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Are You Friends With Family Members on Facebook?

geeksugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 09:00:23 -0800

Forget just dealing with your mom becoming a Facebook junkie; more and more, older people are joining the social network, and of course, they're our grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, great aunts, etc. I don't do too much these days that I'm embarrassed about, but it still gives me pause, posting things I'd want my friends to see and then remembering that I've friended my octogenarian aunt. I'm even a little weirded out being friends with my younger sister — but that's mostly because I don't want to know everything she does!Still I'll add family members if they send me a request, but I don't know that I would have five years ago. What about you, are you friends with your family on Facebook?Source

Are You Friends With Family Members on Facebook?

Yes, I'm friends with family members on Facebook.

No, I refuse to add my family members on Facebook.

No, I'm not friends with family on Facebook because they have not joined.

Something else. See my comment below.

Facebook Decrees Breastfeeding Pictures Indecent

geeksugar — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 07:30:51 -0800

You don't just have to worry about posting pictures that could get you fired on Facebook, but you also have to worry about violating their terms against posting obscene photos — which apparently includes those of breastfeeding mothers.

That's the situation Facebook member Heather Farley found herself in when Facebook took down photos of her breastfeeding her new baby. Their big beef? The areola was visible.

Facebook's spokesman claims that the site doesn't find the pictures obscene, but they're just trying to keep everyone safe: "The company insists it is not about obscenity, but more about safety. The policies are to ensure the site remains safe, secure and trusted by its users, who also include teenagers."

Oh, I see. Because areolas endanger teens. Wait, what? See, I think it's up to Facebook about what they want to do with their site, but I wish they would have clarified their reasoning more clearly. Also, since the users profile photos are meant for the friends they added, why would Facebook even care?

To hear what Farley and others are doing to fight back against Facebook,

The Year in Facebook

geeksugar — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:00:12 -0800

As Facebook slowly but surely took over the space that MySpace once carved out, manners and new social networking mores emerged because of it, and for it, in 2008 — along with the occasional wacky news story. Check out my slideshow for the wild year in Facebook. Source

Lindsay Lohan Rants About Facebook on MySpace

geeksugar — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:34:00 -0800

Although her MySpace account was hacked in the past, Lindsay Lohan is setting the record straight on her personal MySpace blog about her love for MySpace and her issues with Facebook.

"I signed onto Facebook with my new password because someone keeps hacking into my account, and when i typed my password and 'log in' name in, a red sentence came up saying, Account Disabled.
Your account has been disabled by an administrator. If you have any questions or concerns, you can visit our FAQ page here. Wow! I was in shock. I clicked on the link that they told me to click on and then to another link that said: my account may of been disabled by mistake. Once I got to that it gave a note saying why it was disabled which stated the note saying that it was disabled because they believe that I was a fake of myself."

Needless to say, Ms. Lohan was not impressed and expressed her anger for Facebook calling her a fake of herself and disabling her account. The method to her madness? She's hoping that the Facebook peeps will undisable her account so she can get back to doing what else but Facebooking!

Geek Tip: How to Not Get in Trouble on Facebook

geeksugar — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:00:22 -0800

After hearing about the umpteenth person to lose their job or otherwise get in trouble because they posted something on Facebook, the message is clear: It's not Facebook, you may just be oversharing.

Whether it's the wrong time or the fact that you're flaunting an event that you lied about being at to someone, you are in control over whether you endure the consequences for it — from Facebook anyway. Below, a few common sense guidelines.

Don't go on Facebook drunk.
Don't post photos from events someone may not have known you attended or hosted.
Don't post photos of yourself intoxicated.
Privatize your Facebook account.
Be judicious about which people you will add as friends, and then constantly edit said list.

To see the rest of the tips, just

Daily Tech: RIM Updates Facebook For the BlackBerry

geeksugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:30:59 -0800

Now you can download the latest updated Facebook version 1.3 for the BlackBerry! — BlackBerry Cool
The HTC Fuze is now available at various retail stores and online as well, with a price tag of $300 after a rebate and a two-year contract. — Engadget
Coming January 5, to a television set near you, is Live With Regis and Kelly in beautiful high-definition! — CrunchGear
To keep up with the competition, an increasing amount of hotels are adding the latest technologies to their guestrooms and public spaces. — The New York Times
It's rumored that Beyonce requested an Xbox and PSP during a recent flight to Monaco for the World Music Awards. — Kotaku

Do You Make Your Announcements on Facebook?

geeksugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 07:33:22 -0800

The concept of word-of-mouth seems so quaint now. Recently, when a pair of my friends got engaged, I was close enough to be a lucky one who got a phone call; later when I asked mutual friends if they'd heard the news, so many people said, "I heard about it on Facebook!"I had a thought: Is Facebook the new newspaper? It's the easiest place to make an announcement, especially the sort you want people to know about — you're engaged, you got a new job, you're having a party, as well as the not-so-fun news (i.e., you've been dumped). I don't think announcing this kind of info on Facebook makes you narcissistic, either — but it may not be the way you want the world to find out about your life, and this still might be too public for some people.But tell me, have you taken to Facebook to make personal announcements?Source

Do You Make Your Announcements on Facebook?

Yes, I make personal announcements via Facebook.

No, I call or email people individually to let them know what's going on with me.

Something else. See my comment below!

Gap Debuts "Vote For" Buttons For Facebook Profiles

geeksugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 02:00:28 -0800

Well Election Day is finally here, and to commemorate this special occasion, you can pick up some yummy voting treats and pimp your Facebook profile page with Gap's influential and colorful "Vote For" buttons.

To add some to your page, just visit The Gap's Vote For Website, click on the buttons page, then see which ones stand out to you the most. Once you find one that you like, just move your cursor over the button and you should see an option to "Add to Facebook." Once you click on this option, it will navigate you to your Facebook's app page.

What I love about these buttons is the fact that they aren't only great for the election, but they can be used year-round, like one of my faves "Vote For Rollerblading!"

Daily Tech: Motorola's ZN5 Is Coming to T-Mobile

geeksugar — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:20:13 -0800

With a whopping 5-megapixel Kodak camera that includes autofocus and a flash, Motorola's ZN5 is being dubbed the latest and greatest camera phone. And it only costs $99 on a two-year agreement. — The Boy Genius Report
Circuit City is closing 155 stores across the US. Here's the complete list of stores. — Gizmodo
A huge Lego man (6-feet tall) has washed up on a beach in Brighton, UK, just three months after another Lego man was found out at sea near a Dutch resort. — Telegraph
Wowzas. In September, Facebook had its highest traffic month yet, with 39 million unique visitors! — Mashable
Have I got a new website for you to have lots of fun with! Check out Photofunia, a magically delicious site that will take your headshot and paste it into a variety of photos and landscapes of your liking! — Lifehacker

Facebook App Helps You Get Reimbursed For Sucky Movies

geeksugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:30:19 -0700

If you saw a real stinker of a movie recently and are still fuming over the dough you lost paying for your tix — I feel you, movie tickets here in SF are upwards of $10.50 now — a new Facebook app can't get your precious time back, but can at least help you get back your money in the form of free movie tickets.

Called Payback Time, this app relies heavily on your creative and convincing writing style. Just leave your rant on Payback Time as to why you should get your money back, list the dollar amount you want reimbursed (I'd throw in the cost of popcorn and drinks, but hey, that's just me), then just sit back and leave it to the Facebook community to vote and decide who should get their cash back. If you win over the community with your sob story, you can then cash in your winnings on Fandango and see whatever movie you want — for free!

Not a bad deal for convincing others that your movie-going experience was the worst ever. I'm just hoping those free tickets go to a worthwhile film this time!

Source

Geek Out: Would You Deny Your Mom a Friend Request?

geeksugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 11:00:07 -0700

It seems like every day, my mom is getting more and more tech savvy. She has her own blog, a TiVo, an iPod, and a Bluetooth earpiece, and I'm pretty sure she actually drooled when she first saw my iPhone 3G. That's why it wasn't exactly surprising when she sent me a Facebook friend request. I chuckled a little at the thought of my mom happily writing on my wall and tagging photos, but I accepted her.

Turns out I may be an anomaly because I just heard about the Facebook group “Moms of Kids Who Are Embarrassed They Have a Facebook Profile," founded by a mother who was unceremoniously rejected by her 12-year-old daughter.

I totally understand why you wouldn't want your mom to see everything you have on your Facebook profile, and then again, I kinda think it's harmless to add your mom — but maybe that's because I'm old and boring that I feel like there's nothing to hide. So tell me, what's your parental social networking policy?

Source

Facebook Users Are Narcissistic and Self-Promoting

geeksugar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 09:00:31 -0700

A recent study reports that Facebook users who upload flattering photos of themselves and have a ton of "friends" are really just narcissistic. Well, it's a little more complicated; the researchers can suggest that the social-networking website can be used as a tool to detect narcissism in the people who use it.

