Is online social networking becoming segregated?

The explosion in online social networking over the last few years has often been premised on being a transcendence of traditional categories such as gender, race, and economic class. Much has been written on how online networking is a democratizing activity as users are not aware of the social taxonomies which define them. This common wisdom, however, is not demonstrated in recent research. Danah Boyd, a social media researcher at Microsoft, and fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Center for the Internet and Society, recently reported on the ethnic divides in online social networks.  She contends that these divides often reflect the “digitial divide” which separates affluent and working-class communities and suggests there is a “white flight” taking place.

MySpace to Facebook = White Flight? — The Root
Lack of Black Techies, Web Redlining and That Darned Digital Divide — The Root
The Not-So-Hidden Politics of Class Online — Danah Boyd

I'm sexy on myspace

Whilst taking a break from having the Devil explain the importance of the balance between good and evil to another character in my play I decided to read some blogs. That is when I came across the awesome shine’s newest post. It is about an email from what has to be the dreamiest catch of a guy ever. It is quite funny. Much funnier than this one will be but nonetheless inspired me to post this one. Partly because this is kind of funny in that creepy why me way and also because the post I was working on his a serious/sad one and I’m not in the mood for it.

So a couple weeks ago I get this message on Myspace (Yeah some are still on there!) from a dude. Apparently my married/straight profile was not enough to detract from the awesomeness I ooze and the sexiness of my beard and poetry. Enjoy:

how are you?im a 32 year old bi curious guy from kent,i like your profile. Are you bi curious too? i see youre married are guys okay then? i hope so. i’m new to here for school are you near here? Can we meet up for some fun or drinks? i like poetry and read it all the time. Words are cool man, good with words here too. bro good with other things too. interested yet? i liked your profile write me sometime if you get bored
–Brian

And then in a follow up mail a week later he acts as if I’ve responded somehow:

hey man wats going on im not on here much but u can hit me up at 330 690 ****

It is a pretty convincing attempt and I may have to leave my wife for him. I’ve not totally dismissed the idea of pranking him somehow but that would probably make me a total jerk so this will probably be the extent of what I do.

Who Do They Think We Are?

Really? Who do they think we are? OK, once more, who do they really think we are. We’re young, we students, we’re working to be, in all honesty, where they are. We’re trying to get our resumes right. We’re trying to get our grades right, and beneath it all, we’re trying to have some fun wedged between it all. We’re in college.

In high school, MySpace was the hottest thing, and I can clearly remember why it was: because girls put raunchy pictures of themselves on MySpace and it was all about being friends. Yeah that was then, this is now. I’d never upload a picture of myself with no or limited clothing onto the web unless, say, it was a picture at a pool or something. Bottom line is it would have to be a candid, not me posing in the mirror holding my own camera. I’ve come to learn that the web is a very dangerous place when it comes to what you put up. MySpace became the phishing central and it became impossible to enjoy the site without harrassment from fake users and users who already became the victim of phishing. I came to hate it because of its fakeness. It wasn’t real interaction anymore. I wanted to interact with people on the web the same way I do in person. So for that reason, I signed up for a more mature social network site: FaceBook.

The first thing I noticed about FaceBook, which I liked, was the loss of usernames. Instead, it was the person’s real name. It was a lot more mature and people there used it for what it was intended for and once I got to college, I really seen how it could be used to promote events, causes, and keep in touch with those high school classmates that went to different schools. What I started to hear more and more about as my use of FaceBook increased was that future employers actually look at your FaceBook, to scope you out so to say. 

It’s kind of scary isn’t it? Almost like some sort of Big Brother program being run where you get scoped out before you even come to an interview. I’ve been asked many times how I feel about this and while some people tend to bring up the First Amendment, right to privacy, and a whole list of bullshit that they think can justify them uploading whatever they please to the internet, the right to privacy definitely gives the right to privacy but nothing on the internet is private. In fact, the internet among all else is used more to publicize ideas and the latter. So if someone posts a note on FaceBook reliving their worst night of being wasted, they have now chosen to publicize this and whoever’s eyes may land on it is a gimmick. With websites like Google and Yahoo! and other, more advanced search engines, nearly anything can be searched out and filtered (including this blog). It isn’t rocket science.

So one day (night actually), while I was at a group interview for a summer job, the question came up: “Do you think it is fair that employers look at an interviewees profile on social networks such as FaceBook and/or MySpace?” We all had a choice of Agree, Strongly Agree, DisAgree, Strongly Disagree, which were four squares on the floor made out by tape. At first, I hesitated, waiting to see where a majority of the people went to, but then, I guess that bold side of me came out and I stood on “Agree”. It was just me, by myself and everyone else, who surprisingly were all girls, stood between “Disagree” and “Strongly Disagree”. They all gave their points on how people should be granted their privacy and seperate their personal lives from their business lives. Then they looked at me and asked me why I was the only one standing where I was. My point was basically this (and while no one in the world may agree with me, understand that I am definitely entitled to my own opinion; while some out there may back their counter-opinion to mine with experiences of their own, I feel like this is how I feel and how I live):
In the workplace, we need real, honest people, and employers must always feel like they really know their employees, that’s what will make any and all businesses work. In interviews we present our possible future employers with all of our good assets – what positive qualities we present, what we bring to the table, etc. Well, I am comfortable enough with myself that I can tell a future employer my faults, my weaknesses, and where I feel I can learn to become better at, all the while keeping my professionalism and my smile. If an employer of mine decided to look at my Facebook, there isn’t much I’d be ashamed of. I am honest, and I hate to lie, so I’m frank, often times blunt, but people (good people) appreciate my honesty. I landed that job over the other people who didn’t agree with what I said. I spoke to the interviewers honestly, and told them how I really felt. When they asked about my FaceBook, I told them what I had: pictures of me being me. I’m a 19-year-old college student with no criminal record, a high school diploma, and good work ethic and values. I work hard and pick up my own slack, though sometimes, motivation drops. I’m a bit messy,  but I get the job done. Now, can you find any of that on my FaceBook? No. So what were you wasting your time trying to find?

