It was going well for awhile there. Immediately following the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, execs at BP were savvy enough to understand that social media was going to play an important role in the clean-up efforts. They updated their Twitter and Facebook pages often hourly with news of the latest bit of progress or piece of important information for residents, fishermen and clean-up workers. But the oil continues to flow, and now it seems, the tide has truly turned… (More…) Continue reading “BP Discovers Social Media is a Double-Edged Sword”
Zuckerberg says “I’m Sorry” – Sort of…
You know what I’m talking about. Sure you do. You’ve probably had the experience yourself. Someone says “Gee, if you’re upset by what I did, then I’m sorry”. It’s a pseudo apology… an apology wannabe. And that’s what Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg delivered to his 400 million-plus FB users this week in the Washington Post. The column came in the wake of huge controversy over the confusing privacy controls on the social networking site, and over the way FB is now making your data available to third parties. So what’s the latest? Let me explain… (More…) Continue reading “Zuckerberg says “I’m Sorry” – Sort of…”
“$#*! My Dad Says” and the Power of Twitter
If you’ve been a little disconnected from the Social Media world, chances are you haven’t heard of the latest Twitter phenomenon coming to a TV show near you this fall. It’s called “$#*! My Dad Says”. The new show, starring the great William Shatner, is based on a Twitter feed begun by struggling writer Justin Halpern, who explains, “I’m 29. I live with my 74 year old dad. He is awesome. I just write down $#*! that he says.” And that $#*! is laugh-out-loud funny. Did I mention? Halpern’s Twitter feed has more than 1.3 million followers. Yowsa. So how did he make the jump from Twitter to Television? Let me tell you… (More…) Continue reading ““$#*! My Dad Says” and the Power of Twitter”
Waitress Fired over Facebook
From the “what were they thinking?” file today… And let me warn you, Baby Boomers, you’re not going to believe this one. A 22 year old waitress in North Carolina has been fired from her job at a pizzeria. Not because she showed up late for her shift one too many times. Not because she just couldn’t keep her orders straight. But because she publicly criticized a customer on Facebook — all thanks to what she considered an insulting tip they left her after a meal. Are you kidding me? No really. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? That’s the mainstream media equivalent of buying time on a radio station to slander someone for 30 seconds, and then not expect there to be some fallout. (More…) Continue reading “Waitress Fired over Facebook”
500 Million Users on Facebook – How Many of them Can you Trust?
Heard the news? Next month, the execs at Facebook expect to announce their 500 millionth registered user. That’s right. Half a BILLION people will be using the world’s most popular social networking site by then. The question to ask yourself is, “How many of those people should I actually trust?” The answer of course is, “Only the ones I actually KNOW in REAL life.” Case in point… Police in Australia are warning teenagers to beware of online predators after an 18 year old woman was lured to her death by a man she met on Facebook. (More…) Continue reading “500 Million Users on Facebook – How Many of them Can you Trust?”
FacebookSearch
You knew it was coming. Last week, some very high profile tech experts around the world – Leo Laporte for one – publicly announced they were deleting their Facebook accounts over privacy issues. This is one very nasty piece of public relations trouble for the folks at FB. Now comes word of a new website called “FacebookSearch” which publicly exposes embarrassing and potentially job-threatening FB messages posted by users who likely don’t realize their privacy settings are turned off. Yes, it’s for real. (More…) Continue reading “FacebookSearch”
Facebook Drama
It’s kind of like watching a car wreck on the highway. You know that it’s wrong, but something won’t let you look away. Drama. Lots of drama. Well, you don’t have to be on the highway this week to find drama. Consider the folks at Facebook. According to the website “All Facebook – the Unofficial Facebook Resource”, execs at FB have called a meeting at head office this afternoon to talk about the company’s “overall privacy strategy”. Some are calling it a “crisis” meeting. The move comes amid increasing controversy over changes FB has recently made to privacy controls – changes many believe are eroding our privacy in a nasty way. (More…) Continue reading “Facebook Drama”
“Canada 3.0” Rocks!
Let’s face it. Canada is known for a lot of things. The 2010 Winter Olympics, moose, maple syrup, maple leaves, toques, hockey, Tim Hortons coffee… You get the idea. We’re hip. We’re happening. But there’s another thing we’re becoming known for in a very big way: Digital Technology. And that is front and centre this week at the “Canada 3.0” conference in Stratford, Ontario. Yes, Stratford. If you didn’t know it before, you do now. Southwestern Ontario is continuing to build a reputation for itself as the centre of the digital universe in Canada. From RIM to Google to the University of Waterloo and Conestoga College, it is the place to be… And people are sitting up and taking notice. Why? Put your iPhone away for a minute, and I’ll tell you… (More…) Continue reading ““Canada 3.0” Rocks!”
Social Media Crisis Management
When it comes to a crisis, they don’t come much bigger than the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico. But this one stands out from most of the rest. Why? It’s among the first to embrace Social Media as a tool for managing the hundreds of issues that come along with a devastating environmental disaster. Why is that such a major step forward for all of us here on planet Earth? Pull up a chair, and I’ll tell you more… (More…) Continue reading “Social Media Crisis Management”
Are you LinkedIn???
Got your funny hat on? Got your streamers? Check. Double check. Okay, all together now… “Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday dear LinkedIn, Happy Birthday to You!” Wait… Never heard of it??? Which rock have you been living under for the past 7 years, my friend? We have to bring you up to speed. Come with me and prepare to be amazed… (More…) Continue reading “Are you LinkedIn???”