Doesn't Walmart control enough of the business world????????

This article I found intriguing because Walmart is already such a large company.. surprised me to find out they are into the social media world as well... enjoy this article... I know I did!


http://www.indiawest.com/readmore.aspx?id=3208&sid=6

Should your doctor be on Facebook or Twitter?

check out this link... I am sure it will intrigue you just as it has for me!

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/28/should-your-doctor-be-on-facebook/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Holograms

Holograms will be a wave of the future where communication will become more personal with little to no interactivity. We will be able to see exactly what someone is doing and interact with their environment accordingly to the preferences they allow to their database. We will also be able to control how advanced we want the surroundings to be such as being able to walk through a hologram to the simplicity of just being able to sit down or move about and around the house. This will come in handy for FBI agents or bounty hunters who want to sneak into a house without making any sounds to alert their enemy. When this becomes more advanced over the next five to ten years we will be able to move objects in a particular area and will be luxury to a whole new level.

The world of advancement

As we may know in the world of computers the internal workings are increasingly advancing at such a rapid speed that consumers are are at a never ending battle to keep up with the newest products that come out each and every day. When the creators of these gadgets finish their product for the market they know that if the buyers want the product bad enough that they will buy the first generation knowing that it's predecessor will in terms hopefully be greater, but with curiosity the consumer will never know and have to wait in anguish until the following year. This creates the never ending relationship between the consumer and the creator of the product.

