Xeni Jardin
Encyclopedia
Xeni Jardin is an American
weblogger, digital media commentator, and tech culture journalist
. She is known for her position as co-editor of the collaborative weblog Boing Boing
, as a contributor to Wired magazine
and Wired News
, and as a correspondent for the National Public Radio show Day to Day
. She has also worked as a guest technology news commentator for television networks such as CNN
, Fox News, MSNBC
and ABC
.
on August 5, 1970.Piccalo op cit, reports that Jardin's father "died a few weeks after Jardin's 10th birthday." Social Security Death Index
gives his death as August 1980, which would put Jardin's birthdate at 1970. The same article stated Jardin was 32 prior to her 2005 birthday, which puts her birthdate at 1972. Her father, artist Glenn B. Hamm Jr.
, died in August 1980 of ALS
. She left home at age 14, but remained in school in Richmond. Her brother, Carl M. Hamm, retained their family name, and is a Richmond, Virginia-based disc jockey, who performs under the stage name "DJ Carlito". Meanwhile, Jardin prefers the name "Xeni Jardin" over her given name
, for personal reasons. "Xeni" is short for "Xeniflores," a word with origins in Guatemala
's native culture, meaning "protector of flowers," while "jardin" is the Spanish and French word for "garden." Prior to becoming a journalist, she was site editor for travel agency
Traveltrust, then Supervisor of Enterprise Web Technology for Latham & Watkins
before working at Quaartz, an internet calendaring startup.
Her career as a journalist began in 1999 when she was associated with Jason Calacanis
's Silicon Alley Reporter
, first as a contributing editor, and later as Vice President of Silicon Alleys parent company, Rising Tide Studios
. In 2001 she became a freelance writer for Wired and other magazines, and in 2002 she began contributing to Boing Boing
after Mark Frauenfelder
met her at a party and invited her to be a co-editor. Jardin has also written op-ed
pieces for the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times
. She has also been the main source of an article in The Age
talking about the cultural relevance of Wikipedia articles, and the source for a New York Times article discussing Boing Boing's part in the creation of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
internet meme
.
Jardin is also involved in television and radio work. In 2003, she began contributing the "Xeni Tech" segment for NPR
's show Day to Day
, and has appeared as a guest on the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer to discuss the Washington Posts decision to remove their comments section (a step Boing Boing had also taken). She has also made appearances on CNN
, Fox News, MSNBC
and ABC World News Tonight. and featured on the BBC Radio 5
show Pods and Blogs discussing her work at Boing Boing.
Her work at Boing Boing has provoked some critical response. In March 2005, Jesse Andrews created a script for GreaseMonkey
that filters out Boing Boing posts by Jardin. In March 2006, Matthew N. Sharp created XeniSucks.com, which criticizes and parodies Jardin's posts on Boing Boing. Jardin posted a link to the site on Boing Boing and described it as "a total hoot" (the link is now removed). A June 2008 controversy over Jardin's deletion from public view all posts and links associated with sex blogger Violet Blue
in the wake of a falling-out led to discussions about journalism ethics and standards
and media transparency
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
weblogger, digital media commentator, and tech culture journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. She is known for her position as co-editor of the collaborative weblog Boing Boing
Boing Boing
Boing Boing is a publishing entity, first established as a magazine, later becoming a group blog.-History:...
, as a contributor to Wired magazine
Wired (magazine)
Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical, published since January 1993, that reports on how new and developing technology affects culture, the economy, and politics...
and Wired News
Wired News
Wired News is an online technology news website, formerly known as HotWired, that split off from Wired magazine when the magazine was purchased by Condé Nast Publishing in the 1990s. Wired News was owned by Lycos not long after the split, until Condé Nast purchased Wired News on July 11, 2006...
, and as a correspondent for the National Public Radio show Day to Day
Day to Day
Day to Day was a one-hour weekday American radio newsmagazine distributed by National Public Radio , and produced by NPR in collaboration with Slate. Madeleine Brand served as host since 2006...
. She has also worked as a guest technology news commentator for television networks such as CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, Fox News, MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
and ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
.
Life and work
Jardin was born in Richmond, VirginiaRichmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
on August 5, 1970.Piccalo op cit, reports that Jardin's father "died a few weeks after Jardin's 10th birthday." Social Security Death Index
Social Security Death Index
The Social Security Death Index is a database of death records created from the United States Social Security Administration's Death Master File Extract. Most persons who have died since 1962 who had a Social Security Number and whose death has been reported to the Social Security Administration...
gives his death as August 1980, which would put Jardin's birthdate at 1970. The same article stated Jardin was 32 prior to her 2005 birthday, which puts her birthdate at 1972. Her father, artist Glenn B. Hamm Jr.
Glenn B. Hamm
Glenn Bruce Hamm Jr. was a noted artist who worked and lived in Richmond, Virginia.Hamm taught art at Carlow College from 1963 to 1964, West Virginia University from 1965 to 1969 and Virginia Commonwealth University until his death from Lou Gehrig's Disease in 1980.He is the author of the art...
, died in August 1980 of ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a form of motor neuron disease caused by the degeneration of upper and lower neurons, located in the ventral horn of the spinal cord and the cortical neurons that provide their efferent input...