I think a lot of the people who get caught in these awkward situations are people who obviously don’t understand. Have you ever went over your profile on a social network after adding someone to your friends list and thought, I wonder what I look like from the outside? I know I do. I portray myself exactly as I really am. For those that may be reading this that are about my age range, I suggest you do the same. Partying in college is fun. We all enjoy the freedom, but if you don’t party 7 days a week, don’t upload pictures of you only partying and drinking; show your priorities, show your normal life, that same camera at the party can work on a Tuesday morning while you’re waiting for class. Life is more than just partying, just like your employment rides on more than just you at work.

(C) Alex D. Auguste 2009

MySpace Graphics

One of my preferred things to do recently is taking photographs with my digital camera and downloading free free images from the web since I am always changing my myspace profile. I have a fantastic myspace layout and I am very fussy when it comes to the appearance of the profile. From time to time, when I am in need of a good laugh, I search online for a few funny graphics, and post them either in my own profile or on a friend’s myspace profile. Also, when I grab an image from the internet or take a picture using my camera I make use of it for other things such as my desktop wallpaper. In addition, since I am aggressively creating blogs and posting on a bunch of forums, I tend to modify my avatar on a regular basis. It is somewhat funny when you peek at my picture folder on my laptop, considering there are heaps of graphics and images stored there. I have always cherished taking photos as well, so I guess when you tally the pictures I take with my camera along with the pictures I find on the internet, it adds up to a considerable amount. My pals have always called me a freak when it comes to images and pictures, and most of it definitely has to do with the notion that I am a licensed graphics designer.

Usuários do Twitter tendem a interagir com marcas 2x mais que outros internautas.

Será que o Twitter realmente vale o U$ 1 bilhão em que foi avaliado? Ainda não temos um veredito sobre isso. Mas continuam chegando pesquisas independentes que detalham qual o valor potencial que usuários de utilitários sociais podem ter para os anunciantes. A última, da empresa de pesquisas sobre tecnologia e mídia Interpret, mostra que os usuários do Twitter tendem a se ligar a marcas – de várias maneiras – duas vezes mais que usuários de outras redes sociais.

A Interpret pesquisou mais de 9200 usuários de internet em agosto, descobrindo que aproximadamente 24% dos pesquisados que usavam o Twitter escreveram avaliações sobre produtos online; apenas 12% das pessoas que usavam outras redes sociais – mas não o Twitter – disseram a mesma coisa. Usuários de Twitter também estão mais propensos a visitar perfis das companhias ( 20% ) que os não-usuários ( 11 % ), e duas vezes mais propensos a clicar em anúncios ou links patrocinados ( 20% contra 9% ).

As taxas mais altas de comprometimento com marcas podem surgir de um número de fatores. Primeiro, as pessoas não estão gastando tanto tempo em atividades ( comentar fotos, bater papo, jogar ) no Twitter, então estão mais aptas a clicar em um anúncio que os leve para fora do site. Em contraste, está provado que a maioria dos anúncios no Facebook, MySpace e outras redes sociais falham em coletar altas taxas de clicks ou outras interações, simplesmente porque os usuários não querem ter sua experiência interrompida.

O Twitter também é construído para ser um fluxo de informações, não um destino. Usuários compartilham links bit.ly que geram mais de um bilhão de clicks por mês, e ainda mencionam marcas específicas ou produtos em aproximadamente 20% de seus updates.

Mas o que ainda está no ar – ainda mais agora, com um investimento potencial de U$ 100 milhões no horizonte – é se o Twitter pode tornar estes usuários amigáveis às propagandas em retorno financeiro. ( A startup tem alguns planos para anúncios, mas é mais focada em fazer dinheiro a partir de contas premium). Ainda assim, companhias como Glam Media, 12seconds e outras já descobriram como fazer isso, e sem dividir o lucro com o próprio Twitter.

Traduzido por Juliano Cesar Camargo, a partir de texto  de Tameka Kee   “Study: Twitterers More Receptive To Ads Than Other Social Net Users“

Hellogoodbye – Ingyen EP �s �j vide�!

A Hellogoodbye elkészítette élete legjobb videóját. Legalábbis szerintük. A ‘When We First Met” című dalra forgattak ez alkalommal a srácok, akik egy ingyenesen letölthető mini EP-t is kihoznak, melyet csak a hírlevelükre feliratkozottak tölthetnek le. Szóval ha szeretnétek letölteni a szeptember 29-én megjelenő EP-t, akkor kattanjatok ide, és kövessétek az utasításokat! Csak a videó érdekel? Hát akkor itt keresgélj!

The Baby Blog

I know Facebook is everyones favorite these days (I do have an account if you wanna be friends…), but I spent A LOT of time on my Myspace page, particularly on the blog feature. And as if you didn’t have enough to read here, I would like to share with you my Myspace “Baby Blog” that had been private up until this very moment.

It was a no-holds-bar blog for me. I wrote blogs while being in the “darkness” (pregnancy depression), I wrote about how I was sort of bummed out when I first found out we were having a boy instead of a girl, and just everything. I have pictures of how our nursery was progressing. My big dresser project at eight months pregnant. Everything!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from The Baby Blog

The custom sheets my partner at Koko Kreepies made for Evel.
The dresser I decoupage at eight months pregnant (the hubby did the top right drawer. He sneaked in a picture of Adam West which I still find hysterical.)

Custom curtains again created by Koko and the Hello Kitty BOY bank I found!!!

And my eight month pregnant tummy shot. The only “good” tummy shot that exists.

…trust me, there are PLENTY more where that came from. Check it out sometime. I’m glad I have it to look back on.

Garota revoltada!

O novo trabalho da banda Paramore promete superar o sucesso que foi o disco Riot, de 2007.

Foi justamente por esse trabalho e também com a trilha sonora do filme Crepúsculo, que a banda ganhou mais consideração do público.

Seu novo albúm, “Brand new Eyes”, está chegando nas lojas virtuais. Mas a banda liberou todas as músicas no MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/paramore).

Outra coisa bacana que eles fizeram, foi divulgar umas imagens do ensaio do novo CD. Taí algumas fotos:

Em seguida tem um clip da banda, da música Decode, que fez sucesso junto com o Filme Crepúsculo.

Japoneis

Mü-Yap Çok Oldu !! Etkiye Tepki Gösterin !!

Yakın arkadaşlarım bilir asla sözümü esirgemem! Akp ve Mü-Yap’ın yaptığı rezilliğin adı gerciliğin şova gönüşmesi. Hadi o bir yana, buna bizim boyun eğmemiz ve internet dediğimiz “bilgi denizindeki” adaların bize para vermediğimiz için “satılmak istenmesi” ve de buna ses çıkarmamamıza ne denir onu bir düşünün!

