Twitter and Facebook Wedding

Talk about your life being an open (face)book and how you could be tweeting your life away…I came across this wedding video on Youtube where just after the couple have exchanged their vows and are married, they both whip out their mobile devices to update their status on their social networking sites!

I don’t know if that’s cute or sad…

One wonders what their friends will hear of next…what they did on their honeymoon, their first quarrel, what they feel about the in-laws, etc, etc…Talk about how one can be so intimatley entwined with new media!

Netizens in the News

Recently, there’s been some news in Singapore about netizens who have drawn both praise and flak for their actions.

First is a blogger who chose to test the OCBC. What did she do? She went into the Marine Parade branch of the bank and stated that it was her birthday and that the bank should give her a birthday cake, just like in the ad on TV. The bank manager finally decided to give her the cake, after explaining that she took the message in the ad too literally!

She went on to blog about what she did, and has generated quite a lot of discussion online. Some laud her for standing up for consumer rights, while others think that she was being unreasonable. Whatever the case, she created something that she could blog about, and stirred up the online community, perhaps beyond what she herself imagined. What she did, will no doubt, make companies sit up and take notice and be more mindful of the messages they are sending out.

The other case involves something more sinister. Videos and photos have been posted online showing a skimpily clad woman being molested by 4 men at a new year countdown party. What is scary about this is not just the act of indecency itself, but the indecent behaviour of the bystanders who instead of helping the victim, and stopping the men, chose to whip out their cameras to record the act. What is wrong with these people? Are they so engrossed with their sordid ideas of citizen journalism that they chose to record and post the act than actually do something to help the situation. Not surprisingly, there’s been much discussion among netizens on this, with some spreading rumours about the victim, and generalising the race of the men caught in the act. Let’s hope that the  discussion comes back to focusing on the crime that was committed and how it should now be handled, and how such a situation could be avoided in the future. For one, people should choose to help, than just standby and gawk.

Charities go new media

Just a quick blog post during this Christmas season.

Just want to share about how social networking and gaming are used by charities to raise funds. Go to ClicktoAid website and you can play games, and accumulate points that would help needy children. This is a great way to get the young started on charity using something they are familiar with and something that they find fun!

So go on, get to the site and start giving!

Blessed Christmas to one and all.

TV vs web audiences

Just a quick post on something I came across that just reinforces what we know about web audiences, about how they are more impatient  and do not really read but scan mostly.

The article has a comparison of TV and web audiences and I’m reproducing the summary table here for you:

	TV	Web
Audience	Mass: everybody watches the same basic channels, so the programming has to be bland	Niche: everybody seeks out their own special interests the moment they want something
Usability	Turn it on	Figure it out
Technology	Weak: can’t do anything except show pictures; offers no features	Powerful: can do almost anything; offers plenty of features
Main access UI	“Same time, same channel” next week	Search and navigation
User experience	Passive: sit back and let it happen the way the program director decided	Active: lean forward and decide where you want to go at any time
Flow	Linear	Hypertext
Distractions	None (except for temptation to do something else during commercials), so you stay focused on the one show you’re watching	Many: other windows and tabs beckon (and you’d better check your email right now in case something important has come in)
Ownership	MSM (main-stream media = big corporations, because it’s expensive to run a broadcast network)	The means of production are in everybody’s hands, reversing the centralization caused by the industrial revolution
Production values	High	Low
Social context	Often with others; in a family room	Usually alone; in an office or den
Brand-building	Image and slogans	Experience
Good for advertising?	Yes	No (except search and classified ads)
Sales cycle support	Demand creation	Research, buying, fulfillment (for electronic products), customer support, relationship maintenance

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/media-velocity.html

One thing that really strikes me is the amount of distraction you get online, and the compulsion to multi-task when you get online!

Oh, excuse me, let me check on the other page that’s loading and the attachment that I’m waiting to be downloaded and the article I’m waiting to upload… 

 

 

Facebook can save you from a jail term!

