Are sections of Pakistani media destabilising democracy?

The ideal that journalists are impartial is followed in the breach.True, there are some who are above partisan reporting.Again it is not the journalists alone to take the blame;publishers are equally responsible .In fact proprietors dictate editorial and news policy,

The premise that Indian news papers are impartial is a myth.Only difference from other countries is that the Fourth Estate is more subtle.For instance a popular National News Channel, which also has a very good market share is so parochial and slanted in reporting that it would even attack the ruling paty at the centre, but send a comment about Sonia Gandhi,it will be promptly removed.So much for Free Media in India.(This is not to say that there are no impartial press in India).

This issue apart, the presumption that Zardari government is not corrupt and the press is out to embarrass the Govt. is so blatantly untrue even from the eyes of Indians, that it is laughable..

At times Pakistani Media seems to go overboard,anchor and participants for they have ir is the only forum to discuss, to give vent to their feelings and views.

The flip flap of Zardari on Indian planes intruding into Pak air space;Gilani’s faux paus on Kasab’s nativity and you can go on.You can not take the blame from them and pin it on the media.

Taliban is true,terrorism is true,corruption is true, Geo TV attack is true,gagging the press is true,double talk on Kashmir is true,same double talk on Us true,economic mess is true, Pakistan as a country is in danger of sliding into anarchy is true.

When the media reports it,it becomes untrue!?

Where is democracy in Pakistan to destabilize it?

Story:

Bilal Qureshi has contributed this piece for PTH. We do not necessarily agree with all the contents of this article but the issue is important enough to be debated. (RR – ed PTH)

Journalism 101, that is, the very first lesson of journalism is impartiality. In other words, journalists, at least in civilized societies don’t take any position on issues. And editors make sure that personal opinion don’t seep into the work that the journalists are assigned. This is common practice, and even in India, if you read the papers or watch their talk shows, it is impossible to associate journalists with any particular political party. So, in this light, it is utterly nauseating to see media in Pakistan, both electronic and print (especially Urdu media) engage in efforts to destabilize a democratically elected government. Especially, a channel backed up a by large paper is maliciously attacking everything that the government does day after day in print, and night after night on television.

This must be stopped.

No, this level of journalistic activism can never be defended or worse, tolerated. Zardari did the right thing when he spoke clearly and aggressively against the conspiracy theorists when he addressed a rally in Karachi.

Now, the government must come out swinging against the types of immoral, unethical, and extremely biased anchors that we see in Pakistan today.

I am not suggesting censorship, and neither am I asking the government to exert pressure on any media group with one exception. And we all know that particular channel responsible for spreading, fear and hatred and I want the government to confront the lies that this particular channel is presenting as facts.

Media, as I understand is not the answer for everything. Yes, no doubt that the media can play a very constructive role in helping societies progress and move in the right direction. However, it is with great regret that I note that the media in Pakistan, as I have observed during my extended stay in Pakistan, has become a mouth piece for those who were decisively rejected by the electorate in the last election. Worse yet, the media in Pakistan has become an apologist and an unofficial spokesmen for the Taliban. Therefore, in this extremely poisonous political environment, it is the duty of the government to strike back hard, demand explanation for the derogatory remarks and corruptions charges casually thrown around by these so-called journalists, both in print and on television.

Today, the elected government, a government that is full of people who fought not one, but two dictators, a government full of people who rejected of the offers of signing confessions and in return moving to plush ‘exiles’ in foreign countries. Today, this government is made to look like a corrupt and incompetent government, thanks to the right wing pro Taliban anchors and ‘experts and analysts’. This is simply unacceptable, period. So, on behalf of progressive, objective and non-conspiracy theorists, I ask the government to fight back, and fight back really hard, fight for your political life. Otherwise, the constant drip drip of corruption is going to stick and the people in Pakistan are going to buy into this notion that the government is actually corrupt and incompetent. I ask the government in Pakistan to take on the militant and pro Taliban right wing anti democracy, anti progress and hateful people who are trying to destroy the country by presenting the horrible Taliban as heroic fighters, which they certainly are not. And there are plenty of people in the media across Pakistan who can be persuaded to join the government in this effort to root out useless talking heads from the television. But first, the government has to aggressively hit back.

Mr. Gilllani, are you ready to save the future of Pakistan? Are you ready to stop kissing up to Nawaz Sharif and take a bold stand to defend your party, your president and your people? Are you?

http://pakteahouse.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/are-sections-of-pakistani-media-destabilising-democracy/#comment-21909

[Via http://ramanan50.wordpress.com]

My FaceBook Page is Up

Visit my Evangelistic Page on Face book. Yes I will promote social Evangelistic Events as will as Outreaches, Blogs, and fellowship with you in my Interactiive Chat Room.

Evangelist Joseph Romero on Facebook

[Via http://josephromero.wordpress.com]

Yağmur Yakup Trana facebook video klibi indir

Yağmur video klibi

Facebook kullanıcısı olarak facebookta bulunan binlerce videoyu izliyor fakat bilgisayarınıza indiremiyorsanız, Videofaz ile artık facebook videolarını bilgisayarınıza indirebilir istediğiniz zaman izleyebilirsiniz. İşte adres : facebook video indir. Saniyeler içerisinde bilgisayarınıza indirebilirsiniz.

Yağmur şarkısının sözleri

Dinmedi damladı kasvet ile günlerin ardından

Yıllarım ıslanıp geçer gider yağmurun altında

Şarkı yazar resim çizer sel basar aklımda

Bilmedim ah pencereden kayıp giden bir yaş

Dinmedi damladı kasvet ile günlerin ardından

Yıllarım ıslanıp geçer gider yağmurun altında

Kalbim atar hüzün dolar bulutlar altında

Anlam arar cevap sorar yağmurun altında

Artık videolar facebooktan gösterilmemekte dailymotion sitesinden gösterilmektedir… yakında facebook grubumuz açılacaktır bekleyin bizi

[Via http://facebookvideoindir.wordpress.com]

It's a small world.

When people visit Disneyland, I don’t think they do so in hope that they will learn a valuable life lesson. I know I didn’t anyway. I went for the rollercoasters and the man in the giant mouse costume. And to get my gran

Satan's minions.

dmother on the runaway train ride (“It’s a slow one, honestly!”). She still hasn’t forgiven me for that.

In return for my hilarious prank which resulted in a lot of British children becoming au-fait with a lot of swear words that only a seventy year-old Parisienne could be credited with knowing, I was forced onto the infamous ‘It’s A Small Word’ ride. Karma also had its say in the matter and saw to it that the ride broke down, and we were trapped in there for nearly an hour. I’m certain that this hilarious chain of events played an integral part in my phobia of dolls.

However, while we sat on the boat and awaited rescue, I had plenty of time to absorb the message that these awful dolls were repeating over and over again. It is a small world. It seems overwhelmingly huge sometimes, but it’s not really. I say this with a sense of authority because, for the third time this year, I have crossed paths with the girl I was best friends with at primary school.

She was a nice enough girl when we were 6 years old. But fifteen years has driven a wedge between us, and we don’t really have anything in common any more, which makes for some bloody awful awkward silences. I saw her about a year ago, when we walked past each other on a street in London. It was nice to see her then, and to have a quick chat, but we both had places to go to in a hurry: cue lots of empty promises about getting in touch.

I bumped into her again (literally) in Boots on a nearby street about six weeks later. That was even more uncomfortable than our last encounter as neither of us had got in touch. Rather thankfully I w

as already in the queue waiting to pay, so our riveting conversation about the shampoo I was buying had to end. There were no promises of going for a drink this time.

I was on a train this week when it happened again. I sat down, and was reading my newspaper, when I got that feeling that someone was staring at me. I waited until I felt the person’s gaze move away, then looked up quickly. Yes, it’s bloody her again. She’s sitting opposite me. What do I do? This train journey is going to take 40 minutes – we don’t have 40 minutes of conversation between us. I decide to carry on reading my paper as slowly as possible, an

d try to drag it out for the duration of the trip. If she had seen me and ignored me, I can only assume that her unwillingness to get dragged into another uncomfortable chat about nothing was as strong as my own.

The next 40 minutes turns into an elaborate tango between the two of us, both desperately trying to avoid making the fatal error of eye contact. I become engrossed with my iPod, and start work on a new playlist. My battery dies. We’ve still got 20 minutes to go. I try closing my eyes and pretending to be asleep, but I’m so tired that I have very real concerns that I will go to sleep and wake up in Manchester. There’s 15 minutes left. I pick up my BlackBerry and start frantically responding to every unanswered email that I have from the last month. I have a look on Twitter, read some headlines on the BBC and go on Facebook.

The best part of all of this is that the girl and I are friends on bloody Facebook. So when I have a look on there, I see that she’s updated her status:

On my train home sitting next to someone I don’t want to talk to!! Help!!!

Bloody charming. But thankfully as I’m about to say something to her, I reach my station. I pick up my bag, drop my concentration and make eye contact. I have to say something now, I can’t ignore her. “Oh my gosh, hi Fran, I didn’t see you there!” I overcompensate in an effort to feign surprise that she has been sitting opposite me for the last hour. “Laura! Hi! No me neither,” she gushes.

Awkward pause.

