Why are we doing this?

Taking photos, making videos, editing, writing, updating this blog, our Facebook page, and posting tweets is a lot of work. And on top of that, we’re also on the road.

So why are we doing this and trying to get attention?

Because we are doing our little bit to increase awareness on climate change and the need for everyone to take action now. We cannot understand why people worry about stock markets, house prices, and even unemployment rates, when we might not have a world!!! What if there is no drinking water tomorrow …. or you are washed away by the sea rising ….. or your children have no future ….?

This is a difficult topic to talk about because we care deeply and it’s an emotive area for us.

350.org say it better.

They were one of the organizations at Copenhagen making sure the voices of ordinary people got heard. Their website is full of information, scientific findings, people’s efforts and photos of events all around the world. Their name is related to the level of  CO2 …. “350 parts per million is what many scientists, climate experts, and progressive national governments are now saying is the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere” … http://www.350.org/about/science

And they ask and answer such questions as:

What is global warming and what’s the problem anyway?

What does this 350 number mean?

If we’re already past 350, are we all doomed?

How do we create the political change to steer towards 350?

How do we get the world on track to get to 350?

How do we actually reduce carbon emissions to get to 350??

We hope you’ll take a look at their website and then decide on what action you can take.

[Via http://yeswecanjourney.wordpress.com]

"Men and women can't be friends."

I re-watched When Harry Met Sally yesterday and was reminded of the above quote.  And as with every time I watch it, I wondered if it was true.

Conclusion: it’s true.  Men and women can’t be friends.

I researched it a little more in depth this time.  My method?  I went through my facebook friend list and looked at all the guys I have on there.  Interestingly enough, I realized that about 75% of my facebook friends are girls.  Then I weeded out most of the other guys too, because they were either family, gay, married (there’s some history with a couple of the married ones, but that’s for another day), or mere acquaintances (you know, people I met once at a party or haven’t seen since high school).  I could try to factor all of these people in too, but to keep things simple, I went through the guys I would actually consider good friends.  It’s down to six guys, and here they are:

1. Mr. History: As his nickname implies, we’ve got a lot of rather complicated history.  And I’ve been hung up on him in an unrequited way for a good ten years.  Yes, I consider him a dear friend, but no, it’s definitely not a simple, baggage-free friendship.

2. Mr. Entertainment: As we live in completely different locales, we basically communicate strictly via facebook.  However, we have a great connection with it comes to stuff like TV and movies, and it’s tough to find people who have similar tastes to me.  I’ve got a small crush on him, strictly for that reason.  While we could probably be friends pretty easily if we lived in the same place, I’m pretty sure my crush would grow pretty easily too.

3.  Mr. Doctor: I completely dig this guy.  Indeed, he’s a doctor and very accomplished, smart, funny, amazing, etc.  The attraction’s totally from my side only.  I’m pretty sure he has a crush on another good friend of ours who doesn’t see him that way (just more evidence that men and women can’t be friends).

4.  The Engineer: I am still a little heartbroken over this guy.  He was single when I first met him and we connected really well when it came to humor, faith, and general interests.  While we did stay friends, I watched him start dating someone else, get engaged, and get married.  So he technically falls in the “married” category now, but it is a good illustration regardless.

5.  Mr. Platonic: Obviously.  While I would prefer things to be plantonic, his thoughts are completely different.

6.  Mr. Unnamed: Again.  Obvious issues from my perspective.

So there you have it.  In my experience, men and women can’t be friends.  You probably noticed that some of the guys I’ve written about here aren’t even on my list.  And that is even more evidence, because we’re not even friends enough at this point to even be facebook friends. 

And with that, you should know that this is probably the last time you’ll hear from me in 2009, so I’ll be back with more stories in 2010!  Are there any stories or people or situations I’ve referenced that you want to know more about?  Just ask; I’ll write!

[Via http://waitingforbutterflies.wordpress.com]

The right time

When we come to make a life changing decision, how many times have we used “it’s not the right time”, or “I want to wait until the right moment comes” as an excuse to postpone or even give up our action? Seemingly, time is convenience to use

But when is the right time? Even more interesting is, when the ‘right’ time comes, will you be able to spot it, and act on it immediately? Or you are not prepared enough to act fast so the ‘right’ time slips and you say,”I will wait for the right time” again..and again…

When is it gonna end?

Also, I can’t help but wonder, does the ‘right’ time ever exist?

Answer me, when is the right time to quit your job/to get married/to have baby/to fire redundant employees/to start healthy diet/to start exercising…etc etc? WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME!?

Just take the “to have baby” as example

Normally a recent married couple would WAIT for at least a year, for the purpose of enjoying life and time with another half. After 1 year, they would start to PLAN to have baby. They calculate and calculate and finally workout a financial statement forecast to see how much money they need to raise a baby. They then decide to use (let say) 3 years to earn $4m (which they think they need)…but what will happen during these 3 years? Husband might lose his job/wife gets promoted/they lose all their saving in financial crisis/someone in the family is sick/realise $4m is not enough but $5m instead….every incident would push their curve of saving upward and downward, besides, what about inflation, price increase in food, education, house (if you can predict those, you would be a billionnaire so I dont think you need to PLAN anyway) or even living necessity? How many elements do you put into the scenario study/testing when you are making the forecast?

Let’s not forget also the personal maturity is also a factor to be considered

So when is the right time for this couple to have baby?

Allow me to say this, it’s never the right time

We tend to do a risk evaluation, calculating what would we lose if we make this move or take this step? How about what to lose if we DO NOT make this move or take this step? What would we lose if we STAND STILL and being indecisive when we are facing a problem? I don’t know how to quantify the lost but at least, apart from anything else, you lose time

A successful person might not be the most intelligent, the most innovative, the most entrepreneurial and any quality that you can think of….but he certainly has to be the type: someone who will act on whatever he sees, listens and believes in

Take the action now, for all sakes in the world. Don’t not regret on something you haven’t done, experience and feel what you have done

A little to share after start reading the 4-hour workweek by Timothy Ferriss, very inspiring

[Via http://christyli.wordpress.com]

2009- THE YEAR OF SOCIAL NETWORKING

Social Networking has been at a very high demand this year. Major social networking websites like Facebook & Twitter has attracted millions of users at a very regular basis. Whether they could be used for only building social contacts, or for the commercial purposes, the social networking has become a very important part of the people’s lives.

Ranging highly from schooling kids to the teenagers in college to the adults working or at home, extending to the elderly people; social networking has been the most preferred mode of communication for the people.

Not just for the social purposes, but also for the commercial purposes- the social networks have been a very important part of the people’s lives now. Social networks have helped many companies in boosting their business to a very higher extent, which has taken back the negative effectives of the recession to a very greater extent.

People are finding different ways in which the social networks can help out more in contributing more to the business taking down further the effects of the recession. Starting from the small businesses to the larger ones, all are initiating to expand their business lines with the help of the social networks, among which, Facebook and Twitter are most preferred ones.

Social Networking is the best way in which people can communicate about their business to the people at large, which also proves to be the best strategy whether it could be any business. 2009 has indeed been the year of social networking, which has seen the highest usage of the social networks for all purposes.

[Via http://expertsfromindia.wordpress.com]

Melihat Teman yang Online di Facebook dalam keadaan Offline

biasanya banyak orang yg waktu lagi pesbukan kaga mau diganggu sama chatting…tapi walaupun kita bikin chattingan kita dalam keadaan offline,,ternyata kita tetap masih bisa melihat sapa ajah teman kita yang lagi online…

1.Rubah kolom chattingan anda menjadi offline

2.Lalu klik ikon Aplikasi yang ada di pojok kiri bawah

3. Cari aplikasi dengan mengetikkan Appear Offline

4. Setelah masuk, silahkan ikuti petunjuk selanjutnya. Disana terdapat kategori Online Now (untuk melihat siapa yang online, avtive friend dan idle friend), Bookmarks (untuk membuat daftar teman-teman favorit), Friend’s Bdays! (untuk melihat semua daftar ulang tahun teman anda) dan Help.

5. Untuk lebih mempermudah akses anda menggunakan aplikasi appear offline, tambahkan ke menu navigasi bar anda sebelah kiri bawah halaman anda

So, dengan aplikasi ini kita gak perlu OL dulu untuk ngeliat siapa ajah temen kita yang lagi OL……

[Via http://bungalucy.wordpress.com]

Web 2.0: Biggest Distraction of 2010.

Interested in Facebook, Twitter, Texting, etc.? This is for you.

Web 2.0: in short is commonly associated with web applications that facilitate interactive information sharing.

If it’s going to be a distraction in 2010 it might as well be considered a distraction from here on… Wouldn’t you agree?’

For those of you know don’t know “Web 2.0″ is the internet from 2004- onwords (Web 1.0 1991-2003). It’s fact that during Web 2.0 the way we’ve communicate has changed. From Twitter to Facebook. New search engines created to find information thats just been posted within seconds. Real time results.

If you have a Twitter account and follow a few people by the your done reading this sentence you probably have a few Twitter updates to catch upto.

Cell phones became popular in the Web 1.0 ‘era.’ Texting was also introduced during this time. However as time went by it became more attractive amongst the greater population, not just in America but worldwide.

In China even with all the sites banned (like Twitter) there are sites that are Chinese versions that are amerging. And guess what? 90% of the Chinese population is involved with ’social networking’. Compared to 73% of Americans.

Cell phone providers are coming up with applications just for social media websites like Facebook and Twitter. Myspace was popular in the early Web 2.0 days however not so much anymore.

There was a minor earthquake a couple months ago that shook majority of Punjab in Pakistan, parts of India, and Afghanistan. I was chatting with a cousin as it happened. The moment it occured I logged onto Twitter within seconds and there were people in Pakistan posting tweets about what just happened.

Businesses are also trying to spread there existance into social media. The law firm I work for hired me to maintain there Facebook pages, Twitter account, Blog, aswell as maintaining PPC campaigns and taking care of search engine optimization for there online community launching in January 2010.

Blogging has become a great source of sharing information and serving to many around the country and around the world as a sort of online diary. You don’t need to spare $10 for a URL + a hosting plan to have an online existance anymore. With free blogging sites like Blogspot and WordPress within a few seconds you can have your own blog.

