the twitterer: September 2010

Defacebook

With all the noise over the new Facebook movie, I thought you might like to see this! Defacebook - "Their project began last February, inspired by a speech by free-software activist Eben Moglen. In late April, Salzberg uploaded a proposal on the fund-raising site Kickstarter, describing Diaspora* (the asterisk became a dandelion seed in the logo) as “the privacy-aware, personally controlled, do-it-all open-source social network.” Their goal was $10,000. Instead, they got coverage in the New York Times and $200,641 from 6,479 donors."

TWITTERFEED : Pregnant Katy Perry?

Pop Princess Katy Perry has hinted via twitter she could be pregnant. Katy tweeted congrats to her hubby2be Russel Brand on the release of his second (Why does he need more than one?) autobioigraphy, and embedded a clue that a baby is in the couple's future. The puppet-loving Sesame Street fan is hooking up with animated characters: Katy will assist Homer, Bart and the gang sing a Simpsonified rendition of The 12 Days Of Christmas.

Today 44-year-old American comedian "Greg Giraldo" has taken the top position on Twitter's most talked about topics.

LinkedIn Becomes Twitter-fied With New Launch, LinkedIn Signal

via TechCrunch - LinkedIn’s CEO Jeff Weiner has just unveiled LinkedIn Signal at TechCrunch Disrupt, a new feature that neatly marries the worlds of LinkedIn and Twitter and allows users to apply the professional social network’s filters to Twitter’s firehose. Think of it as a window into Twitter (and LinkedIn’s updates), through the eyes of LinkedIn. Signal doesn't restrict users to 140 characters, like Twitter does.

Click HERE for a Guide to LinkedIn Signal, which was launched in an extremely private beta form, limited to just 100 new members. Signal will be rolling out slowly to members at large, executives said.

Has @earlybird caught its last worm?

On Tuesday, Dick Costolo, Twitter’s CEO, introduced some new ways Twitter will make money. Advertisers will soon be able to pay for Twitter to suggest that people follow their accounts, and next year Twitter advertising will expand to small businesses, which will be able to place ads using a self-serve system.

The micro-blogging site's early advertising venture - the @earlybird e-commerce system, is being discontinued as talk of their Promoted Accounts campaign hits the web. Brands will now be able to buy their way in to the "Who to follow" suggestion list on the Twitter homepage, Forbes's Velocity blog reported.

CBS Turns Another Twitter Feed Into a TV Show!

Following on the heels of "$#*! My Dad Says", the Live Feed blogs that CBS and producer Ashton Kutcher (who has 5.8 million followers on twitter) have made a script deal for Shh ... Don't Tell Steve, based on the Twitter account of a dude who secretly tweets about his roomate, stuff like "Steve got his first bit of constructive criticism from his supervisor today. It was to wear less cologne"

Tweets For Sale! USD $100,000 - Buy Now!

Nope, not a mis-type! Twitter is now offering "Promoted Tweets," where marketers pay to have their messages listed as the first result when a user conducts a search on Twitter.com! Twitter is selling Promoted Tweets for upwards of $100,000. But, how much is too much for a tweet? Twitter handled about 130 million searches in August, according to comScore Inc. [More] Twitter COO Dick Costolo says 5% of people that see Twitter ads interact with them.

WTF GOATS ::: TWITTER WORM ALERT

This just in! Twitter says the worm has been dealt with...

TIP: View Twitter Through Other People's Eyes With TwtRoulette H/T @techcrunch.

A powerful Twitter worm is circulating right now, affecting thousands of accounts, just days after the "OnMouseOver" hack hit hundreds of thousands. Christian Heilmann notes that this is a Twitter exploit. It creates a tweet with obscene language on your account, accompanied by a separate tweet that says "WTF" with a link. The link is wrapped in Twitter's URL shortener "t.co," and as others click it, the worm spreads.

The affected tweets are being tweeted via the "Tweet Button," and it is automatically generated on your account once you click the bad link.In just 15 lines of code, the worm creates a tweet with obscene language on your account. The code to execute the “worm” is hosted at http://pastehtml.com/view/1b7xk3b.html

#musicmonday ::: LOVER GIRL

Remember this one from Channel [V]? Alisha's "Lover Girl" from "Made in India" (1995) : back to a time when there were no mp3's!

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

In Your Facebook!

Here's something you should know!