Fad or Media Revolution.. watch the video and you decide

click below
Social Media Revolution 

The Power of Social Networks

Mini USA, the American branch of BMW's Mini Cooper line, tracks everything being said about its brand everywhere online--in blogs, discussion groups, forums, MySpace pages and much more--then uses what it learns to guide advertising campaigns.
At Hewlett-Packard (nyse: HPQ - news - people ), 50 executives log into their individual blogs each morning to join the ongoing online conversation about each of their product lines, immediately responding to customer problems and concerns.
Ernst & Young recruits many of the 3,500 college graduates it hires every year using a career group on Facebook, where it not only posts job information but answers individual questions from prospective employees. And Del Monte Pet Products uses a private online community to regularly "chat" with 400 animal lovers, whose opinions help shape new products.
These are all companies savvy enough to participate in the "groundswell," according to Charlene Li, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research (nasdaq: FORR - news - people ). "The groundswell is a social trend in which people use technologies to get the things they need from each other, rather than from traditional institutions like corporations," she says.
Li spoke at the recent Supernova conference, an annual technology event in San Francisco organized by Wharton legal studies and business ethics professor Kevin Werbach in collaboration with Wharton. Li and his Forrester colleague Josh Bernoff have co-authored a book on the subject, Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies.
"The more you know and understand the individuals who make up the groundswell around your brand and your company, the more you can use the new social networking phenomenon to your advantage," she said.
Such understanding comes from going well beyond traditional user surveys, however. According to Li and other speakers at the conference, too few companies study how people actually interact with the Web and utilize online collaborative tools, yet much of today's Internet revolves around individual users, the content they create, the communities they form and the transactions they choose.
"People's lives are rich and complex, so you need to get data both in the large and in the small," said Elizabeth Churchill, principal research scientist at Yahoo! Research whose work focuses on user Internet experiences. "That means quantitative data from large groups to answer the 'who, what, where and how' questions, and qualitative data to answer the 'why' questions. For example, we know from research done by [photo sharing Web site] Flickr that while Americans are big sharers of photos, Scandinavians are not. Why? What is the cultural impact on photo sharing?"
Failed Searches and Alpha Moms
Looking more carefully at people's behavior on the Internet can uncover surprises, sometimes calling into question basic assumptions--for instance, that most young people are adept at using the Internet.
Conference presenter Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University professor of sociology and communication studies, studied a diverse group of students attending the University of Illinois at Chicago and found that 43% failed on a search task, based largely on their misunderstanding of Internet terminology and on their inability to navigate links.
Hargittai reviewed research showing that people differ significantly in their understanding of various Internet-related terms and activities. For example, when asked to assess their own Internet know-how, women, African Americans, Hispanics and those with poorly educated parents report lower levels of knowledge than men or Asian Americans.
"Since such skills are not randomly distributed among the population, certain content providers and content users stand a better chance of benefiting from the medium than others," said Hargittai.
Li agreed, citing Forrester research on the range of behavior on the Web, which is sometimes based on skill and demographics and other times linked more to a user's stage of life. So-called Alpha Moms "are comfortable with technology, interested in parenting and have above-average incomes," said Li, "but they have no time. So if you're trying to reach them, you don't give them blogs. You give them communities of their peers with opportunities for feedback."
To help companies target their Internet strategies, Li and Bernoff have organized Forrester research into a "social technology ladder," which classifies consumers based on their participation in various types of social networking. At the lowest rung of the ladder are the "inactives," some 44% of all U.S. American adults who were online in 2007. Higher up are the "joiners," the 25% who visit social networking sites like MySpace; collectors, an elite 15% who collect and aggregate information; and critics, those who post ratings and reviews as well as contribute to blogs and forums. Only 18% of all online Americans actually create content, publishing an article or a blog at least once a month, maintaining a Web page or uploading content to sites like YouTube.
The power of such a classification lies in giving organizations a clear understanding of how consumers are behaving online, said Li. "Any successful strategy to tap into the groundswell has to begin with assessing customers' social activities. Then you can decide what you want to accomplish, plan for how your relationship with your customers will change, and, finally, decide what social technology to use."
Li is currently investigating why people move up and down this ladder of social technologies, and what are the levers companies can use to encourage consumers to act. It is critical for organizations to hone their understanding of groundswell activities, said Li, because "in five to 10 years, social networks will be everywhere."
The New Black
Google's (nasdaq: GOOG - news - people ) Joe Kraus agrees. Speaking at the Supernova conference, the director of product management for the search giant acknowledged that social networking is the latest fashion--"the new black," as he called it. "But people have been endlessly fascinated by one another for a very long time. Social networking is not new; we just have new ways to do it."
That is not to diminish the power of social computing. In fact, Kraus already sees it as the force behind three major trends in the way people use the Internet.
First, "the process of information discovery is changing from a solitary activity to a communal activity," said Kraus, citing as an example his own recent behavior in choosing an anniversary gift for his wife. He searched and found that candy is traditional for a sixth anniversary, then set up a message on his Gmail account, saying he needed ideas for a candy-based gift.
A friend e-mailed to tell him of an extraordinary baker who constructs specialty cakes and, thanks to her suggestion, his sixth anniversary gift became an elaborate cake in the shape of a colorful purse. So, said Kraus, he went from solitary information discovery to social information discovery--and a much better result than he could have achieved on his own.
Second, he said, how we exchange information is changing, from sharing information actively (e-mailing photos to friends) to sharing it passively (uploading those photos to Facebook and emailing notification to friends). "What's happening is that we're separating access from notification," said Kraus. This leads to more sharing because people don't worry as much about interrupting others with e-mails, calling attention to themselves and appearing too self-important.
Third, and most important, Kraus sees the Web eventually becoming entirely social. "Today, social computing is something you do at a specific site," said Kraus. "But we're realizing that being social is not a site. It's a concept." We won't get to that entirely social web, he added, until we find ways to allow users to do three things: establish a single identity to log on to many sites; share private resources such as photos or contact lists without handing out private credentials (such as an e-mail account password); and distribute information across multiple social applications.Google Friend Connect, a service that enables Web sites to easily provide social features for its visitors, incorporates three standards that respectively address each of those problems: Open ID, OAuth and OpenSocial. A preview version of the service was released in May.Kraus sees Google Friend Connect as a path to the open Web he predicts will arrive sooner than we imagine. "Already you can browse a site like the New York Times or Amazon, then write comments and reviews. Why shouldn't I be able to go to the Ticketmaster site and see where my friend is sitting at a concert I want to attend, providing he wants to expose the information?" What all organizations need to prepare for, said Kraus, is a completely social Web, where "your users will simply expect to be part of the conversation."

The future of Sociall Networks

What will social networking be like in ten years? Who knows, but we won’t be having panels about it. At the AlwaysOn Stanford Summit 07, there was such a panel, titled “Social Networking 3.0,” led by Charlene Li, a senior analyst Forrester Research.
The panelists (below) included representatives from some of the more prominent social networks: Travis Katz, senior vice president and general manager of MySpace International; Dustin Moskovitz, co-founder of Facebook; Rich Rosenblatt, CEO of Demand Media and former MySpace executive; Gina Bianchini, CEO of Ning; and Karl Jacob, CEO of Wallop.

