Facebook is thinking of getting rid of its policy of allowing users to vote on changes to major governance policy. It also notes that a vote is only binding if 30% of users participate - a number they didn't reached in their last two votes.

Really interesting read about Instagram disabling its compatibility with Instagram - which officially has nothing to do with it being owned by Facebook. Especially interesting to read about the focus on financial gain. Social media is often hailed as bringing people together - but is it really just a flashy reinforcement of the structures that be?

A look at the complex technologies/software built to help reelect Obama.

Interesting article about the increasing blend of work life and personal life. I'm not sure if I'd advocate adding a friend on Facebook - while I can control my own posts I'm not sure I can trust that I'd be able to manage my Facebook in a way that would absolutely ensure a manager wouldn't see an undesirable post from someone else before I had time to delete it.

This quick read discusses the importance of social media being a dialogue and not a one way monologue.

Interesting article about the first change to Instagram since Facebook's purchase. They also make interesting comments about how Facebook was more productive when it was a primarily mobile only site, invoking more raw emotion and allowing you to be "more real" on Insta than on other social media sites.

One blog's reaction to Facebook's new platform of charging companies to ensure your posts are seen by all your fans.

Incredibly relevant given our discussion in class today. I know what I said this morning about not believing anonymous comments to be integral to free speech, but I have to say I'm not at all keen on the proposal of this type of law.

Interesting discussion after last week's Procom Mash-Up and the discussions about Big Data. This article is looking at the positive sides of big data.

Really interesting article about a new app that will lock cell phone texts/phone calls to prevent digital eavesdropping/monitoring. I think it will be interesting to see how this plays out and what the long term affects/reaction (both socially and legally) will be. "The legal barrier for eavesdropping has never been lower. We've learned to be comfortable with it because, for the most part, we've never had any means of escape, but Silent Circle could change that."

This article really draws out a lot of the concepts we've been discussing in class in terms of popular assumptions about digital usage. I don't necessarily agree with a lot of the things Mann is mentioning, but I do think it is worth a read.

Really interested article about YouTube shifting from user-generated amateur content to professional content. Wonder if becoming a YouTube superstar will still exist if YouTube becomes just another TV channel?