Often it’s a struggle for businesses new to social media to determine how to tweet as a company. Do you send out a username and password to everyone and let them have a go? Should one employee handle everything?Do you setup multiple accounts or will one be enough? Decisions, decisions, decisions! Never fear, we have Tylenol tips for the headache that’s has taken over your brain after reading this paragraph.
Read 5 Effective Tips For Tweeting As A Company – How does your company tweet?
Thursday, 20 August 2009
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
How I manage Facebook
I can guarantee you that this won’t be as useful as How I Manage Twitter, but then, I’m telling you so that you have an understanding of what I’m doing with my personal time on Facebook. I’ll admit right up front that I was quite a Facebook hater for many years, but that I turned around in the last few months, due to two changes: the improvement of fan pages, and my personal discovery of lists. If I didn’t have these two things, I’d not be able to function.
Read the entire article How I manage Facebook by Chris Brogan
Read the entire article How I manage Facebook by Chris Brogan
Google Ad Qualty Guide
Google just launched this ad quality guide last week, and it addresses frequently asked questions and offers additional tips about how to improve ad quality.
How to create Advertising Messages in Google
Insights for search lets you compare search volume patterns across specific regions, categories, time frames, and properties.
101 Greatest Running Tips
"Stop fighting it!"
That's what a fellow marathoner yelled at me years ago in the middle of a very windy out-and-back marathon.
"Don't fight the wind, man," he said. "Wait until the turnaround, then pick up the pace when the wind is at your back."
The sheer simplicity of that advice! Until he mentioned it, I was dug in. Wind be damned, I was going to keep my pace or die trying. Thanks to that veteran marathoner's advice, I did neither. I ended up running a great race.
Read the complete article 101 Greatest Running Tips.
That's what a fellow marathoner yelled at me years ago in the middle of a very windy out-and-back marathon.
"Don't fight the wind, man," he said. "Wait until the turnaround, then pick up the pace when the wind is at your back."
The sheer simplicity of that advice! Until he mentioned it, I was dug in. Wind be damned, I was going to keep my pace or die trying. Thanks to that veteran marathoner's advice, I did neither. I ended up running a great race.
Read the complete article 101 Greatest Running Tips.
How to Manage Twitter
At the time of this writing, I have over 91,000 Twitter followers. No, I don’t read every word they type. No, I don’t recommend that you try to get 10s of thousands of followers. But I’m frequently asked how I keep up with everyone, and so, I’m going to update something I wrote once before in November of 2008. I hope this is useful to you.
Read Chris Brogan's article How to Manage Twitter.
Read Chris Brogan's article How to Manage Twitter.
Hashing Things Out
You never know what story will draw you in. Could be Israel, could be health care, could be “Entourage.” Or it could be #freeskip.
For some lizard-brained reason, the arrest on July 16 of Henry Louis Gates Jr., the Harvard professor, won’t let me go. The police reports haven’t been enough. The news accounts haven’t been enough. The White House intervention hasn’t been enough. The opinions of dozens of blogger-sages — including Gates himself, as well as writers like Christopher Hitchens and Stanley Fish who like to finish off a subject — haven’t been enough.
This has happened to me before, with O. J. and with episodes involving Hillary Clinton, so I knew what was up: I’d really never be satisfied. My attraction to the Gates-arrest narrative — with its potential for curiosity, surprise, indignation and pedantry on themes from race to police procedure to academia to the history of Boston — struck me as a craving induced by industrial design, like Southwestern egg rolls at Chili’s. Not until the whole of Gatesgate had been unpacked, as people said in graduate school (where, full disclosure, Gates was briefly my adviser), could I move on. Was anyone with me? Or did everyone else healthily revolve with the news cycle?
Enter #freeskip and hashtags. Hashtags are curious words and mashed-together phrases earmarked with a hash symbol (better known, perhaps, as the pound sign). Read the complete article Hashing Things Out.
For some lizard-brained reason, the arrest on July 16 of Henry Louis Gates Jr., the Harvard professor, won’t let me go. The police reports haven’t been enough. The news accounts haven’t been enough. The White House intervention hasn’t been enough. The opinions of dozens of blogger-sages — including Gates himself, as well as writers like Christopher Hitchens and Stanley Fish who like to finish off a subject — haven’t been enough.
This has happened to me before, with O. J. and with episodes involving Hillary Clinton, so I knew what was up: I’d really never be satisfied. My attraction to the Gates-arrest narrative — with its potential for curiosity, surprise, indignation and pedantry on themes from race to police procedure to academia to the history of Boston — struck me as a craving induced by industrial design, like Southwestern egg rolls at Chili’s. Not until the whole of Gatesgate had been unpacked, as people said in graduate school (where, full disclosure, Gates was briefly my adviser), could I move on. Was anyone with me? Or did everyone else healthily revolve with the news cycle?
Enter #freeskip and hashtags. Hashtags are curious words and mashed-together phrases earmarked with a hash symbol (better known, perhaps, as the pound sign). Read the complete article Hashing Things Out.
10 Google Resources for Business Users
Important Google Resources for business users:
1. Webmaster Central
2. Conversion Optimizer
3. Insights for Search
4. Google Blog Directory
5. Local Business Center
6. Google Help Centers
7. Ad Quality Guide
8. Website Optimizer
9. Page Speed
10. YouTube Channel
Read the entire article here.
1. Webmaster Central
2. Conversion Optimizer
3. Insights for Search
4. Google Blog Directory
5. Local Business Center
6. Google Help Centers
7. Ad Quality Guide
8. Website Optimizer
9. Page Speed
10. YouTube Channel
Read the entire article here.
8 Firefox Add-Ons to Boost Productivity
Chris Crum from Web Pro News describes 8 Firefox Add-ons that will increase your productivity.
Try out the 8 Add-Ons.
Try out the 8 Add-Ons.
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
9 Qualities That Will Rock Your Career
Success in life is always relative. Some people are happy with small achievements while there are others who won't be satisfied until mountains are moved.