As for the signs that you're a little too into yourself: Posting flattering photos as your profile pic — who doesn't?!; and maintaining a large stable of Facebook friends — I'm over it, since I used to add anyone and everyone in my MySpace days.

Also interesting is that social networks are more popular among narcissists, even though I surmise that many people of a certain age are on Facebook because their friends are on it. Another thing that got me thinking was the importance the researchers put on how people express themselves online; my opinions have certainly changed because of someone's MySpace or Facebook page. What do you think?

Source

Is the New Facebook Layout Cramping Your Style?

geeksugar — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 04:00:21 -0700

So I know I already asked you last week if you were concerned with Facebook's new layout and many of you had mixed emotions about the whole thing. Well I was on the fence until I signed into my Facebook account yesterday (for the first time this week) and discovered why people are so up in arms about it. The new layout takes a bit of getting used to and isn't the most intuitive interface; is it just me or did the other one seem a lot cleaner?

Here's what Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg had to say about the changes:

"We realize that change can be difficult though. Many people disliked News Feed at first because it changed their home page and how they shared information. Now it’s one of the most important parts of Facebook. We think the new design can have the same effect. . . "

I'm all about change, and I'm sure I'll adjust to the new design, but how could they re-introduce Beacon with no warning?

Naughty or Nice? Facebook Limits Santa's Friends

geeksugar — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 04:00:54 -0700

Used to be, if you wanted to be Santa's friend, you'd be a good little girl or boy during the year and he would reward you come Christmas time. But hey, those are the old ways of the world! Now if you want to be Santa's friend, you just have to add him on Facebook. But unfortunately for Santa, there's a limit to how friendly you can really be.

The actual Santa Claus (his real and legit name) who runs an advocacy group for neglected and abused children, has added all of his allotted 5000 friends since he opened his account a few months ago, and is kinda peeved that he can't add more:

"It's hard for me to believe that Facebook would want to disappoint that many folks who might enjoy being Santa's friends. I'm not selling anything; so, I don't understand the problem."

To learn more about Facebook's friend limit, just

Miss Manners Says It's Cool to Ignore Friend Requests

geeksugar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:00:45 -0700

Take it from Judith Martin, Miss Manners herself, that when it comes to friend requests on social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace, you don't have to feel obligated to accept these invitations — especially when it involves mixing business with pleasure. The columnist in the Chicago Tribune recently said this about turning a blind eye to certain invitations:

Miss Manners is not one to suggest ignoring invitations, but this is more of a commercial solicitation. Even messages such as these from people you know socially are so widely distributed as to resemble the sort of open invitations that teenagers post on trees when their parents are out of town.

So there you have it. You can ignore those little invites and not feel guilty about it. Why? 'Cause Miss Manners said so.

Are You Concerned With the New Facebook Layout?

geeksugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 07:30:29 -0700

The biggest news surrounding Facebook lately has to do with its big "redesign." It's supposed to make sharing and viewing profile content easier, but there are some people who are so up in arms about the whole thing, that they started a FB petition entitled "Against the 'New Facebook'."

Facebookers say they aren't totally against the change, they just wish they were given the option of choosing which layout they want (old or the new) and they are hoping for a splash of color as well. What are your thoughts? Do you really care about the redesign? Or do you wish you had a choice in the matter?

Download of the Day: Facebook Toolbar

geeksugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:00:20 -0700

Do you need someone to hold you if you're not logged in to Facebook? Simmer down now, I've found the antidote for what ails you: The Facebook Toolbar.

It's a free Firefox extension (so don't go switching to Chrome just yet) that adds a toolbar to your browser and lets you check your profile and search Facebook at all times.

You just have to be logged in for it to work. But then, you already were, weren't you?

Nurse Puts Surgery Pics on Facebook, Risks Her Job

geeksugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:03:25 -0700

If it wasn't bad enough that a Scottish nurse violated privacy codes of the hospital she worked at to take photos during a surgery and display them on her Facebook page then consider that the photos in question were from a brain surgery procedure.

She was also kind enough to show her Facebook audience pictures of her "holding indeterminate parts of the patient's body." All together now: EEWWW!

Remember kids, if you post pictures of yourself on Facebook doing something you shouldn't be doing, just go with Murphy's law and assume the worst person to find it, will.

Source

Facebook's Profile Redesign Goes Live

geeksugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:40:58 -0700

The next time you sign into Facebook, don't be surprised if things look a bit, shall I say "different." Not only will your profile pic now be on the right side of the page, but pictures, newsfeeds, and apps look much cleaner and content is easier to view in general.