Companies are embracing the fact that people want to rely more on digital technology. Before Wifi was limited to before an airplane would take off and after it lands. Virgin America, American, Delta, United, aswell as other major airlines have ensured that skies are no longer digitally disconnected. McDonalds is set to introduce Free Wifi in it’s American restaurants in January (right now it charges about $2.99 per 2 hours.)

There have been many Blackberry outages these days delaying emails which have people freaked. Twitter was down for a couple hours and that really annoyed people. The “Iranian Cyber Army” hijacked managed to temporarily hijack the website to try to prove a pointless point.

It’s almost like.. If Facebook goes down for a little bit because of excessive use or an error at the office or computers are down, or theres a problem over with Gmail, or if Twitter is hijacked.. Several million peoples lives are on ‘hold’.

[Via http://therandomguy.wordpress.com]

Detroit-Based Hip-Hop Website Uses Facebook and Twitter Marketing Prior to Launch

An extensive background in marketing led Marcel Friday, founder of the Detroit-based hip-hop website WhutUpDoe.com, to reach hip-hop fans all over the country prior to the site’s December 25th launch date. Through Facebook and Twitter, Friday build an avid following, engaging fans by probing them on their favorite local unsigned artists and their goals for the new year. Once again, social networking sites provides an efficient promoting platform for the hip-hop entrepreneur. We’re starting to wonder how marketing existed without them.

http://www.onlineprnews.com/news/14176-1260480967-marcel-friday-founder-of-hiphop-website-announces-official-launch-of-whutupdoecom-set-for-christmas-day.html

[Via http://bumagonline.wordpress.com]

Social Networking Febrile

Scene 1:

Hey, where is our old school pal, Saif Ali?

You don’t know? Just go to my orkut profile and see my friends list. You can catch him there. Btw he had got a fever of 100 degree Celsius last night.

Oh, did he scrapped you about it?

No idiot, he tweeted.

Scene 2:

What are you doing in your mobile?

Nothing, I am just checking out my mails.

Got any new mails?

Yeah, I got one invitation to join hi5, one for linkedIN, one for ibibo, two from Indyarocks, three new followers on twitter and an email telling me that my brother recently commented on my facebook status.

And the status will be?

That I am checking my mails through my N75.

Pause.

The above scenes sound very acquainted, don’t they? Now-a-days, everybody has signed up for multiple social sites.  And the users include school children, college crowd, undergraduates, post graduates, the employed and even the unemployed.  The wide spectrum consists of common people, Radio jockeys, sex workers, film industry, aspiring models, ministers, writers, etc.

Should one go for these social sites? The answer is unanimously, a YES. But the point worth considering is which ones to join because the online market offers you a variety of choices parallel to the cellular industry. You do have all the options open to you, but you have to go for the one suiting your needs. Of course you can sign up all of these networks, but be pragmatic how can one be present at all of his/her social dwellings?

Think about a situation in which your twitter account reads “Had the most horrible experience of my life” and your facebook account reads “Had a date with my girlfriend today”. Now, if luckily or unluckily, the girl whose referred in here happens to be a twitter addict you can imagine what would happen next. No points for guessing.This girl would change her relationship status from committed to single, in her profile on orkut. The following points can be the ones worth pondering before going for such social world.

*See the site where the majority of your friends are engaged.

*Just check about the privacy you want. Are you okay with the open display of your communications with your friends (most common on www.orkut.com) , or you don’t want any of the chatting message to be read by anyone,  or you just want to keep all of your buddies updated what are you doing in a very short and fast way. The list also gives you the options of doing social networking along with Bollywood buzzes like wallpapers news (www.indyarocks.com) etc.

*The amount of time you devote in worshiping internet. If you just want to share and go use twitter. You want more go for orkut, hi5, ibibo, linkedIN, etc.. You can play the psychological games like IQ test and also you can go for answering some questions to  get answers to the crazy questions like “In which year will you die”, “What type of kisser are you”, “When/where will you meet your soulmate”, and all type of attractive questions. Thus it avoids paying to the chiromancer to  get such answers. For more such questions go to www.facebook.com

Being on the online network is not only a must now-a-days but also a status symbol. People not found there are treated as villagers. But signing up isn’t enough. You have to be regular there and also try to give your profile a cool look. Comment on your friends’ photos, their status, retweet them, follow them and after all this homework buzzing about it in the school is the classwork.

So, for all of you who are not yet on any of these online homes, join fast. And for those who are living in the online world you can follow me on www.twitter.com/urs_sarthak

[Via http://sarthak4you.wordpress.com]

Can Social Media Give You an Overinflated Ego?

Lately, I have been spending some time thinking about how people react to social media fame. What happens when you reach 1,000 Twitter followers? 2,000? 5,000?  How do you react when your blog is suddenly getting significant traffic and people are hanging on your every word? Some people can take it in stride without letting it go to their heads while other people end up with enormous overinflated egos.

Compare this to the reaction to fame that professional athletes, actors, musicians and celebrity CEOs face. Some people completely change (new house, new cars, new friends, new spouse, etc.) while others continue to live in their old neighborhood with existing friends, and remain grounded despite their fame. While social media fame isn’t the same, I see similar reactions.

I was reading an article where someone was talking about egos in sports and applying the same ideas to business. He mentioned this quote: “It’s okay if other people think you’re God, but you’re in trouble if you start believing it.”

For some people, it may already be too late. For those of you who can still be saved, here are a few tips for keeping that ego in check :

• Remember that your Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn friends or fans are not your real friends .Real friends are the people that stick with you during tough times.
• Don’t take yourself too seriously. When people butter you up with praise and tell you how awesome you are, politely thank them, but don’t believe it.
• Everyone has shortcomings — I certainly have my share. Whenever your ego starts to take over, think about something that you need to improve and remember that you are an ordinary human being who makes mistakes and has weaknesses.

What are your thoughts on how social media fame gives people inflated egos?

[Via http://shesthegeek.wordpress.com]

Starfleet Commander

Back in the early days of my blog I wrote about Glamour Age. I was not impressed. It followed the lines of most Facebook days back in the day: a webpage that had to refresh every time, and doing the same thing over and over and over. With the emergence of Flash into Facebook games have started changing for the better. The -ville games all have a bit of fun to offer, weather it’s putting together a farm, or making a zoo. But the game that truly caught my attention was one that appealed to my inner geek: Starfleet Commander.

At it’s core Starfleet Commander is a simple game. Like most other Facebook apps it has missions. You get things by going on missions, which let you do other things further down the road. The game goes deeper than that though, deeper than any of the old Facebook games. In addition to missions you get to build things. Ore Mines, Crystal Mines, Hydrogen Synthesizers, etc. Each building produces different resources which you need to build more buildings, and eventually to produce ships and defenses. But the game goes farther still, in addition to buildings you get to research things, and put together defenses. The game also has a good rating system, so you always know where you stand in your Galaxy. Add the fact that you can invite friends (like any Facebook app) and make alliances, and you have a Facebook game with a suprising amount of detail.

The next major improvement that Starfleet Commander adds is the timing system. In old games you had a set amount of energy, and at the end of it you were done. The end. Come back tomorrow. Starfleet Commander has timed missions. Sending a ship out for some ore takes about two minutes to accomplish, and about a minute for your ship to come back home. Once it’s back you can send it out again. As much as you want. You will never see a bar that says “you are out of energy.”

It’s not all roses though. The game still requires that you have friends before you can go out and do anything truly interesting, and the missions have you doing the same thing over and over. It’s the feel of the missions that really gets to me though. This is a game that has the name “Starfleet” in it. You know, the people with the prime directive, and the ones that won’t attack enemy ships unless pressed, even when they are in the Delta Quadrant? Why is it then that out of two of the first three missions I get, I’m going on raids? Instead of Starfleet I feel like I’m playing the Maquis or the Romulans. It definitely doesn’t leave me feeling like one of the good guys.

As far as Facebook games go I give the game four out of five stars. In real game rankings maybe a two out of five. It is fun for a free game, and if you insist on wasting time on Facebook apps like I seem to, than it is a good use of your time.

[Via http://alexisofroses.wordpress.com]

TOP BULGARIA POLITICAL LEADERS TANGLED IN 'HOMOSEXUAL' SCANDAL

A scandal erupted in the Bulgarian Parliament Thursday after nationalist Ataka party leader Volen Siderov accused Conservative Order, Law and Justice (RZS) leader, Yane Yanev, of hiding his “homosexual relationships”.

Siderov made his claims in front of the European and US ambassadors who were attending the plenary session. He said: “homosexual addiction, which is an open secret about Yane Yanev, that is the case….We see some hysterical actions by a boy (Yanev) who acts according to his homosexual and other dependencies.”

Siderov added that former secret service agent Alexey Petrov is pulling Yanev’s strings and that they are providing money to businessmen to split up the Ataka party and to stop its support for the ruling GERB government.

Yanev replied by saying that Siderov was inferior and that he has always been been and will remain heterosexual. He added that Siderov had shamed himself in the eyes of Europe and the World.

Parliament Speaker, Tsetska Tsacheva, said that the case will be referred to the Committee on Parliamentary Ethics Committee. She stressed that such statements undermine the image of parliament and was clear that such behavior will not be tolerated.

[Via http://koosjan.wordpress.com]

Social Media: New Year's Eve Style

Well, at least they’re on it. However, there is no way on this Earth that you’ll catch me in Times Square this New Year’s Eve. It’s already insanely cold out there.  That’s the beauty of social media! I don’t have to be there

If you will be there, bring your iPhone!

The Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment aren’t dropping the ball when it comes to incorporating social media into the upcoming New Year’s Eve celebration, as they will offer a six-and-a-half-hour Webcast via TimesSquareNYC.org, Livestream.com/2010, or Facebook.com/TimesSquareNYC, as well as on a special site for iPhone users, The New York Times‘ Gadgetwise reports.

The Webcast will follow five separate story lines and cover the international participants, the history of Times Square through photos, the story behind the bloggers and other information, and viewers will be able to post photos and comment via Twitter and Facebook, according to Gadgetwise.

[Via http://organicsocialmedia.wordpress.com]

Lifestream

My latest goofing around online is on AIM Lifestream. Yep, you read right. There is a very simple explanation – privacy.

