I’ve always bristled a little at the idea that the Facebook-generation has no sense, or expectation of privacy. I started thinking about this concept more this week, oddly enough, when I listened to a Slate podcast on digital manners about whether someone was obligated to announce a death in the family via Facebook. It asked the question, “Are some things too private for Facebook?”

I answered with a resounding, “Yes!”

Certainly there are people on social networks who shamelessly detail every mundane thought, deep emotion, or devastating loss. I’ve always assumed these people have no sense of privacy in general — that they argue in public with their significant others, cry in the office, and give strangers detailed updates on their recent trip to the doctor. Basically, I figure they are the kind of people you don’t want to be stuck next to on a plane. (more…)

Apparently, 54% of businesses block use of social media at work…despite those same companies continuing to invest in online communities. This seems absurd to me, and has ever since I read David Meerman Scott’s column on the subject way back in 2008. At the time he wrote:

If you trust your employees, they might surprise you with the ways they promote your business on social media sites. But if you don’t trust them, you end up with only the corporate dregs who don’t mind working in an organization that won’t let them communicate with others in the ways that people are using today, such as social networking, video sharing, blogs, forums, and the like. (more…)

I’ve written about being one of those crazy cord-cutters here before, but now I’ve got a new dilemma — and so does much of the rest of my streaming brethren. You see, I’m getting ready to move, and it just so happens to coincide with Netflix’s announcement that it will be separating its streaming and DVD plans. In short, this sucks for me. I subscribe to Netflix and stream content through my Roku box,  and get a DVD every now and then with some movie or show on it that is not available through the streaming service. Right now, Treme is just sitting there waiting for me to pop it in the DVD player.

This has worked for me, but now Netflix will be charging $7.99 a month for unlimited streaming, but it’s going to cost you more money if you want DVDs as well. (In fact, it seems to be the company’s mission to make it as difficult as possible to even figure out what the DVD plan rates are if my quick glance at its website is any indication.) Long story short, my current plan would nearly double in price. (more…)

Were you a huge fan of the viral Old Spice commercials?Did they compel you to run out and buy a years’ supply of deodorant or aftershave? If so, you’re probably just the person Brut is trying to target with its news internet campaign, Brut News Network (BNN).

According to the press release:

The BNN features the latest Internet videos along with commentary on hot topics and discussions that often include the insight of America’s #1 sports talk radio host and sports expert, Jim Rome, via frequent cameo appearances. The two BNN hosts, Bob and Ned, who love sports, explosions and people falling down as much as the next guy, grab audience’s attention by providing two minute videos of comic relief with episodes featuring topics such as Parkour, extreme sports fails, office pranks, and much more. (more…)

We’ve all watched a toddler who can barely walk a straight line deftly navigate his or her way through Mom’s smartphone and thought, “Whoa!” Those Digital Natives have a way of really throwing their grandparents — who are still fighting with their printers over the “PC Load Letter”  error message — for a loop. Now, though, one survey is claiming kids can predict the future of technology. According to press materials :

Latitude asked kids across the world to draw the answer to this question: “What would you like your computer or the Internet to do that it can’t do right now?”

The goal of the study was to catch a glimpse into possible futures for technology as seen by digital natives, and to highlight actionable opportunities for creators of new content, user experience (UX), and technology offerings that resonate with people of all ages.

The findings: Children across the world anticipate recent updates to Google image search, new applications for robots, real-world gaming and other cutting-edge possibilities for tech. (more…)

Google is at it again. Despite failed past attempts at breaking into the social network space, Google announced Google+ yesterday. Google has long had its sights set on becoming a player in the social world, as experts predicted that social media was the search giant’s biggest threat.

After a few days in semi-public beta, reviews are starting to roll in. It seems that where Google+ may have an edge is in its privacy policies. For instance, Dan Gillmor wrote for The Guardian:

What Google has understood, and put (with some glitches) into practice, is what Facebook has resisted. First, privacy has been baked into the service, not added as an afterthought. The privacy settings still need work, but it’s clear that Google has learned from the mistakes it has made and the ongoing privacy insults that Facebook showers on its users.

Gillmor — who gives Google+ an overall B+ — also says the site is good at allowing users to create groups, and share information appropriately. I’m not convinced that I believe Google, the gatekeeper of…well…just about everything, is really concerned with my privacy. In fact, one of the most important privacy settings for me in Facebook was the ability to make my profile not searchable via Google.

Still my skepticism about Google’s forays into the social space has always been about the willingness of millions of users to either add yet another social network into their daily routines, or make the switch. So, I’ll be interested to see if people really embrace this new network, or if it’s just the early adopters and gadget collectors who get on board.

I was shocked (shocked I tell you!) to find one of my favorite journalists disagreeing with me this morning when I did my daily perusal of Slate.com. But there it was in black and white: Jack Shafer was saying Patch — and other hyperlocal journalism — is a waste of time. I’m not one to argue about his assessment of Patch, but I don’t think he’s right about local news in general.

Shafer writes:

In other words, social news trumps hyperlocal news.

Hasn’t it always been so? We’re always more interested in what our friends and family are doing than we are about plans to add a curb-cut to a neighbor’s property. Besides, for users who tune their Facebook accounts to include neighbors, schools, curmudgeons, and other sources, they get a stream of hyperlocal news in addition to the usual social news they desire. (more…)