Social Media Coverage on Mashable

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Sunday, March 18, 2012
SOCIAL MEDIA TOP STORIES Can McDonalds' Shamrocking Hashtag Escape Bashtag Status? [VIDEO] NFL Free Agents Gain New Power With Social Media Justin Bieber Wants Twitter Users to Pick the Cover of His Single ALL STORIES SOCIAL MEDIA 76 New and Hot Stories You Might Have Missed Saturday, March 17, 2012 1:23 PM Christine Erickson It's been a tough week for some of us to get back into the work groove after a week of networking parties at SXSW (First-World problems?) but never fear, because it's the weekend again and we've rounded up this week's features for you right here. If you didn't get to attend SXSW, be sure to catch up on our coverage of the event -- there are photos, panels and infographics listed below. The new iPad also grabbed our attention this week, after months of speculation and waiting. To get you in the St. Patrick's Day spirit, we've got a couple things for you. What's at the end of the rainbow? A pot of this week's social media resources! Editor's Picks How Iceland Is Rebuilding Its Economy With Social Media We travel to Iceland to give you an exclusive look at how the country is using social media and tech to rebuild an economy. Mashable Rocks SXSWi 2012/a> Mashable's presence at SXSW this year was one to remember, thanks to our big party, food truck and special SXSWi newspaper edition. New iPad: Everything You Need to Know Now that the new iPad is here, we've rounded up all our coverage and resources for you in one place. 6 Things You Wish Your iPad Could Do for Business Here's a roundup of tasks that businesspeople wish their iPad could do to make business more efficient. The Best 'Why I Am Leaving Goldman Sachs' Parodies So Far Internet satirists have already jumped on the "Why I Am Leaving Goldman Sachs" op-ed. Here are the best examples. Social Media KONY 2012: How Social Media Fueled the Most Viral Video of All Time The Pew Internet and American Life Project investigated how KONY 2012 became the most viral video of all time. Pinterest Scams on the Rise: Protect Yourself/a> Pinterest scams have increased with the network's explosive growth, says an online security expert. Here's what to watch out for. Top 3 Ways to Track the Republican Presidential Nomination Online Check out these three websites with excellent interactive tools for keeping tabs on the all-important delegate race. Foursquare on Facebook: Hands on With the New Timeline Integration Foursquare is getting ready to release a new Facebook integration that puts a check-in scorecard on your Timeline. How Rihanna Used a Groupon Strategy on Facebook to Launch Her Album The pop star's "Rihanna Unlocked" campaign blew up social media. Check out how it worked. SXSWi Award Winners Include Pinterest, Storify and a Few Surprises/a> The 2012 SXSW Interactive Award Winners include a variety of unique sites, apps and services. Who Dominated the Social Buzz on the Last Day of SXSWi?/a> Here's a look at the trending topics on the final day of SXSWi. Every Awesome Moment You Missed at SXSW/a> Revel in a delectable gallery of unique images from SXSW 2012. Consumers Believe Facebook Users Should be Older than Age 13 Requirement/a> Although it is required by law for Facebook users to be at least 13 to join Facebook, some believe that age limit should be higher. How to Track Traffic From Pinterest in Google Analytics How many referrals does Pinterest generate? Are those visits valuable? Try these four ways to measure Pinterest using Google Analytics. Why There Will Never Be One Social Network to Rule Them All People aren't using just one social networking site -- they are embracing a dozen. When it comes to making quality connections, more is better. 20 TV Shows With the Most Social Media Buzz This Week/a> Which TV shows generate the most buzz on social networks? Find out each week from our social TV chart. How to Plan the Perfect Wedding Online Check out this list of digital (and practical) resources to help plan a wedding. What Men and Women Really Want, According to Social Media/a> What do men and women say they want on social media? Analytics firm NetBase looked at 27 billion conversations over a year to discover that the sexes definitely have one thing in common: food! SXSW 2012: Food Trumps Events on Social Media/a> Food dominated the social conversation at SXSW this past weekend. Find out what other announcements and events had the social web in a tizzy. See the Best SXSW Panels, Illustrated/a> If you couldn't make it to Austin this year, and you're tired of following the hashtags, check out these sketches of what went down at some of the best SXSW panels. What People Are Pinning on Pinterest Home, Arts and Crafts, and Style/Fashion are the most popular categories on Pinterest, a third-party study indicates. Do You Agree With Your Facebook Friends' Politics? Not Likely A study has found that friends on social media don't always agree when it comes to politics. 