“Well…this is my stop so I have to go. It was nice seeing you,” I lie, as the doors close. Fran waves goodbye. By the time I get home, her Facebook status has been deleted. I’m surprised, and somewhat sad about the fact that I haven’t been.

[Via http://laurawire.wordpress.com]

THOUGHTFUL SALAD

There’s this thing on a certain social networking site, known as Facebook, where one writes up 25 things about themselves and sends the list to 25 people. The idea is to share intimate, less known facts about yourself with people of your choice. Instead of writing down my 25 things and posting it on the above mentioned website, I thought I’d toss them here and make a salad out of it.

1. Almost every morning, as I dress up my bottom, I glance in the mirror and smile with approval at the sight of my profile.

2. The more I cook, the more appreciation I gain for my mother’s culinary talents. I didn’t realize how good of a cook she was until I tried the trade myself. The goal is not to be able to make a few dishes I can later alternate when making dinners for my family. Instead, I cook to free my soul and go to heaven for having discovered and exploited my potential.

3. There’s something about Jason’s nipples I cannot simply resist.

4. I am on none-speaking terms with Starbucks for their new line of VIA Ready Brew. While the world screams “RECYCLE! USE LESS PACKAGING! STOP CUTTING DOWN THE AMAZON!” they come up with those tiny coffee sachets worth 1 cup each. Hello! Have you not heard of global warming and The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is twice the size of Texas?? These Starbucks people are bananas! Argh!

5. The awesome thing about the holidays is that Jason can’t stop me from making peanut butter and chocolate brownies, or a shit load of chocolate cookies, or even a brownie pie!

6. My favorite candy store? Sur la Table for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

7. My favorite day of the week? The bra-free day. I like to keep my girls free and give them all the play-time they want before I get them to work for food when I get pregnant next year.

8. Hey, Mister! Have you not noticed your car has built-in blinkers? Nooo, these are not Christmas ornaments. You ought to use blinkers all year round dammit. Oh, yeah, that’s a huge pet-peeve of mine.

9. I grew up surrounded by books. Love ‘em to the last page. However, since I started this blog, I’ve been mostly purging words rather then inhaling them. I miss that.

10. Cosmo is a four-legged Pelè in disguise.

11. I have a vivid imagination. In my head, I see pictures of myself and/or people close to my heart in extremely catastrophic scenarios. Those images come to me randomly and out of the blue. Often they are so realistic I start to cry. I am unaware of the origin of this condition. I don’t know how to overcome it either.

12. Beauty moves me. It fills up my chest till it hurts and I start to cry. Again.

13. I secretly fart.

14. I haven’t used a hairbrush in six months, since I cut my hair short.

15. I was a witch in one of my previous incarnations, who lived in the woods and brewed herbal concoctions for various ailments.

16. – 24. Last night I made a salad, a twist on Coleslaw, that was so good the world stopped spinning for a moment. It was so fantastic in fact it’s worth 9 points of the 25 Important Things From Agnieszka Graczyk’s Life. Here’s how I did it…

I bought a package of shredded cabbage. I’d have gotten a whole head if the store offered one, as you know how I feel about the unnecessary packaging, etc. They didn’t carry the veg in its natural form. Back in my kitchen, I emptied the bag into a large bowl and added shredded Granny Smith Apple along with a bunch of chopped scallions. In the meantime, I toasted maybe a 1/2 a cup if raw walnuts, let them cool, and then roughly chopped them into small boulders of brain nuts.

Don’t they totally look like brains? The truth is they are really good for your brain, so it’s a clever tip to remember. The smurfs that write on Whole Foods web pages made my life easier for describing in detail the nuts’ magic:

Walnuts have often been thought of as a “brain food,” not only because of the wrinkled brain-like appearance of their shells, but because of their high concentration of omega-3 fats. Your brain is more than 60% structural fat. For your brain cells to function properly, this structural fat needs to be primarily the omega-3 fats found in walnuts, flaxseed and cold-water fish. This is because the membranes of all our cells, including our brain cells or neurons, are primarily composed of fats. Cell membranes are the gatekeepers of the cell. Anything that wants to get into or out of a cell must pass through the cell’s outer membrane. And omega-3 fats, which are especially fluid and flexible, make this process a whole lot easier, thus maximizing the cell’s ability to usher in nutrients while eliminating wastes–definitely a good idea, especially when the cell in question is in your brain.

The salad would not be complete without the dressing I quickly whipped up in our Magic Bullet. These were the components:

-       freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1 lemon

-       1 tbsp of honey

-       2 tbsp of heavy cream

-       3 tbsp of olive oil (the whole nine yards – organic, extra virgin, first cold pressing, etc.)

-       2 tsp of sea salt

-       1 tsp of black pepper.

Everybody in the bowl (the cabbage, scallions, apples, and nuts) got coated evenly with the silky dressing, then chilled in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes before consumption time. Then I took a bite, and with it I heard music and saw fireworks on a horizon. It was amazing, beyond delicious. There was the tartness from the apples and the dressing, but instantly the nut took away the edge and spread comfort and bliss in my mouth.

I didn’t need anything else for dinner. That was my delight of the day. For Jason, however, I reheated leftover penne over pancetta and garlic, and grilled three chicken tenders. Just like that. Nevertheless, the salad still took the Guest of Honor’s seat, and got a round of applause. Pure brilliance on a plate.

25. I am madly and uncontrollably in love with that white boy from Texas named Jason Blaine. Moreover, I am madly and uncontrollably loved by that white boy from Texas named Jason Blaine. He loves me just the way I am.

Gobble, gobble…!

[Via http://agablack.wordpress.com]

Big Mouth Media Social Survey - Our Report

Our intrepid reporter Dave the Penguin yesterday attended the Big Mouth Media Social Survey Summit (in conjunction with econsultancy). He had a great time and wanted to share some of the facts from the survey results. The survey had 1100 respondents of which 458 were client side and 522 came from agencies/suppliers. The survey was across various industries including financial services, retail and publishing.

• When it comes to Social Media activity, 64% stated they were ‘experimenters’

• 73% were looking to gain brand awareness from SM alongside 71% wanting increased engagement

• 61% of individuals see it as a tremendous opportunity whilst only 31% would agree that their organisation believes the same

• When it comes to tactics employed 78% were using twitter,

• 65% facebook (and other networks)

• 60% have video content and 47% a brand blog

• 39% were engaging in social bookmarking (digg, stumbleupon).

The highest function of the above was for listening and buzz monitoring

• With regards to Resourcing – 90% more time is being taken up by SMM than one year ago – no real surprise there, Dave would have bet his next batch of halibut on that one!

• Watch out agencies – only 42% stated they were happy with the SMM knowledge levels within agencies/suppliers

• Now the nasty Budget part – 31% are not using any for SMM purposes

• Half are spending up to 10% (hey big spenders!) on SMM

• 25% feel they have gained tangible value from SMM

• 60% fell they have gained ’some’ value

• Now on to every Penguins’ favourite – Twitter

• 31% see it as a tremendous opportunity

• 50% are open minded

• 13% see it as a major risk (and are also scared of pink fluffy bunnies with bows in their hair)

• 62% of those surveyed publish new content pointers via twitter

• 27% are using it as a customer service tool

• 50% have an overall company profile with 28% having separate profiles for individuals

• So what are their main Barriers?

• 54% state a lack of resource

• 34% a lack of understanding (they need to employ some Penguins!)

• 20% blame a lack of ‘buy in’ from senior figures

• 23% think their company culture is a barrier

So that is a brief summary of the stats for you all. Dave stated that it was a very informative day and that he feels there is a ‘real appetite for progress’ amongst the people he waddled up to and had a chat with (the Penguins have electronic voice simulators, a bit like Stephen Hawkins but they sound a little cuter) but does feel there is a need for further engaging education across the board. Stats are so important to us marketers so to get a real views from a decent and diverse cross section is great.

The full report can be downloaded from www.bigmouthmedia.com

Happy engaging!

[Via http://socialmediamike.wordpress.com]

Facebook trucos Farm Town

Para crecer y ganar niveles de experiencia más rápido, debes sembrar papas. Las fresas y uvas también ayudan a crecer en poco tiempo. Los animales y árboles no son convenientes pero puedes utilizarlos para diversificar tu granja y hacerla más atractiva.

El nivel 34 es el más alto, al llegar a este nivel puedes seguir jugando Farm Town, pero ya no necesitarás ganar tanto dinero. Puedes seguir mejorando y decorando tu granja para hacerla la mejor entre tus amigos.

Visitar a tus amigos te permite conseguir trofeos, y si riegas sus plantaciones puedes ganar algunas monedas.

La mansión se obtiene en el nivel 34 y cuesta 1.000.000 de monedas.

Recuerda que para obtener más dinero en Farm Town, lo más importante es sembrar y cosechar. Busca aquellos vegetales que te den más dinero (por ejemplo las piñas) en menor tiempo para lograrlo.

Para contratar amigos en el mercado y que trabajen contigo en tu granja, debes conseguir vecinos (un mínimo de 10). Puedes obtener amigos para tu Facebook en Amigos granjeros para Farm Town.

