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  AIM Adds Facebook Chat and Twitter to its Service

  JP 12:51 am on February 13, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: adium, AIM, aim instant messaging, facebook (159), facebook friends, nbsp (991)

  Filed under: Web, Social Networking

  

  AOL, our parent company, has released a beta version of its once dominant AIM instant messaging program. While AIM has been toppled as the most popular IM service by both Yahoo! and Windows Live, it’s aiming (get it?) to lure new users by integrating Facebook chat.

  Now, in addition to compiling updates from Facebook, Twitter, and other social services in your “Lifestream,” AIM will allow you to directly communicate with your Facebook friends. The edge over its competitors may be fleeting, though, as Facebook announced today that it has moved its chat system over to the open Jabber/XMPP protocol, which also powers Google Talk. This means that chatting with Facebook users in programs such as Pidgin, iChat, and Adium is possible.

  We spent some time getting reacquainted with AIM in its new 7.2 form and found the Facebook integration seamless. The Lifestream feature remains a simple way to check Twitter or Facebook if you have a smaller number of friends, but we were bothered by its requirement that we allow it to post to our Wall.

  Other irritations with the program (which caused us to ditch it in the first place) still remain. AIM still attempts to install the AIM toolbar, change your homepage, and hijack your search engine preferences. And, by default, it’s set to launch the moment you start Windows.

  Those who still use and like AIM will find plenty to like, but given some of the continuing annoyances, we don’t see it winning many converts.

  Check out the gallery below to see some of the new features in action.

  Gallery: AIM Integrates Facebook Chat

  

  AIM Adds Facebook Chat and Twitter to its Service originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  Courts to Jurors: Please Stop Tweeting, For Realz

  JP 12:53 am on February 10, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: epic proportions, facebook friends, Florida (4), Jurors, model jury instructions, nbsp (991), Read (809), United States (11), Web (43)

  Filed under: Web, Social Networking

  

  So, we don’t even know where to start with this one. It seems as though jurors serving on active court cases are tweeting details about the trials. Really? Yes.

  The Judicial Conference of the United States, which frames policy for federal courts, issued an updated set of model jury instructions late last month to explicitly prohibit sharing and researching trial information through the Internet. This does not apply to state courts, which govern their own judiciaries. But the fact that Florida recently barred lawyers and judges from becoming Facebook friends (a conflict of interest of epic proportions) indicates that the states have just as much trouble keeping the courtroom off of the Web.

  Continue reading Courts to Jurors: Please Stop Tweeting, For Realz

  Courts to Jurors: Please Stop Tweeting, For Realz originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  How Many Facebook Friends Do We Have, For Real?

  JP 12:51 am on February 4, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: facebook (159), facebook friends, nbsp (991), number (6), Robin Dunbar (3), size of the human brain (2)

  Filed under: Columns, Editor’s Picks, Web, Social Networking

  

  A few weeks ago, we reported on a study re-released by Robin Dunbar of Oxford University, wherein he retested his theory that the size of the human brain’s neocortex can only comprehend social circles of 150 before cohesion gives out. In the 1990s, this number of ‘150′ was known as ‘Dunbar’s number,’ and he arrived at it by studying everything from primitive tribes to modern office environments. So, Dunbar revived the study, curious about how the ‘Facebook effect’, or the widening of social parameters due to networking, has affected our ability to maintain relationships. Primarily, he attests, it doesn’t. Still, 150 is his magic number.

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  But what of the younger generation? Those who are introduced to people and immediately hop on their smartphones, adding away as an initial sign of ‘affection’? A welcoming into their lives? And then there are those of us who have reconnected with friends from grade school, high school, summer camp, college, acting camp, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, AA, etc. Almost in spite of ourselves, our numbers add up.

  Continue reading How Many Facebook Friends Do We Have, For Real?

  How Many Facebook Friends Do We Have, For Real? originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  How Many Facebook Friends Do We Have, For Real?

  JP 12:50 am on February 3, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: facebook (159), facebook friends, nbsp (991), number (6), Robin Dunbar (3), size of the human brain (2)

  Filed under: Columns, Editor’s Picks, Web, Social Networking

  

  A few weeks ago, we reported on a study re-released by Robin Dunbar of Oxford University, wherein he retested his theory that the size of the human brain’s neocortex can only comprehend social circles of 150 before cohesion gives out. In the 1990s, this number of ‘150′ was known as ‘Dunbar’s number,’ and he arrived at it by studying everything from primitive tribes to modern office environments. So, Dunbar revived the study, curious about how the ‘Facebook effect’, or the widening of social parameters due to networking, has affected our ability to maintain relationships. Primarily, he attests, it doesn’t. Still, 150 is his magic number.

