Entries Tagged 'Quick Hits' ↓

In today’s Reputation Management, Internet Privacy, and Social Media Quick Hits, we cover a lot of news coming out of Austin, Texas and the world-famous South by Southwest Music and Technology Conference. Check it out!

–

People Care About Privacy, But Do Little To Protect It

With Internet users clamoring for increased social media functionality, such as recent developments by Twitter and Facebook that allow for geotagging status updates, many in the Internet industry are proclaiming that nobody really cares about privacy. This is not necessarily true, however, as Cecilia Kang reports for the Washington Post.

In remarks made by Danah Boyd, a social media researcher at Microsoft Research New England, during her opening keynote speech at this year’s South by Southwest conference, Boyd explains that users do care about privacy, they simply don’t voice their concerns until they feel that they have been violated in some way, as in the case of Google’s error-filled launch of Google Buzz.

The Post article also talks about a forthcoming Pew Research Study on Internet privacy that was taken before the launch of Google Buzz and the development of geolocation technology for Facebook and Twitter. According to early reports, the Pew research indicates that people care about privacy, but they do little to proactively protect it.

Netflix Cancels Recommendation System Improvement Contest Over Privacy Issues

Back in December, we wondered why Netflix would move forward with a proposed contest to improve its recommendation system when the company was in the middle of a lawsuit regarding the very information it was opening to the public to run the contest. Apparently, they wondered the same thing, because the New York Times is reporting that Netflix has called off the contest and is looking for alternative methods to improve its recommendation engine. The New York Times article also explains that Netflix has “reached an understanding” with the F.T.C. and settled the class-action lawsuit brought by Netflix customers.

College Assignment: Give Up Cellphone, iPod, Social Media

As part of an assignment, a professor at the University of Minnesota required her students to go five days without using any technology that didn’t exist before 1984. That meant no iPod, no cell phone, and no Facebook or Twitter. The experiment is one that is being duplicated around the country at other campuses where teachers hope to teach students something about the process of communication and the impact of new media technology in our lives. While some students enjoyed the assignment, finding freedom in the restrictions, others couldn’t help but break the rules in order to maintain their social lives.

Twitter Announcing Advertising Model Today at SXSW?

According to TechCrunch, Twitter is expected to reveal at least part of the company’s advertising model today at the South by Southwest Technology conference when Twitter CEO Evan Williams delivers his keynote speech at 2:00PM this afternoon. While Twitter claims to be profitable based on the real-time search deals the company struck with Microsoft and Google, the issue of Twitter advertising has been a hot topic in the tech industry for many months now and is certain to cause a lot of reaction from other social media services.

Digg Nation Shows How Easy it is to Start a Twitter Rumor

We knew it was easy to spread rumors on Twitter, but we didn’t know it was this easy. According to CNET’s Daniel Terdiman, this year’s South by Southwest Conference demonstrated just how easy it was to start a Twitter rumor when Digg founder Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht asked the crowd at SXSW’s Digg Party to tweet a false story in unison. What was the story, that recently laid-off talk show host and Twitter hero Conan O’Brien would be joining the Internet television start-up Revision3.

In his article, Terdiman explains why the hoax worked, at least for a little while, saying, “If only one or two people had tweeted the hoax, no one would have believed it. These days, most people’s nonsense detectors ring out when things that seem a little too good to be true make their way across the Internet, especially on sites like Twitter where anyone can say anything…But when dozens, or even hundreds of people, all tweet the same basic news at the same time, that would seem to lend the concept legitimacy; after all, hundreds of people wouldn’t all send out the same false information.”

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski Offers the Broadband Plan for Children and Families

In a talk Friday at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski shared the “broadband plan for children and families.” Here is a YouTube video featuring Genachowski’s remarks.

Tweet This Post

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!

–

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.

Tweet This Post

Apple iPhone Will Let Users Unlock Doors?

With your Apple iPhone you can listen to music, watch movies, play games, and, soon enough, even unlock your doors. In a newly published patent application, Apple revealed plans for what some are already calling the iKey, which would use a pin code to unlock electronic locks in a user’s car, home, or office.

PleaseRobMe.com helped show the social media world the folly of using location-based social networking websites when you were away from your home, but Gowalla and Foursquare may be the least of your worries if someone can steal your iPhone and have keys to your home. For its part, Apple has included security features that could trigger an alarm for unauthorized use of the iKey.

