As of today, the Internet and politics have existed side-by-side for four presidential elections now, but 2012 will live on, for better or worse, as the first social media election. Whether snarking up Big Bird and fallen doobies or letting everyone know that the early voting lines were snaking around City Hall, Twitter, Facebook and other apps have been utilized like never before this year. With one potentially long night of Twitter headaches left, NoDef sat down with local social media guru Bradley Charlesworth for some tips on where to find election news, when to hold 'em and further assessment about the medium's impact on this year's vote.

By now, we're used to Sen. David Vitter being at the center of controversy involving the opposite sex and social media. But this time, it involves both. After a textless Tweet he sent to a 20-year-old New Orleans woman was deleted (but preserved here), questions started to swirl, and in the meantime Gawker dug up a string of deleted Tweets from the woman, Daysha Scott, that seemed to suggest she had some dirt.

by Mary-Devon Dupuy

Today's Internet Oops comes from Congressman John Fleming, or staffer. The Minden, La.-based Congressman spoke too soon when he posted an article from The Onion on his Facebook wall with the caption, “More on planned parenthood, abortion by the wholesale.” Had he done just a tiny bit of research, he would have realized that the wildly popular publication was entirely satirical and, in fact, poking fun at critics of Planned Parenthood.

Their pizza may be naked, but their social media comes with extra toppings. This week, the Wall Street Journal profiled the Twitter exploits of local golden biz boys Robbie Vitrano and Jeff Leach, of Naked Pizza. Sounds awful, but apparently the pair's Tweets aren't all about their hatred for freaky chemicals. They're about their hatred of the food industry. But they're just joshin'. And, you know, pulling in investment money just from their Tweets.

Metro New Orleans has been casting a wayward eye to coyotes recently, but the rest of the state's attention has been commanded by the silver fox.

With the BATmobile's stealth on their side, the NOPD hoped they had all the tools to keep the locations of their frequent DWI checkpoints a secret. But it seems the Batcomputer may have made a small miscalculation, and overlooked the power of social media. Recently, a Facebook page appeared that provides the checkpoint locations, much to the cops' chagrin. Last night, the page alerted drivers to a checkpoint at Coconut Beach, and another at the corner of St. Charles Ave. and Polymnia St. 

Hey, remember (ten years ago) when MTV cared about music? Well today Music Television finds its roots and goes viral with the new Music Meter, a top 100 chart for the 'Social Media' Age'. The same people that brought you a Jerry Springer spring break now provide an online chart that maps the digital activity and sales surrounding up and coming artists making their way via the web.

At a certain pre-storm time and sub-cultivation-plot place, Supagroup occupied a unique place in the NOLA rock 'n roll scene. Now, on the heels of the inevitable post-wide-eyed period of marriage, and coffee, the band's back together. Tonight, they'll play Tipitina's with newer jacks Happy Talk Band and BRAH. To herald their return, the band is planning to strut out some riffs on Facebook for fans to choose. One will become their new song. How about entrusting some wordsmiths with the name, eh guys?

The NOPD completed a crucial change in practices this week that undoubtedly comes as a benchmark in the "complete transformation" described in every press release detailing a purse snatching and safe Bayou Classic. In the midst of civil rights investigations and federal intervention, the Department upgraded their Facebook presence from a "friend profile" to a full-blown "fan page," a press release states. Here at NoDef, this seismic shift has us playing yet another edition of (gulp) fantasy Facebook. That's where you come in, faithful Defenders. Post your (un)idealized Ronal Serpas, et al status updates in the comments section!

On websites you've never heard of there's a story circulating that local YouTube comedian Messy Mya was murdered by gunshot last night in the 7th Ward. Aside from the fact that there are a lot of videos already available on the Internet to look back at here, the story is gaining legs because someone who was at the scene took pictures of the body and posted the apparently-grisly images on Twitter. The most surreal part is, at this point we don't even know his real name.