Social+Network+Update+1

Update #1 media type="custom" key="8237362"
 * __Social Networks __**


 * February 2nd, 2011 **
 * Post By: Megan Salkin **

The article, "Facebook overvalued, investors say in poll" from the San Francisco Chronicle may be a surprise to most status-happy, poke friendly readers: [|Article Link] By: Alison Fitzgerald, Bloomberg News 

 Although this article may not have much resonance on a larger scale and will not lesson Facebook's growing power, it is interesting to get a realistic look at the most popular social networking site's worth. The article stands out as it has been released amongst an immense surge of expanding social media popularity and even a feature-length film that boasts the empire's worth. Millions of Facebook users continue to be excited by the communication options the powerhouse allows them, however investors may not retain the same excitement as relayed by Luigi La Ferla of LTP Trade Ltd.: "There's too little financial information and track history to value the company like this."


 * February 2nd, 2011 **
 * Post By: Heather A. Shadd **

Article: "Google, Twitter giving Egyptians a voice online" By: Brett Molina, USA TODAY Article Link

"Google and Twitter have teamed up to create a service that lets anyone sends tweets using a voice connection." The voice program is called SayNow and is helping people in Egypt stay connected. If some are delayed in knowing what is happening in Egypt, The President has shutdown all Internet access and mobile services. So what does this mean? It means that family and friends may stay in contact during these chaotic times with their loved ones in Egypt. This also means protestors and organizers may stay in contact with one another or at least communicate critical info to their followers.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">For more information about the program that Google and Twitter have organized please visit speak2tweet feed or Google's Offical Blog

**<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">February 2nd, 2011 ** **<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Post By: Brook Bentley **

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Article: "Facebook Brings back (Part of) Beacon, and No One Blinks" **<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">By: Peter Kafka ** **<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">[|Article Link] **

This article addresses the idea of letting companies advertise through a users Facebook page. This idea was presented in the past but was not received well. The article indicates that the idea came too early initially and that people were not ready for it. But people are ready now. I think that with the new function of 'places' where people can 'check in' and 'tag' where and who they are with that this idea is now being received without complaint as the article explains. As you can see from the images below not only can you 'check in' and have your 'status' be about having Starbucks (the second image) but now Facebook is allowing Starbucks to pay to use this as an advertisement on the side of other peoples pages (the first image). You can still opt out of the ads by clicking the 'x'. I think this is an interesting concept for people to see what other people are into and a really inexpensive way for company's to advertise to people's specific interests. The only negative I see to it is that it will become over kill. You see that your friend is at Starbucks already and now you are being told so again through an advertisement? Ok we get it Starbucks. Or maybe than you will want Starbucks. Time will tell if the world of Facebook likes it or not but it is a relatively new craze in the social network world. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">


 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">February 2nd, 2011 **
 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Post By: Kayla Drake **

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Article "Man Arrested for Facebook Slur on Nigeria Governor" By: Jon Gambrell, associated press Link to Article:[| Nigeria Governor Article]



Quite often, us take advantage of our "Freedom of Speech" amendment, and with out notice we disregard defamatory information about a public figures. Unfortunately in countries that are greatly influenced by religious practice, this can be seen as an insult and a life long negative title. This was the case in this article regarding a young citizen in Nigeria who posted a comment on his facebook page regarding his disrespect for the Nigeria Governor Sule Lamido. The offender was arrested and brought to trial for "Defamation of character" charges in late January. This brings up a very important overlooked piece of information: Facebook is a public entity and is monitored more closely than the users might think. Each country is permitted to monitor Facebook in the way that they see fit according to their government standards. And like the defender in this story, it could be the difference of your freedom of speech or the freedom of your life.


 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">February 2nd, 2011 **
 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Post By: Alex Pilon **

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Article "LinkedIn Files to Go Public" By: Michael J. De Merced & Evelyn M. Rusli, New York Times Link to Article:[| Article]



LinkedIn, a social network geared toward professionals, announced January 28th their decision to go public. LinkedIn currently has 90 million viewers, and is the first of the major social networks to go public- beating Facebook who currently has more than 500 million viewers. LinkedIns ultimate goal is to expand, especially internationally, and going public is the most efficient way of doing so. Although this doesn’t necessarily affect the network’s users (besides the obvious benefits of expanding the site to professionals all over the world), it may cause a domino effect with the other social networking sites, including Facebook who is rumored to go public in 2012.


 * February 2nd, 2011 **
 * Post By: Sadie Eisley **

Article: “Pope Urges Christians to Join Social Networks” By: John P. Mello Jr., PC World Link to Article:[| http://www.pcworld.com/article/217571/pope_urges_christians_to_join_social_networks.html]

For most of us, joining a social networking site is in response to encouragement from our friends, family or business partners, but recently a new source has decided to promote the use of social network: The Pope. Pope Benedict XVI, a Facebook and YouTube Channel patron himself, described his support for his Christian followers and their desires to join social networks in an effort to make use of the “development of new and more complex intellectual and spiritual horizons, [and] new forms of shared awareness" that the internet provides. Although The Pope does support, and even urge, Christians to become members of various social networking sites, he does remind them to remain authentic and faithful in their online endeavors. The Pope’s insight to this new form of mediated communication is very modern and truly shows how widespread social networks are.

** February 2nd, 2011 ** ** Post By: Madison Jones **

Article: “Facebook Drives US Social Network Ad Spending Past $3 Billion in 2011” By: eMarketer Link to Article: []

Social networks have become the ideal place to advertise due to the dramatic increase in popularity. eMarketer predicts that U.S. marketers will spend $3.08 billion to advertise on social networking sites this year. It is estimated that this year’s spending will reach $1 billion higher than eMarketers 2010 prediction. The driving force for this change in ad spending is Facebook, because it has become one of the most popular social networking sites. According to eMarketer experts this year’s dramatic growth in spending will bring social media ad dollars to 10.8% of the total spent online in the US also worldwide, where social network ad spending will rise 71.6% to $5.97 billion.



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