Kömüre, oduna, buz dolabına oyunu, şerefini, vatanını satan kitleler arasında yaşıyoruz evet! Ama onlara boyun eğip “onların” kullanmadığı internetimizi kısıtlamalarına ve hayatımızı “yasaklar” ile çevirmelerine göz yummak da aynı kapıya çıkmaz mı?

TEPKİNİZİ GÖSTERİN ARTIK !!! YETER !!!

Dünya bize gülüyor ya. Suudi Arabistandan farkımız ne? Şeriat ! Merak etmeyin “her yerde Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’ün torunlarıyız” demesini biliyorsak, tepkimizi de göstereceğiz. Emin olun Atatürk olsa bu şerefsizleri kurşuna dizerdi Taksim meydanında.

Tepkinizi “3.Şahıslar” (Devlet bize bu adı veriyor hukukta. Neden? Engele takılan biz değiliz çünkü!! şirketler 2.Şahıs ama!! ) olarak göstermenin yollarını da gösteriyorum size; Aşağıdaki bu resmin çıktısını alıp zarfa koyun ve Mü-Yap Bağlantılı Hak Sahibi Fonogram Yapımcıları Meslek Birliği Kuloğlu Mah. Turnacıbaşı Sok. No:16 Kat:5 80070 Beyoğlu İstanbul adresine postalayın.

Bu zor geliyorsa (Haklarınızın Mü-Yap’a satılması zorunuza gitmiyorsa) aşağıdaki metni onun aşağısında bulunan mail adreslerine gönderin. (mail adresleri geçerlidir, bu da benim ikramım olsun mü-yap’a!!)

Sayın yetkililer,

Birçoğunuzun bildiği üzere MySpace ve Last.Fm siteleri Mü-Yap tarafından aldırılan bir kararla Türkiye’den erişime kapatıldı. Daha önce de birçok Internet sitesinin bu veya benzeri gerekçelerle erişimi engellenmişti. Tüm dünyaya bizi rezil eden, her şeyden önemlisi artık gündelik hayatımızın içine yerleşmiş olan Internet’in öyle ya da böyle kısıtlanması durmalıdır. Konu aslında sadece bu iki site değil fakat bunlar bardağı taşıran son damla oldu!

MySpace ve Last.Fm konusundaki gelişmeler ise bazılarını doğrudan, bazılarını ise dolaylı yoldan etkilemektedir. MySpace ve Last.Fm, alternatif müzik türlerinde çalışmalar sergileyen gerek Türk gerekse yabancı sanatçılar için en önemli mecralardır.

Sizin çok iyi bildiğiniz üzere müzik endüstrisine ve büyük plak şirketlerine alternatif olan müzik üretme kanalları o coğrafya için büyük önem taşır. Tüm dünyada alternatif kanallar ve anaakım arasında şöyle bir ilişki geçerlidir: Alternatif müzik üretme kanalları üzerinden yeni bir müzik tarzı ya da yeni bir “yıldız adayı” oluşur, gençler bu müzik tarzını ya da yıldız adayını takip etmeye başlar. Bu yenilik eğer gençliğe gerçekten hitap edebiliyorsa, takipçi kitlesi o derecede artar. Anaakım plak şirketleri ise, bu müzik tarzını “keşfetmek” ve onu kendi bünyesine almak için kavga verir.

Ne yazık ki Türkiye’de müzik endüstrisini yönetenler bu gerçeği görmezden geliyor. MySpace ve Last.fm gibi Türkiyeli müzisyenlerin de çokça faydalandığı alternatif müzik dağıtma kanalları üzerinde baskı yapıyor. Endüstriyi elinde tutan plak şirketleri bunu yapmak yerine bu alternatif kanallar üzerinden ciddi bir ARGE çalışmasına girseler ne kadar kazançlı çıkacaklarının farkında değiller. Sanki ellerinde “bir ülkenin müzik üretimini daraltmak ve kurutmak için yapılması gerekenler” listesi var ve bunu uyguluyorlar.

Sizler bilinçli veya bilinçsiz olarak Mü-Yap’ın almış olduğu karara destek olmaktasınız. Bu sebeple gerek MySpace, gerekse Last.Fm siteleri açılana kadar çıkarmış olduğunuz hiçbir albümü veya bir başka ürünü almayacağız. Protestomuz Mü-Yap bu davaları geri çekene kadar da devam edecek.

Bilinmesi gereken nokta yasaklamalarla hiçbir yere varılamayacağı ve artık bu yasaklara hiçbir şekilde sessiz kalınmayacağıdır. Bu konuda sizin de tepkisiz davranmanız durumunda protestolarımıza devam edeceğiz.

MÜZİĞİ ÖZGÜR BIRAKIN!

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Haklarınızı Arayın Artık !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ayrıca Redikal’deki Köşe Yazısını okuyabilirsiniz : Buradan

Kanye's Stunt PR Move???

There is a new book coming out that makes me wonder about the whole MTV thing.. A book written by Jeff Johnson with a foreword written by Mr West himself. The Book is Titled ‘Everything I’m not Made me Who I am Today’ mmmm a old song title written by Kanye. Timing is Everything You decide. Here is what I found on Jeff Johnson’s website.

Everything I’m Not Made Me Everything I Am
Discovering Your Personal Best
by Jeff Johnson

Buy on Amazon.com

Synopsis:
Award-winning activist journalist and motivational speaker Jeff Johnson dares the post-civil rights generations to stop making excuses, overcome personal challenges, and create lives filled with passion, meaning, and service in Everything I’m Not Made Me Everything I Am. This empowering strategic guide for manifesting and achieving your personal BEST showcases Johnson’s unique blend of political consciousness and street-smart inspiration.

MySpace ile Last.Fm’e Türkiye’den erişim engellendi

Her iki siteye de Türkiye’den girilmek istendiğinde, “T.C. Beyoğlu Cumhuriyet Başsavcılığı’nın 26.06.2009 tarih ve 2009/45 sayılı kararı gereği erişime kapanmıştır” ibaresiyle karşılaşılıyor.

