How to respond to changes in Facebook and Google+ company pages?

In early March this year, Facebook announced that at the end of the month all "pages" that are used mainly for  company/ business promotion will go to the new "Timeline" form. What brought about this change and how companies cope with it?

On notification of changes in the corporate website, Facebook immediately responded to a minimal number of firms. Although the timeline was known already to the personal profiles, Facebook also gave companies the opportunity to try a new look. The "dry run" company rather remained calm in March. Representatives of some companies, however, became more interested in what each will bring change.

Main photo and hidden bookmarks

The actual change is not only what essential at first sight. In fact, it is  a substantial change in design and operation of pages on Facebook . Most noticeable is the new course in the graphic. In the upper part appeared broad picture, which aims to attract the attention of Facebook users and to present the company an impressive manner. While the announcement itself rushed in advance, with   limited initial content of photographs in Facebook Timeline, Facebook took his time and because of this, the most active firms that responded to the announced changes immediately prepared their own Timeline twice. 

And what are the restrictions mentioned? In a particular way, it is prohibited to place this image into contact information (including address, company website) and various calls to action, discounts, price notifications or arguments, why become a fan of this page etc. Facebook tightening this of the rules and made ​​it clear that the initial photo should be just a visual complement and not for advertising space.

An ideal home photo, a character study or company Logo;  the picture is only appropriate to add the motto. Very popular graphic procedure is also  visually connect home with profile photo image .

As the biggest problem turned out to  change the tabs that were previously sorted in the left menu. Now in the space below the main photo shows only four and a list of all tabs you need. This, however, users may not be motivated unless the site administrators do not get from  a special reason in any page paper on the wall.

Great new form of a bad site is also impossible to set one of the tabs as  input ("landing tab"). Previously, the company implemented its own input tabs that were intended to convince users of Facebook to become fans of their site. This goal now can not use bookmarks effectively implemented and the old landing page, no choice but to drop, or rework for an entirely different purpose. Companies now have  the opportunity to convince users in a limited space "info box" that appears under the main photo.

Wall is now chronicle in the company pages

The new look changed the functionality of the wall itself. Facebook calls companies in this step to create their site to chronicle. By adding significant events in the life of the company, however, began only with a minor part of them. For example, Vodafone added only nine posts that are placed on the timeline until the founding of their Facebook page.

A very creative way of presenting selected Škoda Auto, which added to the timeline of events from a number of its long history. It can be assumed that the time axis will contribute to the website to make it to the  fans of the company spent a long time . But this can prove to future studies and measurements.

Most sites also visited not to take advantage of  "pinning" a contribution to the top of the chronology and thereby disrupt the timeline. Similarly, the  stretch selected contributions on the entire surface of both the column wall  is now rarely used as a marketing tool which can alert fans to important company information.

An important factor for the effectiveness of marketing at Facebook are constantly refined statistics sites, called Reporting. Now you can have a very easy way to evaluate the overall success of the company's activities on the wall of Facebook page. Even i can easily evaluate  the success of individual contributions like Fanta, Skoda, Vodafone etc.

A completely new feature is the ability to  send private message to site administrators through facebook post. It turns out that this company is in our opinion a very useful function of fear and a fifth of them have banned it .

Overall Timeline came as positive, because the fans brings  greater motivation to return to the page and following not only through the company posts but also the "news feed" (news on the home page). But it seems that many companies do few necessary changes that is too short for those in a monthly period. Users still find a huge number of pages, which do not contain photographs or home.

Google+ is in the footsteps of Facebook

Big surprise, Google+ prepared to  change its appearance without prior notice. Here, however, changes have less impact on what companies must have to do. In fact Google+ only changed design and added graphics to present the  initial image  as Facebook. But Google+ left the choices and location of the images; you can have five photos, as it already had many corporate sites before.

About this change of Google+ is said to be a direct response to Facebook. Its functionality is very similar and strong sense of inspiration is literally at every step. This claim can be supported by current and changing visage of corporate sites that again a little more closely the form of Facebook. Companies that can facilitate the work - they can easily be  visually present in the same style in both of these social networks .

Google+  is still very little used by the companies in non-english countries, which is a shame. The presence on this network can provide us  a significant competitive advantage  while the opportunity to fill your page relevant content that will be increasingly essential for  success in the search engine company Google .

If you work in a company that whose Facebook page still has not modified into a new form, or you are not based on Google+ page, do not hesitate to try it. Bring added value to your permanent long time customers and keep your company brand potential. It is a pity not to say that Marketing and PR in social networks is a powerful weapon.

Pinterest: New darling of social media users

Pinterest is illegal !!