Regardless of our ambitions, our career spans through a series of jobs and experiences that truly polish our personality and will. While we all have defining moments that will determine our core beliefs around hard work, persistence, determination, etc., these are all simply components of a greater foundation that defines 'you'. A rocking rise through corporate ranks involves a radical understanding and possible change in your attitude and behaviors.
Read the complete article here.
Regardless of our ambitions, our career spans through a series of jobs and experiences that truly polish our personality and will. While we all have defining moments that will determine our core beliefs around hard work, persistence, determination, etc., these are all simply components of a greater foundation that defines 'you'. A rocking rise through corporate ranks involves a radical understanding and possible change in your attitude and behaviors.
Read the complete article here.
Joan Rivers’ Anti-Aging Secrets: Lifescript Exclusive
Joan Rivers, comedian, red-carpet host and reality show star, has stayed at the top of her game for decades. But she’s almost as famous for her hilarious honesty about plastic surgery. In this Lifescript exclusive, Rivers shares with Mari Cartel in a special Lfescript Exclusive some of her favorite subjects…
Everything about her relationshps, plastic surgery etc.
Joan Rivers’ Anti-Aging Secrets: Lifescript Exclusive
Everything about her relationshps, plastic surgery etc.
Joan Rivers’ Anti-Aging Secrets: Lifescript Exclusive
Monday, 17 August 2009
How to be a good God Father
Have you been called to be a God Father? You have no clue as to what is expected of you?
Here are some tips to help you.
Guide to being a great God Father!
Here are some tips to help you.
Guide to being a great God Father!
The World’s Most Famous Photoshop Fakes
Very interesting blog post about various photo fakes. Some are not photoshop fakes as photoshop was noteven invented when these phot fakes were done!
Enjoy The Worlds MostFamous PhotoshopFakes.
Enjoy The Worlds MostFamous PhotoshopFakes.
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
5 Minute SEO with SEO Blogger for Firefox
Anyone who has tried search engine optimization knows how important keyword research is. Well, good news everyone; keyword research just got a whole lot quicker and easier with Wordtracker's new, free Firefox extension - SEO Blogger.
With the click of a button you get a mini version of Wordtracker's keyword research tool right in your browser window. Now you can do your keyword research without leaving your blog post editing page!
For more information visit http://tinyurl.com/nnxfqf
Friday, 8 May 2009
Canon acts on faulty Powershot G10 cameras
Free repairs are being offered by Canon to anyone affected by faulty PowerShot G10 digital cameras that produce unwanted 'lines' on their photos.
The phenomenon does not occur in every image says Canon UK, with the small, horizontal lines differing depending on the subject photographed. It is not caused by the camera settings, it says, and images that display any such problems cannot be fixed.
G10 users are advised to check the serial number found on the base of their camera, and can find out if their unit is among the affected on Canon's support website. Visit www.canon.co.uk/Support/index.asp .
Published at http://www.bjp-online.com/
The phenomenon does not occur in every image says Canon UK, with the small, horizontal lines differing depending on the subject photographed. It is not caused by the camera settings, it says, and images that display any such problems cannot be fixed.
G10 users are advised to check the serial number found on the base of their camera, and can find out if their unit is among the affected on Canon's support website. Visit www.canon.co.uk/Support/index.asp .
Published at http://www.bjp-online.com/
Can Social Networking Be The Key To Long Term Internet Success?
By Co-editor
A plan to continue to purchase Internet traffic for the rest of your life is not a workable plan for the long haul. If you goal is to achieve long term success online then this article on social networking is a must read.
Social networking use to apply mostly to businesses such as multi-level marketing. As a matter of fact it has become known as network marketing because successful business owners were the ones who could network with other people to build their business.
On the Internet today social networking has become a must do activity to achieve long term success. Going to a website to purchase something is not something people want to do. Today people expect to go on a blog and be entertained before they actually open their wallet and pull out their credit card.
The most successful Internet marketers have blogs that entertain their visitors through the use of videos, audios, comment boxes, polls, pictures, graphics, banners, and much more. You yourself probably have landed on a blog that you found extremely interesting and entertaining.
Blogging is one of the most profitable forms of social networking. Professional Internet marketers that learn how to blog successfully are making astronomical sums of money on the Internet today.
However you can still make money in other ways using social networking. For example you can join Facebook and create a profile that includes a website address for products you sell.
The number of people you interact with on Facebook can be increased by becoming active and seeking people out. This can be as simple as inviting them to join your group. This is a very passive way of selling products because people who get to know you will also get to know about what you do to make money online.
Today Twitter is probably the hottest social networking site on the Internet.com. If you follow people with common interests they will often follow you back. The larger your number of followers increases to the more potential you have to market to that list.
Not selling all of the time in the micro-blog posts you make is the real trick. The trick is to get to know people and build relationships with them. Then when you have something to offer, in the form of a new product or program, a certain number of people will want to check those out because you already have credibility with them.
Over time having a large list of people you associate with online makes social networking a big part of your long term success.
Glenn Buckman is a successful full-time internet marketer from Chandler Arizona. For a free consultation on social networking and many other internet marketing techniques check out his blog at http://GlennBuckman.com and register for the free ATTRACTION MARKETING NEWSLETTER.
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/can-social-networking-be-the-key-to-long-term-internet-success-905864.html
Published at www.Elitestv.com
How to promote your business on Twitter http://bit.ly/m9km
Wowee! @MariSmith's "Social Marketing Method" is *packed* with money-making ideas for Facebook & Twitter! http://bit.ly/TqVxq
Starting A Fitness Routine
Beginning an exercise program is very simple. The resources available to you are abundant with the ease of access to the internet, and the beginning phases of any person new to working out are not rigorous at all. However, the hard part is making your new exercise program into a routine. Many people fail at this part and give up a few weeks after starting, convincing themselves that the hardest part is over, and settling for the pity self-satisfaction of knowing that "they COULD do it if they wanted to."
beginning an exercise program of any kind all begins in the same place - a phase targeted at allowing your body to recognize and adapt (in a good way) to what lies ahead. This phase is dedicated to low stress exercises. These are the kind of exercises that allow your body to move through the motions without harming or straining any muscles or joints. Rubber bans, cable machines, and body weight workouts all contribute to low stress exercises. The most important issue around starting an exercise program is not wearing yourself down. The intial stage of starting an exercise program is not meant to burn you out, but to prepare you. Remember this and your future workouts will be extremely more effective. low resistance exercises is the most effective way to enjoy a quick initial phase when starting a fitness program. When done properly, your body will be calibrated to expect what lies ahead. If you've never run on a treadmill before, don't start by running for an hour; especially when your not running at a pace that is beneficial to you.