Tweeter is simply just noise right now. I absolutely detest their new retweet (RT) feature. It’s annoying and I definitely don’t want my stream filled with tweets of people I don’t follow – it was tolerable before but now the retweets appear as a tweet from the original source. In other words, your entire stream may be filled with tweets of people you don’t follow. Then there is the List. Really, who has the time to go through all that? I got on Twitter to learn from people I admire, engage in conversations with peers and friends, not to be bombarded with broadcasts and advertisements. The only time I now use Twitter is to ping someone or people to ping me. Visit a wet market (similar to farmers’ market in the US) in Singapore and you’ll know what I mean when I compare Twitter to it. Twitter is now a BIG global fish market.

Facebook, on the other hand, is jambalaya. They have no clear business model – it keeps changing not based on their or user needs, mind you, but based on their competitors – Twitter, Buddypress and the like. Simply idiotic. And then suddenly what you thought you privately shared on Facebook is no longer private but very much public. I’ve lost track of their idiocy. Then you have to deal with accepting or rejecting “friend” request from people you know – but don’t want to know too much about – as well as from strangers – which is fine as long as they aren’t weirdos or axe killers. With their new changes, your stream is again filled with comments, photos, infos of “friends of friends” you absolutely care nothing about and simply don’t want them on your stream. Yes, I’ve very little tolerance for incompetents and foul-mouthed individuals – deceitful at work as competent because of their excellent a$$ kissing abilities while others are simply B. It’s a free world and people may choose how they lead their lives or how devoid of decent human beings they wish to be. But surely, I should have the choice to decide who I can eliminate from my stream as well? That’s not asking too much, is it?

Comparatively, AIM Lifestream gives me the option to be very selective in sharing my thoughts, photos, live chats with and who may comment on those. Having said that, it’s yet to be seen how soon I’ll be bored with it or how fast AIM will change their features. But, I’ll enjoy the service while it lasts.

I’m quite done Lifestreaming tonight….for now.

[Via http://morerambling.wordpress.com]

Zynga hauls in massive $180 Million round of financing

Digital Sky Technologies (the same Russian group behind the $200 Million investment in Facebook) drops $180 Million into social game developer Zynga.

“Social games are enabling millions of people around the world to connect and play together everyday. We are excited about our relationship with DST as they are a global player dedicated to creating services that are meaningful to consumers in the long term,”

-  Mark Pincus, founder and CEO of Zynga.

” Our earlier investment in Facebook and now in Zynga underscores our premise that social networking and social entertainment will define the next generation of the web.”

– Yuri Milner, chief executive of DST

Articles and analysis from:

The New York Times

The Next Web

VentureBeat

EarthTimes

[Via http://socialgame7.wordpress.com]

Real-Time and Social Media

MediaPost provides a very interesting article about social media becoming the new mass media. This provides insight into why Google made the decision to integrate real-time information from Twitter and Facebook into its search results. From the article:

“As interactive consumers increasingly consider their social networks as ways to access the information, products and services they want, places like Facebook and even Twitter will become magnets for content producers and advertisers.”

[Via http://realtimerelevance.wordpress.com]

Calling Facebook RESTful API using C# (Without Microsoft Facebook SDK)

To continue with our previous posts about Facebook I’m going explain how to use the RESTful API from C# code. This time I’m writing a console application to read user Facebook’s statuses. This illustrates that you can really use the RESTful API from any application including desktop.

A very important thing you need to do before this code works is to ask your user for authorization to read his stream with offline access as shown in this post. After your user grants your application to have offline access you can read his session_key and use it everywhere because it will never expire.

First we need to write a Class that mimics Status FQL table.

public class Status { public String status_id { get; set; } public String time { get; set; } public String source { get; set; } public String message { get; set; } }

Then we create a method to generate our data signature.

public static String GetSignature(Dictionary parameters) { MD5 md5 = MD5.Create(); String data = ""; String[] keys = parameters.Keys.OrderBy(k => k.ToString()).ToArray(); for (int i = 0; i < keys.Length; i++) { String key = keys[i]; String value = parameters[key]; data += key + "=" + value; } data += "APPLICATION_SECRET"; byte[] bytes = md5.ComputeHash(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(data)); String signature = ""; foreach (byte b in bytes) signature += b.ToString("x2"); return signature; }

After that we just build our post data, post our request, read our response and deserialize the status objects.

static void Main(string[] args) { Dictionary parameters = new Dictionary(); parameters.Add("format", "json"); parameters.Add("method", "Fql.query"); parameters.Add("query", "select status_id, time, source, message from status where uid = USER_ID"); parameters.Add("session_key", "SESSION_KEY"); parameters.Add("api_key", "API_KEY"); parameters.Add("v", "1.0"); parameters.Add("call_id", DateTime.Now.Ticks.ToString()); parameters.Add("sig", GetSignature(parameters)); String postData = ""; for (int i = 0; i < parameters.Keys.Count; i++) { String key = parameters.Keys.ElementAt(i); String value = parameters[key]; String param = key + "=" + HttpUtility.UrlEncode(value); postData += param; if (i < parameters.Keys.Count - 1) postData += "&"; } HttpWebRequest request = (HttpWebRequest)WebRequest.Create("http://api.facebook.com/restserver.php"); request.Method = "POST"; request.ContentType = "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"; StreamWriter writer = new StreamWriter(request.GetRequestStream()); writer.Write(postData); writer.Close(); DataContractJsonSerializer serializer = new DataContractJsonSerializer(typeof(Status[])); HttpWebResponse response = (HttpWebResponse)request.GetResponse(); Status[] statuses = (Status[])serializer.ReadObject(response.GetResponseStream()); foreach (Status s in statuses) { DateTime time = new DateTime(long.Parse(s.time)); Console.WriteLine(time.ToString() + ", " + s.message); } Console.ReadLine(); }

Note that you can use this approach to call any method in the RESTful API, not to just make FQL queries.

[Via http://blog.manglar.com]

Sex Workers Offer Freebies for Climate Change Delegates in Copenhagen

Finally, a sexy story about climate change. As the big talks have finally kicked off, here’s one of the lighter stories I’ve read about what’s happening over there.

This is from AFP:

Prostitutes of a Danish sex workers association will offer their services for free to delegates of the UN climate summit in Copenhagen, an association official told AFP Saturday.

Susanne Moeller said the move was meant to protest an anti-prostitution initiative undertaken by Copenhagen city hall.

The city, host of the December 7-18 UN climate summit, distributed postcards in Copenhagen’s hotels that said “Be sustainable: Don’t buy sex.” It also sent letters to hotel managers inviting them to take measures to avoid prostitutes meeting clients in their establishments.

This is a bit odd considering that sex work in Denmark is legal. And surely, if you’re involved in the difficult work of trying to save the planet from doom, you may want to engage in adult activities to relieve some stress, right?

Apparently, sex workers there agree and are fighting back against this discrimination. Here’s more about their plan:

“All delegates who come to Copenhagen for the world climate summit will be able to use the postcards for payment after making a request on our website,” Moeller, of the Danish association for the defense of sex workers, said.

“We do not expect many delegates (to make use of the offer), but we want to protest what we consider discrimination,” Moeller said, adding the offer was good for the duration of the climate talks.

If only free sex offers could be used to get countries commit to a binding treaty.

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/sex/144432/sex_workers_offer_freebies_for_climate_change_delegates_in_copenhagen

[Via http://ramanan50.wordpress.com]

The Amazing C

What’s better than being a C person?

Top 10 CEO paycheck 2009:

Rank Name Company Total Compensation

(USD) Per day 1 Sanjay Jha Motorola 104,500,000 287,088 2 Larry Ellion Oracle 86,400,000 237,363 3 Robert Iger Walt Disney Co. 51,100,000 140,385 4 Kenneth Chenault American Express 42,800,000 117,582 5 Vikram Pandit Citigroup 38,200,000 104,945 6 Mark Hurd Hewlett-Packard 34,000,000 93,407 7 Jack Fusco Calpine 32,700,000 89,835 8 Rupert Murdoch News Corp 30,100,000 82,692 9 David Cote Honeywell International 28,700,000 78,846 10 A.G. Lafley Procter & Gamble 25,600,000 70,330

Surprisingly, where is Apple? where is Microsoft and where is McDonald??

[Via http://christyli.wordpress.com]

Berakhir dengan semangat!

Tulisan testimoni ini adalah kutipan dari Notes Mas Agung S. Wibowo dari Facebook setelah selesai memberikan pelatihan kepada guru Madrasah di Kec. Kemang Bogor pada program Developing Junior Scientist.

++++

40 jam bersama para guru madrasah dari kecamatan kemang kabupaten bogor memberika kesan yang sangat berarti buatku.

selama lima hari mereka bersemangat datang tepat waktu, bahkan sebelum jam delapan pagi untuk mengikuti pelatihan pembelajaran sains.

mata mereka berbinar dari pagi sampai sore mengikuti kegiatan dengan penuh semangat, tanpa satu orangpun menguap.

kening berkerut tanda berpikir, namun mulut tetap tersenyum bahkan kadang tertawa ketika beraktivitas: berdiskusi, tanya jawab, berekperimen, mengerjakan LKS, bahkan membuat RPP yang dianggap pekerjaan yang menjemukan menjadi kegiatan yang membuat hati senang.

tiada awal tanpa akhir

lima hari berlalu dengan cepat.

pukul 3.30 sore, hari terakhir kepala mereka masih tegak, salah seorang bahkan berkomentar, rasanya baru dua menit.

ini belum cukup, kami mau lagi!

aku bisa! kamu bisa! semua bisa…berkualitas!

itu yang akan mereka bawa pulang

dengan shalawat nabi mereka bersiap untuk pulang dan berbagi dengan siswa mereka

semangat!

parung 5 desember 2009

[Via http://prasastiimani.wordpress.com]

friend me.

Facebook has now become a household term. Tagging friends no longer has the connotation of child’s play. “friending” someone is acceptable grammar. We have become a society obsessed with social networking. Therefore, in an attempt to correct my obsession, I have decided to stay away from my Facebook for two weeks (courtesy of my friend, K., changing my password). Let’s see how this works, shall we?

xoxo,

guitarchick (T.)

P.S. SYTYCD fans anywhere? CALL 1888TEMPO-05!

P.P.S. GLEE FINALE TOMORROW!!!!

[Via http://guitarchick.wordpress.com]

Join Zell's Pinstripe Forum & Social Network With Us

You can join our forum right here: Zell’s Pinstripe Forum: http://zellspinstripeblog.proboards.com/ It’s a place where my readers and other Yankees fan can talk about the greatest franchise in all of sports. The community is growing day by day.

