Thursday, April 21, 2011

Let the world saving games... begin

Source:
Why the future of work is play - TNW Industry

I know that many of you will think that I am joking. No, it's not a joke. According to the article and Jane McGonigal, games can save the world. Gamers are so enganged in them and share a set of characteristics that everybody should have to make the wolrd whould be a better place. Usualy we play games to escape reality. What if instead of just escaping reality we could apply what we've learnt from our game in the real world?

That's the idea. Engage gamers in games that will influence them in the right way and make change their lives for better. According to the article we need half the population of earth to devote about an hour of gaming everyday in order to achieve that... epic win!

So... do you want to play?

Friday, April 15, 2011

Is there something special about Fridays?

Soource:
Why Users Are More Engaged With Social Media on Fridays

This post is posted on a Friday for a reason. No... I won't give any hints on good restaurants, cafes or clubs for the weekend, but as the research in the source suggests Friday is one of the best times to gain traction on your posts! So, if you are relaxing on your nice leather ergonomic chair heading for the weekend and checking on Facebook or scanning through Tweets to see what your friends are up to then please continue to do so.

In any other case, just take a second and think of yourself on a Friday afternoon, after a tiresome week, in your office just before you head out. What whould you do? Check on Facebook and Twitter? You are not alone!

Now, if you excuse me, I see my friends on Facebook are heading out for a coffee so... I have to go too.

TGIF!!!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

In social media we trust.

Source:
Finding Faith on Facebook - TNW Social Media

If Jesus, Buddha, Moameth and all these religious icons were living today, whould they have a Facebook fan page? How many followers whould they have on Twitter? Well... believe it or not, they do have Twitter followers and Facebook friends and fans. Churches around the world are discovering the power of social media and using it to provide advice, shelter, help and whatever is needed to their followers.

Social networking sites are an excellent opportunity for religious groups to reach more people especially young ones, connect with them and help as many as they can. As long as they are willing to do so. I don't know if Facebook can destroy tradition within church but I think in a time when everybody is anxious over their everyday needs, having a religious mentor to talk to (even from a facebook chat) is far better than not going to church at all. We all need to believe in somthing to get courage, strength, and make ourselves better human beings. So, if Facebook and Twiiter can help in finding them by communicationg with priests and pastors, let it be.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

One up or one down?

Sources:
Social Search, without a Social Network - Technology Review
What challenges does Google's +1 face? TNWGoogle
Why Google's +1 is not the social web TNW Social Media
What Google's +1 Means for Facebook

Lately, my RSS reader is crowded with posts about Google's new attempt to enter the fields of social media and Facebook. It's called "+1" and it's actually a button next to each search result form Google. Once you click on it Google knows that you recommend that result for others. It's more or less... Google's "Like" button. This means, that once you've set up a Google profile you can show your friends (also having a Google profile) what you like, while you are searching in the web.

To be honest out of my almost 200 contacts (in Gmail) there are only half a dozen of them with Google profliles that I am connected to. In addition, when I joined Facebook I didn't have to register yet for another email account and everything else that comes with Google's profile. I just did it for the networking without any additional burden (such an email account). Same goes with LinkedIn and other social networks.

So, first of all, Google needs to seperate its goals. If you are building a social network then do just that! And then offer the option to connect it with everything else. As for example in Youtube. When they acquired Youtube they didn't oblige anyone to turn their accounts to Google (they are doing it now after some year of buiding the user network).

After reading so many articles and trying the feature myself I thought. Well... since there are only 5 people I know that are going to see what I "+1"ed what's the point? Let's just hit the Like or  Share button instead! I can see the point in Google's movement since advertising in social media is turning into a major player in the ad industry. However, I have my doubts if "1+" is going to work. They 've tried the social thing before with Buzz and Wave and it failed. Trying to force users to come to your network especially when you don't have that critical mass that Facebook does is quite difficult.

I think they need to lure us into it. Show us the "1+" button (and relevant stats like how many people liked a page) without having to subscribe to Google for starters. And then, when people actually start to use it in their everyday searches... throw in the candy. It could be Search results personalization according to your network, or seeing what your friends are prefering or... whatever. Don't just tell us..."It's going to be great but you have to sign up" make us WANT to sign up. Make it necessary for us.

So.. what't it going to be... "+1" or "-1"?

Monday, April 4, 2011

Whould you give your work away for free online?

Source:
Should you give your work away for free online? - TNW Media

I have to admit it. I'm still indecisive about this question. As a consumer of books, music, movies and generally art I whould dream the day when everything was for free! I know you all want it. Not having to pay for buing your favorite artists' albums, not having to pay to read your favorite books and so on. Not to mention, that in a world where art is free, people will be educated much better and without the financial barrier. And this kind of education is so necessary in our days.

On the other hand... thinking as a software programmer and also getting in the artists's shoes I can see the problem. How whould they survive if they don't gain anything from their art. I'm not talking for the hobbyist's but for professional writers, professional musicians, professional directors, actors and so on. How whould they live if we don't pay them. At the end of the day, apart from the good critics and the public opinion about their work this is also an additional incentive for them. Not to mention that many of them depend financialy on it. Why whould a professional artist continue to produce art if s/he can't have some kind of income from it. Advertising within their art (we 've already seen it on video clips, movies etc.) is an answer to that but... what if they depend solely on that advertising? Whouldn't that compromise their product?

I don't have a definte answer on these questions. I just wanted to shere them witho you. However, I welcome whoever offers their work for free and I admire them!

Friday, April 1, 2011

The police is going... social.



Source:
Social Media and the Law: Police explore new ways to fight crime - TNW Social Media

“There is less debating about whether or not to get on social media. Now it’s about – we understand we need to do this, so how do we go about it?” That's the ending line in the article and it's really interestin now many ways the civilians can benefit from the police using social media. Instant information sharing, building a better more usefull social profile, investigating background and usefull information in specific cases and most importantly protect from new kinds of crime on the web.

There is no doubt we are entering a world of parallel lives, digital and real. This doesn't mean that the new digital world won't carry the social problems of the real one. Crime is one of them and in the new digital world is transforming in new forms. Having a police that takes under account these developments and tranfers its actions (protect and serve) to the digital world is vital.

However, there is a thin red line in usage of personal information and modern laws have to face this challenge. Crossing this line can be dangerous not only for civilians but for policemen too. So... yes... police should go social and it is going social in many countries but legislation should also follow the lead.