Articles on Social Networking


Bebo Spam  347 Views (comments)
Well, look what the spam cat just dragged in - address book importing spam from Bebo.com. Why is it that these various social networking and other sites seem to simply consider the incidental spam attendant to address book importing (if they think about it at all) to be the cost of doing business - and, mind you, a cost sent COD to the people receiving the spam - when in fact it's really an occupational hazard?

Twitter Explained in Plain English - What Twitter Is, and How to Use Twitter  1,155 Views (This article has 2 comments)
Many, many people find themselves a bit lost when they first start using Twitter. They don't really get how to use Twitter. They don't really understand what Twitter is. Here is a clear, plain English, real-world explanation that answers the questions "What is Twitter?" and "How to use Twitter?" and that explains the various messaging functions of Twitter such as @, DM, D, Retweet, RT, and #.

Feds Asked Twitter to Delay Maintenance During Iran Elections and Aftermath  298 Views (comments)
It has come to light that none other than the Obama administration itself asked Twitter to please delay planned routine maintenance this week, so that the juggernaut of Twittering and Twitter coverage of the Iran elections and ensuing demonstrations and riots could continue without interruption.

Couples’ Twitter Tweets Lead to Burglery?  444 Views (comments)
Isreal Hyman and his wife were no doubt looking forward to their vacation a few weeks ago. Hyman, the proprietor of IzzyVideo.com in Mesa, Arizona, shared his plans with his 2,000+ followers on Twitter. So when he became the victim of a home burglery (which differs from robbery in that the victim is not present), he had to wonder if the burgler had seen his Tweets.

Twitter Confirms Verified Twitter Accounts to Fight Celebrity Imposters and Impersonators  463 Views (comments)
Twitter co-founder Biz Stone has confirmed that Twitter will begin the beta roll-out of a new Twitter service - the Twitter verified account service - designed to confirm and verify that the Twitter accounts of celebrities, public personalities, and other famous people are actually the accounts of the people they say they are, and not imposters and pretenders.

China Blocking Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and More as 20 Year Anniversary of Tiananmen Square Looms  532 Views (This article has 1 comment)
With just two days until the 20-year anniversary of the horrific massacre at Tiananmen Square, the Chinese government has censored and blocked Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, Live.com and Hotmail.com, and even the new Microsoft Bing.com

Phil Spector Twittering from Prison?  483 Views (comments)
It would seem that Phil Spector is Twittering from prison. While it seems unlikely, even unbelievable - and speculation about whether it's really Phil Spector Twittering from jail, or an imposter, abounds - in reading the actual Twitter messages, if it's not Phil Spector (whose full name is actually Harvey Phillip Spector, or "Harvey P. Spector"), then it's a darned good facsimile Tweeting in Phil Spector's name.

Twitter Reality TV Show in the Works  299 Views (This article has 1 comment)
Sources have revealed that there is a Twitter reality television show in the works, which would feature real time Twitter messages ("tweets") from the show's contestants, who will be pitted against one another in an effort to track down celebrities.

The White House Gets a Twitter Account, Facebook Page, and MySpace Space  690 Views (This article has 2 comments)
Proving that it really wants to be the hip Internet administration, the WhiteHouse now has a Twitter account, a Facebook page, and a MySpace Page. Check out the Whitehouse Twitter account, Whitehouse Facebook account, and Whitehouse MySpace account here.

Twitter Implicated in Swine Flu Panic  415 Views (comments)
That darling grapevine of the 21st century, Twitter, is being socially indicted and implicated in the increasing panic over the currently-anticipated swine flu epidemic. According to Evgeny Morozov, a fellow at the Open Society Institute, in an article published on the website of the Foreign Policy magazine, "having millions of people wrap up all their fears into 140 characters and blurt them out in the public might have some dangerous consequences."

The Secret: How to Know if Someone is Following You on Twitter  1,820 Views (This article has 2 comments)
I recently posted on Twitter that I had the secret to knowing if somebody is following you or not on Twitter. I had so many people ask me about it that I'm going to reveal the secret now.

Why I’m Not Following You on Twitter (and How to Keep Up with People on Twitter without Following Them)  1,037 Views (This article has 3 comments)
This article is going to be controversial. Whether or not you should follow everyone who follows you on Twitter is a topic which engenders strong emotions and heated debate. In fact, just last week I was accused of "game playing" because I have 1600+ people who follow me on Twitter, while I 'follow' fewer than 50.

Twitter Comes to GMail - Now You Can Twitter Right from Gmail!  778 Views (comments)
For those who are constantly checking both Twitter, and Gmail, now you can have your cake and eat it too! Twitter Gadget is a Gmail gadget that allows you to both read and post to Twitter right from your Gmail interface!

A New Class of Social Contacts - Frolleagues  1,408 Views (comments)
According to Linked-In, "frolleagues" - people who are business colleagues that beg a friend-style social networking connection from you, are increasingly becoming a threat to one's professional standing.

Lawyers Use Information Gleaned from Social Media Sites Against Defendants  894 Views (This article has 1 comment)
The rise in social media sites such as Facebook and Myspace has been a boon for prosecutors, who are finding incriminating pictures on such sites - pictures which have been admitted as evidence in court, and used to increase penalties, sentences, and prison time!

Why Online Social Networking Sites Like Facebook and Twitter are for Grownups  1,672 Views (This article has 2 comments)
The social networking generation gap technology has created is smaller than you may think. Online social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook used by adults? You bet! Facebook and Twitter are increasingly being used by Internet business people and entrepreneurs to reach both customers and peers. Taking a moment to update your Facebook status, or send the occasional message ("tweet") on Twitter can pay big dividends! It's the digital age and social networking online is a big part of online business! No longer are adults asking "What is Facebook?" - instead it's the teens complaining that "Facebook is recently becoming very overpopulated with grownups!"

Social Networking Site Bans Anyone Over 36 as “Likely Sex Offenders”  1,663 Views (This article has 1 comment)
The social networking site FaceParty has deleted and banned all users over the age of 36, saying that a new law requires them to ban all sex offenders, and that people over the age of 36 are most likely to be sex offenders. Yeesh!

Woman Whose Posing as Teen Boy on MySpace Lead to Megan Meier’s Suicide Indicted in Federal Court  2,443 Views (This article has 4 comments)
Lori Drew, the Missouri mother who posed on MySpace as 'Josh', a 16-year-old boy, drawing 13-year-old Megan Meier into a fraudulent and faux relationship that ended tragically with Megan Meier taking her own life, has been named in a federal indictment and summoned to appear in US District Court in Los Angeles in June.

Google to Connect Friends Across Websites with Google Friend Connect  1,188 Views (This article has 1 comment)
Google has released a Preview Version of Friends Connect, a new service that lets website owners easily add social networking features. For website owners the benefits of Google Friends Connect are clear; adding social networking features to an already popular site encourages visitors to stay longer, engaging with other users and with new and updated content, as well as providing content of their own in the form of comments, reviews and message board entries.
The Internet Patrol
Patrolling the Internet for You!