#trending

(Photo by Adam Brimer/News Sentinel)

The countdown has begun — and it’s now less than a week until Bonnaroo 2013 commences.

Bonnaroo, of course, is a music festival that takes place in Manchester, Tenn., on a 700-acre farm. About 80,000 campers congregate to listen to more than 150 musical performances on more than 10 stages. There’s music, art, comedy — and lots more.

Social media is an essential part of the Bonnaroo experience, whether you’re on the farm or watching from afar.

One of the quintessential go-to places for keeping tabs on ’Roo is the Bonnaroo team. Aside from their official website, they have a strong presence on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram and Tumblr. They do it all, and they do it well.

Spotify is one of the newer tools the Bonnaroo staff has embraced, and it’s the perfect medium. It’s a digital music service that gives users on-demand access to millions of tracks. For those wanting to get in the Bonnaroo spirit, the team has compiled a playlist featuring the 2013 lineup.

The team will also be continuing its recent tradition of livestreaming some of the performances for those who can’t attend this year. The ‘Roo webcast will broadcast live on Ustream starting Friday, June 14.

(Photo by Adam Brimer/News Sentinel)

But when it comes down to Bonnaroo and social media, there is a clear winner — and it’s Twitter. According to data released by the social network after last year’s festival wrapped up, there were a total of 32,000 mentions of Bonnaroo. And across all social sites, Twitter accounted for 91 percent of all mentions of ‘Roo.

This year, the official hashtag for the event is simple — #bonnaroo. There are bound to be other versions and sub-hashtags, but for a steady stream of ‘Roo-related posts, that’s the safest bet.

The reality is Bonnaroo serves as an annual check-up on the state of social media. New and old tools alike are put to the test, and we learn a lot in the process.

One of those new tools that will likely change the game this year is Vine, which some call a mix between YouTube and Instagram. It’s a new app that allows users to capture and share short, looping videos — almost like animated GIFs with audio.

(LiL iFFy. Photo by Rachel Wise)

Vine also happens to be a favorite among the members of rap act LiL iFFy, the only Knoxville artist invited to this year’s Bonnaroo.

“I like how easy it is to use and the ability to crudely edit together tiny, six-second films,” said Thomas Thibus, producer for LiL iFFy. “It’s super simple and super effective.”

Hip-hop acts and Bonnaroo might not seem like a natural pair, but you’d be surprised.

A couple of years ago, VH1 analyzed data culled from social media and found that hip-hop and rap artists crushed the competition on social media.

It may seem surprising that hip-hop would dominate anything at Bonnaroo, the giant music festival (and party) that began in Tennessee a decade ago with hippie-ish jam bands and roots rock. But this is what we discovered when using Next Big Sound to gather social media stats on all 150 or so acts on the lineup.

At knoxville.com, we’ve found similar results. I compiled a list of the top 10 most-watched Bonnaroo performance videos that we’ve posted over the years, and the top 2? Eminem and Lil Wayne. In fact, hip-hop artists comprise 4 of the total top 10.

It’s fitting, then, that this year, we have chosen to team up with LiL iFFy. Members of the Harry Potter rap group will be sharing content and allowing our readers to see the festival from a unique point of view.

(Photo by AP/Keystone, Martial Trezzini)

“We’ll share (posts) of various acts and behind-the-scenes stuff,” said Thibus, who performs under the name DJ Tom Ato. “It would be awesome to get some Vines of us with other artists.”

Keep an eye on knoxville.com and @bonnaroonews on Twitter in the days leading up to the festival. We’ll be sharing some of our archived content as well as helpful tips for this year’s festival.

Ever since the 2010 documentary “Catfish” was released, I’ve been fascinated by this idea of elaborate Internet dating hoaxes. The notion that someone would dedicate so much time to building a fake life and extensive fake network of friends and family, and use it to deceive others — frankly, it blew my mind.

So when the Manti Te’o scandal came to light last week, I grew equally as fascinated. Not only was the story so bizarre and, at this point still somewhat mysterious, but it’s happened so publicly. The bottom line is questions must be answered.

Getting ‘catfished’

In case you’ve never heard of the term, here’s a little about its origin.

(Filmmakers Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost and Nev Schulman, from left.)

The term “catfish” comes from a 2010 documentary film of the same name, in which a young New Yorker named Nev Schulman has an online relationship with a woman on Facebook that turns out to be much different than it appears. It’s hard to say much more without giving away the ending.

I saw this in theaters when it came out, and it made me think. I’d definitely recommend it. But it didn’t stop there — the film spawned a TV show that debuted recently on MTV. It has a similar premise: People who have developed online relationships seek to learn more about their purported lovers, often discovering unexpected realities.

