Social Media News Stories Last Week
Posted on 09. Feb, 2010 by Hardeep Kaur Rai in Media, Reports, Reviews
It’s been a super-busy first week of February in the Indian social media space. A wrap-up of the news stories that made headlines is given below.
1) Business Line carried an article ‘Websense unveils security application for Facebook users’ on 3rd Feb that brings a sigh of relief to Facebookers. The article quotes Mr Surendra Singh, Regional Director (SAARC and India), Websense, ‘While other security offerings are designed to clean users’ computer after it has been infected, we worked with Facebook to create Defensio so customers are protected from emerging threats and malicious content before they spread beyond the social Web and become a broader security concern’. The article describes the mechanics of the application, ‘Defensio would analyze the links on the social web before users try to access them and gather intelligence of the site as well as the content and embedded links on it.’
Comment- This is surely a good sign for all Facebookers. With more and more people using Facebook, the site is increasingly posing a security risk and the application helps protect Facebook users. The application would also lessen the occurrence of online crimes such as hacking, phishing, credit card frauds. Truly, it would prove to be a boon.
Social Media Last week
Posted on 04. Feb, 2010 by Hardeep Kaur Rai in Media, Reviews
News Stories covering social media space this past week
1) On 24th Jan 2010, DNA Mumbai carried an article by R.Krishna on the topic ’This social networking website helps you meet friends online’. The article talks about the utility and the growing popularity of Foursquare-a location-based networking site in India, starting with Mumbai. The article sums the benefits by quoting a Mumbai user, Shakti Salgaokar, using the Foursquare application on her iPhone, “The moment I start the application, Foursquare pinpoints my location using the GPS on my iPhone. Using my location, it tells me about various places nearby. It also gives me a to-do list recommended by other users. If I were in Dadar TT, it can list places like D Damodar, Pritam da Dhaba, or the Mumbai-Pune bus-stand. For someone new to the city, this can be of real help”. The article then wraps up prophesying Foursquare to be in 2010 what Twitter was in 2009.
Comment- While the site is a rage in the west, particularly the US, in India it is still in its nascent stage. Abroad the site has tied-up with restaurants, gyms and other establishments to offer deals and discounts to users, in India this is yet to happen. However, location-based networking has the potential to become a huge rage in a country like India,
Global Post Article on Caste-Based Communities on Facebook and Orkut
Posted on 23. Jan, 2010 by gaurav in Media
I was quoted recently in a Global Post article on caste-based communities on social networking platforms in India.
I have earlier written about how caste-based communities on Facebook and Orkut reflects the realities of India’s splintered society.
The ancient Indian custom of caste has made its way into the modern world of social media.
Social networking site Orkut — the most popular social media platform in India — is not only a place where young, urban Indians can connect with friends like Americans do on Facebook. It’s also a platform where they can meet others in their caste… (and) engage in benign discussions and debates on various caste-related issues like marriage, religion and politics.
So what’s happening here on Orkut, Facebook and other social media sites in India? Some argue the country’s young people no longer feel comfortable talking about caste in public. Instead, they retreat to an anonymous online world to debate and discuss issues. Not everyone agrees.
Social media expert Gaurav Mishra said Orkut and similar sites do not increase caste discussions. Rather, they accurately reflect that Indians still very much identify with their caste and want to form groups around them.
Forbes India Nominates Facebook For 2010 Person of the Year
Posted on 02. Jan, 2010 by gaurav in Media, Trends
Forbes India named nominated Facebook for 2010 Person of the Year in its December 2010 issue and asked me why it should win.
In a recent post, I shared five reasons why Facebook is good for your soul, so my love for Facebook is no secret.
In the interview, however, I highlight the fact that Orkut, not Facebook, is the default social networking platform for Indians. Orkut introduced Indians to social networking, it’s still much bigger than Facebook in India, and with its recent redesign, it might have more staying power than most people give it credit for. Speaking for myself, I have started spending much more time on Orkut after the redesign than I have in the last year or so.
I also highlight the difference between LinkedIn and Facebook in the interview. Most people use LinkedIn like a rolodex, exclusively for professional networking. On the other hand, Facebook reflects our real world relationships better, where we switch between the personal and the professional, almost seamlessly. LinkedIn too offers a vastly improved user interface after its recent redesign and I expect myself to spend more time on LinkedIn in the coming weeks.
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