I’ve created a facebook group, twitter account, and a myspace page all dedicated to Zell’s Pinstripe Blog. On these sites you can follow what’s going on with my blog. Feel free to join.

Join our Facebook Group   Follow us on Twitter   Friend us on Myspace

[Via http://zellspinstripeblog.com]

Christmas Trees and the Rest of the Junkee's

Sundays are usually pretty uneventful at our house this time of the year. We are always busy during the warm months but this time of the year we slow down. Sure, we may throw a load of laundry into the washer or cook a nice dinner but other than that it’s veg out on the couch day. Last Sunday however was an exception and we actually went and did something other than facebook and blog.

Paula, Logan, Nick and I spent most of the morning at Festival Of Trees. Festival Of Trees is almost everything Christmas. A huge miniature train display, gingerbread houses, music, wreaths, lights, games for the kids and of course hundreds of ornately decorated trees were some of the highlights of the festival. Now by now some of you may be asking where the photos are. I do have a reason, although it’s a lame reason and I’m still kicking myself in the ass for not bringing my camera, but a reason none the less. Please forgive me for not providing photos of the festival. (bowing head in shame)

I didn’t bring my camera because after we finished strolling through the festival, we met Javajunkee (aka Lisa) and family at the mall. I didn’t want to lug my heavy camera around the mall the rest of the day and I certainly didn’t want to leave it in the car so I left it at home.

Paula, Nick and I had of course already met Lisa and her daughter Erin, but it was our first time meeting Mr. Javajunkee (aka David) and Mr. Javajunkee Jr. (aka Jake). It was the first time any of the Junkee’s met Logan. After we all met up in front of JC Penney’s and being introduced to one another, we decided to head to the food court for some lunch. After lunch, Nick ventured out into the mall with Erin and Jake leaving just the adults and Logan. I walked Logan down to the ice cream shop for some dessert after a quick stop at Aeropostale so I could get a new stocking cap. I found this really cool stocking cap with a bill on it similar to a baseball cap. I really like the hat and Nick really likes it but Paula says I look like Elmer Fudd. Maybe I will take some photos and let you all decide. My sons informed me later that the cap is called a “beanie”.

After I returned to the food court with Logan and my new beanie, we all headed over to Starbucks inside Barnes and Noble for some coffee. We sat there for quite a while chatting and all getting to know one another. Logan spent a lot of time on Lisa’s lap teaching her how to read and looking at books. LOL

Can a Sunday get any better than visiting a festival guaranteed to get you into the holiday spirit and enjoying lunch with new friends? I think NOT! It was a pleasure to see Lisa and Erin again and meeting David and Jake. I’m looking forward to our next get together already!

[Via http://wideworldofgary.wordpress.com]

** Neal B. EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Iqbal Theba aka PRINCIPAL FIGGINS! **

** Read my interview with Iqbal Theba aka PRINCIPAL FIGGINS! inside **

Read the Interview Inside!

** Read my interview with Iqbal Theba aka PRINCIPAL FIGGINS! inside **

Iqbal Theba

Iqbal has played many roles in television and film including “Community”, “Two and a Half Men”, “ER”, and “The West Wing”.  He is known for playing Principal Figgins on the hit Fox television show, “Glee”.  I chatted with him about the show, life as an actor, and of course words of wisdom from the principal himself!  Find him on Facebook at the “Iqbal Theba Page”!

———————————————

NEAL: You have done so many television and film roles, but for those who are unfamiliar with your back-story, tell us in a nutshell how you wound up in Hollywood.

IQBAL: Born in Karachi, Pakistan on December 20, 1963. Started college as a Freshman at the University of Oklahoma in 1981. Studied Civil Engineering at first and have a BS in Construction Engineering Management. Hated my job in a Construction Company in Oklahoma City, so, Went back to the University of Oklahoma in 1986 and majored in Acting. Spent a year in NYC and moved to LA in 1991. Waited on about a million tables in the process.

NEAL:  You have quite a story of how you arrived to Hollywood! There must have been some pretty hard days struggling to make it in show business. Was it hard staying positive?

IQBAL: I am the most positive person you’ll ever meet. I have seen pretty bad days during my struggling actor days. In NYC, at least a couple of times, I didn’t have enough money to buy food and I went hungry. But, I never pitied myself and never gave up. My passion for Acting helped me survive.

NEAL:  When you first started out, did you ever dream you would be on such a big television hit and being in some of the biggest movies and shows out there?

IQBAL:  Of course I dreamt of all those things. But, there was a time when it all seemed so improbable.

NEAL:  Speaking of “Glee”, can you tell us what a typical day for you on the set is like?

IQBAL:  Well, I LOVE going to work on GLEE. I basically show up at Paramount Studios, which is within walking distance from where I live (can you believe my luck?!), and check in with the second AD. If the shooting is going according to the plan then I go to make-up and hair which is a formality for me… because I don’t like wearing make-up or hair gel or anything. I had requested during the Pilot shoot that they just powder my face with anti-shine and simply comb my hair right before all the takes. The agreed. So, I don’t really spend anytime in the make-up chair. Sometimes, I have a lot of free time at my hand if they are running behind. So, I drink tea and hang out with the other cast members, producers and the crew. The show has the friendliest and the most fun people and it is never boring.

NEAL:  Are you amazed at the success of the show?

IQBAL:  I know it might sound cocky or arrogant, but, I knew this was going to be a hit when I read the script for the Pilot. However, I feel truly Blessed and Lucky that I am part of this amazing show.

NEAL:  Obviously music is such an important part of the show. Why do you think people respond so well to the music? How do you think that has changed the way the story arc is written each week?

IQBAL:  People respond to music because it conveys something that cannot be conveyed in prose or just words. GLEE works because it’s characters sing only when they must and words wont express their true feelings. I don’t think the story arc changes because of the music. I think the writers write a good story and then pick the music according to the character’s need to express a particular feeling, emotion or a point of view.

NEAL: On “Glee”, the show deals with some heavy issues: teen pregnancy, being gay, high school drama, etc. When you looked at the script for the first time, were you surprised about how the show was able to keep things light while getting their important messages out there?

IQBAL:  What’s brilliant about GLEE is that it never lets itself wallow in any situation or a point of view, be it grief or exhilaration . It doesn’t try to “milk” an issue or a feeling. It deals with issues without cheapening the subject matter. And that aspect of the show wasn’t as glaringly obvious until I saw the Pilot because the way they edit the show and the use of background music or lack of it.

NEAL:  Can you reveal to us anything that will be happening in this season?

IQBAL:  Well, I would love to tell your readers exactly what’s going to happen… but, I cantJ. All I can say is that great episodes are ahead and I hope you all continue to watch the show. Oh, here’s something you may not know… we finished shooting 13 episodes back in early July. We are going to start shooting the 14th episode on Jan 6. So, between mid December and early April no new episodes will air, assuming they continue airing new episodes till mid December.

NEAL:  What new projects do you have lined up?

IQBAL:  Well, there is a Pilot called Ghosts/Aliens for Comedy Central that I just did. If it gets the green light then it will shoot in the summer of 2010. I also have a recurring role on the NBC show “Community”. I am also in the process of developing a feature Film for myself but that’s in its very early stages and I cant tell you anything about the story or subject matter at this point.

NEAL:  If you had to give advice to any aspiring actors, what would it be?

IQBAL: If you are serious about becoming a working actor then make sure all your energies AND money are spent in the following order of priority… (1) Pursuit of Acting. (2) Food. (3) Roof over your head…… Your determination to become a working actor is the most important tool that you have.

NEAL:  Do you think nowadays, more actors who are minorities are getting film/television roles? In regard to minority actors, do you think there is a trend in more diversity in television and film roles?

IQBAL: There is more diversity now than before, more so in TV than in Film. Films are still very rigidly cast. Principal Figgins was written for a white guy but they cast me. It would not have happened in Film.

NEAL:  Being a minority actor has its pros and cons. For you, do you feel it helps you gain roles in Holly or at times works against you?

IQBAL: Being a minority works in my favor when it comes to smaller parts. But, I usually don’t have a prayer when it comes to bigger roles.

NEAL: To date, what has been the most surreal moment of being in Hollywood? I guess, your “Hollywood moment” –and why?

IQBAL: I think “surreal” moments happen to people who didn’t have to struggle for too long. For someone like me who has spent a couple of decades in pursuit of Acting everything is… well, it is what it is.

NEAL:  To go along with that question, what has been your favorite role to date and why?

IQBAL: Figgins of course! I find it quite challenging because Figgins has to be played with the right mix of someone who is an authority figure but who is also very insecure about his own strengths as a person. It is a very fine line to walk as an actor.

NEAL:  As Principal Figgins, you have the tough job of keeping some sanity and trying to dispense words of wisdom to your school. Any last words of wisdom for the readers?

IQBAL: Live your life with Intelligence, Compassion and Passion. Aaaand, please join my Fan page on Facebook “iqbal theba page” and support me and Principal Figgins.

Remember to catch Iqbal in Glee on Fox!

[Via http://nealbinnyc.wordpress.com]

Facebook Friday: Mark Zuckerburg on New Facebook Security

As all Facebook users cannot help but be aware, Mark Zuckerberg has sent an open letter addressing Facebook’s new security measures. Here is Mark Zuckerberg’s open letter about security.

Zuckerburg (did Zuckerberg really write this letter? I find that hard to believe after seeing the Facebook Founder in interview) begins his letter with the fact the Facebook community has grown to over 350 million users worldwide which, of course, necessitates the revision and implementation of new security measures. To begin with, networks based on regions or territories will be a thing of the past. Regional networks have simply become to large and, well, useless.

Next, Zuckerberg states:

We’re adding something that many of you have asked for — the ability to control who sees each individual piece of content you create or upload. In addition, we’ll also be fulfilling a request made by many of you to make the privacy settings page simpler by combining some settings. If you want to read more about this, we began discussing this plan back in July.

At some point in the near future we will be messaged and walked through what we need to learn and do as Facebook users to keep up with the times by adjusting our security sections. I am actually interested to learn more. Especially considering that Canada instigated these changes.

[Via http://blog.imarkcomm.com]

As Facebook Hits 350M Mark, Growth Shows Signs of Slowing

Facebook has crossed the 350 million active user mark, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced tonight. But while the site’s latest growth spurt is impressive, it took 77 days, as compared to earlier this year when Facebook had added 50 million users in as short a time as 62 days. But it’s still the site’s second-quickest such milestone to date.

