Continue reading »]]> From MSNBC:

A poll by the Society for Human Resource Management to be released later this week found that “39 percent of surveyed employers monitor the social media activities of employees while they are using company-owned computers or handheld devices,” said Jennifer Hughes, a spokeswoman for the group. And, she added, “40 percent of organizations said they had social media policies. Of those organizations with social media policies, 33 percent indicated they had taken disciplinary action against employees who violated their policy in the last 12 months.”

In most cases, employees can be legally fired, or demoted, for things they write or post on their private social media accounts, unless you’re ranting about working conditions, work for the government, or are covered by a union contract.

via Life Inc. – Generation Y’s career Facebook fumble.

Continue reading »]]> Michael Hyatt offers 12 ways to get more Twitter followers:

1. Show your face.
2. Create an interesting bio.
3. Use a custom About page.
4. Make your Twitter presence visible.
5. Share valuable content.
6. Post frequently, but don’t flood your followers.
7. Keep your posts short enough to retweet.
8. Reply to others publicly.
9. Practice strategic following.
10. Be generous in linking and retweeting others.
11. Avoid too much promotion.
12. Don’t use an auto-responder.

Read explanations and more detail on how to do it at 12 Ways to Get More Twitter Followers | Michael Hyatt.

Continue reading »]]> Socialnomics reports on the restrictions being placed on Olympic athletes in the upcoming games in London:

* Any postings, blogs or tweets should be in a first-person, diary type format and should not be in the role of a journalist – i.e. they are barred from reporting on competition or comment on the activities of other participants or accredited persons, or disclosing any details confidential or private in relation to any other person or organization;

* Postings, blogs and tweets must always conform to the Olympic spirit and fundamental principles of Olympism as noted in the Olympic Charter, be dignified and in good taste, and not produce vulgar or obscene words or images.

* Athletes are prohibited from posting any video and/or audio of the events, competitions or any other activities which take place at Olympic Venues.

* Pictures of the athletes themselves or other accredited persons in the Olympic Village can be posted, but if any other persons appear in the photo, their previous permission is required for the person posting such photo.

via Olympic-Size Decision on Social Media for 2012 Games in London | Socialnomics.

Continue reading »]]> From CNET:

It was Google co-founder Sergey Brin who warned that the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act “would put us on a par with the most oppressive nations in the world.” Craigslist founder Craig Newmark, Twitter co-founders Jack Dorsey and Biz Stone, and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman argue that the bills give the Feds unacceptable “power to censor the Web.”

But these companies have yet to roll out the heavy artillery.

When the home pages of Google.com, Amazon.com, Facebook.com, and their Internet allies simultaneously turn black with anti-censorship warnings that ask users to contact politicians about a vote in the U.S. Congress the next day on SOPA, you’ll know they’re finally serious.

True, it would be the political equivalent of a nuclear option–possibly drawing retributions from the the influential politicos backing SOPA and Protect IP–but one that could nevertheless be launched in 2012.

“There have been some serious discussions about that,” says Markham Erickson, who heads the NetCoalition trade association that counts Google, Amazon.com, eBay, and Yahoo as members. “It has never happened before.” (See CNET’s SOPA FAQ.)

Web firms may be outspent tenfold on lobbyists, but they enjoy one tremendous advantage over the SOPA-backing Hollywood studios and record labels: direct relationships with users.

Continue reading »]]> RESTON, VA, December 21, 2011 – comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released the report It’s a Social World: Top 10 Need-to-Knows About Social Networking and Where It’s Headed. The report analyzes the current state of social networking activity around the globe, providing key insights into how social networking has influenced the digital landscape and implications for marketers operating in this social world. To download a complimentary copy of the report, please visit: http://www.comscore.com/it_is_a_social_world