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Thoughtpick: A unique perspective of the Web and social media...
A unique perspective of the Web and social media...

February 22, 2010

5 Ways to Utilize Twitter to Grumble — Effectively!

Each and every one of us, at least every now and then, and for one reason or another, feels the urge to complain, grumble and/or fuss about one thing or another. This is one part of human nature and for your average human beings, the “grass is almost always greener on the other side!”

Wah!

Wah!

Regardless of your reason to grumble, it seems to me that social media has established itself as the trendiest “fashion” of venting and complaining publicly! It is like a confession board available for all to see – a documented manifesto placed into social media users’ hands!

[read full article >>]

Filed under: Controversial Picks, Tips and How To’s — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Beirut @ 9:30 pm

February 2, 2010

Internet Freedom: A Hoax or a Reality?

We hold in our hands, the most precious gift of all: Freedom. The freedom to express our art. Our love. The freedom to be who we want to be. We are not going to give that freedom away and no one shall take it from us! Diane Frolov & Andrew Schneider, Northern Exposure, Cicely, 1992

Touching quote right? I am sure most of you would agree. However, are we really holding our “precious” freedom in our hands? Are we appreciating it as we should? Are we conscious of how our actions might negatively influence the health and sanity of our freedom? I think not!

More Access: Less Freedom!

During another daily round on Mixx, I found the following cartoon:

Internet Freedom?

Internet Freedom?

It made me think about the heavy weight the future of our freedom carries upon its shoulder due to this “much freer access of information”. It also reminded me of my clean up trip on Facebook a couple of days ago and of how I had to remove around 300 so-called friends and place around 200 others on my limited profile! [read full article >>]

Filed under: Controversial Picks, Future of the Web — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Beirut @ 9:30 pm

February 1, 2010

Social Media’s Hunt for Haiti Survivors!

Many disasters occur worldwide and yet, with our minds shut off from the world outside of us, we don’t even see them or even hear about them! Two earth quakes hit Haiti. The whole world was watching; not oblivious to what is going on this time.

Social media brings everyone together in support of Haiti and even further, in the hunt for survivors!

[read full article >>]

Filed under: Controversial Picks — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Beirut @ 9:30 pm

January 23, 2010

Haunted by Facebook: The Smoking Baby!

A very old saying goes along this line: “Every coin has two sides“.

Although I don’t entirely agree that this applies all the time, I must admit that I have faith in its meaning on more than one level and that it does really apply in many different situations. The argument of this post is definitely listed under those situations!

Social Media: Into Play

Since the emergence of social media, its tools, sites, ideas and influences, many things have changed such as:

  • The way people interact with each other.
  • The loose approach towards privacy.
  • The amount of information we share.
  • The way people handle their own personal feelings.
  • The reactions of people towards different crisis, problems or even causes.

In return, these newly adopted trends have created a gray area for wrong and right thus influencing our abilities to make well-studied, worthwhile judgments and, consequently, decisions as well!

[read full article >>]

Filed under: Controversial Picks — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Beirut @ 3:57 pm

January 8, 2010

Are You Ugly? Social Networking is NOT For You!

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” This saying first appeared in the 3rd century BC in Greek, way before social media invaded us and altered the way we “see things”!

Just a couple of days ago, as I was surfing the net hungry for new brilliant ideas, yummy unique technologies and intriguing social media news, I was SHOCKED to read this title on Mixx: Social Network Removes 5,000 Users For Putting On Weight During Holiday Season!

My pupils grew wide with anger and disappointment, my veins stuck out from under my skin and I felt furious enough to feel steam coming up from my boiling head: Is this what we are turning into: discriminators? And not even based on race, religion or ethnicity, but based on looks, and publicly as well?

This is a sad, sad day for me. It should be that for the whole world as well! How could people stand by and watch this farce without any complaints! When did “gaining weight” become the new face of ugly?

BeautifulPeople.com Promoting Hitler's Plan!

