Does Technology Reduce Social Isolation?

Americans are more isolated than ever, but don’t blame the technology, says a new Pew study. It suggests that the Internet and cellphones actually expand our social networks.

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Social Isolation and New Technology (View Report)

Bill Drew’s “Why Twitter” Presentation

Why Twitter?

Wilfred (Bill) Drew, M.S., B.S., A.S., Assistant Professor, Librarian, Systems and Tech Services/Electronic Resources/Serials from Tompkins Cortland Community College, did  a presentation at Southern Tier Library (Painted Post, NY) System’s “How Libraries Can Survive in the Digital Age.”  His presentation was on “Why Twitter? What can Twitter do for my library & my community?”  The material on the website he created is available to anyone that wants to use it.

http://sites.google.com/site/whytwitterstls/home

Collecta, New Search Engine For Realtime Searching of Blogs, Twitter, Flickr, etc.

“As we become inundated with more and more streams of data from Twitter, Facebook, blog, Flickr, and everywhere else, we need better ways to search what is happening right now. Twitter, Facebook, and Google are working on their own real-time search efforts, along with a slew of startups including OneRiot, Scoopler, and CrowdEye (which launched last night). The latest entrant in the real time search wars is Collecta It just launched a few minutes ago, and it scours the Web for real-time information. Results come from Twitter, of course, but also from news feeds, blog posts, comments, and Flickr photos. Status updates on Jaiku and Identica are also captured.”     Story

Microsoft’s Answer to Facebook and Twitter

“With a new product called Vine, Microsoft is tackling the issue that, in the Digital Age, contact management is no longer static–where you are and what you’re doing at a given moment can matter just as much as what your cell phone number is.    Full Story

Is Twitter Evil?

“Researchers probing the workings of the brain have found that it takes longer for feelings of social compassion and admiration to register on our neural circuits – and they worry that the rapid-fire effect of texting and tweeting could have “potentially negative consequences” for our moral fiber.”  Full Story

Facebook Yields to User Outrage

The Users revolt on Facebook has resulted in a reversion to the the old terms of service.  Things happen face in the internet age.  Full Story

Facebook Terms of Service Change

According to The Consumerist, “Now, anything you upload to Facebook can be used by Facebook in any way they deem fit, forever, no matter what you do later.”

Old terms of service stated that rights expired once you removed content, but now once you post, they own it forever.  Here’s an excerpt:

“You hereby grant Facebook an irrevocable, perpetual, transferable, worldwide license to use, copy, publish, store, publicly perform or display, transmit, reformat, modify, edit and distribute any User Content you post…”

Is this controversy overblown or should people be worried?  Other services aren’t nearly as bold.  Flickr lets you keep your content rights.   Myspace only uses your content for myspace related services.  Twitter owns no rights.  Youtube rights to your content eventually expire.  Only Facebook has irrevocable, perpetual rights to your content!  Users don’t seem to care, but should they?   Full Story

Social Networking Isn’t Just for Kids

A Pew Research Center analysis released Wednesday reports that 35% of adult Internet users now have a profile on at least one social networking site. And among online adults ages 35-44, 30% have a profile.

So, are you no one if you don’t have a Facebook page??

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