CNN Hot Spot

[cnnhotspot-blog]

Nothing Lasts Forever

[cnnhotspot-blog]

This is a video of author The Future of Reputation Daniel Solove talking about his book, the process, and what are the consequences for "being too free" on the internet. This is a long video but the first 10-15 are the most crucial which he summarizes his main points.

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Pictured here is "the dog poop girl" in Korea on a subway

[cnnhotspot-blog]

My Book Analysis

I decided to write my book analysis on The Future of Reputation by Daniel Solove and The Peep Diaries by Hal Niedzviecki. I noticed right from reading their summaries the major theme was privacy, and it was, but not quite the same meaning.

While the Solove's book focused on the negative aspects of peoples lack of privacy can hurt their reputation in the future Niedzviecki's book was merely written out of curiosity with society's new interest learning to read about other peoples lives while reading about yours as well.

My book analysis goes into depth about the authors strengths and weaknesses throughout, their major themes, what ramifications can become of them, and what affect their topics should have on readers for their future. As I mentioned already the major cornerstone issue that is both discussed in the books is privacy and also law. Another similarity I found interesting is that they both discuss real life blogger characters. Each author blogged themselves to get a feel with what "peep culture" is all about.

I liked how each author really had a hands on learning environment about social media, this made them more credible and that you knew they were talking from experience.

In my opinion I enjoyed reading The Peep Diaries because it was written in a lighter tone that was more comedic. While The Future of Reputation was horror story after horror story like the "dog poop girl" that made me never want to be on a social media site again. This story that I did not mention in my analysis is about a Korean girl who's dog pooped on the subway and she didn't clean it up, which eventually ruins her life and shes known worldwide as "the dog pooped girl."

I agreed that the feeling of wanting to feel accepted or noticed is normal. Each book talked about it as a sense of "community" because that is what every human being wants. Social media sites is the new hobby from ages 9-90 and I don't see them going anywhere, anytime soon.

[torijoelle]

On April 9, 2011 Jenna Wortham wrote an extremely interesting article that discussed the combination of social media with the old theory of FOMO or fear of missing out. While this is a theory that has been around for awhile social media has allowed it to catch fire. FOMO deals with the concept of picking up a newspaper on Monday morning and realizing what you missed over the weekend. While you may be bummed that you missed a big concert or event however it’s in the past and at that point there is nothing that can be done. What social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Foursquare, and so many others have done is allow you to see what your missing out on as its happening. For example the writer of the article describes cuddling up on the couch for a movie night by herself when her phone starts to update her on what her friends are doing at the same time. While she is having a cozy night in she finds out that right near her home a couple of her friends checked into a venue that usually hold concerts and such and she also is able to view a picture of another set of friends dinning at an upbeat and trendy restaurant in her city. When viewing these photos and check ins this causes the writer to think about if she should be out doing things like her friends. It even had her debating an impromptu night out. While she decided to stay in and opted to turn her phone face down (she couldn’t yet bring herself to turn it off) we can see much social networking has affected our lives. While the writer does admit that she doesn’t always get jealous and states that a lot of times she is excited to see what her friends around the world are doing she can be affected by the status and picture updates of her friends and more specifically those closer to her location as well as those who fall closer to her age. The concept of FOMO isn’t a new one but the ways in which we can experience the phenomenon are changing and evolving. Do you think that FOMO is a common experience for lots of social media users? Is it Facebook and Twitters fault or are these types of feelings inevitable?

[cnnhotspot-blog]

cnnhotspot:

This was article made me think how facebook twitter and other social media sites how they actually might make people feel left out. I can think of personal experience when my own friends will call me becuase of what something someone tagged me in or where I posted where I was at. Their feelings are hurt that I didnt invite them. That being said I have left out as well if I were to see all my friends going and doing something without telling me. So I can really realte to the author and how it must of felt to see all your friends out to dinner and you not there. Its inevitable to feel left out. I think thats what social media sites are about though like the exclusivity where you go and who you do it with. Great post!

