1st of all i like facebook and i have always limited the amount of stuff i throw online and cheked my privacy settings.
So i dont like the conspiracy theory psychotic panic generating kinda people that spread garbage that we all are living in a big lie. Well if you don’t like something then do something about it !
And if somone is concerned about his or hers privacy and suddently realizes that until now he wasnt doing the right things to protect himself, here is a very nice New York Times article that explains the basics of it
Well i have done all of the above except complaining because i was always aware that Facebook uses a advertisement based business model and needs to make a living from posting user tailored and directed advertisements.
How would facebook ever survive as a service, a free( tax-free) service without using money? well you try and manage online accounts of more than 200 milion users without money. If you succeed you will have all my respect and all our gratitude for providing a facebook looking/standard achieveing solution with no fees and no advertisements.
Talk about your life being an open (face)book and how you could be tweeting your life away…I came across this wedding video on Youtube where just after the couple have exchanged their vows and are married, they both whip out their mobile devices to update their status on their social networking sites!
I don’t know if that’s cute or sad…
One wonders what their friends will hear of next…what they did on their honeymoon, their first quarrel, what they feel about the in-laws, etc, etc…Talk about how new media is so entwined in one’s life!
Anyone who doubts the power of social media to affect finances need look no further than the example of Kansas City Chiefs football player Larry Johnson.
The all-pro running back cost himself $213,000, and ultimately a job, by posting anti-gay slurs on the micro-blogging service Twitter — in 140 characters or less, of course.
Career trouble is just one way a badly managed social media presence can hit your pocketbook. Following are three areas where social media could damage your financial life, and how to avoid such pitfalls.
Employment
Andy Beal, CEO of the social media monitoring platform Trackur.com, says jobseekers should assume potential employers will do a Google search of candidates’ names. Social media profiles typically appear near the top of the search page.
If you have questionable pictures or posts on a public profile, take them down or make the profile private to avoid trouble.
Also, steer clear of negative talk about a prospective employer on any social media platform, Beal says. Many companies monitor mentions of their brand throughout the Web, he says.
He cites the case of a Twitter user who posted about a new job offer from Cisco, but expressed doubt about “the daily commute” and “hating the work.” A Cisco employee noticed the tweet and demanded to know the name of the user’s hiring manager.
Even employees who think their jobs are safe can sabotage themselves by being too honest online about their personal lives, or by posting feelings regarding a boss, client, co-worker or company for whom they work.
“We’ve seen a lot of cases of people publishing status updates that have gotten them in trouble,” says Justin Smith, founder and editor in chief of Inside Facebook. ”People have said things that have caused problems with their boss because of what they said about their work or because they’ve shared some other kind of private information about work online.”
Caroline McCarthy, a staff writer at CNET News, says the best defense against such mistakes is to use plain old common sense. Remember, anything that appears on the Web is just a screenshot away from spreading quickly, despite the best efforts of social media users to keep it private.
Debt Collection
Social media has become a key tool for collection agencies trying to track down debtors, says Michelle Dunn, CEO of the American Credit and Collections Association and author of “Do’s and Don’ts of Online Collections Techniques.”
“If they don’t have a good phone number or the mail’s being returned, a lot of them use Facebook to find out if they have a different address or their employment information,” Dunn says.
Many bill collectors who think they’ve found a debtor on a social media site will keep an eye on that individual’s online presence, Dunn says.
“They don’t necessarily have to post anything to them; they just watch what that person is posting,” she says.
Setting a social media profile to allow anyone — not just friends — to look at postings can make your profile a particularly rich source of information, she says.
“People post things about if they’ve gotten a new home or a new vehicle,” Dunn says. “People just post such private things about their lives, and the whole world is watching.”
Privacy laws should preclude a collections professional from contacting and humiliating you on your social media page, Dunn says. However, some debt collectors violate those legal and ethical boundaries and assume false identities as a means of getting information, she says.
Scams
Social media sites ask for, and often get, a large amount of personal information from users. Unfortunately, identity thieves may use that information to perpetuate scams, especially if you use personal information when creating security passwords, McCarthy says.
“If you have a public Facebook profile that gives your birth date and your parents’ names and that kind of thing, they can provide the answers to security questions that your bank might have on its Web site,” she says.
Even if your profile is private, identity thieves may find other ways to get your information, Beal says.
“We see spammers, we see hackers, we see people trying to sell products using fictitious profiles,” he says. “There was a study done a few years ago where one group created a specific fictitious profile and the number of people that accepted their friend request … was pretty high.”
For this reason, be careful about adding social networking “friends” you don’t know in real life, says Beal.
“Social networking is not a popularity contest,” says Beal. “I don’t add anyone to Facebook or LinkedIn unless I know them.”
And remember, just because a social media site asks for information doesn’t mean you have to give it, Beal says.
Finally, McCarthy recommends never sending money to someone who asks for it over a social media service. Smith says that there have been reports of scammers hijacking accounts and posing as friends.
by Claes Bell
Thursday, January 28, 2010provided by
Copyrighted, Bankrate.com. All rights reserved.
The news, and pictures, about Lady Ga-Ga actually being a man, were first reported by Steve Jobs as he presented Apple’s new iPlot gadget at a secret location.
127 journalists immediately tweeted the story , and it was soon re-tweeted by 13,068 followers.
The tweets were automatically converted 1675,042 LinkedIn notification which turned into automatic 300,000 WordPress Updates.
Than Google picked the news up and sent alerts to 1,020,068 Lady Ga-Ga followers and 1,002,900,3 day traders.
However, the big problem started as the new automatic “Google Alert” to “FaceBook comments” mechanism kicked in.
Since Facebook comments are automatically generting Tweeter alerts ,a vicious positive feedback cycle was created.
Soon, 95% of the computing power of the western world was targeted at breaking the (false) news to the same people again and again.
When New York lost its electric power, due to the high consumption by data center. Google decided to cancel Google wave and create a super algorithm to solve the problem.
They took five of their Nobel prize winners, who have been working on JavaScript optimizations, and asked them to solve the problem.
Google Geniuses quickly realized the problem is similar to solving the “ipartite graphs with no induced cycle of length > 6″ problem, but just when they were ready to solve it, the network on their Android t-Mobile crashed. The only person to hear about Amazon’s EC2 explosion was President Obama, with his secure Blackberry.
As San Francisco,Tel Aviv, Rome and London lost all electric power the mob started rioting the food supplies. Unfortunately they starved after two days because all of the food was organic.
Luckily , China was saved, as Google decided to block them, or vice versa.
In the last few years, social media has been a controversial topic of conversation; but last week, it saved thousands of lives. Following the devastating earthquake in Haiti two weeks ago, millions of Twitterers, Facebook users, and even text messengers spread the word about the crisis. A charity was established that allows individuals to text a certain number and donate money to the relief efforts in Haiti. This charity alone has raised nearly 10 million dollars so far. Social media not only informed people about the crisis, but gave them a way to help. While several aspects of social media are accused for being more of a detriment than a benefit, it’s wonderful to witness the power of these networks providing help to those in need.
This morning I was going through this post, an Amazing post by Robert Bravery – http://is.gd/7cx5x
Robert had asked a question, why we comment on Blogs!! It seems an easy question, with may be simple, yet complex answers. But it’s a very important question.
Why?
Well, this is my version of the answer.
As far as I am concerned, I comment on blogs on topics of my interest. That includes anything written about Twitter, Facebook and majorly about Social Networking sites. ( Social Media is my Favorite ) There is a list of Bloggers (Amazing Bloggers) that I follow.
They have some amazing piece of art on their Blogs. The reason I mentioned art is, because its really amazing to go through their content and their views on various topics about Social Media, Blogging World and Social Networking.
Following is the list that I follow :
- Author: Robert Bravery – http://www.integralwebsolutions.co.za/Blog.aspx
Web2.0 toolbox for fashion professionals: 10 social networking tools which could be effectively used for professional networking in fashion industry.
Social networking became a fact of life and it offers a huge potential for professional networking.
The topic of this post is selection of the best way to use social networking site by a fashion professional for self promotion.
This posting is not an overview of social networking and blogging sites in general, there are plenty of such very comprehensive and thorough overviews on the web today and there is no need for another “dissertation” on the topic.
It is, however, a common sense overview of online social networking tools for fashion professionals whose social networking experience and web experience overall could range from nonexistent to some use of social networks as a personal hobby.