Kararın neden bu kadar geç uygulandığı gibi ayrıntılar açıklanmasa da, telif hakları nedeniyle MÜYAP’ın açtığı bir davanın bu sonucu getirdiği öne sürüldü. Genelde erişim engellemelerini, mahkemenin nihai kararlarını uygulayan Telekomünikasyon İletişim Başkanlığı yapıyor. Son iki yıldır engellenen yaklaşık 2000 internet sitesinin arasına MySpace ve Last.Fm de katılırken, bu kez başsavcılık kararının uygulanması dikkat çekti.

Türkiye’nin uluslararası imajına en büyük darbeyi indiren Youtube yasağı da hâlâ sürüyor. Dünyanın en büyük blog sunucularından olan Blogger.com’a da Türkiye’den erişim iki gündür sağlanamıyor. Türkiye’den binlerce blog barındıran ABD merkezli site, sorunu araştırdığını açıkladı. Siteye tebliğ edilen bir mahkeme kararı olmadığı vurgulanırken, erişim sorununun Türk Telekom merkezli teknik bir nedenden kaynaklanabileceği belirtildi.

Raiul păgânilor

Noi nu suntem păgâni, noi suntem dreptcredincioşi. Păgâni sunt cei ce nu cred în Allah (binecuvântat fie numele Lui). Suntem “laici”, nu amestecăm. Avem un PM imam, băiat bun, educat la medresse, pupă doar mâna preşedinţilor en-titre din USA, precum şi a mentorului său “politic” interzis. Aaa..are el rolex şi se poleieşte cu Armani, dar de fapt e un băiat umil pe care l-au ales media şi noi, bineînţeles, căci din media ne educăm. Şcoala? Ha ha hahaha. E pentru proşti. Nu avem nevoie de şcoală, noi avem nevoie de bani. Mulţi. Ce frumos e la străinii ăştia, au bani. Vin la noi şi le place, căci noi nu suntem păgâni. Noi suntem “laici”, nu amestecăm. Aici e raiul.

E sărbatoare în noaptea asta, sărbătoarea de după Ramadan, care e o sărbătoare binecuvântată, cea mai mare. Dar noi suntem “laici” şi nu amestecăm. Am interzis porcăriile aste de pe internet, care întinează numele Profetului (binecuvântat fie numele Lui, căci pe el îl iubeşte Allah, Atoatevăzătorul, Creatorul). Acum ne bucurăm după postul Ramadanului, cea mai mare sărbătoare, Sărbătoarea Sărbătorilor, căci aşa e scris în Al Kuran, Cartea Cărţilor din toate cele patru trimise de Allah (binecuvântat fie numele Lui). Am interzis porcăriile de pe internet chiar acum, pentru a ne bucura de dulciurile de după Ramadan in pace. Noi nu amestecăm, noi suntem “laici”. E scris şi în Constituţia noastră Sfântă. Noi nu suntem păgâni. Păgâni sunt cei ce nu cred în Allah (binecuvântat fie numele Lui), nu noi. Noi credem, noi nu amestecăm.

Avem armată. Cea mai puternică din lume. Noi credem în Allah (binecuvântat fie numele Lui), dar nu amestecăm, noi suntem “laici”, ca străinii ăia din Franţa, sau păgânii din India (unde-or mai fi şi astea în lume, căci aici la noi, nu sunt). Noi nu suntem păgâni. Trăim în raiul pe care ni l-a lăsat Tatăl nostru născut la Salonic.

Bu siteye erişim mahkeme kararıyla engellenmiştir.

(Mie, mi-e lehamite. Mă adaptez, cum ar spune iubita mea, dar n-am să am linişte până nu se schimbă ceva. Va cădea guvernul acesta ales de “majoritate”, ha ha, voturile “nule”, adică cele neconsiderate căci n-au atins plafonul de 10%, se adaugă la gruparea de pe primul loc…nu există reglementări logice pentru construcţiile din spaţiul rural, 80% din spaţiul total, de altfel…aseară, s-a interzis myspace…şi-l făcuseră şi-n limba lor, să le fie mai uşor, să nu trebuiască să-nveţe o limbă străină pentru a intra în contact cu afara ţarcului-raiului… raiul păgânilor credincioşi şi iubitori de oaspeţi cu bani…mulţi, cum îşi doresc şi ei…mi-e lehamite…dar n-am să stau aşa… )

WHO DOES THIS BITCH THINK SHE IS?

I cannot think of myself as a writer in the traditional sense – oh, and for the record-I don’t speak in the third person. In my opinion, speaking in the third person is stupid and self serving. I’m not a narrator – I’m just a human being being human named Jessica de la Davies. I’m a human who just happens to thrive on writing and directing. Becoming famous is something that I neither want or work for. To be famous in that “Hollywood I’m So Fabulous” way, which in my opinion is leaning toward ego masturbation, has never appealed to my odd sense or sensibilities. I get off on writing – isn’t the getting off part enough? I’ve enjoyed writing and directing for the better part of my short time on The Blue Ball – and I seem to have arrived at a ridiculously soothing rhythmic beat to my writing . I get off on interacting with other humans, so that’s why I’ve chosen this EVIL networking site to connect with as many humans as I possibly can before I disappear forever into my space. MySpace is an incredible tool-it would serve me better if I didn’t abuse Myspace so much. If I was more respectful, I could actually used Myspace it to it’s fullest potential. I’m on facebook too but think it’s secretly run by Big Brother Corporations who are terrified if people with their own ideas (like me) actually reached the masses-hence the facebook 5000 person limit. Nevertheless I am on facebook too-just search my name. I’m off topic now, anyway- I get off on abusing this particular system as a way to spread intriguing ideas, tempting thoughts and authentic feelings to other ridiculous humans in an attempt to achieve Nirvana (okay I’m full of shit here). Writing unusual rambling pieces and interesting stories is always an activity that can often be confused with the dreaded FREE THINKING MIND that Big Brother Corporations fear. How dare we use our own minds to achieve a FREE THINKING world when Big Brother Corporations has our world set up to exploit human drones and utter mindlessness.