A group of lawyers have ruled that it's okay for attorneys to dig through social networking websites like Facebook and MySpace to get dirt on opposing parties in lawsuits. The New York State (US) Bar Association's "Committee on Professional Ethics" issued a statement saying attorneys in litigation may access the public pages of another party's site to get information about that person, as long as it is accessible to all members of the network. The panel cautioned that lawyers may not deliberately "friend" someone in order to get the goods on them.

The Twittersphere!

The new Twitter website may not be outfitted with multiple account support, but the microblogging network will soon offer users free analytics. Some browsers are still having trouble with the new site, so you may not want to authorize a switch until you absolutely HAVE TO!

Do you tweet regularly? That's good. Tweet a lot of ads and a bunch of junk? That's bad! As my followers know, I don’t tweet at specific times and sometimes skip a day or two. Nobody has complained yet.

What about auto-tweeting? Do you think automated tweets are too impersonal? I use SocialOomph as my tweeterface, which keeps me above issues like twitter behaving badly in my broswer! Although primarily designed for scheduling tweets, I tweet in real time using the "Tweet immediately" feature!

Bloggers have been trying to cope with Google's new Instant Search and the way it impacts SEO. So, what Does Twitter’s New Interest Graph Tool Mean for SEO?

...TWITTERTAPE...

Rapper 50 Cent's dog, named Oprah Whine Free, just joined Twitter!

A 17-year-old Australian admitted that he exploited the security hole that led to the paralysis of Twitter for several hours.

The Twitterer Joins Thirsty Thursday!

In the market for an Insurance Provider? (A Twitterer Special Report)

Wikipedia defines "insurance" as "...a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the insurance; an insured or policyholder is the person or entity buying the insurance policy. The insurance rate is a factor used to determine the amount to be charged for a certain amount of insurance coverage, called the premium. Risk management, the practice of appraising and controlling risk, has evolved as a discrete field of study and practice."

Do you own a car, van, truck or SUV? The you need auto insurance to protect your investment. In most places, it is illegal to operate a car without it. If you research all of the various options, you will be able to find coverage that you can easily afford.

Determine first just how much coverage you need. This greatly depends on the type of vehicle you drive. You’ll want full coverage on a brand new car (if you’re paying monthly installments you might be required to) or a vehicle worth more than USD $2000. However, your ten year old beater will get by with the minimum requirements. Check the rules and regulations set by the state or territory you live in.

Your driving record carries weight in calculating just how much your insurance will cost you. Past speeding tickets and accidents could result in you paying a lot more, while a good driving record will mean paying less.

Remember, it pays to shop around! Compare different companies and what they offer with the kind of insurance you need (or your state requires) before settling on a particular provider!

If you own a business, don't hesitate to get commercial coverage for your car or fleet!

Generally speaking, business car insurance is similar to personal insurance. The two policy types have much in common. A business or personal car insurance policy likely includes protection for bodily injury and property damage. Liability limits for commercial or business policies are much higher than they are for personal policies, simply because the potential for large liability expenditures is much higher in accidents involving business vehicles.

Another huge difference between business and personal auto insurance is the fact that in a business commercial auto policy, protection extends beyond the car and the driver to include the company as well. In accidents and other claim events involving commercially owned vehicles, there is always a risk for great financial liability exposure to the company. These matters are different than crashes in personal vehicles in non work-related accidents, because the driver and passengers really are not the only ones with financial interests in the matter. A claimant can make or break a company based on the presence or absence of strong business car insurance in the case.

Let's turn our attention to small business insurance. The purpose of small business insurance coverage is so that a business can transfer a risk that they can afford, for example an insurance payment once a month, for a risk they cannot afford, such as a lawsuit claim. It's a good idea to protect your business against potential problems such as theft, fire, or accidents by investing in commercial insurance. Finding business insurance shouldn't be difficult.

Insurance writer Matthew Pawlina advises "Always buy a business liability insurance policy from a reputed insurer. Always make the effort to do a background check of the insurer and ensure that they have no complaints pending at the better business bureau. Choose an insurance provider that follows fair business practices." Be sure to look for a Business Owners Policy with the assistance of a reputable insurance specialist. You may want to check with your local Better Business Bureau for recommendations.