I definitely think that social networking sites cause you to feel like you are missing out on stuff. I check my timeline, Instagram, and Facebook to see what my friends are doing. A lot of the time if someone tweets that they are doing something and it seems fun I will text them to meet up. No one likes the feeling of being left out. I wouldn’t say that social networking sites are to blame for this feeling but they do play a role in bringing these feelings to the forefront. If there were no Facebook or Twitter and you found out in class that your friends went out without you the night before you still have the same feeling of being left out. Social networks create the feeling as it is happening. It also allows you to make a choice to go partake in the activities that you are missing out on or chose to opt out of it. 

[shequanshow-blog]

How much is a tweet worth? The question has an almost koan-like quality. And yet at a time when the ranks of billion-dollar social-media companies keep growing (Instagram being the latest), it’s a good time to ask about the value of the services they provide. That is exactly what Rob May, co-founder of Backupify, did in an entry on his tech company’s blog.

May’s calculations were straightforward and fairly back-of-the-envelope. He derived his first number, value per user, by taking the valuations of various social-media and cloud-computing companies—Path, Instagram, Yelp, Pinterest, Foursquare, Twitter, Dropbox, LinkedIn (LNKD), and Facebook—and dividing them by the number of each companies’ users. (May calculated with active users when the number was available, total users when it wasn’t.) Then, in a second calculation, he took the number of individual things the companies’ users had created (the total number of tweets, for example, or all the Yelp reviews ever written) and divided that number into the company’s valuation or, in some cases, its annual revenue.

Doing the math this way, May calculated that a Foursquare check-in was worth 40¢, a LinkedIn search 12.4¢, and a Facebook “share” 2.4¢. A Yelp review was worth $9.13. A tweet? A tenth of a cent. A penny, in other words, for 10 of your thoughts.

Again, it’s a crude measure: For one thing, tweets and Facebook shares aren’t commodities—some are clearly worth more than others. But May’s point is that even a rough estimate of the value of something like a single Foursquare check-in helps to give a sense of how much value users are providing to social-media companies. “The reason that Yelp reviews are valued so highly is that every review creates lot of value for other users,” he told me. “You can’t create a lot of value for a lot of Path users because by its nature, it’s limited.” Of course, Yelp and Facebook users are providing all that content—and all that value—to the companies for free.

There’s another interpretation, though, as May readily concedes: Some social companies are decidedly overvalued. “It definitely is a possibility if the valuations are too high, that per content prices aren’t going to hold over the long term,” he says. “If you do this again in two years, a Yelp review could be worth three dollars.”

[cnnhotspot-blog]

cnnhotspot: I actually didnt know where social networking sites got their money too. This was very interesting and informative. I agree with what you said about yelp, 10 dollars does seem like a lot especially when you are doing mulitiple reviews. It was interesting to see in the future it said Yelp might only be worth three dollars. This was a great article, nice to know my tweets on twitter are the cheapest!

[asegay-blog]

Do you have a little brother, sister, niece, nephew, or know someone that is between the ages 7-13 (tweens)? If so, are they already getting familar with the Internet and browsing through random websites? Today’s social media has made a big impact on society. Children between the ages 7-13 are…

[thetreeoftruth]

I would never have knew about different social networking sites for kids. This is something I feel like could be more developed. Based on the article, it says that Facebook and Twitter help out with these sites, which could be helpful in regards to how to handle a social networking site, but exactly how safe are these? The Internet is still the Internet, which means spammers and unsafe people are still out there on these sites. I think parents will have to play more of a role when their kids are in their “tweens” (I like that term sir) and trying to participate in these networks. Paying attention to what is being said is important and as long as they can see what’s going on, then they can be less worried about weird instances happening. 

[cnnhotspot-blog]

cnnhotspot: I found this article really interesting, because I do have a little brother and sister. My little sister I am more worried about than anything shes only twelve but already is posting things I know she will regret in the future. But tweens just dont get it and they dont understand the consequences that might come from it. So to hear that they have created safe social networking sites for children is great. Because there is no telling kids to be off the internet, times  have changed and instead of asking for a skateboard or barbies for kids birthdays they are asking for ipads and iphones. I just hope that this will really help and protect kids in what kinds of pictures they post and comments they use. Great post and great article you found!

