Is it possible the Brits invented Twitter in 1935?

For the Wall Street generation it was all about being upwardly mobile.  Today you’ve got to be socially mobile.  Social networking and mobile technology are setting the pace for the Web.  Is your online strategy socially mobile?  If not, you could be missing out.

Here’s a quote from Darryl Zanuck of 20th Century Fox from 1946:

Television won’t be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night

Don’t be to social mobility what Darryl Zanuck was to TV.

Here are some “bottom line” considerations for a socially mobile web presence.

To Flash or Not to Flash
Flash is a proprietary technology from Adobe primarily used to add animation and video to websites.  The problem with Flash is that is not supported on many mobile environments.   There has always been tension between Flash and the Web.  Artistic types like it.  But because of security issues, incompatibility with search engines, and being not compatible with many mobile platforms, Flash has fallen out of favor with the IT community.
The bottom line.
You should not build your website on Flash or use Flash for your navigation.  If you use Flash at all, use it sparingly.  I prefer using JavaScript; it is an open system that works well on mobile devices.  And if you use video upload it to YouTube and put the link on your website.  Then when your website is viewed from an iPhone/iTouch/iPad it will launch the YouTube app and the user can view the video.

Content is King
On the Web content is king.  Of course you want a nice looking website, but on the Internet it is more important what you say that just having a pretty frame.  And in today’s real-time online world you need to be able to update your website quickly without a lot of drama.  Your website should be built on an open source platform where you post updates without having to go your web designer.  Then you can save your webmaster for the big “techie” stuff (ecommerce, RSS feeds, social network plugins, etc…).
The bottom line.
If you need to call your web person every time you want to make even a tiny change to your website then it’s time to renovate your website to a content control system.  My favorite is WordPress because of its ease of use, plays well with social media, and works well on mobile browsers.

Can Facebook Help Your Business?
The short answer is “yes”.  Whether it is Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, and even MySpace, having a social media strategy ranks up there with having a search engine optimization plan (Google ranking).  Having a page on social networking websites is the best way to improve your search engine placement, so it all ties together.  However, it is important to control your social networking and not let it control you.  (Stay clear of Farmville, Mafia Wars, and politics!)
The bottom line.
Embracing social networking can help others embrace your business.  If you are a bit social-media-shy then I suggest you start with Linkedin as it caters to the business community and is not as intense as Facebook.

Need Help?
Becoming socially mobile can be fun, but it can be tricky, too.  Let TechAdvocate Solutions help you with you develop an online strategy that’s right for you.   Click here, fill-out the VERY short form, and someone will be contacting you!

Every time there is a glitch in Facebook privacy people complain their confidentiality has been violated.  So I have solved the Facebook privacy issue.  Are you ready?  Here it is:

If you want to keep something private then don’t put it on Facebook.  Period!

Here’s the thing about social networks – they’re social.  Facebook is not the place to have an online chat with your secret lover.  If you want to keep your affair private then do what people use to do and have a “third rate romance low rent rendezvous” at a seedy motel.  And with foreclosures at an all time high there are plenty of abandoned buildings and empty luxury condos to carry on your shenanigans.

And if you are going to do something sleazy and hypocritical then you’re only going to make things worse by trying to justify it on Facebook.  Let’s say you’re an anti-Gay activists who uses your credentials as a doctor to help push homophobic policy.  But you secretly have a thing for rent boys giving you massages while in the nude performing a move called the “long stroke”.  And say your name is Dr. George Rekers, co-founder of the Family Research Council which under the guise of religion leads the charge to discriminate against Gay people.  When you get caught with your hand in the “rent boy” cookie jar then don’t post psycho-babble on your Facebook page that makes you seem certifiable insane.

Click here to read George Rekers’s Facebook post in response to getting caught spending 10 days on a European vacation with a male hooker.  And I challenge you to try and read it with a straight face.  (Sorry, it had to be said.)

By the way, if you are a closet homosexual like George Rekers then you should not parade it all over Europe and the Miami airport.  Why not do your “gay business” in airport bathrooms.  Well, maybe that’s not such a good idea, either.

So let’s keep privacy private and Facebook social.  Complaining about privacy problems on a social networking site is like going to the beach and gripping about the sun and the sand.

On 4/6/2010 a U.S. appeals court ruled against the FCC’s net neutrality regulations.  This is a defeat for Internet freedom advocates and Internet users.  But for big corporations, the same people who crashed our financial systems, this is a large win.

Here are two blog posts I wrote about the Net Neutrality that goes into more detail about his issue.
http://www.biologyoftechnology.com/2009/10/net-neutrality-is-back/
http://www.biologyoftechnology.com/2008/07/net-neutrality-is-a-big-opportunity-for-big-business/

Here’s one of the many videos on youtube.com that explain Net Neutrality.

