Commentary

Just An Online Minute... Glamour Gets A 'Don't' Of Its Own

Glamour magazine has already had to retreat from its most recent Web 2.0 venture that invited Web users to upload their own "Glamour Don't" photos.

It seems that Glamour readers have a lot of pent-up hostility--and time on their hands. Users started posting pictures of women in various outfits and styles, along with unflattering commentary.

Among the most famous of the new "Glamour Don'ts" of the last several weeks was Coutorture blogger Julie Fredrickson. Someone posted recognizable photos of her, complete with commentary on her fashion sense, on the site. What's more, the photos appeared to have come from her own Flickr account.

One shot showing her wearing a cardigan and print skirt had text reading, "22 year old Grandma." (She reprinted the photo and blogged about it on her own personal blog, "Almost Girl," in addition to complaining to Glamour.)

Unlike the magazine, in which the fashion victims in the "Glamour Don't" spreads have black bars obscuring their eyes, Fredrickson and others in the online photos are completely identifiable.

Now, Glamour has decided to more carefully monitor the pictures, according to a report in today's Women's Wear Daily. The magazine will screen photos before they go live on the site--a process that will take at least 24 hours. And, in a few weeks, the site supposedly will employ technology that automatically places a black bar over the eyes of the "Don'ts."

Magazines like Glamour are only beginning to fully embrace the Web and, as they invite user comments, are realizing that unmoderated forums can quickly devolve into forums for personal attacks. In other words, maintaining user-generated content requires a lot more editorial work than simply giving consumers a platform upon which to upload their material.

Next story loading loading..