By now, we're all pretty much spam experts. Between those friendly Nigerian princes and lottery windfalls in tiny European countries, our radar is finely tuned.
And just when we thought we could control the onslaught with plug-ins and buttons and scripts, spam is spreading from email to social media. Some of it is automated, but a lot of it is not. And it's the kind that's not that concerns me the most because it's preventable. Trouble is many people don't realize they are doing it, or if they do they think we won't catch on.
So here are some common types of spam on your favorite social media platforms and steps you can take to get rid of it or stop doing it.
Twitter -- the bombardment:
The bombardment is my term for someone who posts the same exact tweet a hundred times but only changes the name of the intended recipient. Sometimes, the recipients don't even make sense. I have actually talked to people who think this is a good tactic. As they explain it, how else are they going to get the message out? That's a subject for another So Social, but I can assure you this is one of the worst ways to go about it. Not only do you risk Twitter flagging your account and suspending it for doing too much too fast, you are likely to anger people and lose followers.
Facebook -- ALL CAPS, ??!?! and bad words:
Some people are passionate, and while that's to be commended in some circumstances, Facebook doesn't usually see it that way. Typing responses in all caps or using excessive punctuation -- even words like jerk and moron -- in the comments is an easy way to be flagged for spam. But here's the worst part: When you are flagged for spam, your comment is invisible to everyone except you and your friends. So you may not even know you've been flagged. And once you're flagged, there's no guarantee your next comment will get through. So hold back on the passion and you should be OK.
Instagram -- screenshots and photos of ads:
Instagrammers love Instagram. And they love taking photos. If you've looked at the popular page lately, you've probably been dismayed at the number of screenshots that have been making the list. And some of these screenshots aren't even photos -- they're words or captures of websites. As a proud Instagrammer, I can tell you that I report every single one of these, and I'm sure others do too. The more reports Instagram gets about an account, the more likely that account will be suspended. That goes for any social media platform. So if you aren't taking the photo, don't post it. Please. Thank you.
Pinterest -- shortened links don't go a long way:
This one really annoys me. I like to add context to my Pinterest boards by posting links to stories or other pages. The spam filter on Pinterest appears to work in overdrive because it just doesn't like those bit.lys and tinyurls. Sometimes, you'll get a page asking you to fill out a bunch of extra information. Sometimes the pin never shows up. In any case, I recommend steering clear of the shortened links in your pins.
If you watch out for all those things, your social media fun should continue uninterrupted.
What questions do you have about social media? Tweet them to @scottkleinberg or @amyguth. We might select yours for use in a future column. ___
Shane Black goes deep into the villain's origins and sheds the comic's Chinese stereotypes along the way. By Kevin P. Sullivan, with reporting by Kara Warner
Ben Kingsley as Mandarin in "Iron Man 3" Photo: Walt Disney Pictures
With more than 700,00 apps in the Apple App Store, breaking through to the top can prove to be a difficult task.
We spoke with some experts and developers?in the mobile app space whose apps have reached the top of the charts. ?We learned from them what it takes to get there.
Dale Carr, writing for the LeadBolt blog explains the metrics required just to get your app featured in Apple's App Store:
As of May 2012, Apps must receive at least 25,000 downloads per day to get a spot among the top 50 in U.S. category. Other countries are a little more lenient, Apps must get 10,000 downloads per day in China, 5,000 in the U.K. and South Korea. And a little less in Germany, France and Australia. Obviously, the numbers reduce significantly when looking at the top 50 in a particular category.
While that may not seem like an easy task, if your app can stand out from the others in terms of engagement, social ability, and the ability to share, your app should take off.
"Instagram was a perfect storm, it beautifies natural self-expression, offers a more beautiful optimized version of your own world, and the core activity is sharing," Walter Driver, the CEO of Scopely a?Los Angeles venture-backed startup building the next generation of social mobile games, told Business Insider.
Keep reading for the top ways to reach the top of the App Store charts.
Tens of thousands of people wept openly in the streets of Caracas over the death of their "Commandante," President Hugo Chavez, while exiled Venezuelans in the U.S. cheered after learning of the socialist leader died.
By Mary Murray, Producer, NBC News
CARACAS ? Condolences flooded in from all over the globe and more than 100 countries will be sending emissaries to Friday's funeral for Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, who succumbed to cancer on Tuesday after a 20-month battle.
