The Lonelygirl15 Hoax - Home Schooled Entertainment Or Viral Marketing?

Do you remember where you were when Lonelygirl15 was exposed as a hoax? Perhaps the revelation was not quite worthy of such importance, but it is the case that millions of people were not only wondering, but, more importantly, watching- for months on end. Was this one of the most successful attempts at viral marketing in history, and if so, what was being marketed? First, a little back ground for those who haven’t been connected to the Internet or exposed to mass media in the past few weeks. Social Networking on Digital Video Online exhibitionism is a social blockbuster. Sites like MySpace (56 million members) and FaceBook(9 million members) have proven to be enormously popular websites where those who engage in the no-fee registration can post personal profiles, daily blogs and photos and develop lists of cyber-friends along with cyber-groups with whom to “c...