Thus the focus is: services applicable for
“real people”, not Internet geeks who ” know everything”.
fashion professionals who want to promote themselves on the web in order to get a job, expand customer base or just advance or expand personal/fashion brand.
criteria for selection of social networking services to be included here:
criteria #1: all of them must be genuinely free: no obligatory charge, no mandatory service fees, no cost for basic service.
Thus , all services included in this list are basically free. There may be some “for fee” advanced features, however. In some cases fees for these “for fee advancements ” are priced so moderately and they are so effective that it makes perfect sense to consider such “for fee” upgrades (Flickr Pro would be a good example), but this list includes only sites which offer sufficiently good service in their free level.
criteria #2: all of them are easy to use: no special training needed, no unreasonable extra time for handling and maintaining account.
well…to be clear you cannot find 100% effortless services on the web. All services would pose some challenge and require some time which you have to spend to get a result. My criteria is that results obtained from a web2.0 service far outweigh amount of efforts and time spent on it. However, each of you can judge it for yourself because each of us has different understanding of what our time and efforts are worth.
In anyway, all services included in the list are fairly easy to use. Practical standard for this ” fairly easy to use” criteria is that all services included in this list are intuitive enough to work with without buying a book or a manual. You are still encouraged to use web based tutorials and, first of all, read carefully “help” pages and all documentation of services. In the meantime, all services selected for this posting are reasonably simple and need no “rocket science” to learn.
criteria #3: they are really necessary.
All services included in the list are designed for practical use with a purpose of promoting your professional agenda, marketing, personal branding and self promotion. Some tools included in this list are intended for professional networking (LinkedIn , Fashion Industry Network) but some of them (Facebook, Twitter) are social networking sites which could be used for professional networking but were not originally designed for such purpose. My criteria is to include in the list only services which are intended for professional networking or services which are potentially efficient and effective for professional networking .
method of classification:
tools are listed in the order of their importance as I see it according to criteria listed above
I separated tools into three groups :
must haves
discretionary tools
tools to consider with caution
each service included in this list will have a special overview. The purpose of this post is a “big picture” , a context in which you can see hierarchy of services and potential of their joint usage.
all “how to use” , “advantages” and “disadvantages” notes are limited to the potential in fashion professional networking. In other words, the purpose of this comparison is not to compare these services from all possible points of view, but from professional networking point of view only.
Must have tools:
Tool # 1: WordPress.com
Genuinely free, state of the art blogging/hosting platform which is the best free social networking service around.
website features include :
excellent built-in statistics and analytics – counters of hits and visitors, showing referral links, where your visitors came from, breaking down data posting by posting ( separate statistics for each posting ) and much more
features which allow you to include all necessary metadata when you post your images to make images more searchable on the web
very effective tagging of the posts, a feature which increases traffic on the blog significantly
allows multiple pages (although additional pages are limited, they are still extremely useful)
how to use: you can post your portfolio with your commentary, make a professional blog with your vision of fashion industry, or combine those two making it essentially a substitute of your personal website
Tool # 2: LinkedIn
Superb professional networking tool which allows you to present your resume.
Disadvantages: it does not have any portfolio presentational features, so it works the best only for fashion professionals who already have visuals and portfolio posted somewhere else and can include a link to portfolio from LinkedIn profile.
How to use: create account with a resume and all required features, get endorsements and recommendations as well as participate in professional groups. This will kill two birds with one stone: keep you up to day on what is going on in your niche of the industry and will give you necessary professional exposure. Features such as “my website”, “my portfolio” , “my company” offer you opportunity to create outbound links to your portfolio website and/or your personal website . You have to have them to make the most of Linked In membership. This problem could be solved quickly and with no unnecessary expenses by using WordPress.com blog/blogs (read the portion about wordpress.com).
Tool # 3: Flickr
Flickr originated as online photo management and photo sharing site but it definitely grew into a phenomenally powerful and easy to use portal for sharing any visuals including illustration , art and video. Unlike LinkedIn, Flickr is not intended as a professional tool so you have to “reinvent” Flickr to be effective in your professional networking efforts . Good news is that Flickr could be easily used as a professional networking tool because it has all necessary features for that:
on Flickr you can
create and maintain contacts
you can participate in groups by interest and make your visuals available on the web ( photos of your designs, or your styling photos as well as images of your fashion illustration projects)
collect endorsements and testimonials
organize your Flickr visuals in albums and collections and use it as an extended portfolio when you need it.
Your visuals from Flickr are easy to integrate in a variety of other social networking services
how to use : put your portfolio on the site, organize it in collections and submit into relevant groups. Make a link to your Flickr page from your linked in account and WordPress.com blog.
Tool # 4: Fashion industry network: is a “fashion industry LinkedIn”. Despite the fact that it is less powerful than LinkedIn , due to the very fact that it is strictly fashion oriented makes it a must have for a fashion professional. Also, since it is genuinely free, it is essential for any fashion professional to have a FIN account. This service is easy to use, easy to maintain and it could be extremely useful for fashion professional networking.
how to use: FIN offers all essential professional networking tools ( groups , contacts ,résumé , links to portfolio and personal websites) and ,what is very important, you are updated via email with news about all relevant contacts which makes networking process efficient and less time consuming.
Create account , sign up for relevant groups , post your resume and links to your portfolio ( wordpress.com blog , Flickr gallery), participate in relevant discussions.
useful discretionary tools to consider if you have time and interest
Tool # 5: Blogger.com
Another state of the art genuinely free and very easy to use (easier than wordpress.com) blogging service.
disadvantages:
there are no embedded statistics and analytics tools (however, you can set up Google Analytics which allows you to track statistics but it requires special efforts while wordpress.com has that functionality built-in)
tags for your posts on blogger.com are much less effective than tags on wordpress.com.
Obviously, Blogger.com is an excellent service that has its own advantages and it makes perfect sense to have both wordpress.com and blogger.com powered blogs/websites. The thorough side by side comparison of blogger.com and wordpress.com could be found on the web . My commentary is limited in scope by application in fashion professional networking only.
Tool # 6: Squidoo
Very interesting concept which allows you to create a hybrid of a blog and a small website ( they call it “lens”) which could be an excellent hub incorporating links and blurbs of all your other networking instruments. You can have all updates from your blogs, slideshows from you Flickr account in one place.
Squidoo lens could be an excelled networking tool of its own because Squidoo is a community and any lens is appealing not only to web in general but to relevant groups and audiences of Squidoo members.
Squidoo lens could be at the very least an excellent traffic driver to your blog or Flickr gallery, or, at its best, an excelled networking tool by itself.
Disadvantage of Squidoo is that this service offers extremely limited control of appearance of your lens.
Tool # 7: Slideshare.com
Very interesting concept which is a sort of “Slideshow Flickr” which allows you to post your PPT presentation or PDF on the web. It is a relatively new service and I personally did not have time yet to use it effectively , however I am going to do so. So far it seems that a slideshow posted on the slide share is very visible on the web and that the slideshow is an excellent vehicle for a fashion portfolio. So, two plus two together it seems like a promising service which yet has to be tested in action for fashion networking.
Tool # 8: Facebook
Most commonly used social networking service, could be an effective social networking tool if used properly. Options for creating your own page (not just a Facebook profile), creating groups and participating in groups offer some potential for professional networking.
However, it is very difficult (although, not impossible) to get through Facebook “noise” with a meaningful professional message, so I would consider a Facebook page (do not confuse with a Facebook profile) as a secondary and optional way to reinforce your professional networking efforts.
Tool # 9: Twitter
Is a very effective micro blogging and social networking tool of keeping your audience informed about your new updates. As I see it, Twitter is effective when/if you have already established an audience that maintains interest in what you do. It is hardly a starting point for a professional networking and may be considered as another supplemental tool which could amplify your overall professional networking efforts.
tools to consider with caution:
Tool # 10 Style portfolios.
Advantages:
Excellent concept of fashion portfolio site where portfolios are posted across of fashion industry niches and fairly well categories by these niches.
Placing together jobseekers and prospective employers creates excellent potential for both.
Disadvantages: it is not really free. Even worse than that, it is unpredictable in its policy: “DURING OUR GRAND RE-LAUNCH, ALL PORTFOLIOS ARE FREE! WE WILL CONTACT YOU WHEN THE FREE PERIOD ENDS. CANCEL AT ANY TIME.” What this practically means is that at anytime the site owners can approach you with a bill and you will have to either take off your portfolio (to which you possibly pointed a lot of links) or you will have to pay a fee.
