Open The Dialogue

Ning Is Free No More

Network giant Ning has announced that it will no longer offer a free product. They’ve also decided to downsize their staff, eliminating nearly 40% of their work force.

Tweets to be Archives in Library of Congress

The Library of Congress has announced that it will begin to digitally archive every tweet ever sent on social media giant Twitter. This is a way to preserve historically important information such as President Obama’s tweet about his victory tweet.

Promoted Tweets Make Their Way into a New Advertising Platform

Twitter has announced the newest addition to digital advertising – promoted tweets. These tweets will show up at the top of the page with a small note that the tweet is sponsored. This will be an interesting way for big brands to combat negative social media attention.

Financial Times and Foursquare Team Up

The next generation of Social Media is slowly but surely making it’s way into the mainstream. The Financial Times has announced that it will allow Foursquare check-ins at certain partner locations unlock the paywall – temporarily releasing content for free.

The AP Style Book Changes “Web Site” Rules

The AP Style Book has changed the proper use of website from “Web Site” to “website.” This change will take place as of today on their web version and will be present in the 2010 version of the handbook.

It’s been a week since I acquired the hyped up iPad, so I thought it would be appropriate to review my new gadget.

I was surprised by the weight of the iPad, though I didn’t really have an expectation as to its weight. It could be cumbersome if you’re standing up on a train or bus because of the weight and size (just about the weight and size of a hardcover book).

The screen is also hard to keep clean, especially if you play Bejeweled, which is a must-have for an iPad user. Using an eye glasses cloth cleans up any smudges quickly.

When I started to consider purchasing the iPad, it was hard to imagine whether or not I would want one that runs off a 3G network (which means waiting even longer to acquire the latest from Apple), or just the WiFi machine. In retrospect, I think it makes sense to purchase the 3G iPad if you can afford to fork over some extra cash and come to terms with paying extra for the service each additional month. However, if you forgo a laptop and the internet in your home, it would make sense.

Another thing I didn’t particularly care for about the iPad is that you have to purchase a lot of applications for it to be comparable to an iPhone. Yes, it does have the feel of an iPhone, so one could claim it is a glorified iPhone. It doesn’t come with a clock/timer or a calculator, the stock application, or the weather application. If you want these, you can purchase them – and despite many rumors I’ve been asked about, not every app for the iPad costs $10 or $40 or some other ridiculous amount.

Besides these grievances, which I am happy to work around, I personally think the iPad is awesome.

The battery life is fantastic, promising you 10 hours of fun – that’s far more than my laptop and phone can last, combined.

The iBooks application is great, and reading on the iPad is definitely enjoyable. The machine comes pre-loaded with Winnie The Pooh, so you can really get a sense of what it looks like for books to have graphics. If you have kids, it could be the perfect piece of technology to bring on vacation and have a bedtime story literally at your fingertips.

My favorite application is the ABC Player. As an iPhone user, I dreamt of the day that ABC would have a video player application for the phone. I enjoy having the ability to watch my favorite shows from ABC on demand online. This application takes it to a whole new level. The graphics are perfectly clear, and there is no network interruption that I frequently experience on line. The video quality in general on the iPad is pretty stellar.

Another fantastic application is Tweet Deck. It brings interaction to a new level – if you own an iPad you should download this application immediately. If you do not own an iPad, you should go buy one and then download the application immediately.

The App store has a lot to offer anyone, allowing you to really tailor your iPad to use it however you want to. You can use it to work, and conduct slideshows, and edit documents, and use your email. You can use it as a reader with the added benefit of the Internet, iPod, and tweeting. You can use it to watch videos or to occupy the kids during a long car ride. Or you can use it for all of the above.

The videos and descriptions really don’t do the iPad justice – I would recommend heading over to your closest Apple store and playing with one. They’re pretty unbelievable.

On Friday I had the tremendous opportunity to attend the PSFK Conference here in New York.  While I only made it to the afternoon sessions, I was simply blown away by the creativity, innovation and excitement coming from this year’s presentations.  The talks that I most responded to fell within the heading of “Changemaking” and challenged us to think beyond our current definition of progress, to challenge the openness of government, to push for simple solutions, and to re-think the way art and digital collide.  A couple of themes from these talks included:

Small is the new big: From No Impact Man’s lessons from taking a year to step off the grid and appreciate the little things (community, togetherness, diaper duty), to John Dimatos sharing simple digital solutions that can significantly expedite disaster relief for Unicef, it is clear that the economy and the environment are both creating a greater need for simplicity in everything we do.

