Technology News: Social Networking

Bing Dips Toe Into Real-Time Search With Twitter Tie-In

Thursday - July 2, 2009

Microsoft's recently released Bing search engine has begun adding real-time Twitter updates from celebrities to its results. So far, it has indexed the Twitter accounts of a few thousand people, Bing director Whitney Burk told TechNewsWorld. Search results are tied directly to online ads. While adding real-time tweets may get more people to use Bing, it's not yet clear whether that will help Microsoft get more ads. That will depend on Bing's growth, notes analyst Greg Sterling. [More...]

Wallflower or Extrovert? Facebook Lets Users Choose by Post

Thursday - July 2, 2009

With 200 million members who double as very vocal quality assurance officers, Facebook knows that any tinkering with its privacy policy is going to receive a lot of attention. So its Wednesday announcement of an upcoming series of tests regarding its new privacy settings was carefully marketed as a matter of "control, simplicity and connection" by chief privacy officer Chris Kelly. [More...]

Despite Danger, Iranian Protesters Won't Be Silenced

Wednesday - July 1, 2009

The Iranian protesters sneak their cellphones onto the streets and hit record, frantically trying to evade being caught or beaten. The shaky, grainy images are emailed to friends. Then they are uploaded to blogs, YouTube or social networking sites -- offering the world some of the only firsthand glimpses of tensions following disputed presidential elections on June 12. [More...]

Evolution, Revolution and Punctuated Equilibrium

Wednesday - July 1, 2009

Kudos to all those who participated in, organized or even attended the Enterprise 2.0 conference in drizzly Boston last week. There is a lot to write about. The big ideas that I took away include disruption and evolution, ROI and a need to sharpen our focus. Here are a few thoughts on a very good show. [More...]

Facebook Lets You Have Privacy Your Way

Thursday - June 25, 2009

Your 21st birthday party will no doubt go down in the record books as a legendary debauch, but the photos of you doing jello shots off a stripper's belly won't be nearly as impressive to future employers as they are to your Facebook friends. So, Facebook made it easier Wednesday for you to decide exactly who gets to see those photos -- as long as you are the one doing the posting. [More...]

Blogger Gets Front-Row Seat at Obama Press Conference

Wednesday - June 24, 2009

White House officials phoned a blogger from a popular left-leaning Web site on Monday evening to tell him that President Barack Obama had been impressed with his online reporting about Iran. Could the writer pass along a question from an Iranian during the president's news conference on Tuesday? Of course. [More...]

Socializing the Revolution

Wednesday - June 24, 2009

Events taking place on the streets of Tehran may have an important effect on how social networking rolls out across the rest of the world, and that includes the CRM world. Last week, the media began carrying stories about a "cyber revolution" that may be happening in the Islamic Republic, but those stories fail to account for the whole story -- the yin and yang of social media. [More...]

MySpace Hunkers Down in US

Tuesday - June 23, 2009

Social networking pioneer MySpace is planning to close at least four offices in overseas markets, as well as eliminate two-thirds of its staff outside the U.S. Specifically, it is going to cut 300 of the 450 jobs that are based in global markets. To be sure, MySpace is feeling the squeeze from the recession. [More...]

Twitter Game Makes Money for the Mob

Tuesday - June 23, 2009

Twitter's founders still haven't decided how to cash in on their popular Internet messaging service -- to the delight of a rapidly growing audience. However, the deliberate approach may not prevent a gold rush among opportunistic outsiders. Lolplaying, the maker of a new role-playing game on Twitter called "140 Mafia," is trying to explore Twitter's moneymaking potential. [More...]

A Week of Free Updates, Free Advice and Free Speech

Friday - June 19, 2009

What we're seeing in Iran could be the beginning of some big political changes. Fishy results in the presidential election last week have led to massive protests, some of which have turned violent. The way the news about the country's turbulence is reaching other parts of the world is monumental in its own right -- symptomatic of the changes that have been brewing ever since the term "Web 2.0" moved into cliché territory. [More...]

Friend or Fraud? Security and Social Networks

Thursday - June 18, 2009

Back in January, friends of Seattle, Wash., resident Bryan Rutberg were stunned when they read e-mails from his Facebook account accompanied by his photo. In the messages, Bryan appeared to claim he was in big trouble and that he needed their help. At least one friend wired him money. However, Rutberg wasn't really in trouble and was in no need of assistance. [More...]

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