October 6th, 2008
LinkedIn and Xing set to benefit from downturn?
LinkedIn, the social network for “professionals”, could actually be benefiting from the downturn, says the BBC’s technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones. That’s because the site’s value proposition really kicks in for those that have or fear that they might be about to lose their job.
The site provides a simple way to publish a resume online along with references, as well as sophisticated tools for networking in order to make new introductions, check out potential new employers, and get spotted by recruiters.
Referring to LinkedIn’s job hunting utility, Cellan-Jones once jokingly called it a “Facebook for losers”. But in this time of economic uncertainly, LinkedIn, and other sites like it, could turn out to be the real winners. Read the rest of this entry »
October 2nd, 2008
Obama launches iPhone app; US election good for Twitter
During each presidential election the techniques and practices employed to organize and engage voters becomes ever more sophisticated, with new technology increasingly playing its part. Enter Apple’s iPhone, which the Obama campaign is hoping to turn into a political recruiting tool like none seen before.
The most notable feature of the new “Obama for America” iPhone application, available as a free download via the iTunes store, is the ability to tap your iPhone’s existing address book in order to prioritize your contacts “by key battleground states”, presumably so that you’ll call them up to persuade them to vote Obama. It’s key battlegrounds - states that could go either way - that Obama will need to win if he’s to become president. Read the rest of this entry »
October 1st, 2008
Slide to distribute video on Facebook; Facebook to overtake MySpace in the US; Oasis launches new album on MySpace
The social web weekly: a quick-fire roundup of some of the news, announcements and conversations that have occurred throughout the week…
September 29th, 2008
UK secret service recruiting on Facebook
MI6, a branch of the UK’s secret service, is using Facebook as part of a recent recruitment drive to find the “next generation of spies”, reports The Guardian newspaper.
The ads, which begun appearing on the so-called social utility, reflect a change in tactics first introduced in 2006. Rather than targeting top tier Universities only, MI6 is reaching out via a number of public channels in the hope of attracting candidates from a variety of backgrounds. Last year the CIA also began using Facebook to reach out to potential candidates. Read the rest of this entry »
September 25th, 2008
Madison Avenue to Facebook: you’ll never be the next Google
In a renewed attempt to woo Madison Avenue, Facebook is “making a huge push” at Advertising Week, an industry-wide series of events for media buyers and publishers, reports Valleywag. The social utility’s “push” includes a full-page ad in the events program, a number of sponsored sessions, and throwing a party tonight in which Ziggy Marley (son of Bob) will be performing.
The motivation: Facebook has yet to turn its 100+ million user-base into a fertile ground for advertisers, with co-founder Mark Zuckerberg reportedly estimating revenue in 2008 to be around the $300 million mark
An unnamed New York ad-executive (via Valleywag) offers Facebook some unsolicited advice: Read the rest of this entry »
September 23rd, 2008
Gphone and Android will fuel the social web
We’ve already seen the iPhone become a fertile ground for social networking applications and other forms of social software, thanks to its public Software Development Kit and modern standards-based web browser, but arguably Google’s Android mobile platform will have an even greater impact on the social web.
See also: Gallery: 25+ social networking apps for iPhone and iPod touch
The first so-called ‘Gphone’ powered by Android will be officially unveiled later today by T-Mobile, and based on leaked photos, combined with what we already know about Android, the handset (called the G1) shares a lot with Apple’s iPhone but also, unsurprisingly, takes a few cues from the T-Mobile Sidekick. The Sidekick is designed by Danger Inc., a company previously co-founded by Android head Andy Rubin, and was one of the first smartphones targeted at the consumer market by pitching Instant Messaging and non-corporate email as the centerpiece of the device. (Hence the slide-out QWERTY keyboard which the Android-powered G1 shares). Read the rest of this entry »
September 19th, 2008
Yahoo launches new social network; Twitter redesign; Rumor: Ebay selling off StumbleUpon
The social web weekly: a quick-fire roundup of some of the news, announcements and conversations that have occurred throughout the week…
September 18th, 2008
Facebook’s Zuckerberg makes Forbes’ rich list
Mark Zuckerberg, founder of the so-called social utility Facebook, has made number 321 of the Forbes 400, a list of the richest people in America, with a personal wealth of $1.5 billion.
Forbes’ calculation is based on an estimate that Facebook generates annual sales of $300 million, and the fact that Microsoft invested $240 million last October for a 1.6% stake, valuing the site at a very generous $15 billion. Although Forbes does concede that “analysts—and even a few Facebook investors—suggest [the] company’s value is far lower”. That being the case, perhaps Zuckerberg isn’t worth $1.5 billion after all? Read the rest of this entry »
September 15th, 2008
LinkedIn the ad network
Bucking the trend whereby advertisers are shying away from social networking sites, demand on LinkedIn is so strong that the site has decided to roll out its own ad network.
Announced today, the career-oriented social networking site for professionals will begin selling ads on partner sites, ads that specifically target its affluent user base. Read the rest of this entry »
September 15th, 2008
Facebook: no social networking here
One of the delightful things about creating a new web application or service is the way in which end users find unintended ways of utilizing said service. That’s a common story we hear from those who’ve created cutting-edge and disruptive products on the web and something that has become an aspiration of web startups.
An example that springs to mind is the way in which early adopters of Twitter made use of the @ sign, and how Twitter recognised this to evolve to become more than a micro-blogging system into a communications platform.
But Facebook is different. Arrogant even.
Either use the service how its owners intend or you’ll be kicked out. Read the rest of this entry »
Steve O'Hear is a London-based consultant, educator, and journalist, focussing on the Internet and all aspects of digital technology. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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