10 Awesome Accessories to Organize Your Office From cable management to tidying paperwork to writing implements, our stylish solutions will add some geek chic to your workspace. Rainn Wilson Talks Altruism on the Web -- And Then Smashes a Guitar at SXSW At a talk at SXSW 2012, Rainn Wilson discussed his website Soul Pancake and smashed a guitar onstage. Top 10 Twitter Pics of the Week If you're looking for the top 10 Twitter pics -- the most popular of last week, all concentrated together -- you've arrived. SXSW Insights: What People Talked About on Saturday/a> If there's one thing SXSW attendees love, it's talking about SXSW on their favorite social networks. We have specifics in this infographic. Happy Birthday Chuck Norris: King of Internet Memes To celebrate the manliest birthday in the world, we're providing you with the straight facts about Chuck Norris. SXSW Tour: Rain, Food Trucks and Whimsical, Bizarre Promotions/a> Are you at SXSW? Tweet your pics with the hashtag #mashsxsw, and we might include them in our roundups. Dog Blogs: 15 Adorable Tumblrs for Canine Connoisseurs We have picked our 15 favorite dog-themed Tumblrs, covering all kinds of canine capers. Documentarians: KONY 2012 Achieved Its Goal A SXSW panel of documentary makers addressed the effectiveness of KONY 2012 as social documentary. For more social media news and resources, you can follow Mashable's social media channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Business & Marketing Top 7 Tax Deductions for the Self-Employed Learn about some of the key deductions available to freelancers or self-employed taxpayers with small or startup businesses. 12 Top Community Managers Share Their Tips for Better Engagement Learn from 12 great community managers how to promote quality interaction with your fans and customers on social media. Can a Startup Renaissance Fix Young America? John Harthorne, CEO of MassChallenge, says we can alleviate youth unemployment through a "global startup renaissance." How to Defeat the Social Media Skeptics in Your Company When execs ask about the return on investment in social media, Jeff Hayzlett responds, "What's your return on ignoring?" Here's how to convince your company's skeptics that social media are worth their time. Forget Touring: Can Musicians Make Money Singing on Skype? Singer-songwriter Denison Witmer has embarked on his "Everywhere At Once" tour, where he plays songs for you live, via Skype, for $25. But it's not for everyone. Making Fashion Personal: Macy's Smart Social Media Strategy The retail brand's cross-platform and in-store tie-ins are designed to make customers feel personally styled. Here's how they do it. How Facebook Sponsored Stories Can Boost Engagement By incorporating social endorsement prominently into ads, Facebook sponsored stories are more relevant to the average user. Yahoo's Facebook Lawsuit: Top 10 Twitter Responses Yahoo's lawsuit against Facebook drew some heavy criticism on Twitter. Here are some of the best tweets. Inside Tumblr's Memetastic New York HQ/a> Take a peek into the microblogging site's colorful and busy NYC digs. 8 Best Practices for Food Brands on Pinterest Food is a major topic on Pinterest. Learn how to use Pinterest to market your food brand, restaurant, dining blog and more. Facebook's 6-Point Plan for Building Brands in the Social Media Age Facebook recently published a study in conjunction with Forrester Research that found how brands have changed because of social media. 3 Ways to Woo a Startup Into Hiring You Here are three stories of successful job searches that will inspire you to go above and beyond to score the gig of your dreams. Survey: Telecommuting Becoming More Prevalent/a> Working from home is not for everyone, but for many of us, it turns out to be more productive. Pinterest's First Investor Explains the Secret to the Startup's Success Pinterest's first investor, Brian Cohen, sat down with Mashable at SXSW 2012 to talk about the startup's path to today. To Follow or Not To Follow: Should Small Businesses Follow Everyone Back on Twitter? Is it wise for small businesses to follow back everyone on Twitter? Beware: Top 10 Scams of the Year/a> The Better Business Bureau has released this infographic, charting the biggest scams of 2011. Here's What Happens When You Hate Your Job Sometimes the place you thought you wanted to work is not the right fit. Here's how to recover from that job you hate. Everything Your Employees Need to Know About Social Media/a> This infographic explains how to train your employees to best represent your brand in social media. For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable's business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Tech & Mobile 20 Most-Shared Guinness Ads on YouTube In honor of St. Paddy's, check out the Irish brewery's top 20 most shared ads on YouTube. '90s Tech Icons: Where Are They Now? Let's catch up with some of the people that made '90s computers and Internet culture cool. 10 Best Beer Apps for St. Patrick's Day St. Patrick's day is just around the wee bend. If you're preparing your belly for beer, check these 10 mobile apps for all things hop-related. 10 Classy Cases for Your New iPad As the new iPad hits shop shelves across the world, let's take a look at 10 cases to match everyone's shiny new tablet. Top Tech Buzzwords You Use But Can't Define/a> The Global Language Monitor has released a list of the most confusing tech buzzwords of the decade, so far. 10 March Madness Brackets That Have Nothing to Do With Basketball Not a fan of basketball? Don't worry, there's a bracket for you too. Will Streaming March Madness Games Kill Your Office Network? Streaming video of March Madness games at work has a large impact on office networks. Here's what to do. 10 Futuristic Products in Development Now The future is here, and it's filled with all of the mind reading, car flying, robot powered inventions you can imagine. Americans Don't Have Time For Slow Websites/a> Got a minute? See how mere milliseconds of extra loading time can mean major lost revenue for websites and ecommerce companies. How to Use Technology to Beat Obama's March Madness Bracket The algorithm-based site Pick My Bracket might just help you win the Obama Bracket Challenge this March Madness. SXSW 2012: Nothing You Expect, Everything You Need Serendipity: That was the buzz word at this year's South by Southwest Interactive conference in Austin, Texas. Here's an SXSW wrap-up. Make Your Own Google Doodle, Origami StyleThe Google Doodle designer for the origami image is encouraging the public to re-create it by folding paper to create a real-life version. 