What the heck are Instant Personalization and Social Plugins?   Last week, Facebook released two new features and they have decided that everyone is automatically “opted in”, meaning you have to turn them off.   Consequently, you could be sharing some of your Facebook data without knowing it.   Interestingly enough, even Congress might be getting in the act.

So what are instant personalization and social plugins?    Instant personalization is the sharing of your public Facebook data with other websites.  At the current time, there are 3 partners who are linked with Facebook…..Pandora, Yelp and Docs.com.   If you are logged in to Facebook, and visit these sites, you will see a blue bar across the top that will say…”Hi Larry (or your name).  XYZ company is using Facebook to personalize your experience. “ At this point, you can click “No thanks”.  If you don’t then the site will use your public Facebook data to tailor the site’s functionality to you.   This information includes you name, profile picture, gender and connections.    If you want to stop instant personalization, then login to Facebook, go to Privacy Settings, then Applications and then uncheck the Allow box for Instant Personalization.   At this point you will get an “Are you sure” box with a message……the important sentence in this notification is…..”Please keep in mind that if you opt out, your friends may still share public Facebook information about you to personalize their experience on these partner sites unless you block the application.”  Now that is fascinating.  To stop this, you then need to block the Docs, Yelp and Pandora applications.

The second feature, called Social plugins, add Facebook functions to websites, such as the “Like” button.   If you click the “Like” button, then all of your friends will see that you liked the story when they see the posting on your wall.  To avoid this feature, simply don’t click on the button or log out of Facebook first.

As I said before, the social media concept is fantastic and I believe has yet to come close to maturity.   There are however, many related issues.  While I don’t agree on the default of “opt in”, I really like the concept of using data to create a better online experience.  This is clearly the future.  Marketers have been using this concept for years with cookies and IP traces.   So the concept isn’t new, but this degree of sophistication is. 

Another potential issue for any company is the gathering and sharing of personal information and this issue just got a little more complex.  The rules and regulations on data privacy are still evolving and data breaches still occur, so you need to be careful.

Data on Facebook is personal and most people that I speak with are not aware of the various security settings within their Facebook page…..or what to do if something embarrassing to them happens on their site with all of their friends watching……right Beth?  LOL!

Facebook is great, and I love it.   The bottom line…..go to Facebook right now and log on.  Go to the privacy settings and make sure they are setup to fit your views on sharing information.  For all you parents, the next step is to make sure your kid’s pages are secure as well.

Good news and bad news…the good news is that new ideas on how to connect and communicate are still coming…enhancements to Facebook, Google Buzz…lots of good ideas.  The bad news is that folks seem to have forgotten that there are a lot of bad guys out there and you need to protect your social networks just as much as you need virus protection software for your pc and a firewall for your network.

Keep in mind that hacking has taken on a new strategy whereby the hacker gets in and keeps their presence quiet so that they can pick my opportunity to take advantage…no longer are they just attacking…hackers are in stealth mode and your social network is a great target.  Also note that hackers post successes for others to read…so that when one gets in, the rest can follow.

Social networks are the new big “Greenfield” opportunity for hackers.  People are forgetting that your network has a ton of info about you and a ton of info about your friends.   I have been seeing reports of Facebook hacking scams where a hacker gets in to your page, changes the password so that you cannot get in and then scams your friends by telling them you are trapped in some foreign country and need money.   Your friends respond by sending you money…only problem is that you don’t get the money…the hacker does.    Facebook has a form that must be filled out if your account has been compromised.   Make sure that you know where to find it on their site as it might come in handy some day.

Other tips include limiting the info that is on your page…don’t have your complete birthday (just the month and date are good enough) and don’t put your full name or address or cell number on the page.  Also watch out for information that you unwittingly include…such as your schools name on a sweatshirt or a license plate on a car.  Hackers are smart people…don’t forget that…and your friends already know how to get in touch with you.  Also make sure that you review the privacy settings…don’t just go with the default.

Google Buzz…you have to love the notion of using your email list to automatically create your social network.  I think that this is a great idea because the people that I email all the time are great candidates for my social network.  Only problem is that my contacts could become publically available.  Don’t worry as Google is fixing the issue, but this is a great example of a well meaning company making a mistake.  Google is getting real serious about social networking and Buzz won’t be the last we hear from them.

So what is the bottom line…for me it is that you have to pay attention to the details and make sure you information is protected no matter where it is stored.

