two million page views in its first week in 2000 and spawned countless spinoffs, but the recently launched site CommandShift3 puts a distinct slant on the concept, geeky though it may be. By pitting two Web site screenshots against one another, the site allows you to channel your inner (or outer) design snob and choose a winner. And then you can do it again. And again. It may not reach mainstream 'meat market' appeal, but enough people have been subjected to horrible-looking Web sites by now that we think it could put its own dent in the productive hours of judgmental humanity. And isn't that what it's all about?

via Lee Semel
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Holiday Hijinks: Top 5 Custom E-Animations

by Colin McDonald, posted Dec 11th 2007 at 11:53PM

'Tis the season to spread holiday cheer by inserting photos into ridiculous cartoons (after you've finished shopping, of course)! Here are five options that you can use to keep things fresh, because friends, family, coworkers, and all of your targets deserve to be captured by a unique brand of e-humor.



1. Elf Yourself and Scrooge Yourself from Officemax - The first one tore up the web last year and is back in 2007 with an elfy vengeance, providing the sophisticated technology necessary for the 'elfamorphosis' of up to four people at once. Also be sure to check out its newly-released companion for all of the humbugs in your life.

2. JibJab Movies from Pepsi - JibJab's always been an innovator in this field, and they don't disappoint this year with dual Hanukkah and Christmas themed animations. There seems to be a little elf action going on in the snowball fight one, and there's definitely a shot to the private parts invovled, so how can you go wrong?

3. SnowJoke from The Weather Channel - You know holiday animations have arrived when The Weather Channel is getting in on the fun, and their highly customizable offering does not disappoint. Put your significant other in a 'couple' with Abe Lincoln for guaranteed laughs.

4. Avoid the Regift from Panasonic - This one's a little too corporate at times, but it gets points for the ability to add up to 6 photos of your nearest and dearest. And who knows? When deployed strategically on your gift-challenged relatives, this could deliver your best holiday haul yet!

5. Lord of the Strings from The Tennis Channel - We're not sure what tennis has to do with Yuletide cheer, but we know you won't want to miss out on the chance to watch your face of choice perform strange stretches before being pelted with tennis balls. And hey, it's called 'Lord of the Strings'! Get it?

BONUS: While some are wrapped up in the holidays, the cooler ones among us are in the throes of fantasy football playoffs. Your trash talk is sure to stand out with this little number from Coke. And whatever season you may be enjoying, here's hoping it's e-toon-tastic!
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Losing Face on Facebook - Five True Stories

by Colin McDonald, posted Nov 16th 2007 at 6:02PM



Facebook is all over the news lately, but the headlines aren't all about valuations and advertising - there's been plenty of good old-fashioned sex and scandal as well. Here's a roundup of recent and not-so-recent misfortunes that have befallen those who carelessly post pictures on the limelight-stealing social networking site -- you'd think that people would have learned by now. Whether it's the fuzz or a hilarious Hindi a cappella group (see video above), you never know who might be prowling through your profile. As a public service, we offer our top five cringeworthy Facebook humiliations.
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Losing Face on Facebook - True Stories

by Colin McDonald, posted Nov 16th 2007 at 2:10PM


Facebook is going to rewrite the book on standard office excuses, at least for its shortsighted users. Kevin Colvin, an intern at Anglo Irish bank, thought that had an ironclad story when he asked off to attend to a "family emergency." When his boss was alerted to this fresh picture posted to his Facebook profile during his absence, that story lost just a tad of its believability -- unless he was curing Aunt Hattie with his magical powers and a potent hoppy elixir. We're sure that posting the picture seemed like a good idea at the time, Kevin, but you were sadly mistaken. Same goes for that costume.
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Losing Face on Facebook - True Stories

by Colin McDonald, posted Nov 16th 2007 at 2:09PM



This story -- women who show little discretion in their alcohol consumption and even less when documenting their misadventures on their profiles -- seems to have started the most recent wave of Facebook embarrassments. While it's difficult for many to understand the personal pride and motivation behind such excess, it's even more mind-boggling to know that these exploits are being glorified online for all to see. Mom must be proud, and potential employers are surely beating down the doors.

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Losing Face on Facebook - True Stories

by Colin McDonald, posted Nov 16th 2007 at 2:07PM



Students at Glen Ridge High School in New Jersey were shocked and confused when the news trucks rolled up to get the scoop on a set of Facebook photos. Obtained by a nosy parent, the pictures featured underage drinking that led to the suspension of school athletes. Many saw the role of the photos in the punishments as legally questionable, but despite organized protests and other umbrage, many students opted to just take their own racy Facebook pictures down as soon as possible. Live and learn, everyone -- just don't post visual evidence of it happening on your profile.
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