Archive for the ‘Social Networking’ Category

Facebook secretly introduces a new social networking app in China – Neowin

It's no secret that the Chinese government heavily controls the internet within its borders. As a result, many of the world's top websites are blocked in China. Internet giants like Facebook and Google have been trying alternative ways to infiltrate the market. The latest is a stealth release of an app called Colorful Balloons.

Colorful Balloons is very similar to Facebook's Moments: an app that lets you share photos with friends and family. Even the name of the new app resembles the logo of the original. According to The New York Times, Facebook approved the release of the app back in May. The app is published by a Chinese company called Youge Internet Technology and bears no apparent affiliation with the social networking company.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has visited the country many times in recent years. During the visits, he evidently had talks with government officials about the company's future in the country. Last year, it was reported that the company had tried to create a censorship tool to reconcile with the government.

When contacted by The Verge, Facebook replied that it's "spending time understanding and learning more about the country in different ways. Our focus right now is on helping Chinese businesses and developers expand to new markets outside China by using our ad platform."

The way the app was released in China is certainly unprecedented for a company of Facebook's stature. It remains to be seen whether the government will take any actions regarding the app's future.

Source: The New York Times | Image via The New York Times

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Facebook secretly introduces a new social networking app in China - Neowin

Check on teen’s social networking account leads to underage sex admission – The Borneo Post

Social media applications displayed on a smartphone. AFP File Photo

MIRI: A 20-year-old woman lodged a police report on Saturday after discovering that her underage sister had been having sex with a man since last year.

The matter came to light when the woman decided to check her 15-year-old sisters social networking account and came across several of the teens messages with a man.

The content of the exchanges between the pair left her uneasy and she decided to confront her sister, who went on to admit to having had sexual intercourse with the man on three occasions since 2016.

The two have known each other since early 2016 through the social networking site.

District deputy police chief Supt Stanley Jonathan Ringgit confirmed receiving a report when contacted yesterday, saying police are investigating the case under Section 376 of the Penal Code for statutory rape.

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Check on teen's social networking account leads to underage sex admission - The Borneo Post

Facebook Launches Social Network Assault on TV with Watch (Update) – Gears Of Biz

NEWS ANALYSIS: The worlds largest social network, which has been envious of YouTube, Netflix, Vimeo and other video providers for years, has set the table for its own online television network.

Facebook not only has its users complete attention for news, social networking, games, instant messaging, email, video streaming and a dozen other use cases, it now wants their time in front of ads as a television network.

The worlds largest social network, which has been envious of YouTube, Netflix, Vimeo and other video providers for years, has set the table for its own online television network.

Earlier this year, Facebook reportedlyalthough it never confirmed this publiclyentered the market for discovering and buying content. According to The Hollywood Reporter and covered here in eWEEK, Facebook decided to pick up a canceled MTV show called Loosely Exactly Nicole, from Nicole Byer, creator of the popular Girl Code show. Nicole was canceled after one low-rated season (about 360,000 total viewers, dwindling to less than 150,000) on MTV.

Saw Potential in Former MTV Show

Nonetheless, Facebook saw potential in Nicole, and it was among the first news items about a network-show acquisition that leaked out. Theres more: Facebook apparently is looking at about six genres as focus areas for half-hour shows: sports, science, pop culture, lifestyle, gaming and teens; these will likely stream as weekly series.

Now that type of content, when it becomes available, will have a place to nest and grow. On Aug. 10, Facebook launched a new section of the network called Watch, as a specific home for video.

Watch will be available on mobile, on desktop and laptop, and in Facebook TV apps. It is basically a redesign of Facebooks first video tab, reconfigured in order to keep viewers watching for longer period of time and hopefully to return regularly to view shows. The concept is that when users open Facebook Watch, the most recent episodes of their favorite shows will be there waiting for them, so they can finish them or binge many shows when they feel like it.

Most Facebook users now see videos secondarily when they scroll past a friends post. YouTube, on the other hand, is a destination specifically for watching videos. Facebook obviously is seeing its own virtual television network it as a whole new advertising income stream.

Rolling Out Watch to Limited Number of Users at First

The company said it was rolling out Watch to a limited group of users in the United States before a wider release in the future. No general release date is known at this time.

Heres how Facebook itself described the limited launch Aug. 10:

Gear up for Watch! It is a new platform for all creators, publishers and social media influencers to find an audience, build a community of passionate fans, and earn money for their work on Facebook. We believe our Facebook shows will be successful, particularly because:

(1) Our shows engage fans and the sports community. For example NOW NBA Publicity Studio publishes a daily show where we make and share videos together with our fans from around the world. The NOW stands for Nationally Or Worldwide. The Watchlist makes it easy for our fans to catch every days episode.

(2) We have live shows that connect directly with our fans. We use a combination of recorded and live episodes to connect with our fans and answer questions in real time.

(3) We also have shows that follow a narrative arc and those that have a consistent theme.

(4) Finally, we have live events and rallies that bring communities together while connecting with friends and fellow fans on the Facebook platform.

More Specifics on Types of Content

More detail from Facebooks Director of Products Daniel Danker, who covered this in an Aug. 10 blogpost:

Facebook, with its 2 billion-plus international membership, undoubtedly is looking at that huge number of people to drive its online video viewershipand then talk about shows during or afterward, still on the network. The tools are all right there, theyre familiar, and they generally work well.

That will make the Facebook experience stand out from YouTube and Netflix, even though those, too, are social networks to an extent.

With Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube and other over the top (OTT) internet video and television services already maneuvering to get into mainstream cable networksComcast and AT&T come immediately to mindit may only be a matter of time before other major IT product and service companies such as Apple, Microsoft, LinkedIn and others come up with their own networks filled with their own original content.

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Facebook Launches Social Network Assault on TV with Watch (Update) - Gears Of Biz

Facebook anonymously launches an app in China – Allentown Morning Call

NEW YORK (AP) Facebook anonymously launched a new photo-sharing app in China in a new effort to make inroads in the world's most populous country.

China's ruling Communist Party controls internet traffic across the country's borders and tries to keep the public from seeing thousands of websites including Facebook.

The app, called Colorful Balloons, was launched in China earlier this year and does not carry Facebook's name. Facebook confirmed Saturday that it launched the app.

The social media company's connection to the app was first reported Friday by The New York Times, which said it was released in China through a separate local company called Youge Internet Technology.

The launch of the app comes as China is cracking down on technology that allows web surfers to evade Beijing's online censorship.

Last month, users of Facebook's What'sApp messaging service, which normally operates freely in China, were no longer able to send images without using a virtual private network. That came amid official efforts to suppress mention of the death of Liu Xiaobo, the imprisoned Nobel Peace laureate.

China's biggest internet service provider, China Telecom Ltd., sent a letter to corporate customers last month saying that VPNs, which create encrypted links between computers and can be used to see sites blocked by Beijing's web filters, would be permitted only to connect to a company's headquarters abroad. The move could block access to news, social media or business services that are obscured by China's Great Firewall.

Chinese authorities have long blocked Facebook, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, arguing that foreign social media services operating beyond their control pose a threat to national security.

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Facebook anonymously launches an app in China - Allentown Morning Call

How This Social Network is Changing the Way Companies Find Talent in the Restaurant Industry – Inc.com

When it comes to acquiring a new job in the service industry, you may feel left out of the circle when you go to apply at different websites or businesses.

While there are many hiring platforms online, they seem to leave the service and hospitality industry out of the loop, and there you are, looking for your place only to find none.

As a culinary or service professional, you're not seeking to submit your resume in the same pool as a contractor or marketer. You want an intuitive tracking and monitoring system to allow you the best results (and the best pay) for the position you're looking for in any job.

This is where Industry.co steps in. Industry is a professional network, and hiring solution for the service and hospitality industry and they have single-handedly changed the way people in this niche stay connected to each other. If you're in this market, let me explain what Industry has done in connecting the service and hospitality industry together for life.

One of the reasons job seekers in this industry have a difficult time is the fact at how easy it is to get lost in the mix. There are plenty of job sites online where you can submit your resume. However, there is one major flaw with them.

Most are formatted for white collar job positions. While this is great for your CEO's and people who handle large quantities of businesses and brands in the form of clients, it's no good for a non-white collar worker who is looking for a great job.

You want potential businesses who are looking for your qualities and characteristics, and you can't get this if you're not woven inside a platform which connects you with like-minded people. This is the greatest value with someone of your skills in the hospitality industry. You could be a bartender, waiter, or chef, and having a network of other people in this genre can get you one step closer to your dream job.

If you want to catch a shark, you've got to go to the ocean, not my dad's backyard pond. The same principle applies here. Connect yourself to the businesses who need your services and skills which allow you to create valuable relationships to help you pursue your career even further.

According to Forbes, the hospitality industry is one of the fastest growing industries right now. More and more people are working longer hours and taking on another job to make ends meet, and the service and hospitality industry is the perfect choice for many people.

This is one of the greatest attributes of how your professional life can change inside of a structured network. Not only do you have the opportunity to throw your paper resume away, but you also have the chance to grow your connections inside a platform built especially for you.

As you have probably already experienced, who you know has a big impact on the job opportunity you just applied for. In fact, you have a 2.6% - 6.6% higher chance of getting hired simply because of who you know inside of the company.

Industry understands this and has given you the best chances possible to make an impact on the people around you who are working in the same field. This is not just a simple jobs board for the different brands. So we can truly help people and businesses and take this vertical to the next level. You should always be focused on growth and keeping company with a platform which promotes this growth on every level.

Growing your professional career and building relationships is the cornerstone of any successful business and job position. Staying connected to these people is the foundation you need to build a solid relationship with them in the future.

If you're in the market for a new job in the hospitality profession, one of the things you don't want to be doing is spending too much time hoping someone is going to hire you. Simplicity is important in any scenario of your professional life and while you already understand that discovering a great job is one of the perks of a job platform, can it still be easy?

What you want is a platform where you can market your skills and assets to potential businesses who are looking for them. In a sense, it's part social networking, connecting, and discovering jobs all rolled into one.

Considering time constraints and ease of use, you need something on the go where you can always stay connected and informed with your hospitality profile. The beauty of how they have upgraded this piece of the service profession is in their mobility to be where you are at all times.

Upload your credentials, resumes, and other important items your potential boss will be able to see and begin connecting with those like-minded people. That's how simple it can be.

If you're in the service and hospitality industry, you don't have to feel left out anymore. Nor do you have to haul around resumes and cover letters in your car to find a job perfect for your skillset.

You can market your skills and entice businesses to hire you by staying consistent, building relationships, and keeping up to date on all of the information and news within your industry. While you might think you've lost connection with jobs in the world of hospitality, you have the opportunity to build your career bigger and better than you thought you ever could with Industry.

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How This Social Network is Changing the Way Companies Find Talent in the Restaurant Industry - Inc.com