Listado de trofeos (8 en total):

1. Vecino popular: Conseguir 5 vecinos.
2. Vecino influyente: Conseguir 8 vecinos (al obtener este trofeo puedes comenzar a vender de todo).
3. Visitor aprendiz: Visitar 25 granjas.
4. Visitor adicto: Vistar 100 granjas.
5. Visitor compulsivo: visitar 300 granjas.
6. Comprador aprendiz: gastar más de 500 monedas.
7. Comprador adicto: gastar más de 3000 monedas.
8. Comprador compulsivo: gastar más de 50000 monedas.

[Via http://margotu.wordpress.com]

Ikutan PayPal WishList, Kita Dibayar Sampai $ 100

PayPal WishList adalah Sebuah program aplikasi facebook yang di buat paypal yang secara khusus di tujukan bagi warga negara dari India, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia dan Singapore.

Beruntung Indonesia masuk disana sebab dengan adanya PayPal WishList ini kita dapat menghasilkan dollar, merupakan hal menarik tentunya main facebook bisa dapat duit. Bagaimana cara kerjaanya?

Cara kerja aplikasi facebook ini sederhana, tinggal mengikuti langkah-langkah berikut :

* Daftar (Log ini) dahulu di Facebook

* Anda cukup mengaktifkan terlebih dahulu aplikasinya melalui link: http://bit.ly/wishlistpaypal.

Begitu mengaktifkan aplikasi tersebut di facebook, rekan rekan akan mendapatkan bonus $ 1 USD, di aplikasi paypal wishlistnya.

* Buat wish list (daftar keinginan) anda.

Ini adalah hal ke dua yang perlu anda lakukan, Wish list dalam hal ini adalah 5 item/barang yang ingin untuk anda miliki, kebetulan kalau saya sendiri barusan memilih item item seperti: Apple Macbook, Canon Digital Camera, Vesta Destroyer Swiss Watch, LCD TV, Thailand Baiyoke Suite Hotel. Sebenarnya pilihan itemnya banyak, dari mulai parfum, game, movie, gadget, dsb, yang pasti pilih saja 5 barang yang anda harapkan ingin anda miliki suatu saat nanti. Hanya memilih, jadi gak dipungut biaya.

* Setelah itu publish hasilnya di wall facebook anda, setiap ada 1 orang yang berhasil untuk anda ajak mengaktifkan aplikasi paypal wishlist dan membuat daftar keinginan maka aplikasi paypal wishlist anda akan di tambahkan sebesar $1 USD hingga terakumulasi maksimal $100 USD.

* Masukan data alamat email paypal anda di bagian kiri atas aplikasi paypal wishlist anda, karena pembayaran akan di kirim langsung ke sana pada tanggal 28 Februari 2010.

Untuk promo aplikasi paypal wishlist di facebook akan di adakan hingga pukul 23:59:59 tanggal 31 desember 2009 (waktu Singapore), jadi harus cepat mendaftarkan diri sebelum terlambat. Bagi yang gak sabar untuk mendaftar, silahkan ke link berikut :

http://bit.ly/wishlistpaypal

Untuk akun PayPal bisa daftar setelahnya, bisa juga daftar sekarang di link ini :

http://bit.ly/bikin-akun-pay-pal

[Via http://barudownload.wordpress.com]

Hamas Deal Would Halt Rocket Attacks on Israel

The Palestinian political group Hamas has reached an agreement that other militant groups will stop firing rockets into Israel for a year. The agreement also suggests that Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier who has been held in Palestine for over 3 years, may be released soon in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners being held in Israel, Guardian.

23 people are dead after a ferry sank in Indonesia. Over 200 people had to be rescued, BBC News.

The United States is one step closer to health care reform after the U.S. Senate voted last night 60-39 on a procedural motion to move debate further, Voice of America.

Fort Hood shooter Major Nidal Hasan had his first hearing for charges in the deaths of 13 people. Hasan, who is paralyzed from the chest down after being shot by a civilian police officer, had the hearing in his hospital room. New evidence has emerged that the Federal Bureau of Investigation that the FBI had intercepted emails from Hasan to people connected with al Qaeda but that information was not passed on to the military, BBC News.

A Canadian woman has lost her long-term disability benefits for depression after an insurance agent for her private supplemental insurance saw a picture of her on Facebook smiling and having a good time on vacation, Associated Press.

[Via http://citizensdailybrief.wordpress.com]

Blitz

If you have both Facebook and a lot of work to do, avoid Bejeweled Blitz. While having a 1-minute limit on the good-old jewel-switching game might seem like a great way to spend a little time having fun before returning to your task at hand, what really happens is that it makes you want to play more and more and again and again. To make it worse, they have a version of Blitz integrated into the Bejeweled for iPhone application. How addicting is this game? Let me put it this way: I paid $2.99 for Bejeweled for iPhone just to play Blitz, a free online game. I paid $2.99 for a free game.

- Quote from my upcoming guide Procrastination: When It’s Time To Stop And Say “Fuck It!”

[Via http://qfmub.wordpress.com]

PANDUAN MASUK FACEBOOK

Halaman ini berisikan bagaimana cara mendaftarkan diri di Facebook. Saya terdorong untuk menuliskan ini sebab masih sangat banyak anak anak muda yang belum pandai menggunakan Face book. Bila anda seorang yang ingin belajar memakai Facebook, anda ingin tahu bagaimana cara mendaftar di Facebook, halaman ini benar benar merupakan satu pelajaran untuk bisa memiliki halaman di Face book.

Caranya sebagai berikut:

Langkah pertama, anda memulai langkah pertama dari halaman Google. Ketik Facebook dan klik search atau telusuri. Klik halaman welcome Facebook atau selamat datang di Facebook yang akan muncul setelah anda mengkliknya.

Anda akan melihat tulisan:

BUTUH AKUN FACEBOOK? Klik saja tulisan panduannya.

Isi kotak kosong yang ia paparkan. Tulis nama, Nama negara, alamat email, tanggal bulan dan tanggal lahir anda. Kemudian ketik kata sandi sebagai password anda dan klik daftar, maka anda sudah terdaftar di Facebook. Kemudian buka email anda. Buka kotak masuk email, ikuti

Panduan untuk mengaktifkan Facebook anda. Mudah, kan? Bila ingin memuat photo anda di halaman Facebook, klik saja kotak picture yang masih kosong. Masukkan photo anda melalui browse dan anda sudah berhasil. Langkah selanjutnya klik search friends, maka anda akan melihat betapa sudah banyak manusia yang sudah mendaftar di Facebook. Ingin berteman dengan mereka, klik add.

Selamat meneruskan untuk berinternet.

[Via http://ashartanjung.wordpress.com]

Death to Facebook and its foolish games!

Facebook claims that there are over 300 million people that are registered on the site (here). They also say that over 8 billion minutes are spent on the site every day.

In my opinion, that is a lot of brainwashed people! I am certain the developers of Facebook have figured out some way of subtly conditioning the unsuspecting user’s mind to become addicted to the site. Perhaps they are using subliminal messages flashed on the screen so fast the naked eye does not register them, but the subconscious mind does… well ok, maybe not. (People were trying to say that TV advertisers did that kind of thing… even if they did, I don’t think it would work.)

I wonder just how many of those 300 million are what is termed ‘Facebook addicts’. These are the people who spend a huge portion of their lives on Facebook – so much that if under some circumstance they can not log on, they experience serious withdrawal.

Myself, I will admit that I spend a lot of time on Facebook – however, I am a veritable hermit so I believe I have an excuse: it is my main form of contact with the outside world! I don’t necessarily miss Facebook if I can’t log on, but I do miss my internets if they are not working…

I am mystified by this strange compulsion to play these bizarre and unrealistic games, like Farmville. What is it about running a pretend farm that makes it so hard to stay away from? It doesn’t have the perks of planting a real garden (like eating the fruits of your labours), but then it also does not have the drawbacks (like killing your body digging or having to deal with fertiliser). I do think it is rather odd that none of the animals on Farmville is farmed for meat. Were the developers trying to push a vegan agenda, or merely unwilling to deal with outraged PETA members? What you ‘harvest’ from the various animals is in some cases quite peculiar. In Farmville, originally you collected ‘yarn’ from a kitten – although now they have changed that to brushing the kitten, which you get money for. I wish someone would pay me money to brush my cat, I could make a fortune…

My husband spends an inordinate amount of time playing ‘Texas hold’em poker’ on Facebook… and spends the rest of his time telling me I am addicted to Facebook games!

Something else that bemuses me about Facebook is the ‘groups’. All of a sudden, instead of having a world full of isolated stupid people, you can go to Facebook and find 516,723 people who think that Jeremy Clarkson (of TV’s Top Gear) should be Prime Minister of Britain. We all know what happens when stupid people with stupid ideas get together and form groups… you get things like the Australian Democrats Party. The other kind of group that annoys me are the “We want Facebook back the way it was” or “we don’t like the new Facebook” groups that come around every time Facebook does an update. For crying out loud, people, you don’t pay to use it… get over it. If your dislike is so vehement, just stop using it. (But you won’t, because of course, you are addicted.)

Another Facebook-related disease is what my husband terms ‘Facebook diarrhoea’. This is were people ‘publish’ every single thing they do on every application, and share the intimate and mundane details of their lives with the rest of the world in an over-profusion of status updates (like people really care if your kid tinkled in the toilet five minutes ago… of course, if your cat tinkled into the human toilet five minutes ago, please share with us how you managed to train it – because I have tried and it doesn’t work. Litter Kwitter is a crock.)