[dailyshitnews]

Big Brother Is Watching Your Tweets… 

It started with businesses concerned about their brands. Intelligence agencies have moved into it, raising alarms among privacy advocates. And many other government agencies are just beginning to explore its potential. It is social media analytics.

Companies and government agencies alike are using tools to sweep the Internet — blogs, websites, and social media such as Facebook and Twitter feeds — to find out what people are saying about, well, just about anything. The companies are generally interested in complaints about products or looking for sales leads. Intelligence agencies are looking for, among other things, warnings about potential terrorist threats.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation posted a Request for Information last month calling on IT companies to demonstrate their ability to design software for monitoring, mapping and analyzing social media.

The RFI, posted to the government’s Federal Business Opportunities website in January, reveals the FBI’s desire for software capable of monitoring social media websites like Facebook and Twitter to provide alerts and analysis for publicly posted information. The software would require the ability to:

“Geo-spatially locate bad actors or groups and analyze their movements, vulnerabilities, limitations and possible adverse actions”

“Detect instances of deception in intent or action by bad actors”

and

“Develop pattern-of-life matrices to support law enforcement planning and enforcement operations.”

In fact, the FBI is not the only US government agency currently working to monitor online social media;

In October 2010 the Electronic Frontier Foundationobtained documentson social network surveillance under the Freedom of Information Act showing that the Department of Homeland Security has established a “Social Networking Monitoring Center” for the collection and analysis of online public communications.

Last year, the Electronic Privacy Information Center obtainedmore FOIA documentsregarding the DHS social media surveillance, showing that the department has contracted General Dynamics to monitor social networks and even the comment sections of various news websites for “media reports that reflect adversely on the US Government [or] DHS.”

Also last year, the Federal Reserve Bank of New Yorkissued a Request for Proposalfor “Sentiment Analysis and Social Media Monitoring” software. The request called on companies to develop software to monitor social media such as tweets, Facebook posts and YouTube comments to analyze what people are thinking and saying about the United States’ privately-owned central bank.

In February of last yearit was revealedthat the US Air Force had solicited “persona management software” from contractors through an FBO request. The contract called for vendors to develop software which could allow up to 50 users to manage 500 online personas, which would be created “with background , history, supporting details, and cyber presences that are technically, culturally and geographacilly consistent.” The request also called for virtual private servers in specific geographic locations that could allow the social media persona to appear to be from a different part of the globe. When news of the proposal broke and several large websites began to draw attention to it, it was quickly taken offline.

Last July, DARPA, the Pentagon’s research project wing, announced a “Social Media in Strategic Communication” program. The announcement included language specifically calling for the ability to “influence operations” in “the environment in which [the Pentagon] operates,” meaning that it will be used to launch “countermessaging” campaigns online, supposedly to combat the spread of information harmful to the Pentagon’s interests.

Last month’s FBI request for information, too, crosses the line from passive monitoring into active operations. One of the desired attributes of the software that the FBI wants to develop is the ability to “predict likely developments in the situation or future actions taken by bad actors” by analyzing patterns and associations in the target’s online communications. 

Once envisioned as ascience-fiction scenario, America’s top law enforcement agency is now attempting to integrate pre-crime detection into their social media analysis.

Currently, according to the law, government agents can sneak onto your property in the middle of the night, put a GPS device on the bottom of your car and keep track of everywhere you go. This doesn’t violate your Fourth Amendment rights, because you do not have any reasonable expectation of privacy in your own driveway — and no reasonable expectation that the government isn’t tracking your movements. And now, our government is planning to monitor your speech and track your activities using social media analytics.  

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This is the bizarre — and scary — fact that now applies to the world in which we live. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit,  recently decided the government can monitor you  virtually anytime it wants — with no need for a search warrant. And the same may very well apply to government’s monitoring your activities via social media.  Certainly, it is obvious that our government will soon have (if not already) the ability to track everything you do on Facebook, Google, Twitter, Foursquare and the like.

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It is clear, that when government is provided with a tool that allows it to spy on it’s citizens, that tool is abused to the detriment of the people 100% of the time.  