The Manti Te’o tie-in

I’m pretty sure the world did a collective “HUH?!” when a Jan. 16 Deadspin article came out, saying that Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o’s girlfriend — the one who allegedly died of leukemia the same day his grandmother died, and who was at the center of many, many news stories — never existed in the first place.

(Notre Dame star linebacker Manti Te’o after the Nov. 12 game.)

The article revealed that it was all an elaborate hoax. It asserted that Lennay Kekua, the college girl whom Te’o had talked very publicly about and whom he told the world he loved, was a complete fabrication. The details in the story seemed to indicate there was a very complicated web of lies behind this hoax.

It was, and continues to be, largely a mystery. Details are still coming out; reports are still being investigated. But, to me, it indicates something even bigger: Te’o is insisting he’s been “catfished.”

Hitting close to home

Of course, whenever I take on a topic for a column, I try to find some kind of local, East Tennessee tie-in. I want to help make issues relatable for our readers. So it seemed a bit too good to be true when I saw this tweet by Cami Webb:

Cami Webb, a Gatlinburg native and UT grad currently living in Orlando, had been contacted out of the blue by Christopher Waldron, a student at Syracuse. Waldron alerted her that someone was using her photos to do some “catfishing” of their own.

“So this Te’o thing got me thinking. There’s been this drop dead beautiful girl flirting with me on Facebook. Profile is pretty sketch and no one knows her. I did a reverse picture search and this person is using your pictures. It’s odd but I knew something was up. Name is Venessa Beckwith in Oswego, NY… Who does not exist,” Waldron wrote to Webb.

Webb was startled by the random email.

“I initially was shocked, and then felt taken advantage of. This person was using my images to apparently flirt with random guys on the Internet. Even more discomforting was that the profile had been up since 2011. It makes me wonder if there are other imposters out there that I may very well never find,” Webb told me.

She proceeded to message “Venessa” and report “her” to Facebook, in addition to enlisting the help of her friends to also report the profile. Although she never received a response from “Venessa,” she did hear back from Facebook days later.

“They (told me they) didn’t find anything wrong with the profile. Turns out she did end up deleting all my photos  — which is all I really wanted,” Webb said.

How to spot a ‘catfish’

Just because some people have been duped by fake online profiles doesn’t mean it isn’t OK to engage with people you don’t know online. It does, however, mean you should be more cautious.

When I asked Waldron about his experience with “Venessa” and tracking down Webb, here’s what he told me:

“It was just common sense. There was not much info on the profile, vague answers, and let’s face it, models don’t send Facebook messages to strangers for dates. … Back in the summer, I knew it was a fake profile so I did not pay much attention to it. It was when the Te’o news broke when I said ‘hmm…’ “

Waldron did a reverse image search, which led him to Webb. His advice to others?

“I just think people should pay attention to red flags and bad excuses, like they can’t meet for coffee because their cat got run over for the fifth week in a row, etc.”

Tools to help

The unfortunate truth is that these kinds of Internet dating hoaxes are more common than you might think, which is why it’s important to understand the best ways to guard against it.

“As long as we continue to be lax with our online presence, impersonation will happen,” Webb cautions.

Here are some of the best tips and tools to combat both online identity theft and being duped by a fraud.

• Understand privacy settings and how best to control them, across all digital platforms and social networking sites. Social networking is great, but too much personal information can make you an easy target. The more someone knows about you, the easier you’ll be to victimize.
  
• Use reverse-image searches such as TinEye.com to see if your photos might appear anywhere else online, or if photos of someone you’re communicating with match someone else’s.
  
• Set up a Google alert for your name. That way, whenever you’re mentioned on the Web, you’ll know. You can also set up alerts for other people’s names or specific phrases, if you’re suspicious. (It’s free, by the way.)
  
• Be wary of people you’ve met online: If you’ve never met in real life or Skyped, why not? At the very least, insist on video chatting. It’s not that hard to find a way to make it work.
• Be especially suspicious of “models.” As many have noted, models don’t typically look to strangers online for dating or companionship. (It’s possible, but unlikely.)
  
• If you want an instant kind of “proof,” have someone hold up a piece of paper with something specific written on it — your name and date, perhaps.
• Use your best judgment, always. Proceed with caution and understand that sometimes, if it seems too good to be true, it might just be.
  

Ah, it’s my favorite time in Tumblrville: time to announce Knoxville’s latest placement on a national list.

(In case you’ve somehow managed to miss our fixation on lists, you can browse past entries here. As it turns out Knoxville is the proud owner of many odd and varied titles.)

But this time Knoxville has been named one of the happiest cities in which to work. According to Forbes, Knoxville earned a score of 4.02 out of 5 total points in a list compiled by CareerBliss.

(Downtown Knoxville and Fort Loudoun Lake are seen Oct. 26, 2012. Photo by
Paul Efird/News Sentinel.)

