Xeni Jardin

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person Xeni Jardin (Template:IPAc-en; born Jennifer Hamm, August 5, 1970) is an American weblogger, digital media commentator,<ref name="Wikipedia worries" /> and tech culture journalist.<ref name="homepage">Template:Cite web</ref> She is known as a former co-editor of the collaborative weblog Boing Boing, a former contributor to Wired Magazine and Wired News, and a former 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 PBS NewsHour, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and ABC.

Life and work

Jardin was born in Richmond, Virginia, on August 5, 1970. 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.<ref name=jardin /> Her brother, Carl M. Hamm, retained their family name, and is a Richmond, Virginia-based disc jockey, who performs under the stage name "DJ Carl Hamm" (formerly, "DJ Carlito").<ref name="virginialiving/music">Template:Cite web</ref>

Jardin previously stated that she preferred the name "Xeni Jardin" over her given name.<ref name=jardin>Behold, the wizard of blogs. (Piccalo, Gina). Los Angeles Times, 10 April 2005. Retrieved 10 August 2012.</ref> "Xeni" is short for "Xeniflores,"<ref>Xeni derives from the Greek xenos = foreign.</ref> while "jardin" is the Spanish and French word for "garden".<ref name="jardin" /> In May 2021, Jardin stated that she had been given this name by someone who had abused her,<ref name=11_May_Tweet>Template:Cite tweet</ref> and she was now moving back to using her legal name.<ref name=11_May_Tweet/>

Prior to becoming a journalist, she was site editor for travel agency Traveltrust,<ref>Hamm, Xeniflóres (1997). Traveltrust.com via Internet Archive</ref> then Supervisor of Enterprise Web Technology for Latham & Watkins<ref>Hamm, Xeni Jardin (July 14, 1999). UKNM: That pesky Euro symbol. Template:Webarchive via chinwag.com</ref> before working at Quaartz, an internet calendaring startup.<ref>Kirkpatrick, David and Daniel Roth (January 10, 2005). Why There's No Escaping the Blog. Fortune Template:Webarchive</ref>

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 AlleyTemplate:'s 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.<ref name=jardin /> Jardin has written op-ed pieces for The New York Times<ref>Jardin, Xeni (March 9, 2006). Exporting Censorship. The New York Times</ref> and the Los Angeles Times.<ref>Jardin, Xeni, (September 25, 2006), You authors are saps to resist Googling Template:Webarchive, Los Angeles Times.</ref> She has been the main source of an article in The Age talking about the cultural relevance of Wikipedia articles,<ref name="Wikipedia worries">"Wikipedia Worries", Rob O'Neill, The Age.</ref> and the source for a New York Times article discussing Boing BoingTemplate:'s part in the creation of the Flying Spaghetti Monster internet meme.<ref>But Is There Intelligent Spaghetti Out There?", Boxer, Sarah, The New York Times.</ref>

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,<ref>Jardin, Xeni. Xeni Tech. Day to Day, NPR. Retrieved May 1, 2006.</ref> and has appeared as a guest on the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer to discuss The Washington PostTemplate:'s decision to remove their comments section (a step Boing Boing had also taken).<ref>Lehrer, Jim (January 24, 2006). Post Web Site Silences Public Comments After a Flood of Complaints. NewsHour with Jim Lehrer</ref> She has made appearances on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and ABC World News Tonight,<ref name=jardin /> and was featured on the BBC Radio 5 show Pods and Blogs discussing her work at Boing Boing.<ref>BBC Radio 5, Pods and Blogs.</ref> Jardin was the host and executive producer of the Webby recognized Boing Boing Video series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Boing Boing Video (originally branded as Boing Boing TV) was initially offered exclusively on Virgin America flights in 2007.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Alongside technology and culture, Jardin has been covering the aftermath and atrocities that resulted from the Guatemalan Civil War since 2007.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2008, Jardin was the executive producer of the web series SPAMasterpiece Theater.<ref name="Jardin 2010">Template:Cite web</ref> Each episode features a dramatization of email spam, while the later episodes featured dramatic readings of email spam by humorist John Hodgman. In the third episode "Love Song of Kseniya," Jardin reads her own email spam.<ref name="Jardin 2008c">Template:Cite web</ref>

A June 2008 controversy over Jardin's deleting from public view all posts and links associated with sex blogger Violet Blue in the wake of a falling-out led to discussionsTemplate:Amongst whomst? about journalism ethics and standards and media transparency.<ref name="cohen2008">Cohen, Noam (July 7, 2008). Poof! You’re Unpublished. The New York Times</ref><ref name="sarno2008a">Sarno, David BoingBoing's Xeni Jardin on unpublishing the Violet Blue posts Los Angeles Times Template:Webarchive</ref><ref name="sarno2008b">Sarno, David BoingBoing bloggers talk about Violet Blue controversy's implications Los Angeles Times Template:Webarchive</ref>

On December 1, 2011, she live-blogged her first mammogram, which returned a positive diagnosis of breast cancer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Since her treatment and recovery she has become an outspoken advocate for the Affordable Care Act.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2012, Jardin became one of the initial supporters of the Freedom of the Press Foundation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In December 2016, after a dispute with Julian Assange regarding the supposed relations between WikiLeaks and the Trump campaign, she resigned from its board, citing health reasons.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2019, Jardin replied "Homie what set you from" on Twitter, after claiming that Nancy Pelosi was "gangsta checkin'" Donald Trump and that only people from Los Angeles would understand.<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref> This, and her tweets claiming that Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell were both gay,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> garnered a decent amount of media backlash.

In February 2021, Jardin left Boing Boing.<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref>

External links

• Template:Official website
• Xeni Jardin at Boing Boing
• Template:Triangulation