Interesting how the steps to accepting Twitter can be related to Elisabeth Kübler-Ross' The Five Stages Of Grief.

"It took three years, two months and one day for the first billion tweets to be sent. From the time the company started in 2006 to mid-2009 three years, two months and one day for the first billion tweets to be sent. It has a nice rhythm that it was three, two, one. It probably wasn't exactly one day, but we like to say that; so it's three, two, one," he said. "We now send a billion tweets every two and a half days. So the volume, the noise level has increased dramatically."

Guilty as charged...

Even though we live in North America and pay much more attention to platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Google+, I think it's also important to be informed of trends in other parts of the world as well. This article explores the success of LINE, a popular social networking site in Japan.

I think this is a new aspect in the reporter/journalist vs. citizen journalist debate. Really interesting how there is already a policy in place regarding live-tweeting from the athletic department at the University of Washington. "Social media has irreversibly altered the media landscape, and the power relationship between big content brands, individual reporters and fans. But the major money makers - ad-rich TV and radio, in particular - will always, or at least for the foreseeable future, remain in the control of the powerful. So it's best for them to lay off the micromanaging, and accept some bit of change."

To follow up on the topic of branding that was discussed during yesterday's mashup, here's a look at how certain big brands have taken advantage of branding using Facebook features.

Another article showing how social media has responded to major events.

So even though we are very pro-social media and information sharing, this article shows the other side of the coin. Apparently many people were annoyed with being bombarded with election related votes - something that I hadn't considered until now. Pretty interesting read.

I figured this would interest most people in our class. "As Election Day nears, Twitter's new "Political Engagement Map" lets users see where people are most interested about specific issues -- at least as measured by tweeting patterns."

This is really interesting article following the ways in which Lady Gaga has capitalized on using social media to promote her brand - especially now that she has her own social networking site for her fans that launched earlier this summer. I don't consider myself an avid fan of hers, but I'm really impressed with the way she uses social media to interact and connect with her fans; which is basically the only reason why I follow her on Twitter.

An example of trolls on Web 2.0 platforms and what role should an organization have in response to these incidents? "The dark side of modern fame is revealed once again in a series of strange, twisted messages a Twitter troll has been sending sportscaster Erin Andrews."

Interesting how this demographic is increasing its presence on social networks. Something to keep in mind for future digital marketing strategies. "Moms social network a lot. How much? Eight out of ten (80 percent) use social media regularly, with 90 percent of those having visited Facebook in the past 30 days, and just over one-third (37 percent) hanging out on Twitter over that same period."

Definitely an interesting new way of using Twitter: to storytell. "The first Twitter Fiction Festival, a five-day event starting November 28 that will showcase "creative experiments in storytelling from authors around the world." Twitter to announce the authors on November 19.

Interesting how use of social media is becoming less frowned upon in the work environment especially in the fields of marketing, PR, customer service etc. What are your social media habits in the workplace?

I'm sure we've all been both guilty and victims of this. Checking our phones a bit too often when hanging out with friends. The author introduces the notion of "FOMO" (Fear of Missing Out). It puts into perspective of how thin the line is between the virtual world and reality.

An interesting court case that concerns privacy over user data in social media. It also draws on the importance of social media policies in the workplace.

Ten social media marketing experts weigh on best practices for social marketing and the future of the growing industry.

Just a light-hearted, funny post I thought you guys might enjoy since it also coincides with Reading Week. Personally, I'm guilty of #2, #3, #11, #20 and #25

Interesting how a public figure's personal preference for a product conflicts with the values of the public.

"We just made history." That Nov. 5, 2008 tweet from the campaign of Barack Obama capped off the first presidential election of the social media age. Four years earlier, Howard Dean had begun to reveal the power of the Internet for fundraising and organizing in his losing effort, but it was the 2008 Obama campaign that really demonstrated social media's power to be transformative of the political process. And yet, social media as we know it today was in its infancy.