Like the title says, breaking up is hard to do! For many of us, breaking up is one of the hardest things we have ever had to do. Some people are pro’s at it and can break up as easily as tieing their shoelaces. I’m certainly no pro at breaking up. I always second guess my decision and wonder if I’m just being too picky or critical. I ALWAYS feel guilty after the deed has been done but sometimes, there is just no other choice. If it’s not working out and your not happy then it just HAS to be done. Still, it’s just so hard to do! I mean, sure it was great at first. Everything was new and exciting. Unexplored territory if you will. That anticipation of what will happen next was always exciting but as time went on, you start to notice little things. You try to ignore them and live with the little annoyances and succeed for a bit, but after a while you just can’t do it any longer. The little things over time start to become bigger and bigger until you can’t take it anymore and you have to break it off. Still, it’s just so hard to do!
No dear reader, I am not publically breaking off my relationship with my wife nor my mistress. Wait, that came out wrong! I’m definitely NOT breaking up with my mistress. Wait….I don’t have a mistress so how could I break up with her? Oh hell, you know what I mean!
I am having a breakup of another sort. Yes dear reader, I am vowing to limit myself to playing just ONE game on Facebook. *GASP* This is so hard for me to do!
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don’t take this personal Cafe World, My Town, Island Paradise, and Tiki Farm! I have enjoyed every minute we have spent together and I have no regrets. It’s just time for me to concentrate on other things during my day. I have noticed that we are spending TOO much time together and I must devote more time to a few other things. I enjoy spending time on my blog and my friends’ blogs more than I enjoy playing with you. Please don’t blame this on my blog. Remember, I had my blog well before I started spending time with all of you games. Blogging was and still is one of my favorite things and I just can’t keep up with my blog AND you time sucking games. My blog or you games have to go and I have to choose what makes me happier. That choice is my blog and reading my friends’ blogs!
The other big reason I am for now keeping a secret because I have a blog post coming about it very soon. Please be strong and try to understand.
To Cafe World: We have cooked up some pretty mean shit over the past few months in Gary’s Cafe! Peking Duck was always our favorite. We served virtual customers left and right and even virtually employed some of our friends and relatives. Every time I cook I will think of the fun times we shared together! It’s been grand!
To Island Paradise and Tiki World: Thank you virtual islands for making me feel like I virtually owned my own little island in the middle of the pacific where I planted and harvested various crops for my eating pleasure. Thank you for all the virtual money you supplied me for these virtual crops so that I may buy virtual Tiki’s, comfy virtual chairs, virtual radio’s to virtually listen too, virtual coolers filled with virtual ice and virtual cold drinks, etc etc etc. You will be missed!
To My Town: Although we have not known each other long, we certainly had some fun times together. We built virtual houses and streets together in the hopes of making one hell of a kick ass town. Unfortunately, I will never see that happen. You keep on building without me and I sincerely hope you all the best in becoming a virtual New York or LA.
To Yoville: You were my first love Yoville and STILL my favorite. Because we have been through so much together, YOU are the lucky game I have chosen to continue playing. I love you Yoville!
I would like to end this post on a happier note so please enjoy this little video from Mr. Neil Sedaka!
A list of the essential articles that I posted to Twitter from January 17, 2010 – January 23, 2010. This week’s categories: Crisis in Haiti; Nonprofit Governance & Strategy; Internet, Social Media & Fundraising; Israel & Jewish Nonprofits; and Israel Economy & Finance.
Tizku LeMitzvot [May you continue to merit doing good deeds],
Shuey
Crisis in Haiti
RT @fundermentalist: New post: Where to give for Haitian relief http://twurl.nl/kak4nz
Nonprofit Governance & Strategy
New blog post: “Dear Mr. Foundation, Please Reject My Application.” http://ow.ly/YUFM
->@eJPhil: NPO investment committees want more direction & accountability from investment consultants. http://ow.ly/Xrwt
How an org can conduct a Self-Evaluation on a shoestring budget (Good tools, tip sheet & slides). http://ow.ly/XVoN via @LJacobwith
College president receives %-based bonus of money he raised, sparking controversy http://ow.ly/Z9mF via @Philanthropy // Good incentives?
Internet, Social Media & Fundraising
->@nonprofitorgs: 5 Simple (and Fun) Ways to Promote Nonprofits on FourSquare http://ow.ly/XroS
If it’s the right tool for you…10 Great Tips for Facebook Fan Pages. http://ow.ly/XrBc via@lblumenthal @ppcnyc
Looking to measure ROI from Twitter? 5 great sites to measure your Twitter reach.http://ow.ly/XUMA via @guykawasaki
RT @nptechblogs: ->@socialbrite: 12 steps for compelling Facebook Page by @johnhaydon http://ow.ly/XUQJ // Practical info, not general advice
RT @AlisonRapping: Harvard Study: 30 Key Findings on How The CEO Engages With Social Media. http://ow.ly/XVj0 via @davidcoethica@irenemalin
->@eJPhil: “Reaching Donors in 2010: Old vs. New Ways” & specifically, what’s best for Jewish donors. http://ow.ly/YjO2
RT @johnhaydon: Are Online Vote-for-Me Contests A Good Idea? A guest post on @kanter blog. http://ow.ly/ZagQ // Personally, I’m not in favor
RT @askdebra: The real cost of social media by@dannybrown http://ow.ly/ZMDa // Numbers might vary, but principle is true – it ain’t free
Israel & Jewish Nonprofits
Donations to Israel Foreign Min. for Haiti aid NOT tax-exept. Expert: Why is gov competing with NPOs? http://ow.ly/YUul
Fighting the Handout Culture: What solutions available when 50% of eligibles for free food don’t take? http://ow.ly/ZY9U #Israel
RT @religion_state: -> @eJPhil: Is Start Up Nation Also the Big Lesson for Jewish Nonprofit Sector? by @GaryWexler http://ow.ly/Yu1P
Israel Economy & Finance
RT @Israel_News: Bank of Israel will raise interest rate to 3.25% by end-year (current rate is 1.25%). http://ow.ly/XrkL
The best test to judge Israel’s economic health: The Beer Index (it slipped into the negative).http://ow.ly/XAqz
RT @Israel_News: Globes: Shekel-dollar exchange rate at 13-month low. Dollar now trading at 3.689. http://ow.ly/Y7zK
Israel Gov Ministries now on Twitter. Answers back almost immediately! http://ow.ly/Yvrt The list: http://ow.ly/YvHq
Israel is poorest of OECD countries (if it joins). 9 recommendations from OECD, incl. cutting child allowances. http://ow.ly/YUz8
NEWS Is it ‘High Noon’ for Google, China? By Kevin Voigt, CNN
January 22, 2010 4:29 a.m. EST
Hong Kong, China (CNN) — Now that the big guns have waded into the public standoff between Google and China, who will be the next to blink?
On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton made a pointed speech on Internet freedom, while Chinese press have labeled the American search engine “White House’s Google.”
The tit-for-tat continued Friday, with China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs posting a statement slamming Clinton’s speech as an inflammatory statement “that goes against truth and damages U.S.-Sino relations.”
Speaking to reporters on a conference call Thursday, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said “in a reasonably short timeframe now, we will be making some changes” in China.
The public standoff between Google and China — over censorship rules, the hacking of Chinese dissidents’ Gmail accounts and a related cyberattacks on dozens of other U.S. companies — has been unprecedented.
“The fact that multiple very large corporations indicated they had all been victims of this … and many issued public statements and took a stand, that’s not something we’ve seen before,” said Eugene Spafford, a computer security specialist at Purdue University who has advised two U.S. presidents and numerous companies and government agencies.
“The most likely possibility is that Google will actually leave China and lose a few hundred million in revenue,” says Haim Mendelson, a professor of electronic business at Stanford Graduate School of Business. “From Google’s perspective, it better aligns what they say and what they do.”
Another possibility, Mendelson believes, would be a compromise where Google would no longer be required to self-censor search items on the Web — but Chinese censors could still block controversial topic searches such as those onTibet dissidents or the outlawed Falun Gong spiritual group through routers and local Internet service providers.
“But I can’t imagine there will be a compromise because of the impression that it will be yielding to pressure from Google, which is a sign of weakness,” Mendelson said.
Both Google and the Chinese government appeared to take steps Thursday to ratchet down the rhetoric in the dispute.
“Our business in China is today unchanged. We continue to follow their laws. We continue to offer censored results,” Schmidt said. “We’ve made a strong statement that we wish to remain in China.”
