That Jacket Was Once A Plastic Bottle: Aquafina/Sam's Club in Support of Recycling

Saabira Chaudhuri — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:46:20 -0500

In keeping with the holiday spirit, bottled water manufacturer Aquafina, along with retail chain Sam's Club has handed out 25,000 fleece jackets to 100 schools.

At first glance, the news is just another instance of corporate philanthropy – laudable but nothing to really bat an eyelid at. What's interesting about the effort: the jackets are actually made out of 189 million recycled bottles.

Criminalizing False Identities: The End of Online Anonymity?

Saabira Chaudhuri — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:55:25 -0500

Lying about your identity on the Internet may no longer just earn you the scorn of your fellow online users – it could also be a criminal, jailable offense.

Last week, a jury arrived at a decision on the Lori Drew (the Myspace mom whose actions led to the suicide of a 13-year old girl) case. The jury found Drew guilty of three misdemeanor charges, each punishable by up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine, of accessing computers without authorization. No verdict was reached on the main charge of conspiracy -- a mistrial was declared.

American Apparel Aims to Bring Down "Celebrity Ambulance Chasing" Lawyer

Saabira Chaudhuri — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:36:03 -0500

The Keith Fink/Dov Charney (lawyer who confirms all bad lawyer stereotypes/American Apparel CEO) standoff just got uglier.

Nipples, Nudity and a Small Striptease: American Apparel's New Ad Campaign

Saabira Chaudhuri — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:38:47 -0500

Known for being fearlessly risqué, American Apparel has yet again used shock tactics to its advantage. Its latest effort: using nudity to sell clothes. The company has rolled out a banner ad that displays a topless model – boobs, nipples and a tantalizing unzipping of her top.

Fast Food Ads = Fat Children?

Saabira Chaudhuri — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:56:35 -0500

A causal relationship between fast food ads on TV and obesity rates in children has been established. This according to a study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research, which revealed that a fast food TV ban for children's programming would reduce obesity rates by 14-18%, with effects being more pronounced for males and younger children.

All Beef and No Brand: McDonald's Goes Faceless to Sell Burgers in Japan

Saabira Chaudhuri — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:13:52 -0500

Earlier this month, McDonald's rolled out its famous quarter pounder in Japan – but to regular passersby, there was no apparent connection between the smell of burgers and the world's largest fast food chain.

Digg Bans 20-30 Users for Hate Speech In Response to Fast Company's Women in Web 2.0

Saabira Chaudhuri — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:03:37 -0500

After Fast Company's Women in Web 2.0 article and the subsequent blog post that followed both ended up on Digg, I talked to Beth Murphy, the site's Director of Marketing and Communications, about Digg's culture, its problems and policies.

Why Sexist/Offensive Comments Online Should Not Be Tolerated

Saabira Chaudhuri — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:57:32 -0500

Fast Company's Women in Web 2.0 article caused a minor uproar in the Digg community when I called out several commenters who posted comments that I, and many of the women I interviewed for the piece, found overtly sexist and/or

Comment on Node ant

Saabira Chaudhuri — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:02:12 -0500

To clarify, as the introduction to the piece clearly states, "our list wasn't chosen by star power, nor by career altitude." Rather, we judged each candidate on a single criterion: has she definitively changed the way we interact online? Some of these women gave us new tools to speak to one another. Others put those tools in more people’s hands. Still others are thought leaders, attempting to simplify and enhance how we interact online. We offered you these names knowing our list would spark debate.

Sexist, Sexist and More Sexist: Digg Responds to Fast Company's Women in Web 2.0

Saabira Chaudhuri — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:04:55 -0500

It's been one week since the country elected its first black president. All eyes are on America. Words like hope, change and forward thinking are being bandied about like never before. The US is a developed country right? Obama in office is proof of just how developed right? America can once again settle comfortably back into its undisputed position as world leader yes? After all, the nation sets an example for the rest of the world, particularly countries in which equal rights are not yet affirmed. Right?