I wrote a novel. Its main character is quite unique and my novel should serve to entertain those who actually use book reading to satisfy their minds’ cravings for human authenticity. The novel of quirky ridiculousness is a story about a family that is so real that it couldn’t have really happened-but it did. For the past three months, this novel has been floating through The Publishing Establishment-an agent/publishing house system of: I’m not sure this represents us as an agency (I thought they were looking for something different?); of: Umm, we would like to return your novel to you but it’s temporarily misplaced and other Big Brother Corporation bullshit. I am on the verge of self publishing but something in my mind makes me desire the “credibility” that Big Brother Corporation agents/publishing houses offer. I guess I am thinking like a ridiculous drone and maybe on the verge of actually becoming everything I hate! Maybe I should run for Congress or something? I’m always directing something interesting. I just finished directing The Student CD Project and Cinderella. Next, I have planned an odd reality film that will surely be completely ignored by Big Brother Corporations in the Hollywood establishment, but embraced in the INDY world of film making. I receive a ridiculous amount of mail each day and I’ll try my best to respond to you. I do so get off on communicating with all sorts of odd artistic types, free thinking people I don’t know and just plain social odd balls-like mine. I am in awe that I live in this- the information age-this LIMITED period in our history that has opened doors allowing us to communicate with thousands and thousands of people across the blue ball-communicating what we really think-not what Big Brother tells us to think. I am grateful for this ridiculous time of open communication-I’m sure it won’t last.

Oh, and to those of you who think women shouldn’t speak their minds or believe that woman have to play nice. I say -FUCK limits.

I am not going to limit what I write about because it might make “someone else” uncomfortable-because “someone else” doesn’t have to fucking read it. This is for you. My words aren’t meant to reach the ALL – my intention is to inspire you to think for yourself and feel any reaction you want to feel. Any reaction that my words bring you mean I’ve accomplished something with my meager time on The Blue Ball. Anyway, none of that crap I just mentioned really matters . . . because the bottom line is: WRITING and CREATING ART.

Embrace it and try to understand OR hate it and close your mind . . . it doesn’t matter as long as I know that I have tried to use our limited time during this information age and this Myspace opportunity to talk directly to you-no Big Brother controls.

Oh yeah . . . I am totally full of shit half the time! You can decide for yourself which half is which-as you are not a mindless drone-but you already knew that didn’t you?

Thanks For Playing,

jESSICA De La dAVIES, Ph.D.

Writer/Director/PR

Criminal Status

My brother means no offense. How do I know that? He tells me right before he says something incredibly offensive. We’ll be sitting at a bar, having a beer, discussing something like what it means to be successful and he’ll say, “No offense…but you’re too ugly and stupid to be successful.”

None taken.

So it’s with that concept in mind I say: No offense, but the tragic murder of the Yale student this past week has made me laugh. The murder itself isn’t funny, but the way it’s being reported is. Journalism used to involve tiny note pads, knocking on the neighbor’s doors and asking people’s friends and co-workers questions to figure out what a potential suspect was really like. Now that makes as much sense as a JC Penny catalog because of sites like Facebook and Myspace.

Unfortunately, for every teen busted for being tagged in a picture holding a beer can, there are as many desperate stretches to paint a picture of someone through the information on their page. I especially liked a moment in a NYTIMES.com piece about the person who would later be arrested for murdering the 24 year old Yale grad student. It delved deeply into possible motives by painting an illustrious portrait of Raymond Clark and his girlfriend Jennifer Hromadka. When talking about Jennifer they pulled in this golden nugget:

Jennifer wrote on her MySpace page that she’s not perfect, but cautioned people not to judge her.

“Who are you to judge the life I live? I know I’m not perfect and I don’t live to be, but before you start pointing fingers make sure your hands are clean!!” the 23-year-old wrote.

That’s some incredible journalism. I wonder if the journalist managed to actually go to myspace or simply looked over her co-worker’s shoulder while she surfed through Jennifer’s page. While the fall of journalistic integrity could be a valuable rant, I was more focused on the fact that Jennifer’s myspace status was under such judgmental scrutiny.

What would happen if, for some reason, I was placed in a very public investigation and MY facebook page was scoured for psychological insight? Here are actual Status Updates and what a criminal psychologist could potentially write about me. I encourage you all to do this for yourself and see how “normal” you seem.

–

Would a poached egg over a brownie be a bad way to start the morning…or a perfect way to set the tone for a stay at home Sunday?

The suspect has a very unusual and unhealthy diet. He thinks he is a god who is above dietary concerns such as high cholesterol. He barely ever leaves the house and leads a secluded life – fantasizing about his next victim.

Off to the land down under – Mexico

The suspect has the geographical knowledge of a 4th grader. Oddly, his college transcript says he majored in Geography which means the college degree was acquired fraudulently. Probably lures his victims through an intricate series of lies.

The over under for how many hot dogs I could eat in one sitting is currently 6. What do you guys think?

He is always seeking approval and looks at normal activities as cumulative goals in the same way a serial killer internally competes to rack up a high kill count.

Governors Island…the blindest island in New York

He is a hateful person who murderously dislikes handicapped people, viewing them as inferior people who are a drain on society. He has a problem disconnecting people and objects – thus explaining his ability to kill humans in such a potentially gruesome manner.

32 Across: A place you’ll find bellybutton lint

He plays games with people – which is a common trait among cinematically depicted serial killers. A confession from him would surely be a cryptic message sent through the media.

You go to an acupuncturist to get acupuncture. You go to a chiropractor to get chiropracty?

The suspect is distrustful of doctors and people in authority. He disregards all science as heresy and believes healing can only come through rituals and sacrificial ceremonies.

Wants to remind you to call your mothers. They miss you/me.

He believes all people are connected to one mother being, which may or may not be extraterrestrial. He thinks his main purpose is to protect this, “mother” against those who wish her harm at all costs.

Wrote an article on puke

The undoubtedly guilty suspect has a fascination with excretions such as vomit and blood. He believes we are all sick and must be cured through his ritualistic killing. Has a general infantile predilection towards the world.

Book Review: The New Community Rules, Marketing On The Social Web

There’s debate about whether anyone can be deemed a social media expert because the field is relatively new, and continues to evolve so rapidly, that it’s too soon for anyone to claim that label.

Well, if you go by what’s currently happening in the social media sphere, Tamar Weinberg is an expert.

Steeped in social media

Weinberg proudly proclaims that she’s “a member of just about every social network that has a name.” Along with being a prolific blogger, she’s the Director of Community for Mashable and is an independent social media consultant.

She’s steeped in social media.

This comes through loud and clear in The New Community Rules: Marketing on the Social Web, where she proffers observations that could only come from someone who understands the real intricacies of scores of social media outlets.

