Entries Tagged 'Google' ↓

Couples Air Their Dirty Laundry on Facebook

Who needs a marriage counselor when you have Facebook? At least that’s the thinking for many couples who use the site as a way to share their private arguments in public. An article from the New York Times discusses why some couple use Facebook to air their grievances with their spouse, mostly to air “their side of the story” as if Facebook were a court of public opinion, but it also cautions that sharing arguments online is a good way to lose the support of friends and family, which can then weaken the relationship further.

Facebook Has “No Objection” to Panic Button

According to the BBC, Facebook has told British government officials that the company has no objection to installing a “panic button” to help users report sexual predators. The “panic button” discussion intensified recently with the murder of 17-year-old Ashleigh Hall, who met her killer on Facebook. Facebook will enter more serious discussions about the safety feature on April 12th.

Outgoing FTC Commissioner Criticizes Facebook and Google

In a blistering indictment of Internet companies such as Google and Facebook, Pamela Jones Harbour, the outgoing commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission, said “Even the most respected and popular online companies, the ones who claim to respect privacy, continue to launch products where the guiding privacy policy seems to be, ‘Throw it up against the wall and see if it sticks.’”

Harbour went on to say, “I realize that companies continue to take a testing-the-water approach to privacy because no regulatory agency has sent a clear message that this behavior is unacceptable. I would like to see the commission take the position of intolerance toward companies that push the privacy envelop, then backtrack and modify their offerings after facing consumer and regulator backlash.”

While her comments do not reflect the official position of the FTC, they are a strong reminder that government regulators haven’t completely rolled over on the issue of consumer privacy, which is definitely a good thing for consumers.

How Much Information Do You Share Online?

In a follow-up post to an article in yesterday’s New York Times about privacy online, Katherine Schulten asks students to consider their social networking profiles and whether or not they’re giving too much personal information away. Sharing too much information online can open up the possibility of identity theft and other cyber crimes that can cause significant reputation damage.

Massive Spam Run Hits Facebook

From PCWorld: “Facebook’s 400 million users have been targeted by a spam run that could infect their computers with malicious software designed to steals passwords and other data, according to security researchers at McAfee.” If you get an e-mail from Facebook saying that they have reset your password and you must download a file to retrieve it, do not open the file. Facebook will never automatically reset your password for you, they will require you to go through a process to change it. That is how you know that this is a spam attack.

Why You HAVE to Talk to Your Kids About Online Privacy

In an article for St. Louis Today, Dr. Bob Wilmott discusses why parents should talk to their kids about the Internet. From the article: “Are children mature enough to make good decisions about their online privacy? Most experts think that kids are smart enough by their early teens to know what, and who, to avoid. Younger kids, though, need more parental supervision — for instance, parents should make sure their children’s accounts are set to provide as little personal information as possible, and that their activity can be seen only by confirmed friends.”

With MyChild from ReputationDefender, we can help you monitor your child’s activity online by providing customized monthly reports tracking their name on the web. To learn more about MyChild, call one of our experienced Online Reputation Management Consultants today at 1-888-720-3332.

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Facebook Improves Search Capabilities

Recently, Facebook improved its search experience even more by providing a drop-down menu of suggestions for users based on what they’re typing in. This may not seem like a big deal, but it’s an important improvement for the Facebook user experience. While Facebook may have been able to eclipse Google in site visits last week, the website has a long way to go before it can compete seriously with Google on search. That is to say, Facebook can’t compete in pure search. With social search, however, it’s a different story. While Google has waded into the social waters with Google Buzz and other tools, Facebook’s large userbase allows it to search through millions of user profiles, fan pages, Facebook groups, and more, allowing for a more personalized search experience.

Mafia Hitman Tracked Down Through Facebook

An Italian mafia hitman, Pasquale “Scarface” Manfredi, was tracked down by Italian authorities through Facebook. The man was on Italy’s 100 Most Wanted List and is wanted in connection with multiple murders. According to the story, “Manfredi would log on under the Facebook name Georgie. Officers said they believed he received coded orders via the site and also kept in touch with mobsters. Manfredi had more than 200 friends on his Facebook site and police are going through them systematically to see if any others are involved in Mafia activity or are wanted.”

Miley Cyrus Warns Kids About the Dangers of the Web

If you can’t convince your kids that they shouldn’t be sharing their life on Twitter, maybe Disney’s Miley Cyrus can help. Cyrus, who made headlines for removing herself from Twitter many months ago, recently advised kids, “Don’t go on the Internet. It’s dangerous, it’s not fun, it wastes your life and you should be outside playing sports or something.” While the majority of kids won’t be subjected to the same kind of media scrutiny as Cyrus, she has a good point. Overuse of the Internet can be dangerous for kids, or anyone for that matter, and that’s not even going into the reputation risk of sharing too much of your life online.