Jacob dealt with the ten year question: “If we are here in ten years talking about profiles, web sites or social networks, something is really wrong. Social networks will be woven into every product and thing we touch,” he said.
One of the big questions is whether social network would be more open, especially in terms of allowing profiles to be shared among users of different social networks.
“We are pushing boundaries of what closed and open mean. It’s very necessary for people to take identities with them and supplement with content from elsewhere,” Facebook’s Moskovitz said. At this point Facebook users cannot export their social graph or profile to another service–nor do any of their competitors with large populations offer an API for sharing the data.
Facebook’s definition of open is allow external developers to tap into the social graph so that users can maintain their identity and graph of friends across apps build on the Facebook platform.
MySpace’s Katz waffled on the question. “I’m not sure if it will happen or not. It’s fairly complicated and there are privacy issues, but interesting concept,” he said.
Rosenblatt said the Demand Media is developing a portable profile for its users that allows them to have a single log-on and to pick and choose what to expose on different social nets.
Bianchini’s service allows users to create their own social networks. “In ten years we’ll see millions of social networks for every niche, need, language, location and passion,” she said. “I disagree that people want a single profile–they want to have identities for different social networks.”
That may be true, but users will want to manage their identities in a unified manner and to have the kind of openness that would allow them to map friends list across different services.
The application of social networks like MySpace and Facebook in a business context has been an issue of late. Many corporations are turning off access to social networks as productivity wasters.
Katz cited one to many communication and sharing files as tools that can be interesting for businesses, with a caveat: “I shudder to think how addicting and how much time is spent on social networking. I can imagine it going terribly wrong,” he said.
The panelists put targeted ads at the top of the list for how they will make money. Moskovitz noted how businesses that integrate with social networks, such as Netflix, could surface better recommendations from the social graph and generate more revenue.
A question was asked about the MySpace, Facebook and a few others owning the social networking space in the long term. “The lesson from the Internet is that it’s never game over,” Katz said. Indeed, looking back over the last decade you can see the leapfrogging that went on in the search arena.

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Buy my Facebook Account?

Imagine the millions of people whom use social networking sites on a daily basis, maybe even by the second. What if these people were forced into buying a years subscription to their networking site? Can or will it happen? People have become so use to using the free sites and all of their applications, that tomorrow, the executives of these sites may vote on charging their users. Some people have become so dependent on these sites as a mean of communication, that I believe they would buy subscriptions. All of this "I'm always on Facebook" or "I LIVE on Facebook" may be and ending result for some people. They will likely pay the fee just so they can access their accounts. Who's to say it will not happen? Time will tell!

What's Next?

"Are we at the end of innovation of social networking? And is social networking the last innovation of the internet?" asks people around the world whom are users to social networking sites. Experts are stating that over the next decade, the online form of communication with change once again. Something with the use of video and social networking combined to online forums and an advanced way to make comments and have conversation will change the way people perceive online networking.

Facebook Monopolization?

Facebook is used by companies to connect with their consumers all around the world. Everywhere we look, whether it is online or the billboard we pass everyday on our way to school, we see "Connect with us on Facebook!". Even Bucks County Community College is sending out ads about Book-buy Backs and are stating "Your Friends Like This!" in reference to the Facebook Thumb. This is becoming a controlling factor in the world, and in the future, Facebook will be solely involoved in every corporation in the World, which can result in a monopolization of marketing in every aspect.

Stocktwits!

As we have seen, Facebook and Twitter have revolutionized the use of online intereaction and social relativism . The business world is using social networking to intereact among colleagues and supervisors through the use of LinkedIn accounts. In the future, this may go one step further to the business world. "Stocktwits". As people have twittered in the past about current stock prices and we have all seen the ticker for stocks running across the bottom of our screen. Imagine subscribing to a specific company's Twitter accound and keeping up-to-date with their stocks? It is only a matter of months before this will be possible. On your phone and computer, the business world will connect with average, everyday people whom choose to invest in the stock market, by keeping you updated every second.

"Students, please read your assignments on Facebook tonight."

Facebook has become so very popular over the years. It is not hard to believe that in the future, teachers and students will interact and learn through the use of Facebook. Imagine learning new ideas, conceps, and subjects through the use of Facebook? This does not sound too far fetched. The conjunction of social life and education may unite and together revolutionize the way students learn.

Future: Just Like Star Wars?

No one knows for sure how the future plays out entirely. We can only predict it. As Yoda always says, "Clouded the future is," and things like that. Will the future be like Star Wars? I'd think that would be pretty cool. We might have flying cars, and hyperspace travel will be possible. It all seems so cool, but if we were there, then it would just be every day life. In Star Wars, they have some pretty high tech communication, like talking across entire galaxies or using holograms when communicating. There are so many things that they do that we are edging closer to making possible. Just because it's Sci-Fi doesn't mean it isn't based off of our real lives. Of course, none of the Jedi in Star Wars are checking their Tweets or Facebook status, talking smack online about the Sith, or posting pictures on their walls. But just because they don't think it's important, doesn't mean we won't. Maybe we'll use Facebook as a way to communicate with other aliens from different planets. They might have a system like Facebook setup and maybe use computer language like 1's and 0's. Instead of going to war against another alien race, we just might work together peacefully, and all because we have Facebook or Twitter.