Acute insight

Wienberg’s expertise is trenchant. When discussing the topic of return on investment for social media (an oft-cited sticky widget) she notes, “The problem with trying to determine ROI for social media is you are trying to put numeric quantities around human interactions and conversations, which are not quantifiable.”

She covers how to properly engage in social media — the ol’ it’s a dialogue not a monologue — then digs deeper with knowledge and tips that provide true keys to success.

Throughout the book she drills home crucial aspects of effective social media practice, such as recommendations and the numerable ways these may occur, along with the unspoken rule that you need to discuss issues not only of your own interest, but also those of the community at-large. “Altruism rules above all,” she wisely writes.

Weinberg consistently explains how various elements relate to search engine optimization; the outcome of which can play a big role in the visibility of your web site and provide a powerful tool for reputation management, if you know how to work it right.

Delving under the radar

Discussion of blogs, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, videos and podcasts are to be expected in a book of this title. Though again, Weinberg’s perceptions are a cut above the rest.

With Twitter she advises not to dive in head first and instead begin by listening to conversations going on about your particular industry, to include seeing what your competitors are up to. She tells how Twitter is great for tapping into prospects and influencers and calls out tools to search for topics, trends and people.

Her attention to the assorted platforms includes outlining specific advantages; the “why should I care” proposition. With Twitter, she says, “One of the biggest benefits of using the service is the ability to get people to answer questions quickly.” She shows how it can be like an instantaneous focus group, not to mention an invaluable customer service tool.

More added value of this text comes in Weinberg’s coverage of topics that are somewhat under the radar. She delves deep into the bookmarking services StumbleUpon and delicious. She calls attention to Mahalo, a not so well known site that’s good to get a handle on because its results can achieve high rank on search engine results pages.

Her discussion of how social news sites operate — digg, mixx, reddit, Slashdot, sphinn, Tip’d, Yahoo! Buzz, and others — is a true revelation. Here’s an area gaining in adoption that can make a significant difference in attention to your brand. However, it’s tricky business: There’s a boatload of do’s and don’ts that can make the difference between wasting your time or having a big hit.

Injecting case studies to illuminate certain points, Weinberg covers a tremendous amount of ground. So much so that you might want to devour the material in bites.

Weinberg stresses that “social media marketing is a comprehensive effort,” and the same goes for this book.

- Deni Kasrel

What do YOU think of The New Community Rules? Have you also read it? What’s your take on the book? Comments welcome.

Related post:

Wonder Gals of Web 2.0

20 Reasons for Hiring a Virtual Assistant

Why hire a virtual assistant?

There are 101 answers to that question but let’s focus on the top 20:

1. Call and Email – They can Call and Email potential clients, sellers, buyers or customers. They have the skills necessary to do these tasks. They are very communicative and follow instructions well.
2. Database Management – Enter your business contacts into a Database like MS OUTLOOK or Zoho.com.  All leads called or emails sent will be filed for future reference. You will not have to waste any leads. Organize your database better.
3. Voice Transcription – Type businesses processes, contracts, emails or Transcribe your voice recordings and have them ready to be sent as an email. Screen and Monitor your emails regularly and send replies fast.
4. Ad posting – Post ads all over the internet on classifieds sites and increase business exposure.
5. Set appointments, schedule or confirm events for you.
6. Event and Travel Planning – Co-ordinate your travel plans. Look for the best rates available for flight and hotel accommodation.
7. Word Processing – Convert those lengthy PDF documents into Word.
8. Data Research – Research for a topic online that is time consuming.
9. Get Best Deals Available – Scan the internet for best deals on purchasing equipment, software and other items.
10. Presentations – You need Brochures or PowerPoint Presentations done.
11. Last Minute Assistance – You have access to the VAs Instant Messenger at all business hours, so quickly send last minute tasks to be completed.
12. Answering Service and Voicemail – You are away and need to know the voicemails that came in. Simple, Just have the VA send you the contact details and the Transcript of urgent calls which came in.
13. Data Entry – You need to Update your website. The VA can do this by accessing the back-end and making the necessary changes. Enter Data into a database or website.
14. Search Engine Optimization – Your website needs promotion so the VA can Submit keywords, URLs to various search Engines.
15. Appointments – You forget important dates but the VA will Remind you of them.
16. Email Campaigns – Email promos, survey for your customers’ satisfaction, prepare welcome packages to new clients.
17. Edit – Proof-read and Edit typos in your documents.
18. Telemarketing – Do Outbound Cold and Warm Sales Calls using your custom script.
19. Customer Care – Have your customers talk to a person in charge of handling your customers as opposed to just another available agent in a call center.
20. Competitive Edge – Very useful but often overlooked. Keep an eye on the internet marketing tactics used by your competitors.

Quickpost this image to Myspace, Digg, Facebook, and others!

Song for the day!!!! - Brown Suga Luv

Chorus:

Just gimmie dat  (Brown Suga, Brown Suga, Brown Suga Luv)

To all my big bone sexy, Cocoa ladies, who luv ya baby, I love ya baby

 

Verse:

Listen,  I love ya,  just da way you are. 

Juicy, plump lips, long tongue, you’re a star.

You know how to love me just like a model type.

Only thang different, you know how to ride my bike.

Know how to hold my mic.

Sex ain’t over till big mama sings alright.

You’ve got a heart that keeps me warm.

Like a newborn, snuggle so tight in my arms.

Take you out shopping, not only to Lane Bryant. 

That’s a stereotype, that skinny girls started? 

I love all women, fat, skinny, short or tall.

I show you all love, no need to hate ya’ll.

 

Chorus:

Just gimmie dat  (Brown Suga, Brown Suga, Brown Suga Luv)

To all my big bone sexy, Cocoa ladies, who luv ya baby, I love ya baby

Look out for the mixtape album coming soon

HE SAID: Technology, you ARE helping

There are so many places to start, I really am at a loss…so I’ll do what I typically do in real life and let a movie quote do the talking for me:

“Yes, I love technology, but not as much as you, you see… But still, I love technology.” ~ Kip Dynamite

I must agree with Kip here.  There are millions of reasons why I love technology, but when it comes to technology and members of the opposite sex, the main reason I love seems to be exactly why Nifer hates it.  In your post you talk about how instead of merely thinking about someone all day, one can check facebook, email, texting yada yada yada…Isn’t that better than simply thinking about some chick you have a crush on but isn’t concacting you?  At least you might get an answer through technology.