This list — 10 happiest and 10 unhappiest cities — “is based on analysis of more than 36,000 independent employee reviews between Nov. 2011 and Nov. 2012.”

Employees all over the country were asked to evaluate ten factors that affect workplace happiness. Those include one’s relationship with the boss and co-workers, work environment, job resources, compensation, growth opportunities, company culture, company reputation, daily tasks, and control over the work done does on a daily basis.

Rounding out the top 5 happiest cities:

1. Dayton, Ohio
2. Knoxville, Tenn.
3. Honolulu, Hawaii
4. Memphis, Tenn.
5. Pittsburgh, Pa.

And the top unhappiest cities:

1. Boulder, Colo.
2. Reno, Nev.
3. Wichita, Kansas
4. Fresno, Calif.
5. Little Rock, Ark.

To read the complete lists and for a breakdown of Knoxville’s score, check out the post on Forbes.com.

Today, social photography site/app Instagram released a list of the “most-Instagrammed” places in the world for 2012. I was curious to see what the results would be, especially because the photo service is used across the globe.

In the No. 1 spot? Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand, where more than 100,000 photos were taken — and Instagrammed.

Rounding out the top 5:

• Siam Paragon, a shopping mall in Thailand
• Disneyland, the theme park in California (not the larger version, Disney World, in Orlando, Fla.)
• Times Square in New York City
• AT&T Park in San Francisco

The Instagram list goes on to include the top 10 spots, but it left me wondering: What would East Tennessee’s top spots be?

(Instagram photo by user @johnschumacher_)

My guess is that Neyland Stadium would be No. 1 for our region, followed by shots of the Smoky Mountains, Sunsphere, University of Tennessee and Downtown Knoxville/Market Square.

What do you think are some of the most-photographed places in East Tennessee?

I had several ideas for column topics this week, but when midnight Wednesday rolled around, I knew I had to abandon those options and focus on the painfully obvious: the coaching search at UT.

That’s because at just past midnight Wednesday morning, yet another seemingly unbelievable rumor surfaced, this time being reported by a Memphis TV station.

Twitter exploded. Tweet after tweet echoed the outrageous claim:

This report alleged UT had offered Jon Gruden the head coaching job, and that part of the offer would give Gruden “a piece of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, who were recently bought by Jimmy Haslam III, one of UT’s biggest boosters.”

Later Wednesday, the report was denied by the Browns and by Gruden on the Mike and Mike in the Morning podcast.

But despite a denial, the rumors continued to swirl; in fact, they swelled.

We posted a story on knoxnews.com about that rumor and the denials, but regardless, that story became our most popular story. In fact, it became the most popular story on all of the Scripps newspaper sites around the country for a solid 6 hours.

It was a non-story, but it trumped actual newsworthy articles. It was more read than the story about the Powerball increase to $550 million — which online producer Dave Goddard found surprising.

“It’s like people care more about Tennessee football than $550 million,” he said.

(Photo by Amy Smotherman-Burgess/KNS)

But why SO MUCH hype?

OK, listen. As I say in my column, which I realize is bound to offend at least some people, I wish I could stage an intervention. With Tennessee fans.

The continuous hype and never-ending rumors have gotten to me, and to many others, I’m sure. Frankly, I just don’t understand it.

As if the bogus Memphis report wasn’t bad enough, here are some of the other “Grumors” circulating:

• Jon Gruden sightings: Name a place in Knoxville, and I’m certain someone has claimed to have spotted Gruden there in the last 2 weeks
• High school tours: Tons of message board posts claim that Gruden and his sons have been touring local schools. There was even an undated, typo-ridden acceptance letter circulating on Twitter.
• Building an all-Vol staff: Many people have claimed that “sources” have told them Gruden is building an all-Vol dream team comprising former assistant coaches from across the county.

Trying to understand the mania

My reasoning is that no matter what fans say or do, or know or don’t know, it’s not going to change the decision making. Dave Hart will decide what and when he wants — and then we’ll all know. So what’s the obsession really about?

Granted, I’m not a Knoxville native. I’ve lived here for just shy of 2 years, so I’ve got a lot to learn. So, in an effort to understand this mania, I reached out to a couple of colleagues and a good friend to help.

• It’s the escapism of it. SEC football is such a huge part of Southern culture. And people here grew up either without a pro team or without a real attachment to pro team, so the Vols were it. The Vols were theirs. The obsession with all things Vols, and with the coaching search, comes down to pride. They want to be wanted, and they really don’t want to be rejected, especially by a guy like Gruden. The hype, though intense, is bonding and widespread, a kind of “regional glue.” - Dave Goddard, News Sentinel
  
  
• A coaching change is seen as a fresh start, and Gruden is seen as the savior who can get Tennessee back to the golden days. He’s so hugely popular. And the Gruden possibility seems real this time; last time it was rumored but never really taken seriously. Now, it’s in sight — and fans think “the magical, golden boy Gruden” will come to save the day. - Mike Strange, News Sentinel
  
  
• With no bowl game and no real recruiting happening until the regime change, the football team that these fans think about every minute of every day of the year is now ground to a halt. The radio silence is making everybody exceptionally crazy. And Gruden is really famous, and has a Super Bowl ring, and is heavily sought after every year. I think Tennessee fans are looking for a sign that we’re still “good enough.” We haven’t had a reason to feel worthy in a long time. - Wil Wright

(Jon Gruden in 2002. AP photo)

A very real downside

Well, some might ask, what’s wrong with a little hysteria? It may be annoying, but is it really hurting anyone?

