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

February 5, 2010

Learn Social Media by Example: “Give Me My Chuck” Campaign

Stat Box
 Brand Name: The series “Chuck”
SM Channels Used: Twitter, Facebook & blogs
Appeal: Emotional appeal + subway sandwiches for US residents
Target Audience: Worldwide Bloggers, microbloggers, Facebook users, social networking users and show fans all hoping to “Save Chuck”
Date: April, 2009
Campaign Duration: A few weeks

“Events, whether they are a local tweetup, a championship game or the world’s largest conference, can be notoriously difficult to plan, promote, and execute. But the end result can be amazing, and that is why we plan them in the first place“. Mashable’s Ben Parr

In one of my most retweeted posts, 10 Social Media Campaigns that Rock! Learn How to do the Same!, I listed the top most successful social media created through the different social media channels available online.

One of the most campaigns that I enjoyed was: The “Give Me My Chuck” Campaign. read below to find out why.

[read full article >>]

Filed under: Social Media By Example — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Beirut @ 9:52 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 19, 2010

How Social Media Compromised Our World in 2009 [video]

My beloved “Noise to Signal” present you with: 2009 in social media!

An interesting video mostly condemning the way in which social media has twisted and altered our lives, chronologically and throughout the year 2009 covering Twitter and its victims, Facebook and its poorly presented new terms, Google’s latitude for tracking people, MySpace and its defeat and so much more!

Bravo Noise to Signal, you have nailed them all!

If you have enjoyed this post, you’re also going to love our 5 Web & Internet 2010 Funny Predictions!

Finally, what do you think of this video? Do you think is really portrays the reality of social media in 2009? What would you change if you had the chance to?

Filed under: Offbeat — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Beirut @ 9:00 pm

January 8, 2010

Obama Warns: Facebook is a BIG BAD Wolf! [video]

“Privacy is not something that I’m merely entitled to, it’s an absolute prerequisite.” Marlon Brando

I, too, believe in privacy as being an absolute perquisite; one which must exist in order to be able to practice and reach real freedom and, accordingly, self development.

Yet, and since Web 2.0 and social media have become major elements in our life’s routine, our privacy is slowly receding, like an old man’s balding head! Day after day, we are finding ourselves more exposed to the world outside and people we have never met. It seems that everyone knows each other across this big world, as sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Youtube becoming more and more inhibited!

In the two videos below, Obama warns about posting pictures or personal information on Facebook, stressing that this might come and haunt you in the near future! Whether this is this another PR stunt or not, is not clear to me however it seems that even Obama has been stung by Facebook just like Zuckerberg was a few weeks ago!

[read full article >>]

Filed under: App Reviews, Future of the Web — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Beirut @ 9:40 pm

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 28, 2009

Supernova 2009: Taking Data Seriously [video]

Andreas Weigend talks about the revolution of the web and how important it is to “take data seriously”…

The amount of data created by each person doubles roughly every one or two years!

Furthermore, 10 billion pieces of content are shared per month through the Facebook share button?!

Taking data seriously is dividing into categories: (1) Customer to Business, (2) Customer to Customer and (3) Customer to the World.

Based on the video above, I would like to know what you think: Are we really taking data seriously? Are we using it efficiently to attract customers, build loyalty, maintain friendships, educate and learn?

Filed under: Future of the Web — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Beirut @ 10:00 pm

November 12, 2009

20 Top Fun & Motivational Facebook Status Updates!

Whether Facebook is evil or not is a rather controversial issue which will never result in an utterly black or white solution! Yet, despite that debate, Facebook has an undeniable power to be an educational and motivational tool which can bring smiles and motivation into our daily lives.

Therefore, I have prepared for you a list of my Top 20 Facebook status updates guaranteed to lift your spirits and make you think outside the box!

Status Updates

Status Updates

  1. “Every Once in a While we find that One Song which Understands us Perfectly…”
  2. If takers give more and givers take more… a lot of the problems would be solved! It’s all about balance!
  3. This is so true: You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts. -Khalil Gibran
  4. Don’t take life too seriously!! and don’t worry about what’s hidden for u in the future.. always remember, it just can’t get worse!! :)
  5. Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment ~ Buddha
  6. Like it or not, this is the new game rules!!!! [read full article >>]
Filed under: Offbeat — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Beirut @ 5:00 pm

October 26, 2009

User Manual: What to Expect When Using Social Media?

“Anger always comes from frustrated expectations”. Elliott Larson

Expectations are – simply put – the building blocks and the breaking points of everything in life.