All workouts are based around quality, not quantity. And starting a fitness program with low resistance exercises is the best and ideal way to allow your body to adjust, so you're able to strive for both quality and quantity. Many people find the 'initial phase' pointless and skip it all together. For people who have been in the fitness world for a long time and workout regularly this is understandable. But for any beginners who are starting a fitness program should sacrifice the first 2-3 weeks of any program do calibrate your body. You might think you're losing out on valuable exercise and training time, but in the long run you'll be doing yourself, and body a HUGE favor.
Many people argue that 'calibrating' or adjusting your body to a workout is detrimental to any new workout routine. That is true, but not in the initial phase. low impact exercises are exercises that most people avoid and stay away from with any moderate/average fitness program. This means when you graduate from the initial stage and start your fitness program your body won't, in the words of the fitness guru's, "know what's coming." This allows for the concept of Muscle Confusion to still be relevant to your new workout routine.
Just remember, beginning an exercise program is the easy part, literally. This 2-3 week stage should set the tone and allow your body, both physically and mentally, to buckle in for the ride. low impact exercises are not exercises you'll be using regularly unless you have body pains that restrict you to their use; so this stage fits perfectly into any fitness routine.
Published at http://www.freehealthfitnesstips.com
How to get FREE copy of 7 Habits Of Highly Effective Weight Loss http://bit.ly/8pjTD
beginning an exercise program of any kind all begins in the same place - a phase targeted at allowing your body to recognize and adapt (in a good way) to what lies ahead. This phase is dedicated to low stress exercises. These are the kind of exercises that allow your body to move through the motions without harming or straining any muscles or joints. Rubber bans, cable machines, and body weight workouts all contribute to low stress exercises. The most important issue around starting an exercise program is not wearing yourself down. The intial stage of starting an exercise program is not meant to burn you out, but to prepare you. Remember this and your future workouts will be extremely more effective. low resistance exercises is the most effective way to enjoy a quick initial phase when starting a fitness program. When done properly, your body will be calibrated to expect what lies ahead. If you've never run on a treadmill before, don't start by running for an hour; especially when your not running at a pace that is beneficial to you.
All workouts are based around quality, not quantity. And starting a fitness program with low resistance exercises is the best and ideal way to allow your body to adjust, so you're able to strive for both quality and quantity. Many people find the 'initial phase' pointless and skip it all together. For people who have been in the fitness world for a long time and workout regularly this is understandable. But for any beginners who are starting a fitness program should sacrifice the first 2-3 weeks of any program do calibrate your body. You might think you're losing out on valuable exercise and training time, but in the long run you'll be doing yourself, and body a HUGE favor.
Many people argue that 'calibrating' or adjusting your body to a workout is detrimental to any new workout routine. That is true, but not in the initial phase. low impact exercises are exercises that most people avoid and stay away from with any moderate/average fitness program. This means when you graduate from the initial stage and start your fitness program your body won't, in the words of the fitness guru's, "know what's coming." This allows for the concept of Muscle Confusion to still be relevant to your new workout routine.
Just remember, beginning an exercise program is the easy part, literally. This 2-3 week stage should set the tone and allow your body, both physically and mentally, to buckle in for the ride. low impact exercises are not exercises you'll be using regularly unless you have body pains that restrict you to their use; so this stage fits perfectly into any fitness routine.
Published at http://www.freehealthfitnesstips.com
Lady Doctor Blows the Lid Off of the World's Most TOP SECRET Fat Loss Secret!
How to get FREE copy of 7 Habits Of Highly Effective Weight Loss http://bit.ly/8pjTD
Microsoft Introduces Facebook App for Windows Mobile
BY: Ed Hardy, Brighthand.com Editor
PUBLISHED: 5/7/2009
PUBLISHED: 5/7/2009
Microsoft has released the first official Facebook application for all Windows Mobile 6 phones. This is the only version on the market today offering the ability to upload video right from the phone.
Users of this app will also be able to access status updates, friend requests, and photo tags, as well as read and create wall posts, share photos, send messages, and update profile pictures.
In addition, users will be able to share many of their Facebook activities, including photos and status updates, across the full range of Windows Live services.
Facebook for Windows Mobile can be downloaded now from Microsoft's web site.
Published at www.brighthand.com
How to promote your business on Twitter http://bit.ly/m9km
Wowee! @MariSmith's "Social Marketing Method" is *packed* with money-making ideas for Facebook & Twitter! http://bit.ly/TqVxq
Scope Out Your Facebook Friends' Locations on Google Maps
Thu, 05/07/2009 - by geeksugar
It's not every day a Facebook app catches my eye, but because I have friends from all over the world, I knew Map Motive would be something I might find useful. I saw this app on Digital Inspiration, and what's great about it is that if you're planning on doing some traveling and you're wondering if you're going to know anyone at your destination, Map Motive will instantly show you on a Google Map who is currently located in that city or town. But keep in mind, if any of your Facebook friends have their info set to private, you won't be able to see where they are on the map.
How to promote your business on Twitter http://bit.ly/m9km
Wowee! @MariSmith's "Social Marketing Method" is *packed* with money-making ideas for Facebook & Twitter! http://bit.ly/TqVxq
Facebook Makes Another Privacy Blooper
by Wendy Davis,
It's safe to say that Facebook has had more than its share of privacy glitches.
There was the infamous Beacon program, which told people about their friends' purchases at e-commerce sites. Then came the whole terms-of-service fiasco, in which Facebook found itself dealing with a mini-revolt after the site attempted to claim perpetual ownership over material posted by users.
