Facebook, Twitter- Go Away!
13 Sep 2010 1 Comment
I found an interesting article today on Mashable.com, where the Provost at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology banned social networking for a week-long social media experiment. Provost Eric Darr decided to create the ban on social networking because he wants students to take a step back, and really gauge their internet use as well as their online personalities. Darr believes that “Often, there are behaviors or habits, ways that we use technology that we may ourselves not even be able to articulate because we’re not aware of them.” I definitely agree with his judgments. However, I think the experiment would have more of an impact on the students if they were of middle school age. Ever see what those kids are writing about all over their facebooks? Its preeeeeeeetttty disturbing if you ask me. High School? Even worse.
Apparantly, the ban will only affect on campus students and all social networking sites will be blocked from the on campus server(s). After the experiment is complete, students are supposed to construct written responses about the blackout and how it made them feel/act.
Interesting social experiment, I will be curious to see what comes of this. However, I believe many students will still find a way to check their social networking sites (smartphones…c’mon provost).
As soon as I find the results, Ill blog about it to tell you what the students thought about the experiment. Stay tuned 
Marco? Polo! Marco….Marco? How To Hide From Marco On Facebook
18 Aug 2010 Leave a Comment
Ever wanted to de-friend somebody on Facebook? Avid Facebook users know that the social implications in the real world can be pretty harsh. “No way Suzzy, Charlie De-Friended me! We are so not talking EVER again.”
Not only can you be “friends” on Facebook. But now, you can pretend to be friends with someone WITHOUT THEM EVEN KNOWING IT. Yes folks, Facebook has now made it possible to hide from people on your friends list, while remaining “friends”. Now it is possible to limit personal information on a friend by friend basis without clicking the dreaded “de-friend” button.
**Side note: However, my personal fav Facebook trick is to just hide people on my news feed, so I can eliminate their daily clutter from my life. (just point your mouse to the right hand side of their name and a little “x” appears. Click it and sit back and FINALLY relax…no more Jane…and the best part? Jane has no idea you find her completely annoying. Ahhh, makes me sleep a little better at night)
Way to go Facebook! Saving people’s feelings one click at a time!
For a complete strategy on how to eliminate your Facebook “frenemies,” go to this article…
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/How-to-Hide-from-Friends-You-nytimes-3549740768.html?x=0
Okay Marco- have fun hiding from Polo, and vice-versa.
Why are we so addicted to social networking?
17 Aug 2010 Leave a Comment
So let’s get down to the real question that everybody wants to know the answer to: WHY ARE WE SO ADDICTED TO SOCIAL NETWORKING? I myself just can’t get away from facebook and twitter, and would even consider calling my use and abuse of these social networking devices an addiction. Yah, I went there- I’m addicted to social networking.
Amidst searching for “self help” groups online to aide my addiction, I came upon an article that not only serves as a big exhale for me, but describes why humans seem to be so stuck on social networking. Peep this summary of Anthropoligist Robin Dunbar’s opinion on gossip and grooming…
Lets go back to a time before internet, before cell phones, and long before facebook and twitter- a time when our ancestors roamed the planet. Even though our ancestors didn’t have the internet, they somehow managed to stay dialed in to the culture that they were apart of- but how In the world…?! Lets turn to primates to answer this question, after all- they are our closest living relative.
The main way that primates come to understand their rank in a group is through the method of grooming. During the 20% of their lives that they spend grooming, primates are able to attain relationship knowledge and information including who gets along, who doesn’t, and who’s gettin’ it on. This behavior is necessary in order to understand their place in a social hierarchy so that one-day they can climb the ranks to the top (Reasons for reaching the top include mating with the best, to produce viable offsping, to keep your gene pool in the running for…becoming Americans next top model? Haha, etc etc, the list goes on and on and anybody who has sat through a lecture of human evolution knows how in depth this can go, so we won’t go there).
Anyways, that’s exactly the point as to why we as humans are interested in social networking. Humans are innately interested in knowing our place in society and how we compare to others around us so that we too can climb the social ladder. This desire may have stemmed from early primates however; the method in which humans have been able to understand hierarchal positions has evolved over time from grooming to tweeting.
And so, I go on facebook to see who’s friendly to each other, who’s mad at each other, and who’s gettin’ in on. You see, we all NEED this information to move on up in the world. It may seem like petty gossip (which most of it is) but its only natural for us to crave this information so that we one day can be on top of the social pyramid.
Thank you to Robin Dunbar’s study for making me feel like my addiction isn’t a huge problem. But I guess I could spend some more time at the beach….
Date My Single Kid! C’mon…You Know You Wanna
04 Aug 2010 Leave a Comment
Today, I found out about a new networking site called “date my single kid.” Geri Brin, founder of the site faboverfifty.com, originally created this new offshoot of her site to help her son get a date and potentially get “married off”. Brin’s idea is to have a network of moms that are able to pick mates for their children based on other mom’s recommendations. What an interesting idea for a networking site- but do you think it will generate as much buzz as match or eharmony? Hard to say…
I think its such an original concept, and I would like to see it take off. Brin and her new website were featured on “The View” this morning, and the ladies of the talk show seemed to really dig the site. Although I have to admit the ladies were just a little skeptical that Brin’s 31 year old son was truly interested in the process of dating women chosen by his mother.
The only way to get to the site is through Brin’s site faboverfifty.com. You have to first create a profile before you can see what types of people are present.
Im sure there are many eager mommies out there who want their children to be settled and/or “married off” as Brin puts it. But Im not so sure that there are many kids who would be willing to give their mom’s this responsibility.
Fascinating concept and I hope it works out for the Brins! Would you be willing to put your dating future into the hands of your mother?
Would you pay for online networking?
28 Jul 2010 4 Comments
I got the idea for this blog from another bloggers work entitled “The Internet’s ‘Free’ Problem.” In His blog, the writer addresses the fact that people shy away from paying for social networking online, because sn sites have always been offered to the public for free. I couldn’t agree more, If facebook prompted me to pay for my account, I would immediately hit the road. I feel as if the majority of the population would…
I think that if social networking sites forced us to pay for a membership, an interesting shift in the internet would take place. Where would that lead us? What do you think would take the place of social networking online? Food for thought.
Using Twitter to diagnose the world’s emotion – Story – Technology – 3 News
26 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment
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via Using Twitter to diagnose the world’s emotion – Story – Technology – 3 News.
Do you believe that we can gage general happiness through twitter? Interesting concept…
The Myspace shocker
23 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment
According to ebizmba.com (“The Business Knowledge Base”), as of July 1st of this year, the most visited social networking site is….(drum roll please)….FACEBOOK. Well, Im pretty sure all of you already knew that unless you have been hiding under a rock. Yes Ladies and Gents, Facebook makes number 1 due to its 250,000,000 unique visitors a month. The list goes as follows:
1. Facebook 250,000,000 visitors/month
2. Myspace 122,000,000
3. Twitter 80,500,00
4. Linkedin 50,000,000
…and so on and so forth…
One thing shocks me about this list. Myspace makes number 2?! Although Myspace has fallen off of my social networking radar, apparently it is still a useful social networking tool for thousands.
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