Just when you were learning how to send Tweets on Twitter…there’s a new social media network that wants to link you to your friends. It is called FourSquare and is part connection tool and part game…depending on just how social you are, you could end up being named the Mayor of your favorite social gathering spot!

So, what is the deal?  Well, more and more technology is dedicated to connecting people. Just look at the way that Social Media is taking the world by storm…Twitter and Facebook ask users to answer one simple question…what is on your mind?  Foursquare answers the question where are you and what are you doing?

Now Foursquare notifies your friends of your location every time you “check in”.  You can use your cell phone to check in from almost anywhere…at a coffee shop, bar, restaurant, art gallery or even The Daily Records offices, and when you check in, Foursquare alerts your friends to your current location so they can drop by and say hello.

What is so special about Foursquare? Foursquare has several competitors, but has attracted more attention because it incorporates elements of gaming and social competition. Most people are very competitive (whether they know it or not) and Foursquare awards points and virtual badges to players depending on how often they go out and which places they visit. The top designation is when you become the Mayor of your favorite location. How can you become the Mayor? Simple…just check in from your fav hangout more than anyone else.

Anyone can join Foursquare, all you need is a phone with text capability or preferably access to the web so that you can check in and also receive updates of where your friends are. You can even check in from your PC if need be. For the best experience, you will need to load an app on your phone. The Foursquare iPhone or Android apps use the phone’s GPS to determine your location and suggest nearby establishments to check in from.  An app for Blackberry is on its way.

What about privacy concerns?  Of course there are some privacy concerns with Foursquare, as you may not want everyone knowing exactly where you are. But, like other social networking sites, you can tweak the settings so only certain people know of your whereabouts.

Have a great time and I’ll see you around Baltimore!

G.1440 interns have begun roaming the office, video equipment in hand, in order to film their upcoming series “Intern1440″.

The series will kick off with Fall 2009 Marketing Interns, Yanni Giannaros and Katie Mackiewicz, as they take viewers behind the scenes on employee interviews, important staff meetings, and the daily grind of the G.1440 team.

The interns decided to embark on a social media project that would add something fun to G.1440’s Facebook page. Seeking to reveal how multi-media can integrate and engage social networks, the interns are on a mission.

G.1440 Marketing Manager, Tim Kassouf, states “This project is really a learning experience for everyone, and it’s great to see the interns pushing their creativity and continuing to have a genuine impact here.”

While creating the series, interns will learn film and editing techniques along with both social media and viral marketing strategies and implementation.

Keep a lookout for Yanni & Katie’s videos right here on the Tech Blender, as well as YouTube and Facebook!!

Finally, don’t be shy! Let us know who you want to meet and what you want to know about anything and everything G.1440. Consider the interns your messengers…

If you like following the gossip on your favorite celebrities, and part of your routine is looking them up on the web, then you better pay attention…you might get more that you bargained for. In fact, it could be downright dangerous! One quick search could land you and your computer in hot water!

The internet bad guys are creating websites or infecting other sites with viruses and malware and then luring unsuspecting internet surfers to these sites using the most popular stars as bait. Click on a link for a Jessica Biel wallpaper and you could be infected on the spot. The good news is that the McAfee Company has researched Hollywood’s stars and found out which are the riskiest for you to click on.

Unfortunately for her fans, Jessica Biel heads the list…so if you search for her on the internet, you have a 20% chance of being infected with malware or a virus. According to the report, over 50% of the sites advertising “Jessica Biel screensavers” were infected.  Brad Pitt was the most dangerous last year, but Jessica has surpassed him…I wonder how happy she is about that! Beyonce was number 2 both last year and this year making her the most searched and dangerous over that period.

The stars on this list read like a who’s who…from Jessica and Beyonce…to Jennifer Aniston, Tom Brady, Jessica Simpson and Megan Fox. Interestingly enough, the Obama’s are ranked in the 30’s and are considered a relatively safe search.

So, how do you get infected? Simply search on one of these names, or their name with videos, screensavers, wallpaper and you have a good chance on getting more than you bargained for.

What does this mean to you? The bottom line is that searching for the latest celebrity news and downloads can cause serious damage to one’s personal computer.

How do you stay safe? Be sure to have virus protection, malware and spyware filters running on your computer and stay away from sites you don’t trust.   Downloading from some site you have never heard of is probably not a good idea.  Use the common sense rule. People often forget how complex and important their computer is to them…so be careful when downloading anything.

A good friend asked me if the companies that have had their websites infected are doing anything about it. The answer is probably not!   However, most of them don’t know that they are vulnerable…according to the Verizon Data Breach report, a whopping 63% of websites that are compromised; find out MONTHS later about the attack.

