Daily Bits

Social Networks

Essential Privacy Settings to Change on Your Devices Right Now

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improve security online

With so much of our lives happening online, protecting our privacy has never been more important. Every time you browse the web, use social media, or download an app, you’re leaving behind digital footprints that companies and hackers can exploit. Whether it’s targeted ads that seem to know too much about you or data breaches exposing sensitive information, the risks are real. Fortunately, making a few simple adjustments to your device settings can go a long way in keeping your personal information safe. Here are the essential privacy settings you should change immediately.

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Are You Ready for the Sharepocalypse?

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Social SitesI don’t know about you, but I think this whole thing about using -calypse as a suffix is getting old. Still, I couldn’t stop myself from digging deeper when I encountered the term “sharepocalypse”.

I don’t know where the term originated, but I first saw it in an article written by Nova Spivack, which was published by Mashable. The idea is very simple and not surprising at all: “In the Sharepocalypse hundreds (if not thousands) of online friends share content with us across various social networks, culminating in massive information overload. Our lives will become more fragmented, we will lose productivity, and we’ll perpetually be playing catch up.” ((Article))

Think about it. How many social network accounts do you have? In how many of these networks are you active? Let’s be more specific, when you update your status and/or post links/photos, how many platforms do you use for the same content? [Read more…] about Are You Ready for the Sharepocalypse?

Twitter Facts and Figures for the Stat Geek

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Twitter Icon
Twitter Icon

Are you on Twitter? I do have a lot of friends who are not really into Twitter, and they probably have good reasons for not creating an account (or maybe having an account but not logging in). Then again, being one of the biggest platforms today, Twitter is probably useful for something, don’t you think?

I ran across an infographic that will give you a geekgasm if you are into stats. Numbers, facts, and figures – you now how something to enjoy during your break this afternoon! Created by Touch, an agency offering diverse marketing solutions, the infographic puts together a lot of data in a package that is more easily digested. ((Source)) What else can be expected of a marketing agency, right?

Seriously, there are some interesting tidbits to be found in this infographic. If you are the average user, you may not find much practical use for these figures – except to satisfy the stat geek in you. However, I online marketers might just find a use or two for this information. [Read more…] about Twitter Facts and Figures for the Stat Geek

How to Configure Privacy Settings on Google+

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Google+So Google Plus (Google+) is quickly amassing its own number of followers, although it’s probably still a far cry from the number of Facebook users. In less than a month since the launch of Google+, we’ve been seeing a lot of speculations about the number of users. From 10 million to 25 million Google+ users – the numbers are all over the place. Google will probably never tell us the real deal on how many users they have, but there is something more important than knowing just how many people are on the social network. Privacy. [Read more…] about How to Configure Privacy Settings on Google+

Google Plus Anti Divorce?

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Are you plus one-ing yet, or are you still stuck with liking? Google’s beta release of Google Plus last week has got everyone online going gaga over the newest social networking site in town. With the limited and sporadic invites available, not everyone is on Google Plus yet. Still, divmore and more people are finding their way to the site.

With that comes all sorts of articles, critiques, and commentaries on Google Plus. One of the more interesting ones that I have stumbled upon is written by Kashmir Hill of Forbes.com. ((Article)) The topic? How Google Plus seems to be anti-divorce. Divorce may be an ordinary thing in most countries in the world, but in my neck of the woods, divorce is stirring up controversy. Yes, the Philippines in the only place on Earth (barring the Vatican) where divorce is not legal – yet.

So what is this about Google Plus not being nice to divorcees? For those who have an account already, check out the options for relationship status. As opposed to Facebook, which does provide “Divorced” as an option, Google Plus only offers the following.

Google Plus Relationship Options
Google Plus Relationship Options

The list of relationship status options being a fact, what does this imply about Google? I honestly wouldn’t have given it any further thought if I hadn’t read the article. Hill has a theory that, perhaps, Google took heed of feedback from the past (the “Call Daddy” reminder in Gmail, which offended some people with father issues) and chose not to include divorce as an option. After all, divorce can be one of the main sources of issues in people’s lives.

Then again, I honestly think that reading into the absence of the option is a waste of time. As far as I am concerned, it should be enough to state whether you are married, in a relationship, or single. After all, Google Plus is NOT a dating network – although I suppose for some people, that just might become one of the purposes.

Whether or not Google is against divorce – I don’t care. I do care about making sure that my stream is kept clean of the noise that I have on Facebook and that I use those circles to my advantage. How is your Google Plus experience so far? Do you miss the “Divorce” option?

BeautifulPeople.com Hit by Shrek Virus; “Ugly” People Let In

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BeautifulPeople
If Anonymous and LulzSec were to hit targets such as BeautifulPeople.com, then perhaps they would bring about more lulz. The social network for the good looking has been hit with a virus called “Shrek”, which allowed applicants to pass through the screening process more easily. Indeed, it seemed to approve people who normally would not have passed the site’s requirements.

If you have not heard of this site yet, it is an online dating site that only allows – as the name says – beautiful people. And how do they determine who is beautiful? Who is to say what’s beautiful and what’s not? That’s where their “strict” rating system comes into play, where the voices of the members are heard. In short, existing users vote on whether or not an applicant is beautiful enough to be part of the site. In other words, it is nothing but an extension of social cliques you find in high school, college, or wherever.

Still, the site has not been unsuccessful. To date, they have over 700,000 members from all over the world. This number suddenly swelled by the tens of thousands recently, which made the management suspicious. (I wonder why – isn’t it possible that there are tens of thousands beautiful people wanting to be part of their site?) In any case, they discovered that there was something wrong – the virus.

As if the original premise is not already borderline ridiculous as it is, the management decided to inform the “incorrectly accepted” people that they cannot retain their membership status. As managing director Greg Hodge says, “We have sincere regret for the unfortunate people who were wrongly admitted to the site and who believed, albeit for a short while, that they were beautiful. It must be a bitter pill to swallow, but better to have had a slice of heaven then never to have tasted it at all.”