Gearheads: The Sterling Communications Blog

Always an optimist

Have we talked enough about the economy yet? No? Alright then. Allow me to go on...

In this kind of downturn, bad news is the norm. So I think it's particularly refreshing when someone can come along and put a positive spin on the "doom and gloom" story. I've seen a couple of these kinds of articles lately: First from Computerworld's Eric Lai and then today from Jon Swartz at USA Today.

Facebook Under Fire Over Content Ownership

Over the weekend, The Consumerist blog brought to light some recent changes to Facebook’s terms of service regarding the ownership of content posted on the popular social networking site.  Prior to this change, Facebook maintained a “worldwide license” on the content that its user posted or uploaded to the site while their account was open; once a user terminated their account, however, Facebook’s license would expire.  So all those zany candids you shot with your iPhone at your raging dinner party over the weekend and then happily plastered all over the Walls of the attendees, for example, according to the old ToS, would disappear along with you if you decided to cancel your account.  Not so with the updated ToS, though, which has subsequently set off a multitude of angry responses such as the formation of groups protesting the change in terms and even a call for a boycott of Facebook from entertainment blogger Perez Hilton. 

The Consumerist’s post garnered approximately 300,000 page views over the weekend, prompting CEO Mark Zuckerberg to respond to the flurry, assuring users that “we wouldn't share your information in a way you wouldn't want.”  (Yeah right!)  Furthermore, their “philosophy that people own their information and control who they share it with has remained constant. A lot of the language in our terms is overly formal and protective of the rights we need to provide this service to you.” 

According to The Industry Standard, a Facebook spokesperson also offered the following:

 We are not claiming and have never claimed ownership of material that users upload.  The new Terms were clarified to be more consistent with the behavior of the site.  That is, if you send a message to another user (or post to their wall, etc...), that content might not be removed by Facebook if you delete your account (but can be deleted by your friend).  Furthermore, it is important to note that this license is made subject to the user’s privacy settings.  So any limitations that a user puts on display of the relevant content (e.g. To specific friends) are respected by Facebook. Also, the license only allows us to use the info "in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof. (emphasis mine)" 

For me, that’s where it gets really sticky.  Until this gets sorted out in a more user-friendly fashion, I don’t think I can ignore the fine print.  I won’t be posting anything too terribly valuable, like the shots I snapped of the full moon over the Bay Bridge recently.  And, should I decide to run for office one day, hopefully my “25 Random Things” note won’t come back to bite me in the backside.

Are Cloud Computing and Software as a Service (SaaS) The Same Thing?

To put it simply, the answer is no. However, as more and more companies and customers start to utilize computing services through the Internet, the terms “Cloud Computing” and “SaaS” seem to have become interchangeable.

I recently read a great article in ZDNet titled, Five Cloud Computing Myths Exposed. Although editor Cath Everett takes a critical view of the growth and longevity of these technologies, she makes a couple of great points on how they are changing the industry.

The Opiate of the Masses

So the people who have ignored a year of warnings about the conversion to digital TV are getting a reprieve to June 12th. Gotta say, Mr. President, that irritates me. I shelled out for a new TV and chained myself to Comcast a few months ago in order to be ready for the planned Feb. 17th switch. But ooh, the American public isn’t ready.

I mean, come on, the local stations, including foreign-language ones, have been running many, many crawlers during all types of programs to ensure the message got out. PBS has shown lengthy PSAs and even a 30-minute documentary to educate viewers. There have been initial conversions in test markets around the country, including the entire state of Hawaii. The Truth is Out There, if you’ve been paying attention. Many people haven’t, but that’s because they don’t need to if they already have cable or satellite. Believe me, if you’re viewing analog TV with an over-the-air antenna (the people who will be affected), you can NOT have missed the PSAs. My mother and her retired friends talk (worry) about it all the time.

BART adds Wi-Fi, keeps connected

Yesterday, San Francisco’s underground commuter transit system, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), announced that it will be implementing system-wide Wi-Fi service over the next two years. Although they do plan on charging for extended use, the first 3 ½ minutes will be free, so Bay Area commuters can rejoice—we’ll be tied to 3G no more!

This news article got me thinking about how impressive BART is as a technology-focused organization, both through their commitment to continuing access to technology that its users want and through their online brand presence. Although public transit isn’t the first place you’d look when seeking examples of organizations using social media to create a “human-scale,” interactive image, BART has been engaging its users online for some time now.

Twitter Still Sees its Shadow

To the disappointment of many today, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today, foreshadowing the extension of winter for another six weeks.

To my disappointment, I also saw a shadow, and it was in the form of a bird, Twitter to be exact. What my feathered friend saw was a need for further education on what Twitter is all about. I see Dos and Don’ts all day long, and today was no exception.

There are many definitions of Twitter floating around, however, my favorite is from fellow tweeter J A di Paolantonio:

http://twitter.com/JAdP/status/1012525021

I think his definition captures the essence of the tool – it’s a way to meet and interact with people that you wouldn’t have had the opportunity to connect with otherwise. It’s a way to build your network organically, as well as extend your knowledge base.

I’m a tremendous fan of the tool. It gives me what I call an “unfair advantage” to doing my job in PR. I’ve made some great friends, learned a lot and most importantly, have been inspired by many brilliant minds that think out loud in the open on Twitter. There is an opportunity for picking up many great habits. However, there’s also been some bad habits I’ve noted along the way.

Given this, here’s a short list of Dos and Don’ts (there’s definitely more Don’ts here!):

Dos:

• Do engage in conversations with peers that interest you on a daily basis (meaning @ reply someone).

• Do include a short bio, including posting an actual picture of yourself, not of an animal, symbol, cartoons, etc. It’s always nice to see the person you’re communicating with!

• Do connect with at least one new person per day.

• Do be human/yourself. Twitter is about connecting, identifying and sharing with people.

Don’ts:

• Don’t push information out without @ replying someone at least once per day.Twitter is not a broadcasting tool, it’s an interactive tool. There are some publications that use Twitter as an RSS feed. That’s fine. However, it’s not okay for individuals. Twitter isn’t about talking to yourself all day long.

• Don’t follow hundreds of people out of the gate. Twitter is a networking tool that should grow organically. It’s not about how many people you can follow at once. You will be seen as a spammer. Be conscious of your follower/following ratio.

• Don’t beg for new followers. I see this all the time – people asking others to retweet that they need 20 more followers until they reach 5,000. Twitter isn’t about how many followers you have. It’s about the quality of your network and the interaction. 

• Don’t auto DM…ever!! I can’t believe this is even an option on Twitter. Auto DMing, or spamming, defeats the purpose of the tool.

Have any of your own Dos and Don’ts to add? Would love to hear them!
You can find me on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/tiffanyanderson