David Greenfield Recaps Privacy Concerns at SXSW

In a recap of the South by Southwest technology conference, David Greenfield recalls some of the privacy-related issues that came up, particularly concerns around Google, Facebook, and Foursquare.

New York Times Discusses the Problem of Privacy

The general understanding of privacy data is that in small forms it may be difficult to form an accurate image of someone, but if you look at massive data sets, you can begin to draw generalizations, which can then be broken down into specific identifiers. This well-researched and well-written article from the New York Times discusses the problem of privacy online and how seemingly insignificant data, such as movie preferences on Facebook, can be reinterpreted in conjunction with other data to form a “distinctive social signature” of an individual.

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In today’s Quick Hits, we learn again why you shouldn’t make threats (even joking threats) online and we question whether or not Twitter’s new @Anywhere technology can help it catch Facebook.

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Facebook is King of the Web (For a Whole Week!)

According to metrics firm Experian/Hitwise, Facebook barely edged out Google last week to become the most popular website in the United States. According to the statistics, Facebook claimed 7.07 percent of U.S. Internet visits, while Google claimed 7.03 percent. Facebook has topped Google on previous occasions, but it was always only a one day event. This is the first time Facebook has beaten Google over a longer period of time. Is this a sign of things to come? Perhaps. Either way, it’s a definite sign that you shouldn’t ignore your Facebook profile.

Is Twitter Taking on Facebook Connect?

Yesterday at SXSW, the tech world expected Twitter CEO Evan Williams to announce the company’s long-awaited advertising platform. Instead, Williams unveiled Twitter’s new @Anywhere technology, which allows for Twitter functionality to be transported from Twitter to a third-party website such as the New York Times. Many in the tech press, including Caroline McCarthy at CNET, are asking if this move from Twitter is an attempt to overtake the massive popularity of Facebook Connect, the Facebook log-in tool that is now active on over 80,000 third-party sites.

Feds Use Phishing Tactics to Catch Criminals

In a somewhat refreshing twist on Internet crime, federal investigators are using phishing techniques, such as the establishment of phony social networking profiles, to coax information out of crime suspects. While there is concern from some privacy groups about the legality of investigating in this matter and the rights of the defendant, the Justice Department says that these tactics are legal under current undisclosed rules.

Are We Really Ready for Location-Based Ads?

While we’ve already pondered the safety aspects of location-based social networking, one thing we haven’t considered is the sheer annoyance of location-based advertising. In a post at his Tech Inciter blog, David Coursey discusses what location-based mobile ads might look like and how they could be a huge pain if not executed carefully.

Man Arrested Over Online Threat

A Chicago-area man was arrested after an out-of-state friend called the police over what he perceived to be a dangerous threat online. The man claims his Facebook update, which read “Mike Sullivan is again ready to start killing indiscriminately. I’m going to put Vernon Hills on the freakin map,” was simply him venting and that he’s been under a lot of stress because he’s working three jobs. Even if that’s true, however, it was probably not a good thing to share online, and it’s hard to blame his friend from alerting the authorities.

This story is not one of a kind and echos other social media slip-ups that got law enforcement attention, such as the man who was banned for life from a British airport over joking about blowing it up on Twitter. In order to prevent yourself from ending up on a terrorist watch list, think about what you’re saying online and don’t share anything that could be construed as a threat, no matter how clear you might think it is that it’s a joke.

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It’s finally turning into spring, which means that across the country thousands of high school seniors are throwing off the shackles of their adolescence and steaming headfirst into that exciting new world we call college. At least, that’s the plan. You see, for some, the decision on where they’re headed still hasn’t been settled.

While most college-bound kids are already filling up their parents’ minivan with dorm room furniture, others are stuck on the dreaded wait list. And that means that unlike their peers, they can’t slack off on their studies and they definitely can’t get into any trouble online that could give an admissions officer a reason to skip their name.

In honor of all the high school seniors that are currently in college admissions limbo, we have a list of three things that you should not do if you want to improve your chances of getting accepted.

1. Clean Up Your Facebook Profile

Facebook is a great way to stay connected with friends, but it’s not always the best choice for highlighting what makes you such a great candidate for admission to college, especially if your profile is littered with inappropriate pictures, juvenile language, and other content that makes you look like, well, a high school student.

When considering an application, admissions officers want to see that students are ready for the responsibility of college, from the work load of college courses to the stresses of living in communal dorms. If your Facebook profile implies irresponsibility, an admissions officer will be more likely to pass you up for another candidate.

