hashtaggers

Users of online social networks, who frequently engage other people in various kinds of online word games, always identified with a clever or descriptive hashtag that identifies a stream of similar messages. Users wanting to play, simply follow the gametag, and append it to their messages whenever they want to submit an entry to the game stream.

Some Hashtaggers have created hundreds of gametags, including very popular ones like #NewOscarAwards and #ballonBoyBookTitles.

443👍 290👎

Overton slider

A politician or media personality who continuously discusses extremists and extreme positions about public policy or cultural values so as to help slide a metaphorical "window" of acceptance over views what were once considered radical and far outside the mainstream. By often illustrating or focusing discussion on the extreme and radical exceptions and outliers, the previously unacceptable extremes will appear less extreme, and soon come to be seen as a broadly held public view. And once this occurs, it can be voiced, debated, accepted, and generally framed or enacted as a serious premise or rationale for a policy or behavior.

On the air, the talk show host continuously featured guests talking about placing armed troops, and even land mines on the nation's borders, when his true position was a far less radical policy of better enforcement of immigration laws and policy. He was clearly another in a growing army of Overton sliders who have achieved a disturbing level of prominence in modern broadcasting.

735👍 393👎

Concorporative

Conservatism + Corporatism (ADJ)

Reflecting the convergence of influences between and among Fox News, Social Conservatism and Corporatism.

CNN, and most of the major media outlets, reflect their concorporative nature when they hire analysts from the Republican party, and routinely ask them to analyze Progressives, Democrats, or their positions.

738👍 399👎

Puritopian

A Puritopian is a self-described liberal or progressive whose political orientation is to be angry, dissatisfied and unhappy with the state of the nation, because in their view, liberal policies are not being implemented quickly or forcefully enough. They have particular contempt for Democratic presidents.

They are ideological purists who disdain compromise and incremental change, which they see as "selling out" liberal ideas like full employment, an end to war, and liberal social policy. Their views can often sound like utopian fantasy where opposing views never exist.

Puritopians dislike Republicans but reserve their greatest disdain for Democratic presidents, whom they relentlessly attack for not meeting a set of ideological goal posts that are constantly adjusted to ensure that the president will be deemed a disappointment, "not progressive enough" or "just like a Republican" no matter what policy achievements are made.

Puritopians routinely dismiss or ignore congress' role in making or impeding policy, believing presidents can simply "use the bully pulpit" in order to overcome constitutional or legislative obstacles.

Puritopians have an affinity for 3rd party politics as a way to punish Democratic presidents. They are especially hostile to President Obama and deem anyone who expresses a lack of ill will toward him to be "Obamabots" and enemies of liberalism.

Puritopian supersedes Emo Progressive. (Seen as too pejorative).

Example1: After Eric Holder announced congress had blocked the Justice Department from trying 9/11 mastermind KSM in civilian court, social networks lit up with puritopians complaining that President Obama had broken his campaign promise to end military tribunals. Their criticism did not mention congressional Democrats who helped block Holder.

Example2: Puritopians dismissed healthcare reform as a failure, saying President Obama should have used the bully pulpit to achieve a single payer system, despite the fact that Sen. Harry Reid made it clear that such a plan could not pass the Senate.

873👍 419👎

Grass Tag

A #hashtag used on Twitter, Facebook at other social media that is conceived by a business or organization to promote a product, issue, event position, or goal in a way that seems to have been spawned by a "grass roots" movement.

Sometimes called "astroturf tags," these symbolic tokens are often created by professional public relations firms or their media consultants as part of a broader public awareness (or propaganda) campaign. Many social media users, generally interested in the topics that the tags seem to represent, will often start using the tags in their own messages, unaware of the corporate, private, or other agendas that may lie behind them.

The Grass Tag #energyTomorrow was created by the American Petroleum Institute to spam twitter with pro-energy industry propaganda.

717👍 378👎

Exfoxiate

(v) Fox News + Exfoliate

The act of scraping away dead brain cells after any prolonged exposure to a Fox News broadcast.

After watching nearly 90 seconds of Glenn Beck, Betty ran to the bathroom to exfoxiate.

778👍 385👎

Astrotweet

A political message posted to Twitter (or other social network), which is written by skilled writers working for political organizations, and meant to appear as if it was generated as spontaneous political expression by ordinary citizens.

The attacks on the Congressman were not sincere posts by citizens, but rather, the output of a well orchestrated astrotweet campaign.

889👍 531👎