Supposedly the most depressing day of the year is just a few weeks away, and that sucks. But if you off yourself, you can’t drink, so it’s a conundrum. What you can do is use the website suicidemachine.org to remove yourself from unnecessary social media sites that either you’ve stopped using or don’t really enjoy anymore. [More]
Transforming Online Kvetchers Into Brand Boosters
By 12.15.09
Researchers announced that consumers who kvetch using social media are more likely than others to also spread positive word of mouth online. [More]
Planet Hollywood Responds To Negative Facebook Comment With Free Wine And Chocolates
By 12.13.09
Frustrated with a room mix-up and subsequent bad customer service at Planet Hollywood’s hotel/casino in Las Vegas, Brad expressed his frustration in a note on their Facebook fan page. [More]
Get Virtual Game Cash For Health Reform Astroturfing
By 12.9.09
Don’t want to fork over actual cash or start a shady “free” trial in order to get sweet, sweet virtual currency for your favorite game on Facebook or MySpace? Well, you could always take a health care survey that pays you to tell your representatives in Congress how opposed you are to health care reform. Mmm, smell that astroturf! [More]
My Bloomin' Onion Coupon Vanished
By 12.8.09
Aaron was so close to a free Outback Steakhouse Bloomin’ Onion appetizer he could practically feel the fried batter clogging up his arteries. [More]
Lee Declares All Facebook Contest Entrants Winners
By 12.5.09
Something appears to have gone wrong with a contest that Lee Jeans ran on Facebook, and the company was forced to change the rules partway through. However, instead of canceling the contest or changing the rules in their own favor, the change means that everyone who entered the contest before Wednesday, December 2, under the original rules, won automatically. Yay! [More]
Depressed Lady Loses Benefits Because Of Her Facebook Photos
By 11.20.09
A depressed woman has lost her benefits because her insurance agent found Facebook photos where she appears to be having fun.
PS3 Tacks On Facebook Two Days After Xbox 360
By 11.20.09
With a surprisingly short turnaround from rumor to official announcement to reality, Sony cranked out a PlayStation 3 firmware update that added Facebook access to the console Thursday, just a couple days after Microsoft’s ballyhooed addition of a portal to the social networking service.
Mafia Wars CEO Brags About Scamming Users From Day One
By 11.9.09
From the beginning, the profitability and viability of popular Facebook social networking games Mafia Wars and Farmville were predicated on the backs of scams, boasts Zynga CEO Mark Pincus in this video. “I did every horrible thing in the book just to get revenues,” he crows in the clip to a gathered bunch of fellow scumbag app developers.
Social Network Games: Fake Mobsters, Real Racket
By 11.9.09
You might enjoy raking in money as a fake mobster in Mafia Wars, or collecting cotton subsidies in FarmVille, but TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington argues that the real racket in virtual games is for the companies that run them, and for the social networking sites that host them.
Seattle Coffee Direct Decides You Need $40 Worth Of Coffee Per Day
By 11.7.09
If you’ve been tempted by Facebook ads promising cheap “introductory” offers from Seattle Coffee Direct or World Bean Cafe, located in the world coffee capital of Evanston, Illinois, readers Adam and Ivan say, “don’t do it!” The ads promise t-shirts or a free coffee grinder as an incentive to sign up, or tempting introductory offers. But you’re really signing up for a coffee delivery service for close to $80 per month. Or more, as reader Ivan learned. He says that the company accidentally billed him for, and sent, two bags of coffee per day.
Facebook Nags You To Communicate With The Dead
By 11.1.09
If you’ve logged in to Facebook lately, you may have noticed the site’s suggestions on the right-hand side telling you to write on the wall of someone you haven’t communicated with in a while. This is merely annoying for most of us, but sort of a punch in the gut when the person you’re being told to get back in touch with is dead.
Facebook Sues Spammer; Wins $711 Million
By 10.31.09
Facebook won $711 million in a lawsuit against a notorious spammer. Don’t cheer too hard, though. The same spampresario owes MySpace $234 million for the same thing.
Great, Your Doctor Is Talking About You On Facebook
By 9.23.09
Apparently the new generation of med students aren’t as concerned as you might like them to be about sharing your medical information on Facebook or Twitter, says Time.
Quiz Yourself About Facebook Quiz Applications And Privacy
By 9.5.09
What do Facebook applications know about you and your friends? What do you know about what Facebook applications know about you? If you have Facebook, you can take this handy quiz from the ACLU of Northern California that tests your knowledge of Facebook, privacy, and outside developers.
Aussie Company Will Sell You Facebook Friends
By 9.4.09
Here’s a company that will help those who really, really need more help killing Col. Mustard in the parlor with the candlestick in Mafia Wars: Australian company uSocial is selling Facebook “friends” and Twitter followers by the batch. If you want 5,000 more adoring Facebook minions checking out your status updates, you pay $654.30.
Complaint From Canada Prompts Facebook Privacy Changes
By 8.30.09
If you’re suspicious of Facebook’s use of your personal data, the social networking site has made some recent changes that may make you very happy. And for this, you can blame thank Canada.
Watch Out For Pointless Self-Replicating Spam Facebook Application
By 8.21.09
Watch out for “[A friend] commented on a photo of you” notifications on Facebook. If you click on the notification and it asks you to install an application called “Your Photos,” RUN AWAY. Your friend didn’t comment on any photos of you, and the application exists to coax people to click on banner ads.