Businesses must start scanning and protecting their websites. I believe that this will become a federal mandate in the near future. Talk to you soon and happy surfing!

“Social Media” is easily one of the biggest buzzwords out there, but as more and more of our clients ask us to help them navigate the exciting waters of social media, I have to stress the importance of focusing on business goals.

For example, if sales are the goal, what good is a huge Twitter following if you’re not ultimately increasing sales?  Some could argue that there are other goals, like brand awareness that are important to a company looking to drive sales.  True enough, but the ultimate goal of brand awareness is to drive sales!

Setting up a Twitter account or a Facebook page are simple enough, but ultimately, a waste of time and resources if you’re not operating under a larger strategy that is pointed at your organization’s goals.  I often look at social media today the same way that people did when the Internet was finally becoming mainstream.  Organizations clamored to have a website because everyone was getting on the web, but after building a page, were stunned to find that users didn’t just show up.

The same thing can and is happening in social media.  Someone realizes that social media is for real, and the organization decides to join the party.  But after a series of half-hearted promotions there are still only a relative handful of users, followers, or fans and there’s been almost no measurable business success – despite the resources poured into the effort.

Don’t misunderstand, though!  I have no doubt that social media can drive incredible results for business.  I’m a huge fan of everything that these tools can do, and I’m versed in using them to accomplish real business objectives.  I just want to remind everyone to look before you leap!  An awesome facebook page is no substitute for strategy…

Advertising Age published an article earlier today detailing how Facebook has limited application developers from using user information in ads, and it’s a good read: http://adage.com/digitalnext/post.php?article_id=138256

The bottom line? Publishers still have an open platform to create apps that include “virtual goods, subscriptions, advertising, or whatever you choose.” But Facebook has drawn limits around excessive use of personal user information that can be used, shared, etc.

Both as a Facebook user and an online marketer, I think this is great. For the most part, I don’t use 3rd party apps on facebook. Most of the functionality that I need and want comes baked into facebook and its proprietary applications. While other apps might be interesting or fun, they’re always so annoyingly bent on world domination that they’re so bogged down with ads and sharing requirements that they’re ultimately not worth whatever small benefit they would have provided.

Making applications less annoying and safer for users has the potential to increase adoption of apps in general, which would benefit marketers using apps effectively.

But I’m still a huge fan of the “Block this application” button, and have no plans to install “Little Green Patch” anytime soon…

Social media is a great way to share information quickly….that is the good news.  It is also the bad news! The popularity of sites like Facebook and Myspace make it easy for people to stay in touch and keep tabs on what’s new….but, what if people want to share details about you….that you don’t want everyone to know…..then what do you do?

People are discovering that they may be exposing too much information about themselves on social media sites.  In addition to issues related to the practice of YOU sharing too much info about YOU (someone I know recently posted that he was in the bathroom at Starbucks), is the large issue that you cannot control what your friends say about you and to each other. To make matters even worse, even if you block them, they can log on as someone else and continue to post comments for all to see or just post their comments on their own pages.

Think of social media as a big “room” where anyone can talk to anyone at anytime……..you can also jump from “room” to “room” to meet with any of your friends (and their friends). You can also access the conversations for total strangers that do not control their profile and access…..as we are finding out, this is good and bad all at the same time.

Here is a recent example I found of a man and woman that were getting divorced. The wife was posting angry comments on the husband’s Facebook wall. The husband was embarrassed and tried to block the wife from posting any future comments. Ever after the husband blocked her access; she continued to post comments by logging on as another friend.

One last “gotcha” is that HR folks and lawyers can make use of this data too. HR folks and recruiters routinely access social media sites looking for information regarding candidates. Exposing too much information to potential employers about our social lives can be an issue whether we like it or not. Attorneys are using data gathered from Social Media sites in divorce cases where people are posting information regarding boyfriends, girlfriends and gifts.

Why is this happening? The early users of Social Media are aging and employers are becoming more savvy. Social networking is great for connecting, but not so much for disconnecting, therefore resulting in a online tabloid where people are reduced to airing their dirty laundry in front of their friends and co-workers….it is real reality TV.

How did this all start? Well…..with Google. The popular search engine enabled all of us to become private eyes — we can look up anyone and anything on the Internet with the simple click of the mouse. Social media was just the next step to complete and open access to everyone’s “digital dirt” 24X7.

What can I do?

