More Social Networks Articles

11 November 2011
Opinion: Privacy: Will Facebook Ever Get It?

With Facebook reportedly close to cutting a deal with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over privacy sins dating back to 2009, the question remains whether or not the social network's brain trust really gets the privacy issue.
News: Is Google+ or Facebook better for business?

Ever since Google came out with Google+ Pages for business on Monday, the company has taken heat for not giving enterprises basic tools with this initial offering.
News: Google buys Katango to boost Google+ Circles feature

Google has acquired startup Katango to improve and refine the Circles friend-grouping functionality in its new social networking site Google+.
News: Twitter research: It's where the money and action is

Two professors from Wellesley College's Department of Computer science have been awarded a nearly half million dollar NSF grant to build an application that gauges the trustworthiness of information shared on social networks, and in particular Twitter.
News: Too much social networking could lead to Big Brother fears, agency says

Europe’s biggest cyber security agency, ENISA, has warned that social networking could lead to a feeling of being continuously under surveillance and paranoid behaviour.
10 November 2011
News: Should social networks be blocked at work?

One of the biggest trends in IT is how consumer products have crept into the enterprise, and the trend extends to Internet services. The ingenious thing about social networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn is that these consumer-oriented sites have become key tools for professionals. Take journalists, for example. While reporters may still pound the pavement or work the phones to find stories, now sometimes a story can present itself in LinkedIn forums or through Facebook postings. Sometimes the social networks become an extension of the reporting team, in a practice called "crowdsourcing." And the reporter who used to appear as nothing more than a byline can now enter the conversation with instant feedback on a comment about a story. But other professions have not embraced social networks so much, and indeed have viewed them as threats to security or productivity. Would users spend their days catching up with high school friends and playing Farmville on Facebook? Remember when many IT departments were leery about users checking their personal email accounts from work, afraid they would click on a link and take down the entire network? While that danger still exists, it has been reduced a bit through the use of spam filters and user education. The same can be said for social networks, as IT staff can still provide general tips on what can be dangerous. In this PDF, Network World has compiled stories that take a look at the pros and cons of blocking social networks while at work. Many of these stories cite surveys that indicate whether productivity is lost in allowing social networks within the company network. Become an Insider today (free registration required) to download the PDF.
News: Facebook: No comment on privacy settlement with the FTC

Facebook on Thursday declined to comment on a news report that it is nearing a settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission over concerns about changes in its privacy policy.
Opinion: Putting Humpty Dumpty Together Again

The recent challenge issued by DARPA to reassemble shredded documents seems like trying to put Humpty Dumpty together again. Why would government need to reassemble shredded records? Because troops in war zones confiscate the remains of destroyed or shredded documents that contain valuable information. DARPA is seeking the best technologies for document reconstruction, and has issued a Shredder Challenge to computer scientists, puzzle enthusiasts and anyone else who likes solving complex problems." Although reconstruction techniques ranging from manual assembly to computerized algorithms already exist, by issuing this challenge, DARPA is looking to gain insights into the most efficient solutions.
09 November 2011
Opinion: Why Facebook Is Better for Business Than Google+

Google revealed its Google+ Pages for business this week. While they are a must for any business playing in the online space, however, they still leave a lot to be desired when stacked up against arch-nemesis Facebook Pages. We are only seeing the first stages of Google+ and the network may develop over time into something more useful for business, but for now the service doesn't even come close to the services that Facebook offers business.
News: Facebook satisfied with initial takeup of social music

Facebook is declaring early success for the new functionality on its site that lets members notify their friends what songs they're listening to online and makes it possible for notification recipients to play back those songs from within the Facebook interface.
News: China's Sina will not force users to register with real names

One of China's most popular Twitter-like services, Sina Weibo, said it needs better systems to stop harmful rumors on the site, but doesn't intend to force its users to register with their real names.
08 November 2011
News: Google+ Pages: 5 Things You Need to Know Before Signing Up

After several months of anticipation, Google finally announced Google+ Pages for local businesses, groups, sports, brands, organizations and more. Just a few weeks ago Google granted its Apps customers access to the social network, slowly growing its user base.
News: Facebook rebounds from May slump despite Google+

After Facebook hit a wall and lost 6 million U.S. users last May, the social network has been slowly coming back.
News: Social media disaster recovery: A first responder's guide

Every new technology brings with it the capacity to screw things up in an entirely new way. With social media, it's now become possible to turn what was once a verbal gaffe behind closed doors into a public peccadillo.
News: Zuckerberg: Google building "their own little version of Facebook"

While Google officials, from CEO Larry Page on down, are all aflutter over Google+, Mark Zuckerberg views Google's new social networking site as "their own little version of Facebook."
07 November 2011
Opinion: Twitter aids Thai flood victims

Although much of Southeast Asia's major peninsula is flooded, media have concentrated on the region's prime city: Bangkok. The Thai authorities have gone to great lengths to protect central Bangkok, although it's still not certain if the CBD will remain dry or if the patchwork of canals/sewers/sluice gates/sandbags will yield to water-pressure.
News: Google+ now open for businesses

Google is now shaping its Google+ social network for commerce.
Opinion: Google Launches Google+ Pages for Businesses

Google's social network is now ready for business. The Google+ social network has grown at a decent pace with over 40 million members, but Google was slow to open it up for businesses and brands. But, Google recently made Google+ available for Google Apps subscribers, and now it has finally rolled out Google+ Pages for businesses and brands.
04 November 2011
Opinion: How to Promote and Maintain Your Facebook Business Page

Now that you've created a Facebook page for your business, you need to grow your fan base. Before getting started, however, know what your goals are. What do you want the fan page to accomplish for your business? Collecting a large number of fans is great, but you have to decide whether you're happy with exposure alone, or whether you want fans to become customers. Do you want your Facebook page to help you sell more products and services?
03 November 2011
News: Enterprise Social Software: What Businesses Need to Do Next

As Facebook and other social networks have grown in popularity, businesses have started looking for ways to leverage them within the enterprise. The result: an influx of social software companies vying for a spot in business' technology portfolios, and IT and business executives scrambling to map out long-range plans.