Pinterest is the new darling of social networks. This is an online bulletin board to which it is possible to pin pretty pictures. The problem is that the pictures belong to someone or something else!

Pinterest is one of the fastest expanding in the pages of history. They love it and the users of media, professing the beauty and design. It's interesting. about Pinterest, however, it’s been many new similar sites, It's all about copyright, which never bode well. I have said about the Project-Pinterest in a blogpost earlier.

While the numbers and media attention towards Pinterest doing great, there are doubters who claim that the online notice-board that is wrong in terms of copyright. Only Facebook and Tumblr are in the average time spent by one person, every month, more than 10 million people visits Pinterest. And that's the reason to wonder whether everything is on the right in order! Companies and people consider Pinterest a great marketing tool because in Pinterest, each image can be accessed clicking on the original source material. From this perspective, everything should be fine, Pinterest generates traffic and the term "theft", which in this case is occasionally used, seems to be too strong. 

Pinterest: you have the right to pin this photo first.

Insider Business Server delivers opinion, that Pinterest is the largest illegal pike on the Internet and compares it to Napster in its time. The problem is that, users have uploaded photos to be found on the Internet, but amateur and professionals? they do not care who owns the right of the pictures. How it looks to a lawyer? Pinterest allows users to insert photos of other people with this problem, isn’t it? No, Pinterest do not allow a user to insert the photo, to which they have no rights. It is quite absurd, just look at a few boards and it will be clear that this rule does not comply. On the other hand, it should be noted that each user by clicking on the photo will land in a place where this photo comes (if it is loaded from the internet and not from disk). It's like YouTube, if the owner of the rights found that someone used his video illegally, may ask the operator to withdraw material. We know from experience that this approach does not solve much and illegal content on YouTube just flows.

Pinterest lawyer should fall under the so-called ‘Fair Use territory Right’, this allows users to relate content they have no rights, whether it is a fair use or not, should be decided by the four characters.

·  What is the nature of use, whether it is commercial in nature or non-profit or educational.

·  The nature of the work, whether fictional or factual.

·  The proportion used of the total work.

·  Effect on potential market or value of copyrighted work.

It’s said to be an important first point, if the photos reflected something new, it may be classified as Fair Use. The second point plays against Pinterest clearly: photos are not facts, thus in this case, we cannot think of Fair Use. The third point is disputed, the works are published Pinterest whole, not just their fragments.

The key point is the fourth. If Pinterest publishes whole and complete picture, so the user does not need to click to get to the original material, which is actually the same as that shown in Pinterest; It follows that the argument as Pinterest helping authors and visitors to their sites is a bit built on water. It seems that if anyone would be used in connection with the theft, Pinterest may not be so far from the truth as you think.

So why marketers are so eager to throw its contents into the clutches of Pinterest? They would have been aware of this problem? Not likely, I know too well, venturing into what is and what it brings. New people who see their products. When these products they will like and click, visit, and perhaps will continue to share, or purchase. Anyway, anything on Pinterest can be shared, so photos(products) are also given to people outside the circle of "friends" a user who publishes.

While helping the fact that Pinterest earn money, or in other words - the operators of the content that does not belong to enrich, comes up with a model to raise money, definitely indicating the pressures on Pinterest for illegal intensify. After that you cannot rely on arguments belonging to Fair Use. Pinterest could argue that it is a reference medium. To be able to wield it, they would show the work incomplete, diminished, blurred, and so forth. Most of the original presents a complete picture of the scale and quality, which can be eyesore for site operators. So people see the issue differently and love Pinterest. As the "ideal" solution seems to be downloading pictures that mark their owner. But we know from other projects, it is mainly formic and endless work which would waste time looking for, whether the Pinterest is not something that belongs to us and we do not want to be there, right?

Already it is clear that in case of problems to download some photos from Pinterest, if you hear there is an owner. So far, it does not happen but, the question is whether the requirements are ignored or that nobody wanted to raise; nor is it to hear actions, while the spores are carried in more speculation and theory.

Pinterest is doing like Tumblr and many other services. Appears to have content that users do not have rights. If it begins to struggle for Pinterest, Tumblr and also affect other services that are based on a similar principle to publishing content. This is the content itself and how it rights owners listening service. Some people do not use mind and others will threaten to sue.

To reduce complaints came on Pinterest the possibility of avoiding the process of inserting photos on the wall. Web site operators can insert the META tag code that causes the inability to pin the image on Pinterest. After you click "Pin It"; message appears: 

"This site does not allow pinning it Pinterest. Please contact the owner with Any Questions. Thanks for visiting!"

