Monday, July 26, 2010

The Social Network: What’s Not to ‘Like?’

Facebook is moving from your computer screen to the Big Screen. Set to release in October 2010, The Social Network centers on the creation of the social media networking giant and the person (or people) behind it.

 

On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history… but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications. – IMDB.com

social_network_film_poster

 

While the film probably won’t have the cinematic impact of Citizen Kane, it has the potential to be a big eye-opener for Facebook users. With all of the concerns over privacy and current legal issues facing the company, this film might only help to fuel the anti-site fire that has been building.

 

May 31 of this year was the first official Quit Facebook Day, with more than 37,000 people committing to deleting their profiles from the site on that day – only a matchstick of a flame in the grand scheme of Facebook numbers, but a flame nonetheless.

 

At the very least, the casting looks pretty interesting.

 

Will you see the film? Will it impact the way you use Facebook or your opinion of the social networking site?

 

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Friday, July 16, 2010

Is There an App for That?

The term “app” has so far been pretty synonymous with Apple’s mobile devices. However, Google is hoping to change that association with a new do-it-yourself app builder specifically made for the Android.

 

app

 

The “App Inventor” is so simple builders don’t even need to speak code to create what they want.

 

“Using an online interface, would-be developers visually design the app’s interface and interactions, using drag-and-drop blocks that specify what the app should look like and how it should behave” – ReadWriteWeb.com

 

While app building tools are not a new concept, Google’s approach to them is. By giving the power to create to the everyday user, Google gives anyone with a great idea the same app-creating power as programmers.

 

Although the approach is liberating and opens the door for more app concepts, you can’t help but wonder if this will create a collection of half-apped ideas. Just because the ingredients and recipe are in front of you, it doesn’t mean you’re a chef.

 

What’s your vote? Google’s open app building platform or Apple’s more controlled approach?

 

Think you have an awesome idea for an Android app? You can start here.

 

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Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Facebook Made Easier with Free Guide

In the world of non-profits, free can be good. John Haydon, founder of Inbound Zombie, a social media strategy firm, has written a free e-book to help guide small non-profit organizations through the Facebook jungle – The Complete Facebook Guide for Small Non-Profits.

 

fbguide

 

Filled with practical step-by-step explanations, case studies, and video tutorials, the 104-page e-book is “a comprehensive ‘brain-dump’ of strategies and tactics … to help small nonprofits get more out of using Facebook.” It tackles the tough Facebook questions most often asked by non-profit board members, staff and volunteers:

  • Do we need a Facebook Page or a Facebook Group?
  • How do we measure engagement with Facebook Insights?
  • How do we put a Facebook Page Fanbox on our non-profit’s website – and how can we customize it?
  • How can we get our Facebook likers to donate?
  • What the heck are “Community pages”?  

The only catch? In order to download your free copy, you must visit the InboundZombie Facebook Page and hit the “Like” button to reveal the download link. Which, really isn’t a catch at all – it’s just smart marketing and a good lesson about how to increase social media engagement for any size organization.

 

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Thursday, March 4, 2010

Google Adds Facebook Pages to Real-time Search

Want the absolute most up-to-date information on any hot or trending topic? Just Google it. Google’s new real-time search feature means you get more than the latest news, images and web content – you access conversations.

The real-time search function launched December 2009, and originally included Twitter, blogs, news, Web sites, Yahoo Answers and MySpace. Google added Facebook fan pages weeks later.

The stream doesn’t currently include public Facebook profiles, which limits the feedback from individual users. However, companies can keep a finger on the real-time pulse of what followers of fan pages are saying about them – the good, the bad and the ugly.

While having what people are saying about you take a front-and-center spot in the world’s most popular search engine might seem scary, being able to monitor and participate in those conversations so efficiently should be an exciting new possibility for marketers. More importantly, including Facebook fan pages in results will help publicize the pages to new potential fans.

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Monday, July 13, 2009

A Twibe of One

logoSo, what do you like to do in those few hours a week you’re not at work? Garden? Bake bread? Tie-dye your own shirts? Follow Phish? (I think those two might be related.)

No matter what you enjoy, there’s probably a Twibe for you. I suppose groups of like-minded Twitters getting together was inevitable…of course, this is another client that begs the question, when is Twitter going to get its act together and enable more functionality?

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