It all seems so crazy, I know, but it's fun to think about. Since the future is so "clouded" as Yoda would say, then I'm not wrong for saying any of this. It just means I'm very creative about what we might be doing. That's all. As always, only time will tell.

Future: A World Without Internet

This was a really creative video where it shows a world without the Internet. It's so funny. A guy comes by to the house of these two friends and he is the Facebook man. The guys that live in the house give the Facebook man pictures, and he shares you pictures back of your friends. Then the guy gives out bricks, which of course go towards building your wall. And he also got a bouquet tossed at him.

When at the park, one of the guys friends throws a rock at him with a note on it saying "Watsup." It was like a text message. The guy tries to sell them stuff, and then 'anti piracy police' come after him and chase him down. The point is, stuff that seems weird to do in real life are completely normal online. So, would we survive without the internet? As for the future, no, we can't. And as long as we have internet connectivity, we'll have sites like Facebook.

Future: Social Networks

This is a very detailed article about what our near future will be on social networks. The author likens social networks to air, that we can't live without it and it will be everywhere and easy to access. What we will be looking for is an ubiquitous social network. It will take around five years to bring it around, and the four components of social networks now is profiles, relationships, activities, and business models. But the future will be universal identities, single social graph, social context for activities, and social influence defining marketing value.

Universal Identities: There won't be tons of profiles that have to be maintained over many sites, but it will be easy to maintain them all like OpenID has done. It is a federated approach, where each person will have an ID that will connect them to all of their sites.

Single social graph: It basically helps you keep track of everyone you communicate with and how close you are to them. So if you only phone a certain person or just email, then you can make that happen. The graph explains this pretty well.

Social context for activities: Social networks will be integrated into everything that you do. So when you want to do shopping, you can do that on Facebook, and such and so on. Right now we can only scratch the surface of how much can be done on social networks.

Business model where social influences defines marketing value: Right now advertisers don't do a great job on social networks. What they need to do is reach the people that have a lot of influence and get them endorsed to advertise, or just get them on board. This is done in real life with public relations reaching out to key influencers. But if they can do that online, which they will in the near future, they will be doing a much better job.

http://forrester.typepad.com/groundswell/2008/03/the-future-of-s.html

Future: Leaving Facebook?

This was a neat article this fella wrote. He likes Facebook, but his point was, if you don't like it, then don't do it. He tried deactivating his account just to see what would happen. He brings out how it shows you pictures of people you would supposedly miss, and also demands a reason for why you were leaving their site. I know what that's like myself because I left Facebook. They don't seem to take it too well, like it's a relationship that went sour and the other person demands to know what went wrong. "It's me, not you," that's what you'd say, but when it comes to Facebook, I'd say, "It's you, not me." I have no heart or soul for them.

I like what he said at the end of the article a lot:

"Is there some point at which not belonging to Facebook will be the equivalent of not acquiring a driver's license or other form of government-issued ID, refusing to keep one's money in a bank, or choosing not to have a telephone number--an extreme form of protest against societal norms that amounts to what my mom would describe as cutting off your nose to spite your face?"

So, will Facebook ever be that big? Who knows.

Read more: http://techland.time.com/2010/10/12/when-does-life-without-facebook-become-unsustainable/#ixzz1I5m6BJ00

Future: Social Disability

I saw a news report on TV about how online social networking sites are making it harder for teens who don’t have friends. They might already not have friends in real life, but they only get fake, or superficial friends online. Not that people you meet online can be bad or not real, but when it comes to real life scenarios, these teens will find it harder to know what it takes to make friends since they are online trying to make friends. The psychiatrist interviewed had said that he would never take back the time he had spent as a teen doing things with his friends in person. That is what having a real good time means, not being online. The online social networking sites are essentially making it harder for people to socialize outside of their house.

I see this as being our future with these online sites. It's a major problem, but fortunately people are getting the idea now and are trying to do something about it. The unfortunate though is that we might already have at least one generation lost.

Sports fans

Well hello sports fans do you remember when you were a kid and there you were with your dad and your sole purpose for being there was to enjoy the game and root for your favorite team. Well today we do that to a certain extent, because now we ask ourselves where will be sitting or what kind of food do they have there. The fun of a sport had changed so much over the last few decades where we become more consumed over if a fight broke out or if we have a fun time and completely ignore the fact of who wins the game. Overall isn't who wins the most important part, one would think but that's not always the case. Me personally, my main reason for going to any sporting event is to see my team win not wait for the next blood bath to begin.