Now, Wired reports that the company has been snooping on private messages and censoring ones that contain file-sharing links.
Last month, TorrentFreak reported that Facebook had started blocking all links to torrents from The Pirate Bay -- including links in private messages.
Facebook told Wired it can do so because the site's terms of service allow it to filter illegal content from messages.
But torrent files are not necessarily illegal. In fact a Wired journalist tested Facebook's system by sending a colleague a link to a torrent feed of a book in the public domain -- meaning that no one owns the copyright; Facebook still didn't deliver the message.
Facebook's high-handed tactics also raise serious questions about whether the company is violating a federal wiretapping law. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act generally prohibits email providers from snooping on messages.
To some extent, it's unsettled whether that law applies to messages sent through social networking sites. But Electronic Frontier Foundation attorney Kevin Bankston says that at least one judge has ruled that the wiretap law does indeed apply to messages hosted on social sites. In the Viacom/Google litigation, U.S. District Court Judge Louis Stanton ruled Viacom wasn't entitled to view copies of videos that YouTube users had marked "private" because such clips were protected by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act.
Regardless of whether Facebook broke the law, users likely aren't going to be thrilled to learn that the site believes it can censor messages.
If the company wants to be taken seriously as a communications platform, executives are going to have to start giving more consideration to users' privacy rights.
Published at http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=105677
How to promote your business on Twitter http://bit.ly/m9km
Wowee! @MariSmith's "Social Marketing Method" is *packed* with money-making ideas for Facebook & Twitter! http://bit.ly/TqVxq
It's safe to say that Facebook has had more than its share of privacy glitches.
There was the infamous Beacon program, which told people about their friends' purchases at e-commerce sites. Then came the whole terms-of-service fiasco, in which Facebook found itself dealing with a mini-revolt after the site attempted to claim perpetual ownership over material posted by users.
Now, Wired reports that the company has been snooping on private messages and censoring ones that contain file-sharing links.
Last month, TorrentFreak reported that Facebook had started blocking all links to torrents from The Pirate Bay -- including links in private messages.
Facebook told Wired it can do so because the site's terms of service allow it to filter illegal content from messages.
But torrent files are not necessarily illegal. In fact a Wired journalist tested Facebook's system by sending a colleague a link to a torrent feed of a book in the public domain -- meaning that no one owns the copyright; Facebook still didn't deliver the message.
Facebook's high-handed tactics also raise serious questions about whether the company is violating a federal wiretapping law. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act generally prohibits email providers from snooping on messages.
To some extent, it's unsettled whether that law applies to messages sent through social networking sites. But Electronic Frontier Foundation attorney Kevin Bankston says that at least one judge has ruled that the wiretap law does indeed apply to messages hosted on social sites. In the Viacom/Google litigation, U.S. District Court Judge Louis Stanton ruled Viacom wasn't entitled to view copies of videos that YouTube users had marked "private" because such clips were protected by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act.
Regardless of whether Facebook broke the law, users likely aren't going to be thrilled to learn that the site believes it can censor messages.
If the company wants to be taken seriously as a communications platform, executives are going to have to start giving more consideration to users' privacy rights.
Published at http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=105677
How to promote your business on Twitter http://bit.ly/m9km
Wowee! @MariSmith's "Social Marketing Method" is *packed* with money-making ideas for Facebook & Twitter! http://bit.ly/TqVxq
Twitter to Search the Web in Real Time
By Chris Crum - Thu, 05/07/2009 - 17:06
Twitter Moving Beyond Tweets
Earlier this year, Twitter began integrating Twitter Search (formerly Summize) into its home page. Just about a week ago, it became available there for everybody.
But that's not the interesting part. The interesting part is what lies ahead for Twitter search. From the sound of it, it's about to get taken a lot more seriously. According to CNET, Twitter's new VP of Operations Santosh Jayaram says that Twitter Search, which currently searches only the text of Twitter posts, will soon crawl links included in tweets, and index content from those pages. What do you think about that? Tell WPN readers.
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"Twitter Search will also get a reputation ranking system soon, Jayaram told me," reports CNET's Rafe Needleman. "When you do a search on a 'trending' topic (a topic that is so big it gets its own link in the Twitter.com sidebar), Twitter will take into account the reputation of the person who wrote each tweet and rank search results in part based on that."
Twitter search has been quite useful as it is. I've written about this in the past. For businesses, it has been a great tool for finding potential leads, and managing your online reputation, just to name a couple.
For the general public, it's provided insight into what people are talking about right now, it's often broken news stories, and it's provided a way for people to connect with others who may have something in common with them (although Twellow is more specifically designed for this).
But with changes coming to Twitter Search, it's going to be a whole new ball game. We're talking about Google territory. Twitter is adding algorithmic ranking, perhaps similar to Google's Pagerank. It sounds like Twitter will be bringing an altogether new ranking concept to Internet search by using the number of links in tweets as a value statement on the web page.
This is taking real-time search for web pages to a new level. And let's also not forget that Jayaram used to be the VP of Search Quality at Google.
What Twitter is doing could compete with Google News search, Google Blog Search, Google video search, and in terms of recent content even Google's main search engine.
Is it going to come out and immediately dethrone Google? That's probably not going to happen. For one Twitter users still have a hard time convincing people why they should be using Twitter at all. Everyone already uses Google, and even if another search engine were delivering better results, people would still be using Google. That seems to be the problem Microsoft is having (it is their claim that people found their results as good or better than Google).
"Strategically, a more advanced search engine could give Twitter more appeal as a takeover target - Steve Ballmer, for example, is making noise about how Microsoft has to get more disruptive in search," says Buckpost at Twitterrati. "Better search could also jump-start Twitter’s business by providing more relevance and targeting for advertisers."
Interesting point. We are still waiting on that revenue machine Twitter's going to unload on us.
Either way, Twitter is clearly branching out beyond the simple social network/public IM/microblogging/etc. platform it has become known as. It has been in the search conversation for some time (even as a possible test for Google), but now you might start finding it there for greater reasons.
What do you think about Twitter's search plans? Tell us.
Do you think Twitter will cut into Google searches significnatly? Why? Why not?