  Share

  But what of the younger generation? Those who are introduced to people and immediately hop on their smartphones, adding away as an initial sign of ‘affection’? A welcoming into their lives? And then there are those of us who have reconnected with friends from grade school, high school, summer camp, college, acting camp, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, AA, etc. Almost in spite of ourselves, our numbers add up.

  Continue reading How Many Facebook Friends Do We Have, For Real?

  How Many Facebook Friends Do We Have, For Real? originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  Ah, Modern Life: Croatian President Has Too Many Facebook Friends

  JP 12:52 am on January 18, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: american politicians (2), Croatia (2), facebook (159), facebook friends, John Lennon (3), Josipovic (2), landslide victory (2), nbsp (991), President Has (2), Read (809)

  Filed under: Celebrities, Web, Social Networking

  Ivo Josipovic, the new president of Croatia, has a problem. And no, it’s not being the president of Croatia, smarty pants. Josipovic’s popularity at the polls has translated into near celebrity on the Web. He has already hit the 5,000 friend limit imposed by Facebook, and still has another 7,000 requests waiting to be accepted. “I don’t know how we’ll work that out,” he told Reuters.

  That popularity isn’t surprising given Josipovic’s impressive landslide victory, having won 60-percent of the vote. Of course, he could always switch from a normal profile to a “page,” like most celebrities and American politicians, as pages don’t have limitations on the number of friends.

  Then again, all this might work out. After the opera about John Lennon’s life that he’s been composing premieres next year, he might not have too many friends left. [From: Reuters]

  Continue reading Ah, Modern Life: Croatian President Has Too Many Facebook Friends

  Ah, Modern Life: Croatian President Has Too Many Facebook Friends originally appeared on Switched.com on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  Ah, Modern Life: Croatian President Has Too Many Facebook Friends

  JP 12:53 am on January 17, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: american politicians (2), Croatia (2), facebook (159), facebook friends, John Lennon (3), Josipovic (2), landslide victory (2), nbsp (991), President Has (2), Read (809)

  Filed under: Celebrities, Web, Social Networking

  Ivo Josipovic, the new president of Croatia, has a problem. And no, it’s not being the president of Croatia, smarty pants. Josipovic’s popularity at the polls has translated into near celebrity on the Web. He has already hit the 5,000 friend limit imposed by Facebook, and still has another 7,000 requests waiting to be accepted. “I don’t know how we’ll work that out,” he told Reuters.

  That popularity isn’t surprising given Josipovic’s impressive landslide victory, having won 60-percent of the vote. Of course, he could always switch from a normal profile to a “page,” like most celebrities and American politicians, as pages don’t have limitations on the number of friends.

  Then again, all this might work out. After the opera about John Lennon’s life that he’s been composing premieres next year, he might not have too many friends left. [From: Reuters]

  Continue reading Ah, Modern Life: Croatian President Has Too Many Facebook Friends

  Ah, Modern Life: Croatian President Has Too Many Facebook Friends originally appeared on Switched.com on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  Is Facebook's 'Bra Color' Craze the Next 25 Things?

  JP 12:51 am on January 11, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: breast cancer awareness month, cancer awareness month, color, craze, Detroit (3), Don (14), facebook friends, nbsp (991), Read (809)

  Filed under: Web, Social Networking

  Have you noticed all those Facebook friends of yours with unusually colorful status updates? Have you found yourself befuddled in front of your computer, trying to figure out what you could’ve possibly done to make your girlfriend feel so “blue?” Don’t worry, it’s not the color of their mood ring, or even their own personal Terror Alert level. It’s just the color of the bra they’re wearing (or bro, as the case may be).

  As Mashable reports, this latest meme actually isn’t a pervy ‘25 Questions: Director’s Cut’-type trend. In fact, it seems like it’s rooted in something genuinely noble. According to a few blogs, the chromatic craze was started by a few women in Detroit as part of a campaign to raise awareness of breast cancer. There hasn’t been any official confirmation of the source, though, and the timing is a bit suspect, considering that October, not January, is officially Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But if this really is the motive driving the whole craze, then it’s definitely a great way to get people’s attention. And that, it’s safe to say, is priority number one for any awareness campaign.