BeautifulPeople.com Promoting Hitler's Plan!

BeautifulPeople.com: Ugly people on the inside!

In order to better understand this travesty, I decided to visit the site and see what was going on.

Another HORROR faced me as I the homepage downloaded to reveal the following taglines:

Even thin could be ugly!

Even thin could be ugly!

  • Do looks matter to you, when it comes to selecting a partner?
  • Do you want to guarantee your dates will always be beautiful?
  • No more filtering through unattractive people on mainstream sites!

In the back of my head, all I could think about was a way to hack into this pompous website and tare it down to senseless binary digits of zeros and ones while thinking: What about those not so attractive people who have so much beauty on the inside; those who will take care of you, be there for you and make you smile? What about those who suffered a certain accident or are surviving from a disfigurement? Aren’t those beautiful people too?

My Evil Experiment!

After rethinking my evil plan to destroy this website, I came up with a better, more refined experiential plan: Setting up an account on BeautifulPeople.com just to see how really “beautiful” those people who joined are. Also, I want to find out the percentage of real beauty vs. fake beauty which I can uncover!

I am still in the process of figuring things out… Stay tuned for the unavailing of the truth behind this biased, discriminating site!

Before I wrap it up here, I am anxious to know your opinion about such sites: Is this a normal way to judge and evaluate people? Would you ever join such a site?

Filed under: Controversial Picks — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Beirut @ 4:02 pm

December 26, 2009

Information Overload [image]

What is better than an infograph? An infograph about the internet :)

This nifty infograph called “A day in the Internet” is a little mind blowing. We all know that there is TONS of information being shared online through email, l media sites, and mobile technology, but when it is compared to something as regular as a photo album, one can’t help but be a little humbled.

Here are the statistics:

A Day in the Internet

An average day online is basically information overload

An average day online is basically information overload

Created by Online Education. Click on Image to Enlarge.

Is User-Generated Content Dumbing Down Media?

With this information overload, I can’t help but have a little debate in my head on whether or not this plethora of user-generated content is making the world a better or worse place. Of course, I personally think it’s making the world a better place,  but I am a digital utopian, which makes my opinion rather biased.

It reminds me of Andrew Keen’s book “The Cult of the Amateur” where he argues that “what the Web 2.0 revolution is really delivering its superficial observations of the world around us rather than deep analysis, shrill opinion rather than considered judgment.” This is what happens, he says, “when ignorance meets egoism meets bad taste meets mob rule.”

What do you think? Is media for better or for worse, with the increasing importance of user-generated content?

Filed under: Controversial Picks — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Roba @ 7:59 pm

December 24, 2009

Top 10 Ways to Take Revenge Using Social Media!

“Last night I had a revelation, somehow I have to make you pay

It’s all about manipulation, and what it takes to get my way

I don’t believe in soft solutions, no one makes a fool of me

Without receiving retribution, no one hurts me and goes free…”
~ Red Delicious

Allow me to begin this post by stating one simple fact: None of us are saints! I am sure that the idea of revenge have crossed and even more, played around in your minds at one point or another and for different reasons such being lied to, being back-stabbed, being stolen from, being humiliated and so on.

Revenge is Sweet!

Revenge is Sweet!

After writing my post on how social media makes cheating easier, and on the day I realized that I have been a victim of an ongoing lie for two years, a friend suggested that I write a post listing the ways social media can help someone take revenge through social media, as a part of my healing process!

Therefore, and in efforts to draw a smile on your face, and share with you some of my evil yet never executed ideas, I present you with the Top 10 Ways to Take Revenge Using Social Media:

1. Publicize Images through Flickr:

As wicked as this may sound, sometimes the pain you feel when betrayed is overpowering and it sucks you into a sick cycle where you feel trapped and you search for any way to feel better. Posting images on Flickr of someone who stole from you or who betrayed your work partnership, with a caption or brief describing what happened, not only has the power to help you heal, but also allows other people to watch out from falling into the same trap!