Do you think Google will improve its own real time search capabilities enough to stamp out any threat? Share your opinion.
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
What Is Twitter About in One Word?
By Chris Crum - Tue, 05/05/2009 - 12:20
Read on for the answer…
The "what is Twitter about?" article is not a new concept. It's been discussed frequently pretty much since Twitter was launched. Yet people still have a hard time grasping the concept. In fact, Twitter has had a hard time with user retention most likely because so many people try it based on all of the hype, and then don't return because they don’t "get it." What is Twitter about to you in one word? Tell us.
The truth is, it often takes a while using the service to "get it." The more you use it, the more you start to realize the benefits that are there. I (with a little help from Mike and Tiffany) asked a whole bunch of people what Twitter is "about" to them in one word. A handful of them responded, and here are some of the answers I got:
- Updates
- Egos
- Networking/Networks
- Relationships
- Represent
- Connection
- Possibilities
- Instant
- Marketing
- Speed
- Noise
- Inane
- Communication
- Contrived
- Aggrandizement
- Useful
- Spammy
- Conversation
- Open
- Freedom
- Useless
- Awareness
- Chat
Going into this thing, the word I was clinging to in my mind was microblogging. It has always been described with this word, but what does that mean? Small blogging. To me, Twitter is not a whole lot different than a collection of blogs, only all of the entries are really short (140 characters or less).
Is there a lot of noise? Sure. Could the same thing be said about the Blogosphere? Absolutely. You read blogs because they are written by people who talk about topics you are interested in reading about, or because you're interested in what the blogger has to say because of who they are. The same could be said about Twitter. You follow those whose thoughts you are interested in hearing, whose links you are interested in sharing, whose company's you are interested in staying informed about, etc.
Company Twitter accounts are no different than company blogs for all intents and purposes. The same goes for personal accounts and personal blogs. Do you care what I ate for breakfast? Probably not, but someone might. And I could've just as easily posted the same info on my personal blog. The difference is that on Twitter, I would've got right to the point - I didn't have any breakfast this morning. A blog entry might have taken several paragraphs to explain the reasoning behind this. If these are the only things I blogged about, you'd probably stop reading my blog.
If these are the only things I tweeted about, you'd probably stop following me. If twitter accounts are like blogs, then Twitter is like its own Blogosphere (or microblogosphere) combined with a feed reader. You select the ones you want to follow, just as if you were selecting what blogs to subscribe to.
To me, this is what Twitter is about. That’s not all it’s about, but that’s how I get the most use out of it. That’s probably why I am not an incredibly frequent Twitterer per se. I read Twitter a lot more than I write on Twitter, but that’s still using it. Neville Hobson recently wrote about how Twitter is for listening. For some of us, that is the biggest part of it, but still for others, it’s speaking. We couldn’t listen if nobody was talking.
It is clear that Twitter is about a variety of different things to different people (and nothing to others). One person's microblogging service is another person's networking platform. There is certainly plenty of crossover as well. It doesn't have to be about strictly one thing. It's whatever you want it to be. And if you don't want to use it, nobody's putting a gun to your head (hopefully).
Thank you to all who participated in my little survey. I’m not sure if we’ve helped anyone “get” it or not, but either way it was interesting to see the different words people came up with. Somehow, I didn't get many repeats. Twitter obviously fits different molds for different people. But we already knew that.
Update: Traffic was mentioned by at least one person in the comments of this article, but a number of people have said that they get no extra traffic from Twitter. Jeremy Schoemaker of the famous Shoemoney blog has posted an article about how Twitter is now his second largest source of traffic. He writes:
"Just engaging in the twittosphere has been amazingly rewarding. But if you still “don’t get it” its cool. Less competition."
You can see Schoemaker's analytics chart here.
Got a word for Twitter that's not on the list? Share it with us.
Published in www.webpronews.com
Wowee! @MariSmith's "Social Marketing Method" is *packed* with money-making ideas for Facebook & Twitter! http://bit.ly/TqVxq
Six Popular Social Networking Sites
Social networking is now part of our culture. In fact, there are so many to choose from and those who decide to become a member of one are more likely to become a member of another. Just to give you an idea of what is around, here are six of some of the most popular social networking sites.
1. The first is called Facebook. As of July last year, it has the largest number of registered users among college focused sites with more than 34 million members worldwide. Although it is the seventh most visited site in the US, it ranks number one for photos. What makes this social networking site so special is that it generates revenues through advertising which according to some is a little over $1.5 million a week.
2. Next is MySpace which was founded in 2003. According to a study, this social networking site is the world’s sixth most popular English language website and the third most popular in the US. Similar to Facebook, members are able to post pictures, videos, blogs and music.
3. The third is YouTube which unlike the other two only focuses on the uploading, viewing and sharing of video clips. Established in 2005, members are able to upload videos for free and save those which they like in their account. If you want to save this in your computer, there are software programs you can use. The nice thing about this social networking site is that even unregistered users are also able to watch videos.
4. The fourth site is Second Life which is an Internet based virtual world. What makes this so different from the other three is the fact that you are able to create a character and then interact with other members. By interacting with other members, you are able to participate in individual and group activities, create and trade items and services with one another again in a virtual setting.
To date, this social networking site has 8.9 million registered residents with a majority of them that happen to be inactive and some of them are owned by one person.
5. For business networking, one of the most popular ones around is Linkedin which has 12.5 million members. Established in 2003, this social networking site is designed to give registered users a way to maintain contact with people they know so those within the connection can use it to find business opportunities, find jobs and new contacts as well as review or recruit potential candidates.
6. One of the oldest social networking sites around is Classmates which has over 40 million members. Established in 1995, it is a great way to connect with old friends back from high school or college. After so many years, you and your friends have changed and now have successful careers which you can use should you decide to go into business together.
These are just a few of the hundreds of social networking sites around. What makes each of these so popular is the fact that members are able to use it for free and when used for business, they don’t have to pay for advertising. That is unless of course you will be utilizing pop up ads and banners. But the simplest way is to post links to your webpage so members who may need your products or services will get in touch with you or recommend you to someone who needs it.