A Look Back at Facebook Growth Dec. 1, 2009: 350 million users (77 days since last benchmark) Sept. 15, 2009: 300 million users (62 days since last benchmark) July 15, 2009: 250 million users (98 days since last benchmark) April 8, 2009: 200 million users (91 days since last benchmark) Jan. 7, 2009: 150 million users (134 days since last benchmark) August 26, 2008: 100 million users Source: Facebook blog posts

Of course, at some point Facebook’s growth has to slow down, unless the company scores a global maternity ward deal. The opportunities for the self-reported cash-flow positive Facebook to expand quickly and easily are petering out. There were only 444 million worldwide broadband subscribers in the second quarter of 2009, according to Point Topic. Hence the increasing value of more accessible products like Facebook’s mobile and “Lite” versions that address markets where broadband still is not prevalent.

It’s perhaps fitting that Zuckerberg announced the 350 million milestone alongside the phasing out of the company’s regional network feature. Regional networks were first introduced three years ago as a way to facilitate expansion when Facebook moved from a schools-only service to the general public. The idea was to expose new users’ offline communities to give them a group of local profiles to access within the site. At the time, Facebook had 9.5 million users.

Clearly, things have changed. “[A]s Facebook has grown, some of these regional networks now have millions of members and we’ve concluded that this is no longer the best way for you to control your privacy,” Zuckerberg said in a blog post Tuesday.

Zuckerberg did not say when the feature would be disabled, but said it would affect the nearly 50 percent of Facebook users who have identified themselves as members of regional networks. “In the next couple of weeks” all users will be asked to update their privacy settings. Many users may be happy about new privacy features that include granular item-by-item controls, but then again these updates have a way of confusing and annoying people, especially all those buckets upon buckets of new members.

Please see the disclosure regarding Facebook on my bio page.

[Via http://gigaom.com]

privacy matters

What is going on with Facebook’s constant gyrations about privacy policy?  Does anyone really care?

A little while ago I suggested that online privacy concerns are best addressed by free market solutions, not governmental regulation.  I’ve discussed the topic with quite a few entrepreneurs, investors and professional marketers, and the overwhelming view in that group is that regular consumers just don’t care about online privacy.  ”They” say:

• privacy is too complicated a topic for consumers to understand
• no one reads privacy policies
• consumers can be distracted from privacy concerns with the offer of just about any shiny object

Much of that might be true – but I also took the time to talk to a bunch of “regular” consumers.  And these things are definitely true:

• consumers know that their privacy is being compromised by many online services
• consumers do not like being taken for granted
• consumers will avoid services that abuse their information, and will seek services that use their information properly

These two sets of “truths” are not mutually inconsistent.  To me, they add up to:   Online services can gain a competitive advantage by giving consumers the most sensible default choices along with the right advanced options for privacy – make it simple, but make it right.  I think Facebook believes this, and that’s why they keep tinkering with their policies.  They understand that a lot of their initial attraction was a result of making different privacy assumptions than more open services like FriendFeed and Twitter.  They know that even if no one ever reads their privacy policy, if they make the wrong choices about privacy, they will lose users.  As they saturate their available audience, they have to figure out how to strike the right balance among their different demographic bases, all the while competing with the advantages that more open services have.

These are extremely nuanced choices, but getting them right makes the barrier to competitive threat all the more defensible.  And these are product choices; this is something that many I’ve talked to misunderstand:  people think that this privacy stuff is just legal mumbo jumbo or regulatory mishmash.  That’s plain wrong – laws and regulations are just the cart behind the horse.  In a social product where community is paramount, policy choices are product choices.

[Via http://blog.ginsudo.com]

Facebook ei ole lasten paikka

Facebookissa alaikäraja on 13-vuotta, mutta silti tulee jatkuvasti esille, että alakoululaisilla on jo oma Facebook-tunnuksensa. Tässä piilee iso riski, koska Facebookiin kirjaudutaan oikealla nimellä. Toki on mahdollista piilottaa nimeä lukuunottamatta kaikki muut tiedot, mutta kun se on hankalaa monelle aikuisellekin, miten se hoituisi lapsilta?

Facebook-tunnusta lapsilla on perusteltu vanhempien taholta (!) mm. yhteydenpidolla sukulaisten kanssa. Ensinnä, mitä viestimme lapselle erilaisten ohjeiden noudattamisesta (tässä ikäraja), jos annamme alaikäiselle luvan tehdä tunnus vanhemmille tarkoitettuun palveluun? Toiseksi, on turvallisempia tapoja pitää yhteyttä sukulaisiin – vaikka verkossakin.  Facebookissa on paljon myös erilaisia ihmisiä, jotka ottavat yhteyttä kuka mistäkin syystä ja millaisin selityksin. Aina eivät lapset muista, mitä asiasta on vanhempien kanssa sovittu. Sitäpaitsi, vanhemmat eivät aina edes tiedä, että heidän lapsellaan on ko. tunnus.  Olisikohan asian merkeissä aika pitää kodissa “pyöreän pöydän keskustelu” koko perheen voimin?

[Via http://mesiksen.wordpress.com]

There is no disputing that Facebook has a massive audience. One challenge that advertisers are facing is how to truly engage Facebook users’ attention when they primarily visit the site to interact and share with friends?  Word-of-mouth is often the most effective form of advertising and channels like Facebook can help it’s viral spread, but how do you cause people to act as champions for your brand and products? You have to somehow involve your products in their social interactions.  IKEA’s advertising agency found a clever way:

[Via http://rodneypayne.wordpress.com]

Odnoklassniki VS Facebook

“I’ll find him in Odnoklassniki. He is a friend of my friend,” “OK, I’ll contact him on Facebook.” Both types of phrases have become frequent in everyday conversations.  It’s all about social media’s growing popularity and the first phrase is associated with Odnoklassniki and the other – with Facebook. Two different types of social media, with different style of work, have impact on many Georgians’ way of living.  Evidently some users are even ready to pay for various extra functions or points to their profile. In general, Odnoklassniki and Facebook somehow divide the society in big groups different environments, acquaintance and type of communication.

Odnoklassniki gifts page

Odnoklassniki was founded in March 4, 2006 and is the analogous the site Classmates.com. According to the own survey of July 9, 2009, it has 40 million users and 8 million of them visit the site per day. As for Georgia, Odnoklassniki is one of the top 10 visited sites. Advertising company, Geoplus, which provides advertisements for Odnoklassniki, says that Odnoklassniki or Odno, as it is called by its users, has 45 thousand users in Georgia. This social media is mainly oriented on people, who have not seen each other for a long time. Odnoklassniki identifies people by the school, where they studied, universities which they graduated and jobs they have/had or even by places of military service.

The social media is favored by teenagers. Tika Samkurashvili, PR manager from Georgian Marketing and Communications Company (GEPRA), is one of those who go to Odnoklassniki as they turn on their computers: “Odno is my life. It is ON from early morning till late night.”

Not everybody signs up for it to find their classmates. Tako Rusadze, who also frequently uses the social media, had other interests: “I created an account because of an young man I liked, and I stayed there.”

As for the main features, Odnoklassniki holds three of them: picture galleries, groups and chat. There are no closed profiles, which means that every user can see others’ pictures. After some time it becomes clear that the social media, which was oriented on finding classmates, transformed in a site of relationships. To address users’ interests, Odnoklassniki developed the interface and specifically – chat system. Besides, the site administration started charging for services on Odnoklassniki.

It started in 2007 when for extra tools people had to pay 5 GEL. The process went on and in the end even registration on the site became payable. But interest in the website was so high that it did not prevent people from paying for the service. “I blocked my account several months ago, I closed my account, – says Ana Gorgidze – but 2 days later registered again.”

Mark Zuckerberg

While Odnoklassniki impacts its fans in post-Soviet territory, the other social media has them all over the world. Facebook, the social media which Mark Zuckerberg created his Harvard dorm room, was launched in February 4, 2004, and is already known as the world social media.  In 5 years it changed its interface 4 times and the number of users reached 250 million. In Georgia more and more people become frequent users of this social network. Some part of it comes directly from Odnoklassniki. “To tell the truth, my friends found it tasteless and suggested me to register in Facebook” – says Nino Tefnadze, one of ex-Odno-users.

Tasteless or not, the reality is that Odnoklassniki is more popular than Facebook. More people know of the first, than the other – information service 09’s operator #26 says, she has never heard of Facebook. In spite of the fa Facebook is available in 70 languages and Georgian is among them,  it might be difficult for beginners. The main problem is to switch to Facebook, since its features are different and more complicadet from other social networks, for example, Odnoklassniki. According to Leli Blagonravova, photojournalist, Facebook is difficult for people, who don’t know social media well. Due to this, communication is far different between them.

“Facebook is a real platform to express yourself in any way as you want; – says Tika Samkurashvili, – it’s a remarkable way for self-realization. You can create your own image for others.” Facebook has variety of tools and possibilities for public relations. One can not only register himself/herself as a user, but can also have a group, brand page or fan page. The user decides which one could be suitable to introduce himself/herself or some product to audience. The main feature of Facebook is that it is informational. Users, who have some kind of news or opinions, publish them on their profile and make it visible for their friends.

Facebook in 2004-2005 Facebook in 2006 Facebook in 2007 Facebook in 2009

Unlike Odnoklassniki, Facebook does not have a good chat system. This is one of the reasons why people from Odno cannot get used to Facebook. They also find available big amount of information useless. Besides, they need entertainment and, as they say, Odnoklassniki is better in providing it to them. While talking about entertainment it’s worthy to mention that Facebook has social games like Pet Society, Mafia Wars, Farm Ville, which grow in popularity, while Odnoklassniki has none of them. And still the “Odno society” prefers their social media.

Odnoklassniki comments page

“I know that Facebook is better but I’ve got used to the situation in Odnoklassniki and I’ll leave it only if the site itself will be closed,” – says Ana Gorgidze. According to her on Odno it’s fashionable to have +5 points on every photo, presents and flash smiles. These payable details make the site more involving, eye-catching and, what’s important, more suitable for teenagers’ demands. Today it is already hard to say that Odnoklassniki is a social media that focuses on finding old classmates. Especially when many users register with nicknames, which means that they cannot be found by the search system with their real names. On the contrary, Facebook users have their real names registered in their accounts. This fact somehow creates a high level of trust. Tamaz Kupreishvili, journalist and a blogger, finds Facebook an inevitable part of his laptop: “Here it’s easy to talk to people on any theme you want. For example, if you like/dislike a TV show you can easily talk to the author and discuss or give some advice. All of this is impossible to make in Odnoklassniki.”