For example, when I was living in Alabama I called this one girl I kind of liked to hang out one day, left a message and didn’t hear back for a couple of hours.  Via facebook, I found out she was “spending the day at the beach with Brad.”  If it had been 1995 instead of 2005, I would’ve been obsessing all day about this broad wondering why she couldn’t pick up her effing phone.  But alas, technology (while it may have given me some rather negative news) came to my rescue…not only did I have the answer as to why she wasn’t calling me back, but I knew never to call that whore again.

Also, I take umbrage with your statement about how technology ends up ’screwing you.’  Actually, that’s not entirely true…because your statement could indeed be true.  There are many times when technology does indeed screw us.  So, I guess it’s really your Exhibits I take umbrage with; because, it wasn’t technology that screwed the subject of each example, it was the subject that screwed the subject.  Is it technology’s fault you emailed a mutual friend instead of your boyfriend (who wanted to keep you hidden? Are you fucking serious? That’s straight out of an episode of 90210), or that your friend posted ‘intimate details’ on a facebook wall instead of a message?  No, it’s not technology’s fault, it’s your own effing fault.   Just like a typical woman, refusing to take responsibility for your actions…but I digress.

By the way, how ‘intimate’ were these details? Just curious.

Technology also makes things easier for the, how shall I put it, less than confident people.  Instead of having to call a girl, or ask a girl out in person, the less confident people can shoot a text/IM/facebook message without fear of actually hearing the rejection.  I swear, I’m not referring to myself here, but other less than confident people.  Time to wrap up, just got a text from a girl telling me to check my email (which will probably be an email informing me that I have a new facebook wall post).

Korean Grand Nation Party Member Talks About Jae Bum

A member Jeon YeoOk of political party HanNaRa Party/Grand National Party, conservative political party in South Korea, speaks up about the recent incident of 2PM JaeBum and criticisms against him about the posts he wrote on his MySpace page before debut.

Jeon YeoOk spoke about it during her appearance on SBS ‘Current Affairs’ aired on 11th September.

She said, “Through globalisation, JaeBum’s recent MySpace incident arose but I thought isn’t it like closed nationalism with our own people casting him away like that? I thought that we should be cherishing instead of casting away a youth who wrote something in his own private space 4 years back when he was only 17~18 years old and when he is new to the culture that he was placed in. This is very heartbreaking.”

She added, “In my point of view, what JaeBum wrote on his MySpace page 4 years ago was something that he wrote in his private space when he was feeling lonely in this foreign land having to leave his home in the States. Isn’t it cruel to keep tracking and digging into this incident? To what extent should we protect the private life of entertainers? What he wrote was something private to him when he was still a trainee.”

Meanwhile, JaeBum has left 2PM and also Korea on 8th September, 4 days after the backlashes from the revelation of his pre-debut messages posted on MySpace.

Park Jin Young also issued an official statement on 10th September and some fans are also doing up a boycott movement against JYP.

source: kbites

[Via http://twistedstars.wordpress.com]

[Via http://lyndaspayerplayer.wordpress.com]

Sagrotan-Schweinegrippen-Abwehr und MySpace auf Spanisch!

Komisch, was MySpace mir zumutet. Heißt das jetzt, ich soll mir nen Südländer|Spanier anlachen, der mir das dann übersetzt und mein Blut für den Rest meines Lebens in Wallungen versetzt und mir wilden, leidenschaftlichen Sex bietet?! Haha… dabei steh ich gar nicht auf südländische Typen. Egal…

Eigentlich wollten wir heut in den Biergarten im Großen Garten. Wasser. Und Unlust meiner beiden Mitgängerinnen. Die hat mich letztendlich dazu getrieben, ne Tüte Frigeo Puffreis (moooaaarrr… ich liebe es!)

still und unheimlich ganz allein zu vernaschen und die immer sinnloser werdende Popstars-Sendung zu gucken. Aber immerhin hab ich dieses geile Mädel mit der Riesenbrille gesehen, die so wahnsinnig geil Christina Aguilera gesungen hat… echt hammermäßig. Ansonsten fand ich eigentlich nur die Efir so richtig gut- falls die überhaupt so heißt… der Rest bleibt zumindest nich so in meinem megaübelsten Kurzzeitgedächtnis hängen…

und nochewas Gutes heute: Ich weiß, dass es Sagrotan jetzt auch mit Schutz gegen Schweinegrippe gibt. Wenn nämlich die ganze Familie die ganze weite Virenwelt mit nach Hause bringt und alles andatscht, hat Kleo Petra Pech gehabt und sie stirbt mit ihrer schönen Kleo-Petra-Bob-Frisur an schweinischer Schweinegrippe. Hm. Ich geh jetzt ins Bett… bald.

[Via http://gefeha.wordpress.de]

Is Social Media Just a Fad? Will Facebook Fade Like Vanilla Ice?

Is social media like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace (etc.) just another fad, or is it a fundamental shift in the way we communicate?

I’ve leaned toward the latter for a good while now, and videos like this only strengthen my opinion. Check it out:

Still think social media might be a fad? Yes?

Okay, how about this: did you read the news yesterday?

The President of the United States said this to schoolchildren in a formal speech:

“Be careful what you post on Facebook. Whatever you do, it will be pulled up later in your life.”

I for one am VERY GLAD social media wasn’t around just a few years ago (the dirt on me would be public domain), and whether you like Obama or not, his assumption is correct: social media isn’t going anywhere. It’s here to stay.

Social media: absolutely nothing like Vanilla Ice.

Profound shifts in the DNA of our society don’t come along very often – what we’re witnessing with the insurgence of social media into everyday life is akin to the industrial revolution or even the invention of the printing press.

Ours will be a moment that historians point back to saying, “That was a time when a new technology changed the whole world.”

Why am I making a big deal about this? Because social media is about connecting with people, and Jesus is a big fan of that.

I can tell you a few stories about people I’ve been able to connect with through social media who are now connected to Jesus as a result.

Perhaps you have a few you can share too?

Brainstorm with me:

1) How could social media be used to impact the world for Christ?

2) How do you use social media to impact the world for Christ?