“The Google case should not be linked with relations between the two governments and countries; otherwise, it’s an over-interpretation,” said He Yafei, China’s vice foreign minister, at a press conference on Thursday.
Questions over the origins of the cyber attack — and whether it was directed by the Chinese government — are the most troubling of the case, Spafford said.
“Are they private citizens acting out of patriotism? Is it government operated? Or government tolerated?” Spafford said. “From Google’s point of view, it could be argued the Chinese government isn’t reining in their criminal element very well, even if they are living by the rules (in operating in China).”
So I found this via @ScepticGeek and I think it is an interesting article. The author does make a point at the start that presenting this theory elegantly is a problem. I agree. This is a problem statement that needs to be up there straight. I am a near-victim of this situation. What’s going wrong with social media services?
Put simply, I think that each new social media service that we start using makes it harder to keep up with things in general. At first, the cornucopia of Web offerings seems really great and we start using them as soon as we hear about them. We’re exposed to lots of different people, new knowledge, and generally enjoy ourselves. Each new website seems like a shiny new toy. Sometimes we get caught up in the thrill in making new connections and our friend lists grow.
But it doesn’t seem to be like it used to be. People don’t seem to connect with each other as much or follow each other’s work.
I keep trying to relate Barry Schwartz’s book The Paradox of Choice to this phenomenon. It’s not a perfect fit, but I think there are some things to consider about this.The paradox of choice is that something that should make us feel happy and fulfilled (having great flexibility of choices in our lives) often leads to stress and anxiety. [Via A simple theory on why social media is losing its mojo | Broadcasting Brain - different thoughts about thinking differently]
I’d recommend reading the entire article for a full perspective.
On a personal note, I have been at loss to make sense of the social media services that I have signed up to. A few remain that make some sense. And here are a few thoughts on why I think so:
Most of the new services you may join would come recommended from a friend you already know on an existing service. A simple logic — social media services needs communities — they depend of folks to invite their friends. After a while, you join more services — and find the same people all over. What different are you going to talk about.
There is too much of fear-hype over privacy and security. For example, when I see a ‘new” service asking me to connect to Twitter or Facebook without using OAuth or something similar, I generally leave, without signing up. I love OAuth because it helps me keep my password counts to a minimum.
(As has been mentioned in the quoted article), there is sameness of content all over the place. A friend uses Tweetdeck and updates Twitter as well as Facebook. Another, shares Google Reader items, which are also posted as Tweets. Yesterday I read Rohit Bhargava’s article that said, “in just a few years we will reach a point where all the information on the Internet will double every 72 hours.” I think you will understand when I say I am not surprised.
I do not know how many people are asking this question, and if this is a question at all, but — to what end. There are these cartoons all over that talk of how social media has made us anti-social in quite a few respects — in meatspace (I like that term).
The other thing that has been irking me for a while is the amount of money and intellectual resources that are being “wasted” in developing even more similar services that are blurring differences. While ersonally don’t believe in spending trying to cool the earth, there are enough places where money could be put to good use — for profit.
There is more, much more. And while this is not a “Why Quit the-social-media-service-ending-with-r” kind of a post, it is a statement of stuff that has been going on in my head for a while. Phew!
FarmVille is a real-time farm simulation game developed by Zynga, available as an application on the social networking website Facebook. The game allows members of Facebook to manage a virtual farm by planting, growing and harvesting virtual crops, trees, and livestock.Since its launch in June 2009, FarmVille has become the most popular game application on Facebook with 73.8 million active users in January 2010.FarmVille started as a duplicate of the popular Farm Town on Facebook. – Source
If you’ve played farmville you’ll know how addictive and mindless the game is, stealing hours of your time waiting for fruit to be ready for harvest. If you’ve resisted the invitation to join the ever growing mob of farmers, you are still plagued by invites and farmville gifts from your network of friends. Here’s a hilarious look at farmville.
I just finished reading a great book on social media and I strongly recommend that anyone interested in social media and market. In fact, I would go so far to say that:
if you only read one book on Social Media this year, read Inbound Marketing!
The book is “Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media and Blogs (The New Rules of Social Media)” by HubSpot co-founders Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah. I am not the only one who is praising this book. Of the 67 reviews on Amazon since the book came out in October, 61 people rated the book as 5 stars out of five, 5 rated it as as 4 out of five and there’s just 1 contrarian moron.
Wikipedia describes inbound marketing as a style of marketing that focuses on getting found by the customer. According to the HubSpot website, Brian Halligan originally coined the term inbound marketing and which others have described as relationship marketing or permission marketing. On the other hand, traditional marketing or outbound marketing is the process by which companies find customers by advertising. The two types of marketing could not be further apart. One analogy in the book refers to the divide as “spending with your brain” (inbound) or “spending with your wallet” (outbound).
The book presents the all information in a very clear and concise manner – and each chapter includes real life examples and tips, and ends with a checklist of relevant to do items.
There are 4 main parts of the book:
Part 1 – Inbound Marketing: discusses how shopping has changed, asks whether your website is a marketing hub and whether you are worthy.
Part 2 – Get Found by Prospects: focuses on creating remarkable content, and getting found in the blogosphere, Google and social media. There is a very simple description of SEO (search engine optimization) along with hints for using pay-per-click and organic means to drive traffic to your website.
Part 3 – Converting Customers: talks about how to convert visitors into prospects, prospects into leads and leads into customers.
Part 4 – Make Better Decisions: describes how to make better marketing decisions, how to pick better marketing people and measure them, picking and measuring a PR agency and watching your competition
Not only did Brian and Dharmesh write a compelling book, their company lives what they preach. In addition to their corporate website and blog, they provide several great (and free) tools such as Website Grader and Twitter Grader. These tools provide a numerical score of how your website or Twitter account is performing along with suggestions on how to make improvements. They also have a related website called Inbound Marketing University. Inbound Marketing University is self-described as a “a free marketing retraining program for marketing professionals—as well as marketers between jobs—looking to gain new skills to get ahead in the competitive workforce.” The site provides marketing resources, webinars, news and a community forum. along with a series of 15 online/downloadable courses that will prepare you to take the Certified Inbound Marketing exam.
A free chapter from the book titled “Hiring in the DARC Ages” is available on the site. This is one of my most favorite chapters as it talks about the 4 key types of people you should be hiring – digital citizens with analytical chops, marketing reach and content creators. From my experience, many marketing teams need some serious overhauls to get people who understand and contribute in an age of inbound marketing and social media.
The authors conclude with a very strong call to action:
You have in your hands the playbook for getting found by your prospective customers and have no reason not to get started…now, today, this minute.
In the meantime, I found this Inbound Marketing 101 presentation provided by HubSpot Marketing on SlideShare and it presents a good overview of what is covered in the book. This should be enough to whet your appetite until you get a chance to run over to the book store and get your own copy (or read it on your Kindle/iPhone like I’m doing).
Okay i dunno, but the lastest days are (The boredom it’s still on), having a big rest from performing is getting me freaking bored! i wanna party! i wanna make something… haha, so if you wanna party and have a big time this thursday (and if you are in Bogotá) i’ll be @ Christian Hard B-day Bash
Want to help?
Well, thanks to the lovely technology of Facebook you can.
A friend I’ve known since the age of about 6 started a charity when we graduated. His charity has made it to the top 100 out of 500,000 on a Facebook competition.
Chase Community Giving is giving the winning charity 1 million dollars. Here are the charities I voted for and why:
1) Eyes on Africa Foundation- Jeff’s charity. I believe in what he can do. http://www.EyesOnAfricaFoundation.org
2) Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Inc.- My dad died of Pancreatic Cancer. Not enough is known about this type of cancer and it would be a God send for them to have money to research. http://www.pancan.org
3) To Write Love On Her Arms- Depression is always shunned. But the honest fact is that a LOT of people struggle with it. It’s real, let’s learn about it and how to help people with it. http://www.twloha.com
4)Manna Project International- My aunt and uncle work for this company and they have done some wonderful things for underprivileged children all over the world. I’m actually hoping to go on a trip with them this summer! http://www.mannaproject.org
5) I haven’t decided on my 5th vote yet. It will be a good one though.
If you want to vote as well you can go to http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/top_100
Love
The call goes out to keep Jesus on the High Street
Today I’d like to offer my thanks to Rebecca Paveley for her superb write-up in Saturday’s Times outlining both the crisis facing and the future hope for the UK’s Christian bookshops: The call goes out to keep Jesus on the High Street.