I do wonder what would happen if for some reason or another Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other social networking sites were forced to close down tomorrow… It would be amusing to start a rumour like that in a manner that people would actually believe… If you thought the Y2K bug hype or the Global Warming hype was bad – the closing down of social networking websites would be a global disaster the world might never recover from!!

Striking up a deal, not a conversation.

This article from MediaPost based on a survey by Razorfish is just the latest example of ‘old’ (read pre-Web 2.0) wisdom resurfacing. The gist of the story is this; more than conversation, what seems to be driving interactions between brands and people in social media is discounts and deals.

Is anyone surprised? Really?

To quote the article: “What we’re finding is that with Facebook and Twitter, marketers are assuming some deeper dialogue, but what’s really going on is — people want deals.”

Marketing 101
Not to belittle the findings – sometimes the most useful insights are the ones that should’ve seemed obvious in hindsight – but a basic precept of Marketing 101 is to always, ALWAYS answer the customer question ‘What’s in it for me?’ Where businesses are tempted to talk about their features and benefits, good marketing people will retort that any discussion of product benefits must be expressed in terms of customer benefits based on their needs.

Let’s not forget, just because a brand is using social media does not mean they’re not still marketing. And there are some basic marketing premises that aren’t going to change, regardless of the medium one is marketing through.

As if to substantiate this epiphany that people are interested in deals from brands, not conversations, is the Dell Outlet story. Said case study, often held up as proof positive this social media stuff is a money-maker, did indeed result in revenue it just didn’t use conversation to do so. It used, you guessed it, offers and deals.

(Brand) History 101
As my friend Alan Wolk has said and written at some length about: Your brand is not my friend. People associate with brands, sure. We have since brands were invented. But its important to remember what exactly the role of a brand is.

Historically the emergence of brands came at around the same time that the local storekeeper’s role as purchase advisor began to wane. Until that time, you’d ask the store owner to recommend a hair tonic and he’d reach up, grab one, and explain to you why you wanted to buy that one.

With the industrial revolution product distribution expanded. Suddenly Acme Hair Tonic wasn’t just a regional elixir, it could be found in stores coast to coast. However, Joe Acme, the inventor and chief salesman, couldn’t go to every store and convince every store owner why he should stock and recommend Acme Hair Tonic. In its place, we invented advertising and brands.

The job of advertising and brands from the manufacturer’s standpoint is to sell product. From the customers standpoint, however, it is to simplify decisions. Brands are a promise and if I like the promise of a brand, I buy it. Good brands make purchasing something a simple decision. (Conversely, in absence of good brands price tends to drive decisions). In a world where supermarkets with tens of thousands of items have replaced my local corner store, that simplifying process plays an important role to both the manufacturer and the customer. Especially since your average supermarket manager is not going to be able to know enough about all the products he’s carrying to make recommendations.

Fast forward to today. Advertising and brands aren’t going away. If anything, they’re more important than ever. But the carrier of those messages is changing. Today it’s less and less the industrial-era mass media (print, TV, radio) and more and more the Internet-era social media. Digital infrastructure has enabled average citizens like us to make more recommendations to more people than ever before. In a sense, we are all each other’s shopkeepers. Like the shopkeeper we recommend products because we’ve used them or we know someone who has. For the shopkeeper it was a customer he knew. For us its a member of our social grid.

But before we’re willing to tell a friend why a modern day Acme Hair Tonic is a good buy, we have to be convinced ourself. That remains, as always, a brand’s job.

So ultimately I’m not interested in a friendship or even a conversation with your brand beyond discovering what’s in it for me. That may be something as nebulous as status or prestige or bragging rights or as tangible as durability, 20% more in the package or a discount or deal. Either way, its still all about me. If it isn’t, then your brand and I have nothing to talk about.

Membedah Virus Facebook Bagaimana Cara Membersihkan Virus Facebook?

***Sebuah virus komputer memanfaatkan popularitas Facebook untuk menyerang korbannya. Simak cara-cara membersihkan Virus Facebook alias W32/Obfuscated.D2!genr dan Antispyware Security Tools –antispyware palsu– yang menemaninya dalam artikel Vaksincom berikut ini:

1.Disable system restore selama proses pembersihan
2.Disconect komputer dari jaringan/internet
3.Sebaiknya lakukan pembersihan pada mode “safe mode”
4.Install software “unlocker” (download di FileHippo)
5.Matikan proses virus yang aktif dimemory, gunakan tools “Security Task Manager”, silahkan download tools tersebut di Neuber.com

Mematikan proses virus dengan “security task manager”

6.Fix registry, untuk mempercepat proses perbaikan registry silahkan salin script dibawah ini pada program notepad kemudian simpan dengan nama [repair.inf]. Jalankan file tersebut dengan cara:

a.Klik kanan [repair.inf]
b.Klik [install]

[Version]
Signature=”$Chicago$”
Provider=Vaksincom

[DefaultInstall]
AddReg=UnhookRegKey
DelReg=del

[UnhookRegKey]
HKLM, Software\CLASSES\batfile\shell\open\command,,,”"”%1″” %*”
HKLM, Software\CLASSES\comfile\shell\open\command,,,”"”%1″” %*”
HKLM, Software\CLASSES\exefile\shell\open\command,,,”"”%1″” %*”
HKLM, Software\CLASSES\piffile\shell\open\command,,,”"”%1″” %*”
HKLM, Software\CLASSES\regfile\shell\open\command,,,”regedit.exe “%1″”
HKLM, Software\CLASSES\scrfile\shell\open\command,,,”"”%1″” %*”
HKLM, SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon, Shell,0, “Explorer.exe”
HKCU, Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main, tart Page,0, “about:blank”
HKLM, SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon,userinit,0, “userinit.exe”

[del]
HKLM, SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run,reader_s
HKLM, SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run,47543326
HKLM, SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run,PromoReg
HKCU, SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run,reader_s
HKCU, Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System,EnableProfileQuota
HKLM, SOFTWARE\AGProtect
HKLM, SOFTWARE\47543326
HKLM, SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Network, UID
HKLM, SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion, Rlist
HKU, .DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\{43BF8CD1-C5D5-2230-7BB2-98F22C2B7DC6}
HKU, .DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\{8FFA689D-2C2B-2B2E-D865-74C04CA4EF06}

7. Hapus file yang dibuat oleh virus dengan terlebih dahulu menampilkan file yang tersebunyi. Kemudian hapus file berikut::

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\47543326
C:\Documents and Settings\Elvina\Start Menu\Programs\Security Tools.lnk
C:\Documents and Settings\Elvina\Desktop\ Security Tools.lnk
C:\Documents and Settings\Elvina\Application Data\ wiaservg.log
C:\Documents and Settings\Elvina\Local Settings\Temp\*.tmp
C:\WINDOWS\Temp\ wpv311256600826.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Temp\ wpv411256806849.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\%user%\reader_s.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\%user%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\isqsys32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\reader_s.exe
C:\Windows\system32\wbem\proquota.exe
C:\windows\system32\sdra64.exe
C:\Windows\system32\lowsec
local.ds
user.ds
user.ds.lll

Catatan:
Untuk menghapus folder [C:\Windows\system32\lowsec] dan [C:\windows\system32\sdra64.exe], gunakan tools “unlocker” untuk memisahkan proses tersebut dengan proses system windows (explorer.exe dan svchost.exe),  karena kedua file tersebut akan menginjeksi file [explorer.exe dan svchost.exe] caranya:

• Klik kanan pada file [C:\windows\system32\sdra64.exe] atau folder [C:\Windows\system32\lowsec]
• Kemudian klik menu “unlocker”
• Pada layar unlocker, pilih opsi [hapus]
• Kemudian klik tombol [OK]
• Jika muncul pesan error, di abaikan saja (klik ok)

8.Hapus file temporary dan temporary interet file, gunakan tools ATF-Cleaner.

9.Untuk pembersihan optimal dan mencegah infeksi ulang, scan dengan antivirus yang up-to-date. Anda juga dapat membersihkan dengan menggunakan tools Norman Malware Cleaner atau Malwarebytes Anti Malware.

Social Media Sweeps Word of the Year

Every November, The Oxford American Dictionary announces its selection for the Word of the Year (WOTY). This selection is made by a panel of lexicographers who nominate terms based on popularity in everyday discussion and cultural influence. Historically, these words have stemmed from widespread topical issues like high gas prices, locally grown foods and global warming. For example:

- WOTY 2008 – Hypermiling – To attempt to maximize gas mileage by making fuel-conserving adjustments to one’s car and one’s driving techniques.

- WOTY 2007 – Locavore – One who consumes food from farmers’ markets or home-grown gardens with the belief that fresh, local products are more nutritious and taste better than the alternative.

- WOTY 2006 – Carbon-neutral – achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset.

However, this year, the selection took a different direction, solidifying credibility for a widely accepted, though more unique issue facing millions of people today: unfriending.

Just this morning, The Oxford American Dictionary announced “unfriend” as the 2009 Word of the Year. This verb refers to the removal of someone from your friend list on a social network such as Facebook or MySpace.

Not only did a social media term take the goal medal, but runner ups included “hashtag,” “netbook.” “paywall,” and “sexting.”

The fact that past WOTYs have reflected such serious and legitimate issues proves the point of my post: social networking is serious and legitimate.