Facebook is hoping that their new design, with developers creating apps that are aesthetically pleasing, will make sharing and viewing profile content easier and more digestible to profile visitors.

Test it out and let me know what you think. . . Is it a much better user experience? Are you happy with the changes?

Source

Facebook Puts Their Grammatical Foot Down

geeksugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 03:45:43 -0700

Have you ever noticed that Facebook automatically adds "they" or "themself" to profiles where users haven't specified whether they are male or female? Yeah, me neither.

Facebook is trying to put an end to their grammatical issues by making members select whether they are male or female so that issues don't arise. "We've gotten feedback from translators and users in other countries that translations wind up being too confusing when people have not specified a sex on their profiles," Facebook product manager Naomi Gleit said in a company statement.

Because Facebook has recently expanded to include 15 new languages, it's imperative that people say which sex they are since the "they" or "themself" option isn't available when the plural is always masculine or feminine in other languages. Let me guess. . . French?! I always had such a hard time ingraining which words were masculine and feminine into my French vocab.

For those that think this is a tad intrusive, Facebook is also offering an opt-out option for people who don't feel the need, or don't feel comfortable indicating their gender.

Source

Do You Use Facebook or MySpace?

geeksugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 06:30:29 -0700

The latest news from ComScore reveals that Facebook is beating MySpace worldwide for the first time. I've been trying to figure out why, necessarily, in terms of why people choose either site to social network.I myself have profiles on both sites, as I signed up for a MySpace page in 2003, and when Facebook started, when it was only accessible to those with school emails (which I didn't have anymore and was a little turned off by that requirement), I waited awhile, but eventually caved since I had friends on Facebook (which is why I still begrudgingly keep both profiles). What about you? Are you supporting Facebook or MySpace with your usage?

Do You Use Facebook or MySpace?

Facebook

MySpace

Both

Neither

Daily Tech: Digital Cam Captures Extraordinary Image

geeksugar — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:01:00 -0700

On Tuesday, Lori Mehmen from Iowa ran out her front door to see this. She quickly grabbed her digital camera before taking cover. — The New York Times
MySpace may still dominate Facebook in the US market, but because of Facebook's growth internationally, it has more visitors worldwide. — TechCrunch
Women with long nails are said to have some difficulty typing on the iPhone's touch screen and are hoping that Apple will soon offer a stylus so they don't have to cut off their nails! — Shiny Shiny
OK, so you have a ton of burning questions about the iPhone 3G. Have no fear, Gizmodo answers practically all of them. — Gizmodo
A new study indicates that gamers who spend more than 50 hours or more a week playing video games surprisingly don't have signs of shyness or low self-esteem, something the study was looking for. — Switched

Daily Tech: Senior Citizens and Facebook . . . Good Times

geeksugar — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:10:24 -0700

Wonder what would happen if grandma had a Facebook account? I think the outcome would go something like this. . . — Valleywag
Gizmodo compared six popular and inexpensive minicams to see which one stood out the most in terms of quality and usability. And the winner is . . . — Gizmodo
Around 40 percent of 18- to 24-year-old office workers said that they would consider leaving their jobs if their work blocked Facebook or YouTube. Obsessed much?! — CrunchGear
Looking for a functional yet aesthetically pleasing way to stow away your gadgets? Check out the top 10 DIY charging stations. — Unplggd
TeamSugar user dormouse provides an in-depth review on the Mario Kart for the Wii. — Technology & Gadgets Channel

Does Facebook Affect Your Feelings About Class Reunions?

geeksugar — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:00:17 -0700

I always thought I'd go to my ten year high school reunion. It was just something you do, and my high school friends and I all dreamily talked at graduation of meeting back up when we were grown-ups. But something happened. I have absolutely no desire to attend.The reason? MySpace. Facebook. The New York Times claims that the advent of these websites — which allowed us to stay connected, and updated us on what our old classmates were doing — has caused alumni magazines to suffer. Why read them when you can log on and confirm that the snobby cheerleader never made it out of your hometown and now works at a gas station? And furthermore, why go anywhere to be in the same room, when you can snoop on everyone from the comfort of your office chair?I already know who's married, who has kids, where they all work. Curiosity = satisfied. What about you?Source

Does Facebook Affect Your Feelings About Class Reunions?

Yes, I don't care about alumni magazines or class reunions because I already know what everyone's up to because of Facebook.

Nah, Facebook has just made me more excited to see my old classmates, not turned me off of it.

Something else. See my comment below!

