Mediaboss Marketing

Earlier this week, I wrote about my disappointment that granular data (the number of URLs reported, the specifics of the errors) was removed from Google webmaster tools. However, as Ive been talking with Google, Ive discovered that much of this detail is still available via the GData API. That this detail was available through the API wasnt at all obvious to me from reading their blog post about the changes. The post included the following:

And led me to believe that the current API would only provide access to the same data available from the downloads from the UI. But in any case, up to 100,000 URLs for each error and the details of most of what has gone missing is in fact available through the API now, so rejoice!

The data is a little tricky to get to and the specifics of whats available varies based on how you retrieve it. Two different types of files are available that provide detail about crawl errors:

(Thanks toRyan JonesandRyan Smithfor help in tracking these details down.)

What this means is that different slices of data are available in four ways:

What youre able to see about each error is different based on how you access it.

Eight CSV files are available through the API (you can download them all for a single site or for all sites in your account at once as well as just a specific CSV and a specific date range), but this support is not built into most of the available client libraries. Youll need to build it in yourself or use the PHP client library(which seems to be the only one that has support built in). The CSV files are:

For the topic at hand, lets dive into the crawl errors CSV. It contains the following data:

This file does not include details on crawl error sources (but that is available through the crawl errors feed, described below).

It appears that thecrawl errors feedrequest code is built into theJava andObjective Cclient libraries, but youll have to write your own code to request this if youre using a different library. You can fetch 25 errors at a time and programmatically loop through them all. The information returned is in the following format:

Originally posted here:
Google Webmaster Tools Crawl Errors: How To Get Detailed Data From the API

We often are asked if it is possible to block or control employee use of social media and digital communication. The technical answer is yes, but the follow-up question is: Why would you want to go through the trouble?

Instant messaging, Facebook, LinkedIn and other forms of digital communication and social media regularly are used by todays best and brightest employees and they would just as soon find a new job than give up their way of life.

This is just one issue associated with finding, managing and incentivizing a new generation of workers. This new workforce is the most technically adept age group to enter the workplace, and their approach to work, pay and quality of life is significantly different from their older peers. Because of this, a new set of management tools and human resource strategies will be necessary to attract and retain this valuable pool of talent.

The business use of social media and alternate means of digital communication is growing. I dont know of any company that is not thinking about how they can best leverage these technologies to help grow their business, attract talent and increase productivity.

Lets take a look at a few ways that these tools and the new generation of workers are influencing the way business is done today.

Hiring: The traditional methods of advertising job openings are being replaced or enhanced by the use of social media. Posting a help-wanted ad on an electronic job board may attract a few candidates, but the existence of the post is enhanced by using social media to find potential candidates.

The instant communication and the speed at which news of a new job opening can travel though social sites can help uncover great candidates that may not be actively looking.

Managing: Working 9 to 5 is out. The new normal is working when it is convenient and when work does not get in the way of life. Its not that the latest generation hates the regimented work routine, they just dont get it. They want to work whenever they can from wherever they are. Building the technology, processes and capabilities to enable flexible work schedules and virtual office capabilities will help attract and retain talent.

(Page 2 of 2)

Incentivizing: Its not that money and the job are not important, they are just not more important that life. With a flexible work environment and incentives tied to productivity and creativity, it is much easier to motivate the younger generation of employees.

Originally posted here:
Embracing social media helps businesses

From Wired How-To Wiki

When Twitter announced a change to their censorship policy in January, Twitter users and pundits rose dutifully to the defense of free speech. Critics said the company sought to silence voices of dissent in compliance with requests from autocratic governments and anti-transparency bureaucracies.

The uproar, however, may have been in haste. Twitter has always had an obligation to remove illegal content; their new policy simply ensures prohibited tweets disappear only within the borders of the offended country. Offense alone also provides no grounds for removal. On its website, Twitter says it deletes tweets only after receiving a valid and scoped request from an authorized entity."

While this change in policy won't affect you if Twitter is your go-to for funny pictures or Foursquare check-ins, activists or rebels may be worried that government intervention will cause this vessel of communication to be lost to them forever. For those trying to avoid inciting the wrath of those who wish to censor you, we've compiled these tips that will help you escape prying authoritative eyes.

This article was written by John Flanagan, a Vermont-based writer, film fan, and intermittent bon vivant.

Twitter will notify you directly if youre being censored, unless theyre legally prohibited from doing so. You can check for yourself by viewing your own tweets. Censored tweets from others appear in your timeline with a message reading, Tweet Withheld: This tweet from (@Username) has been withheld in: (your country). If a particular Twitter user whom you follow has been blocked, a similar message will appear: (@Username) Withheld: This account has been withheld in: (Your country).

Fret not, however, because there are a few simple tricks to get around these blocks.