As for public discussion, Odnoklassniki is more closed for that. Although there are many discussion groups, like Poetry or Stop Russia, most of them appear to support the moderator’s opinion and frequently block others points of view. The same can be said about comments on pictures. Ana Gorgidze finds it flattering because “you have to write that it’s a remarkable picture, or a nice shot. If you write something bad, you might be blocked by the user.” In spite of this, Russian language site is easier for most part of Georgians rather than English language Facebook, which impacts mainly young generation.

Unfortunately, there can not be found an official sources about the number of Georgian users of Facebook. However it is evident that in one year they have become more and include even those celebrities like Kakha Bendukidze, Nika Memanishvili, Levan Ramishvili. Does this fact mean that a huge group of Odno’s fans will little-by-little disappear? Ilia Nikachadze, a Facebook user, thinks that “a lot will leave Odnoklassniki but some percent will stay there. These might be people, who really are fond of it or who find themselves older to learn English.”

Eventually, Facebook holds its position in Georgian society as an informative social media and spreads itself to large audience. As for Odnoklassniki, according to Nikachadze’s comment, it’s ruling popularity might fall if most Georgian users tend to get information rather than to chat with others. At last, the idea of two big groups of users really works.

[Via http://journalistuss.wordpress.com]

Now Gmail, Facebook accessible on cable TV

New Delhi: There’s good news for those who use cable television services. You can now check your Gmail, watch YouTube videos or connect with friends on Facebook at the cost of the regular cable subscription of Rs. 150-200 per month – without having to pay extra for an internet connection.

Logic Eastern, a Noida-based manufacturer of cable infrastructure, has developed special set-top boxes which come with an in-built patented hardware that enables connections to Gmail, Facebook and YouTube. The company has made possible two-way flow of data, that is, from websites to cable operators to consumers and return by using the existing cellphone technology.

The company has installed large servers which download Gmail, YouTube and Facebook pages on behalf of its subscribers and pushes them on to their television screens. For now, consumers can access this service with a special remote control. However the company is developing a wi-fi keyboard that will be given along with the set-top boxes. Also, apart from the remote control, consumers can use their mobile phones to surf channels or access these websites.

Logic Eastern has already deployed 60,000 such set-top boxes across South Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Nagpur, Bhubaneswar and Jammu. The company has roped in ICICI as an investor. It has bought a 20 percent stake, which is helping Logic Eastern monetise these services that even existing Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) companies and the Direct-to-Home (DTH) operators have not been able to achieve.

“We believe it will be critical for cable operators to differentiate their services by leveraging the massive bandwidth that their cables take to each home. This is something that even DTH cannot do,” says Vineet Wadhwa, Chief Technology Officer and Promoter of Logic Eastern. Instead of value-added services, the company prefers to call them ‘enhanced services.’ But how safe is accessing your email via cable? It is as safe as logging on to the internet on your home computer or laptop, says Wadhwa.

By    siliconindia news bureau

[Via http://techpiyush.wordpress.com]

Misdiagnosed With Coma, Belgian Man Communicates After 23 Years

Very sad.Some doctors, despite fancy degrees,make a cursory examination and arrive at a prognosis.

In this case brain activity should have been mapped or at least pupil dilation examination should have been more thorough.

It is very hard to digest that that this should happen because of inefficiency of the doctors.

Many of us regard doctors next to God, forgetting that medicine is an evolving science ; most of the treatments are exploratory in Nature and these procedures have contra indications as well;some of the medications are effective with out anybody knowing why and how it cures.Classic example is grand mal seizure .We know that this seizure is triggered by sudden increase in electrical discharges in the brain and Eption is prescribed to treat this.But none knows how it works or whether it has side effects.

Because of commercialization of medicine , neither the doctor nor the patient has the time to discuss family history of the patient;nor are the patients interested in slow and steady cure or allowing body to take care with minimal supportive treatment.

It is imperative for patients to inform and discuss with the doctor,your family history,your known allergies and your symptoms.

It is also mandatory on the part of the patients to check the medicines prescribed for contra indications.If yes, inform the doctor and have the medicine changed.Even then you should also chek up on internet about the medicine’s efficacy.This may sound tedious, but will save not only money, but your life as well.

When going for surgery check before hand the anesthesia that is about to me administered and see if it it is compatible with your system for some anesthetics are incompatible.

If you had any disease prior to surgery that has resulted in Edema(especially pulmonary), Nitrous oxide is to be shunned.

While getting tests being carried out make sure at the lab, it is done for the part for which you have problem i.e.what the doctor has prescribed and see that the report is yours when you collect it.Never depute somebody else to collect it.

Also popping pills based on advertisement or based on what your doctor has prescribed earlier ailments is dangerous.

All these jobs are to be carried out by Doctors.Unfortunately,Doctors have no time for patients for they are too busy.

Story:

Conscious but unable to communicate for 23 years after a car accident that was thought to have put him into a deep coma, a quadriplegic Belgian man has described how medical science finally put an end to his agonizing years of silence.

Now able to make himself understood via a computer and specially built keyboard, the man, Rom Houben, said in the Monday issue of the German magazine Der Spiegel that when doctors made the correct diagnosis, it was like starting a second life.

“I shall never forget the day when they discovered what was truly wrong with me — it was my second birth,” Mr. Houben, now 46, was quoted as saying.

Mr. Houben, who was an engineering student at the time of the accident, lives in a care home near Brussels. He was assumed to be in a persistent vegetative state until three years ago, when the breakthrough was made.

In the interview he recalled the aftermath of the car accident that paralyzed him and the realization that no one understood that he was fully conscious.

“I screamed, but there was nothing to hear,” he said. He added that he then became a witness to his own suffering as doctors and nurses tried to speak with him until they gave up all hope.

Using brain scanning techniques, Dr. Steven Laureys, a neurological researcher at the Liège University Hospital, discovered that Mr. Houben’s cerebral cortex was still active.

On Monday, Dr. Laureys, who recently published a paper on comas, said that as many as 4 out of 10 similar patients may have been misdiagnosed.

He also described the moment he realized, for the first time that Mr. Houben was fully conscious. “It was one of those rare moments where you really see that what you are doing is useful,” he said in a telephone interview.

“It was a very big moment not just for me but for the whole team, one of those few much-needed moments” for medical professionals.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/world/europe/24iht-coma.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=a4

[Via http://ramanan50.wordpress.com]

gaining followers of fans

i’m currently working on outreach for kspace.tv. my main focus being attracting more followers on their twitter page and more fans of their facebook page.

achievement so far, working with the kspace.tv team, we have done the following:

facebook: we all reached out to our facebook friends, inviting them to become fans.

total fans = 594

twitter:

working together to achieve followers via following sports/arts/music/lifestyle culture enthusiasts, journalists, bloggers and fans

total followers = 440

gaining unique followers is the goal. however, k-swiss, kspace.tv’s parent company, insists on numbers. the question here becomes, outside of the obvious already mentioned here, how does one gain more followers for each quickly? what is the real trick here?

if only companies would understand the importance of unique followers and fans. those who will read often, comment often, retweet and repost and spread the information individually online.

if only.

and will writing this blog help?

[Via http://lademented.wordpress.com]

Woman Lost her medical because of Facebook

http://wp.me/pDoBk-8y

Natalie Blanchard lost her medical benefits after the related insurance company saw her Facebook profile.  Blanchard was on paid sick leave from her job after being diagnosed with depression.  She posted a photo of herself vacationing on a beach.  The insurance company cut her sick pay claiming she is no longer depressed.

It’s more than just your bosses that may check up on your facebook.  Your audience is much more than you may realize.  There are ways for certain networks and organizations to see more into your profile than your security settings might allow.  The flow of information is becoming wider and quicker.  The flow is creating less distance between users and their audience.

The issue here is identifying the line of privacy.  The insurance company invaded her privacy and drew conclusions.  I wouldn’t doubt if Canadian Natalie Blanchard decides to counter sue and actually has a good case. (JS)

[Via http://internalmarket.wordpress.com]

Facebook, sia febbre da telefonino!

L’oracolo Censis ha detto la sua. Il 2009 è l’annata dei social network e gli italiani mostrano un attaccamento morboso per Facebook con quasi il 62% di adesione. Potrebbe essere una moda passeggera secondo i disfattisti del Belpase: i social network tolgono tempo alla lettura. Questa cantilena va avanti da una vita e, ai tempi del mio liceo, dicevano che i videogame sottraevano tempo a cose più utili, leggere appunto. Sappiamo che non siamo “un popolo di lettori” e  mi sono convinto che le demonizzazioni servono a poco. La crociata contro Facebook è partita da un pezzo, senza contare che i social network hanno convertito al Pc persino quelli come mio cugino Massimiliano, che fino all’altro ieri sogghignava: “Che caspita ci faccio con quel mostriciattolo tecnologico”. A questo punto la riflessione è un’altra. Facebook sta già vivendo una seconda giovinezza, ma sui cellulari degli italiani. Ammettendo che siamo allergici all’innovazione, traghettiamo pure l’utilità di Facebook e simili sul mobile. Persino i nostri operatori telefonici lo hanno capito: Wind vi offre 50 ore al mese di connesione al costo di 9 euro,  in una versione smart per la vostra ricaricabile. A Natale manderemo in soffitta gli sms e tutte le promozioni ad essi legati? Sempre connesso, perchè no! Senza diventare vittime di un’ossessione,  può essere stimolante  confrontarsi con conoscenti o amici geograficamente “lontani”. E’ ora che termometro del grado di “socializzazione” cambi unità di musura!

[Via http://rosariopipolo.wordpress.com]

5 bons plans "spécial Web 2.0"

Cette semaine :
-  1/on optimise son blog en évitant les mauvaises pratiques,
et 2/on vérifie qu’ainsi il plaît (encore) plus aux lecteurs,

- 3/on se met à Twitter, grâce à une petite formation rapide,
4/ ou si c’est déjà fait, on vérifie qu’on n’est pas encore (trop) accro

- 5/ et pour améliorer sa page Facebook on teste ce tutorial qui explique comment y intégrer un onglet personnalisé (merci Sophie pour le lien)

Merci aux blogs de l’agence mode d’emploi (Cathy Vauchelles), à Roget.biz,  à Christophe Dovetta, à Camille Jourdain et à Edouard d’Athomedia.