Lisa Loeb Is a Total Gadget Girl

geeksugar — Sun, 25 May 2008 07:10:00 -0700

Lisa Loeb is not only a talented singer, songwriter and actress (she has a new album coming out on Tuesday), but she's much more tech savvy then I would have ever imagined — BlackBerrys and MacBooks and iPods, oh my! AOL's Switched recently chatted with her about all her tech habits — including her favorite websites (Facebook made the list), her love for her MacBook Pro and BlackBerry Curve, and how she is a big fan of puzzles like the Rubik's cube! Here are some of the highlights from the interview:

On what cell she is using now and why she loves it or hates it: "I use the BlackBerry Curve. I love that I can e-mail, take photos, send and receive e-mail, type on real buttons, not a virtual keypad. I love that it's sleek. I especially love taking photos with it, but I hate that it's difficult to get the photos onto my MacBook Pro."

Discussing whether or not she'll get an iPhone: "Not yet. I'm waiting on a flash, on a keypad that I can turn sideways, and to come to terms with the virtual keyboard."

And finally, if she is a Mac or PC kinda gal: "I use a Mac mainly because it's really user-friendly. Also, ever since I was a kid I've used an Apple. Ross Perot provided our school with Apple II computers when they came out. We used to program them and play Lemonade."

Source

If Facebook Was Real

geeksugar — Sat, 03 May 2008 07:10:46 -0700

This hilarious video demonstrates something I've been thinking about since MySpace hit the scene a few years ago and we started re-connecting with people we thought we'd never see again: Would you really act in real life, the way you act on Facebook? Would you walk up to a girl from your grade 9 math class and poke her really hard in the ribs? Rudely deface her wall? Probably not, but it's awesome to see these adorable British lads act it out!

Get Flash to see this player.

When Is It Not OK to Have a Facebook Page?

geeksugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 09:00:32 -0700

In Washington DC, some young teachers are taking that whole MySpace thing a little too literally and customizing their Facebook pages with scandalous weekend activities and other inappropriate postings.A kindergarten teacher posted a sexual ad she would probably protect her class from, one young special ed teacher put up a bumper sticker that said, "You're a retard, but I love you," and many more post themselves partying. Sure, these kids are fresh out of college in their 20s, but do parents of their students care what's normal for 22-year-olds to do? Many of these teachers said their profiles were private, but they were accessed easily through DC groups — that, combined with changing privacy policies, is enough to keep me from posting much more than a headshot. But what about for people who hold public office, or slightly public jobs like teachers? Once you get above a certain age, maybe you shouldn't have a MySpace or Facebook page at all, and you should probably really not have one if you have a job where anyone anywhere might Google you. Yes, I see how restrictive that is, but let this article be a lesson to you. For as embarrassing and unprofessional it can be, when should you not have a Facebook page?

When Is It Not OK to Have a Facebook Page?

When you have a public job (as a teacher, public office, etc.).

When you're over a certain age.

Another instance (see my comment below).

You should always be able to have a Facebook or MySpace page.

Track Traffic With a New Facebook App!

geeksugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:11:45 -0700

I can't say I utilize many Facebook applications . . . I guess you can blame it on the fact that the hotness rating ones got a little nauseating?! But I do love tools and applications that make your life easier, like this Facebook traffic cam aggregator app called TrafficLand.

With this new application, you'll be able to check out live images from local traffic cams, so you know exactly how much traffic there is.

And if you aren't a Facebook user, you can always use Google Maps to predict traffic conditions for you!

Source

Chat Goes Live on Facebook

geeksugar — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 10:35:54 -0700

If you are Facebook obsessed like millions across the world, have no fear, chat is here! Yes, if minifeeds, hundreds of applications, and email functionality wasn't cutting it for you in FB-land, Facebook chat has finally launched. Already integrated into your Facebook profile, you'll be able to start chatting with friends instantly without having to sign up for anything else.

I haven't had the chance to test it out yet, but the CrunchGear guys say it's simple to use and the interface isn't too shabby either. Other features? Sounds are played when when friends join and leave channels, and if you're in another tab, the FB title will change to say "Hey, you've got a message." Great, another thing to steal my attention!

Facebook Improves Privacy Settings For Friend Lists

geeksugar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 05:00:42 -0700

Other than Beacon (which has thankfully improved over the months), the biggest thing that irks me about Facebook is its confusing and hard-to-manage privacy settings. Say you only want a certain someone to see your photo albums, and only want to share your mini-feed with family members, it can be a painstaking task to try and tweak the privacy settings for each person on your friends list.