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So, the next time you feel like posting information to your Facebook page or your Twitter feed, know that Big Brother is will be watching.

[allthingsmish-blog]

This is by far the creepiest thing ever. I think that some part of us always knows that we’re being monitored but to realize that it is actually happening or at least trying to happen is scary. I get the reason as to why business would want to know what people are saying about their product. It is a way for them to improve. I believe the same for the government to keep an eye on terrorist threats. The idea of having someone sneak up and put a GPS on my car is crazy. Not even the government needs to know that much about me. This definitely makes me think twice before I post anything on social networks because now I know that people outside of who I want to see my post are watching them. 

[cnnhotspot-blog]

cnnhotspot: I cant say im surprised. Honestly I always kinda knew the government would be keeping tags like this on people. I do think it is a lack of privacy, but I also think that people should be aware and more careful with what they post.

Some peope can be so dumb and inappropriate with what they post and put out there for the world to see. I know Im glad that I am always very conscious and careful of what I put on my social media sites. Now reading this I will be even more conscious of what I allow to be posted. But it was very alarming the government may have the right to put a tracking device on your vehicle. Good thing I dont do anything bad and the only places I go is school and work. So if the government has nothing better to dowith their time, feel free is all I have to say.

[cnnhotspot-blog]

FACEBOOK is worth HOW MUCH??

Due too a recent article alarming and surprising news has been announced. Can anyone estimate how much facebook is worth? I knew I couldn't but was very surprised to find out the recently facebook is announced to be worth $100 billion dollars! Just even in 2011 last year facebook's value was recorded at a revenue of $3.7 billion dollars. That is also an 88% increase from the previous year.

The article goes into detail of how facebook was started. All by a colllege student in his dorm room. We should all be familiar with his name by now, Mark Zuckerberg. He created facebook which originally was only meant for Harvard students than branched out to other elite college and eventually now is global. That all started back in 2004, now look where facebook has gone.

Facebook is now used by businesses and corporations to help sell and promote things. Facebook has also started revolutions and helped organize protests. If it wasnted for this social media site Egypt would not have gone through their revolution because facebook was a major factor that helped the citizens of Egypt to organize and come together for rights of the people. In the article it states, "Facebook is the worlds largest social network, with more than 800 million active users around the world, and roughly 200 million in the United States, or two-thirds of the popluation." That is incredible numbers! I just couldn't believe that is how many facebook users there are and most of them are in the Unites States.

All with the exception of China. China does not operate facebook, China has stricter rules. But I can only imagine if China did allow facebook how many more users there would be. The article also states some interesting facts that facebook on Feb 1st of this year took its first step of becoming a publicity traded company. What does this mean? This means that in your news feeds and opening on facebook page you will be seeing a lot more advertisements. Trading of the stock is to begin by late May of this year

[fitmedaily]

Homeless hotspots? What is the city of Austin Texas thinking? Recently a new marketing company named BHH took to the streets to implement a new way of distributing wireless internet access to the public during the SXSW festival. BHH charges $2 for 15 minutes of time spent online. The patrons that...

[cnnhotspot-blog]

CNNHOTSPOT:I found this article really interesting, but I dont know what is wrong with giving homeless people hotspots. Because aren't they going to be paying them, and I feel any money is good for homeless people. When you dont have anything something is better than nothing. But I do think they are undercharging the homeless people I do agree with you there. It is sad to see people who will work for so little. BUt I guess when you really need it you are forced to do desperate things. Great post! It really opened my eyes to what businesses are capable of and what they will do for profit.

[jaywill22-blog]

The article I read was about how a U.K. police force recently found a missing girl and instead of telling the girls mother first that they had found her, they tweeted it. Now, when I began to read this I was already shaking my head as to why something like this would even happen the way it did....

[cnnhotspot-blog]

cnnhotspot:Not only should the mother have been informed first, I think it is so unprofessional of the police to have posted it on twitter first. I am trying to see what reasons the police decided to put out a tweet out there that they found her daughter without telling the mother, and maybe the police thought that it was a good idea and the mom might see that first, because now days that is how news travels. Social media sites are getting out news so much faster by putting it on social media sites. But nevertheless I feel she has some rights to be called and informed first. I agree with what you said about what this world is coming to. We shouod be able to communicate to eachother, especially when it involves a sensitive case like this. Great post!