In it, Rebecca highlights the ironic fact that whilst many are blaming the internet for the trade’s difficulties, it’s the internet that’s allowing us to campaign for the trade’s survival:
In Christian bookshops up and down the country books are being cleared from shelves. But this is no ordinary January sale — it is further evidence of a trade in turmoil after the travails suffered by the big secular booksellers such as Waterstone’s and Borders.
The Christian bookselling industry was hit before Christmas with news that its largest remaining chain, Wesley Owen, was going into administration. Of its 40 shops, 14 have been bought out, but the remaining 26 have not found buyers and some have already closed.
Booksellers fear another SPCK debacle, as when the well-known Christian bookseller collapsed between 2007 and 2009 amid acrimonious claims of mismanagement and employment tribunals.
Wesley Owen is the biggest but by no means the only Christian bookshop to have fallen in recent months — smaller chains of bookshops such St Andrew’s are splitting up, and scores of little, independently owned shops are quietly closing their doors for good.
Yet some staff and local Christians and clergy are not giving in easily. They have turned to the internet — which, ironically, is blamed by some for the trade’s downfall — to campaign for a future for Christian bookshops as churches on the high street.
The piece has already prompted some discussion on facebook after Eddie Olliffe posted a link, with questions about what and who Christian bookshops are for and what we should be stocking: are we here to serve local churches as resource centres? Or are we there to bridge the gap between church and community, community hubs providing a space where people can explore questions of faith and spirituality without feeling like they’ve wandered onto another planet?
Bookshops are not churches and I for one am not arguing for them to become churches. But can they be church outside of church: part of the Christian community that extends beyond the church buildings, Sunday services and house groups?
And what about our range of stock? Should we be focusing on books? Or should we be thinking more about being Christian retailers, majoring on cards, gifts, music and other items? Can we do both? How do we get the balance right? Can a bookshop without a café survive let alone thrive in the 21st Century?
My view — as summarised in the article — is that churches and bookshops need to work together. One of the reasons, I suspect, that some branches of Wesley Owen haven’t seen the support of local churches that others such as South Woodford and Walsall are receiving is that that rapport has never been there: the bookshops were stocked largely by decree of the former IBS-STL empire with its global ambitions and scaleouts driven by USA influences that mostly ignored local interest.
The challenge for all of us, it seems to me, is to think global but act local. Biblica were right in what they affirmed: it’s a global marketplace and we need to come to terms with what that implies; but they were wrong in what they denied: at street level, where bookshops operate, it’s a local marketplace and we need to serve our local communities. Shops that attempt to impose their own agendas upon their customers will inevitably either drive them away or be doomed to watch them drift away; but shops that work with their customers will become places that people want to come to — and if we get it right, places they want to bring their friends to.
Much of this, of course, is more or less the same thing that Melanie Carroll keeps saying, so I close, for now, with a quote from her contribution to Eddie’s facebook discussion. Another contributor suggested that one way forward for Christian bookshops might be to operate from church premises. Melanie replied:
I have to say this to me seems like a form of Ghetto-ism because all were doing is hiding the books in the churches and what about the unchurched, or even the churched but ‘not our type of christian’ who would be rather unlikely to want to visit the shop if housed in the xyz church or centre?
Seems to be we want to be out of the churches reaching to all comers and that those in the churches should be moving to be supportive – if the only outreach is in our house then it’s not much outreach, and if I’m only going to support it because it’s in my church and convenient to me on that level what kind of ethos is that> questions we all need to be asking ourselves – and not just in regards to christian bookshps but in regards to what it means to be christian, to be a servant, to be true community instead of just a commune.
Personally I think we should be looking to stay in the marketplace where everyone regardless of race, creed or culture can find us and feel welcome! so I think we should consider seriously looking instead at moving away from the model of pure christian bookshop and move into broadening the appeal of the shops, more product that is not christian, general books, gifts etc that appeal to the wider community and encourage them in. let’s make our bookshops/retail outlets community places not just christian places.
Perhaps then we’ll really see a growth and outreach beyond what we have, more people coming in and meeting the idea of christianity in a way that does’nt stereotype, that doesn’t preach and that doesn’t close the door before they step over the threshold. But in a way that does say, here it is, it’s real, it’s me, it’s you – it’s here and you know what it’s probably not what you think – but it might well be what you need!
That’s my vision, I want to see christianity grow and flourish in a positive inclusive way – in a real joe blogs man on the street way, and to do that I have to be the person on the street, I have to be in the street – or in my case in the market – and so does my christian bookshop :0)
6
Secrets you MUST do for your Small Business to Succeed in 2010!
No Mystery here! And many of you may know some of these “secrets”. But are you doing ALL? And are you doing them with commitment and longevity?
Doing these things all the time and keeping it up is essential for 2010!
1. Website/Social Media/Blog
Your website is the “Mother Ship” of your marketing plan for 2010 and the Social Media shines spotlights on it! Your website’s primary function is to drive or PUSH traffic to your business. Social Media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn PULL traffic to your business. Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook have revolutionized the ability for businesses to reach out and touch former customers as well as finding new customers and referrals.
If you don’t have a great website…GET ONE! Prices have come down if you shop around.
Look at your Website with your developer and evaluate any improvements that need to be made for 2010. Can you capture emails on your website? Phone number and contact information on every page?
Videos This year start making videos and post them to all of your internet venues. Twitter, Linked In and Facebook
Complete your profiles with pictures.
Add content at least twice a week or more
Post all of your blogs here
Post all of your videos here
Use *keywords unique to your industry in all of your wording on these postings and blogs
2. Networking Business to Business
Get out in the neighborhood and meet your business neighbors!
Networking is a two way street, ask your neighbors what you can do for them first!
It takes 5-7 visits to make and impact and develop a reciprocal referral source.
This is a long term commitment and will result in lasting relationships, good will and referrals.
3. Networking Business Groups
Join one or two local business networking groups, BNI is a good organization, Chamber of Commerce is another.
This is a once a week commitment. DO IT! It will pay you back hundred fold.
Delegate one person in your organization who will be the “face” of your company, if you have to. But there is nothing like the owner/president/general manager being the “face” of the company!
4. Network through Community Service
Pick one service organization, Rotary, Altrusa, Junior League or similar.
Volunteer, attend the meetings, and develop relationships.
Remember, even in service and volunteer organizations, referrals are a two way street.
5. Become a local Expert
Plan to hold some events at your place of business this year. At these events you will give a talk/lecture on your area of expertise. This will help to establish you as a local expert and provide great visibility and new networking opportunities for your business.
Be Informative, Relevant and above all Interesting!
Do a press release.
Phone all the people you have invited two days before the event.
Market your event to all the people in your business networking groups.
Market your events to everyone in your database. Using Constant Contact or similar.
Devote yourself to your DATABASE in 2010! Get it organized and keep it that way. This is EQUITY to your company. It will pay off in $$$.
Have all of your employees practice a one minute “commercial” of your business that they can say when circulating with the guests at your event.
6. Advertising Cost Relief
Cut back your print ad budget in 2010. Go with Networking. One-to-one in person networking and Social Internet Networking. One-to-one Networking is inexpensive compared to print ads, and depending on your industry, more effective. Social Internet costs nothing except time. Value is HUGE!
Expenses you will incur:
Printing expenses
Membership dues for professional business networking organizations
Staff time and wages for the hours spent in networking planning and activities.
The dollar value of referrals and business gained through your efforts in early 2010 may be hard to estimate at first, but the return on investment in the long run is PRICELESS!
Author: Deb Durkey, President
Social Internet Expertise
Business Facebook ,Twitter and LinkedIn in DFW
Social Internet Marketing and Strategies
Email Blasts with Constant Contact
Business Blogging
durkey2@sbcglobal.net
Blog: http:// www.durkeygurl.wordpress.com
http:// www.facebook.com/SocialInternetExpertiseDFW
http://.Twitter.com/Durke
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedIn.com/in/DebDurkey
Website: http://www.SocialInternetExpertise.com
***KEYWORDS if you don’t understand what your keywords for your industry are, ask your web developer or your SEO manager.
we can create a Facebook badge in jus few easy steps .all we need to got editing Facebook profile badge page click the edit this badgethen simply this kind of badge will is prepared shown below
A estas alturas ya todos sabemos lo que sucedió en Haití hace algunos días. Al inicio existe una gran impresión por darnos cuenta, primero, del gran poder de la naturaleza, y segundo, en que somos demasiado frágiles en comparación con ella.