Life before computers

Life before computers must of been a drag because in order to find out about what was happening in the world we had to go out and explore our surroundings for information. In today's times we can just go and the internet and just look it up on google and find anything we ever wanted to know in seconds, whereas back twenty years ago it could take hours but you always found out the minimal details the first time. Also if we wanted to go communicate with someone we didn't have Facebook or twitter to send messages in an instant so we had to talk to them face to face, which was really good because we get so many text confused because you can't feel the emotion behind what someone is saying.

Your words are dangerous... tread carefully!

I think for the first time in our generation people are realizing the power of words.  For the longest time the effect that written word can have on someone was lost.  This goes both ways, either for the good or the bad.  We post comments and statuses as if they are harmless little witty comments, but in reality the words we use and say are effecting people in ways we have never seen.  In the past few years an overwhelming amount of suicides and depression cases have increased.  People have begun to use social networks as a way to put people on blast, and talk about them, sometimes not realizing the overwhelming effects of the words we use.  All of us are guilty at some point in our life for saying something that hurt someone else, not knowing what effects they may have.  Now with the power of social networks people are using it to attack others they have differences with.  Bullying is no longer a verbal or physical attack, it is now an internet attack as well.  The effects of bullying have always been dreadful, but with the rapid spread of information across social networks these bullies can attack their victims and let everyone who is reading it see what they are saying.  This has lead to the kids being attacked to feel even more disconnected from the world they are supposed to feel safe and free in.  Being that these words are expressed across the internet their is very little that can be done to prevent it from happening.  Social networks such as Facebook and Myspace can not possibly monitor ever post that is posted.  Even more so, it would be next to impossible to stop these people from spreading their hate messages across these websites.  The only thing we as the readers can do is try not read what is being posted, but that is easier said than done.  The scary reality of it is that we don't ignore this content, we thrive for it, we yearn for it.  Instead of ignoring it or trying to stop the hate, we "like" because I think most of us truly do not understand the effects of the words being posted.  My challenge to myself and the rest of you reading is this:
---Next time you hear about or read a post that is targeting someone individually or a group of people, don't ignore it, don't "like" it, read it and think about what if that was you being targeted, what if that was your child.  Report these posts, or write back and educate the poster that these types of attacks are far worse than they realize.  If everyone takes a stand against internet bullying, then it will fade away.  Bullies thrive off of reaction, they fade away when they realize no one is listening or reacting anymore. 
---Don't let this message die here! spread the word across your social network... pass this message along... hopefully one day these kinds of attacks will end. 
---For the sake of sounding like a cliche TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! it takes a stronger person to stop bullying than it does to be the one bullying!
THANK YOU!

Stay Connected!

How has connections between people changed over the past few years? People today communicate more through facebook than any other interent sites. People are flocking this and similar internet sites for planning and connecting their social lives. The change over the years is beginning to change how people perceive one another. As people are writing away online, their friends may take their words different then what was meant. This connection will result in problems between people over time causing serious issues.

Advertise Here!

Promotion with the use of online networking sites has become increasingly popular for businesses. With the millions of users whom use social netwoking sites, businesses see this as good advertising. As someone logs on to their userface, a blurb appears on the right with a tiny picture and a few words. This catches the eyes of users in their home and at work everytime they use their networking site. Facebook, Mysapce, Tagged, and other sites are changing the way businesses market to their consumers.

Facebook Song

This is a hilarious song about Facebook. It's sad but true that people would probably just die if they didn't have their online social networking sites. The guy even jokes about if Facebook crashed he'd go out on the streets with a picture in one hand and a profile on paper on the other so people can learn about him. This is because he forgot how to communicate in real life.

I just thought it'd be cool to post it. Watch the video, it's pretty funny. It summarizes in one song how the world has been taken by storm by the world of social networks. I'm afraid communication will continue to decline into the future. We're always stuck behind screens, cell phones, games, you name it. I'm not sure people have even seen the sun in years. They should try it every now and then. The world is a beautiful place, and don't forget it.

Internet Predators

This article was about sexual predators on MySpace. It's not just them, but any social networking site. Though the sites aren't bad in themselves, the people that use them can be very bad. It's scary what people reveal on their pages on Facebook, Myspace, etc. It's dangerous to give out information that is personal on these sites. And putting provocative pictures on these sites is also just inviting sexual predators. This is especially true for girls, but for boys as well. Personal information is very dangerous to put out. You wouldn't just give out your social security, but using your social network page to put "less" dangerous information out there is practically just as bad.