Mark Zuckerberg hasn't been ignoring the requests to improve Facebook's privacy settings, because starting today, you'll be able to give different groups of friends access to various pieces of info on your Facebook page. The New York Times reports that these new group privacy controls allow users to send messages to selected friends or filter what personal details various groups can see. Now let's see if it actually works! And what about the rumor that Facebook is launching a new IM chat feature? All true. Stay tuned for its launch in the next few weeks, with no additional software to download.

Source

Facebook Wants You To Send Hotness Points, Your Blood Type

geeksugar — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:00:15 -0700

I'm annoyed enough with Facebook applications demanding I send some random quiz to eight more friends, then eight more on top of that, just to find out which Sex and the City character I am or what American accent I have — I still don't know, since I generally tend to spitefully close the Facebook tab when I've had enough.

Therefore, I'm skeptical (and a little skeeved out) by the news that a New York charity, Takes All Types, wants to use Facebook to find blood type matches.

Takes All Types is seeking to utilize the potential of Facebook's platform, even though all I'm thinking is that I can barely keep up with who's added whom or updated what to their profile, let alone if they're O Positive. I'm reticent to put my relationship status on Facebook, and it wants my blood type? Back off, Tech Dracula.

Source

Have You Discovered Any Bands Online?

geeksugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 03:33:57 -0800

The last few years in tech have ushered in music revolutions — we've seen physical media overshadowed by music downloads, the tribulations of file sharing, Radiohead's optionally-priced release of In Rainbows (and its implications), and finally, the Internet's distribution of new music. MySpace particularly gave unsigned, unknown acts the means to easily disperse their music into the ears of the young general public, and we've seen some pretty amazing overnight successes like Lily Allen and Panic At the Disco.Facebook is now getting in on the action and adding Facebook Music for bands to post songs, sell merchandise, and sell their music through iTunes with one click. It sounds a little more sophisticated than MySpace's current offerings, and I am a little irked at Facebook expanding more and more into the craziness that MySpace has spiraled into, but I have to applaud any Internet-grassroots opportunity for little bands to get heard. I have a few faves I first heard of on MySpace, Internet radio and Pandora — do you?

Have You Discovered Any Bands Online?

Yes, I have discovered some great bands online!

No, I get my new band fix from word-of-mouth, and the radio, not online.

Something else. See my comment below!

Well, Is It?

geeksugar — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:15:36 -0800

To see the rest of this verrry interesting Facebook analogy and to deconstruct in the comments,

Facebook To Get a Whole Lot Flashier

geeksugar — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 07:03:29 -0800

If you thought Facebook's Beacon was annoying, wait until you see their new app — flash! Yes, it's possible that flash can be much more than glittery initials, shamrocks, and playboy bunny logos, but in the case of MySpace, flash was used and abused in the most tackiest way possible.

According to Valleywag, application developers will now be able to use Adobe's Flash in their work . . . I guess it's safe to say you'll soon be able to "pimp" your Facebook page — yikes!

Have You Ever Found a Lost Friend on the Internet?

geeksugar — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:00:12 -0800

One of USA Today's blogs recently featured an article, "Find Lost Friends Using the Internet" that got me thinking about how Internet communities have reshaped communication and reconnecting with old friends and acquaintances. When MySpace and Facebook first launched, all my friends told me the same thing: I love it because I got back in touch with so many people I thought I would never see or talk to again. That idea is perfectly understandable — millions of people started signing up for social-networking communities at once and reaching out to old childhood and college friends (and even even near strangers they had interacted with at one point or another). For example, my sister found the guy that works at the video store near her house on MySpace! It seems this phenomenon of reconnecting with past friends online is now a regular part of the digital landscape. Source

Have You Ever Found a Lost Friend on the Internet?

Yes — We totally reconnected online.

No — I've searched but haven't found anyone.

I found them, but didn't reach out to them or add them as a friend.

Something else. See my comment below.

Is Facebook Creeping You Out?

geeksugar — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 16:00:59 -0800

I've discussed before how much Beacon, Facebook's targeted-ad initiative, drives me nuts, but I assumed that after Mark Zuckerberg's speech that things were going to change for the better. Maybe not: When the associate editor of Valleywag.com recently changed his profile to "engaged," he had no idea that Facebook would start spamming him with ads. He quickly did the math and realized that his fiancée had registered them on The Knot.com, which just so happens to be a Beacon partner. Although she opted not to have ads sent to their Facebook friends, Beacon is still tracking their every move on the site (see exhibit A above). Here's his hilarious summary about the situation: "Facebook, you might want to know I'm not an American Express cardholder. And also, I'm not going to buy that dress. Oh, and one more thing? How hard could it have been for American Express, your partner in advertising bliss, to check off "female" on this order form? Answer: Not very. Next time, try a coupon for discount tux rentals at Men's Wearhouse." On that note, have another look at the entire list of corporations partnered with Facebook's Beacon.