The innovation being driven by that necessity is exciting, and there is a lesson to be learned for brands as well.  Often times stripping down products, programs and services to their essentials can lead to better experiences, enhanced offerings and more creative thinking.

DIWO (Do It With Others) is the new DIY: This phrase, coined during Zach Lieberman’s inspiring talk about art and technology, spoke to the recurring theme of collaboration and community (a theme that was reinforced by the collective energy of the PSFK community).

By outlining the changes implemented in just the past year to new York State Senate web site, Andew Hoppin made a strong case for a more direct, more participatory government, enabled and empowered via social media.  Taking a page from the White House, the NY Senate is providing a way for Senators to have direct contact with the people they represent, and gives constituents a louder voice through social network integration, commenting, rating and response all within nysenate.gov.

And I’ll leave you with this video – one of my favorites from Zach Lieberman that demonstrates the power that comes with creating amazing, truly extraordinary experiences.  His demos had everyone open-mouthed.  You can see more  at http://openframewords.cc.  Enjoy.

night lights from thesystemis on Vimeo.

For more videos from the conference, check out PSFK here.  To stay in the loop with PSFK if you’re not already, follow them on Twitter, or subscribe via RSS.

99 Social Media Quotes on the Wall

This list of quotes from social media leaders like Mashable’s Pete Cashmore to  marketing great Seth Goodin covers everything from online networking and community building to brand blunders.

Google Being Sued by Photographers Over Books

Google has hit another speed bump in their Google Books project. Although a settlement was reached three years ago as to what portions of books may be displayed online, visual artists were not included in the settlement.  A new class action lawsuit that will examine the Books project is said to also include Google Image Search.

Apple introducing iAds

Apple announced their new mobile advertising platform which will be built into the iPhone OS interface. Apple founder Steve Jobs hopes that creating ads within applications as opposed to search will change the face of advertising.

Farmville adding brand sponsored crops

In the near future, you’ll be able to buy brand-sponsored crops on Facebook’s Farmville. Created by ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi for an Israeli candy brand, the newest feature will allow players to purchase and sell virtual peanuts and harvest them.

Foursquare Cracks Down on Cheaters

Foursquare has implemented software that will require users who want to earn mayorship and other badges to be at the actual location (as shown by cell phone GPS). Users will still be able to check-in if not at the actual location but they will not be able to earn badges or become mayor of a spot.

A recent study reports that one in 5 divorces cite Facebook as a cause. According to another study, Facebook causes “jealousy-related feelings and behaviors.” Due to the availability of information and lack of context, it’s easy to understand how some Facebook users can become suspicious when their significant others adds a new friend of the opposite sex or when a member of the opposite posts a flirtatious comment on their wall.

Technology has made the world a smaller place and strengthened relationships. It’s a tool that many have used to connect with likeminded individuals and increase their social network. According to some studies, Facebook is one of the worst things for a relationship.  Earlier this week, Seattle-area couple Kelli and Jason Krafsky released a book titled “Facebook and Your Marriage.”

The Krafsys – Jeff trains pastors and counselors for premarital and marriage relationship programs and Kelli has a background in elementary education – have been married since 1994. Their book discusses what exactly it is about Facebook that causes marital issues. They also provide an outline of online behavior that is acceptable – and the behavior that is not.

Most of the tips from the Krafsys seem straight forward. Most of the actions on the “don’t” list are actions that most couples shouldn’t participate in outside of the online world yet for some reason, the anonymity of the online world seems to create a lack of common sense. Here are some of the Krafsys’ do’s and don’ts as listed here:

Do:

• Create boundaries to protect yourself, your spouse and your marriage.
• Set your relationship status to “married’ and keep it that way.
• Update each other on your FB friends and friend requests.
• Share your username and password with one another.
• Make your spouse the topic of your status updates at least once a week.
• Be prepared to talk offline about online issues.

Don’t:

• Write cutting remarks or negative statements about your spouse.
• Friend exes, old flames, past flings, former crushes or anyone you’ve been intimate within the past.
• Lose track of how much time you spend on Facebook.
• Report that you or your spouse is out of town.
• Have private chat sessions with people of the opposite sex.

What do you think about the Krafsys’ tips?  Has Facebook affected your relationships at all?