People need to learn what they can and can't do on these pages. It's a very scary and dangerous world out there, and sexual predators are hard to catch online. Educating individuals on what they put online is the key to helping protect us. And parents need to take control of what their kids are doing on the computer as the video brought out. It's not about invading space at that point, it's about protecting your family.

So, play safe.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11064451/ns/dateline_nbc/

Money Bags

This is an interesting article that can be found in the New York Times. In July of 2010 Facebook reached 500 million users. That's super crazy. They have far surpassed other companies like MySpace and are rolling over companies like Yahoo. Facebook could become one of the biggest internet websites. They are even willing to take on Google. This isn't so far-fetched seeing how Facebook got its start and has been advantageous as heck all along the way.

Facebook got 500 million from Goldman Sachs in January of 2011. Obviously investors see Facebook as a company going places and worthy of such large amounts of loans. Zuckerberg, the owner of Facebook, even declined 1 billion from Yahoo to keep the company close, and so far has not put up stocks. But in 2012 Facebook will be reporting its financial results. The article said, "The company, based in Palo Alto, Calif., earned $355 million on $1.2 billion in revenue during the first nine months of 2010, according to a document prepared by Goldman for potential investors. That is up from $220 million in earnings on $770 million in sales in 2009."

I might not like Facebook all that much, but I'll give them props with figures like that.

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/facebook_inc/index.html

It's useful sometimes

From personal experience, I can say that I've used Facebook. I know I give them a lot of crap, but I can say I've been there and back. I hate it otherwise, and I don't use it anymore, but I had a good reason for using it. I have a friend that lives in Australia. We, as you can imagine, don't get to see each other ever! So being able to talk on Facebook, share pictures and see what's going on has been useful. Otherwise, I'd just call my friends and hang with them. Doing that would be more fun then talking to them on Facebook. I like actually doing things. And as for my friend in Australia, we just keep in touch through email. I didn't feel like wasting too much time on Facebook. I know I can be more productive in other ways.

So, no matter how much crap I give it, I can give Social Networks a little bit of slack. They're only like 99 percent bad, but that one percent can be useful, but in moderation. Anything that is done to the extreme is bad. Moderation is key, and it's good to get away from the computer every now and then. You know, stretch the legs, stretch the brain, stretch our lives! That's what I'm talking about.

Facebook Addiction!

Crack is addicting, so is alcohol, even money, but now Social Networks? It's true. This woman in this article has an issue with it, big time. Her daughter can't even get the attention she needs because her mom has some serious issues. That is what Social Networks can do to you. It's no laughing matter. This woman in particular spends at least 20 hours a week on Facebook.

Now, not saying it is bad for everyone, but it has been noted by professionals that addiction to the computer, and social networks is definitely a concern. It's no joke. We need to be careful of how much time we spend on these sites and how much time we spend with our real lives and families. Families and friends mean so much more, so we should spend time enjoying them.

http://articles.cnn.com/2009-04-23/health/ep.facebook.addict_1_facebook-page-facebook-world-social-networking?_s=PM:HEALTH

Today is a New Day

We have discussed the past... now let us talk about today!

Social networking has expanded far beyond the capabilities most ever thought it would.  We are communicating with people in other countries with no translators.  You can read news from all over the world, all at the tip of your fingers, or have coffee with a friend who is studying abroad via Skype (or one of the other many VOIP/Cam to Cam services).  Soldiers deployed over seas can read a bedtime story to their children or give a kiss goodnight to the spouse.  The possibilities of social networks are endless.  Everyday more and more uses for social networking are revealed... today we use it for connecting family and friends... tomorrow well that is for a whole other blog.

Are you Linked In?

Friendster ---> Myspace ---> Facebook ---> Twitter ---> LINKEDIN!

Social networks evolve everyday.  At first they started as ways for friends to re-associate with old long lost friends, families to keep in touch, and to just see what was going on in other peoples lives.  But once again they have evolved.  From my previous post some of you may be under the impression that I dislike the way social networks have encapsulated our lives, but that was until I discovered LinkedIn.com.  It is a social network for business professionals to connect with others in their field.  It is a place to post your online resume, and to network yourself to other professionals.  It provides a place where you do not have to be concerned with the stuff other people say and do (like on facebook), you can be free to browse for colleagues, friends, or people you have not met that share the same passions for your fields of interest as you do.  I urge everyone to take a few moments and browse around LinkedIn, I am sure you will see that upsides of it just as I have.

http://www.linkedin.com

Overpricing Social Sites

Money! Money! Money! It is truely amazing how technology has changed the present forms of social networking. The more interesting fact is how sites whichg are "FREE" are now worth billions of dollars. If a service which is offered free can become worth a significant amount of money, what can we say about everything else in life which is "FREE?