• Remember that once a pic or message is out on the internet, then it is generally out in the public domain for good….so the best thing to do is to not post questionable information.
• Be careful who you friend and make sure that your security settings are as tight as they can be……many profiles let anyone see anything….not good.
• Everyone should make a habit of searching yourself to see what comes up.  This is called Narcisurfing……be sure to go to multiple search engines and see what is out there.
• If you find something about you that is objectionable, you should try to remove it or contact the webmaster of the site and get them to remove it.
• Be sure to manage your profile regularly.

Can you turn the tables? Yes, of course you can. If you are a job seeker, use Google to learn something about your interviewer and potentially establish rapport during the interview. Social media can actually help you. LinkedIn is a great source for useful professional information.

Have fun being social….but don’t be too social….if you know what I mean!

Since its inception, web 2.0 has been all about giving users control and opening a two-way dialogue online. We’ve seen the popularity of sites that allow users to customize their experience, and now Coca-Cola is taking some of the same concepts that have made social networking popular and bringing them offline.

Starting this summer, in selected diners and fast-food chains, Coca-Cola will release its first software-driven drink dispenser. The Freestyle will be the first dispenser that allows customers to mix around with 30 different flavors and over 100 different drink combinations! In addition to all the loads of fun that customers can have with this dispenser, Coca-Cola has added some action packed high-tech features that will blow current business practices out of the market.

Each flavor cartridge is attached to a radio frequency ID chip which gathers data on how much and what kinds of drinks customers are consuming. At the end of each day, this data gets transmitted through a private network (provided by Verizon) to Coca-Cola’s headquarters in Atlanta.

In the past, Coca-Cola’s fast-food customers have struggled to keep their inventories stocked and balanced. Now with the Freestyle, Coca-Cola is able to efficiently track inventories and distribute beverage formulas to these customers.

The data also helps Coca-Cola and fast-food outlets decide what to serve and where to promote. Additionally, this data could help Coke recognize popular drink combinations, and in return Coke could opt to bottle those combinations through retail outlets, knowing that their investment will pay off.

In the world today, customization is a great way to appeal to customers and ultimately, Coke is looking to the Freestyle to help increase sales by giving customers more beverage choices. They are spending a pretty penny to track product interest, usage, habits and to give users more options and control. Almost every business can start doing the same sorts of things with a well executed web site and web marketing strategy. It’s cost effective and fast – and you’d get the same benefits.

Coca-Cola is raising the bar. Let’s just hope the lines aren’t too long while you wait to order your Peach Creamsicle Caffeine Free Diet Coke!

The following is from another G.1440 Guest Blogger: Laleh Malek, eBusiness Professor and Director of Professional Experience at Towson University…

As a teacher of e-Business, I talk about Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media applications frequently, but I have been deliberate in my adoption of these tools.

I’ve been a part of Linked in, and consider myself a satisfied customer, but found myself hesitant to jump headfirst into the Facebook phenomenon that’s grown 175 million strong – as noted on April 9 in the NY Times.

As an e-business professor, I actively witness the effect of social media on my students. When I walk into my classes, all the computers are on and a large percentage of the class is viewing their Facebook account. This generation perceives Facebook as a way to post and view photos, make connection to friends and stay in the know as to what is going on, which fits in perfectly with the mission of the company: “to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.” Not only do my students love posting messages but also the instant messaging capabilities. So recently I decided to join Facebook and learn of the power it has over so many active users firsthand.

It is truly a great tool to connect. I have been able to connect with my friends in the US and abroad. With not enough time in the day, it has provided me with the opportunity to quickly update my friends on what is happening in my life. And most recently, it allowed me to connect a hardworking student to one of my employer friends.

However, with the positive comes the negative. Each Facebook user also opens the door for employers to access information posted on the page – a subject that I’m keenly familiar with as the liaison between the business community and business college. When posting information, you are providing full visibility to others. Recently, I mentioned to my class the idea of business etiquette in social media. One student responded, “it is my page, I should be able to post anything that I want.” However, with the expansion of technology, when do we draw the line and realize the impact of it on our lives? Is it time for us to realize that as we brand ourselves on social media that we need to follow social media etiquette. Etiquette could simply be what if you mom wanted to be your Facebook friend? Would you still have the same content out there? Ironically, in a recent posting by one of my Facebook friends, he asked the same question. Should he let his mom view his account?

Laleh Malek is the Director of Professional Experience and teaches Principles of eBusiness at Towson University, College of Business and Economics. The facebook page for the College is CBE Towson.