Después pensamos en la necesidad de quienes viven ahí, e intentamos (sólo intentamos) comprender por lo que están pasando, y recordamos que en nuestro país han sucedido tragedias enormes y hemos recibido ayuda de diferentes países. Es en estos momentos en los que la paz surge y la caridad humana se deja ver, y muchos vemos como una obligación hacer lo que está en nuestras manos para ayudar.
A continuación hay información de centros de acopio en el DF y en Monterrey, y una lista de lo que se es necesario llevar. Por favor, piensen un poco y ayuden. Piensen que si están leyendo esto, es porque tienen internet, están en su trabajo o su casa, y en cambio la mayoría de las personas en Haití están incomunicadas, no tienen hogar o perdieron un ser querido. Somos muy afortunados. Hay que ayudar.
Centros de acopio:
Cruz Roja de Polanco
Juan Luis Vives #200. Col. Los Morales Polanco, 11510 México D.F.
Más información sobre donaciones se puede obtener con Ernesto Treviño, al correo electrónico Ernesto.trevino@undp.org.mx o en el teléfono 52639762 en la Ciudad de México.
Cruz Roja Monterrey
Alfonso Reyes #2503 Colonia del Prado
Productos necesarios:
Artículos alimentarios (Enlatados):
Arroz Bolsa 1 0 2 kg máx.
Sopa de Pasta (spaguetti)
Frijol Negro bolsa de 1 o 2 kg máx.
Alimentos para bebé (Gerber)
Cereal (barras energéticas)
Galletas
Verduras enlatadas
Fruta enlatada
Aguas embotellada 1 litro (específicamente)
Artículos no alimentarios
Medicamentos (verifar caducidad)
Material quirúrgico
Artículos desechables. Platos vasos y cucharas
Lámparas con baterías (baterías extras)
Pañales y biberones
Papel higiénico
Toallas sanitarias
Jabón de baño
Pasta dental
Cepillo dental
Toallas de cloro para lavado de mano
Cuentas bancarias para realizar depósitos:
Banorte Cuenta: 0000000065
BANAMEX Suc. 557 Cuenta:65
Las redes sociales están jugando un papel muy importante, Twitter se ha convertido en el principal medio de comunicación y organización de ayuda para Haití; pueden seguir la información con la hashtag #Haiti y en Facebook se han creado grupos como HELP HAITI DONATE NOW! EARTHQUAKE DISASTER RELIEF y EARTHQUAKE HAITI.
Los invitamos a que se unan en esta campaña de ayuda a nuestros hermanos de Haiti. Si no pueden ayudar con dinero o donativos en especie, pueden propagar esta información que, creanlo, muchas personas buscan y batallan para encontrar.
I recently got a new job doing marketing for MakeItWork.com so I have already been Facebooking & Twittering for the past eight hours…. So I should have gotten beyond my fill of self gratification for the day right? But as I’ve already mentioned, Facebook & Twitter are not enough; they merely touch on whatever thoughts/ feelings you choose to put out there, without allowing you to explain or “work through” them, the way writing does. So I guess what I’m seeking by writing this blog entry is not just self-gratification (OK maybe like 90% of it is that), but I am also seeking a way to express my feelings fully in hopes that by doing so I will somehow understand my emotions, in turn making them easier to deal with…
So what the hell am I talking about? You’re probably wondering how does the Caribbean tie into all of this…? So two days ago a very good friend of mine moved to the Caribbean. He and I had only been hanging out since August, BUT we became pretty much inseparable from September till now because neither of us had “real jobs” (I teach surfing year round, if you can call that a job: SurfwithVanessa.com) & he worked on the Sunset Kidd Sailboat here in Santa Barbara (where we met). So all we did was road trip up and down the Cali coast, visit our families, buy lotto tickets and talk about all of the cool stuff we could do if we actually won. (We agreed to the plan of buying a yacht, paying our best friends each a couple years worth of salary to hang out with us & sailing around the world, going to all the best surf spots and places we’ve always dreamed of traveling to).
Because my friend, like most of us, can not yet afford to buy his own boat, he decided to do the next best thing and get a job working as a crew member on a boat sailing first in the Caribbean and then on to wherever the job could lead… Before he left I wrote him a letter and in it I confessed that I have been blessed to have many amazing friends but there have only been a handful of people in my life that that I have connected with on that deeper level where you both know you just get each other & appreciate each other and he was one of those people for me… I explained that after spending so much time together, going on our adventures and all our talks about life & relationships, I have really grown to love him very much- not in a creepy, doodle his name on a notebook way, but in a lasting, sincere, friends forever way…
This was hard for me to admit & even harder for me to let go of as I dropped him off at LAX last Saturday at 4:30am. I was and am excited for him but I miss him terribly already (aah but at least we have facebook ha ha)… So tonight, when I found myself beyond busy with a million things I should be doing for work, and still feeling that ache in my heart and loneliness that comes when you no longer have someone in your life that you had grown so attached to, I decided to do what I do whenever I need an answer for anything… Umm, yeah, I googled it (of course) and these are a few offerings I found…
Q: Why do we miss people?
Because when they are around you just don’t realise how much of your life they take up and when they’re gone the void is huge. ~ AnswerBag.com
Sometimes, when one person is missing, the whole world seems depopulated. ~ Lamartine
It seems as though there is a Facebook Fan Page for just about everything – from Starbucks and Pepsi to Mr. Ed and Men in Kilts. Over the past year, I’ve learned quite a bit about creating and managing a brand’s Fan Page. Here are 10 things that I didn’t know about Fan Pages in 2008, but have become second nature in 2009. I wonder what 2010 will bring…
Choose the creator carefully – Until recently, I didn’t realize that the creator of a Fan Page can never be removed as an admin of the Page. Once a Fan Page is created, the creator will always have the ability to make changes to the Page. Moral of the story: don’t let the intern create your company’s Page.
Update often, but not too often – There is some debate about how often Fan Pages should update. Too infrequently and fans are disengaged, too often and they are inundated. I’ve settled on twice a week as a happy medium and I think that keeps fans interested without overpopulating their feeds.
Content is King – Status updates are great, but posting unique videos and cool photos is a great way to keep fans interested and involved.
Create a custom tab – The Static FBML application is a fantastic tool that allows brands to personalize their Page with the information that is most relevant for fans. Threadless is a great example – their “New Tees” tab gives fans a look at their catalog of shirts.
Land with a splash – The default landing tab for your Page will be the wall, but how boring is that? Take your newly-polished custom tab and make it the default landing tab. Check out Dunkin Donuts’ News/Promos tab – much more interesting than the wall. NOTE: only non-fans will land on the tab you set as the default. Fans will continue to land on the wall. Not sure why Facebook made this the case, but here’s to hoping brands can alter it in the future.
Don’t be a wall flower – If a fan writes on the wall asking a question or reporting a problem, by all means answer them. It can only improve your relationship with fans and show that you are actually listening.
Messed up? Fess up – Fans will know when you mess up, and they will call you on it. So if you mess up or there is a problem with your Page, let fans know you are working to fix it. Fans will appreciate knowing you are aware of the situation and trying to resolve it.
Beware of contests – Facebook has recently announced regulations for hosting contests on Facebook. Contests that require commenting on or responding to items in the News Feed are not allowed. It could be tricky to make sure your contest falls within the legal limits, so be careful while planning.
No easy way to get the word out – Want to send a message to your fans? It’s not as convenient as you’d think. Instead of appearing in fans’ inboxes, messages from brands appear in an almost secret “updates” location within the inbox. From my experience, no one checks these updates. I’d stick with communicating on the Page.
Loosen the reins – Let your fans interact with the Page by allowing them to tag photos, post on the wall and upload videos and photos. If you don’t like fan content, simply remove it, but fans will appreciate being able to contribute and interact with the brand.
“The stars may very well align for the IPO market in 2010. Literally.
Following one of the worst years in recent memory, public offerings are expected to rebound nicely this year, with potentially much of the action centered around several high-profile companies.
Embattled automaker General Motors, for example, has hinted since last summer that it could once again become a publicly-traded company by year’s end.
Private equity giants Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Apollo Global Management, both of which missed entering the market at the peak of the buyout boom, have both mentioned as possible entries in 2010 recently.
And the IPO rumor mill has been working overtime since social networking giant Facebook introduced a dual-class stock structure in November, a move that often times has preceded a public offering. Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) did the same thing before it went public in 2004.
