Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:JA;} I was born in Northampton in 1977, I read English at Edinburgh University and on graduation in 2000 began working for BBC News in various locations in the UK.  I worked on the Today programme, considered one of the most important news programmes in Britain, plus the BBC's political unit over the road from Big Ben. I started writing Joe is Online in 2007 and it took me 3 years, although once I quit the BBC it happened a lot more quickly.   I  began  writing  Joe  is  Online  in  2007  having  worked  for  BBC  News  during  the   upheaval  in  Iraq  following  the  allied  invasion.    During  this  time  I  became   interested  in  how  the  British  media  was  censoring  the  carnage  in  Baghdad.    I  was   also  troubled  by  the  rising  Islamaphobia  in  Britain  and  other  western  countries.     Joe  is  Online  primarily  sprang  from  these  two  sources  of  inspiration.  At  the  same  time  I  was  also  interested  in  the  growing  trend  towards   cyberterrorism  perpetuated  by  online  groups  and  internet  jihadists.   I  also   became  interested  in  the  web  footprint  being  left  by  ordinary  people  on  blogs   and  social  networks.    I  decided  to  write  an  epistolary  novel  dealing  with  these   themes,  but  incorporating  all  kinds  of  online  activity,  much  of  which  remains   retrievable  even  if  it  appears  to  be  deleted y  its  author.  I  realised  that  all  of  us  were  leaving  a  web  footprint  as  we  go  about  our  daily   lives,  one  which  will  be  difficult  to  erase.    Joe  is  Online  is  an  attempt  to  illustrate   this  and  explore  its  potential  consequences.