From Gaming Friends to Facebook Friends

I am not a big video game kind of person (and when I say that I'm not "big" I mean the only videos games I've ever played are Tetris or Dr. Mario), but when I saw an article about a new video game is going to use Facebook friends in the game it caught my attention. The article said that 'Uncharted 3' will put your Facebook friends in the game and the concept behind it is that gamers connect with each other and then sometimes make connections with one another and the gaming company is working to get Facebook friends that play involved with each other. 

I have friends that play video games non-stop and they all have their headsets and talk to others playing at the same time through them. I think that the gaming company including Facebook in this process is only going to further progress the conversation, which is the goal of the company. The thing I'm not sure about and wouldn't want to assert is that gamers are going to like that Facebook is going to be on their game- anyone out there with feedback?

Once again, social networking is spreading everywhere! This article primarily interested me because it shows how limitless social networking is and how it fits into and compliments various forums. Social networking is enhancing experiences and building communities left and right. In reference to the video game the company is hoping to further intensify the gaming community by bringing Facebook into the arena.

Nasty Turns in Teaching

Everyone is aware of the crisis that teachers are facing with extreme budget cuts and early today I came across an article that just made me feel so disappointed in what is happening in schools and most importantly the effect that it is having on the minds and spirits of kids out there.

A first grade teacher in New Jersey was put on administrative leave for allegedly putting a status on Facebook calling her students "Future Criminals" and comparing herself to a prison warden. This particular teacher wasn't originally a teacher and was placed there in order to keep her job showing how inefficient the education children are getting is with the budget cuts and job losses that are occurring.

 The key point to this article lies within the fact that Facebook got this woman in trouble. We have all heard how employers look at our social networking sites to check up on what we're doing but what about just the general public getting involved?

Parents were the ones that reported and complained about the teacher's postings, and this just goes to show how sensitive the information that we put on Facebook is. What we put out there about ourselves is not as private as we might think. At the beginning of the semester @corinnew did basic Google searches on everyone in the class and we were all shocked to see how much information she found. 

Privacy is a big part of this, but we also need to be cautious of what we post/comment. If you're putting things on your social networking site that you would hesitate to tell your employer, or in the teachers case her students' parents, I would recommend not posting it.

Checking-In Made Easier

If you're Facebook active checking in for your flight has just gotten a lot more convenient! Delta Airlines has added a Check-In  feature on their Facebook page. I for one was happy when I heard this news but also a little bummed because I tend to fly cheaper alternatives such as Southwest Airlines.

Talking from my own experience, with Southwest at least, check in is always an added stress to the already stressful act of flying. On many occasions I have stayed up until midnight just waiting for the check in service to open on the airline website so that I wouldn't have to board last. Although this sounds trivial I know I can't be the only one that puts a lot of weight on the check in process. I figure it is only a matter of time until all the other major airlines start hopping on the Facebook bandwagon when it comes to checking-in.

Delta had the right idea by making the check-in process that much more convenient and soon enough other airlines aren't going to be able to afford not doing the same thing. I for one went on to Delta's website after I read the article to see if I could handle the prices for the mere satisfaction of checking in on Facebook (unfortunately I think I'm going to stick with my original plans for my next trip, but that's not until December so who knows Southwest might have these capabilities too).

I think that it is great that major companies are adapting and realizing how effective their services can  be in regards to social networking. It is definitely a big transition but I think one in the right direction since patterns seem to be leaning towards the advancement of social networking and media

Follow the Oscars with Social Media!

More Access to the Oscars!

I don't know about you, but Sunday evenings are typically consumed with school work that piled up over the weekend, so if you're like me watching the Oscars tonight isn't really much of an option. Lucky for us the Oscars are jumping on the bandwagon and joining up with social media sites to inform the masses on all their favorite parts of the Oscars.

The Oscars will be posting the results on their Facebook page and you can also keep up by listening in with the stars themselves. A number of stars including Oscar Co-Host James Franco (@jamesfranco) will be tweeting all of the fun. In addition to Facebook and Twitter the Oscars have also placed apps for phones to follow the news.

I for one am pretty hyped for this because even though I have no time for TV on this homework-filled Sunday, I always seem to make time to check into Facebook and Twitter from time to time. The influence of social media is affecting major awards shows and I can definitely say how the convenience of it is only going to make the Oscars even more accessible and interactive!

Naming Your Child Facebook?

An article that popped up on my Google Reader entitled "Egyptian Baby Girl Named "Facebook" After Revolution" immediately caught my attention. The article depicts how Jamal Ibrahim named his newborn daughter Facebook. I read this and thought it sounded a little absurd, but the article explains how Ibrahim did this to honor how much Facebook had aided Egyptians during the recent revolution.

Social networking sites are have a massive amount of influence in the world today and this is just one example. We often see people naming their children after their favorite movie stars or other artists and now we have a case of a child being named after a social networking site. Facebook is having such an influence on people and their ability to communicate effectively from continent to continent that it is mirroring reactions that people might have with their favorite celebrity.

Facebook has created an easy way for normal people to organize and create revolutions, that can lead to freedom in Egypt's case. Facebook and other social networking sites are now forums of power for people which is why they are posed as so critical in today's politics.

Ibrahim naming his baby girl Facebook may seem odd, and I can't say that I would be thrilled to grow up with such a name, but it represents the importance that Facebook played in Egypt's freedom and serves as a memento of how it changed the lives of people in Egypt forever.