Social Dose

Facebook, the fourth largest website on the Internet according to a recent estimate, has rolled out its new search functionality. This is a promising new feature that aims to provide highly valuable market intelligence tapped from the largest social data repository in the world. After advertising on relatively irrelevant content areas of the website, Facebook is set to revitalize the commercial value aspect of its massively popular social networking system. The new Facebook search acts like a search engine of the world’s largest social network, searching through comments about products and brands, and bringing out gems of market insight that are hard to replicate elsewhere.

A blog called Search Facebook promises to provide relevant information about how best to tap this emerging consumer research tool, providing INternet marketers with valuable insight into the behavioral preferences of millions of consumers worldwide.

The iPod is indubitably the most popular personal music player of recent times. However, that reality may be about to change soon with the meteoric rise of the iPod Touch and the iPhone. If certain industry observers are correct in their analysis, the iPod may disappear altogether with its coveted market being secured by such popular Apple products as the iPhone.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you’ll probably know that the new iPhone is a small computer and mobile phone all rolled into one. Little wonder it is then that it is also set to become the most popular music playing platform in the world. Potentially able to store gigabytes of music files, the iPhone can also play music videos with great speed and clarity.

The Intertubes are also responding to this new portable music reality. iPhone Music, a blog about music production and playback apps on the iPhone is dedicated to providing news, information and analysis about the platform’s music capability. As the iPhone gradually replaces the iPod as the preminent music player of choice, the Web will probably see a lot of commotion about what is essentially a powerful new computing platform.

The decline and fall of a  major social networking site isn’t something you read about every day. But if you’re witnessing it first hand in what is only the second decade of the nascent global Intertubes, it can be quite an experience.

“This is why I love Digg” swoons another acne-faced Digger after reading a mind numbingly moronic Digg thread dedicated to phalluses and peckers, which in turn was created in response to user comments to an equally idiotic yet somewhat humorous submission about how the Florida capitol building apparently looks phallic (complete with flanking testicle-domes). Why someone would love Digg for demonstrating the abysmal intellect of its members who openly celebrate their idiocy may be beyond most casual observers.

If age-old, regurgitated lame penis jokes is the primary reason why we too should love Digg then please, leave us out. The pathetic decline of Digg has been quite a spectacle for all those interested in social networking and social bookmarking, but this one really takes the cake. Mr. Rose, read and weep.

Horray! Reddit made it to the front page of arch-rival Digg. Again. In what seems like a not too surprising occurence once every couple of weeks or so, Digg seems to “emulate” arch social bookmarking rival yet again. This time, its a Youtube video about glass and scotch tape. This was posted on Reddit on 22 July 2009.

The exact same video made it to the front page of Digg on 23 July 2009, the very next day. Deja vu anyone?

This is hardly surprising, as the favourite pastime for Digg power users seems to be scavenging day-old Reddit content and posting it on Digg to get rave reviews by 16 year old virgins. Digg is rapidly becoming the Fox News of social bookmarking. Unoriginal, run of the mill, mass consumed. That’s Digg for ya.

Original Reddit Link

Unoriginal Digg Link

The fluid and rapidly changing nature of the Internet often gives rise to intellectual property claims, counter claims and misunderstandings across cyberspace. In a move widely lambasted across the social networking realm, tech blogging giant Techcrunch has claimed to publish over 300 allegedly stolen documents from Twitter. Twitter management is apparently inflamed at Techcrunch’s perceived audacity.

“Nevertheless, the publication of stolen documents is irresponsible and we absolutely did not give permission for these documents to be shared” wrote Twitter cofounder Biz Stone on the Twitter blog.

In its defence, however, Techcrunch claims that Twitter was well aware of the document acquisition, and that the act of publication took place with Twitter’s acquiscence. The latest tussle highlights the need for transparency and better communication between Internet based organizations and businesses.

The smartphone wars are heating up once again. Apple and Palm are the titans in this epic technological struggle to win the hearts and minds of millions of devoted smartphone users. Now, your phone is more than just a phone. Used for communication, business, entertainment and even health, the new generation of smartphone is in fact a mini computer.

Apple’s iPhone 3GS and Palm Pre were released within short periods of each other. Now the Palm Pre is set to debut in Europe, and few doubt its ability to take the continent by storm. The Britsh Isles, however, are a different story with their markedly different preferences for handheld tech devices. If past experience is anything to go by, the 3GS is likely to remain the dominant player in the UK.

Social Media monitoring service provider Techrigy has been bought by global marketing provider Alterian. This high profile social media acquisition goes to underscore the immense importance of social media feedback and monitoring as a prime marketing intelligence tool, providing deep insight into consumer behavior as it affects large global brands.

International businesses and multinational corporations across the spectrum of industry have come to realize the importance of cyberspace as not only as a marketing tool to reach customers and prospective target markets but also as a diverse and increasingly challenging goldmine of marketing, public relations and industrial information.

Social media has become big business – not unlike the search  marketing paradigm pioneered by the likes of Google and Yahoo. While pay per click advertising on a massively  popular consumer platform like Facebook is one aspect of the business model, more diverse and innovative commercial solutions are being generated by business to business solutions providers.

Brand monitoring is all the rage on places like Twitter, and advanced monitoring consultancies have sprung up, offering their services to large businesses and blue chip clients. Social media monitoring is one area that promises to hold greast value for corporate business managers as they scramble to analyze and cash in on the buzz their corporate empires are generating among the consuming masses.

Social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook are all the rage in the travel industry. With lots of holidaygoers scrambling to find good deals on cheap holidays in Europe and beyond, travel services companies are making use of social networking tools to get the word out to interested consumers. The travel industry is incresaingly competitive with many agencies struggling to beat each other’s offers. It is not too rare to see claims of “not being beaten” on price, with cuthroat competition to the last dollar (or pound).

In this environment, any business with a social networking push is bound to get a competitive advantage. Social network marketing has the advantage of being readily low profile, and advertising can often be disguised as a benevolent social exchange. Convincing customers is thus easier when your advertising doesn’t appear to be advertising.

Geocities, the iconic free web host of the archaic Internet is due to be decommissioned sometime later this year. Evoking nostalgic reactions from across the Internet, the end of Geocities has driven many commentators to protest against what is seen as an end to one of the most preferred free hosts in history.

Read the rest of this entry »