Is Facebook Creeping You Out?

Yes! It's really creepy!

Not so much. I don't mind it when they spam my friends.

It depends. I'll explain below in comments.

Facebook to Turn Into a Dating Site?

geeksugar — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 06:02:11 -0800

On Thursday, Facebook will be announcing the launch of Little Black Book, a new way for Facebook users to connect with Match.com daters.

According to The New York Times, once people are signed up to this new service, the users of Little Black Book will receive potential matches from Facebook users and non-Facebook users who are signed up with Match.com—try saying that ten times!

Considering the fact that I'm still peeved about Beacon, I'm going to keep my distance from Facebook for awhile. Although it's not too shabby of an idea. . .Stay connected with friends while meeting prospective mates online—badabingbadaboom!

Source

Geek Tip: How to Block Facebook Beacon

geeksugar — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 13:00:29 -0800

If you love Facebook, but hate their new Beacon feature that collects your online purchasing info, wikiHow has just posted step-by-step instructions that show you how to block Beacon and prevent it from collecting your browsing and buying activities. By installing a Firefox extension called Blocksite and following a few simple steps, your data will remain private, so you don't have to worry about Facebook spying on your every online move.Source

The Corporations Behind Facebook's Beacon

geeksugar — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 08:00:04 -0800

Now that we know all about Beacon, Facebook's online marketing initiative, we can feel better knowing that Facebook is striving to respect their users' privacy.

Yeah right! The only difference now is that you can opt-in or out of having your purchasing info listed on your profile, although your buying habits are still being tracked by third-party sites. Wondering what these sites are?

Thanks to The Consumerist, who has posted the full list of companies participating in Beacon, we can learn who the culprits are that are fueling the fire so to speak.

For the entire list of companies,

Geek Tip: Make a Phone Directory of Your Facebook Friends

geeksugar — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:00:45 -0800

If my recent Facebook stories have freaked you out and you'd rather part ways with the not-so-private, social-networking site, here's a way that will keep you connected to your friends away from the site.

Discussed on Lifehacker, this little tidbit from Digital Inspiration is a great way to get instant access to your friends phone numbers.

Just sign into your Facebook account and visit Facebook phonebook. You'll see all your friends which have their phone numbers visible in alphabetical order.

Print for future reference or use the online version for easy access!

Source

Facebook Makes Changes to Beacon!

geeksugar — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 06:45:18 -0800

After a week of Facebook tracking our online purchases with an advertising program called Beacon, a petition was sparked by MoveOn.org which stated: "Sites like Facebook must respect my privacy. They should not tell my friends what I buy on other sites--or let companies use my name to endorse their products--without my explicit permission."

Over 50,000 Facebook users signed the petition and on Thursday, Facebook released a statement outlining changes to Beacon, although it still manages to lack an easy way to avoid participating. You may not be able to opt out of Beacon completely, but your purchases won't be published without your "proactive consent," says Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook. It will be interesting to see these changes in action and if Facebook follows through with their promises.
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Facebook: The Online Big Brother?

geeksugar — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 07:00:54 -0800

I can't deny the fact that social networks are a great way to keep in touch with friends and family, but when I hear about stories like this, I get worried about online privacy and security. Facebook has recently introduced a marketing program that publicizes users purchases in their "Mini-Feed" for all their friends to see—movies, clothes, household goods, you name it. Silicon Valley News reports that this new marking initiative allows companies to tap ongoing Facebook conversations by alerting users about friends' activities through the feeds. Forty websites have already embedded this tool from Facebook, known as a Beacon, to enable the marketing feeds. An area in their web browser is said to give them the option of checking a small box that says "No Thanks" to sharing their purchasing info, which many have reported not even noticing. When Mike, a Facebook user recently purchased movie tickets on Fandango and a video game on Gamefly for his son for Christmas, he had no idea that both transactions would pop up in his Facebook Mini-Feed for all of his contacts to see—no warning, no red flashing lights and no notification (well just to your five hundred friends). Kinda takes the fun out of online shopping. To learn more, check out Mike's full story. What do you think about all this? Excuse me while I go disable my Facebook Mini-Feed!

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Note To Self: Don't Skip Out on Work and Facebook About It Later

geeksugar — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:15:25 -0800

The next time you decide to throw on your fairy godmother princess outfit, dip into your drag queen makeup stash, and throw back a few Bud Lights, think twice before you post your pics on Facebook. Kevin Colvin an intern at Anglo Irish Bank recently got busted for posting this incriminating photo on his Facebook profile. Okay so we've all had our moments, especially on Halloween, but Kevin had emailed his boss the previous day to say he'd be out for a "family emergency." According to Valleywag, Colvin missed work to attend the Halloween party. No word on whether he was fired, although his boss did bcc the entire email convo to the company, with the scandalous pics attached — ouch!

If you want to make sure this never happens to you, learn how to reclaim your name on the net.

Advice On Cleaning Up Your Internet Act

geeksugar — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 08:00:33 -0700

Have you ever tried Googling yourself to see what results show up? Were you surprised or shocked at what showed up? Unfortunately when it comes to the internet, we can run but it is ridiculously hard to hide. I'm sure if Miss New Jersey would have known the consequences of posting racy pics on her private Facebook account, she would have thought twice about doing so even though the pictures are quite harmless (well maybe painful for the guy below)!

If you happened to be hot and bothered about what results pop up when you search yourself on Google (I won't even ask) Lifehacker has thankfully found a site which will give you tips to help reclaim your name online, making it more difficult for prospective employers or dates to dig up dirt on you!

Source

Facebook Users Outed!

geeksugar — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 15:00:12 -0700

Facebook's news feed feature can be quite revealing to say the least. Where else can you find your ex boyfriend, his new girlfriend and her friends and find out exactly where they've been vacationing and who they have been talking to? There's MySpace, but that opens a whole other creepy can of worms. When our friends over at Switched listed some fun facts about Facebook users, I decided I had to share them with you. And by the way, I am totally not surprised by these stats, as I'm guilty of having a few Facebook laugh sessions myself.

Over sixty percent of guys and girls use Facebook to check up on their ex.
Fifteen percent of guys have used Facebook as a means to "pleasure themselves," whereas only one percent of women admitted to this act. (Use your imagination.)
A large percentage of both girls and guys said that they've sat around with friends making fun of people on Facebook.
Almost half of all users revealed that they've been boozin' a few times while using Facebook.

For more Facebook survey results, check out College Humor.

Have Social Networking Sites Become Too Confusing?

geeksugar — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 10:00:42 -0700

Recently, when CrunchGear writer Nicholas Deleon logged into his Facebook account he couldn't believe all the random new distractions on the site. With no warning to users, Facebook did receive a facelift- which included the addition of many new features. Unfortunately for Deleon - and all the rest of us who obsessively log on - there's a slim to nil chance that the site will go back to being stale and predictable like he had originally hoped. Has this happened to you? Are your favorite social networking sites becoming more complex and difficult to use? I guess not every social networking site can be as user-friendly as TeamSugar, but I think some sites have taken it too far.

Have Social Networking Sites Become Too Confusing?

Definitely

Not At All

Something Else. See my comment below!

Do Your Parents Have Online Profiles?

geeksugar — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 08:00:46 -0700

Yesterday the New York Times published a hilarious piece, "omg my mom joined facebook!!" written by a mother who (in a possible effort to seem hip and maybe even spy on her kids) joined Facebook, searched for her daughters and befriended all their friends. Of course, once she became friends with the teens she was allowed access to their steamy profiles as well as the site's infamous news feed, which keeps you up to date when people in your network become friends, break up, go work out and so on. Clearly aware of this, the woman's daughter did not befriend her and even went so far to tell her - via instant messenger of course - "You won’t get away with this. Everyone in the whole world thinks its super creepy when adults have Facebooks.”I am a firm believer that whoever wants to have an online presence or profile should do so no matter what your age, but I also think there should be a line drawn between being on a site like Facebook to spy on your kids or friends and being on there because you truly want to be a part of the community. This is not to say that parents can't get in on the joys of digital life and if I go by the teen girl's definition, I am probably considered one of those creepy adults online. I guess you just have to embrace it. I ran into an old friend the other day and asked about his dad, to which he said: "He's great. Check him out on Myspace, he just got back from vacation and uploaded some funny pictures." I thought about my mom's love for the Sugar Network and wasn't surprised one bit.

Do Your Parents Have Online Profiles?

Yes.

No.

I don't know.

Something else. See my comment below.