photo credit: mashable.com

Is your hubby or boyfriend checking in on you? In today’s electronic age, it is much easier to find out what our partners have been up to, especially in the area of electronic communication.

A survey, billed as the “Great Male Survey” taken by AskMen.com, reveals some interesting stats on just how many men are checking out their partner’s online life by reading messages in Facebook, checking emails, etc.

The two month long survey questioned more than 100,000 men about their snooping habits, and determined that in large part, many had read their mate’s email, Facebook messages or other electronic correspondence.

When questioned about their clandestine activities, the men answered:

  • Yes, but only with my partner’s knowledge: 23.51%
  • Yes, but only because it was open on the desktop: 13.32%
  • Yes, I broke into my partner’s e-mail or messaging account: 8.90%
  • No, but I would if I suspected my partner was up to something: 21.54%
  • No, I respect my partner’s privacy: 32.73%

While 32.73% is nothing to sniff at, and with the ambiguity of the statement “yes, but only with my partner’s knowledge” (it could mean something as benign as looking up an online auto insurance quote) a lot of men have snooped on their significant other.

The good thing though, is that men are certainly not into the stalking activities portrayed in movies. The survey question “If you had the ability to, would you track your partner’s physical movement (with a GPS implant, for example)?” most men; 79.28% to be exact said no, and only 3.56% said yes.

A good piece of advice then, would be to always be honest in your relationships. Always assume that someone is watching you…they very well might be!

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Are you a nonprofit business seeking to expand your customer base online?  Socialbrite.org is a great resource for any small business owner or individual seeking to make a difference.  According to their site, “The Socialbrite team is here to help people in any sector get up to speed on the social Web and find the right strategy and tactics to help your organization or cause.

We want to help tap into that wellspring of sharing and generosity to make social actions happen — by helping you tap into this wellspring of goodwill. (BusinessWeek dubbed this the collective power of individuals.)”

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Word has it that Google and Twitter are in negotiations and Twitter is on the selling block. Why am I surprised. In today’s corporate ruled culture, money talks and “you know what” walks.

Whatever happened to independent minded businessmen and women who choose to be independent rather than part of a large conglomerate? Is Twitter just another “mom and pop” (albeit a very wealthy one) that is being swallowed up by a much larger fish, never to see the light of day again, but to be absorbed into the machine and never to be heard from again? Now I know that Twitter has its shares of troubles (I can’t count the number of times I’ve been unable to tweet) but still…

Industry gurus agree that Twitter’s search capabilities (light years beyond Google’s) are the golden egg in this fairy tale. Real time searching is the mode of the future and Twitter has a lock on that…for now.

I certainly hope if this deal goes through that Twitter doesn’t go all “big brother” on us and delay tweets between folks that might be deemed “hazardous.”
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So how does your online time rate with the rest of the world? Are  you in the 22%, as of April 2010, that Nielsen shows is interacting with social media?  Social media is not going anywhere soon, but it should be interesting to see what, if anything, takes its place. I think that the concept of social media will never go away, because we are, after all, pretty social creatures, but perhaps the way that social media is “carried out” will change…who knows?

Other memorable results from their study include:

  • 3/4 of internet users worldwide take part in a social network or blog – 24% more than last year
  • Average users spend 66% more time on said network or blog than last year
  • Facebook, YouTube and Wikipedia are among the world’s favorites

As more individuals begin to access the ‘net, we will see more increases in traffic. Recently, Facebook is close to beating out Google in traffic, and YouTube now enjoys more than 2 billion views each day.

It will be interesting to see what happens as Facebook continues to grow, especially among the business community, and the word is that YouTube will try their hand at the newsfeed business in their efforts to become known as a “legitimate news source.”

Check out Nielsen’s report for even more interesting facts.

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photo credit: flickr/whatmegsaid

I spend a lot of time doing research both on and offline, so getting a chance to just sit back, relax and enjoy some of the creative happenings across the social media “blogosphere” is a treat.  The following links offer a glimpse into what is happening in the world around you!

1.  Techcrunch – For an inside look at the thought processes and plans behind making a social media giant (Twitter) take a look at this post. Don’t know how Techcrunch got their hands on this, but it’s a good reminder…pen and paper!  Just sayin’!

2.  The Social Media Marketing Blog – Susan Boyle. Remember her? The singing sensation on Britian’s Got Talent became a Twitter sensation as people followed her thrilling story. This blog post talks about reasons why they believe she became such a “newsworthy” person.

3.  Vatornews – Reveals how Twitter users were the first to break the news about Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger’s miraculous landing of Flight 1549 into the chilly waters of the Hudson River. Did you know that they beat the mainstream media by 15 minutes in releasing the info?