Who would think that being on Facebook can save you from a jail sentence!

That thought definitely did not cross 19 year old, Rodney Bradford’s mind when he posted a question to his girlfriend about his breakfast on his profile.

That timing proved to be the time when a robbery he was suspected of as being the criminal, was staged, and the investigators were able to trace the post to be from his father’s keyboard, which indicated that he was nowhere near the crime scne.

So, in a way, Facebook saved him from a jail term, and the facebook alibi  saved him!

By the same token, I wonder if someone who posted on his profile or blog that he was drink driving or using his handphone while driving or, worse, that he had committed some great crime, would be charged for his ‘online confession’?

New Media at the PAP Conference 2009

In a move to show that it’s embracing the use of new media, there was new media tools galore at the recent People’s Action Party (PAP) Conference 2009.

A team of young PAP bloggers were on hand to capture and update posts on the fly on the PAP website as well as on Facebook and Twitter, and netizens could also send Twitter updates and comments. At the same time, partcipants at the event could sms their comments and questions, making the whole atmosphere seem very Web 2.0 – the age of participation and engagement.

According to an article by CNA, “this is the first time new media tools have been given such a prominent spot at the PAP Convention. It is part of a broader effort to update and refresh the party image, reach out to the wider public, and hopefully bring in new members”. Young PAP has a Facebook page to reach out to the young too.

I believe this could be seen as a sincere attempt by the party to use new media to engage its members as well as the larger public. This could be a response to comments made about lip service and all.

The party also screened his political video, in a move to signal that yes, political videos are acceptable. In fact, the government has announced that political videos would be allowed for the next GE.

This is one of the videos – on Unsung Heroes:

Also, in a move to also reflect the age of participation in the live event, (not just in virtual worlds) the party invited ordinary members to make speeches and reach out to their fellow member.

We look forward to seeing how new media will be used to enhance the political climate in Singapore!

State of the Blogosphere

Technorati’s report on the State of the Blogosphere is out!

And according to the report, Technorati states that “the growth of the blogosphere’s influence on subjects ranging from business to politics to the way information travels through communities continues to flourish. In a year when revolutions and elections were organized by blogs, bloggers are blogging more than ever, and the State of the Blogosphere is strong.”

Released over a 5-day period, the report covers the following:

The Report

Day 1 — Who Are the Bloggers?

Day 2 — The What and Why of Blogging

Day 3 — The How of Blogging

Day 4 — Monetization And Revenue Generation, Brands in the Blogosphere

Day 5 — 2009 Trends: Political Impact of Blogging, Twitter Usage

Definitely a must-read for those into blogging and new media! It’s interesting that the report has a section on Twitter – a testimony to the growing popularity of Twitter. In fact, Twitter’s popularity has grown so much that Google and Microsoft have been in competition to seal deals with Twitter for their serach engines to index Tweets!

Paid Bloggers to announce their commercial associations

Bloggers and the law are getting into the news these days.

First, there is news that new disclosure rules may soon be implemented in Singapore. What this means is that bloggers paid to talk about certain products would need to state upfront that they have received payment or perks for blogging about those items.

According to the article Bloggers who get gifts or money may have to own up, MDA feels that “such regulations will protect consumers by enabling them to make an informed assessment about what they read”.

This rule follows upon the recent news from the United States, that from Dec1, “bloggers will have to make ‘clear and conspicuous’ disclosures if, for example, they write a restaurant review after having been treated to a feast there…The penalty for flouting this rule in blogs or postings in Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube: A fine of US$11,000 (S$15,360).”

 With blogs now going very much beyond the personal journal-style blogs found in the days of blog infancy, and taking on a more commercial spin, many companies and individuals are using blogs for marketing and advertising purposes.