This may be seen as a positive step, but requires action by the content owners, which may not work well. This is a classic step Opt-Out for disabling from pinning something needs to be done. Who does not, their pages can be pinned merrily on Pinterest.  

The final question to the lawyer and the response from the Business Insider article reads (in the original version to avoid distortion of the translation) as follows:

So, is Pinterest illegal?

Quite possible. Until there's a legal challenge against the site, It'll Be Hard to know. Could have some Pinterest Legitimate arguments in Favor of Itself: claiming it's a search tool, Saying it drives traffic elsewhere , arguing That way it shows the pictures is transformative.

But the big problem is That it grabs Entire copyrighted works that re-post. This Could Be Hard to Overcome, Especially as Pinterest starts growing and Becomes more of a destination for a Greater Audience. The more time users spend on Pinterest, one assumes, the less Likely They Are to click out to other sites. And why click Out When You can see the whole picture right there?

Database logins: How much would you pay?

Database logins: How much would you pay?

Malicious code rarely lubricates your date is interested in rather interesting information. The rise of malware is targeting the theft of credentials, a valued and popular item.

Facebook is very often associated with potential threats to privacy, in which users cannot protect themselves, and such that goes purely on their account. As we recently informed you of the current privacy was ‘Trusteer’ Research discovered the so-called "Factory Outlet" which offers a large stolen account not just within Facebook, but Twitter. Furthermore, this database also contains access information for cPanel accounts - one of the popular administration interfaces.
Trusteer Research correctly points out that a specially prepared malicious code, which is focused on mining money, can effectively attack the sites offering Internet banking services. Together with the course on the infected computer can also collect additional credentials and that this step is often the beginning of the chain store login information with databases that are not only still negotiable, but also independently exploitable.
How did both beginners and advanced users can catch, and become part of a network of infected computers that secretly collect login information? A typical example of a very famous example, Zeus: a Trojan horse, which in recent years suffered a lot of unsuspecting people. Zeus Trojan makers have chosen this type of malware deliberately, since their risk of spread through reports and programs, which at first glance do other activities. Zeus was first identified in the fake phishing links and links to legitimate downloads like software, in mid-2007. Since then, there has been a large botnet, which is now estimated to contain millions of compromised computers.
Interestingly passwords robber named Zeus is able to be adapted. The corresponding source code is in May last year, escaped and malware creators so it can adapt according to their needs. That imaginary symbolizing the Holy Grail in the theft of sensitive information through a few modifications to the original malware can modify shields advanced to run on virtually any Web service that requires registration through classical forms. In addition, Zeus can be combined with it and buy, for example, according to Wikipedia, the price on underground forums ranging from $ 700 to $ 15 000 depending on the version and its amenities.

Botnets have a large share of all "events", especially for spam. Many brought joy in history such as Rustock shutdown.

Which version for how much?

At the beginning of the realization of user credentials to obtain adequate information, typically according to the scenario that was described in the operating principle of Zeus malware. Once that the corresponding database was built, comes the most important step: how to monetize. It provided a concrete example of current, the above cited report Trusteer Research. Attackers offer credentials to Facebook, Twitter and other services, which include users from all over the world.
With a little exaggeration, illegal trade in databases reminds sale of any other item. Would you like basic equipment in the form of user credentials by services? Or, according to a specific subset of the selected geographic area? Or you previously embodied as an extension of the associated e-mail addresses? Exactly this is the offer of the options currently available comprehensive database, while sellers do not disclose the number of infected machines, but boasts 80 gigabytes of data availability to individual users stolen.
Published information which is now under the current analysis briskly traded represents login to cPanel administration interface that is used to manage your hosted websites. The attackers after the construction of the necessary databases are sold as a pair of addresses of the pages and credentials. Then, if someone receives this information through full access to the administration, for example, can modify the configuration so that the site will serve as a source of malware or convey any other risk.
Sometimes it is surprising those similar offers of trades and the resulting end mass arrests and other sanctions against individual cybercriminals who offered information are apparently illegally stolen. The identity of the most hidden of course, for example, if this published by Trusteer Research was listed as a contact within the account and the opportunity to reach JabberID via ICQ. This is a specific standard payment options and their limitations.