UK Government Pushes Facebook for ‘Panic Button’

Following the murder of 17-year-old Ashleigh Hall by a man whom she met on Facebook, the UK government is pushing Facebook and other social networking websites to include a “panic button” that would help users get immediate law enforcement assistance if they believe they are being victimized. Facebook first discussed the possibility of adding a panic button, similar to the kind found on the social networking website Bebo, back in December.

Conan O’Brien Invited to the Wedding of his New Best Friend on Twitter

After turning 19-year-old Sarah Killen into an Internet celebrity overnight by selecting her as the first person that he would follow on Twitter, Conan O’Brien has received an invitation to join Killen and her fiance John Slowik, Jr. at their wedding. Considering the positive response that Conan has gotten for his interaction with Killen thus far, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him don a tux and make a speech for the young couple. In fact, he could probably turn it into a web-only video special. Who needs The Tonight Show, right?

Twitter Takes on Phishing Scams

As Twitter has grown, so too has the website’s phishing problem. In particular, the recent spate of “Is this you?” direct message phishing attacks have prompted Twitter to rexamine how it’s protecting users from scammers. After analyzing the problem, Twitter has come up with a few fixes that they hope will make it harder for phishing attacks to spread. For one thing, Twitter will be rerouting all direct messages through its anti-phishing service before allowing them to be sent. Also, Twitter will be replacing bit.ly and other short URLs with their own, twit.tl, to signify that the link is secure.

Classmates.com Faces Privacy Lawsuit

In an attempt to play catch up with Facebook, Classmates.com opened up its public content to sharing on other social networking websites. Ironically, this move did help Classmates.com did catch up with Facebook in one way; now, both websites are facing class-action privacy lawsuits. According to Wired, the lawsuit alleges that Classmates.com switched their privacy policy so egregiously that they have violated Washington state and federal laws. Here is a PDF of the suit – http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/threatlevel/2010/03/classmates.pdf.

Job Hunters Struggle to Get Past the Automatic Job Application

This article from the Miami Herald discusses the frustration that job seekers have in applying for jobs through websites and in-store kiosks instead of through pen and paper applications. When applying for a job online, there are a number of preset filters that make it impossible for many job seekers to even get their application seen. This makes the job hunting process seem futile and causes some people to give up on themselves. One of the things that could help individuals who are unemployed cut through the clutter and connect directly with an employer is proactive personal branding online.

Sites such as LinkedIn and Twitter offer valuable networking possibilities for users that understand how they work. Additionally, setting up a blog can help you get your name out there and distinguish yourself as a respected voice in your industry.

Tweet This Post

Facebook and Twitter Ready Geolocation Technologies

In social networking, it’s all about location, location, location. According to this article from PCWorld, both Facebook and Twitter are preparing to launch location-aware tools that will allow users to share their precise geolocation with friends. The widespread application of the technology comes in response to the rise of smartphones such as the iPhone, which allow for sophisticated web access from anywhere. Twitter is expected to premiere its geolocation features during this weekend’s SXSW conference.

While there have already been some privacy concerns over location-based social networking websites, they will only get bigger once Facebook and Twitter step into the game. It will be interesting to see what steps the company’s take to protect their users from sharing too much.

MySpace’s Last Hurrah?

Once upon a time, MySpace was the biggest and baddest social networking website in the land. Then, in only a few years, Facebook caught up, passed it, and never looked back. Since then, MySpace has dealt with numerous changes in management as it has fought to maintain relevant to users.

This article from the LA Times discusses the company’s most recent plan to reinvigorate itself in the social networking space by going back to what made it popular in the first place, entertainment. MySpace hopes that a new focus on entertainment media – including television, movies, and music – will help make the social networking site reclaim its spot as a must-visit destination on the web.

Does Google Have Too Much Power in D.C.?

If Google controls Internet advertising, and Internet advertising is crucial for politicians to win elections, does that mean that some politicians will have a conflict of interest when they deal with Google on privacy and consumer safety issues? That’s the question Jeremy Herb asks in a Boston Globe article which focuses on Google’s significant influence in Washington politics.