If greedy corporation get their hands on the Internet to impose their will then you can kiss good-bye to the Internet as you know it.  In the world of a business controlled Web then there is nothing to stop Comcast (or any ISP) from charging tolls and fees to access specific websites.  Imagine a Facebook fee added to your ISP bill because you use a lot Facebook, or certain website painfully slow unless you purchase the “gold level” package from your ISP.  It could happen!

Before you start waving your “No Big Government” banner at me, consider this.  We have laws to protect blocks of land as national parks so everyone can enjoy them.  Otherwise big business would have bought the Grand Canyon and turn it into a billion dollar real estate development exclusively for the super wealthy.  Net Neutrality is a proposed set of laws to provide the similar protection for the Internet.  Without it we could see Internet access controlled by big business and special interest.

This is not a right-left political issue.  This is a free speech issue.  So before you hope on whatever political train-of-thought you ride, I strongly encourage you to think this through for yourself.  Be a free thinker and support a free Internet!

Here’s a great video that shows how social networking can help your business.  And it’s fun to watch.

Click here to view video on mobile device

There are two good reasons NOT to join Facebook Groups protesting that Facebook will start charging users.
1. These claims are false. Facebook has deny any rumors that they will charge users
2. These groups can lead you to malicious sites that can infect your PC with viruses and spyware.

Here is a Facebook page that puts to rest the rumors about Facebook charging users:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Face-Book-will-never-charge-users-The-facts-the-truth/262579709805

Here is another link from telegraph.co.uk dismissing these rumors:   http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/6973757/Facebook-dismisses-rumours-of-charging-plans.html

And last but not least, checkout the snopes.com article dispelling this Facebook falsehood:
http://www.snopes.com/computer/internet/fbcharge.asp

More important, these phony FB groups have more nefarious intentions – to infect your PC with nasty viruses and spyware. Here’s a message from Facebook warning about these groups.

The rumor about charging $4.9…9 or £3.99 or £14.99 a month is totally made up. However, confusion is not what the scammers seek: members of the group are directed to external websites that are capable of installing malware. Some of the sources can even download 25 different infections automatically upon visit.

If you did join one of these groups then you should eliminate it from your Facebook account and run a full anti-virus scan on your PC ASAP.

If you do not have an anti-virus program then stop, drop, and roll…and click on the following link for instructions on how to get the free version of the AVG anti-virus software.
http://www.techadvocate-solutions.com/techtips/2009/12/09/avg-anti-virus-9-update/

I think it is awesome that Facebook provides FREE online services to hundreds on millions of people all over the world. But it puzzles me why people rise up in protest at just the rumor of Facebook potentially charging users. Even if Facebook charged $4.99 a month this calculates to just 16 cents a day! Yet we pay A LOT more to use cell phones and landlines. Makes you think!

If you are a Facebook user would you consider their service worth 16 cents a day? Let me know your thoughts by posting your comments.

Your Facebook pictures and videos you thought that only your FB friends could see might be open to more people with the new FB privacy settings.  A LOT MORE PEOPLE!

Recently all FB users upon logging in were re-directed to the new privacy screen.  Most just accepted the defaults that were presented which looked something like this:

But Now the Warning You Were NOT Told.
If your privacy setting were such that you only share with friends, accepting these setting opens all your photos and videos to friends AND their friends.  THIS WAS NOT THE OLD DEFAULT.  What this means it that your friends AND all of their friends can now see your photos and videos EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT YOUR FRIEND.

It’s like the movie “Death Becomes Her” when Meryl Steep’s character drinks the magic youth potion.   After gulping it down she is THEN told, “And now a warning”.  She promptly replies, “NOW, a warning!”  Except FB didn’t even give you a warning.

Nightmare Scenario for the new default privacy
Suppose you had your FB profile set to only share with your friends.  So you post pictures from Mardi Gras of you on Bourbon St scantily clad making-out with someone whose name to this day you can’t remember.  Before the new privacy settings only you and your FB friends got a kick about this picture and probably wrote a lot of catty comments.  Now all of their friends are getting a kick out your “gone wild” picture, too (along with the catty comments).  THINK ABOUT IT!

Here’s The Fix
Here’s how to change your privacy setting so that only your friends can see your photos and videos.
Click Settings -> Privacy Settings:

Click Profile Information
Check the setting for Photos and Videos of Me.  The new default is set for “Friends of Friends”, but THIS WAS NOT THE OLD DEFAULT.
You can change you setting back so that photos and videos can be seen by just your friends.  While you’re there you should make sure your other privacy settings are to your liking and posting habits on FB.

FB CEO Mark Zuckerberg Got Caught with His FB Britches Down
Don’t feel bad if you didn’t know about this hole in the new FB privacy settings.  Mark Zuckerberg, the young whiz kid who started Facebook, had a red-faced moment when he changed his FB profiles settings to the defaults for the new privacy settings.

Here’s a clip from http://www.newsfactor.com/ about what happened.