7 Baller Apps to Follow March Madness Online We've rounded up seven of our favorite apps to follow the March Madness activity. 7 City Parking Apps to Save You Time, Money and Gas Check out these helpful apps that can ease the problem of trying to find parking on city streets. Happy Pi Day: 10 Accessories for Math Geeks We're geeking out with 10 awesome accessories that honor Pi! How Intel Wants to Replace Your Cable Box Intel plans to offer online access to U.S. TV cable channels, an invention Intel calls a "virtual cable operator." The Radical Growth of the App Economy/a> The mobile development boom hasn't just created Angry Birds -- it's also created thousands of jobs. Here's a look at the growth stats. Why the iPad 2 is Far More Likely to Break than the Original iPad/a> A survey by SquareTrade says the iPad 2 is far more likely to break than the original iPad. Will the new iPad be any different? Homeless Hotspots: Not a Terrible Idea Turning the homeless into wireless hotspots at SXSW has proven to be a controversial decision. But is it really such a bad thing? 3 Must-Have iPhone Apps for Business Travel Are you constantly traveling for work? Here are three apps to make your jetsetter lifestyle much simpler. Mobile Privacy: 5 Legal Concerns for Developers Given recent FTC scrutiny, app developers should be conscious of how much data they collect from users. Heed these tips to stay ahead of the curve. How One Man's Big Idea Changed Digital Map Making Steve Coast made a single decision: Maps should be free for all. Eight years later, OpenStreetMap is changing the space like never before. SXSW 2012: The Year of Infectious Optimism South By Southwest Interactive conference couldn't dampen our spirits; it just made downtown Austin all the more sweet when the clouds finally parted on Sunday. Doctors Believe Using Health Apps Will Cut Down on Visits/a> Many doctors believe that accessing apps that keep track of your health will help cut down on doctor visits, a new report suggests. How Cut the Rope Made it to Windows 8 Consumer Preview Edition >Cut the Rope is one of the first apps to make it over to Microsft's Windows 8 Consumer Preivew. But how did it get there? Entrepreneur Astronaut: Here's How You'll Get to Space Richard Garriott, age 50, was the 483rd person to leave planet Earth -- and he'd like you to be one of the first thousand. Top 10 Tech This Week/a> In a week dominated by Apple's iPad event, there were a surprising number of fascinating tech products introduced at the same time -- we bring the best to you with the latest edition of Top 10 Tech This Week. For more tech news and resources, you can follow Mashable's tech channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, johnwoodcock. Ethics and Social Media: Where Should You Draw The Line? Saturday, March 17, 2012 12:29 PM Sharlyn Lauby This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business. As social media usage continues to rise, it's only natural that statistic correlations will be made about the individuals who use the medium. This isn't a bad thing; it's common to deep-dive into demographic information and behavioral data. While there will always be exceptions to the "correlations" that emerge from such data, universal truths about social networking usage and user behavior can be valuable. The Ethics Resource Center (ERC) is the oldest non-profit organization in the U.S. dedicated to independent research and advancement of high ethical standards and practices in both public and private institutions. Since 1994, the ERC has produced the National Business Ethics Survey (NBES), available for free to the public, to gather information about employees' perspectives of ethics in the workplace. Dr. Patricia J. Harned, president of the ERC, says the NBES is the only longitudinal study that represents the views of the U.S. workforce in business. The ERC's latest report is one of the first to explore the possible connection between ethics and social media. "Social networking has become very important in our culture, and we wondered if the technology is influencing employees' views about ethics at work," Harned explains. "Additionally, over the past few years, we have seen companies establish policies concerning social networking in the workplace, so this year it seemed fitting to add questions on the topic." National Business Ethics Survey Results One of the most fascinating conclusions in the report is that "active social networkers show a higher tolerance for activities that could be considered unethical." But Harned says the findings are not an indictment about the character of social networkers: "It appears that they are more willing to consider things that are 'gray areas' -- issues that are not always clear in company policies as wrong; and that's an area for further study." The report also points out that active social networkers are at higher risk for observing misconduct. Harned stresses that it's observing wrongdoing, not necessarily participating