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Monday, 4 May 2009
10 Most Common Fitness & Exercise Myths
There are numerous myths about fitness, exercise and workouts. It is a strange fact that people, who are exercising for long, possess lots of knowledge about exercise but many of them are just misconceptions. Published at www.fitnesshealthzone.com
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As an instance, many workout performers think, they would not be able to gain a firm body without painful exercise sessions, which has no relevance with reality.
Nevertheless, awareness towards a healthy and toned physique has faded numerous fitness myths but still there are hundreds. Here is a check on 10 most common myths of fitness, exercise and workouts:
Myth 1: One needs a good exercise to get ‘lower abs’
Nothing else exists like the lower abs. There is an only long muscle that is called rectos abdominal.
If you are looking forward for six pack abs, you must concentrate in the direction of working out for four muscles, which are respectively, the rectos abdominal, internal oblique, external oblique and transverse abdominal.
Many people do crunches to get six-pack abs and you too are thinking about it; prior to performing them make it sure that you will be melting your body-fat into lean muscles. This is going to assist you a lot in your endeavor of attaining a toned body.
Myth 2: If the body is not aching then the workout is not enough
This is one among the funniest fitness myths. A painful workout session is not going to get you a firm physique; it leads you towards many muscle related ailments. When a workout is performed with right movements, it does not cause any soreness in body.
In accordance with a fact, 35-40 minutes long workout session a day is adequate for a healthy adult. An overdose of exercise causes tiny tears in muscles.
Myth 3: If a woman is looking for muscle-bound, she must lift weights
This one is for fairer sex; the myth advocates weight-lifting, as it helps everybody in getting firm muscles but in accord with science, women do not have testosterone hormone, which is supposed to be the key element in building of muscle-bound.
Weight-lifting helps women in building muscles, which improves their femininity.
Myth 4: If you can’t workout harder, then better not do it
You are always told about this but don’t worry, it is just a myth. You do not need to spend hours in gym.
Almost every fitness expert suggests to spend just 120-225 minutes for cardio exercises in an entire week, which can be divided in 4 to 5 sessions a week and almost 60 to 70 minutes for weight training, this can be divided into 2-3 sessions a week.
Myth 5: Vigorous exercises help in ‘padding out’
Maximum people go for vigorous exercises, as they think this is most effective in gaining muscle or bulking up. These power exercises are not actually for muscle building instead they are important for a healthy and strong body.
Myth 6: More protein means bigger muscles
It is a common misconception among people that the more they take in protein, the bigger muscle they will get.
However, this has no relevance with reality. The fact says that too much of protein consumption may cause a nutrient imbalance, which can lead to kidney strain and dehydration.
Another research done on protein consumption makes it clear that an overdose of much protein results in stored calories. Nonetheless, calories are essential for a healthy body but must be taken in the right amounts.
Myth 7: Machines are always better than Dumbbells and Barbells
In the present scenario, almost everybody is opting for machine-based workout sessions instead of the usual way of barbells and dumbbells. Though machines are very advanced and lets you workout in a comfortable manner, free weights (barbells and dumbbells) are most important for strength training.
Free weight exercises bring lots of advantages for you, as it helps you in burning more calories in comparison of workout-machines and also allow you to perform exercises that train numerous large muscle groups at a time.
It means you are able to burn calories in every set of exercise, which regulates a fast and better result.
As an example, when you perform an exercise with the help of barbells and dumbbells, you can squat train your calves, abs, lower back and hamstring; but while practicing on treadmill, you would be able to perform only leg extension exercise that targets only the quadriceps.
Free weights (barbell and dumbbell) exercises also help in increasing your body balance and bone density. These exercises are supposed to be the best exercises, as they have a long term impact.
In accordance with studies, these exercises always maintain balance and make one stronger, which is important in older ages, as these exercises diminish the risk of old age falls and enhance bone density thus preventing elderly diseases such as osteoporosis [preventing osteoporosis].
Myth 8: One must lose weight by dieting before starting weight-lifting
This is one of the most worked out myths. Many people believe that they must lose their weight before starting the practice of weight-lifting.
This myth generally exists among women. Often women possess a tendency to aim for quick results from weigh-lifting or diet programs and when they do not see any major difference on the scale, they immediately become discouraged.
Such exercises and diet sessions cut the body fat first and then assist in shaping the body but females try to diet more to get the perfect shape as soon as possible, which is not good for the health.
Studies suggest that a combination of aerobics, strength training and moderate dieting is best for a toned body. Compared to serious starvation that leads to death causing ailments such as anorexia nervosa, this approach is the healthier one.
Myth 9: One should avoid dinner after 8PM
How can it work for those, who are active till late? For people who exert more energy, they require more nutrition. It is very important for them to eat accordingly.
They must follow a healthier diet plan for dinner, as this will help them in consuming the much needed nutrients. Nevertheless, dinner should be taken almost two hours before you are going to sleep, as it helps in healthy digestion.
Myth 10: Supplements are a must to attain a good body figure
Well, supplements are just supplements. In fact, they were named such because they were just designed to add-up or supplement the basic needs of the body, especially at times when there seems to be little or less intake of good nutrients.
However, it must be made known that these substances aren’t the exact answer towards getting fit. They are definitely not your ultimate fitness wonder drugs. If you have enough intake of the necessary nutrients like Omega-3 and proteins, then you don’t need to pour more supplements to your daily intake. The right balance of nutrients that is within the set daily recommended values is most appropriate.
By now, I believe you have become more informed about the most common fitness myths circulating around you. Continue to be wiser in your fitness strategy. Don’t just believe in what other people say. Know the theory behind the commonly used fitness regimen. Above all else, stay healthy!
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Pentagon Embraces Facebook, Twitter
Michael Barkoviak - May 3, 2009 4:05 PM
Each branch of the U.S. military continues to try and see how it can embrace Web 2.0
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The 
"They live in the virtual world," Lt. Gen Benjamin Freakley recently said during an interview with the Associated Press. "You could friend your recruiter, and then he could talk to your friends."
