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Foursquare Vs Twitter
Twitter—the world’s most popular microblogging site—will soon get a run for its money, with computer technology experts predicting that 2010 might be the year of Foursquare. Just as Facebook took users away from its predecessor, MySpace, Foursquare will likely appeal to Twitter user and it is already catching on in major American and European urban centres. Foursquare’s goal is not only to encourage users to discover new friends, but also to have those that sign up share a wealth of information and reviews on the social, recreational and nightlife of given cities. Users are asked to map their current location in their home town at any given time using their smartphone, and in exchange they earn points (“badges”) and online rewards. The biggest reward is becoming the “mayor” of a specific location or destination.
IKEA ‘Kidnaps’ Facebook
IKEA has long been known for using creativity to save on operating costs and offer clients trendy, but inexpensive furniture. From discount Swedish meat balls in the cafeteria to disassembled dining room tables in paper boxes, IKEA is seen by some as the fast-food equivalent of the furniture world. But the Swedish chain also showed this week that it is technologically savvy, by using Facebook to attract new customers. When IKEA opened a new store in Malmö, Sweden, the firm’s marketing agency immediately set up a Facebook profile for the outlet’s manager, Gordon Gustavsson. Customers were asked to visit “IkeaGordon’s” profile on Facebook and tag themselves to the myriad of pictures featuring IKEA sofas, tables, chairs, beds, vases and other retail items. The first person to tag a piece of furniture on Facebook wins the item.
Singers Failure to Use Twitter Leads to Arrest
In a surprising turn of events, New York City police arrested pop music icon Justin Bieber’s colleague and label representative after he failed to use his Twitter account in order to help authorities calm a crowd of 3,000 fans. When the singer’s associate, James Roppo, was asked by police officers to broadcast a tweet to fans, the singer and his colleague refused to cooperate and this led to the latter’s immediate arrest. Roppo was taken into custody and will likely be charged with a range of offenses, including engaging in criminal nuisance and obstruction.
Benefits Cheat Caught Via Facebook
Nathalie Blanchard, an IBM employee from the Canadian province of Québec who has been suffering from depression for a year, had a rude awakening earlier this week, when her sick benefits were cancelled after she posted Facebook photos from her recent vacation. Blanchard has been on sick leave for the past 12 months, after having been diagnosed with clinical depression. She received monthly sick benefits from Manulife, her private insurance provider. But when the company discovered that Blanchard had posted photos on Facebook of parties at a local bar in the southern Québec town of Bromont and of her participation at a Chippendales show, as well as a vacation earlier this year, Manulife reportedly determined that if their client managed to have so much fun, then Blanchard was no longer depressed.
Social Networking Sites Criticised for not Tackling Cyber Bullies
Some of the world’s largest social networking sites came under sharp criticism today for not doing enough to tackle the growing problem of online bullying. Britain’s Child Exploitation and Online Protection organization (Ceop) is concerned over the fact that the largest social networking sites—namely Facebook and MySpace—have not made use of a free tool it offers to battle both bullying and online child abuse on its networks. Jim Gamble, the governmental organization’s chief director, does not understand why Facebook is not introducing the so-called “Ceop button” to its site, when Bebo—a rival social networking service—has already made the change.
Belle de Jour Blogger Unmasked
For several years, Belle de Jour has been among the most popular and controversial bloggers in the United Kingdom. The 34 year old upscale escort hiding behind her blogging pseudonym wrote candid posts about developments in Britain’s sex trade and managed to turn her blog into a film starring Billie Piper, as well as a lucrative book deal. But what Belle de Jour’s readers never knew was that this edgy blogger was actually a full-time cancer researcher and developmental neuro-toxicology specialist working for a hospital in Bristol.
Twitter Insult Leads to Parliamentary Apology
A Canadian politician found herself in hot water this week, when she used Twitter to imply that an opposing parliamentarian was fat. Michelle Simson, a Liberal Party MP from the Toronto-area riding of Scarborough Southwest, happened to be at the Canadian parliament’s ethics committee meeting, across the table from her Conservative Party counterpart, Dean Del Mastro, another MP from Ontario. During the lengthy meeting, Simson decided to use Twitter and send tweets to her 443 followers, and she chose to target the opposing MP. Simson wrote that Del Mastro “should grow up, not out,” an obvious reference to the fact that the Conservative politician is overweight. Simson then returned to Twitter shortly after her initial post, noting that she “hates to see a grown MP pout.”
British Politician Calls Queen a Parasite on Facebook
A Labour candidate in upcoming local elections has whipped up a storm of controversy by describing Queen Elizabeth II and the monarchy in a highly derogatory fashion on Facebook. Peter White is running as a council-candidate in the East London municipality of Havering, but he apparently did not realize that what he writes on an opposing politician’s Facebook wall might not only be read by people on his “friends” list, but by a much wider and less supportive audience. According to a report in The Telegraph, White referred to Queen Elizabeth as a “parasite.” White reportedly logged onto his Facebook account, visited Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell’s Facebook profile and left a message on the politician’s wall calling into question his proposal to honour the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
New Oxford Dictionary Gets Intexticated with Facebook & Twitter
One of the most respected guardians of the English language is getting a linguistic makeover from social networking sites Facebook and Twitter, after the New Oxford American Dictionary gave in and decided to make the verb “unfriend” its word of the year for 2009. To “unfriend” someone is a term closely tied to Facebook, where users can remove any of their contacts from their friends list and thus block them from viewing their profile and receiving updates in their newsfeed. When Oxford University Press issued a press release Monday in order to explain its decision and show how a twenty-first century speaker of the English language might use its word of the year in a sentence, the dictionary publishers provided the context of two roommates falling out and hence “unfriending” each other on Facebook.
America Defends Imprisoned Bloggers
The American State Department has taken the unusual step of rushing to the defence of bloggers imprisoned in foreign countries, thus demonstrating how much of a central place blogging now holds in media and freedom of expression. The State Department held a press conference in order to express its “regret” over the fact that two bloggers from Azerbaijan have been thrown into jail by authoritarian Azerbaijani officials for directing criticism at the government. Twenty-six year old Emin Milli and 30 year old Adnan Hajizade are prominent youth leaders in Azerbaijan, as well as successful bloggers and vocal proponents of free speech. Both were sentenced to two years in prison by a local court based on trumped up charges of “hooliganism” relating to an alleged altercation at a restaurant.
