Naked Gawker

When Gawker Media's lead story's headline in its "News" page read "Gawker Media Leading the Way in the Evolution of Modern Media," they probably didn't have the hacking phenomenon in mind. Perhaps Gawker's editors and owner Nick Denton will reconsider its stance in light of the recent hacking of its user database. Over one and one-half million accounts were compromised in the hackers' action against Gawker.

For some, Gawker had it coming. It dishes celebrities, roasts politicians, reveals compromising corporate information. That "transparency" about others, while maintaining a rigorous privacy about one's own life, made Gawker a juicy target. Bringing down Gawker offered satisfaction for some who experienced Gawker's revelations. One wonders how Gawker will proceed, and how many users will trust their contact information to a third party database.