Sites To Ruin One's Reputation: Friends, Colleagues, Family And Exes

As if social media space wasn’t freaky enough. With all the sites, social networks and blogs out there, it’s unlikely there is nothing that’s impossible NOT to find on the Internet. From very freaky, absurd and sexually-explicit sites to mom's&pop's, dating, cooking and lifestyle blogs. However, the question is, how far we CAN go? Or, how far we SHOULD go?

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!

Book Local Activities Thru Local Bloggers

Almost any city offers a website with local activities - from parks to shows - and each city has local afficionados who are more than willing to share the local treasures with you. Those are - the local bloggers who write on things that go on in and around their city.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Obviously, Twitter's Founders Need Obvious

It's official. Twitter has become as popular as Facebook and Google Search. Well, maybe not LIKE THAT popular, but according to the keyword search results, Twitter is in top daily search ratings on a daily basis.

It's used by more than 175 million people around the world (vs. 600 million on Facebook). Its platform allows to communicate in various languages. Presidents use it. Celebrities use it. Athletes use it.  Revolutionists use it. Businessmen use it. Journalists use it. Even terrorists use it. Who does NOT use it? Maybe only toddlers and animals - although they still get their accounts - for the "cute" effect of it. And now, Twitter has finally figured out how to monetize it. So there is no really any need to "grow" it, anymore because now the popular microblog is growing organically - pretty much everyone know what it is, where to get it and how to use it.

That's why it comes to no surprise that Twitter co-founders Biz Stone and Evan Williams (who I've met at the Fast Company's "The 100 Most Creative People in Business" last June) plan to leave their love child be and go back to the neglected child - Obvious.

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.

MEDIA: New York Internet Week 2011. A RECAP

Once again New York Internet Week introduced to the eager gadget- and Internet-fanatics to the new online projects of the future.

It’s no longer just an expectation, it’s a fact that the growth of Internet popularity and mobile communications is directly proportional to the growth of the popularity among the products and services that make our lives easier, more comfortable and help us to communicate, entertain and relax. And each year startups flow to New York to showcase their new projects, from silly to serious, from simple to advanced. They are greeted by no less excited folks in NYC, the city that holds more than 300 000 Internet and high tech specialists.