4. Mashable/Social Media – Ever heard the song by the Buggles called “Video Killed The Radio Star?” This blogger comments about the apparent correlation between the initial enthusiasm for the movie Bruno and then the plummet in sales after Twitter folks started bashing it.  Coincidence?

5. The Washington Post – This very interesting post highlights the part that social media played in the Iranian elections.  Its influence was so great that the State Department requested that Twitter delay their usual maintenance to prevent disruption of communication being received from users in Iran.

6. Converge Technologies -  How a $15,000.00 horror movie grossed more than $7 million thanks to Twitter and Facebook. Wow!

7. Scobelizer -  This interesting post talks about the changes that are taking place in search engine algorithms, which means that SEO may soon become a thing of the past.

Hope you enjoyed these great links as much as I did putting them together for you. Now get your butt back to work! ;-D

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I’ve never been much of a sports watcher. The crazed Packer fans that surround me here in Wisconsin leave me shaking my head with a rue smile. To each their own I always say.

That said, I was excited to see that Armando Galarraga (never heard of him before his infamous “almost perfect, but really was perfect” game) was given a Corvette for his “troubles.”

baseball player

Bad Call photo courtesy yahoo sports

The major league umpire Jim Joyce was grieved about his error:

“I just cost that kid a perfect game. I thought he beat the throw. I was convinced he beat the throw, until I saw the replay.”

“I don’t blame them a bit for anything that was said. I would’ve said it myself if I had been Galarraga. I would’ve been the first person in my face, and he never said a word to me.”

In a world where players make millions of dollars, I’m not certain that it was that big of a deal to him, but what impressed me the most was not the shiny new car, but the gracious way that he handled the bad call when he was interviewed about it after the game.  He was not rude or obnoxious, he didn’t blast Jim Joyce for the call, but proved himself to be an outstanding person both on and off the field.  It’s guys like him make me want to watch baseball.

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meteorite

Meteorite Found In Oregon photo courtesy yahoo news

Meteorite found eleven years ago in Oregon.

I used to love collecting rocks when I was a kid. We used to have a large rock, shaped like a log, that I think was a piece of petrified wood. Wouldn’t it be interesting to find a meteorite in your own back yard?

The next time I pick up a rock alongside the road (which I still do from time to time) , I’ll think twice before tossing it into the grass.   The question is though, how can you tell if what you have is a meteorite?  The rock this guy found still looks like a big rock to me.  How about you?

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Social Networking photo courtesy flickr/lucyrk

Have you noticed how everyone is on Twitter and Facebook these days? From news stations to local coffee shops, social media use is growing by leaps and bounds.  Nielsen Online noted that from February of 2009 to 2010, Twitter expanded 1,382%. In the same month, Twitter received over 7 million unique visitors from the US.

Facebook, once the underdog of social media, continues to exceed MySpace in its growth.   I have used by MySpace and Facebook and I’ve got to tell you…Facebook, although confusing a bit at first (I did MySpace first), I’ve found it much more user friendly than MySpace.  While MySpace has all kinds of neat graphics that you can use on your page, the fact that it can be so graphic intense can be a problem for many people who use it, especially if they have a dial-up connection.

Five trends in social media that experts are noticing include the following:

1. Exclusivity will become more important

Some experts believe that it will become more common for individuals to “hide” the hyperactive updaters that allow Tweets to show up in their Facebook news feed. This would help both Twitter and Facebook users by helping them to get more value from the network by filtering out “clutter.”

2. Corporations will make more use of social media

Best Buy’s Twelpforce allows hundreds of their employees to offer customer support via Twitter.  A system, custom built for Best Buy, tracks those employees who take part in this service.  In the current economic climate, and in an effort to curb costs, this kind of customer service option could become more commonplace as companies begin to realize the cost savings that social technology could provide for their business.

3. Business or Pleasure?

Healthy competition between employees can be a good thing. Everyone loves a good game, and they love to win, so when a network like Foursquare, which is credited with “making networked activity local and mobile,”  comes up with an application that offers  a “game-like quality” for its users, it promises to be a technology that will spur competition between employees, and offer rewards for those who strive to beat out their competition.

4. Companies will create and enforce social media policies (some may already have them in place)

If your employer doesn’t already maintain a social media policy, you can expect one to be forthcoming soon, especially if they decide to take advantage of this useful technology.

5. Mobile Phones Will Cure the Social Media “Itch”
More than 70 percent of companies have a ban on social networking, so staying connected via your employer’s computer is not an option. Smartphones are seeing a surge in popularity, which indicates that break times are likely when employees “catch up” with their social networks.