Oh, and if you don’t think that an admissions officer can see your profile, think again. According to a study from the University of Massachusetts Center for Market Research, 26% of college admissions officers use search engines to research candidates and that number is swiftly rising. If you keep your social networking websites open in any way, there is a strong chance that someone other than your intended audience will see it.

2. Make Your Blog Work For You

Besides doing damage control on your social networking profiles, there are steps that you can take to proactively demonstrate to college admissions officers your value as an applicant. Were you a terrific art student in school? Set up an online portfolio of your art work. Did you wow your teacher with a short story? Share your creativity on your blog. Are you active in your community? Take a few words to describe your volunteer work and share some pictures.

There are plenty of free blogging platforms on the web that can help you share your good works with the world and you’d be doing yourself a disservice to ignore them. When an admissions officer Googles your name, they should find something worthwhile. So, give it to them.

3. Engage With Your Preferred College Online

More and more, colleges are entering the wide world of social media to engage with potential applicants and showcase their campuses. What’s great about this trend is that it allows for two-way communication between college representatives and applicants. If you become a fan of your preferred college on Facebook, or if you follow them on Twitter, you are increasing your chances of connecting with someone who actually knows something about the admissions process.

Just as job seekers must distinguish themselves from their competition, when you’re competing against thousands of other applicants, you should give yourself every edge possible. Communicating with a representative of your preferred college in a friendly and professional manner may help you form a relationship that can influence your acceptance decision.

There’s no reason why you should have to sit on the sidelines while your fate is being decided. If you haven’t heard back from your college yet, take some proactive measures to get your name out there. Hopefully, if you play your cards right, you can swing the decision in your favor. Oh, and one more thing, once you do get into college, don’t fall back into the same old bad habits. Sooner or later, you’re going to have to start your career, and when that happens, the same things that tripped you up getting into college could trip you up finding a job.

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Happy Friday ReputationDefender readers! Before you set off to enjoy the weekend, check out our Reputation Management, Internet Privacy, and Social Media Quick Hits. Today, we’re talking about “True” Twitter users, Google’s history of privacy problems, and whether anyone cares about privacy anymore anyways (they do, by the way). Enjoy!

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Facebook Demands Ex-Detective to Reveal Name of Unsafe Social Networking Website

Facebook is considering suing the Daily Mail after the UK newspaper ran a story implying that it was their website that an ex-detective was talking about when he claims to have received sexual solicitations after establishing a fake account under the guise of a 14-year-old girl. For the most part, Facebook just wants the detective to come out and say what social networking website he was using so that they can step out from underneath the criticism, but the detective has refused to say, explaining that if he does, it’ll open the flood gates for predators.

White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen Can Have Twitter, But Not His Own Website

Chicago White Sox fans cringed when Ozzie Guillen, the team’s famously hot-headed manager, announced that he had created a Twitter account. Now, at least they won’t have to worry about him going on random tirades on his very own website. According to this article from ESPN, the White Sox organization declined Guillen’s request to have a personal website. To his credit, Guillen didn’t seem to upset by the decision saying, “the front-office people didn’t want to have me in the middle of stuff, and I have to respect that.” You can’t blame the White Sox for looking out for their online reputation.

“True” Twitter Users Only Make Up 21% of the Twitter Userbase

According to a report from Barracuda Networks, only 21% of Twitter users are “True Twitter Users,” meaning that they have at least 10 followers, follow 10 people, and have updated their status with at least 10 tweets. Given Twitter’s rapid rise in prominence, these are pretty amazing statistics. We’ve seen other stats that show how top-heavy Twitter is, but it’s interesting to learn that 74% of Twitter users have less than 10 followers. One possibility suggested in the report for the rise in Twitter users without a substantial increase in quality of users is the “Celebrity Effect,” whereby individuals establish Twitter accounts just to follow their favorite celebrities.

Exploring Google’s History of Privacy Problems

Google is in a unique position in the Internet industry. The company is so large, so successful, and so widely used that every move it makes is bound to trigger a response from the public. Unfortunately, especially lately, many of these responses have been negative. In an article for CNNMoney, David Goldman outlines Google’s history of privacy problems from old concerns like data mining and behavioral advertising to newer issues like the Google Buzz fiasco.

Is it True That “No One Cares About Privacy Anymore”?

In an article for CNET, Declan McCullagh explains “why no one cares about privacy anymore.” While we would disagree with McCullagh (people may not care about privacy, but they certainly care about control over their own image), he raises some interesting points about online exhibitionism, the rise of social networking websites, and how privacy rights organizations have a history of complaining about Internet products that eventually become widely adopted.

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