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!
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.
Facebook is growing, but MySpace isn’t shrinking. Why do some people choose to leave MySpace for Facebook, and some people choose to stay? Teenagers gave danah boyd insight into this, and the results have wide-reaching implications for anyone looking to engage an audience using social media.
Social media and the internet are impacting the court system, and can result in mistrials and unfair trials. Find out why this is important, and what you can do (and not do) to prevent a mistrial when you’re serving on a jury.
What does anthropology have to do with online community? Your first instinct may be “nothing”, but the answer is really “everything”.
Dave Balter of BzzAgent shares his tips with Guy Kawasaki, and I weigh in with some points of my own. Got questions not addressed here? Let me know. I’m happy to take them on.