Hello Facebook, Goodbye Myspace

Myspace was once viewed as the ultimate social networking site. Account holders enjoyed access to creating backgrounds, posting pictures, and freind requesting one another. During this era, Facebook was deemed the "college" networking site. Facebook opened their site to ALL users and once this happened, Myspace became a think of the past. Today, Facebook has billions of users while Myspace attempts to hold on by promoting music in replace of social networking. It is truely amazing how these internet sites will convert users. If Facebook conquered Myspace, will another site eventually overtake Facebook?

A Thing of The Past?

This video is obviously a comical view on social networking sites. However, the past years have changed how we, as a people, communicate to one another. A time existed when new networking sites had been developed, yet people still communicated through everyday experiences with one another. Only since the late 1990s and early 2000s has the concept of what we refer to as "social networking" changed significantly.

Pioneers Go West!

When we think about social networking, we may think about twittering, wall posting, or texting someone to know what they are doing at that very moment. How about the days of traveling West in American history? If someone needed help with their cattle or became ill, they could not type to someone and get help right away. For the help of another person or to receive medical help, the pioneers were forced to "suck it up" and to battle their issues as best as possible. Their social networking remained limited as well. They would only associate with people in their wagon parties. However, when they would reach a landmark or fort, they could associate outside their normal community. I wonder what they would have written on their facebook if it existed in 1843. "This heat is killing me, and my brother died today. Pa said we have to continue right away because our food is about gone."

Second Life Bar Scene

Second life bars with all the fun of drinking with the feeling of a hangover. You may be thinking how is this possible, well let me tell you. Basically second life is a virtual world where you can completely change your identity such as sex, race, or background, or you can make yourself taller, skinnier, and even a basketball. in this world there is no limit to what you can be. let your mind explore not only with your physical features but also there is no limitations on where you can travel. For instance you can be visiting venice italy one second and be visiting niagra falls the next. So there is a cornicopia of places to explore, people to meet, and situations dar beyond that of which the human mind can percieve to be real.

STOP! DO NOT SPEAK THE TRUTH!

During WWII, people were under the impression that they were being watched by foreign nations. The U.S. Armed Forces posted this propaganda as a form of "protecting" people from leaking information to distant countries.

The propaganda advertised by the government was a way of keeping people quiet. We can view this as going against the ideas of social networking. If speaking the truth about government issues and plans of attack are frowned upon, people may be less likely to be social with each other. You may speak of whatever you wish, just do not speak about the world or anything related to our country!

My Culture and Your Culture

There was a time many people remained distant in their own communities and only associated with people they knew. Men and women of their own cultures may only associate with others in the same culture. People went generations without speaking to anyone outside their cultures. During the days of Immigration to the United States, the only form of contact with outsiders walking down Main Street. People of their own "kind" would live together in the same neighborhood. Socializing beyond your own religion and ethnic background was nearly prohibited and frowned upon by members of your community.

Social.Networking@Ancient Greece.com

Greeks in Ancient Greek over more than 2,500years ago built their temples to face the sun. This form of architecture is acknowledged to be Greece's earliest form of social networking. The Greeks performed their sacrifices early in the morning, which brought together a significant audience. The audience would worship and praise with one another which made this Greece's earliest social networking. The ancient Greeks would meet in their temples, near Sicily, and sacrifice oxen and goats. They would burn the animals skin and bones. Their belief was the smoke would reach the heavens of the god for whom they worshiped.

Imagine what Buddha would do...?

We have discussed several things here... We have thought about why and what drives the need for social networks.  This is revolving topic that can discussed until it drives you nut (which we fully intend to do!).  So lets take a different approach, outside of why and what, lets think about where the world would be if we had social networks 20,000 years ago. 

Back when the Buddha was the big man on campus there was no computers to document his life.  Imagine if he had the resources we had today... HOLY COW Buddha would have been blogging and tweeting everyone to death.  Spreading his word faster and further than ever expected.  Think about what the world would be like today if the technology we have available now, was available then.  Things would be exponentially different; Christianity would most likely not be the largest religion, the Roman Empire may never have fallen, and the atrocities of the Holocaust may never have happen.   These are far fetched ideas, but think about what technology has done for us today, we know everything happening almost as it is happening.  One can not help but to think that if "tweeting" was available in the 1930's the Holocaust may never have happen to the extent it had.  People would have been able to let the world know what was going on so it could be stopped.

So here it is, the question of the semester... What or Who do you think would be changed, and how from the ability to use technology of today?  I look forward to seeing where everyone takes this... be creative and adventurous in your thinking.  You can not be wrong!

How About Another Round Aye?