Last, but not least, you need to have personal health insurance for yourself and other family members. Health insurance, like other forms of insurance, is a form of collectivism by means of which people collectively pool risk. Traditionally many companies offered group health insurance to their employees, but with the turbulent economy and trend toward downsizing, many companies have opted to either cut their group health insurance entirely, raise the amount of employee contributions, or switch to less expensive plans featuring more affordable group health insurance rates.

The Twitterer Has Joined Twitter Hop Tuesday!

Two Twitter Warnings Are Up!

Tweeple listen up! Two problems have surfaced which may impact twitterers like us! The first involves problems with the re-designed twitter dashboard and comes from New York-based blogger Dave Lucas, the second invoves a very serious virus, by way of AdrienneWrites:

Twitterer Tips!

More BANG from BING! BING now displays suggested Twitter accounts that users of its social search engine may want to subscribe to -- or "follow" in Twitter parlance -- based on the users' search queries.
In choosing account suggestions, Bing weighs a variety of factors about its author, such as influence, popularity and knowledge about the topic in question, Microsoft said Monday

Blogger Jean Sarauer, writing on weblogbetter.com: "When it comes to blogging activities, one size most definitely does not fit all. That said, there are times when shortening things up can sweeten the blogging experience, as well as the results. Here are some ways I’ve been shortening my blogging activities recently, along with some short tips..."

#musicmonday SMOKEY MOUNTAIN - Can This Be Love

Smokey Mountain - Can This Be Love - memories are made of music!

Twittertalk & Twittertrends

Look who's talking about twitter today!

David Letterman, Lara Dutta, Kelly Osbourne, Amy Winehouse and Katy Perry.

Trending: International Talk Like A Pirate Day, Victoria Beckham/Kim Kardashian and The Great North Run.

Now Grading: Nothing Off Limits Here

Blog Author: Sandi/Sandra Bender

Description: Sandi says: "I'm here to blog about anything and everything. Nothing is off limits. I am a person who has done many things. I do many things. I am a mother, an artist, a singer and a cancer survivor." She adds: "I like to blog about many things. I was diagnosed with cancer and came back from that with another child and continued with college. My life is an open book." Er-well-we wish Sandi's blog were more of an "open book" - she posts infrequently

http://www.nothingofflimitshere.blogspot.com

CODES:
Rank :PR:
GIP :Google info:
YIP :Yahoo info:
MIP :Msn info:
ALR :Alexa rank:
TUV :Today Unique visitor:
TPV :Today Page view:
YUV :Yesterday Unique visitor:
YPV :Yesterday Page view:
AUV :Total Unique visitor:
APV :Total Page Views:

Notes: Sandi's blog has a nice look and feel BUT she just doesn't post enough! She's a person you want to get closer to, but maybe you'd be better off trying to connect with her on twitter. Currently has a Page Rank of 3.

The Twitterer's Grade: 3/5

Ratings:
5/5 - Bookmark it now
4/5 - Follow/subscribe worthy
3/5 - Drop by when you have time
2/5 - Visit when you have nothing better to do
1/5 - Avoid like the plague

Lindsay Lohan's twitter Confession

Lindsay Lohan has made a stunning confession on Twitter – and admitted failing her last court-ordered drug test. Traces of cocaine were said to have been found in her blood. The news comes just weeks after LL was released from jail (August 24th) and participated in a drug rehabilitation program. Drug addiction takes anyone down a dark, lonely road, and the road to recovery is even more perilous. Please remember LL in your prayers. She needs positive energy.

LL wrote on her Twitter page “Regrettably, I did in fact fail my most recent drug test.” She posted more messages on her Twitter, and if the reports are true she could be placed back in jail.

Vanity Fair October 2010 Lindsay Lohan What Went so Wrong... (No. 602)

Twitter to Present Major Site Redesign at ad:tech London

Angry Bank Customers Flock to Twitter!

Chase Bank's entire U.S. online banking system was down all day tuesday and most of wednesday. It was a huge digital mess that drove customers to vent on twitter! Chase (NYSE:JPM), the second-largest U.S. bank by assets, has more than 5,100 branches and 15,000 ATMs. Chase has 16.5 million online customers.

This kind of glitch comes just as financial firms are finding it easier to get customers to go digital. Hope it doesn't turn into a major setback for the process!

Bigger Better Twitter?

Adapted from "Twitter Shifts the Car from Neutral into Drive" via Micro Persuasion.

