Twitter: From Text-Only to Multi-(Tweet)-Media?
Social media and technology website Mashable recently discovered a potential new feature for Twitter, the popular micro-blogging service. In an article entitled Twitter to Show Photos and Videos in the Stream, Mashable writer Ben Parr described a new option that he had stumbled across in his Twitter settings, tentatively called Tweet Media. In a screenshot from the article, the new setting had the following description:
“By default, you’ll only see images and videos shared by people you’re following, and reveal those by people you’re not. Check this box to see media from everyone on Twitter.”
Parr speculated that this potential new feature could signify a fundamental change in the Twitter experience for users. He later updated his article twice: initially to report that the new setting had been removed and then to include a statement from an anonymous source at Twitter, who stated:
“We’re constantly exploring features and settings. What you saw was a small test of a potential consumption setting for inline media. We show inline media on our own iPhone and Android apps.”
Tweetie creator hints at the next, great Twitter client
Though four months is the equivalent of four years in tech circles, you may recall that, in April of this year, Loren Brichter, the man behind Tweetie and Tweetie 2 for iPhone, sold his small, social media pie to become part of the big, social media pie known as Twitter. While opinions were divided on the fairness, morality, etc. of the acquisition, the free Twitter for iPhone client (which was pretty much a rebranded Tweetie 2) which was released nearly a month later, in May of this year, seemed to silence the critics. Why? The previously pay-for-download app ($1.99) dropped down to $0.
Right around the time of the Tweetie 2 acquisition, Twitter also officially released its Twitter for BlackBerry client. Though not quite as functional as its iPhone counterpart, the BlackBerry version has provided a polished Twitter client in a sea of not so great BlackBerry options. So, nearly four months later, is Twitter resting on its laurels and enjoying summer vacation? If comments tweeted by Brichter are any indication, it would appear that something new is forthcoming.
Web Presence: What’s in a Name?
In a previous post on personal branding, I wrote about the importance of managing your web presence. One of the most obvious ways to do this is to take ownership of the information that people may find when they search for your name on the Internet. However, this is easier said than done. If you have a common name, like John Smith, then you know that searching for your name will likely turn up more information for other people than it will for you. Even if you have an uncommon name, like–say–Dieter Schweiss, you can find information that may surprise you.
2010 FIFA World Cup: Where to watch (and read about) the action
Every four years, rabid soccer fans from around the world unite to cheer on their respective favorites in their quest to be crowned champion of the world. Even average Americans, who generally have no interest in soccer, cannot help but be swept up in the fever of what can only be described as an emotion-filled, action-packed event. We speak, of course, of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
In past years, fans were relegated to watching tape delayed games and seeing only a fraction of the games played. With the rapid expansion of mobile and streaming technology, as well as the wonder of the smartphone app, fans now have more options than ever before to catch the action. From live streaming action to Twitter updates, the opportunities abound. For both the diehard and recreational fans, we’ve put together a list of where to watch, review the stats, and simply stay in tune to the world’s most popular sport.
Yahoo! following the Opt-Out trend with “Updates” expansion
Last week, Yahoo! announced it will begin expanding its Facebook-like news feed it calls Updates. Updates allow you to share information about your activities such as comments and ratings you leave on Yahoo!-based sites; Flickr and Picasa public photos; blog posts on Blogger, Tumbler and the like; music preferences on Pandora and Last.fm; YouTube activities; tweets from your Twitter account; Yelp reviews; and information from a handful of other sites like Goodreads.
“You Both Follow” – Coming soon to a Twitter timeline near you?
Twitter is under way testing a new feature it calls “You Both Follow”. One of the site’s engineers, Nick Kallen, tweeted recently that the feature has been rolled out to 10% of users.
Presumably, the feature will work much like Facebook’s “Mutual Friends” where you can see the people you have in common with any other Tweeters. As the name suggests, it matches who you’re both following, not who is following you.
What the "You Both Follow" feature might look like.
Facebook announces plan to rescue your privacy, avert the Facepocalypse
In an event held at the company’s New York headquarters today, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced plans to fix what the now infamous Facebook Social Graph broke. Responding to weeks of internet-based complaints and, even worse, congressional discussion, Zuckerberg explained that simplified options to configure privacy settings are in the works and should be rolled out within the next several weeks.
Following the obligatory remarks on the company’s evolution and growth, Zuckerberg got straight to the point and told people what they wanted to hear. In the official Facebook blog, Zuckerberg writes, “Today we’re starting to roll out some changes that will make all of these controls a lot simpler. We’ve focused on three things: a single control for your content, more powerful controls for your basic information and an easy control to turn off all applications.” Basically, this means that Facebook’s privacy settings will be fixed and the Facepocalypse can be averted. This of course means you won’t have to worry about securing your profile or, even worse, deleting it altogether.
Facepocalypse Now: How to delete your Facebook account forever
A review of this morning’s technology news included the discovery of several articles, which indicated that many (though no one specifies exactly how many) Facebook users were digging through the catacombs of the Facebook Help Section to find out how they could delete their Facebook accounts. As a techie person, I automatically assumed that it couldn’t really be that hard. So, using an old account, I set out to see if I could achieve the ultimate coup de grâce…the complete destruction of a Facebook account.
So, in true Captain Benjamin Willard, Apocalypse Now-style, I streaked on some warpaint and set out to take down the Facebook account, which like the infamous Colonel Kurtz, had started out upright and noble but ultimately degenerated into a crazed, privacy-killing lunatic. Well, despite the dramatic build-up I may have given it, the reality was far less exciting. Deactivating and deleting a Facebook account do not require a Doctorate in Particle Physics, but you do have to pay attention. As always, the devil is in the details. So, buckle up. Pay attention, and, whatever you do, don’t log back into Facebook, when you’re done.
Facebook Claims Success with Personalized Social Plugins
In a Facebook blog posted on Tuesday, Facebook developer Justin Osofsky claimed the platform’s innovative personalized social plugins have proven to be an overwhelming success. The suite of development tools are part of the company’s now infamous social graph, which has been the subject of much discussion regarding the alleged reduction of personal privacy for users. Since the announcement of the updated tools, which include Facebook’s “Like” button for websites, millions of users have been logged in just to secure their own profiles.
Touting the suite of development tools as a “toolkit of social functionality,” Osofsky wrote that internet users are able to easily personalize and share their experiences, without any additional configuration or sharing of data. To this end, Facebook asserts that users are also able to easily see what their friends like, as well. The company was also quick to point out that, since the launch of Facebook Connect in 2008, website developers have leveraged the unique connection opportunities that Facebook provides.
Facebook Privacy Settings You Might Not Know About
Facebook’s privacy settings have been a topic of heated debate recently. The social networking site is being heavily criticized for its seemingly blatant disregard for its users’ privacy by making security settings “Opt-Out” rather than “Opt-In” as well as being incredibly difficult and convoluted to find and change to a more preferable setup. If you’ve been reluctant to delete your Facebook account but still want things more secure, you are well aware Facebook does not keep all security and privacy information in one easy-to-find location. So if you want to change anything, you’ve got a lot of clicking to do.
Most of the articles and blog posts floating around right now talk about what steps you need to take to change your Privacy and Application Settings, opting out of Instant Personalization (or you can have Al Franken take you through the steps), and even permanently delete your account. but I’ve yet to see an article discussing the Account Settings portion of your profile. So get ready for yet another round of clicking to protect your privacy…