What was the first chat room? No one documented when the first one was invented because it's always been a part of culture. How's that you might ask? Well, a chat room is basically a bunch of people getting together, having a few drinks, and talking. You didn't need a computer or Facebook to do that. Anyone who associates with others is chatting, and while you're at it, give 'em some good food and get 'em liquored up. It's much more social and enjoyable then sitting by yourself, burning a hole in your brain in front of the computer like I am doing right now typing this darn thing.

So, here's to getting outside, getting some fresh air, and throwing the computers away. Here are some pictures of "real" chat rooms, not the fake crap we get from the computer, even if we think we're so cool talking on the computer and updating our wall. That's just a bunch of bull crap, doesn't anyone have anything better to do? I wish I did, but I'm currently talking to you Blogger viewers.

Anyway, enjoy the pictures.

What Were They Smoking in 1984?

Whatever it was, it must have smelled like the future. This video is a big deal. It showed the change in computers, and the new age they were taking on. Now, this video doesn't show much about computers as a whole, well, quite frankly it says nothing about computers besides the fact that 1984 won't be like 1984 when January 24th comes up. But if you've never seen this commercial, then you have to watch it. It's an integral part of computer history.

It's obvious to say that without computers, there wouldn't be Social Networking. It's a no brainer, and goes without saying. But it was steps like the one taken in the commercial by Mac that would lead to the computers we know today, and eventually the Internet, and eventually Facebook or Twitter or whatever else you use. Now, Windows 95 might seem ancient and not very practical, so you might wonder what the heck could they have had in 1984 that was any bit useful? Well, quite frankly it wasn't much, but baby steps are all that count sometimes.

It costs $433.66 to make a call to California

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e601moNCA7Q

In 1876, Alexander Bell brought about the first telephone. Before you knew it, telephone lines were popping up everywhere. Phones went from New York to Chicago, and everywhere in between. Out West lines were put up in San Fransisco and up and down the coast. In 1915, just like the transcontinental railroad had met up in the past to connect East and West America, telephone lines connected in Utah to do the same. What was the price for calling from one coast to the other? $20.70! And that was in 1915. That would be the equivalent of $433.66 in 2009. (http://www.westegg.com/inflation/) That's crazy money. Can you imagine spending that today? As can be seen from the video, working all the way up to 1970, the price cost only .70 cents.

It's a really neat video to watch and see the commercial from 1970 advertising how cheap it is to make a call. That was for weekends too. Nowadays you can get free weekends with your cell phone. Things sure have changed. And if you pay for online service, then it costs you nothing extra to talk to people around the world using Social Networking sites. It's a beautiful thing. I have a friend I met while on vacation and I keep in touch with her. She lives in Australia. It's daunting when you think about it. Neat stuff!

What's a Morse?

It's actually text messaging that started in 1836. Yeah, that's right, if you think your phone is so fancy then you must not have ever seen the coolest texting machine ever. It's Morse Code, and it involved pushing a clicker over and making an electrical connection. Based on holding it or doing short connections, you made words in sequences. The name for Morse Code was derived from one of the creators, an artist named Samuel Morse. It comes from a series of on and off tones which; in effect, is "dots" and "dashes" on a piece of paper. Electrical current was sent through lines, some of the first ways to communicate long distances, and what you got was.... just dots and dashes! Nothing too fancy, but it did the trick. As the picture shows, these dots and dashes when put together in sequences with breaks in between, would make letters. Sure, hitting the A button on your phone is easier then dot dash, or O then dash dash dash, but for something over a hundred years older then texting, you can't complain.

So, what does this have to do with Social Networking? Everything actually. This is a form of communication before Facebook popped up, and when you go on Facebook and talk to friends, you text them through a command on the bottom right of the screen. If you can't see the connection then you need a new pair of glasses, because Morse Code and chatting on Facebook are practically one in the same.

Once upon a time we actually talked...

Does anyone remember when talking face to face was the most popular way of communication.  For most who will read this, the idea of talking to someone with out a phone or computer seperating them is unimaginable.  It is hard for most of us to imagine what it would be like if we couldnt tell what are friends were doing without checking their "Facebook" or "Twitter" accounts.  It wasnt to long ago that you actually had to get on a bicycle, walk, get a ride, or take a bus to your friends house just to see what they were doing.  I am only 26, but I remember these days.  I remember a time when hanging with friends consisted of going to a park, sitting on a swing set and talking.  No computers, cell phones, PDA's, or anything like that. 

So I pose this question... Think about what it was like before "Social Networks" and share with us your memories of what it was like before you could text/status update/tweet.  How has this revolution changed your life socially?