0:00 /4:30Zynga CEO: ‘No hurry for IPO’//
“I don’t think it is a matter of if[Facebook] can or cannot, it is a matter if they want to,” notes finance author Tom Taulli, who has written extensively about the IPO market.
If Facebook, GM and other brand-name firms decide to enter the public markets, that could help push the number of U.S. offerings far beyond 2009 levels. Last year, just 63 companies went public as investors avoided wading into the market chaos that defined the first half of last year.
Those that did brave the turmoil included a rather strange group of bedfellows –including a Chinese online gaming firm, a company developing lithium-ion batteries for cars and nearly two dozen companies that were backed by private equity firms.
This year though, experts are betting that the IPO market will largely be dominated once again by companies that have been bankrolled by venture capital investors. These companies are typically younger firms as opposed to the mature companies that private equity companies often buy.
During the final months of 2009, 16 venture-backed firms filed to go public, according to Renaissance Capital, a Greenwich, Conn.-based investment firm specializing in IPOs, including drugmaker Ironwood Pharmaceuticals and solar panel producer Solyndra.
With that in mind, Linda Killian, a portfolio manager of the IPO Plus Aftermarket Fund at Renaissance Capital, said that more growth companies are likely to be in this year’s crop of IPOs.
Stock picks from 5 pros
And in the growth company category, there is no industry more buzzed about than social networking.
In addition to Facebook, social networking hotshots Twitter, LinkedIn and Zynga have all been rumored as possible IPO candidates.
Experts tend to agree that it is only a matter of time before many of these firms start considering acquisitions however. And with publicly traded stock, that would certainly give them the currency to do so.
John Fitzgibbon, founder and publisher at IPOScoop.com, said if one social networking company goes public and does well, then conditions would be ripe for the rest to follow.
“You need the trailblazer,” he said. “If Facebook goes into the pipeline, you will probably see more of its competitors start there.”
unlike the never-ending debate over whether it’s rock-paper-scissors or paper-rock-scissors, based on your votes and your designs, the latest flavor of vitaminwater has FINALLY been decided… introducing the black cherry-lime flavored vitaminwater named… connect! check out this new package- flavor & ingredients, nam…e & label design- all inspired by you- our fans. it’s got 8 key nutrients plus caffeine. thanks for all your help- especially to the grand prize winner Sarah from Illinois and the four other finalist http://budurl.com/q27w. vitaminwater connect will be available in stores nationwide in march this year- so until then, stay hydrated- and keep your eyes here for news, updates and special offers for connect, including a possible sneak tasting opportunity. and btw… it’s rochambeau!
I marvel at some of life’s happy little coincidences: being introduced to someone who runs an affinity non-profit by a friend with whom I haven’t spoken in nearly half a year is pretty amazing
Reposted survey summary information on CharityFocus’s Facebook page
Recategorized blog categories
Emailed Parth to find out that our lunch is canceled
Edited the blog site: added links to Facebook, idealist and Linkedin on the navigation sidebar
Finally figured out how to add blog stream to the Foundation’s Facebook page
Musfikur (a researcher in Dhaka, Bangladesh) contacted me about work. I emailed him to set up a talk about volunteer positions
Juliet (friend in London) emailed me about her friend, Mary Lin, who is looking for information about starting a non-profit. I exchanged emails with Mary Lin and it turned out that her non-profit and the Foundation are affinity organizations
Saw the videos Mandar Apte (Art of Living Foundation) emailed me and read up on the Art of Living Foundation online
It is a great thing that the virtual straps showing onFacebook this week have generated more interest in breast cancer awareness, and, presumably, in donations to fight the disease. But the whole viral lingerie thing has raised the Crone’s awareness of something else that threatens the world’s female population: girls’ enduring tendency to form cliques and take a cruel joy in excluding others.
Ok, she admits it, the Crone was shocked and dismayed to discover that there was an in-joke she wasn’t in on earlier this week. She likes to be at the center of such enterprises, particularly when they involve wordplay. Posting a request for enlightenment in her Facebook status bar at 7pm on Thursday, she came home at 9pm to two cryptic counter-messages, one from a man in Thailand (even he was ahead of the Crone) and the other from Mistress Lube, an alleged friend for nearly 40 years. These messages had the giggling behind the hand tone of many high school encounters “She’s so lame, she has no clue, make sure nobody tells her”. No-one had shared the secret via the Crone’s inbox. In cyberspace, more than 200 of her so-called friends were keeping her in the dark and out in the cold. By the next morning the Mother Teresa of Takoma Park, had surreptitiously supplied all the details via an email. Thank you Lynn. But on the Facebook wall a cold message from the Cackler, the gist of which was ‘”Na Na De Na Na–I know and you don’t”. Sister turned against sister. It was an ugly thing. By this time, one of the Crone’s dear Aunts (not the wheaten bread aunt, nor the boiled cake aunt but the aunt who will henceforth be known as the deep red aunt) had posted a facebook message to the Crone the gist of which was that she was feeling left out too: if the Crone discovered what was going on, please would she fill in her? But did the Crone lift the phone, compose an email or otherwise extend a helping hand? She did not. Once she was in on the secret, she turned her back on even close relatives, joining the shunners, sniggerers and seclusionists. Shaming, but true. (It didn’t, of course, take long for her aunt to work it out–hence her new moniker)
Once the Crone had posted her own update (gold) the comments came back fast and furious. Siouxsie Sue (decadent beige) was among those who felt the Crone had made it up. ” Sure you don’t mean platinum?” she sneered ” That’s only the underwire” the Crone felt like retorting, and was tempted to add ” And don’t forget mine’s bigger than yours” Galling to learn this morning that Siouxsie’s undies made it into the Washington Post but then, as Trinny and Susannah always say, ” a good bra can take you anywhere”.
More people are choosing to do their online shopping on Christmas Day than ever before, with sales rising by 29% to reach £132m.
Boxing Day saw even higher sales of £281m, according to IMRG. These stats are backed up by an eDigitalResearch survey (PDF) of consumers’ online activity over Christmas.
More highlights from the survey:
75% of the respondents said they were online on either Christmas Day or Boxing Day, with 15% and 23% respectively making purchases online.
Figures from John Lewis paint a similar picture, with shoppers making a purchase on its website every 10 seconds on Christmas Day, and a record number of visitors to the website between 11am and midday on Boxing Day.
Despite threats from the weather nearer Christmas, and the Royal Mail strike in November, the vast majority of deliveries arrived on time, and 97% said they intend to spend more or the same online next year.
Customer satisfaction with etailers
According to the Christmas Customer Satisfaction Index from ForeSee Results, customers are happier with online retailers this year, with the average score up 6.5% to 71.
Pureplays Amazon and Play.com topped the list with scores of 83 and 79, while Ticketmaster and B&Q were bottom of the class with scores of 65.
ForeSee ran the same survey with US consumers, and US sites scored an average of 79, which suggest that they are outperforming UK websites by 9%.
Which retailers had a good Christmas online?
Online sales at the John Lewis sale were up 23% in its first three days. The retailer experienced its busiest ever hour online when it launched the sale at 6pm on Christmas Eve.
The Hut, which runs Zavvi, as well as providing e-commerce services for Woolworths, Argos and others, said that orders rose by 188% in the six weeks to December 23.
Shop Direct Group reported that online sales over Christmas were up by 19% against 2008, while the internet accounted for 65% of all sales versus 56% last year.
Online sales at M&S were up by 32% in the 13 weeks up to December 27, compared with 2008.
Sales at Ocado rose by 49% in the week leading up to Christmas to £8.9m. Sales in the four weeks to Boxing Day were up 30% from 2008, reaching £40.8m.
A look at some interesting recent articles and posts about law and technology:
New York case law on litigation holds is discussed by Attorney Mark Berman. From the article:
It is well established that the “utter failure to establish any form of litigation hold at the outset of litigation is grossly negligent.” A showing of gross negligence is “plainly enough to justify sanctions at least as serious as an adverse inference.”
BUT…
On the other hand, not every matter is ripe for e-discovery, and the decision in Kaiser v. Raoul’s Rest. Corp.,is illustrative of the fact that one still needs to sufficiently justify a request for e-discovery, and that overbroad demands will not be countenanced.
The Fulton County Daily Reporter posts the news that a Georgia Judge has voluntarily stepped down, apparently because of an investigation into his relationship with a defendant that began on Facebook. From the article:
Woods’ departure from the bench effectively ends inquiries being made in the circuit from the Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission, which investigates complaints against judges. The JQC, whose workings are confidential by law, has made no public statement of any investigation regarding Woods.