I’ve got to teach a group of ministers about this subject in the coming months – your feedback will help me do a good job of that. Thanks :)

[Via http://westcoastwitness.com]

Jaebum Was Misunderstood

i know i said we weren’t gonna post for awhile. But this just makes me even more upset about Jaebum leaving. It should be made known that the people who ruined his career were and are WRONG.

how sad that this comes to light after Jaebum left. He probably just reached the States today. The people who made such fuss about this should really absolutely be either ashamed of themselves or feel really duped by whichever moronic anti who’s succeeded in manipulating everybody~

In each fan site, and through internet notice boards Jaebum’s message in 2006 to his friends in America through his myspace were “I want to stay in Korea 1 more year” “Not as a JYP(trainee) but I want to spend it as a Korean” and others saying that Korea was his ‘motherland’ and words saying how life in Korea was good were left.

It’s regretful that Jaebum is suddenly withdrawing within a mere 4 days of Jaebum’s ‘Hate Korea’ picture captures that were revealed on the 5th.

On top of that, when Jaebum visited Seattle, USA from late July to early August for vacation, in an interview at a Christian church, he spoke well about his life in Korea, making this news even more regrettable.

Officials in the industry are also expressing their regret over Jaebum’s withdrawal. One music program official said “The regret of the withdrawal is as big as how 2PM’s leader held together the center”. Another program official said that “With leader Jaebum’s withdrawal from 2PM, even if 2PM continues their activities with 6 members, it will never be the same”.

(Source: Cha Yun @ Newsen, Translation: Jiyo @ 2ONEDAY Fourms)

Credit: website

Jaebum leaves with letters given to him by fans present at the airport. Also, New York Hottests have gone to JYP USA to leave encouraging messages to Jaebum as well.

Source: as noted

Shared by: twistedstars + sookyeong + fanaholic

taqiah~

[Via http://fanaholic.wordpress.com]

Rogue Comes with Intensity

Verizon Wireless and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) have introduced two messaging phones — the Samsung Rogue and the Samsung Intensity.

The Samsung Rogue comes with a full touch display to provide an optimized messaging experience with a horizontal slide-out, four-row QWERTY keyboard, threaded messaging, and one-touch access to popular social networking widgets, including Facebook , MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and Photobucket.

The Samsung Rogue also features speech capabilities offered by Nuance that will allow users to launch and control applications and services with voice commands as well as dictate text messages.

The Samsung Intensity is a feature-packed phone that offers buyers a way to stay connected to family, friends, and others through messaging features such as Mobile IM; text, picture and voice messaging with threaded messaging feature; Mobile Email; and the Mobile Web browser.

The Samsung Rogue is available for $99.99 after a $100.00 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement, and the Samsung Intensity for $29.99 after a $50.00 mail-in rebate.

[Via http://mytechbox.wordpress.com]

WooYoung speaks up about Jaebum's racism

It appears people are forgiving but not quite forgetting the Jaebum Myspace incident. This particular heated debate seems to be popular with irate netizens and fan’s. To recap anyone unaware of the situation/living in a cave, netizens have recently dug out some caps of 2pm’s Jaebum writing some not so great things about Korea e.g. ‘korea is whack they think i’m the illest rapper when i suck nuts at rap’ and ‘korea is gay’.

Wooyoung has taken to his blog to leave an optimistic message towards his fans and a sign of loyalty to his leader. The title was ‘Hottests… Thank you’ then went on, “We 2PM is not 7 members, we are one.”

*credit:2pmonline

The rest is after the cut!

I think people should leave him alone by now, it’s obvious it was an immature mistake and he already apologized which comes across sincere. With some people it seems they just want an excuse to be angry and wont believe he’s changed. I mean what do you expect he has been living in America basically his entire life and to suddenly end up in a different place with a different culture. It’s not fair to say ‘but you’re Korean’, it’s like yeah by blood but the dude wasn’t living there or familiar/accustomed to the formality and differences between the States and his ‘homeland’, he had no friends and was homesick (yeah just because you are doesn’t mean you have the right to say those things, but he those feelings do fuel it and make you write rash things). At the age he wrote those statements he was probably a bit bratty and used to front all this gangster talk, but he’s obviously lost this and has grown up since, so if anything he’d be embarrassed looking back on it. What also annoys me is some people are saying ‘look this is what happens when you go to places like america’. Err talk about hypocracy! Some of my aunties used to be offended when I was 12 years old and would say negative things about China, but they would say things like ‘everyone in England is fat’ or ‘people there dont study hard enough’. But I wasn’t offended, I would say dude you’re exaggerating and stereotyping but after all stereotyping is based on some kind of truth (whether it be warped or not).

[Via http://yimengz.wordpress.com]

Jae Bum Apologizes

2PM Jaebeom’s myspace comments from years ago were dug up by netizens, causing an outrage in Korea. But don’t be too harsh on the guy, it was an honest mistake and besides, we’ve all said very similar things. In any regards, Jaebeom has released an official apology, so forgive and forget!

Hello everyone this is 2PM’s Park Jaebum. I would like to apologize on behalf of the comments I had made through Myspace a few years ago. I’m sorry.

As I tell all of you about how I felt that time, I also would like to apologize. In January of 2005, I came to Korea as a high school student. I was born in the States and I had insufficient knowledge of how Korea is. Being it my first time, I couldn’t communicate with others, my taste buds didn’t fit, and I barely knew the culture which I couldn’t understand. I felt as though I was treated coldly by the people around me as my family was left in the States. It was such a difficult situation where I didn’t even know if I was going to debut. Due to many hardships, things were getting too hard and I was getting lonely being homesick. I had the thoughts of quitting and I wanted to go back to my family in the States. The comment based on the Korea part: I wrote that because of my personal situation I was placed in and my emotions took over. I was too young and said things in the wrong words. I was too foolish, young, and facing difficulties where I made the mistake into turning my surroundings worse. Time passed by and I forgot that I had even written them. I am now embarrassed and truly sorry of those comments I had made. After that time, I had adjusted to everything and my thoughts have changed tremendously as I thank the people around me to get me to perform on stage in any situation. Those comments were made four years ago, but I am a different person now. To my family, Hottests, members of 2PM, and those who love 2PM, I am truly sorry. From now on, I hope that there will be no mistakes like this ever again. I will say it one more time that I am truly sorry.

-2PM’s Jaebum-

source: 2oneday + allkpop

[Via http://twistedstars.wordpress.com]