[dailyshitnews]

Is Facebook Turning Us Into Psychotics? 

Who takes a photo of every meal they eat to show to everyone they meet?  

Who offers up their newborn babies to strangers they’ve never met?  

Who drags their cats and their dogs around with them everywhere they go?

Well, a person afflicted with psychosis (a psychotic) certainly does…

And, thanks to Facebook, so do you….

In fact, thanks to the wonderful world of social media and networking sites, (the primary culprit being the omnipresent social gorilla known as Facebook), we’re only paying attention to the things we want to pay attention to. And that leaves us increasingly disconnected from our friends, family and co-workers as we simply turn to our devices when a conversation no longer interests us.

And that, apparently can be the cause of psychosis which, according to the American Heritage Science dictionary, is “a mental state characterized by the loss of contact with reality and the ability to think rationally.”

This mental state (a psychotic person often behaves inappropriately and is incapable of normal social functioning) has been attributed to frequent Facebook usage. 

Case in point.  Dr. Larry Rosen, a professor of psychology at California State University, distributed surveys to 1,000 urban adolescents and his own 15-minute observations of 300 teenagers that were studying.

Among his findings were;

Teenagers who use Facebook more often show narcissistic tendencies while young adults who have a strong Facebook presence show more signs of other psychological disorders, including antisocial behaviors, mania, and aggressive tendencies.

Daily overuse of media and technology has a negative effect on the health of all children, preteens, and teenagers by making them more prone to anxiety, depression, and other psychological disorders, as well as by making them more susceptible to future health problems.

Facebook can be distracting and can negatively impact learning. Studies found that middle school, high school, and college students who checked Facebook at least once during a 15-minute study period achieved lower grades.

There’s certainly plenty of data that supports Dr. Rosen’s findings. Surveys showing that we’re increasingly suffering from a variety of psychiatric ilnesses directly linked to the use and over-use of social media have become commonplace.

So,  what’s to be done about it?   Well, obviously it’s long overdue for us to actively pursue a more self-aware and well-adjusted relationship with technology, the internet and social media.

Or, you could just go on adding more photos to your collection of idiotic cat pictures on Facebook…

[cnnhotspot-blog]

CNNHOTSPOT:

Hahahaa! I really agree with this this is so true! I actually am guilty of this as well. I always am uploading pics of my dog, but I can’t help it he is so adorable. It is interesting to think though if Facebook was real life and how people would react. I also agree with how facebbok is disconnecting us from real life. Time and time again when I hangout with friends 90% of the time they are glued to their phones and half the time on facebook looking at other peples post. I admit it can get addicting but I know this isnt healthy. I can only imagine my kids and what kind of gadgets and technology they will be addicted too. Great post! It got me thinking on how much time I spend a day on facebook and waste away. #mco435

[allthingsmish-blog]

About a week ago radio host Rush Limbaugh attacked Georgetown Law student Sandra Flake for expressing her support for coverage of birth control through employer provided insurance. Flake states that she uses birth control. Of course Limbaugh has something to say as usual. He calls Sandra Flake a...

[cnnhotspot-blog]

CNNHOTSPOT: I really agreed with this post. Times have really changed where news comes out faster on Facebook and Twitter rather than breaking news. I can remember actually that IS where i do find most of my news becuase someone has posted about it. For example when I found out that Whitney Houston had died it wasnt my mom who called me or in a magazine or by the news. It was my friends post I saw on Facebook. We are even starting revolutions and fighting causes on social media sites like KONY 2012 is a prime example that has created so much awareness in just the last 24 hours. It is not surprising that he would get in trouble that fast even if he has freedom of speech you still have consequences with what you choose to say. Great post! #mco435

[cnnhotspot-blog]

KONY 2012

This article I thought was just ridiculous! I couldn't believe that there is actually people out there who are against helping others. The KONY 2012 video was to create awareness, I cant beleive how many people are agreeing with this writer and bashing the invisible children for trying to help a good cause. I dont see anyone else trying to start a movement and it is children who are fighting for this cause. I think everyone should support KONY 2012, I would like to see how this writer and the people supporting this article how they would react if there was a Joesph Kony in their neighborhood stealing their kids. People can just be so negative and critize others doing good. Whether their profits don't 100% go towards the cause that is the reality of most charities. You need money in order to fight for causes.