Twitter wields the hushcloth according to your accounts Country setting. The company guesses where you live based upon the IP address of your computer, phone, iPad, etc., and changing this location is a cinch. Heres how:

Eschew censorship by referencing sensitive material indirectly in your tweets. For instance, instead of referring to a controversial despot by name, tweet about the fourth president of Egypt or the successor of Hafez al-Assad. While this approach may evade detection, the cleverly-worded content continues to violate laws.

l33tspeak (leet or elite speak) doesn't just belong to hackers it has its benefit for dissidents as well. Certain censors filter certain words, so where revolt might not fly, r3v0lt sneaks through undetected. In English, substituting ASCII characters for letters of the Roman alphabet, or using intentional misspellings, helps evade trackers. Many languages have their own version of l33tspeak, such as Russians Padonkaffsky Jargon and Japaneses Kusachu. Like clever wording, however, this approach is still illegal, and thus grounds for removal.

Visit link:
Avoid Twitter Censorship

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

As social media usage continues to rise, its only natural that statistic correlations will be made about the individuals who use the medium. This isnt a bad thing; its common to deep-dive into demographic information and behavioral data. While there will always be exceptions to the "correlations" that emerge from such data, universal truths about social networking usage and user behavior can be valuable.

[More from Mashable: Encyclopedia Britannica vs. Wikipedia [INFOGRAPHIC]]

The Ethics Resource Center (ERC) is the oldest non-profit organization in the U.S. dedicated to independent research and advancement of high ethical standards and practices in both public and private institutions. Since 1994, the ERC has produced the National Business Ethics Survey (NBES), available for free to the public, to gather information about employees perspectives of ethics in the workplace.Dr. Patricia J. Harned, president of the ERC, says the NBES is the only longitudinal study that represents the views of the U.S. workforce in business.

The ERCs latest report is one of the first to explore the possible connection between ethics and social media. Social networking has become very important in our culture, and we wondered if the technology is influencing employees views about ethics at work," Harned explains. "Additionally, over the past few years, we have seen companies establish policies concerning social networking in the workplace, so this year it seemed fitting to add questions on the topic.

[More from Mashable: 8 Reasons People Arent Following You Back on Twitter]

One of the most fascinating conclusions in the report is that "active social networkers show a higher tolerance for activities that could be considered unethical." But Harned says the findings are not an indictment about the character of social networkers: It appears that they are more willing to consider things that are gray areas -- issues that are not always clear in company policies as wrong; and thats an area for further study.

The report also points out that active social networkers are at higher risk for observing misconduct. Harned stresses that it's observing wrongdoing, not necessarily participating in it.You could also look at another set of our responses -- particularly the high number of active social networkers who reported misconduct -- and say that social networkers behaved appropriately, she explains.

In order to understand any potential connection between ethics and social networks, it only makes sense to step back and discuss what ethical behavior means. Jay Shepherd, author of the book Firing at Will: A Managers Guide, sums up unethical behavior with a sentence.

Its like pornography: You know it when you see it. Its as simple as knowing the right thing to do, then doing the wrong thing.

See original here:
Ethics and Social Media: Where Should You Draw The Line?

Saturday, March 17, 2012

DOGS are known as mans best friend, yet the fangs that hide behind the happy face can be deadly, a rabid dog can kill.

There are a lot of stray dogs and cats around the streets of Davao city that may be carrying the rabies virus and are a threat to the people around especially children. Thats why Davao City has an Animal Bite Center (ABC) office that became operational in 1998. It provides treatment to all dogs, cats, monkeys and rat bite patients of the city and from other provinces of Region XI. They offer free Post Exposure Treatment (PET) to 100% of high-risk animal bite patients.

Their goal is to reduce the incident of human rabies by year 2004 and eliminate human rabies and declare a rabies free Davao City by year 2020.

Are they anywhere near their target?

Marl Bohol, an entrepreneur and a victim, was bitten by a cat and so he went to ABC for treatment. When he got there, a lot of patients were waiting in line for treatment. But it was not the main problem, there were no medicines available. The registration area was full of patients lining up for their medical prescription.

The patients were advised to buy the anti-rabies vaccine with the box consisting of four vials worth P1,900, and their own syringe for 10 pesos each. Most of the patients could not afford to buy the whole box so they resort to group themselves into four so that each of them would only pay about 500 pesos each.

But the problem is each patient has to have three shots of anti-rabies within a period of time, so the scenario in the ABC office goes on every day, with one rabies patient returning for his next shot looking for three other patients to divide the cost of a box of vials with.

In Marls case, he said, that he waited for more than an hour, but still no medicine was available. He asked the lady in the registration area and the woman said that he could come back the next day for available medicine.

Marl was not willing to wait much longer and pestered the woman further. The woman told him to wait as she texted somebody. A few minutes later, a woman arrived offering to share her box.

The rest is here:
Killer bite