Flaming is the act of posting messages that are deliberately hostile and insulting, usually in the social context of a discussion board on the Internet. Such messages are called flames, and are sometimes posted in response to flamebait. Flaming is said by some to be one of a class of economic problems known as The Tragedy of the Commons, when a group holds a resource (in this case, communal attention), but each of the individual members has an incentive to overuse it. Flamers usually call their flames justified attacks.

Although the trading of insults is as old as humanity, flaming on the Internet, like many other online 'actions', started in the Usenet hierarchies (although it was known to occur in the WWIVnet and FidoNet computer networks as well). A flame may have elements of a normal message, but is distinguished by its intent. A flame is typically not intended to be constructive, to further clarify a discussion, or to persuade other people. The motive for flaming is often not dialectic, but rather social or psychological. Sometimes, flamers are attempting to assert their authority, or establish a position of superiority. Occasionally, flamers wish to upset and offend other members of the forum, in which case they are trolls. Most often however, flames are angry or insulting messages transmitted by people who have strong feelings about a subject. Finally, some consider flaming to be a great way to let off steam, though the receiving party may be less than pleased.

Similarly, a normal, non-flame message may have elements of a flame -- it may be hostile, for example -- but it is not a flame if it is seriously intended to advance the discussion.

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TechCrunch

Elevator Pitch Friday: Challenge Your Fellow Man
Henry Work Sat, 30 Aug 2008 02:11:36 -0000
After missing a few weeks, Elevator Pitch Friday is back with a vengeance. This week's featured video comes to us from a self-funded, young male oriented, yet-to-launch startup called BeTheBetterMan.com, with the pitch delivered by founder Eric Mayville.
Some CrunchBase API Stats and Apps
Henry Work Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:58:44 -0000
Six weeks ago we launched an API for our technology database, CrunchBase. The idea was to give away lots of clean, structured data about the companies we cover, data that could be used to build new services and improve upon existing ones. Since then we've seen a number of impressive things built on top of the API. And the traffic has started to add up: between July 15th and August 15th we fulfilled nearly 800,000 API requests, compared to ~1.3m page views for the website itself. We now have over 15 projects hooked up to CrunchBase with many others on the way. Developers interested in using CrunchBase data for their own projects should check out the API documentation. Today we wanted to highlight a few of the more sophisticated product integrations to date.
The Mysterious Ways Of Apple’s Top Apps List
Jason Kincaid Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:24:27 -0000
Apple's App Store is quickly becoming a hotbed for elite developers looking to capitalize on the store's easy distribution model and huge exposure opportunities. Since the store's launch less than two months ago, we've seen reports of apps reaching massive user bases and and collecting millions of dollars. But while the store has seen its share of its successes, it also has its flaws - most notably in the way it exposes users to apps in the first place.
Is The iPhone Coming To China?
Jason Kincaid Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:30:18 -0000
A rumor is circulating that the iPhone may be finally making its way to China. The original source of the rumor is China Communications, which has cited a China Mobile insider as its source. According to the source, China Mobile will be offering the iPhone at a heavily subsidized discount in order to court the massive Chinese population, many of whom would have trouble affording an unsubsidized phone.
Ok Someone At Google Is Just Messing With My Head
Michael Arrington Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:29:48 -0000
A couple of days ago I posted an email that I received from Google letting me know that I wouldn't be able to attend a Google/Vanity Fair party at the Democratic National Convention that I never knew about and didn't ask to go to. Other people who also didn't know about the party received the same email. Today I get another email, also from Google, inviting me to attend the mirror party at the Republican Convention in Minneapolis next Thursday. Is this for real or are they just going to cancel on me again? Get out of my head, Google. I will not be fooled into RSVPing only to have you kick me out later. :-) Email is below:
Seeds Of A Social Network: Blogger Adds New “Following” Feature
Mark Hendrickson Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:14:16 -0000
Blogger has announced a new "following" feature that enables members to list themselves as fans of other members' blogs. By following a set of blogs, your username and avatar will not only show up among other followers in a MyBlogLog-like gadget that can be placed in the sidebars of these blogs. You can also view the latest posts from the blogs you follow in a special feed reader on the Blogger dashboard.

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