At a time when some Americans don't believe mass media in the United States is portraying the correct message about the mission in
The U.S. Air Force currently has an official Twitter account -- with more than 3,300 followers -- it uses to share information about activities of the Air Force. An official Facebook Air Force page has also been created, used to help share experiences and information of Airman deployed overseas.
The Marine Corps has dabbled with Web 2.0 experimentation, although it mainly has been for recruiting only. Both the Navy and Coast Guard are experimenting how to work in the Web 2.0 world, with even the Coast Guard commandant updating his Facebook status while he travels.
The Army, along with its online presence, even opened up a gaming center in the Franklin Mills Mall in Philadelphia to help attract new recruits. The Army Experience Center is a 14,500-square-foot location that has PCs, game consoles, and a virtual simulation machine.
As more possible recruits head online into the virtual world, expect each branch of the U.S. military to mimic their moves.
Some companies and organizations have been wary to launch official Web 2.0 services, though allowing select executives and employees to handle work-related business online. It's not uncommon to find both employees and executives from companies such as Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, and others sharing information online.
Publshed at www.dailytech.com
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Twitter's hot, sure, but what does it all mean?
by Peter Ames Carlin, The Oregonian Saturday May 02, 2009, 6:26 AM
I'm sitting in my office listening to R.E.M. and pondering a piece on Twitter. My left leg is crossed over the right at the ankle. Do you care?
That last paragraph contains about 140 characters, which is the most Twitter, the social network system, allows in an entry.
Founded in 2006, Twitter is a free service with about 6 million users. Its monthly growth rate, according to Nielsen, is 1,382 percent.
Or, as we say across all media platforms: Wow.
Did you get that this story will be written in 140-character-or-fewer-chunks? Just like a Tweet, which is what Twitter entries are called.
Many celebrities, politicians and some journalists use Twitter to talk directly, in real time, to their fans/constituents/readers/viewers.
You can Tweet from your computer or your cell phone; some Twitterers go on all day about what they're doing, feeling, musing and eating.
This might be very cool; "the message system we didn't know we need until we had it," according to Twitter co-founder Biz Stone.
Or as Stephen Colbert said to Stone, just stupid; "... like the answer to a problem we didn't know we had until I invented the answer."
No matter, Twitter has supplanted Facebook as the online social networking phenomenon of the moment; the must-have application.
But is perpetual immediacy, and a constant stream of short info-bursts, the best way to describe or experience the world around you?
Or is Twitter the latest and, to put it ironically, greatest step in the stripping of meaning from news, information and social discourse?
K103's John Erickson Twitters to "commiserate" with other pre-dawn DJs, and chat with listeners. "It makes me feel like I have company."
Portland public relations exec Christina Dyrness Williams said Twitter keeps her current on a variety of social and professional levels.
"It's my news wire, my water cooler," said Williams, who works out of her home. "I'd say it's my social life, but that sounds too sad."
Not to Stone and his Twitter co-founders, though. They're already fielding offers from massive companies eager to buy their business.
Which is particularly compelling when you consider that Twitter, for all its millions of users, has no ads and produces no money. Yet.
It is arguably the corporate version of a Tweet: New, flashy, full of potential. And valued more for what it might be than for what it is.
"There's a difference between profit and value," Stone says. "Value to us is a strong, robust, worldwide network that (becomes) part of ..."
"... everyday life for people, organizations and companies." At which point "you have just so many opportunities for generating revenue."
Intriguingly, it takes far more than 140 characters for Stone to explain how Twitter might, someday, make money.
Whatever. For the rest of us it's more interesting to consider Twitter's cultural implications. In other words: To Tweet or not to Tweet?
Instant, widespread communication can be transformative in global hot spots, rallying citizens even in the most repressive societies.
When student photographer James Buck got arrested at a protest in Egypt, his one-word Tweet ("arrested") beamed instantly to friends.
Word moved quickly to the U.S. embassy in Egypt, which intervened with local authorities on Buck's behalf. His next Tweet: "Freed."
Politicians Tweet, too. Barack Obama (or someone on his staff) posted throughout his presidential campaign. That ended when he took office.
Some members of Congress Tweet to keep in touch with their constituents. None of Oregon's reps seem all that into it, though.
Earl Blumenauer posted a lot of bracing insider stuff from the Capitol this winter, but lately took a month-long break from Tweeting, until this week.
The most famous Tweeter these days is TV star-slash-reality-show-producer Ashton Kutcher, who has nearly 1.5 million followers.
Kutcher fought with CNN to top 1 million followers, and won. "We can and will create our media," he said. "We can and will edit our media."
He went on: "We can and will create our media; we can and will edit our media; we can and will censor our own media, ourselves."
Kutcher media ranges from his tasks ("tactical weapons training today,") to beliefs. ("Everyone needs to chill out on the swine flu thing.")
Don't even ask about the Tweets of Kutcher wife Demi Moore, an actress who has also become a fervent Twitterer.
Here Moore is responding to a Tweet posted by singer Fred Durst: "I am loving your love to your lady! It is been felt and shared."
Which is nice, if not quite grammatical. And if Moore's feelings about Durst's feelings for his lady intrigue you, she Tweets regularly.
Still, some Twitterers are smart, funny and readable. Some are people you've heard of (Matthew Perry, for instance). Others are unknown.
Check out http://favrd.textism.com/most to see the day's funniest Tweets. I have no idea who compiles the list, or how, but it's cool.
Sample: "Some people say you have to drink eight glasses of water a day to stay healthy, but I think they're diluting themselves."
That's by a guy named Dan Wineman, from North Carolina.
Twitter may not be the future. It may not even have a future. But it's something. And for now, it's free. Tweet away.
-- Peter Ames Carlin; petercarlin@news.oregonian.com
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Sunday, 3 May 2009
Killed pavement crash boy named
 Police have appealed for the driver to hand herself |
An 11-year-old boy who died when a car mounted a pavement and hit a group of pedestrians had been on his way home from a church service at the time.
A white Ford Focus crashed into Sam Riddall in Eastfield Road, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, on Friday evening.