Protection as any other time

Time enough has already demonstrated that botnets could just be the most problematic, due to a silent threat. Their creators may not work "only" about stealing passwords, send spam or mass attacks, led by example with a DDoS, but offers them the possibility of renting systematically follows the established networks - if someone wants to send more spam or denial of services to kill off competition, turns are all questions only to the price. Once the botnet is already built and gradually thanks to the original long-malware collects user data access, you can trade with those databases to make immediate money

The basis of the defense would be like in the case of other threats should be avoidance of botnets, which then can be used for anything, and therefore the end users. Ironically so, defending their privacy, since botnet later stolen login information can be to them. On the other hand it is now another trend: users often voluntarily participate in botnets, currently organized mainly in the case of DDoS attacks. Bot-nets can have two faces, depending on who is what he expects from them and which way to get potential victims.
So, how can the theft of passwords and other attacks from botnets are prevented? First of all, users and network administrators should take care of avoiding becoming part of it - in case Trojans and other ways to enslave another computer, can in most cases provide protection regularly, updated and properly configured antivirus. The computers will form part of a network worm botnet and provide comprehensive defense solutions and regularly patched system. Theft of passwords and botnets are just lingering attackers will want to earn more, and so unnecessarily facilitates them. 

 

Facebook opened Timeline (activities in the Open Graph) and few other services

In September last year, Facebook announced the extension of the Open Graph "activity" which appeared first time only with a few selected partners. On Thursday, 19  in January this functionality unlocked for dozens of other services and new recruits gradually activated. What "activities" in the timeline mean?

In September 2011 Facebook announced the expansion of Open Graph interface of the possibility of adding another "activity" (action).Compared far as present classical and "I" or "Recommend" has appeared in Open Graph option such as "listening" or "read" Facebook and promised that the possibilities of activities will be sequenced according to the interest spread. Part of the new Open Graph was the possibility that the application (web services) through activities gained access to the Timeline (profile) of the user. And along with that as well as his friends, who each record to see Timeline (real time) in the Ticker - things of that impractical, located in the right column on Facebook.

In 19th January, Facebook announced that the new Open Graph "can" use the other sixty applications and services and those interested in the use (and possible expansion of activities and options) may apply and Facebook is going to approve. In practice it works for example, that you have an account on Pinterest.com  - in the account settings you activate the integration with Facebook and new opportunities for access to the Timeline (you have to go through the approval process of applications, as has been customary so far). And from this moment your every activity on Pinterest.com reflected in your account on Facebook. Must add that reflected every activity  - reflected, for example, that you started watching someone or added to your Pinterest a new image.

In a similar way it works Spotify.com example - when activated, every time you listen to music transmitted information "Listened and this song" on Facbeook record and will appear in your profile, and also in the ticker. The difference compared to normal now "Like" (Do) is that the record is not on Facebook need to click on any "like", but just do some activity on the Web (in), which sends information about this on your Facebook.

Information in your Timeline, you can manually re-edit - you can completely hide a particular application, as well as you can delete it (and report spam when it exceeds the limits). Every single activity in the attached application so you can edit - delete, set the visibility, prevent the further possibilities of publishing applications, or directly delete the application.

Automatic sharing unconscious, "frictionless sharing"

It is quite interesting to see how the "sharing" of information (about what we do on the Internet) develops.

·         At the very beginning was to share to Facebook only way that you copied the web address manually and inserted on Facebook

·         Appeared Like / Do, web element that "one" click sharing enabled. Like there was a moment / I and Share / Share with a slight difference in the "volume" of shared information

·         Share / Share was repealed and Like / Do has evolved into a full share on Facebook, but still had to click, though it really enough for a single click

·         New Timeline and activities in the Open Graph share on Facebook, without your knowledge, or without doing anything for it. Just for example, read (open) article and learn about all your friends instantly

In practice, new applications only need to obtain your consent to access your profile on Facebook and then automatically inform just about everything you do in your application.Newspaper Web sites about the articles you read, listened to music sites for music, YouTube could inform about each video, which you look. E-shop for all goods whose details you have viewed and what you bought. Foursquare on every place to which you subscribe to, or, even more alarming in that case, every place where you just were, without you ever having to log in to place.

With hindsight it would appear so that users no longer rule will have no idea to whom applications (sites) allowed access to the Timeline and profile on Facebook so will carry information about what they are doing on the Internet. Probably they will not even bother, that is until the moment when one of their friends know that look (for example) on a somewhat socially inappropriate video. Or when a girl suddenly starts to read a series of articles on pregnancy or abortion. Do not realize that their web activity somewhere transmitted, recorded and published.

"Oversharing" and the question of privacy

In connection with the new possibilities of applications on Facebook (new Open Graph and activities and put in some of its Zynga games) appears the term "oversharing" - captures the essence. We share that more and more to so much that is too much. While up until last year was to be shared on Facebook to do something, a new concept just simply surf the web. Just visit Yahoo News, and while you read. Everything you read, in real time appears on your Facebook. Directly to Yahoo Moreover, you can see what they have read (and maybe even just reading) your friends - Yahoo will show something like this automatically, you do not need to add any friends.

