Monday, April 11, 2011

SOCIAL NETWORKING "FRENEMIES"

Social Networking Leads to "Frenemies" For Women
Author: Ayra Moore
Published: March 31, 2011 at 6:47 pm

So,you hear time and time again how “great” the social network is, right? Well, for some, it is.

A majority of women, however, have become quite disgusted with the “friends” they have collected on Facebook, finding them very bothersome at times.

According to an article posted on Networkworld.com, Eversave, a company dealing in coupons, recently conducted a survey centered on how social networking influences shopping and the use of deals. They got a lot more info than they expected apparently.

Woman, who still admit they communicate more frequently and readily thanks to social networking, are also complaining about their Facebook pals. The women are getting tired of seeing status updates from their newfound “frenemies” regarding personal complaints, praise for their children, grandchildren, political views and bragging about their lives in general.

The result, in my opinion, to these,very amusing, recent findings is simple: No matter what outlet women use to attempt to communicate, we will always find that the company of other women will grow annoying and tiresome if it lasts too long. What is the saying regarding “too much of a good thing”? It may very well do you harm. Women and their “frenemies” should take note.


Read more: http://technorati.com/lifestyle/article/social-networking-leads-to-frenemies-for/#ixzz1INa62MAn

MY THOUGHTS

What bothers me about Facebook is that you are 'friends' with people who are not really your friends.  If you are, why would status updates about family annoy you?  Why would you consider 'happy news' as 'bragging'?  Why won't you want to know more about your 'friend' through their 'political views'?

My biggest question is - why are you on Facebook if things like these annoy you? 

Thursday, April 7, 2011

SOCIAL NETWORKS FOR KIDS

Top 3 Kid-safe Social Networks
By helle Hainer
Every Day Connected

When Rachel Sarah of Oakland, Calif., first heard about Club Penguin, a social networking site for kids, she had no idea what it was. "My daughter kept asking me if she could use it," recalls Sarah. Not sure whether her daughter, who's under 13, was too young to be on the Web, Sarah decided to check it out herself. "There aren't any ads, and the site seems really fun and innocent," says Sarah.

But how can you be sure a site is really what it seems? We’ve done the legwork for you and found the top three social networks for kids. Here’s how they keep kids entertained while making their safety a top priority:

CLUB PENGUIN
Kids are given a penguin avatar that can interact with the other penguins on the site, play games and earn coins to buy accessories for their penguin or furniture for their igloo. Membership is $5.95 per month for premium access, which allows kids to customize their penguins.

    Age group: 8 to 14, although older kids can join too. Parents register kids who are under 13.

    What kids love: The penguins are simple and cute. Kids can get creative when customizing the look of their penguin and igloo, and meet other penguin friends for coffee or tea.

    Privacy and safety features: Parents can choose between the Standard Safe-Chat, which allows kids to type their own chat messages, or Ultimate Safe-Chat, which restricts them to prewritten words or phrases, like "Hello" or "What's up?" "Club Penguin has really strong filters, so you won't need to worry about kids swearing or going crazy," says Anastasia Goodstein, author of Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens Are Really Doing Online.

MY THOUGHTS

I hope moms and dads with kids under 13 would check out these sites. 

Saturday, April 2, 2011

CAN YOU SAVE THROUGH FACEBOOK?

Can Facebook Help You Spend Less?

How to use social networking to find great fashion and beauty deals

Lynn Strong ON Mar 17, 2011 at 11:52PM
www.ivillage.com

It's wild how social media sites like Facebook have taken over the world, isn't it? Everybody's online these days, and companies everywhere are figuring out how they can use Facebook to promote their businesses and make more money. That makes it high time to follow their lead and start using Facebook to your own advantage to actually save money on what you buy. It can be done!

Now that more and more fashion brands are creating Facebook pages, all you really have to do is “Like” a brand's page and you'll have instant access to special sale alerts, coupon codes, insider deals, and more. You'll also be the first to learn about new products or special store-only events. Liking a page is like gaining access to a special members-only fan club for a particular clothing or beauty line. What could be better?

If you're not convinced, check out a few Facebook promotions I came across this week:

Sample Saturdays: Simply by Liking Nordstrom Beauty's page, you'll be part of Sample Saturdays. Each Friday one product sample is revealed and the sample is available in the cosmetics and fragrance departments in all Nordstrom stores the following day, exclusive to Facebook (and Twitter) followers.

Drugstore.com: I was surprised to learn that Drugstore.com is on Facebook offering specials to shoppers -- everything from free shipping (no matter how much you ordered) to discounts on gift cards and more -- just for Liking the page.

For Shoe Lovers: You'll also have access to flash sales and limited-time-only offers. Via Spiga (amazing shoes!), which posts different contests and deals on Facebook frequently, this week posted a special spring sale coupon code for 20 percent off all purchases. Only Facebook fans got the memo!

It takes just a few seconds to find your favorite brands on Facebook and become a fan of their pages -- and the savings will really add up. Give it a try!

MY THOUGHTS

Worth a try? Maybe. Maybe not.  What have you got to lose?