Many companies have taken advantage of the more personal appeal of blogs and have approached bloggers to test review their products. While there is nothing wrong with that, things get complicated when the bloggers are paid or presented with gifts for their postings. I mean, it’ll be hard for the bloggers to be objective in their reviews when they were being paid!

Already, a beauty products company in Sinagpore has been suspected of paying a blogger to write highly positive reviews about the products. This is tantamount to fraud as what is ostensibly a personal review is actually a form of paid advertising.

Thus, by making bloggers declare their commercial associations at the start, readers would be more mindful of that when reading the posts and recommendations, and hence make more informed decisions about those products.

Still, I would like to highlight that while there are many paid bloggers out there, and with the disclosure law kicking in, we would know who they are, there are also many passionate bloggers out there who have views and are ready to express them, sans payment from companies.

According to the article Blogger disclosure regulation – who and how to implement it in Singapore?, “the thing now is to draw a clearer line between a paid post and a genuine review or post.”

The next issue makes for interesting irony. Bloggers who give their own personal opinions are getting flak and even threats of legal action for posting their views on their blogs. Recently, some food bloggers have been threatened with law suits for their reviews of certain restaurants that the owners have found to be ‘untasteful’ and ‘unsavoury’. They were asked to take down their posts. This has sparked discussion about the freedom of speech of bloggers and the concept of personal reviews.

As we navigate new areas in cyberspace, laws would need to be adapted or crafted carefully to adapt to the dynamic online public space.

What do you think? To what extent do bloggers or should bloggers have freedom of speech?

Top 10 Blogs for writers

Happy to announce that one of my favourite blogs, Copyblogger, has made it to the top of the list of Top 10 blogs for writers!

Thought I’d reproduce the post here so that you can check out Copyblogger as well as the other useful blogs.

Happy reading!

We’re honored that Copyblogger has been chosen as the top blog for writers for the fourth year in a row. Thanks to Michael Stelzner for the nod, and for holding this terrific competition.

Here are all the winners with Michael’s commentary. If you’re interested in writing online, you’ll get a lot out of adding each of these to your daily reading.

 Copyblogger This site is the heavyweight champion of the world four years running (and one of the top blogs on the planet)! The brain-child of Brian Clark, his blog keeps winning because of its insightful articles.

1. Men With Pens: James Chartrand and Harry McLeod maintain the number two slot with their inspiring content and rich community discussion.
2. Write to Done: This blog nearly always delivers a home run with its excellent articles for all writers and is the product of top blogger Leo Babauta.
3. Editor Unleashed: Inspired by the former Editor-in-Chief of Writer’s Digest, Maria Schneider explores writing, social media and community on her excellent blog.
4. Freelance Writing Jobs: This site is the first stop for freelance writers seeking new work and great articles (and it remains a top winner since this contest began). Congrats Deb Ng!
5. Confident Writing: Joanna Young delivers rich and useful articles that will help you take your writing to the next level.
6. Urban Muse: Susan Johnston covers a wide range of excellent topics that all writers will enjoy.
7. WordCount: Journalist Michelle Vranizan Rafter explores the challenges freelance writers face on her excellent blog.
8. Quips & Tips for Successful Writers: A true cornucopia of ideas for writers, Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen provides endless content and freelancing tips.
9. Fuel Your Writing: This site will certainly fuel you! Michelle Krasniak Oxman and her huge team of contributors provide great content for writers.

About the Author: Sonia Simone is Senior Editor of Copyblogger and the founder of Remarkable Communication.

New Media Shopping

In my previous post on how publications like TIME are using new media to supplement their print editions, I see that many shopping centres are also turning to new media to publicise their wares and draw in customers.

Take the departmental store in Singapore, Tangs, for example. It not only has its Tangs website, you can now be its fan on Tang’s facebook, follow it on Tang’s Twitter, watch its video channel which fetaures interviews with fashionistas, and even visit its online virtual store in Second Life!

The challenge is of course to convert all that online interaction into real currency exchanges for the store!