Mediaboss Marketing

Ira Caminong Contributor When the telephone came about, it changed the world by adding a network for communication. When television became a basic commodity in the home, it changed the world of news and entertainment. And when social networks emerged, it changed the way we interact with our friends.

I am not going to make blanket statements about social networking and online dating and how both changed the world, but I will say that sites like Match.com and Facebook are extensions of the world in which were living, and have changed the way we interact with each other. Instead of changing the game of love and friendship in a negative way, they simply make interacting with others a little easier.

Some people would say that sites like Facebook have the potential of bringing relationships to an end as fast as hitting a dislike button.

But we should look at places like Facebook as an extension of reality where we take things as seriously as we do while interacting with people face-to-face.

On our profiles we can tell the world what we are up to, who were dating, how we feel, what we believe in, what television shows we watch, what music we listen to, our political views; really, the Facebook profile consists of answers to questions that would be brought up in a casual first-time conversation offline.

Social sites also allow for friendships to be maintained and old connections rekindled, because profiles give users the opportunity of connecting with distant friends and relatives in ways they couldnt offline. According to the Pew Research Center, roughly two-thirds of users use social networks to keep in touch with these distant friends and relatives. Also, more than half use it to connect with old friends from high school or college.

In particular, users from older generations benefit from these sites in this way as they can connect with people from their past. It brings joy to them when they find their old buddies.

Additionally, social networking can help establish romantic connections through online dating. The notion of finding a date online, once a frowned upon activity, is now more socially acceptable. The whole phenomenon of online dating is becoming so popular that Lisa Mirza Grotts blogs about online dating etiquette on the Huffington Post. Just as you should in face-to-face interactions, she cautions: Your profile is your advertisement. Be honest from the get-go, or you will be wasting your time with unsuitable candidates.

The same etiquette, relevant to both online dating and social networking, is applicable in real-life situations. In a casual first-time conversation, we also want to be honest. Lying to make yourself look good in front of an attractive person is not the greatest strategy for finding a partner. We are accountable for what we share online in the same way we are responsible for the information we share in our interactions with others in everyday life.

The interactions you have on the Internet may have their nuances, but the important thing is that you have the power to make those interactions in new ways thanks to technology. These developments are advancements in our capacities as human beings. It changes the way we interact with our peers without changing our physiological qualities.

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PRO/CON: Social networking and your love life

March 21, 2012 16:00 PM

Parliament: 716 Complaints On Social Networking Websites

KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 (Bernama) - The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) received 716 complaints on content of social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter last year, says Information Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.

Of the total, 289 complaints were offensive or threatening, 247 false, 40 obscene and indecent, 124 hacking while 16 were others.

"MCMC also received 1,112 complaints on websites, blogs and emails," he said in reply to a supplementary question from Datuk Noraini Ahmad (BN-Parit Sulong) in Dewan Rakyat here today.

Rais also said that MCMC also received 693 complaints relating to phishing (attempts to steal data from data groups).

"Impersonation, fraud and abuse of social networking sites are committed for the sake of excitement and to broaden views without taking into account the negative aspects arising from the act.

"Some members of society forget that we have constraints and way of life which should be based on pure and religious values and customs."

He said that no less than 15 cases had been prosecuted in court adding the people still need to be educated and briefed on the matter.

"The use of television and having talks and preventive measures led to a drop in the number of cases. Parents and society must also play a role in enforcing the social constraints," he added.

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Parliament: 716 Complaints On Social Networking Websites

The following editorial appeared in the Chicago Tribune on March 19:

Late last year came word that a Dutch scientist had genetically tweaked one of the worlds most deadly bird flu viruses to make it more contagious to humans. In other words, a doomsday virus in a sneeze that could kill more than half of the people who caught it.

That chilling revelation set off an international furor over whether the details of that study and a similar one done by researchers at the University of Wisconsin at Madison should be published in scientific journals.

Scientists argued that researchers need those details to better detect and fight a possible epidemic of the virus, known as H5N1. Security experts argued compellingly that the studies should be expunged of key details, lest terrorists use that information to unleash a devastating biological weapon.

Another fear if those details escape the lab: There are thousands of do-it-yourself biologists who can buy sophisticated devices to duplicate segments of DNA on eBay. Might they be tempted to recreate the killer virus, known as H5N1, in their garage labs, just for kicks?

So far, the journals Science and Nature have not published the studies, at the behest of the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, a panel of experts that advises federal health officials.

But that could change soon. A panel of biologists assembled by the World Health Organization recommended recently that the full details of the experiments eventually be released, although WHO didnt set a timetable.

Talk about publish and perish.

We know that some researchers believe it is already too late, that enough details have circulated among scientists for them to deduce the recipe for the virus. We also know many researchers argue that censoring this study makes it harder to identify changes that might signal a virus is developing the ability to cause a pandemic Thats a powerful argument.

We oppose government censorship. Science works best when information flows freely.

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Guest editorial: Publish and perish?

19-03-2012 06:22 Home Party Consultants need to take advantage of local internet marketing to build their businesses. This video explains how home party sales consultants can do effective internet marketing

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Internet Marketing for Home Party Sales Businesses - Video

GUEST AUTHOR BLOG: How social influence marketing is about to change your business by Mark W. Schaefer author of "Return On Influence: The Revolutionary Power of Klout, Social Scoring, and Influence Marketing."

Source: McGraw-Hill

The latest trend is not being set by advertising executives, creative teams, or marketing wizards. Its emerging from the powerful and passionate voices of consumers, and the companies that are finding and measuring their ability to create buzz.

Influence has been one of the most studied aspects of politics, marketing, sociology, and psychology and yet it has never really been measured in a statistically valid way. Until now.

People creating content on blogs, Facebook and Twitter is an action. Having a link clicked, or a message tweeted, is an effect. Finally, there is something to measure in this field. In fact there are billions of actions and effects to measure and compare every day!

In the online world, the ability to move an idea or opinion through an engaged online network creates influence. To the extent a company can measure content moving through this system, we would be able to quantify one sliver of influence.

And that is historically important. Influence has been democratized.

Some of the biggest and brightest marketers and brands like Disney

Mark W. SchaeferAuthor, "Return On Influence"

Essentially, this is creating an entirely new marketing channel to complement traditional methods. And it's cost-effective too. Early results from case studies show the cost per impression is as good, or better, than paid advertising and it is ORGANIC since it is being generated by people who already love the brands.

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Social Influence Marketing is About to Change Your Business: Author of 'Return On Influence'