From Ryley, Carlock, and Applewhite:
In Vagenos v. LDG Financial Services, LLC, 2009 U.S. Dist. Lexis 121490 (E.D.N.Y. Dec. 31, 2009), District Court Judge Brian M. Cogan denied defendant’s in limine motion to preclude plaintiff from offering at trial an alleged duplicate recording of an electronically-stored telephone message, but ordered an adverse inference instruction for plaintiff and his counsel’s failure to preserve the message.
From Law Technology News, an article examining how to Mine Web 2.0 for Evidence:
On Oct. 17, 2009, an armed assailant robbed two men outside a housing project in Brooklyn, N.Y. Almost immediately, the police focused their investigation on Rodney Bradford, a 19-year-old resident of the housing project who had been indicted a year earlier for a similar robbery. After one of the victims positively identified Bradford in a police lineup, the police arrested him and charged him with first-degree robbery.
Open-and-shut case, right? Wrong. It turns out Bradford was innocent and he had an airtight alibi to prove it. At the time of the crime, he was 12 miles away at his father’s house in Harlem, updating his Facebook status. After the district attorney subpoenaed Facebook and received the exculpatory evidence, Bradford was cleared of all charges and released.
Computerworld contributor Richard Power discusses how the Information Age has transformed the world the of the Private Investigator, with a Q&A with former FBI Agent (and current PI) Ed Stroz:
Stroz had served for 16 distinguished years in the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), during which he established the New York City FBI computer crime squad, one of the first two in the country, and directed several significant FBI investigations, including the high-profile international case of Vladimir Levin, a Russian hacker who broke into Citibank. In 2000, Stroz founded a private investigation (PI) firm in 2000, and has assisted his corporate clients in responding to Internet-extortions, denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, hacks and unauthorized access, and theft of trade secrets. He has also pioneered the concept of incorporating behavioral science into the methodology for addressing computer crime and abuse.
Marica Coyle posts an article for the National Law Journal noting that the Supreme Court will hear a case to resolve a circuit split concerning the work-product doctrine.
Textron Inc. v. U.S. stems from a long-running legal battle between the corporation and the Internal Revenue Service over the government’s demand for Textron’s tax-accrual work papers. Those papers generally are prepared with the assistance of in-house and external counsel and relied upon by independent auditors to determine the accuracy of financial statements. They often contain legal analyses and evaluations of potential litigation risks associated with particular tax transactions.
Last August, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 3-2 en banc ruling, held that the papers were not protected by the work-product doctrine and had to be turned over to the IRS in a tax shelter investigation.
So, I could have been there all night, yo. (The Status History application on Facebook.) And instead of doing some lame story of 2009 or even posting a cloud that just shows the words I commonly use (SHOCKER: It’s Ezra), I’ve only selected some memorable ones from this past summer of unabashed excitement – Montreal, Disneyland, Frenches, More Montreal – and dental floss (which was the first of September but it couldn’t be left out). Anyway, they aren’t chosen for any reason but that they made me smile or something when I read them. More later? Perhaps.
Wed June 3, 2009, 10:39 pm: had to put her foot down after Ezra – for the third day in a row – prayed for a little sister named Raptor Lightflash Morrow. Wasted prayer.
Fri June 5, 2009, 10:57 pm: listening to son pray: “Dear God, why did I not get a sister named Raptor?” !!! WHAT?!
Wed June 24, 2009, 11:52 am: loves how kids educational shows always include one functionally retarded character so your kid doesn’t feel foolish for being wrong. Fail.
Sat July 4, 2009, 10:21 am: is mixing songs. “Good Morning, Baltimore…the earth says hello?!” Rewinding. Starting over.
Thu July 9, 2009, 4:28 pm: ’s hubby just tackled her and then her son said, “Mama!! Fight the power!!!” O_O KWAT!?
Thu July 16, 2009, 12:54 pm: can’t live in a world where the Canadian dollar is equal to the American. Don’t go there, Jesus!
Mon July 20, 2009, 6:48 pm: is listening to almost-five-year-olds debate the seating arrangement of imaginary princesses. O_o.
Fri July 24, 2009, 10:43 am: ’s son just discovered that the reason he seemed to be ignoring my call was due to his ears being “too small”. Creative. Oh and time-out.
Sat July 25, 2009, 7:06 pm: ’s sons said: “Mommy, on PBS kids they said parents should give kids flight. Have you given me flight? NO!” O_O What’s all that phonix then!
Fri August 7, 2009, 3:08 pm: : Once Josh slaps some new tape on my glasses, I’m reh-to-go!
Wed August 19, 2009, 2:10 pm: ’s son just said: “When you eat while you’re fighting, it’s better fighting.” Can’t put that Disneyland sword down. Not even for sustenance.
Sun August 23, 2009, 7:17 pm: just got sprayed on the arm. BY A CAT. ON MY NAKED ARM. SWEET JESUS.
Mon August 24, 2009, 10:47 am: has mixed feelings about the road trip. Intimate and fun vs. omg why are we still in this truck and who’s bleeding and I’m holding a knife!
Mon August 31, 2009, 12:27 am: has crossed over. Oh Ontario. You didn’t have to pull out all the stops and have that woman laying face down on a bench with her pants down!
Tue September 1, 2009, 1:22 pm: is grossed. OUT. WHO FINDS FLOSS IN THEIR BRAN MUFFINS?!?! *violently dry-heaves*
2009 has seen the proliferation of a whole range of words and phrases that may have left many business owners scratching their heads – and we now find ourselves needing to Twitter, to ‘poke’ and to ‘ LinkIn’.
All of these strange terms are generally thrown under the umbrella of “social media”, which can be thought of as the use of a series of (mainly) internet based applications to spread ‘word of mouth’. They allow the sharing of opinion, thought, comments and – this is where it can get interesting for businesses – recommendations, ratings and referrals. If you’re not using these applications to talk to your customers, it’s a fair bet they’re already using them to talk about you.
Here’s a quick overview of how some of the most fundamental elements of social media can be used by businesses to communicate with customers and colleagues:
Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. Facebook has over 300 million users and a business profile page can help some of them become “fans” of your organisation or your products. Nike currently has over 825,000 fans. Fans include links to your profile page as part of their profile, which can then spread to their friends, and their friends – and for very little effort you’ve hit upon an effective ‘viral’ method of spreading awareness of what you’re up to.
Twitte r is a popular ‘micro-blogging’ service that essentially allows you to climb to the top of a big hill and yell things at those who have chosen to listen. Helped by celebrities such as Stephen Fry and Jonathan Ross, Twitter usage has risen dramatically this year and we at Focus New Media have just over 310 ‘followers’. Twitter also includes useful built-in tools that help you identify when your organisation is being talked about and by whom.
Founded in 2003, LinkedIn has become a leading site for online networking – acting much like a Facebook for businesses. The site now has over 53 million users in 200 countries and it can be used for connecting with past and present colleagues, posting projects and business opportunities, finding industry experts and according to some reports has become a crucial resource for HR departments.
That’s just a very quick overview of some of the core blocks that make up this new world of social media and they form an important part of your organisation’s digital strategy.
Simon Newing, MD Focus New Media 0117 9498008 simon.newing@focusnewmedia.com
This is an edited version of the full article which can be seen at our web site: http://www.focusnewmedia.com/blogs/social-media-and-why-you-should-care-about-it
Copyrighted, Bankrate.com. All rights reserved.
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So what the hell am I talking about? You’re probably wondering how does the Caribbean tie into all of this…? So two days ago a very good friend of mine moved to the Caribbean. He and I had only been hanging out since August, BUT we became pretty much inseparable from September till now because neither of us had “real jobs” (I teach surfing year round, if you can call that a job: SurfwithVanessa.com) & he worked on the Sunset Kidd Sailboat here in Santa Barbara (where we met). So all we did was road trip up and down the Cali coast, visit our families, buy lotto tickets and talk about all of the cool stuff we could do if we actually won. (We agreed to the plan of buying a yacht, paying our best friends each a couple years worth of salary to hang out with us & sailing around the world, going to all the best surf spots and places we’ve always dreamed of traveling to).
It seems as though there is a Facebook Fan Page for just about everything – from Starbucks and Pepsi to Mr. Ed and Men in Kilts. Over the past year, I’ve learned quite a bit about creating and managing a brand’s Fan Page. Here are 10 things that I didn’t know about Fan Pages in 2008, but have become second nature in 2009. I wonder what 2010 will bring…