While digital communication may have seemed like a fad that appealed to computer geeks 20 years ago, the simple example of the term “unfriend” making its way into the official lexicon demonstrates the fact that social networking is the way of the future and will continue to become entrenched in our daily lives even more so than it is now.

Language is one of the most fundamental elements of civilized society. The fact that these social media trends have taken root in our vocabulary and we are now mandating acceptance by placing this simple term in the dictionary demonstrates the staying power of these platforms.

Zynga Removes CPA Offers After FishVille Suspension

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=26000

November 9, 2009   Social game developer Zynga (FarmVille, Mafia Wars) announced it is discontinuing all of its performance-based Facebook advertising until further notice, after taking fire for tactics that have users receive in-game currency in return for signing up for offers that often turn out to cost more than expected.

The company’s decision was more than likely spurred by Facebook’s temporary removal of its new FishVille game last weekend due to potentially confusing mobile subscription ads that showed up, which the social network prohibits.

TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington explained that: “These ads clearly violate Facebook’s terms and conditions. They don’t state on the offer page that the user is required to enter into a $10 – $20/month mobile subscription, and there is no opt in by the user before entering in personal information.”

Though FishVille was launched only two days prior to its suspension, the game had already attracted more than 875,000 users.

Zynga, which previously vowed to remove the mobile ads from its offers, claims the promotions showed up because of a technical glitch with its offer provider, and says that the mobile ads only appeared with 10 percent of pageviews.

CEO Mark Pincus admitted in a post on his weblog, “Zynga has not been able to control the ad content as it is managed by the offer companies that we work with.”

“We recognize it is our responsibility to ensure that offers which generate a bad user experience are not shown with any of our games,” he continued. “Therefore, we are removing all CPA [cost-per-action] offers across Zynga games until we can control their inclusion and presentation ourselves. …This move is worth it for the long-term user experience and value to our partners like Facebook and MySpace.”

The developer’s move to take out its CPA ads will come at no small cost, as those ads reportedly account for a third of Zynga’s total revenues — though Pincus said it’s significantly less, claiming yesterday that the lead generation offers actually made up less than 20 percent of the company’s revenues. Zynga believes it needs to have complete control over the offer approval process before it can commit to 100 percent compliance.

“Currently no partner offers a work flow that we can be completely confident in and that is why we chose to remove the offers till we can put it in place,” said Pincus in an email to VentureBeat. “We do not have an estimate as to when that will happen but are working with our partners to insure a superior user experience where our users can avail themselves of high quality offers, each of which has been vetted by us for compliance and quality.”

LondonLovelies is Now More Accessible...

Sorry for the delay in updates everyone, it’s been a crazy couple of weeks.

To make up for my absence, I have been very busy developing the LondonLovelies brand, making it even EASIER to keep up to date with all that CHEAP and FREE stuff that’s going on around town!

So, for those who tweet, find me on Twitter – @londonlovelies – and don’t forget to mention me in your #FollowFridays please!

If you want to get in touch another way you can now email me at londonlovelies@googlemail.com

And if that wasn’t enough, you can now become a fan of LondonLovelies on Facebook!

I’ll look forward to hearing from you!

Bait and Trap (Or Was It Snatch?)

Similar to what I said in my last post, I’ve been thinking about how to make this site more appealing to draw more visitors. I was thinking of what leads me to a blog. Not much, to be honest. I don’t read many blogs, which is probably a result of my poor opinion of them. In general I find blogs to be painful due to the poor grammar, boring due to the blogger writing about things I and the rest of the world have very little interest in, and distasteful because of the often cheap backgrounds and website structure. And now I see that my blog, as much as I try to avoid calling it that, basically falls under the above description. I most fervently hope I can at least avoid the first faux pas, however. I’ll take a properly written boring blog over a grammatically heinous moderately intriguing piece any day. Is that true? I suppose it depends on how far ‘moderately intriguing’ can stretch. My point is, get the grammar right, folks. I can bear terrible structure and irrelevant content. Just please be a little more careful with the easy stuff. There’s no excuse. You’re doing a bad job of representing yourself to the public, no matter how much you swear that no one cares. I judge you when you use poor grammar, that’s why I joined a Facebook group saying just that. See, I’m an activist for positive change. Ha. As if joining groups changes anything. Remember that.

So now all of you will be jumping on my every typo, right? That’s the idea. I figure if I ask you guys to let me know of any mistakes in my writing you’ll feel like I’m using you and won’t do it, but if I give you the opportunity to prove me a hypocritical bastard, well, that’s just too juicy to pass up, isn’t it? That’s what I should’ve done in high school to get decent peer editing – claim my grammar was perfect, my flow was excellent, and my conclusions impeccable. Ever get the feeling your fellow students didn’t really care about your essay or what grade you got? News flash: they didn’t.

That reminds me of Zoolander, which I watched last night, like I said before. There’s a funny bit involving the phrase “Earth to…” which I would say is probably the funniest part of the movie. Yeah, it’s not too funny. I was disappointed. It wasn’t worth my time. So few movies are, don’t you think? One of these days I’ll probably put out some really harsh movie reviews just to let out steam and increase this load of content not getting read.

I think the main thing is that I’m just sick of Ben Stiller. I think I was sick of him the first movie I saw him in. I just don’t find him funny.

But that’s enough on that. I accomplished my grammar goal. My primary objective is to discover what makes a blog appealing, even return-worthy, and how I can utilize that to gain followers and make money. Muahahaha.

Kidding. I would like to make money, and I will shamelessly flaunt ads to do so (barring those Evony travesties), but this isn’t about gaining followers. I would like to someday be able to call it a community of creators and appreciators, so I need to spend time thinking about how to get to that point.

I just read a blog article entitled “The Top 10 Snipers in History” or something along those lines. I saw it in some list on WordPress and clicked on it because I’m very interested in snipers. So what my articles need are captivating titles. They also need relevant and popular tags so that they’ll show up in searches. I would say that so far I’m succeeding in these two things. What’s left is to enlarge my content stash.

And how to keep readers here once they arrive? Well, interesting articles, for one. That’s so subjective. In the future I may write to please readers – when I actually have readers – but for now I’m sticking with what interests and pleases and satisfies me (as far as content and style). I had another thought earlier. The blog has to do something for the reader. If I’m putting out wonderful works of literature and especially poetry, that’s good enough on its own because readers will be inspired by the works and attempt to liberate their own creativity, or simply bask in the beauty. But I’m not. I hope to, but I’m not currently. So I need to help you out somehow to motivate you to return here the next time you’re in need. Good but not great prose needs practicality – the interest keeps you reading, the help brings you back.

Something like a guide to further information. That would be the simplest, probably. That list of snipers would’ve been greatly enhanced by links to websites with more information, which I’m sure exist because the author definitely wasn’t writing off the top of his head. I haven’t really written any information articles yet – but then again all my posts are information to a certain degree. So I should consider offering links for further enlightenment. It’ll at least draw the frantically procrastinating middle schoolers.

DIY (not DUI) blogs seem to be fairly popular. So I might want to consider putting that sort of slant on some of my articles. Surely I have plenty I could teach how to do. Mm…like fruit revolutions, for example. I’ve been meaning to make a video about that and post it on Youtube.

Speaking of videos, I also thought of making a video on how to get a job in Japan, a detailed version of Andy’s which I linked in another post, put it on Youtube as a reply to said video, and include a link to this blog in that description. That would surely draw a few bored surfers. Andy has a pretty sizeable fan base which I can take advantage of (I mean that in the most parasitic way possible).

Until then, I guess I won’t be seeing you, because you haven’t yet arrived, but you will.

-Grant

Mentioned

I utilize TweetDeck to manage all my Twitter and Facebook action. It’s a wonderful personal browser that keeps me on top of my “Social Game,” if we accept the idea that I have “Social Game” at all.

Sometime I have a Tweet that people find useful or interesting. And sometimes I have many Tweets that people find useful or interesting. But no matter what, should someone find me valuable, they will retweet my thought. When this happens, I hear a little bird chirp and I see a little, black box in the upper right hand corner of my computer screen that says, “1 Mention” or “2 Mentions” or “5 Mentions.”

And then one day when I was apparently saying nothing amusing and/or useful, I saw nothing for Mentions in that little black box. I wondered about this. How had, over time, I become so accustomed to – so dependent upon – that one, simple word – Mention?

Psychology of Recognition. That’s what it was. Everyone wants to be recognized. Everyone likes to be called by first name. People want to see their name. They want to hear their name. They want to know that what they are providing is useful and beneficial. Everyone wants to be known for something and then re-known for it over and over again. They want to have a purpose in things they create and products they develop.

The purpose of this Blog, Mentioned, is to create and show just that – being Mentioned.

To Write Love On Her Arms Day

It was about a month ago I was performing my daily facebook creep when I came across an event request for:  To Write Love On Her Arms Day .  I usually ignore requests such as this, but the name caught my attention and I clicked on.  What was revealed to me was a wonderful non-profit movement which provides hope to those struggling with depression, addiction, self hurt and suicide.  Depression is an issue that is very near and dear to my heart.  It has affected members of my family, and I know of many people who have been dealing with their whole lives.  Depression seems to be something people want to keep a secret, something people often seem to be embarrassed about or ashamed of.  The reality to me is that depression is a disease, just as cancer is or a heart condition.  The only difference is that these people often have to suffer alone, for this type of disease is not kept public or known.  Comparing it to cancer might seem to be a bit of a stretch, but it stresses the severity of its effects on those who are burdened with it.  To show my support to those who find the strength to wake up every morning and fight back to this disease, I wrote love on my arm today.  Makes you think huh? Maybe next November 13th, you should too.