Bonne lecture et bon week-end !

Thanks?

So you are all familiar with the Facebook interface – obviously the comment at the bottom came first, then I replied and it comes back down into a tree of comments.

I am well aware I did not censor the name “misa”. I’m fine with that. In one of the posts before I think I was writing about sasa.com and I left out the word “know”. Ugh I should stop being so pickeh D:

Anyway, random comments. Oh before I talk about that, check out the blobs of colour I used to screen their avatars <3

I can never really understand the idea of random comments, but then without them, life would be so boring. But the thing is, sometimes when there is a comment as short and ambiguous as that, I’m not really sure what their purpose was. Did they expect me to reply and actually say who I was, or were they hoping for their own friend (in this case, I suspect relative) to reply them? Either way, I’m not going to reply, and his relative has a 50% chance of replying. Either way, whatevers.

This is why I am so wary when I change my display picture. Seems like some people are very sharp with their eyes when they notice a display picture change.

ANYWAY.

This is gonna be gross but I have this scratch on the inside of my mouth and it hurtttttsssss like crazy. Usually with some water these things go away, but it’s not even a bump or an ulcer – it’s a friggin scratch! I can’t even wash my face properly because I can’t rub or else it will hurt Oh well, mouthwash and cotton tips tonight and hopefully it heals and goes away.

I think also today was about the 2nd or 3rd time I managed to sleep sitting up ish I was so bored in the living room (evacuated the computer and shut it down after hearing thunder), that I actually fell asleep.

Oh I’m so random. Toodaloo!

AARP guidelines for Facebook and Twitter

You must promise not to laugh. I really did not go the AARP site looking for info, I just searched on “twitter” to see what came up. Actually, whatI found was some good, common sense advice about entering into the social media world that applies whatever a person’s age.

In “A Social Networking Primer,” by Don Wilmott (AARP.org, July 2009), the step-by-step get started tips are very helpful. This is accompanied by an AARP magazine “Online Extra” that covers several aspects of social networking, from do’s and don’ts on Facebook to the best ways to “cast one’s net” to build a network.

That AARP is including quite a bit of content related to social media further underscores the growth in the older demographics on Facebook and Twitter.

Playstation 3.10 Firmware Brings Social Networking Features

The new PlayStation 3 firmware 3.10 update, set to be launched later this week, will have a Facebook application, Sony has confirmed, proving the leaked images of Facebook integration with the PS3 platform.

The update will allow the players to link their Facebook accounts to their PlayStation Network account providing them with an option to set auto updates of Trophy and PlayStation Store activity to Facebook News Feed.

Eric Lempel, PlayStation Network Operations director, commented in a blog post on Sony’s official PlayStation blog that the collaboration with the popular social networking website was only a beginning and the users can expect further new features in the future that will enhance their PS3 experience.

The gaming console market has witnessed a frenzied competition amongst it top players for increasing their market share and after Microsoft’s XBOX 360 integration with Facebook, it was only a matter of time that Sony came up with a similar update.

It has also been reported that the new firmware will have an update for the Photo app allowing easier viewing of images on the gaming console. The users will also be able to choose colors of their PlayStation Network ID and the PSN friends list according to their preferences.

 

Source: http://www.itproportal.com/

Start Tweeting with BFL Twitter Resources

BFL has finally reached the 21st century — we’ve created a library Twitter account! You can follow us at bownhlibrary if you already have a Twitter account, but if you don’t or are asking why would the library want a Twitter account, keep reading!

One of the things that we’re trying to do is communicate more effectively and frequently with Bow residents and our community.  The staff at the library wants to hear what people want to do/read/listen to so that we can help you.  Bottom line is that’s why we’re here.  This blog is one avenue to reach more people with information they want on new books, DVDs, and music.  The library’s Facebook page is another way we reach a specific segment of our patrons — Bow teens.  Twitter complements both by allowing up-to-the-minute information to be posted not only to other Twitter users, but also to the library’s web site homepage.  For example, when our online library catalog was unavailable through the web on a Sunday due to maintenance, I quickly tweeted a message so that those visiting our web site would see right away that the catalog was unavailable and that we were aware of it.  We’ve also linked our blog and Facebook page to our Twitter account, meaning that our posts to the blog and Facebook will appear in Twitter when they are posted.  All of this will help us get the same information out to different segments of our users at the same time.

So, how can you start tweeting?  Check out two new books available here: Twitter for Dummies by Laura Fitton and Twitter Book by Tim O’Reilly.  Fitton resides in MA and has given presentations in NH about social networking and Twitter.  The book is chock full of information to not only get you set up, but also details important points such as the etiquette involved in re-tweeting (RT) and how to send a link using Bit.ly or TinyURL.  O’Reilly’s book is also terrific, full of tips and tricks to make the most of Twitter.  There are a variety of magazine resources as well, such as “How to Avoid Facebook & Twitter Disasters” from the August 2009 issue of PC World [we copied this and gave it to all of our Teen Advisory Board members].   One helpful online resource is a blog post by Michael Hyatt, “The Beginner’s Guide to Twitter.”  There are many others – feel free to share them as comments to this post if they are helpful to you.

I’m more than willing to walk library patrons through setting up a Facebook, Twitter, or blog account.  Please get in touch with me — you too can leap into the 21st century!

Pria bunuh kekasih gara2 status di facebook

INILAH.COM, Jakarta- Seorang pria yang membunuh wanita berusia 38 tahun karena perdebatan tentang status hubungan mereka di Facebook, dihukum seumur hidup oleh pengadilan.

Wanita bernama Mary Griffiths, seorang instruktur fitness dibunuh dengan menggunakan senapan pemburu milik John McFarlane, beberapa jam setelah ia meminta bantuan kepada polisi. Ia diseret dari tempat tidur dan dibunuh di depan dua orang puterinya.

Pada malam sebelum dibunuh, Griffiths sempat menulis di halaman Facebooknya, “Mereka bilang ada yang lebih buruk daripada seorang wanita pencemooh. ”
Beberapa jam setelah memposting tulisan tersebut McFarlene membunuhnya.

Dalam sebuah pesan teks yang dikirim ke seorang rekan sebelum pembunuhan, McFarlane menulis, “Ya JB (McFarlane) akan segera pergi dalam sebuah misi balas dendam untuk memberi pelajaran pada orang-orang memberikan bekas di hatinya.”

“Aku akan menyisihkan ibunya, bukan anak-anak gadisnya. Seperti aku, mereka tidak akan mati. Hasta la vista baby.”

Ia juga menulis pesan kepada teman lainnya, “Inilah yang terjadi pada penolakan. Yang aku butuhkan hanyalah sebuah pelukan dan untuk dicintai. ”

McFarlene yang sebelumnya menyangkal pembunuhan tersebut, dinyatakan bersalah oleh pengadilan Ipswich Crown. Ia dihukum seumur hidup.

endraithuujelek

XBox 360 Update mit facebook und twitter kommt am 17. November

Endlich gibt es die offizielle Ankündigung, wann das Update für die XBox360 erscheinen wird. Ab dem 17. November werden Goldmitglieder die Möglichkeit haben direkt über die Xbox 360 zu twittern oder ihr facebook Profil zu verwalten. Zudem wird nun der Zune Shop untrstützt und Musikspieleergänzungen erhalten einen eigenen Kanal.

Jupiduh, ich persönlich freue mich darauf. Das Bild oben stammt übrigens von der Info Mail, die Microsoft verschickt hat.

Nedräkning

Nu har vi utsett åtta finalister i vår spännande tävling Bostadsjakten!

Leo Dahlin, Yvonne Bengtsson, Mikael Alsterblad, Andrea Ohrem, Ola Ringdahl, Ellen Bergseth, Helen Pihl och Nina Ivarsson är nu kvar och fajtas om 15 000 kronor på IKEA. Den som vid midnatt den 1 december har fått ihop flest röster, kommer att vinna hela tävlingen.

Det är alltså folket som avgör vem som har delat med sig av Sveriges bästa bostadsletarhistoria. Finalen och omröstningen inleds på tisdag den 17 november. Missa inte att gå in på www.bovision.se/bostadsjakten för att rösta på just ditt favoritbidrag! (Och du, vill du redan nu smygkika på finalbidragen och de 47 andra bostadsletarhistorierna, kan du göra det genom att bli fan av oss på Facebook!)

Utilizatorii de pe Facebook au sabotat propriile grupuri

Sute de grupuri de pe Facebook au fost sabotate în ultimele zile chiar de către utilizatori, transmite CNN. Este vorba de o acţiune de protest care încearcă să evidenţieze vulnerabilitatea celei mai mari platforme de socializare din lume.

“Bună ziua! Vă anunţăm oficial că v-am sabotat grupul. Asta înseamnă că putem controla informaţiile pe care le-aţi postat. Am putea să redenumim grupul vostru “Susţin drepturile pedofililor”. Dar nu vă faceţi probleme. Nu vom face asta”.

Acesta este mesajul postat pe grupurile sabotate. Dacă administratorul unui grup încetează să îl mai întreţină, oricine poate prelua sarcinile acestuia şi poate accesa informaţiile personale ale membrilor. Peste 300 de milioane de oameni folosesc Facebook în toată lumea!

20 questions

It’s a rare occurrence when there is a straight forward question and answer between Will and his friends.  Typically the question is delivered in a multiple choice format, e.g., “Guess what was so-and-so’s excuse for not hanging out tonight…. was it:  A) There is a professional family photo shoot in the morning; B) his mother in law needs him to take her to the gynecologist; C) He promised his wife he’d watch the So You Think You Can Dance finale live; or D) he has to go to the Gymboree graduation.”  We all then get to weigh the validity of each statement, come up with our guesses, then inevitably laugh at the real answer.

I personally love it, and I actively engage in and love creating my own multiple choices.  It’s even fun when it’s something as simple as guessing the name of the waiter (“Is it A)  Jebediah; B) Orion; C) Darnell or D) Mikhail”).

Today I got to overhear Will on the phone with our friend as he was figuring out the answer to one of the most fun reoccurring questions… “Guess who friended me on Facebook?” However today must’ve been a slow day at all the offices, because instead of multiple choice, he had Will play 20 questions.