Kashmir Hill, a blogger for True/Slant, first reported Zuckerberg’s new exposure, noting, “Either Mark Zuckerberg got a whole lot less private or Facebook’s CEO doesn’t understand the company’s new privacy settings.” Under the new privacy regime, user profiles are exposed to the web unless users are proactive about limiting access.
Hill reported that while Zuckerberg has in the past offered very limited access to his Facebook information, his profile is now “uber-public.” Hill reported: “I can see his wall, his photo albums, and his events calendar. Zuckerberg recently became a fan of Taylor Swift, uploaded graphic photos of The Great Goat Roast of 2009 three months ago, and plans to attend the Facebook holiday party on Friday night. I can even tell you where it’s going to be held.”

This is good time to be reminded of the one of the golden rules on the new online universe.  If you don’t want everyone to know what you are doing then don’t post it on Facebook or Twitter! You know, those status postings are optional.  Yeah, really.  For example, suppose I have seen the Star Trek movie 14 times.  (Did I just admit that?)  If I don’t want my Facebook friends to kid me about being huge geek, then there is I should not post it.

And NEVER post pictures from Mardi Gras.  Nothing good can come if it!

Click here for more on how not to loose face on Facebook!

Traveling for Holidays?  Want free Wi-Fi?  Google, Yahoo, eBay, and Microsoft are all getting into the Holiday spirit by offering free Wi-Fi to Holiday travelers.  Here are the details.

Google will offer free Wi-Fi from Nov. 16, 2009 to Jan. 15, 2010 on Virgin American flights and in the 47 airports listed in this link.
http://www.freeholidaywifi.com/

EBay will provide free Wi-Fi on some Delta planes during the week of Thanksgiving.   Check with Delta to see if your flight is on the freebie list.  Users will be taken first to eBay’s holiday page, but they will be free to roam from there.

Since September, Microsoft has given away Wi-Fi access at some hotels and airports, encouraging users to make a query on the company’s new search engine, Bing.

Starting Nov. 9, 2009, Yahoo is giving away Wi-Fi access in Times Square in New York.

There is much speculation as to the real reason why companies are giving you this Holiday gift.  Perhaps it is because we have all been good boys and girls.  Or perhaps they are using this as a chance to test Wi-Fi services they plan to offer in the future .   Don’t mean to be Scrooge, and I’m not doubting that you’ve been good this year, but my money is that this a beta test wrapped in a Christmas bow.

If you do use one of these free Wi-Fi giveaways, make sure your anti-virus programs is up-to-date!

Net Neutrality is back in the mix.  If your head is spinning from Health Care Reform, Afghanistan, Energy, and the Recession, you’re probably trying to remember Net Neutrality and why it is such a big deal.  Net Neutrality is a movement to preserve the open and equal nature of the Internet that we have come to know and love.   Here’s a post I wrote about a year ago and the issue is still pretty much the same.
http://www.biologyoftechnology.com/2008/07/net-neutrality-is-a-big-opportunity-for-big-business/

We have laws to protect national parks so everyone can enjoy them.  Otherwise big business would have bought the Grand Canyon and turn it into a billion dollar real estate development exclusively for the super wealthy.  Net Neutrality is a proposed set of laws to provide the similar protection for the Internet.  Without it we could see Internet access controlled by big business and special interest.  You know – the same people who crashed our financial systems.

So you would think Net Neutrality would be a no-brainer much like laws protecting national parks.  However, there are those who feel the Internet would be in better hands if big corporations could control what you and I see in our web browser.

Jon Stewart of The Daily Show explains Net Neutrality and why some oppose it in only the way that he can.

Facebook now has over 300 million users.  The US population is 307 million.  Let’s face it; Facebook is a force to be reckoned with.  So it only makes since to include Facebook in your marketing strategy.

Facebook is changing the cyber landscape at an explosive pace.  In a September 16, 2009 announcement, Facebook CEO Mark Zukerberg declared the social networking website has passed the 300 million mark.  Just 2 months ago Facebook announced that they had reached the 250 million user milestone.  A growth rate of 50 million users in just 2 months means Facebook is adding about 800,000 per day!

Here are some other Facebook facts:
- About 70% of Facebook’s users are outside the US
- There are about 90 million Facebook users in the States
- The fastest growing Facebook demographic is adults 35 and older (Ironic since FB started as a place for college kids to keep in touch.)

But what many consider an even more impressive Facebook landmark is that it is now making money.  This puts Facebook ahead of the original goal of being profitable by 2010.

Facebook can help you make money, too.  Businesses of all sizes are including Facebbook in their online marketing strategy as much as Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  Will we see a new online term called Facebook Optimization (FBO)?

If you have questions about how Facebook, Twitter, or other Social Networking can help your organization contact TechAdvocate Solutions at:
http://www.techadvocate-solutions.com/contactus.php