Marie

LinkedIn + Twitter

LinkedIn + Twitter

Status updates on LinkedIn can now be connected with your Tweets. There are lots of ways for you to customize and control what is shared and when, but the initial “oh neat how did he do that?!” set up is quick and easy. I think this will have a fantastic impact professionally as people and businesses utilize this fluid sharing of information across platforms.

Get Connected:

The LinkedIn Learning Center has complete information: LinkedIn + Twitter

Berkat Status Facebook Selamat dari Bui

Facebook

INILAH.COM, Jakarta – Facebook telah menyumbang banyak kisah putus cinta, perceraian, dan kecemburuan. Namun memperbarui status juga bisa menyelamatkan seorang pria dari tirai besi.

Seperti dilaporkan The New York Times, Rodney Bradford memutuskan untuk memperbarui statusnya dengan menulis “Mana pancake ku?” Pesan itu diposting pada jam 11:49 tanggal 17 Oktober. Kata-kata itu diketik dari komputer di apartemen ayahnya di Harlem.

Kalimat itu ditulis dalam bahasa gaul jalanan yang tidak punya arti bagi kebanyakan orang. Tapi ketika Bradford (19) ditahan pada hari berikutnya sebagai tersangka dalam perampokan di Farragut House di Brooklyn, di mana dia tinggal, status itu menjadi penting. Status itu menjadi alibi.

Pengacaranya, Robert Reuland mengatakan pada asisten jaksa wilayah Brooklyn, Lindsay Gerdes tentang catatan Facebook yang dibuat saat perampokan. Jaksa dapat verifikasi dari Facebook kata-kata itu diketik dari komputer di sebuah apartemen di 118 West 71 Street di Manhattan, rumah ayah Bradford. Saat mendapat konfirmasi, maka tuduhan dibatalkan.

“Ini adalah kasus pertama yang aku tahu di mana update Facebook telah digunakan sebagai alibi,” kata John G Browning, seorang pengacara di Dallas yang mempelajari jaringan sosial dan hukum.

“Kita akan melihat lebih banyak lagi jika melihat bagaimana jaringan sosial digunakan.”

Dengan lebih banyak orang mengungkapkan rincian kehidupan mereka secara online, situs-situs seperti Facebook, MySpace dan Twitter menyediakan bukti menyangkut masalah hukum.

Hingga kini, aktifitas jejaring sosial kebanyakan digunakan sebagai bukti kejaksaan. Browning mengutip sebuah kasus pencurian pada bulan September di Martinez, di mana pencuri menggunakan komputer korban untuk log on ke Facebook dan lupa log off.

Polisi berhasil mengikuti jejak digital Jonathan G Parker (19) yang kemudian ditahan.

The Dark Side Of Social Networking

Last month, 17 year old Ashleigh Hall from County Durham went to meet a 16 year old boy she had met on social networking site Facebook. Now, her family and friends are grieving after she was found murdered in a field at the end of October. 32 year old sex-offender Peter Chapman has been arrested for her murder.

Social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Bebo have become one of the most popular ways to keep in touch with friends. Most of my friends have at least one social networking site, and I myself have a Facebook and Twitter profile. They are a handy way to chat to my mates and find out what others are doing, all from the comfort of my home.

But they also have a dark side, as this tragic story shows. While most people use these sites for good we seem to be hearing more and more stories of paedophiles using them to groom victims and people who bully others from behind a computer screen.

On Facebook, I have a strict rule that I only accept friend requests from people I know, but not everyone does. On these sites it is often seen as “cool” to have a friends list that reaches into the thousands, regardless of whether these people are real friends or not. On MySpace, it is common practise to join groups with the sole intention of gaining more friends.

With warnings of the dangers of the internet everywhere you turn it makes you wonder why are young people so naive?  Why do so many people ignore the dangers when they accept a request off someone they don’t know?

I feel that perhaps low self-confidence is a factor. Teenage girls often suffer from low self-confidence. Imagine a girl who hates her looks, feels ignored or bullied at school. Perhaps they feel better when an older man compliments them on Facebook. Many girls want to be popular – what better way to look popular than to have thousands of friends on MySpace? Growing self-esteem can cause common sense to go out of the window.

Teenagers who are at risk of social networking sickos need to know the dangers. But perhaps if self-confidence was of more importance we would hear less of these disturbing tales?

 

La Foggia che ci piace, la Capitanata che ci piace

Nuove istanze di partecipazione salgono dal territorio: energie fresche, oneste, pulite e coraggiose alle quali il Quotidiano vuole dare fiato e voce.

La Foggia che ci piace è questa Foggia che ricorda, e fa della memoria riconquistata uno strumento d’identità. La tragedia di viale Giotto ricordata dal cuore e dalla sensibilità di Nico Baratta, dalla passione civile di Alberto Mangano, che nel suo sito www.manganofoggia.it ha dedicato a quel nefasto evento una sezione e che in una nota ci invita a ritrovare il senso della memoria anche in riferimento ad altre tragedie, come i bombardamenti del 1943.
La Foggia e la Capitanata che ci piacciono sono quelle di Marianna Onorato, di Giuseppe Potenza, di Manuel Marzocca, di Davide Pio Albanese, che con i loro gruppi su Facebook, rispettivamente dedicati alle strade del Subappennino, all’authority per la sicurezza agroalimentare, alla terribile ex statale della Saline ed ancora a viale Giotto, hanno smosso le coscienze di migliaia di cittadini (per la precisione 8.281 alle ore 17 di ieri), facendo in modo che si aggregassero, che entrassero in relazione, che producesse coscienza civile.
La Foggia e la Capitanata che ci piacciono che sono quelle “non si fanno i fatti loro”, così come vorrebbe la mafia, e che dicono sì all’appello del Questore e del Ministero dell’Interno e dicono “no” all’omertà. Quella Foggia e quella Capitanata raccontate da giornalisti coraggiosi  come Gianni Lannes e Pasquale Trivisonne.
La Foggia e la Capitanata che ci piacciono sono quelle che sanno sognare e che sui loro sogni costruiscono progetti ambiziosi di futuro: come Michelangelo De Meo ed il suo ponte delle Tremiti, come Gennaro Amodeo ed il suo progetto di unificazione della provincia dauna al Molise, conosciuto come Moldaunia.
La Foggia e la Capitanata che ci piacciono sono quelle che non si arrendono davanti agli scempi operati dal tempo che passa e dall’incuria degli uomini, e che, come Teresa Maria Rauzino, Giuseppe Bruno e tutti gli aderenti al gruppo “Salviamo Kalena”, impedendo la distruzione della più antica abbazia del Gargano,  vogliono restituire al Gargano un futuro fatto di cultura ed umanità, e non di incendi e di speculazione.
La Foggia che ci piace è quella che sa che sa commuoversi davanti alla poesia di Michele Sisbarra, e poi sa sorridere e sa divertirsi di fronte alle impertinenze ed ai colpi di genio di Sandro Simone, che – come ci informa il suo stato su Fb – ieri sera era prima al presidio di solidarietà a Gianni Lannes e alle 21 su TeleFoggia a cazzeggiare parlando di pallone.
Di questa Foggia e di questa Capitanata il nostro giornale vuole essere la voce, per non raccontare soltanto le cose brutte che ogni giorni punteggiano le cronache, ma anche le cose belle: le speranze, gli aneliti, il desiderio di riscatto e di futuro, di una terra tanto antica e nobile, quanto sovente vessata dalla storia e dagli accadimenti.
Con questa Foggia e con questa Capitanata ci accorgiamo che, giorno dopo giorno, grazie anche alle opportunità offerte dalla Rete e dai suoi strumenti, il Quotidiano sta intessendo relazioni sempre più profonde e sempre più proficue. Stiamo diventando un giornale non scritto più soltanto da addetti ai lavori che parlano ad altri addetti di lavori (con la conseguenza ed il rischio di parlarsi addosso) , ma un giornale scritto e composto da dieci e cento mani, da dieci e cento teste, da dieci e cento cuori.
È un processo complesso del quale siamo a volte più testimoni che non protagonisti: perché la Rete non ha protagonisti in assoluto, ma nodi che si stringono o si dipanano, relazioni che non sono soltanto la somma di addendi ma sovente qualcosa di più. È un processo che anche noi cerchiamo di capire, giorno dopo giorno: non per guidare, ma piuttosto per lasciarcene guidare.
Qualche giorno fa, nel corso di una riunione di redazione convocata per programmare le celebrazioni del 25° compleanno del nostro giornale (a proposito: ne vedrete delle belle), abbiamo fatto il punto su questo “nuovo Quotidiano” che fa profilandosi, ed abbiamo convenuto che proseguiremo su questa strada che per dirla con gli splendidi versi di Antonio Machado non sappiamo bene dove porti, ma sappiamo che è importante percorrere, perché è una strada di progresso, di civiltà, di futuro. Tra le iniziative allo studio, che prenderanno il via nei prossimi giorni, c’è la creazione di un gruppo del giornale su Facebook, che si sta rivelando uno strumento quanto mai potente sia in riferimento alla edizione cartacea del giornale, sia in riferimento alle sue versioni web (il sito www.quotidianodifoggia.it e il blog quotidianofoggia.wordpress.com).
Il progetto è ambizioso: fare un giornale che sia tutto questo, in modo più consapevole di quanto non sia stato finora: un giornale che racconti anche cose belle, che dia spazio e visibilità ai talenti, alle intelligenze, alle energie creative. Un giornale che, assieme ai suoi lettori ed a tutti i protagonisti della Foggia e della Capitanata che ci piacciono, si sforzi per un futuro diverso e migliore.