. She left home at age 14, but remained in school in Richmond. Her brother, Carl M. Hamm, retained their family name, and is a Richmond, Virginia-based disc jockey, who performs under the stage name "DJ Carlito". Meanwhile, Jardin prefers the name "Xeni Jardin" over her given name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
, for personal reasons. "Xeni" is short for "Xeniflores," a word with origins in Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
's native culture, meaning "protector of flowers," while "jardin" is the Spanish and French word for "garden." Prior to becoming a journalist, she was site editor for travel agency
Travel agency
A travel agency is a retail business that sells travel related products and services to customers on behalf of suppliers such as airlines, car rentals, cruise lines, hotels, railways, sightseeing tours and package holidays that combine several products...
Traveltrust, then Supervisor of Enterprise Web Technology for Latham & Watkins
Latham & Watkins
Latham & Watkins LLP is a global law firm, one of the largest in the world. Latham currently employs approximately 2,000 attorneys in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm was started in Los Angeles in 1934 and has extensive Californian roots, but its largest office is now...
before working at Quaartz, an internet calendaring startup.
Her career as a journalist began in 1999 when she was associated with Jason Calacanis
Jason Calacanis
Jason McCabe Calacanis is an American Internet entrepreneur and blogger. His first company was part of the dot-com era in New York, and his second venture, Weblogs, Inc., capitalized on the growth of blogs before being sold to AOL....
's Silicon Alley Reporter
Silicon Alley Reporter
Silicon Alley Reporter was an American trade publication focused on New York's Silicon Alley.Founded by Jason Calacanis in 1996, then was renamed the Venture Reporter in 2001 and was eventually sold to Dow Jones in 2003....
, first as a contributing editor, and later as Vice President of Silicon Alleys parent company, Rising Tide Studios
Rising Tide Studios
Rising Tide Studios is an American company that has produced news and events related to online business-to-business ventures.Founded by Jason McCabe Calacanis in 1996, their first publication, the Silicon Alley Reporter, debuted as a 16-page photocopied newsletter covering Silicon Alley in New...
. In 2001 she became a freelance writer for Wired and other magazines, and in 2002 she began contributing to Boing Boing
Boing Boing
Boing Boing is a publishing entity, first established as a magazine, later becoming a group blog.-History:...
after Mark Frauenfelder
Mark Frauenfelder
Mark Frauenfelder is a blogger, illustrator, and journalist. He is editor-in-chief of MAKE magazine and co-editor of the collaborative weblog Boing Boing. Along with his wife, Carla Sinclair, he founded the bOING bOING print zine in 1988, where he acted as editor until the print version folded in...
met her at a party and invited her to be a co-editor. Jardin has also written op-ed
Op-ed
An op-ed, abbreviated from opposite the editorial page , is a newspaper article that expresses the opinions of a named writer who is usually unaffiliated with the newspaper's editorial board...
pieces for the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
. She has also been the main source of an article in The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
talking about the cultural relevance of Wikipedia articles, and the source for a New York Times article discussing Boing Boing's part in the creation of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
Flying Spaghetti Monster
The Flying Spaghetti Monster is the deity of the parody religion the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster or Pastafarianism...
internet meme
Internet meme
The term Internet meme is used to describe a concept that spreads via the Internet. The term is a reference to the concept of memes, although the latter concept refers to a much broader category of cultural information.-Description:...
.
Jardin is also involved in television and radio work. In 2003, she began contributing the "Xeni Tech" segment for NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
's show Day to Day
Day to Day
Day to Day was a one-hour weekday American radio newsmagazine distributed by National Public Radio , and produced by NPR in collaboration with Slate. Madeleine Brand served as host since 2006...
, and has appeared as a guest on the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer to discuss the Washington Posts decision to remove their comments section (a step Boing Boing had also taken). She has also made appearances on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, Fox News, MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
and ABC World News Tonight. and featured on the BBC Radio 5
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
show Pods and Blogs discussing her work at Boing Boing.
Her work at Boing Boing has provoked some critical response. In March 2005, Jesse Andrews created a script for GreaseMonkey
Greasemonkey
Greasemonkey is a Mozilla Firefox extension that allows users to install scripts that make on-the-fly changes to HTML web page content on the DOMContentLoaded event, which happens immediately after it is loaded in the browser .As Greasemonkey scripts are persistent, the changes made to the web...
that filters out Boing Boing posts by Jardin. In March 2006, Matthew N. Sharp created XeniSucks.com, which criticizes and parodies Jardin's posts on Boing Boing. Jardin posted a link to the site on Boing Boing and described it as "a total hoot" (the link is now removed). A June 2008 controversy over Jardin's deletion from public view all posts and links associated with sex blogger Violet Blue
Violet Blue (author)
Violet Blue is an American writer and sex educator.Blue wrote a weekly sex column for the San Francisco Chronicle. In her podcast, Open Source Sex, she reads erotica and discusses topics such as fetishes and oral sex. She also has a video blog. Blue wrote a feature about porn for women which was...
in the wake of a falling-out led to discussions about journalism ethics and standards
Journalism ethics and standards
Journalism ethics and standards comprise principles of ethics and of good practice as applicable to the specific challenges faced by journalists. Historically and currently, this subset of media ethics is widely known to journalists as their professional "code of ethics" or the "canons of journalism"...
and media transparency
Media transparency
Media transparency is the concept of determining how and why information is conveyed through various means.As used in the humanities,the topic of media transparency implies openness and accountability...
.
External links
- Xeni.net: Xeni Jardin's home page
- BoingBoing Blog for which Jardin is a co-editor.