Block out from 3-4 on your calendar... it's time to play "Guess who friended me on Facebook". Note: this dude is not an actual friend of mine

How I wish I the video recorder out, because Will’s side of the conversation went along the lines of:

“Is it a girl?”

“From high school?”

“Our year?”

“What about our elementary school, did she go there?”

“Was she friendly with Mike?”

“Rachel Greenfeld!”*

“No?  Ok. Um, Was she cooler than us?”

“Was she hot?”

“Is she still hot?”  [lots of laughter while there is some follow through to this question on the other side of the conversation]

“Was she a cheerleader?”

“Um… Did you ever take her to see Les Mis?”

“OK, so she’s our age, was hot, may or may not have been a cheerleader, she is not friendly with Mike, you don’t think she was any cooler than us, and you never took her to a Broadway play…  Danielle Adelstein!”*

“No? Hmm… what, am I at question 11?  Did… she work in Sunrise Mall?”

“Did she work in the Gap?”

You get the picture… I don’t know if this translates, but I was hysterical.  I highly recommend bringing back 20 questions to your day-to-day, it makes things more interesting.

* No names of known people were used in this blog post.  If you are a Rachel Greenfeld or Danielle Adelstein who found this when you googled yourself, rest assured that this was a random concoction of likely Long Island Jewish girls names born between 1974- 1979.

Join Facebook Group for Free Apps, Games Blackberry

Hi BB Users,

Glad to inform you that freeappsblackberry.wordpress.com has opened network communication at groups facebook therefore it is easy to get more update what’s the latest news, review, apps, games from your facebook.

Thanks a lot for the comments from blackberry forums to improve the development of site.

Join Facebook group for Free Apps, Games Blackberry by click at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=170992619193&ref=mf .

You also could share the posted freeappsblackberry.wordpress.com to your friends at facebook by click the facebook share at right side or click to  http://go2.wordpress.com/?id=725X1342&site=freeappsblackberry.wordpress.com&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsharer.php.

Appreciate your all your comments and please support the development of this site and could share it to Blackberry community.

 

CatalogMagazineAirGuitarContest!

Can I have your attention?

sexy crouchshot

Hey Guys, look here. Sam needs your help real badly. He needs to win this contest, you can help by liking this photo on Facebook. If he doesn’t win this thing, his mum will not allow him into the house. You don’t want to see Sam ending up as a hobo, do you? So yea please ‘like’ this photo.  Heres the link to it. http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/photo.php?pid=4516574&id=120508340762&ref=nf

Media baru dan budaya fitnah menular di Internet

Oleh: Suhaimi Al-Maniri

Beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini satu budaya media baru menerusi blog, social media seperti facebook, twitter dan lain-lainnya telah mula menguasai ruang maya di internet.

Blog yang mulanya digunakan untuk memaparkan hal-hal sosial untuk dikongsi oleh keluarga dan rakan-rakan telah bertukar menjadi satu media baru bila blogger-blogger khususnya dikalangan wartawan-wartawan dan ahli-ahli politik mula mengambilnya sebagai satu media untuk menyampaikan pandangan peribadi masing-masing.

Sungguhpuin blog ini adalah milik peribadi, tetapi disebabkan seseorang itu terikat dengan sesuatu organisasi sama ada parti-parti politik dan sebagainya, maka susah untuk dipisahkan yang mana peribadi dan yang mana mewakili organisasi.

Setahun dua kebelakangan ini, blog-blog tumbuh macam cendawan selepas hujan. Blog sudah dianggap sebagai satu keperluan Bagi yang tiada blog dianggap sudah ketinggalan zaman. Tidak cukup dengan itu pimpinan-pimpinan parti-parti politik juga mengadakan blog masing-masing untuk menyampaikan pandangan peribadi.

Malah ada yang lebih jauh lagi, apa yang dia cakap dalam mesyuarat pun tulis dalam blog, kemudian tanya pendapat pembaca yang tidak ada kena mengena dengan mesyuarat tersebut.

Lebih teruk daripada itu, hal ehwal dalam organisasi yang hanya perlu diketahui oleh ahli mesyuarat berkenaan sahaja pun telah didedahkan sewenang-wenangnya mengikut perspektif masing-masing tanpa memikirkan kesan jangka panjang dan impak-impak lain yang mungkin timbul dari tindakan tersebut.

Mereka telah menjadikan seolah-olah blog itu adalah segala-galanya bagi meluahkan perasan kepada individu lain ataupun  organisasinya sendiri jika   tidak memenuhi kehendak mereka. 

Disebabkan keberkesanan media baru ini, parti-parti politik mula berlumba-lumba untuk mendapat perhatian dan simpati blogger-blogger. Tidak cukup dengan itu, saya diberitahu adalah yang mengupah blogger-bloger menjadi cyber trooper  bagi memantau perkembangan blog-blog tertentu dan meneutralkan keadaan.

Dalam sesetangah keadaan, blogger-blogger yang ternama ini akan menjadi anak emas kepada pihak-pihak tertentu. Malah ada blogger  tertentu yang mungkin dilayan lebih dari  ketua pengarang sesebuah media.

Kenyataan Media: Ahli PAS Kena Bijak Menghadapi Fitnah Media

Saya tertarik dengan kenyataan media Ketua Penerangan PAS, Ustaz Idris Ahmad berhubung dengan perkara ini. Berikut adalah sedutan  kenyataan beliau dalam laman web rasmi parti tersebut (http://www.pas.org.my);

Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) mengingatkan setiap ahli agar bijak dalam membaca sebaran berita di internet khususnya dalam blog, facebook dan juga media massa lainnya. Pada waktu ini PAS mendapati semakin banyak tuduhan liar dilontarkan oleh CyberTrooper Umno yang menyamar sebagai ahli PAS atau wakil pimpinan PAS di dalam media alternatif ini.

Sehubungan dengan itu, kewujudan fitnah seolah-olah wujudnya pertemuan sulit pimpinan PAS yang Pro Unity Goverment dan Pro-Erdogan wajar difahami ahli sebagai satu gerak kerja saraf Umno untuk memecahkan parti ini kepada dua kelompok. Sesungguhnya tiada sebarang pertemuan sulit yang dilaporkan dan belum ada bukti yang diterima diperingkat kepimpinan PAS tentang kewujudan dua kumpulan ini melainkan individu-individu yang berbeza pandangan dengan pimpinan.

PAS melihat, selain jalan Musyawarah perlu juga Laporan Disiplin dibuat bagi mengesahkan setiap tuduhan yang dibuat untuk memudahkan kita mengetahui asal punca masalah ini. Lembaga Disiplin PAS juga membuka ruang yang seluas-luasnya terhadap mana-mana pimpinan dan ahli yang mempunyai bukti mengenai fitnah ini atau mereka-mereka yang menyebarkan berita bahawa terdapat segelintir pimpinan PAS sedang berusaha membawa PAS bergabung dengan Umno untuk membuat Laporan Disiplin. Jika ada laporan dan bukti yang sahih kita akan membuat keputusan, walaupun yang didakwa itu Mursyidul Am, Presiden atau mana-mana pemimpin tertinggi parti sekalipun.

PAS yakin kerja-kerja fitnah CyberTrooper Umno dan mereka-mereka yang kononnya menjadi ahli PAS tetapi bekerja untuk Umno akan mati dengan sendirinya jika sebarang Laporan Disiplin gagal dibuat dan tiada sebarang pembuktian diserahkan kepada pihak Lembaga.

PAS meminta ahli bertenang dan tidak membuat sebarang ulasan terbuka mengenai perkara ini dan memberikan ruang kepada pemimpin bermusyawarah bagi mencari punca masalah ini. Gunakanlah saluran yang ada (Lembaga Disiplin) bagi mencari kebenaran dan menguatkan ukhuwwah dalam parti.

Marilah kita bersama-sama melakukan solat hajat moga mereka yang cuba menganiaya parti ini diberikan hidayah oleh Allah untuk menginsafi perbuatan mereka. Kita mohon pada Allah semoga PAS dileraikan dari belenggu fitnah dan perjuangan kita terus mendapat hidayah dariNya.

Artikel ini disiarkan untuk akhbar Siasah

Diperkosa di Depan Anak Berusia 3 Tahun

Polisi Inggris sedang memburu seorang pria yang diduga memperkosa seorang ibu di depan putranya yang berusia 3 tahun. Ibu berusia 23 tahun itu telah beberapa kali bertemu dengan pria yang dikenal dengan sebutan Derek setelah saling berkenalan melalui internet.

Pada 30 September, perempuan itu ditemani oleh putranya pergi menuju sebuah flat di pusat kota Sutton untuk menemui Derek. Saat meminum teh di pagi hari itulah, ibu ini ditinju wajahnya oleh Derek hingga tidak sadarkan diri sebelum pria itu memuaskan nafsunya di depan putra perempuan itu. Perempuan tersebut kemudian berhasil melarikan diri bersama putranya setelah tersadar.

Seorang juru bicara polisi menggambarkan tersangka sebagai pria berusia 40an dan berkulit putih dengan tubuh berotot. Pria ini diketahui mengendarai Land Rover berwarna hijau tua dengan atap kanvas dan ban serep dengan sarung berdesain elang di posisi belakang mobil.

Insinden ini menambah deret aksi kekerasan seksual yang terjadi di Inggris dan dimulai lewat perkenalan di situs jejaring sosial. Bulan lalu, remaja putri berusia 17 tahun, Ashleigh Hall, tewas dan mayatnya dibuang ke sebuah parit setelah menemui pria yang dikenalnya lewat Facebook. Memetik kegetiran dari pengalaman itu, ibu Ashleigh Hall menyerukan pemerintah Inggris untuk memberikan proteksi lebih besar bagi pengguna internet agar mereka tidak terjebak dalam perangkap maksiat pria hidung belang dan pedofil.

Siapapun warga Inggris yang mengetahui keberadaan pria pengemudi mobil Land Rover itu dihimbau agar melaporkannya ke kepolisian sektor Sapphire pada nomor 20 8721 4128. Pusat Proteksi Internet dan Eksploitasi Anak Inggris telah mengajukan agar seluruh situs didaftarkan ke sistem pengawasannya sehingga pengunduh dapat melaporkan kalangan profesional di bidang perlindungan anak apabila menemukan sesuatu yang mencurigakan.

KOMPAS.com