Soziale Netzwerke mit der XBox erreichen

xbox360

Schon im Sommer diesen Jahres hatte Microsoft auf der Spielemesse E3 angekündigt, dass die XBox schon bald mit Sozialen Netzwerken kommunizieren können soll. Unter anderem sollen die Social Networks Twitter, Facebook und der Musikdienst Last.fm dann mit der XBox erreichbar sein. Nun lässt uns Microsoft endlich wissen, wann es soweit sein soll. Schon ab November 2009 sollen die neuen Dienste zur Verfügung stehen. Bis es aber soweit ist, steht nun einer ausgesuchten Gruppe von Testanwendern eine Beta-Versionen zur Verfügung und wird durch die Zocker auf Herz und Nieren geprüft.

"Facebookers" Bersatu Melawan Koruptor...

JAKARTA,KOMPAS.com — Teriknya sinar matahari tak menghalangi ribuan facebookers pendukung KPK berkumpul di Bundaran HI. Minggu (8/11) pagi, mereka menyatakan dukungan langsung kepada dua pimpinan (nonaktif) KPK, Chandra Hamzah dan Bibit Samad Rianto, yang ditetapkan oleh Polri sebagai tersangka.

Tak tanggung-tanggung, ribuan facebookers tersebut telah menyemut di Bundaran HI hingga menjelang siang ini. Sementara itu, forum facebookers dukung Chandra dan Bibit sudah mencapai lebih dari 1 juta orang.

Ratno (24), salah satu facebookers yang turut serta dalam aksi tersebut, menyatakan kekesalannya terhadap proses hukum yang dilakukan oleh Polri terhadap dua pimpinan KPK tersebut. Menurutnya, Polri tidak pernah tegas dalam melakukan penindakan dan proses hukum terhadap para koruptor. Hal yang ironis justru dilakukan Polri dengan mempersangkakan Chandra Hamzah dan Bibit Samad Rianto. Ratno menilai, polisi tidak lagi independen dan memiliki kepentingan dengan menindak keduanya. “Kenapa justru Pak Bibit dan Pak Chandra yang ditindak. Mereka kan juga penegak hukum. Anggodo itu yang jelas-jelas harus di hukum berat,” kata mahasiswa salah satu perguruan tinggi di Jakarta tersebut.

Aksi para facebookers ini juga dilakukan dengan menggelar mimbar bebas dan panggung terbuka. Para musisi papan atas pun turut serta menyatakan dukungannya terhadap pemberantasan korupsi di atas panggung yang diberi nama Indonesia Sehat Melawan Korupsi.

“Mari rakyat Indonesia bersatu melawan korupsi. Jangan ada lagi mafia-mafia hukum di negeri ini. Kita ganyang koruptor,” demikian orasi presenter Indra Bekti dari atas panggung. Ajakan ini pun langsung disambut oleh teriakan dan tepuk tangan dari ribuan facebookers.

Nindita (19), seorang pelajar SMU, juga turut bergabung dengan forum tersebut. Sebagai seorang pelajar, Nindita mengatakan, ia bingung dengan kisruh yang terjadi di antara institusi penegak hukum tersebut. “Sebenarnya saya bingung dengan konflik yang terjadi. Harusnya para penegak hukum itu terbuka kepada publik. Koruptor harus dibasmi semua,” ungkapnya.

Aksi ini pun masih terus berlangsung. Semakin siang para facebookers pun semakin banyak dan memadati areal Bundaran HI tersebut. Demi menentang tindakan kriminalisasi terhadap KPK, mereka tampaknya terus melakukan aksi tersebut dengan penuh semangat. “Hidup KPK, ganyang koruptor,” kata artis Happy Salma.

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What Would You Hide in Your Pilloroo?

Pilloroo has been on the road lately, and we have had one Big Question, “What would you hide in your Pilloroo?”  It has been so exciting hearing about what Pilloroo Fans are saying.  All of the fun and special things that can be hidden in the Pilloroo Pouch, are as different as every kid and adult who answers.  We thought we would share the answers, so we started a list.  Let’s see how big it will grow.

Come play with us, and add your own idea.  Leave a comment on this post and we will add your answer to our ever growing list.  You can even forward this to a friend and invite them to play too.

Let us know the unique treasure you will leave hiding in your Pilloroo!

Do Realtor's Tweet?

How Do You Stay Connected?

Should Realtors Participate in the Social Media? Do you want to know if you should enter the social media space? Ask your clients and prospects. Send out a postcard in a farm mailing. Are they Tweeting? Are they uploading pictures in Flickr? Have they ever commented on a blog? Have they created a review space on Yelp? I suspect that your answers will be very different in Seattle and Mountain View, than answers in Torrance, CA or Malibu. Chances are that if your peeps are anywhere they are on Facebook. And…drumroll please…..they are not actively searching for real estate. They are reconnecting with old friends. Decide then and there if you are willing to engage them in that space. Do it wrong and it could be like trying to sell someone in the middle of a church service.

But it might pay off to have those friends..

IF your staying connected to people you never guessed that you would ever talk to again, its a great way to keep in touch and get referrals at the same time. Word of mouth for a good realtor is always a plus, the same concept works on a facebook, ease your your professional services and or advice into conversations and it might come in handy.

 

Ich bin ein BerLede.

No TERVE!

Otsikko on hieman muunneltu versio John F. Kennedyn Berliinissä 1963 heittämästä sitaatista. Olisin voinut laittaa sen muotoon “Ich bin ein BerAntsa” (koska olen Antsa, en Lede), mutta se olisi kuulostanut hassunhauskalta persettä tarkoittavalta trendisanalta.

TÄSSÄ VAIHEESSA VAROITUS KAIKILLE LUKIJOILLE, ERITYISESTI LEDEN VANHEMMILLE! SEURAAVA KIRJOITUS SISÄLTÄÄ JONKIN VERRAN KÄNNILÄPPÄÄ. JOS OLET LEDEN MUTSI TAI FAIJA, LOPETA LUKEMINEN TÄHÄN.

Noniin, (A)asiaan (vasta joulukuussa). Tässä kirjoituksessa olisi tarkoitus analysoida hieman yliopistopolitiikkaa, mutta värittää tarinaa samalla kertomalla, kuinka paljon VIINAA vedin eilen.

Tänä syksynä on valittu edustajat Suomen eri yliopistojen ylioppilaskuntiin. Otin eilen osaa tähän valintaan äänestämällä ja osallistumalla Helsingin yliopiston ylioppilaskunnan (HYY) vaalivalvojaisiin Wanhalla ylioppilastalolla. Joku voisi sanoa, että valtasin vanhan, mutta omasta mielestäni se kuulostaa hölmöltä. (Niille, jotka eivät ole historianopiskelijoita: http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanhan_valtaus )

Vaalien tulos ei tarjonnut dramaattisia yllätyksiä. Ainejärjestöt säilyttivät paikkansa suurimpana ryhmänä, osakunnat saivat yhden uuden paikan ja hipit puolestaan menettivät kaksi. Suurin voittaja oli kuitenkin HELP  (http://www.helpry.com/), joka onnistui valtaamaan peräti kolme uutta paikkaa edustustossa.

Oma äänestyspäätökseni perustui kolmeen ominaisuuteen:

1) Makeimmat viikset

2) Hauskimmat facebook-päivitykset

3) Pedofiili-look

Koska en halua rikkoa vaalisalaisuutta, ehdokkaani jääköön muutoin salaisuudeksi.

Nyt kun politiikkaosuus on hoidettu pois alta, voidaan siirtyä pyhään nelinäisyyteen eli kirjaimien T B H ja N laittamiseen maagiseen järjestykseen: BNTH!

Oikeastaan on pakko todeta, että hehkutin turhaan. Vedin kolme kaljaa ja yhden lasin punaviiniä.

Hävettää.

Fan Arogansi Evan Brimob Terus Bertambah

Fan Arogansi Evan Brimob Terus Bertambah seiring dengan heboh statusnya di facebook. Mungkin sikap nya yang terkesan arogan ini memancing respon masyarakat yang sedang sakit hati dengan permainan – permainan politik yang baru saja dipertontonkan. berikut cuplikan kehadiran fan arogansi fan brimob..

Evan Brimob, salah satu akun di salah satu facebook (FB), membuat gempar. Pemilik akun ini menampilkan foto profil dengan foto seseorang mengenakan baret biru dan seragam Brimob. Dia menulis status yang menyeramkan! Dia pun dilaporkan ke Komisi Polisi Nasional (Kompolnas).