Police said that Sam became trapped underneath the vehicle, which was driven by a woman in her 30s who then fled the scene.
A man was treated for minor injuries while some other children were unhurt.
The driver has been described as white with long blonde hair and in her mid-30s. No-one else was in the vehicle at the time of the crash.
Witnesses have said the car hit other vehicles parked on the road.
They said skid marks along the road and pavement showed where the car screeched across the kerb, towards a wall, and then veered back on to the road.
 |  You were a fantastic footballer and will be greatly missed  Message on floral tribute |
Insp Rob Pearson said Sam's parents Martin and Rachel and his three brothers attended church on Sunday morning.
Insp Pearson said officers tried to track the movements of the woman after the accident.
A police dog and its handler were brought in to pick up her trail however it was soon lost.
He said: "We are not giving out information at this time as to how the car was being driven and we will be looking at a range of potential offences."
Police urged anyone who may know the whereabouts of the driver to contact them.
'Friendliest and loveliest'
Floral tributes have been laid at the scene.
One bunch of flowers was signed "Chris" from the Alberts Place Church Youth Club, of which Sam - whose family moved to Bristol from Birmingham several years ago - was a member.
It contained a card which read: "Dear Sammie, thank you for being one of the most friendliest and loveliest boys at Alberts Place.
"You were a fantastic footballer and will be greatly missed.
"God bless you now with love and prayers."
People who lived near the scene said they were shocked.
One man, who did not want to be named, said: "It is absolutely horrific.
"You can see the narrative of events by the skid marks, you can see the point at which the car hit the kerb and then it must have dragged along the pavement and crashed."
Please pray for the family, the church and all of Sams friends. Thank you.
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Don't become a financial victim of swine flu!
Jane Baker
Published in Travel on 1 May 2009
If you're worried your holiday will be cancelled because of the flu pandemic, or you're anxious to cancel it yourself, will you lose money?
The outbreak of swine flu is a massive news story right now as it spreads further across the globe. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (OFC) has now issued a warning advising against all non-essential travel to Mexico where the pandemic originated.
Clearly, this could be a huge concern for holidaymakers. In fact, this question was recently posted on our Q&A forum asking lovemoney.com readers for help on insuring against cancellation of an upcoming trip to the Dominican Republic should the pandemic worsen.
If you're due to travel abroad you too might be worried that your holiday could be called off. Or, if you've booked to travel to a region already hit by swine flu, you might be keen to cancel it yourself.
So, is there anything you can do to protect yourself against financial loss?
Package holidays
Sadly for some package holidaymakers, several tour operators have decided to cancel flights to Mexico over the next week or so. But, luckily, that doesn't mean you'll necessarily lose the cost of your holiday.
The travel association, ABTA, says that while the FCO advice remains in place, you'll be entitled to alternative holidays, or where that isn't possible a full cash refund. So far so good, but you won't get any additional compensation for inconvenience and so on, as this type of cancellation is beyond the tour operator's control.
Here are the latest steps some tour operators have taken to protect holidaymakers:
First Choice and Thomson
First Choice and Thomson has cancelled all outbound flights to Cancun and Cozumel, up to and including 8 May 2009.
Customers due to travel over these dates, can make a free amendment to their holiday and select a different destination or alternative date up to the same value already booked.
Alternatively, customers will have the option to cancel their holiday, and receive a full refund without incurring any cancellation charge.
Customers due to travel between 9 and 22 May inclusive will also be able to select an alternative destination or date up to the same value as the original holiday.
Thomas Cook and Airtours
Thomas Cook UK has made the decision to cancel holidays departing to Cancun, Mexico up to and including 12 May 2009. The company has said it will do all it can to provide customers with alternative holidays. (A dedicated phone line has been set up for people affected by this decision on 0870 010 1806.)
Holidaymakers who are due to travel between 13 and 22 May 2009 will be able to amend their holiday, free of charge, and choose a different destination subject to availability. Again, this must be to the same value already booked.
Future travel plans
But what happens if you're not due to travel to Mexico for weeks or even months? Your tour operator will decide how far in advance alternatives trips or refunds will be offered if the advice from the FCO persists.
The situation will be monitored, so your tour operator should contact you closer to your departure date if changes to your holiday become necessary.
Independent holidays to Mexico
It's a different story if you have booked an independent holiday to Mexico with a scheduled airline. While you should be protected if you have booked a package holiday, a scheduled flight may still go ahead. In this case, you might not be able to get a refund from the airline, or receive any compensation for accommodation you have already paid for if you don't want to travel.
Travel insurance
That said, given that the advice is to avoid travelling to Mexico, you may be able to cancel a trip and claim for a refund from your travel insurance policy instead.
You'll certainly have grounds to make a claim if you haven't been able to get any money back from the airline or travel agent. But, whether you'll receive a refund depends on the travel insurance policy itself, and the cover it specifically provides.
Some policies don't cover risks such as pandemics, while with others you may get your money back if the government has advised against travel to a certain country or region, as it has done with Mexico. Above all, make sure you check your policy before you call off your trip.
If your tour operator or travel agent has offered a suitable alternative trip which you turn down, you'll almost certainly find the claim is rejected by your insurance company.
But, if you do take up the offer of an alternative holiday, make sure your travel insurance policy is still valid for the new destination and/or dates.
Credit card protection
Did you know you might be able to claim compensation from your credit card company for a cancelled holiday?
If you paid for the trip using your credit card, and it cost more than £100 (but no more than £30,000), you may be entitled to protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act if things go wrong.
Section 75 gives you the right to claim against your credit card company if there is a problem with the purchase of a good or service - including holidays. The card provider shares liability jointly and severally with your supplier. In other words, if you're having no joy getting your money back from the tour operator, airline or travel agent, you can pursue your credit card company for financial loss instead.
But you can only claim if the holiday has been cancelled by the supplier because then the contract you have with them has been breached. This protection is very unlikely to apply where you cancel the holiday yourself.
For more information on how swine flu could affect your travel plans, check the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website.
More: Five vital tips for your next holiday | Slash the price of this year's holiday
Published at www.lovemoney.com
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