For Facebook and other companies is a record of your activities important for your friends is debatable. In particular, if in this way on his Facebook "will join" more websites (applications) and you'll be any more intensive use. To actually create a flood of entries on Facebook (in the Timeline and Ticker) and your friends will eventually just annoying. Facebook it addresses the fact that records do not go directly into your timeline as individual statuses (contributions) - instead of their own position and combine into a single record. "Oversharing" is indeed so, although in many cases will take place, but the influence of your friends will be considerably smaller than it appears at first glance.

Few of those who can activate the automatic unconscious sharing, but it solves, if you can have an impact on privacy. The answer is simple, of course it can. I've suggested for instance the example of a young girl who suddenly begins to read articles about abortion when it is considered something that now does not want to deal with his or her parents or the originator of the problem. Let alone communicate it to all my friends. The problem is that when filling the Timeline articles in question it will be too late.

Automatic sharing what you do on the Web, of course, will have long term consequences affecting privacy - Facebook and many other companies you get a huge stock of information.While previously only knew of Facebook articles and pages that you liked (intentionally and knowingly clicked on like now) will know all about your habits on sites that allow this functionality. For each article read, watch the video, listened to the song, seen or purchased goods. And since Facebook to get this information to anyone. Without illusion, Facebook does not protect user data and protect never will be. If you sell it, sooner or later appears more and more security flaws that make this data to unauthorized eyes.

Facebook, by the way, the data about your behavior on the sites is a long time. Since he has been there Like / like element, collects detailed information about what web addresses you visit.Once on them Like / like, your visit is stored in the database Facebook. The only thing still missing is the understanding of what actually constitutes the visit. With the change to a specific activity like this will already know Facebook, dates of visits and the use of foreign sites it will remain.

Why do these sites do?

They do it because it gives them additional content distribution. Like / Do is an extremely beneficial addition to most websites - can get more visibility by someone, "something" on his Facebook shares and it shall deliver his friends. Today it is common for traffic from social networks are more than 30% of arrivals to the web. A new timeline with activities offers further strengthen this mechanism.

Moreover, Facebook Open Graph and wants to expand its capabilities even more - you now can with its help the company reach your friends, find out what you have in common, adjust accordingly offer to use historical data to determine what exactly would you be interested. And the more data will be in the Open Graph databases are available, the better it will be possible for them to get needed information. And with Facebook that will be easier, it will be the date of Facebook who stores, processes, allowing them to perform the queries. A simple, efficient and inexpensive manner.

Which sites / services currently support the news recently?

·         Travel - Gogobot, Airbnb, TripAdvisor, Wipolo, Where I've Been

·         Food - Foodspotting, Cookpad, Snooth (wine), Urbanspoon, Yummly, Foodily

·         Shopping and Fashion - Pose, Pinterest, Polyvore, Oodle, Fab.com, eBay, Giftrocket, Payvment, Livingsocial

·         Health - MapMyRun, Runkeeper

·         Entertainment - Rotten Tomatoes, Dailymotion, Cinemur, Metacafe, Ford (game), Wooga (Bubble Island, Diamond Dash), OMGPOP (Draw My Thing), Zynga (Words with Friends, Castleville)

·         Charity - Causes, Fundrazr, Artez.com

·         Other - BranchOut, Monster, Color, Courserank, Grockit, Foursquare, Goodreads, Kobo, StubHub, Ticketmaster, Ticketfly, ScoreBig, Appsfire, Artfinder, AutoTrader

What you share about the new Facebook should remember

New access to your Timeline (Facebook profile) requires a single initial approval "applications" and it's specific behavior depends on the application. How much will it share and whether it will be possible to share control, things are not Facebook.

Everything will be shared by applications, it will be visible to everyone and will appear in the list of messages / posts (in some cases), ticker, and Timeline in the "transparent" form. It can affect just back and see that all your friends. If you want to affect visibility, the best you succeed through friend lists (Lists), and visibility settings for specific lists only, preferably when a certain application, approve access.

    

Automatic sharing of this kind do not use it, it's something that is needed in advance and consciously allow. If at a later time you want to get rid of it can be difficult mainly because the removal of applications on Facebook are drowned deep in the menu. And on a particular site may not be easy to get to set the properties, let alone to remove the link.

Anything you've already been shared, Facebook knows and never removed. Although it can from its Timeline "delete", Facebook has already received the data and delete it certainly will not. Only cease to be visible.