Entah apakah Evan Brimob memang anggota Brimob atau tidak. Yang jelas, di komentar-komentar FB, dia menantang para komentator. Komentar di FB Evan Brimob sangat ramai gara-gara dia menulis status: “Polri gak butuh masyarakat, tapi masyarakat yg butuh Polri. Maju terus kepolisian Indonesia, telah hidup2 cicak kecil..”.

Si pelapor Evan Brimob ke Kompolnas adalah Wawan, yang beralamat di Karang Malang, Catur Tunggal, Depok, Sleman. Dia melapor ke Kompolnas dengan mengisi formulir yang disediakan Kompolnas tertanggal 5 November 2009. Wawan mengirimkan formulir pengaduan yang diisinya itu ke redaksi detik.com, Kamis (5/11/2009).

Saat menulis kesatuan yang dilaporkan ke Kompolnas, Wawan menulis: Sat Brimob Polda Sumsel. Apakah Evan Brimob adalah benar anggota polisi dari Brimob Polda Sumsel? Entahlah. Namun, di profilnya, Evan Brimob mengaku bertugas di Sat Brimob Polda Sumsel.

Yang jelas, Wawan menulis dalam kolom ‘Bentuk Perbuatan’, sebagai berikut: “Membuat pernyataan yang melecehkan masyarakat dan beropini negatif tentang masyarakat, secara tidak langsung mempuat pernyataan yang provokatif dan bisa memperkeruh isu-isu tentang KPK dan Polri di situs jejaring social facebook.” Dia juga memberikan link di sebuah situs forum yang meramaikan tentang hal itu.

Di FB, Evan Brimob mendapat banyak komentar yang sangat banyak oleh para pemilik akun FB yang menjadi ‘friend’-nya. Mereka mengomentari status Evan Brimob yang bertuliskan: “Polri gak butuh masyarakat, tapi masyarakat yg butuh Polri. Maju terus kepolisian Indonesia, telan hidup2 cicak kecil..”.

Salah seorang pengguna FB yang berkomentar adalah Yudhistira Lembang. Dia merespons dengan kalimat sebagai berikut: Lo digaji masyarakat lewat pajak, dodol. Jangan bilang polisi gak butuh masyarakat. Klo lo ga butuh masyarakat, lo tinggal di hutan saja sama monyet.”

Pemilik akun lain, Maquin Spanish berkomentar: “Evan, katanya saya bisa melakukan pengaduan kalau ada tindakan polisi yang merugikan masyarakat. Oleh sebab itu, saya akan tulisan kamu ini di pengaduan saya di web kepolisian.”

Evan Brimob kemudian menimpali: “Maquis, kamu mengerti apa masalah hukum. kamu tuh gak lebih dari kumpulan orang2 yg gak berguna. Mungkin cinta kamu pernah ditolak oleh polisi ya. Ya iyalah mana mau polisi sama orang yg gak penting kayak lo..”

Berbalas komentar antara Evan Brimob dengan pemilik akun FB lainnya kemudian dipindahkan ke forum dan didistribusikan ke banyak mailing list. Dan kasus Evan Brimob ini seakan meledak. Dia pun menerima banyak hujatan.

Di FB sendiri sudah muncul fan: Arogansi Evan Brimob Indonesia. Saat ini sudah lebih 300 orang yang bergabung. Juga ada akun FB tandingan bernama ‘Evan Brimob Asu’ dengan foto profil Evan Brimob yang diplesetkan.

Terhadap para lawannya, di salah komentarnya, Evan Brimob menulis sebagai berikut: “oh silakan2, satu jengkal pun saya tidak akan mundur. Jangan tidak ya… saya tunggu. Kalau tidak, berarti Anda yg perkarakan dengan hukum.”

Di buku tamu website Polri juga tidak kalah ramai dengan komentar-komentar di buku tamu

is it constitutional?

In English yesterday, we had to argue one side or another side of the argument. The topic was if the schools should adopt a dress code or not. I was on the side of no dress code.

One of our arguments topics that we wanted to mention was that the dress code prevents freedom of speech, along with creativity and individualism. I told them that that was our weakest point. Freedom of speech was made so I could stand up and give  a speech about why Obama is an idiot. Not so I can walk around wearing whatever I please.

They disagreed. They said that it was the case. I think someone even tried (at least it sounded, I’ve never read the amendment.) to say that it says dress in the amendment. AFter arguing it for three minutes, I saw that I won’t get anywhere and they were out voting me. So it stayed as the first one.

Then they got up to argue it. Very interestingly, the teacher tore into the first amendment one. First, he got STeven (who was debating it for us), to say that it was the parent’s creative rights that we are infringing upon, because, after all, minors don’t have rights. That alone ruins our argument.

So, we did rather well all in all, compared to the other group. I had a lot of good arguments for the other side, but they didn’t use any of them.

Anyway, everyone was a little annoyed with me and all my arguing, because we were divided when we really shouldn’t have been (as far as they were concerned.) I enjoyed myself though and laughed to myself because I was right.

Later on, one of the people in my group ended up friending me on facebook. I just find that so ironic that after everyone was annoyed with me for arguing it, I was right and better yet, someone friended me out of all of it.  But I don’t think she gets on facebook much, because I haven’t seen her.

BURGER HUNT WILL BE ON IN TWO WEEKS

Okay, this is not going to be one of those epic burger hunts where you have this moment of euphoric revelation in discovering the most orgasmic combination of bread, beef and other stuff that makes you take a trip back into your childhood and remember the first bite of something absolutely delicious your beloved mother made for you (reference to Ratatouille, awesome Pixar movie, too bad Pixar got bought … freaking Disney, KAY OFF TOPIC), because well, you can basically turn on your computer and the facts will be listed out for you with out without criticism, ratings and mouth-watering photos.

This will just be one of those things where I’m hungry and I look for an excuse to go eat a lot.

But because I named it a Burger Hunt it will be also kind of interesting in my otherwise dull and frustrating life (HA!).

The Burger Hunt will consist of me and a bunch of pigs who also like to stuff our faces (which means my fobby friend will probably not be invited because she wants to lose 5 kilos because she is insane). There will be official restaurants that we will try which means I will post up the names and their websites (if they have one) on WG (most likely) before we go, and there will be random spontaneous visits to shady places downtown because maybe the best burgers are sold in scary looking places with a green door and a red neon sign (reference to HIMYM).

There are to places where I would like to try ASAP:

Vera’s Burger Shack
Apparently they have the BEST burgers. I’m not very believing now, but I bet when I get there I’m going to be like OMG IT’S SO FUCKING GOOD.

And I also want to try the Kobe Beef Burger, which is apparently sold at Guu at their Robson location. My friend told me about this, and I didn’t know Guu sold burgers, but if they do, and it’s Kobe, I am so fucking there.

I kind of want to go drinking in two weeks, but I also want the burger hunt to start ASAP because every second of being hungry with the side of my mouth still a bit sore multiplies the pain of the hunger by fifty.

If you want to come with me on the burger hunt let me know! And I will maybe possibly perhaps not reject you only because I don’t want to go all by my lonersome. Yes. Lonersome.

I’m kidding, I love you, of course you can come, unless I don’t like you.

On a different note, I can’t believe Tra said “TWSS” (that’s what she said). It sounds so cool but when you expand it … LOL

Here’s how everyone can be famous:

You don’t even have to be happy! LOL

Good night.

WG

P.S. I hate FB but it’s already sunk its secret-government-tracking-citizens-project claws into me AND WON’T LET GO.

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Bergson, Badiou, and "The Problem of Language": Fragment 12934ff.

“The Bergsonian denigration of language, as the synchronistic counterpart of pure, dynamic, diachronicity, inaugurated the postmodern stance on language as a medium at odds with phenomenal experience. Language’s quantificational (mathematical) structure seems to oppose it to what is originary or purely qualitative; however, given a brief consideration of the structure of language, this proves to be an untenable position. Language is a network of expressions which consist of free variables that become constant only when set in relation to a verificational double. This means, then, that expressions, in the form of n+x, a constant n, infintely predicable by x, a free variable, are not closed, cold, and lifeless symbols, as Bergson state in Freewill and Time, but, rather, are dynamic embodiments of qualitative multiplicity, situationally closed and temporally open.
Foundational to Bergson’s critique of language is a misunderstanding of numbers as static synthetic bodies, a notion that Badiou’s Being and Event is at pains to correct. Badiou’s correction consists in disproving the existence of the One, replacing the One with a function of consciousness he calls “the count-as-One structure,” which upon appropriation of a pure multiplicity creates the virtual “one.” However updated it may be, Badiou’s concept of the “count-as-One” structure of consciousness is merely a nuanced, slightly revised version of Bergson’s theory of consciousness. Consciousness is set in opposition to noumenality, insisting upon Postcantorian Set Theory’s implicity superiority in forming an ontology that breaks free from traditional identity theories, what Badiou bases his ontology upon, also fails to account to explain how the “one” comes into being; instead, it merely reduplicates Bergson’s mistaken ideas about number by insisting upon the ex nihilo origination of the “one” by means of an inexplicable function of consciousness. And what is at stake is nothing trivial; the affirmation or negation of the existence of the one is perhaps the only remnant of philosophical antiquity that still bears significant consequences for identity theory, irrespective of the theologico-platonic overtones of the primary “one.”"