Entries Tagged 'Social Networking' ↓

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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We hope you had a good time watching the glitz and glamour of the Academy Awards last night, but, sadly, it’s time to get back into the regular grind, which means our daily Reputation Management, Internet Privacy, and Social Media Quick Hits. Check below to get caught up on the latest news that could help you defend your good name online.

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UK Tightens Restrictions on Social Media Marketing

Twitter will begin rolling out its in-stream advertising sometime in the first half of this year. The move has been a long time coming, and is the first real attemp to give the massively popular social networking website a viable business model. Before Twitter ads can become a reality, however, the company must take steps to ensure that its plan falls in line with existing advertising regulations.

This article from The Guardian explains how the UK’s regulatory agency for advertising, the Advertising Standards Authority, will be tightening restrictions on how social networking websites like Twitter, as well as Facebook, can use company profiles for promotional activities.

Could Google Change Copyright Law Forever?

When Google set out to scan millions of old books and put them online, the company faced extreme criticism form copyright advocates, libraries, and scholars. The criticism spawned into a class-action lawsuit, which is currently being debated in federal court. In this article from the San Jose Mercury News, Mike Swift explores the lawsuit and how Google’s settlement offer could potentially allow the company to rewrite a major portion of copyright law.

Conan O’Brien Makes a 19-Year-Old Famous on Twitter

When Conan O’Brien joined Twitter a few weeks ago, it took no time at all for him to earn hundreds of thousands of followers. While he was racking up over half a million fans, however, Conan wasn’t following anyone himself. That is he wasn’t following anyone until he randomly picked Sarah Killen, a 19-year-old Michigan resident. Since selecting Sarah, Conan has directly increased the girl’s follower count from single digits to more than 15,000.

Happily, while the sudden onslaught of pseudo-celebrity could have gone to her head, Sarah appears to be taking her newfound fame in stride. She has even used her Twitter account to promote multiple charities and raise money for a Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Awareness Walk in which she is participating. While Sarah has turned her Twitter celebrity into success thus far, however, there are plenty of pitfalls to being under the social media microscope. We hope that she will continue to make positive decisions and keep her online reputation clean, so that she and Conan can do even more good.

How To Set-Up Internet Filters to Protect Your Kids Online

Enabling filters and other software to keep inappropriate material off your computer is a difficult but necessary step to protect your kids from getting into trouble online. In this column from the San Jose Mercury News, Larry Magid explains some of the free filtering programs built into Internet browsers, as well as options that can be downloaded and customized for more robust protection.

Where Does Your Company Live Online: Your Homepage or Your Facebook Page?

If you’re promoting your business online, do you send your customers to your homepage or your Facebook profile? In an article for Forbes, Steve Rubel, SVP, Director of Insights for Edelman Digital, explains that, increasingly, companies are using their social media presence more prominently in advertising than their dot-com URLs.

While this is good in the sense that social media allows for interaction with customers, Rubel also points out that companies who simply establish a social media presence but don’t use it to communicate in any substantial way are seen as inauthentic by consumers. In other words, while social media is an important and effective tool, it works best in tandem with a corporate web presence.

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Twitter Hits 10 Billion Tweets

Last night, Twitter reached another impressive milestone: the company’s 10 billionth tweet. So what did it say? Was it something profound about the power Twitter gives us to connect with the world? Ironically, nobody knows. According to Mashable, the 10 billionth tweet came from a protected account, which means that the only people who can see the update are friends of the user. Of course, Twitter can’t be too upset that number 10 billion was anonymous; imagine how embarassing it would have been if it were spam?

Protecting Your Social Media Reputation: A Security Perspective

In a guest editorial for ZDNet, Branden Williams discusses the importance of protecting your identity on the web from hackers, scammers, and other would-be cybercriminals. Focusing on some of the security-related steps you should take to lock down your accounts, Williams advises users to use strong passwords, update their software when prompted, and frequently monitor their social networking presence. Sounds like pretty good advice.

The Sordid Details of Facebook’s Early Years

While investors talk about how many billions of dollars Facebook will be worth when the company finally makes an IPO, the dedicated journalists at Business Insider have been busy snooping into the company’s past. In the most comprehensive investigation on Facebook to date, Business Insider dredges up details on Facebook’s origins, including instant message conversations and e-mail exchanges, that don’t paint founder Mark Zuckerberg in the most flattering light.

American Idol Bans Personal Social Media Accounts for Contestants

In an effort to protect their show, American Idol producers have prohibited contestants from maintaining individual Twitter and Facebook accounts, forcing them instead to connect with fans through an official American Idol account. The general assumption is that Idol producers didn’t want follower numbers to serve as an unofficial barometer for the popularity of certain contestants, thus sucking the suspense out of the program. The fact that is now harder for contestants to tweet something stupid and hurt the show’s credibility is also probably a factor.

High School Student Investigated Over Death Threat on Facebook

In what has become a familiar pattern, a high school student in Brevard County is being investigated for statements he made on Facebook. What did he say?

“Hey, I want to kill Mrs. Bowen. Does anybody want to help?”

While this can be dismissed as a joke (who hasn’t said they want to kill somebody in mock frustration?), school administrators aren’t taking any chances. A death threat is a death threat, and when you make it online where everyone can see, you’re going to have to answer for it.

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