  Continue reading Is Facebook’s ‘Bra Color’ Craze the Next 25 Things?

  Is Facebook’s ‘Bra Color’ Craze the Next 25 Things? originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 09 Jan 2010 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  Judges, Lawyers Can Never Be Facebook Friends in Florida

  JP 12:52 am on December 15, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Committee, ethics advisory committee, facebook (159), facebook friends, Florida (4), Jones (2), Judge T. Michael, judicial ethics advisory committee, nbsp (991), Read (809)

  Filed under: Web, Social Networking

  

  Facebook and the workplace have never been exactly the best of buddies. Facebook/co-worker protocol deemed “acceptable” varies widely by occupation or sector. But for lawyers and judges in Florida, the choice is simple: Facebook’s one thing, the courtroom’s another. And nary the twain shall meet.

  The New York Times reports Florida’s Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee recently published an opinion barring any virtual “friendship” between judges and lawyers. In the committee’s view, Facebook friendship between the two suggests a conflict of interest, “reasonably convey[ing] to others the impression that these lawyer ‘friends’ are in a special position to influence the judge.” The minority opinion countered that Facebook friendship generally suggests that two people are mere acquaintances, not outright BFFs. The majority of the committee members felt that leaving this area shaded gray would make the courts vulnerable to accusations of impropriety. Judge T. Michael Jones, a committee member himself, reiterated that the ruling was just advisory, as a recommendation, not a requirement. And lawyers worried about dwindling friend lists needn’t worry; brown-nosing barristers can still become “fans” of judges on Facebook.

  Continue reading Judges, Lawyers Can Never Be Facebook Friends in Florida

  Judges, Lawyers Can Never Be Facebook Friends in Florida originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  Your Friends' Tweets Could Actually Be Ads

  JP 12:54 am on November 25, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: everyday guy, facebook friends, Hollywood (10), Joey Caroni, nbsp (991), online (15), Read (809), Robert Scoble, trend

  Filed under: Web, Social Networking

  

  As part of the latest trend in online advertising, ad companies are paying normal people to pimp companies or products to their online friends or followers. According to the New York Times, companies think that consumers will be more likely to trust the opinions of their Facebook friends than they are a faceless commercial — even if those “opinions” are formed with the promise of financial incentive. Ad agencies are willing to pay staggeringly high sums to not only celebrities, but to targeted civilian bloggers and tweeters, as well. One everyday guy interviewed for the article said he made $3,000 in October — just from clicking a button on behalf of an agency. Amazon.com has also announced that it’ll start paying customers who refer their friends to the site via Twitter.

  The trend, not surprisingly, has been met with controversy. Technology blogger Robert Scoble told the Times that “[it] interferes with your relationship with your friends and your audience,” and claims that he unfriends people who send him ads. Joey Caroni, co-founder of the Peer2, a division of a major Hollywood ad agency, insists that he and his peers aren’t trying to “create an army of spammers” (although that’s sort of what it seems like to us).

  Continue reading Your Friends’ Tweets Could Actually Be Ads

  Your Friends’ Tweets Could Actually Be Ads originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  Woman Sues Former Employer Over Lost Facebook Friends and Defamation

  JP 12:53 am on November 6, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Annmarie Swatos, Chicago (8), employer, facebook (159), facebook friends, nbsp (991), Read (809), Richard Gloor, social networking site (36), wbbm 780

  Filed under: Web, Social Networking

  Stick and stones may indeed break bones. But causing someone to lose Facebook friends? Well, that’ll land you a lawsuit.

  A Chicago-based woman is suing her former lover and employer for defamation, after rumors he spread about her being delusional and “post-partum” resulted in a loss of friends on Facebook. WBBM 780 reports that the plaintiff, Annmarie Swatos, asserts that she and Richard Gloor had an illicit affair while the two were working at a real estate agency in Chicago. When their cover was blown, they promptly put an end to both business and pleasure. According to Swatos, Gloor then proceeded to spread virulent rumors about her to former clients and potential employers, saying she was not only “post-partum” but that she was “stalking” him, as well. The complaint goes on to say that all these rumors caused a lot of her friends to “block [Swatos] from communicating with her through the social networking site Facebook.” (*gasp!*)

  Continue reading Woman Sues Former Employer Over Lost Facebook Friends and Defamation

  Woman Sues Former Employer Over Lost Facebook Friends and Defamation originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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