There have been rumors running rampant that some of your favorite sites may getting a makeover with a nifty little “Like” button. If you’re familiar with Facebook, you’ll know this button. You’ve probably already used it to show your support for your friends’ status update that read, “At work, major hangover.” Behind this proposed internet wide  “Like” button, there would be a symbiotic relationship between Facebook and third party sites.

What is Facebook going to get out of it? Only one of the biggest advertising campaigns the Internet has ever seen. Of course, Google has a couple ways of promoting ads thanks to YouTube, Gmail, and other streams which top Facebook in quantity. Google can also find out what users are interested in by focusing on their keywords and search history, but that’s as good as it gets. Users on Facebook offer tons of personal information, from geography to age, important golden nuggets for those in the advertising industry. This button will be synonymous with Facebook and will get the site a great deal of exposure. If you see a pair of shoes that you like, all of a sudden all of your friends know by the click of the mouse. Websites will literally be catering to this “Like” button because they, too, can expect additional advertising revenue. Read the rest of this entry »

“Facebook Privacy ” is a bit like saying “Deafening Silence” or “Suicide Victim:”  The words contradict one another, yet they’re often used in the same sentence together.  As we race our way toward Social Media becoming a major part of our lives, we need to address the issues of information and privacy. First of all, let it be said that the best policy to use with Social Media is “Safety First.” Some sites are safer than others,of course, but to truly understand how privacy is administered, it is critical to read those ridiculously long “Terms of Use” statements. Why? Because once you hit the “Enter” button, you’ve accepted them, whether they’ve been read or not. Knowing that we tend not to deal with “trivial” matters, such as privacy, until it’s too late,  sometimes it’s a bonus to have watchdog groups interfering in our lives; in this case, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Though personally not a huge fan of the organization, supporters list the ACLU’s contributions to our society as:

“…the country’s leading watchdog in protecting civil liberties and preserving the Constitution; …protecting the freedoms and rights of all people; …one of the United States’ greatest defender of liberty against government abuse and extremist policies.”

Detractors state that the ACLU actively sabotages the Constitution by using “manipulation tactics” to undermine US courts. Whether a famous, or Read the rest of this entry »