Revenge on Flickr: Eat This! By raktfram

Revenge on Flickr: Eat This! By raktfram

[read full article >>]

Filed under: Controversial Picks, Tips and How To’s — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Beirut @ 4:44 pm

December 17, 2009

Youtube: Unintentionally Marketing Drug Use to Teens!

“Telling a teenager the facts of life is like giving a fish a bath”. ~ Arnold H. Glasow

Teens...

Teens...

Dealing with teenagers’ emotions, mood swings, habits, behaviors and even their rebellious nature can be really difficult for parents and older siblings for many reasons which hundreds of studies and researches have been trying to uncover for years!

Recently, and based on the above statement, I found myself deeply entrenched into the thought about teens and web marketing, especially after having spent a few hours watching different Youtube clips aiming to warn about certain harmful practices such as drug abuse. All of a sudden, I realized that with no supervision or control, there is a very thin line between warning and motivation for those teenagers!

How Can Web Marketing Confuse Teens?

An old saying I faintly recall goes something like this: “What you don’t know can’t harm you”! And here, for this particular post, I strongly agree!

Although the internet has taken over almost every aspect of our daily lives, through certain random eye opening “awareness” campaigns being advertised over mediums such as Youtube, we are taking a risk of actually being the reason for introducing teens to many practices they might not need to be aware of!

[read full article >>]

Filed under: Controversial Picks, Deductions and Realizations — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Beirut @ 4:07 pm

December 12, 2009

Apple Should Definitely Reconsider its Overall Strategy – Now!

If you have any of the following Microsoft operating systems: Windows 7, Vista and XP, be scared, be VERY scared, the black screen of death might be heading your way to deem your computer useless!

It never seizes to amaze me how a technology giant, such as Microsoft, can repeatedly fall into the trap of trying to create a solution which ends up being, in fact, a bigger problem!

When will the bad reputation finally pay back?

Apple vs Microsoft

Apple vs Microsoft

I am sitting now at the edge of my seat wondering: When will all this bad reputation and negative PR finally smite Microsoft down? How long can it keep standing its shaky grounds with all the competition out there? My answer is, if all other variables remain constant: never!

Almost every other day, there is a new story, post, article or press release about Microsoft’s failure in one department or another! One day, it’s a Hotmail problem; group e-mails you send out are only sent out to a few recipients! Another day, it’s a problem within its Microsoft Office suit. How about the problems within its operating system as a whole, such as Windows XP’s many errors and Vista’s bad traits?

[read full article >>]

Filed under: Controversial Picks — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Beirut @ 7:07 pm

December 10, 2009

10 Ways Social Media Use Makes Cheating on Your Partner Easier!

When in a relationship, “thinking of, touching and talking with someone you are attracted to is considered emotional cheating“. By Yizhao Lang – Wikipedia

Together, let’s take the time machine back a hundred years ago, when technology seized to exist as opposed to its presence in our present days. Back then, there was a very limited window of opportunity for cheating in general; options were scarce and resources were less! With the introduction of phones and televisions, the options grew wider since now, partners became more exposed to the world outside; igniting their doubts and shaking their beliefs concerning the “right” person.

No Cheating!

No Cheating!

As we got introduced to the mobile phones and the internet, things got even more complicated: the ease of meeting and anonymously having secretive relationships grew! Many tricks of cheating developed such as adding a female’s name to a guy’s number for the partner not to be curious about who is calling, locking the mobile with a security code and so on!

Yet now, the mother of all cheating possibilities and techniques, has to be the child of Web 2.0 and social media!

10 Ways Social Media Use Facilitates Cheating:

Before I list to you these ways, allow me to assure you that this post, does not, in anyway, promote cheating or praises it! Rather, I would like to think of this post as an eye opener to help you realize what could be going on behind your back, or maybe even in front of you!

[read full article >>]

Filed under: Controversial Picks, Tips and How To’s — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Beirut @ 7:59 pm
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