Twitter:

“Today, we’re introducing a new, re-engineered Twitter.com that provides an easier, faster, and richer experience.”

MP says ::: This is a smart move. It helps them on two fronts: bringing in more brand marketers and newbies.

Twitter had been stuck. They are growing significantly for sure – but all of it is coming off a small base of active users.

The redesign gives marketers more flexibility in design and newbies a reason to stay longer. This – over time – will turn them from passive users into more active ones that tweet.

It’s what they had to do get out of neutral gear.

Permalink | Leave a comment on MP » (Leave a comment on The Twitterer below)

Twitter + Google = ?

Rumours aplenty as the twittersphere awaits news of what twitter may have going on with Google. There have been hints that Google is buying twitter. Some say we should expect an announcement that will "revolutionize" twitter and enhance the service. Other people think they are going to announce the formation of a partnership. Word will come down Tuesday 7pm New York Time, Wednesday 7am Singapore/Malaysia/Manila Time. » More

#musicmonday AIRPLANES

Celebrity Tweeple

Kim Kardashian and Family: Gucci Night Out!

Kim Kardashian Tweets Pic Of Super Sexy Pink Plastic Swimsuit!

Justin Bieber teases girlfriend Kim Kardashian on Twitter

Kim Kardashian and Scott Disick's Huge Twitter Blowout!

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sarah Palin trade jabs on Twitter

‎ Amanda Bynes deletes Twitter?! Say it isn't so!‎

Demi Lovato Leaves Twitter‎

Walking on Eggshells

Peeps, I'm writing this after reading a blog post that has troubled me greatly. Yes, The Twitterer is gonna get down-dirty-serious with you!

I have a friend who gets pissed off at the least little thing. You just never know what might set her off. She comes from a nice family, but unlike her brothers and sisters, will cut you down to size with her tongue at the drop of a hat should you say or do anything she doesn't like. Anything. You feel much better when she's gone. Is this the way Americans are now perceiving Muslims?

I can't help but notice that Americans have difficulty with Islam. A problem that goes beyond the September 11 incident. But until I read this particular blog post I never knew why. I tried to put myself in the writer's shoes. Being able to bridge two cultures, walk in two different worlds, gives me an edge over her. I don't like the way I'm feeling. She and I aren't seperated by too many years in age, but she is so very bitter, and her post tells why.

Islam is a religion of peace. Could it be that the same group or power that seems to be hell-bent on destroying religion and family life in western culture has infiltrated Islam? Or perhaps more accurately, is deliberately provoking Muslims by employing the tactics outlined in the article?

Miltant attitudes have arisen in different religions over the ages. During the Crusades, Christians brutally slaughtered non-believers. Up until about the 11th century, Catholic priests were allowed to marry, but one day there was a decree, and those priests' wives and children were taken from them and forced into slavery.

I have and you have seen the news about fallen priests and rabbis who commit sins of sex and homosex and indecency against their respective religions. They have shaken the faith of many of their followers. Attendance of worhippers at churches and synagogues is dwindling, and may of these places of worship have had to close for lack of support.

The man who calls himself "pastor" but wants to burn the Quaran strikes me as being a contradiction. He is no servant of anyone's God. So is it so hard to imagine a destroyer with corporate powers deliberately using the name of Allah as part of a logo or trademark to upset Muslims? To cause unrest? Excerpted from the post:

"When everything from sneakers to stuffed animals to comics to frescos to beauty queens to fast-food packaging to undies serves as dry tinder for Allah’s avengers, it’s a grand farce to feign concern about the recruitment effect of a few burnt Korans in the hands of a two-bit attention-seeker in Florida. The eternal flame of Muslim outrage was lit a long, long time ago."

My question is, who REALLY lit that "flame of outrage" and what is their true agenda? Are they trying to manipulate Islam by rewarding hardcore militant practicioners of the faith? Is it a game to them, like putting two spiders in a glass jar and shaking it? What exactly is it they want to provoke? Fear? Hatred? War? Obliterate all religions? WHY?

All That Glitters

Spot gold prices were driven lower Thursday afternoon.

Many times it has been said that gold is a precious hedge against inflation. It has been reported that the price of gold eased a bit Thursday on the world market. The gold spot price inched down to $1243.65 as investors preferred stocks over the glowing metal. Hmmmm... to me, that signals it's time to BUY gold! There have been several past instances where gold prices dipped slightly just prior to a major upward move.

Let's examine the bigger picture here: According to Forbes.com, Newmont Mining ( NEM - news - people ) reported a 34 percent year-over-year increase in sales. Goldcorp ( GG - news - people ) increased net income in the second quarter of 2010 by 457 percent compared to the previous year’s second quarter. Kinross Gold ( KGC - news - people ) showed 25 percent growth in earnings per share. Boosted by a banner season for earnings, gold producer share prices surged 11.6 percent in August as measured by the Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF ( GDX - news - people ).

A total of 165,000 tonnes of gold have been mined in human history, as of 2009. This is roughly equivalent to 5.3 billion troy ounces or, in terms of volume, about 8,500 cubic meters, or a 20.4m cube.

Forbes continues: The good news for gold investors is that a rising gold price has offset the trend towards higher operating costs, allowing gold miners to expand margins. The price of gold averaged $909 an ounce for the first quarter of 2009, compared to $1,108 an ounce in the first quarter of 2010, a rise in price of $199 or 22 percent. The math of increasing profits is pretty simple. If average cash costs are rising by $90 an ounce and receipts are rising by $199 an ounce, margins are expanding.

My advice: if ever you've thought of buying gold, NOW is the time to do so! Do the research for yourself and I think you will agree that this commodity will only increase in value over the long run of time!

Facebook's "Stalker" Button

The planet's #1 social networking site is said to be preparing to take home-based crime to a new level! Imagine a system in which you get a mobile notification every time one of your friends that you’ve subscribed to makes an update. Now imagine stalking dozens of complete strangers each day... Mashable wonders if you'll be able to subscribe to people who aren't in your friend list.

New Bruno Mars Music Video!

I love this song! Copy to your harddrive! Add it to your mobile! Bruno Mars’ smash single from his forthcoming debut album Doo-Wops & Hooligans (Oct. 5th)!

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

eMail from a BOOB!

Hey Tweeters! This showed up in my inbox! It gave me a big chuckle! I can't imagine anyone who might receive one of these taking it seriously! (Mouseover and click on the picture to view full size!)

The Twitterer Will Be Grading Blogs Again!

It's "Back-to-School" season; "The Twitterer" will now resume reviewing different blogs and grading them! Here's a chance for YOU to get your YOUR BLOG graded by a panel of professionals!

Some blogs that will be featured will be randomly chosen among my top Entrecard droppers, constant visitors, subcribers, followers and commenters. But even if you're NOT a regular here, you are welcome to submit your blog for review!

All you need to do is leave a note in my message box, or a comment on this or any other post, saying "Please review my blog!" and of course, leave your blog's URL.

No, I won't be revealing my criteria for grading. It's a combination of this and that. And those, too.

Please do watch out for it. Who knows, the featured blog might be yours...

Labor Day in the U.S.A.

Sincerest wishes for an enjoyable "Labor Day" to all of my peeps in the States! Labor Day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer. The holiday is often regarded as a day of rest and parties. Forms of celebration include picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays, water sports, and public art events. Families with school-age children take it as the last chance to travel before the end of summer recess. Similarly, some teenagers and young adults view it as the last weekend for parties before returning to school.

Mobile Apps Helps Boost Twitter Membership to 145M

Twitter now has more than 145 million registered users. The number of twitter mobile users has jumped 62 percent since mid-April, and, remarkably, 16 percent of all new users to Twitter start on mobile now... hey, why don't YOU try it right now?

You don't have to enter twitter through the default website, which, according to PC World, "stinks" --- and --- You DON'T have to be on your mobile! Just click here!!! You can rock on twitter without sucking resources or straining bandwidth!

The most popular topics today on twitter: #Stephen Hawking and #Germán Dehesa. Truthfully tweeple, if you were scrunched up wasting away almost immobile in a wheelchair wouldn't you be asking "why me" and cursing "God" too?

Facebook has confirmed it is testing a new feature that allows a member of the network to "subscribe" to another user's updates, in the same way Twitter allows users to "follow" each other. Oh, and Apple iPad just got its official Twitter client!

Wordless Wednesday

TWITTERMOMS! Baby Love: 5 Healthy, Homemade Meals for Infants!

MSNBC's Chief Washington Correspondent takes a break from "hard news" with this excellent article! (Click on the post title to view!)

the twitterer