Reputation Management, Internet Privacy, and Social Media Quick Hits

Google’s Calculated Super Bowl Ad Scores Points

Google CEO Eric Schmidt talks about Google’s popular Super Bowl advertisement at the official Google Blog. Schmidt explains how the video, which has actually existed on YouTube for over three months, was never intended to be a Super Bowl ad, but received such strong feedback that they wanted to “share it with a wider audience.” The fact that Google had this video out for three months before deciding to buy a Super Bowl ad shows just how analytical the company is. They saw the positive feedback and knew that, generally speaking, it would be a home run with viewers. Nothing happens spontaneously at Google. Everything is meticulously thought out, which is probably why the company has found such great success.

For another opinion on Google’s Super Bowl ad, check out ReputationDefender Chief Privacy Officer Dave Thompson’s analysis.

China Busts Major Hacker Ring / Google Already Heading Back?

China, perhaps to fight off allegations from Google that they are weak on cybersecurity, claims to have busted a major hacker ring. The organization, called the Black Hawk Safety Net, is referred to in this Wall Street Journal article as the “country’s largest distributor of tools used in malicious Internet attacks.” As the Google v. China battle continues to drag on, it will be interesting to see what happens next. Most recently, Google announced a tentative partnership with the Walt Disney Company, and other companies, to buy China’s largest in-bus digital media and advertising company. Hmm…it didn’t take long for Google to wade back into the Chinese waters, did it?

Is Facebook’s Titan Project a Gmail Killer?

On Friday, TechCrunch reported that Facebook is in the process of developing their own e-mail client with full POP/IMAP support. If successful, the project, codenamed Titan, will further strengthen Facebook’s position as the central communications hub for social media users online.

The Baltimore Sun Ponders Online Reputation Management and Job Hunting

The Baltimore Sun asks readers “When employers Google your name, what do they find?” Touching on some of the most common issues related to online reputation management and Internet privacy, the article explains how your digital identity can play a huge part in whether or not you get hired.

Privacy vs. Utility: How Far are We Willing to Go?

In a post for Venture Blog, David Hornik discusses how difficult it is to keep up with Foursquare, and why he expects that at some point in the near future, Foursquare will become a fully automated service. Hornik takes the position that this is a good thing, saying that consumers are willing to “trade privacy for utility.” While this is true to an extent, I believe that what consumers really want is control over their privacy. They will give up privacy for utility sometimes, but they don’t want it to be an all or nothing proposition. Internet companies should make opting into and out of data mining easy. What do you think?