in it. "You could also look at another set of our responses -- particularly the high number of active social networkers who reported misconduct -- and say that social networkers behaved appropriately," she explains. Defining Ethics And Influence Factors In order to understand any potential connection between ethics and social networks, it only makes sense to step back and discuss what ethical behavior means. Jay Shepherd, author of the book Firing at Will: A Manager's Guide, sums up unethical behavior with a sentence. "It's like pornography: You know it when you see it. It's as simple as knowing the right thing to do, then doing the wrong thing." Harned adds that perceptions of ethics are influenced by many things. "One influence is the values that we learn as children. But another aspect is the influence of people along the way in our lives," she says. "It could be that there is something about the conversations and the world view that comes through the connections of social networks that influences employees' views about what is right and wrong." Is There a Logical Connection Between Ethics and Social Media? There is some skepticism about trying to draw conclusions about ethics based upon social networking usage. Shepherd suggests the study perpetuates old-school thinking. "The idea that social networkers are more apt to be unethical is absurd. It's just that you're more likely to hear about it. In my experience, social media participants are likely to be more advanced in terms of relationships and thoughtfulness -- not less." One definition in the study that drew attention was the classification of "active social networker" as one who "spends 30% or more of their work day participating on various social network sites." Shepherd says his reaction was, "Seriously? That's a ridiculous amount of time. Those employees aren't even working; who cares what they think?" Maybe it's exactly this time-wasting factor that creates the perception toward connecting social networking and ethics. Dwane Lay, human resources director at Missouri Baptist Medical Center, also feels the connection might not be directly causal. "Social media tools are the latest in a long line of time-stealers in the workplace, following in the footsteps of March Madness brackets, afternoon golf games, morning water cooler gossip or cigarette breaks," Lay explains. "But social media like Twitter and Facebook are more visible from a distance (of both time and space), so they are easier to criticize and quantify."? Should Ethics Blend Into Social Policies? Both ethics and social media are important in the workplace, so the question becomes: What is the best way to manage them? Should they be treated as two distinct conversations? Or should ethics be addressed in social media policies? Shepherd recommends keeping it simple. "My social media policy is just two words but covers everything: 'Be professional.' Unprofessional employees are going to act unethically whether or not they're plugged in to social media." Kristen Fyfe, senior communications manager at training and development association ASTD, points out the component that both ethics and social media must have in common to be successful. "Clarity is the most effective element for both ethics and social media policies," Fyfe says. "Companies that have not incorporated behavior expectations into their employee handbooks should make that a top priority." Ensuring Both Ethics Compliance and Social Media Success Whether you choose to incorporate ethics into your social media policy or handle the topics independently, there's agreement that setting expectations, conducting training and holding people accountable is necessary. Lay shares some practical advice on how to ensure employees are in compliance with corporate ethics, but it really applies to any policy, including social media.   "First of all, read the policy. Not fun, granted, but educational," he says. "Second, remember that if you identify yourself as a member of a company or organization, you are always on stage. Act like it. How you respond online will have as much or more resonance than in person, so either be on your best behavior or don't act as a brand advocate." More Questions Than Answers Perhaps there aren't any definitive conclusions about ethics and social media usage. After all, social networking is still in its relative infancy in the workplace. But we're learning that social influence exists, and its true impact is just coming to the surface. Further exploration across the social landscape is needed. What do you think? Are social networking and ethics connected in some way? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. More Small Business Resources From OPEN Forum: - Should Small Businesses Follow Everyone Back on Twitter? - Are You Falling into the Pricing Trap? - How to Innovate for Top Social Media Sites Graphics courtesy of Ethics Resource Center: 2012. Thumbnail courtesy of iStockphoto, contour99		TOP STORIES TODAY 76 New and Hot Stories You Might Have Missed Ethics and Social Media: Where Should You Draw The Line? Are You Addicted to Twitter? [INFOGRAPHIC] 10 Features Missing From Pinterest 8 Reasons People Aren't Following You Back on Twitter TOP TOPICS Trending 4,972 followers Social Media 64,285 followers Apps And Software 762 followers Mobile 4,481 followers Facebook 77,748 followers Twitter 51,331 followers Business 32,664 followers Gadgets 7,354 followers Startups 8,451 followers Entertainment 3,002 followers
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