Expectations Only Lead to Disappointment!

Expectations Only Lead to Disappointment!

Whether in the way we conduct our personal lives or business wise, expectations usually have the power to strengthen or hinder efforts and in turn influence any outcomes either positively or negatively.

Hundreds, no, thousands of books and articles were published about various subjects pertaining to expectations all around us. The main reason for these publications is to prepare individuals for what they might face in certain situations or during specific events or cases and how to deal with them accordingly.


Social Media Expectations: The good, the bad & the ugly!

Preconceptions about a certain concept, person, place and so on have the ability to cause confusion. This is because the human mind conditions itself to a certain way of dealing with things based on prior expectations. Thus, if the expectations are not met, the mind usually refuses to change its perceptions and whatever is at play might lose its credibility and attractiveness element.

Therefore, I thought I would prepare a list, divided into 3 categories: the good, the bad and the ugly. The main purpose of this list is pointing out everything one must expect to encounter through his/her use of social media channels, tools and platforms.

[read full article >>]

Filed under: Deductions and Realizations, Research-Based Topics — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Beirut @ 7:13 pm

August 21, 2009

Why Do People REALLY Tweet? The Psychology Behind Tweeting!

What are the real, closeted reasons behind the action of “tweeting”? Why would someone spend hours tweeting to complete strangers he/she has never met before and will probably never meet in person? What needs does tweeting fulfill? Do we really think of the psychology behind our tweeting habits?

Past findings…

Researchers and scientists always have some kind of explanation or another about any given subject or trend! Take Freud for example, he was able to relate every possible human action, dream and thought to some sexual problem or fetish!

In one of the articles I have recently came across, “I Tweet Therefore I Am”, the clinical psychologist Oliver James stated that “Twittering stems from a lack of identity”. He further goes on to say that “no one would Twitter if they had a strong sense of identity“. What would you say to such accusations?

Sadly, at least to a certain extent, I would have to agree.

How I see it…

Amongst the many scientific theories I truly respect and even believe in, Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs shines through! Whenever I think of Twitter and the possible reasons why anyone would tweet, apart from the obvious sales or marketing efforts, I think of this simple yet highly valid hierarchy!

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Here is why…

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Twitter…

According to Maslow, everything we do is derived from and revolves around a certain need we are seeking to satisfy. In his pyramid of needs, Maslow demonstrates how “the lowest level of needs is associated with physiological needs, while the uppermost level is associated with self-actualization needs, particularly those related to identity and purpose. Deficiency needs must be met first. Once these are met, seeking to satisfy growth needs drives personal growth. The higher needs in this hierarchy only come into focus when the lower needs in the pyramid are met”.

How does Twitter fit into this equation?

So now that we have established our basic physiological needs such as guaranteeing food, shelter, water and so on and we were also able to cover our safety needs in terms of property, employment and family. We are still not satisfied! What can we do next? [read full article >>]

Filed under: Deductions and Realizations — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Beirut @ 5:41 pm

August 15, 2009

How To: Organize Effective Brainstorming Sessions!

Did the good old days of meeting up to pool ideas, knowledge and thoughts in efforts to create unmatched outcomes through brainstorming sessions come to an end? How could brainstorming sessions be organized in such a way that brings about valuable results? What are the main things to be avoided during brainstorming sessions?

The following article is based on research in addition to my experience in brainstorming sessions in an effort to help you harvest the most from the group idea pooling you conduct at your company or organization.

Brainstorming, in a few words:

Brainstorming is a technique for creatively solving problems and breeding fresh and unique ideas. Despite the belief that brainstorming negatively affects productivity levels and causes distractions and lack of focus, well-organized brainstorming sessions, especially for startups, have the ability to make decisions, “boost morale, enhance work enjoyment, and improving team work“.

Monday's Brainstorming Session!

Monday's Brainstorming Session!

So what are the main elements of a successful brainstorming session?

Though some elements may vary depending on some internal and external factors, the main elements of a successful brainstorming session are:

  • Predefining Time Frame: People have a limited attention span, more obviously; people get bored! If you are trying to harness the unique thoughts and innovative ideas of those participating in a brainstorming session, it is always a good idea to pre-define the session’s time.
  • Allowing for Short Breaks: Especially when the session’s time exceeds 30 minutes, it is recommended to take a few 5 minute breaks to allow for side comments and even unrelated topic sharing. [read full article >>]
Filed under: Tips and How To’s — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — Beirut @ 7:01 pm
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