In Blairsville, Ga., as in most American towns, gossip is dished out with the daily special at the local diner. But now there's a new forum called Topix that spreads gossip as fast as the Internet connection allows. And unlike the diner, where you know the person you're talking to, Topix uses only screen names.
The combination of small-town familiarity -- everyone knows each other -- anonymity and instant dissemination compounds the impact when gossip is aimed at a neighbor or small business. Words on a web page -- permanent, searchable and bearing the authority of the (digitally) printed word -- are different from hearsay that can be forgotten or laughed off. They can ruin someone's life.
Ask Gene Cooley. Cooley grew up in and around Blairsville. In 2008 he was living in town, a divorced father of two young boys who was holding down a job as a hair stylist.
He had been given a second chance at love. He was engaged to Paulette Harper, who, together with her daughter, was getting ready to start a new life with Cooley.
"She was a wonderful girl," Cooley said in an interview with "20/20" Anchor Chris Cuomo. "She had a beautiful heart, a beautiful soul."
Yet before their new life could begin, Harper's ex took it all away.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
3 comments:
In some areas,like my former hometown,Topix is hopping and full of stories and comments.Our local Topix in Salisbury is a snoozefest.Except for a few incindiary posts from yrs back its dullsville.
"I have caught a preacher's wife. I have caught people that work in the courthouse. 9-1-1 operators. These bastards are doing character assassination. And then they're just tripping off, thinking they got away with it. Well they don't get away with it anymore," Stookey said.
Imagine that. So called professionals and pillars of society making these kind of posts. Hope they bust them all.
1:59 PM
I agree. I used to be an editor there but you really can't do much other than post stories and comment. You can't remove any comments or people so an editor on Topix is just a glorified 'story poster'.
I just eventually just quit going on that site. Not many people commented anyway and when someone did, it wasn't worth posting or reading, usually. There was one or two that were okay but that was it.
It's more like a place for people to vent, in a bad way.
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