Parry Aftab Talks Online Reputation Management and Internet Safety

In a recent article for SmartPlanet, Christina Hernandez talks about the importance of online reputation management and Internet privacy with Internet safety expert and child advocate Parry Aftab. Aftab, whom we have talked about numerous times here at the ReputationDefender Blog, is involved in multiple Internet safety organizations including WiredSafety and WiredKids.

Honolulu Police Department Drops DUI Mugshots Program

The Honolulu police have decided to suspend a controversial program that displayed images of suspected drunk drivers once a week. The police department suspended the pilot program in order to determine its effectiveness, not because of any privacy concerns. When this program was first implemented, we discussed how it may cause unfair reputation damage to individuals who had yet to be found guilty of a crime. Hopefully, before the Honolulu police decide to reimplement the program, they will consider this reality.

Tweet This Post

What would you do if a friend of a friend asked you for an organ donation on Twitter or Facebook? What would you do if someone mistook you for a murderer online? These are just two of the strange questions that come up in today’s Reputation Management, Internet Privacy, and Social Media Quick Hits.

–

Would You Give Your Kidney to a Facebook Friend?

How far would you go for an Internet acquaintance? This article from the Minneapolis Star Tribune details the story of Chris Strouth who used his Twitter account to plead for a new kidney when doctors told him he needed a replacement to fight the Berger’s disease that had him on dialysis. Amazingly, Strouth got 19 responses offering a spare kidney, with one man, Scott Pakudaitis, being a match.

Before the surgery, Pakudaitis and Strouth didn’t know each other well, though they were casually acquainted on Facebook through mutual friends. While this story seems unlikely to occur often, doctors argue that social networking is actually the next logical step in soliciting organ donation. In other words, don’t be surprised if someday you get a request from an old high school friend for a new kidney.

Despite Decline, Facebook is Central to Teenage Internet Use

At the Wall Street Journal blog The Source, Paul Sharma discusses new research which shows how teens are using social media websites. The research suggests that teens use Facebook as a central hub to connect and communicate with their friends, but they spend the majority of their time online visiting websites based on specific interests, i.e. music, games, or movies. This trend is supported by the fact that although the number of teens using Facebook has increased, the number of time teens spend on Facebook has decreased.

UK Man Wrongfully Identified as Murderer on Facebook

In 1993, 10-year-olds Jon Venables and Robert Thompson were convicted of the murder of three-year-old James Bulger. The barbarity of the crime, as well as the young age of the defendants, struck a chord with the British public, and has been a painful issue ever since. So painful in fact, that when the killers were released from prison, they were given new identities to protect them from vigilantes who wished to cause them harm or even kill them.

The problem with giving the killers anonymity, however, is that has led to incidences of mistaken identity. In particular, one man, David Calvert, has lived in fear for his life since he was mistaken for Venables five years ago. Recently, the problem arose again, though this time it became a much bigger concern thanks to Facebook.

Over a few days, a Facebook group incorrectly identifying Calvert as Venables exploded to more than 2,370 members. While Facebook has removed the group in question, that hasn’t stopped people from threatening him and showing up at his home and telling his neighbors that he is a murderer.

Cyberbullying Forces Internet Companies to Reexamine Privacy Policies

Since three Google executives were convicted of privacy violations in an Italian court recently, the Internet industry has been wondering how far they should be expected to go to in censoring content online. This Reuters article discusses some of the many issues facing Internet companies that could prompt government intervention or revisions of existing Internet laws. Specifically, the article touches on cyberbullying, which has become a major problem for kids and teens all over the world.

Woman Stung by “Burn Page” on Facebook

When Facebook changed over its privacy settings a few months back, many people were shocked to find that their private pictures had been defaulted to public sharing. While Facebook did their best to inform users of the change, not everyone got the message, which has led to some embarrassing incidents.

For instance, a Philadelphia women, Tamara Strickland, explains how a photo that she thought was private was taken from her profile and posted on a Facebook Fan Page called Philly Burn. The goal of the Philly Burn Fan Page is to mock and degrade pictures of strangers found through publicly accessible photo albums.

When the news station writing the story contacted Facebook about the Fan Page, Facebook promptly removed it, saying it was in violation of the company’s terms of service. Nevertheless, Tamara and many others were forced to face an uncomfortable and embarrassing public roasting over which they had no control, which is something that Facebook should have considered before they go through a major restructuring of privacy controls.

Tweet This Post