The voyeurs of social media would have you believe that people want to connect with other people on an instinctive level, that humans are purely social animals. And who can prove them wrong? Mark Zuckerberg and his peer wunderkind have built the framework to our digital connections and we’re lured in again and again. We fill them with …
Social Networking
Google Plus… Me? Securing a Google+ Invite Isn’t Easy Yet
At 3:54 PM on Tuesday afternoon, I received an e-mail telling me that my friend Hope was “hanging out.” Having no idea what this meant—and being at work and therefore in no position to go “hang out” with her—I ignored both the e-mail and the novel “(Google+)” label next to her name. Surely this was another of those Google …
Google Faces Up to Facebook with ‘Plus’ Social Sharing Site
Google just threw down the digital gauntlet, right in front of Facebook’s feet, with the announcement of a new social sharing site called Google+.
The site is invite-only at the moment (cue hundreds of “Can anyone spare me a Plus invite?” requests on Twitter), so for those who can’t get inside, the basic premise is this: Plus lets you …
What Decline? Facebook May Have Just Reached 750 Million Users
Less than one year after Facebook’s big 500 million user milestone, the social network is still piling on more users.
A source close to the company tells TechCrunch that Facebook’s user count has just passed 750 million. Facebook won’t officially confirm the number, probably because it’s waiting for 1 billion users before it makes …
Report: Twitter Mulls Putting Ads in Your Timeline
The commercialization of Twitter is going to mean advert tweets appearing in users’ timelines, according to the Financial Times.
Given the hoo-ha when the company added the “QuickBar” to timelines viewed via its iOS app, see if you can imagine how much of a stink putting ads in the timeline would cause. One helluva one.
Twitter Declares Photo War, Announces Native Image Sharing
Clap if you like, or just shrug if you don’t care: Twitter’s finally going to let you upload and share photos directly, through its website. The takeaway: No more Yfrog or TwitPic or Twitgoo for you.
Twitter CEO Dick Costolo told users Wednesday at the D9 conference (wherein a bunch of celebrity tech folk chat with media bigwigs) that …
California Pushes for Tightened Social Network Privacy Controls
When you first opened your Facebook account, you may or may not have noticed that much of your private information was set to be shared by default. Your name, status, photos, posts, bio and relationships are automatically made public when you first start a Facebook account, and it’s up to you to go into your personal settings and scale …
Sorry, Other Mark Zuckerberg, the Name’s Taken
It’s not easy being Mark Zuckerberg — if you’re not the Mark Zuckerberg, that is.
A bankruptcy attorney in Indianapolis named Mark S. Zuckerberg, has learned this the hard way. Over the last seven years, he’s been (understandably) overshadowed by the founder of Facebook. His name no longer comes up in Google searches. And most
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Facebook Comment Editing Arrives at Last
Did you just write something stupid on Facebook? Delete no more, my friend, because Facebook comment editing is finally here.
The ability to edit Facebook comments extends only to replies for existing status updates and wall posts. It won’t work for status updates themselves.
To edit, just click the “X” next to the comment, as if …
Goodbye, Friendster, I Never Used You
Friendster, the social network that preceded Facebook and MySpace, is being dismantled.
Although the service will live on, users are now being prompted to back up photos, blogs, comments and groups. On May 31, Friendster will delete all this information in preparation for a relaunch. Friends lists and basic profile information will be …
Facebook Makes Groups More Useful With Optional Security
When Facebook Groups launched last October, it came with a fatal flaw for those worried about keeping their activities private: Any group member was able to invite other people in without permission.
It was an idealistic approach to social networking that assumed groups would regulate themselves according to societal pressure. Invite …
The Facebook Fulcrum: Google’s 2011 Bonuses Hinge on ‘Social’
It’s the end of Google co-founder Larry Page’s first week back at the helm as company CEO, and it appears the game plan is still looking aggressive.
In a memo apparently sent out to Google employees, everyone’s 2011 bonus will grow or shrink based on how well the company does with its social efforts. Let’s just call this the Facebook …