Do you see yourself in any of these descriptions?

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cloudwriting pif

Pay It Forward photo by flickr/tangenghui

It’s great to read a story about something and/or someone who makes a difference in peoples’ lives. So many individuals are more caught up in their favorite team’s stats than are caught up with the needs of others around them.

There is something truly magical about giving; especially when the recipient has no idea that you gave it to them.  I love it when people choose to do things like Secret Santa in their workplace or among their own families; it is a lot of fun. Try it sometime!

The following story reminds me of the great television commercial about an insurance company…can’t recall which one it is, but you see someone watching another person doing something nice, then that person who witnessed the act of kindness does the same for another person, etc., creating a chain of helpful acts that the original “giver” becomes the beneficiary of. In other words, if you sow kindness into others’ lives,  you will reap it in your own.

Doc Compton has learned that it truly is “more blessed to give than to receive.”  The McKinney, Texas man wants others to share in that experience too.

He stuffed 100 envelopes with a dollar and a note telling the recipient to keep the money if they needed it, or to follow his lead by adding to it and giving it to someone else.  He then passed out the envelopes to complete strangers both in McKinney and at the Dallas Arboretum. That act of kindness and faith in humankind has prompted others to contact him with the desire to do the same thing where they live.

He even started a website called NeeditKeepit.org and a Facebook Page as well. One individual, Tonya, said “Think of how awesome it would be if we could have the entire state of Texas ‘Paying it forward. ”

What gave Doc the idea? He said, “I was going to a convenience store and saw a couple of people who were clearly down on their luck, and I walked up and gave them the cash in my wallet. It was $10.00.  I said, ‘Have lunch on me.’”

He said, “I was overwhelmed after I did that with how amazing that felt, knowing that I changed their day and maybe restored their faith in human nature.”

“There are so many things that go viral, so many inane things with no social impact,” said Doc. “I thought, ‘What if we could make something like this go viral and get big and in so doing change some people?’ It’s not about the money; it’s not about whose hands the money ultimately lands in. It’s about the hands along the way that get to experience the gift of giving.”

One couple blessed by their efforts on Sunday said they found comfort in the gift.

Both Tracy Bruce and her husband Darrell were laid off in 2009. Tracy said that she’d found a part time job, but her husband is still unemployed and looking.

They were discussing their finances as they traveled to Towne Lake Park for a Sunday picnic with their young daughters, about the fact that they have enough money in the bank for one more house payment. The couple was deeply affected by Doc Compton’s kindness.

“I was just shocked,” said Bruce. “The first thing out of his mouth was, ‘I want to give you money with no strings attached.’ Before I even opened it, I had tears in my eyes.”

They decided to keep the dollar and when they can, they will add to it and “pay it forward.”

“We felt like this was our sign from God that he was going to take care of us and everything was going to be OK,” said Tracy.

It doesn’t take a lot to make a big difference.  Even a smile and a kind comment to someone you meet in a store, on the street or on the train, can affect them in a positive way and leave you feeling good about your efforts!

Why not take the time, right now, to check out needitkeepit.org and/or the facebook page and start getting greedy about giving. I’m warning you right now…it’s addictive!

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How do you get a worm drunk?

c elegans worm

C Elegans Worm picture courtesy of www.asc-csa.gc.ca

LiveScience discusses scientist’s research at the University of Southampton’s School of Biological Sciences.  In an effort to find better methods of treating alcohol dependency they conducted studies on C. elegans worms. The brains of these worms are simple, but when exposed to alcohol they are similar to human brains. Hmm….reminds me of a few guys I dated in college!

picture of one guy sitting on the shoulders of another guy

Drunken Frat Boys photo courtesy flickr, uploaded by: ipedaler

The study shows that the brain “becomes accustomed to certain intoxication levels” when its owner frequently imbibes.  The hangover that results from a binge is your body’s way of letting you know, “Give me MORE!”

Researchers studied the withdrawal (hangover) symptoms of the worms, and concluded that their behavior was a result of the alcohol’s impact on their nervous systems.  Can we say “duh!”  Did these brilliant researchers (nerds) ever go to a frat party?  Obviously they never watched “Animal House!”

The scientists did observe that giving the worms a small amount of alcohol helped to reduce some of their withdrawal symptoms.

picture of a sign saying fried worms are here

Fried Worms Are Here photo courtesy flickr, uploaded by: taekwonweirdo

Poor worms. At least they weren’t fried and covered in chocolate, right?

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