The truth is, the hype really could come with some consequences.

Strange and Wright both made the same point: By continuing to make such a huge deal, especially surrounding Gruden, fans are setting themselves up for a monumental disappointment if he doesn’t come.

“The coaching announcement is going to come like a surprise hammer to the face if it isn’t Jon Gruden, because it reads like one more loss. Even if we get a Jimbo Fisher or Charlie Strong or some other totally capable and exciting coach,” Wright said.

My plea to Tennessee (fans)

Passion is great, but this obsession is a bit much. I wish we would all do a few things.

1. Take a deep breath.
2. Take a few steps back.
3. Take a grain of salt with every single thing you hear, ESPECIALLY on social media.

Social media as a game changer

As my friend Wil Wright put it, “This is our second coaching change in the golden age of social media, and it changes the conversation entirely.”

Now, with Twitter and Facebook as ubiquitous as they are, the rumors spread father, wider and much faster. Instead of the rumor mill being mostly contained to message boards, which are frequented by the usual suspects, the ceaseless speculation is open for all to see. And see. And see.

But so often, the speculation is nothing but completely fabricated wishes. I can’t even begin to count how many times I’ve seen random people tweet about Coach So-and-So and UT a “done deal.” “It’s official.” “Will be announced today.”

No. It won’t. Because it’s not true.

And even if something might have a shred of truth to it, you would never know because it’s drowned out by myriad falsehoods.

“It’s never been easier to perpetuate rumors. Because for every credible information leak there are 50 believable but totally fabricated rumors and they all look the same on a cell phone,” Wright said.

Want to weigh in? I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me at WiseR at knoxnews dot com or on Twitter @rkwise.

Here on #trending, we’re all about the lists. Well, I am, anyway. I love it when Knoxville lands placement on a list, whatever it might be, because it means we’re on the map.

In the past, at least on this blog, Knoxville (and sometimes East Tennessee) have been named as follows:

• Most romantic city in the U.S. (with our own Cafe 4 later being named one of the nation’s top 15 romantic restaurants)
• Oldest city in the country
• Tennessee was named 10th unhappiest state in the nation
• Morristown and Kingsport were named worst cities for singles
• One of 10 best cities for a happy marriage
• Second most sleep-deprived city

OK, so it’s not all good. But it certainly is interesting, and a pretty eclectic mix of things. The latest list, though? I’d say it’s a pretty good accolade for ol’ Knoxville.

Last week, The Atlantic wrote about a recent analysis by Economic Modeling Specialists Intl. that placed Knoxville on a list of “Cities That Can Show Us How to Create Jobs.”

The study “provides a detailed assessment of the metros that have generated the most robust job growth based on ‘unique regional factors rather than national trends,’ ” The Atlantic explains.

Knoxville didn’t land in the top 10, but it did secure a spot at No. 13.

It’s that time, Knoxville. It really is.

Time, of course, that we tell you Knoxville has landed atop yet another list.

(We do, after all, have a penchant for blogging about our fair city’s various rankings on a variety of lists. In the past, we’ve written about Knoxville’s placement as a romantic city; an unhappy city; a city of old folks; and a city of happy marriages — just to name a few, of course.)

The latest? Knoxville is listed as the No. 2 sleepless city. According to the website sleepbetter.org, Knoxville residents have a hard time getting a good night’s sleep, second only to Charleston, W.V.

The survey indicates Knoxvillians don’t get enough sleep an average of 10 days per month. And apparently 24.1% of residents don’t get enough sleep more than half the time.

The results, according to sleepbetter.org, were arrived at by analyzing “data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDCP) annual Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey (BRFSS) to rank the nation’s most sleep-deprived cities.”

The Tri-Cities area in northeast Tennessee/southwest Virginia ranked No. 6. Here are the rest of the top 10:

1. Charleston, W.V.
2. Knoxville, Tenn.
3. Paducah, Ken.
4. Colorado Springs, Colo.
5. Madison, Wis.
6. Tri-Cities, Tenn.-Va.
7. Columbus, Ohio
8. Tulsa, Okla.
9. Savannah, Ga.
10. Springfield, Mo.

Read more about the top sleepless cities here.