I also thought it was interesting the below comments mentioned TOMS. TOMS are shoes you can purchase and a pair goes to a needy child. People who bashing this cause too saying "how cheap the shoes are" and "instead of getting shoes for kids they need food and water" while I do agree that children need food and water it is still people out there having to have their negative input and always having something bad to say. Personally I owe a pair of TOMS not because they are stylish or comfy (which I find them very comfy) but because I dont think any child should be without shoes, and any help I can offer I will.

Just reading this article really was sad for me, I say that people should focus on the positive. Yes, things are never going to be perfect but we are human and have to start somewhere. Knowledge is power and with knowledge becomes responsibility. Maybe invisible children isn't the best charity to donate too, but I know they have more resources to help and find Joesph Kony than I do. I think what they are doing is amazing and I support them 100%. I would only be so lucky to be involved with something as inspirational as this.

I hope everyone will support KONY 2012. There is nothing wrong with supporting a good cause. Plus it is not like we are donating free money to them, we are paying for supplies. That comes with t-shirts and posters for awreness. Its only 30 dollars, most people spend than that in one day alone. I know I ordered my Action Kit and I know where i'll be on April 20. Where will you be?

[cnnhotspot-blog]

Social Media Sites help find jobs!

This article was very interesting and informative. The article talks about how people can find jobs on certian sites and gave examples. Like LinkedIn that helps you find jobs through a comapany search, sending out an email through LinkedIn, a blog link, or a twitter link. Other great sites that help you look for who is hiring or what the company is about is twitter. It is a great way to start networking with others and find out relevant news that takes interest to you.

Also the article mentions how most companies have a twitter page or a facebook page that allows you to see their feeds and posts to learn more about a particular company. I feel that this comes in handy when I want to find out something quick about a certain job and do a little more research of what it is all about. I know most organizations I have joined or am apart of all has a facebook page where you can "like" them and be updtaed what is happening with that organization or company.

Finding a job or should I say looking for what kind of job you would want makes it so much easier these days with all the available social media sites that lets you stay connected. Instead of back than you would have to call around or go to that exact companies location to see if they were hiring and what did the job entail, etc. Now all the information is made available at your fingers.

If you are looking for a job currently and want to know how to get started or where to look this article is a great place to start and gives tips on where and how to look. I recommend looking up the company or business you are interested in first on social media sites they are involved in. It also allows you to know more about them and what kind of information they give out online.

[cnnhotspot-blog]

This article talks about how just an hour after Whitney Houston's death 18 percent of twitter feeds mentioned her name it. Personally that is how I found out of her death was by facebook feeds. There was multiple people commenting on her death. I think that is how most people find out about news around the country and in the world, is from their facebook or twitter accounts.

I think the reason is because people are more likely to be on their facebook and twitter accounts rather than a online news site. I remember hearing about Michael Jacksons death and it wasnt on a news site or magazine but also on facebook. I never knew how much I rely on facebook for pretty much everything. If I want to know how the weather is I look at my news feed or if I want to know whats going on around ASU I go to the State Press page.

I even find out faster news that involves my family and close friends. If I don't get to see them everyday I can look at there facebook page and see what they are up to and what they have been doing in their lives. Likewise that people who are my close friends or family who I don't get to catch up with everyday can look to see what I ahev been up to or whats new with me. Social media sites is a lot more convenient and easy to receive news and less time consuming, rather than watching the evening news.

This article was not surprising that Whitney Houstons death was first seen on twitter and facebook. Times have changed news is recieved at a much faster rate and can be uploaded mobily right from your phone. You dont have to wait to get to a computer anymore write a story or upload pictures. Now you can upload a pic withinn seconds and post a "tweet" with a 140 characters or more. New world with new technology comes new experiences to learn and grow from.