Social Media: Your Friend or Your Enemy?

Travel and Save: Apps for Smartphones

I came across a very helpful information - just in time for my trip abroad. Since I'll be gone more than a few days, I decided to tackle data roaming fees, which wireless providers charge when customers use their phones outside their service area. (Let's just admit it already - I'm addicted to my Apps, and I often update my social networks from my iPhone - there's always a perfect situation to take a photo of something unique and beautiful and/or weird and different to share with your friends.)

This information, hopefully, would allow you to save and avoid roaming fees when you travel abroad.

French Use Social Networks, But Incorrectly

Apparently, Twitter and Facebook is no longer “American” social networks. They did originate in USA, but with a global take on growth and profit. With the introduction of the other language platforms, such as Chinese, Hindu and Russia – for example – Twitter and Facebook moved to the largest markets in the world, penetrated so deep that no longer the local social networks are capable to compete.

And other countries picked up. France, Germany, Sweden – you name it – all of the casual, business and charitiful networking is now happening on Facebook and Twitter.

Take me, for example – I follow Arabic, Russian, British world-changing sources of information and individuals who both inform and entertain me. I’m “friends” with the Egyptian bloggers and reporters, Russian fashion designers and celebrities, British press and trendsetters, and French chefs – it can’t get any better than that.

Katie Couric on iPad at CBS Evening News

However, for all the obvious things that we are using Twitter and Facebook, the American press, for example, does not hide the fact that they are using the social media to promote the stories and personalities. Moreover, all the prominent news and show are now running promos luring the audience to write, contact, and comment to them on their social networks. But – not in France!

Social Media Etiquette: A salad with a side of iPhone

How many times you were annoyed with someone on your company who would in your presence text, email and/or do whatever you do on the mobile devices? I, personally, cannot tolerate someone in my company using mobile devices (or any of those cool gadgets – tablets and such) because I believe that’s the time for face-to-face communication and enjoying each other’s company.
 

I would care less for someone who is not part of my company but is sharing the same space with me use their devices, although – you’d agree with me – it’s rather rude, especially if the devices make a notice.
 

It’s especially rude, if another person who is using a device in front of you – is your partner and/or a family member. This is away crossing the line of the basic etiquette.

Social Media's Casual Fridays

You can post it on Twitter: #fridaycasuals and/or #casualfridays and tag me.
I do love my casual Fridays: bring on my Jikatabi and Diesel! #fridaycasuals 

or

Social Media's Casual Fridays: wishing a @happyfriday via social networks http://t.co/pGLuwKS

Moi...

You can Twitpic it to your Twitter

You can "Wall" it on Facebook:
There's a reason why we love Fridays...You kinda think that you are working, but in your mind you're already ordering a drink at a bar, chatting with friends and anticipating long sleeps on the weekend... Oh - and Friday casuals (bring on my Jikatabi and Diesel!)

Or you can post it on your Blog: I just did.

Or you can even share it with your fellow Bloggers, like the ones (in my case), who are into #Fashion, #Fridays, #FridayCasuals. Or you can...

Do you need a social media specialist?

Yes, you do. 

Even if you think you know what Facebook and Twitter are.

For about three years I’ve been managing up to 10 social networks/microblogs/blogs for a big organization (naming no names). Before I took on the role of a social media manager, the organization had NO presence on social networks. Yes, you’ve heard me – no Facebook, no Twitter, no LinkedIn… Nada!

Now, the organization is represented on more than 10 social networks and holds a strong position on Facebook and Twitter with thousands of followers… But as every day shows, the strong positioning of the organization in the social media space, does not mean that its management, actually, knows what these social networks are, how they work and so on….As a matter of fact, some of them still think that a twit can hold a 500-word text and that one can go back to the twit that was sent a few days ago and edit it. Hmm, how would I explain it again that it’s impossible to do so with a twitter?

Become Your Own DJ: Turnable.fm Spins Your Jams

I’ve just received an invitation to join a new social network (?). No, it's not Google+. I'm already there!

I'm talking about Turnable.fm. As of the moment, this site is in Beta, and it's by an Invite Only. So, I'll tell you a bit about it so that you'd decide, whether to pursue a membership there or not...

I went to the site, and it looked rather amusing – although neither my professional, nor my personal life has anything to do with wanting to be a DJ. At least - not yet.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Social Impact on Hunger

Can Social Media Help Feed A Billion Hungry People?

It can. It definitely can, and to celebrate World Population Day, the World Food Program has launched a campaign to pair a billion Internet users with the billion-plus hungry people in the world. 

The Billion for a Billion campaign makes a stark contrast between the daily activities of the digital community and the world’s have-nots. During the one minute you spent watching the above video, more than 145 million emails will be sent, more than 2 million other YouTube videos will be watched, $43,681 will be spent on eBay, 83,273 people will log onto Facebook, 2,083 tweets will be sent and 10 children will die from hunger.

TECH: Google+. Google's third attempt to create a social network

Google Inc. has presented his third social network – Google+. Two other social networks – Orkut and Buzz - didn’t prove to be as popular in the past, one of which – Buzz – had to be shut down the same year of its launch.

Google+ offers Circles, Sparks, Hangouts and Huddle – the functions that make up the new social network, which were first tested on a “selected few”, with the others waiting to be invited to join (how silly, that is.) And we are still waiting. Even the invites were shut off. So, when it comes to providing you with my personal review of the product, I can only trust the experts I trust…and my friends.

TECH: MEDIA: «The 100 Most Creative People in Business», by Fast Company

It’s not longer a secret that USA attracts the best out of the best specialists from around the world. Many people come and immigrate to USA with a purpose to invent and build a progressive company and/or organization and many of them succeed.

Many of those inventors whose companies are now defining your lifestyle, of some sort, are – the former immigrants. Take, for example, Sergey Brin, the founder of Google, who is an immigrant from Russia, or Martha Stewart – a polish immigrant, and/or the PayPal’s founder - Max Levchin, who is an immigrant from Russia. All of them came to USA and built an empire, because USA is one of the rarest countries that promotes the idea of a small/big business and gives everyone a chance – be it a citizen and/or an immigrant, to invent, and many American organizations support it as well. One of such organizations that promote, support and award the inventors of our day and age is Fast Company.

Each year Fast Company celebrates the most creative people in business by identifying the world's most innovative minds in «The 100 Most Creative People in Business» event.

Not only I’ve attended the event, but I’ve got to meet these “best of the best” innovative people. According to Fast Company’s Editor-in-Chief, Robert Safian, their list of the creative people is growing each year. Today they recognized 100 people – it was 25 people last year. Maybe not surprisingly, nearly every person in Fast Company's top 10 is involved in work that is tech- and Internet-related. Here are 2011's most creative people in business according to Fast Company: