I have an odd issue going on, especially on Instagram and Reddit. There are some weird and wildly inaccurate ads following me around. Yes, targeted ads are how these sites make money, and I don’t begrudge their advertising. I do think they might need to tweak their algorithm because they’re a touch off in their assessment of me.
Recently my attention was drawn to an issue on social media that I have a feeling many of us may have experienced. A friend of mine had reposted a statement that resonated with them on their Facebook page. Someone else attempted to rebut that statement by using a quote that they misattributed to Voltaire when in fact, the quote came from a neo-Nazi. Here’s the statement that started the exchange.
One of the most important things kids are taught these days in school is that words and emotions matter. My son was being taught as early as kindergarten about healthy ways to express how he felt and why his choice of words mattered. It appears similar training may be needed for John Matze, the CEO of Parler.
If you’ve got a pre-teen, you’ve likely wondered when the right time to get them their own phone might be. Maybe you’ve resisted giving in and putting them on your plan — even though calling and texting with your child when you’re separated would be so convenient — because you’re worried about stunting your child’s development or enabling their inevitable metamorphosis into a phone-addicted, anti-social, pasty little hunchback with bloodshot eyes. Fair Enough. Or maybe you’re rightly concerned about social media cyberbullying, inappropriate internet content, and online predators. Gabb Wireless has a solution.
The adage “all publicity is good publicity” is failing Facebook right now, because pretty much all the news about them is yet another story about them being shady.
I stopped visiting Facebook about 2 weeks ago. It wasn’t a conscious declaration, it was just that I felt like Facebook was becoming a crutch to distract me, and it wasn’t something I enjoyed. I probably would have drifted back sooner, but Facebook has been inundating me with emails like a needy ex, and it’s starting to creep me out enough to not want to return.
In the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook users have become more concerned about their privacy than ever before. The #deletefacebook hashtag has been trending for days, and many users see the latest misuse of Facebook user data as the “last straw” in ending their trust with the social media giant.
CNBC is reporting that ANOTHER data firm has been suspended for profiting off data they collected from your Facebook accounts. This is likely only the tip of the iceberg. Is it time to consider unfriending Facebook?
Russian Bots are working hard to shape American dissent and opinion; the indictments last week spell out their role in the 2016 election quite clearly. Just after the shooting in Parkland Florida, they went into high gear again. But how can we know who we are engaging or arguing with on Twitter? Make Adverbs Great Again is one way!
Recently, Reply All, a podcast from Gimlet Media about the Internet, published a podcast centered around Facebook and its notoriously shady data collection practices, titled “Is Facebook Spying on You?” Users noticing strange coincidences regarding Facebook’s targeted ads are left wondering whether Facebook has been listening to their conversations through their smartphone’s microphone without their knowledge.
Messaging apps like Slack revolutionized long-distance and group communication by making text messaging possible over the Internet. Now we can text and video chat with people anywhere in the world without having to pay exorbitant fees to a phone company. Messaging technology has dramatically improved communications for businesses and entrepreneurs in nearly every industry except one: health care.
Chances are, you are inviting your friends to come over and watch the Super Bowl with you this Sunday, and Dominos wants to make sure that you don’t go searching for leftovers in your fridge to give to them.
If you use the Flipboard app, then along with your other social feeds you’ve probably added your Instagram account to the service. I like seeing my Instagram posts in my daily Flipboard feed, but that access and access from other apps to Instagram ends on May 31st.
If you use Snapchat, you’re probably familiar with the scannable yellow code that lets you quickly connect with another user. According to a Facebook post, a similar code is making its way to Facebook Messenger.
What’s Digg? Digg is an online news aggregator with a curated front page featuring unique posts selected for their high-tech audience. In its heyday, Digg attracted some 200+ million monthly viewers. The service became popular because its users could vote up (digg) stories or vote them down (bury them).
Everyone loves a present, right? So how about a nice photo wrapped in a bow and red heart paper? You can send your Facebook friends just a present if you are in a Facebook Messenger Group with them. To send the wrapped image, simply click the heart/arrow icon in the lower right corner of your chat display window. Then select an image and send.
Facebook have announced the elimination of your “other” inbox. This was the place where messages sent by those you weren’t connected to would sit and languish. If you look into your messages and click the “other” tab you probably will find half a dozen spam messages – as well as one or two valid messages.
Late in 2014 the social media site Ello launched as a sort of ‘anti-Facebook’; no ads, no tracking, no user mining, just user-centric social interaction! The launch generated hype and interest, which quickly dwindled once people started using it! The features continue to grow, and now Ello has launched an iPhone app! Will you try it again?
Don’t look now but frenemies Google and Twitter just said that starting today “U.S. users searching in English will see relevant Tweets in their search results within the Google app (iOS and Android) and mobile web“. First announced back in February 2015, this deal appears to finally be getting underway. Look for results on mobile right away then desktop.
My coworker is in the process of planning her wedding. Recently she went to message someone on Facebook about it, and she thought it would be cute to include a Facebook sticker/emoji for weddings. To her surprise, Facebook Messenger had removed the boy/girl pairing, and instead added some very odd same-sex and inter-animal choices instead.
TweetDeck‘s Mac app received a much needed update today that includes the ability to share access to your account with others, Direct Messages to groups, support for GIFS and videos, and other various updates.