What do all these items have in common? They are just some of the things we’ve given away to fans during Free Stuff Friday. Our Twitter giveaways have been very successful, and I wanted to share a behind-the-scenes look into how we do them. At the least, I hope companies can stop using Twitter as just another avenue to push a marketing message.
Planning to attend the Social Media and Community 2.0 Strategies conference in Boston? Would you attend if you had a 20% discount? I can hook you up! Hit the jump for all the details on what I’m up to in 2010.
With all the self-proclaimed “social media experts” on the internet, it’s no wonder that companies have a hard time knowing who to trust with their social media. But are these people doing any real harm? I probably gave my opinion away in the title, but I do have some ideas for how to solve the issue, or at least make it better.
America’s sex offender laws are unjust, unfair, ineffective, and out of control. The same fear-mongering and panic is now moving online, causing social media companies like Facebook to remove the accounts of registered sex offenders. This sounds good on the surface, but it’s based in the same shaky logic and judgmental language as the original laws.
Disemvoweling is a great tool, but like any great tool, it can be used for the wrong reasons. Hearst told one blogger to stop using it, but it seems to me the problem is with the blogger/moderator, not the tool.
I’m happy to announce that I’ll be speaking at two upcoming conferences. Click in to find out more!
EA had an interactive photo contest at Comic Con. But it’s not that simple. They encouraged patrons to “commit acts of lust” with their “booth babes”. Because apparently sexual harassment is awesome.
Sometimes in user generated content, the users bite back. Food Network found this out the hard way over the weekend.
Homophobia is a problem in all virtual communities, but especially in gaming communities. GLAAD recently launched a project to combat this, beginning with a panel discussion with gaming industry leaders next week. Through statistics and video, GLAAD makes some compelling arguments about why this important issue needs to be addressed right now. I’m proud to be working with GLAAD on this — as a gaming industry employee, a community manager, and an out lesbian.
I tried to buy my mom a Sony eBook gift certificate for her birthday. But Sony’s unnecessary requirements have prevented me from doing so. Sorry, mom!