Even Washington will be represented, despite the contentious relations between the two governments. Just hours before the 58-year old president died, Caracas expelled two American military officials attached to the U.S. mission for allegedly committing acts to "destabilize" the Chavez government.
Friday's funeral and burial will be more formal than Wednesday's procession of his casket through the streets of Caracas.
For ten hours, an estimated one million Venezuelans followed the coffin for miles as it traveled from the military hospital where Chavez died to the Military Academy, where he studied to become a paratrooper.
Grief-stricken followers lined the streets as the coffin of Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez was carried from the hospital to the military academy where he will like in state until his funeral on Friday. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
It was a parade of emotions, with men and women of all ages weeping openly. As the caravan moved slowly through the streets, mourners tossed flowers, flags and red caps with Chavez slogans on the casket until it was completely covered in a mound of mementos.? Chavez's immediate family rode in the funeral procession.
Overnight, thousands have stood in line to pay their last respects, many wearing the bright blue, red and yellow colors of the country's national flag. As mourners filed past the coffin, there were scenes of genuine sadness and dismay. Some people prayed while others saluted his remains. His supporters are devastated but also promising to keep his revolution alive.
"Comandante ? rest in peace. We'll carry on your fight," said Cesar Trompiz, a university student who appreciated what he called Chavez's "powerful connection" to the country's poor. "He was one of us. He looked like us. He spoke like us," Trompiz added.
'Without you, we're nothing' Guillermo Hernan and members of his family traveled from Chavez's hometown in northwest Venezuela to pay their respects. He helped his elderly mother walk past the casket as she wailed, "Without you, we're nothing." Hernan said that Chavez taught him to love his country.
"We were orphans before Chavez. We had no father and we had no motherland. Chavez became our father and gave us the right to our homeland," said Hernan. In his 20s, he said the government's policies have helped his family with housing and education.
While the depth of the grief for millions here cannot be understimated, Chavez was also a polarizing figure for millions of other Venezuelans vehemently opposed to his leftist policies and close political allegiances with countries like Cuba and China. The two sides are known to clash verbally and some observers had feared that Chavez's death would spark civil unrest. But since Tuesday's announcement, the opposition has toned down its political rhetoric ? urging the president's enemies to be respectful of Chavez's grieving family during this difficult time.
However, many expect politics as usual to crank up as soon as the nation's seven-day official mourning period ends.
Under the Constitution, a national vote must be called within 30 days of the office being vacated and, from then, the election must take place 30 days later. Although no specific date has been announced, one source reports that Venezuelans may be going to the polls to decide on Chavez's replacement during the second weekend in April.
Ricardo Mazalan / AP
Slideshow: Supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez across the Americas mourn his death.
Related:
Hugo Chavez's last words: 'Please don't let me die,' general says
Socialist socialites: Hollywood mourns Hugo Chavez
A view from Tehran's street: Hugo Chavez a friend
Full coverage of Hugo Chavez's death from NBC News
Users of Windows 8 and Windows RT have worried that Microsoft would wait for the operating systems' scheduled "Blue" update to improve its first-party apps, but a new report may to lay those fears to rest.
In fact, through sources, ZDNet learned that Microsoft could update first-party Windows 8/RT apps like Mail, Calendar, Music, and Games as soon as this month.
Updates to those apps would likely arrive as separate tweaks and improvements, not a full system-wide update like the Blue updates we've been hearing about.
If that's the case, then Windows users disappointed with the state of Microsoft's internally developed apps could soon find some relief.
Opening the suggestions box
According to ZDNet, Microsoft is well aware that many Windows 8 and Windows RT users are unhappy with the first-party Mail and Music apps.
At this point, Microsoft's own employees are reportedly using updated and improved versions of these apps that could be released soon.
The updates, if and when ready for the public at large, should be released via the Windows Store.
I'm blue
Blue is the reported codename for Microsoft's upcoming update to Windows 8, Windows RT and a host of other products, including Windows Phone 8.
The update will add improved search functions and various UI tweaks, according to numerous reports.
Rumor has it Blue could hit Windows users as soon as this summer.
Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S IV smartphone, which will be revealed later this month, could offer users an eye scrolling feature, according to published reports. The S IV's front-facing camera will reportedly track a user's eyes to determine where to scroll.
Study focuses on dating violence in Texas public schoolsPublic release date: 6-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Beth Kuhles kuhles@shsu.edu 936-294-4425 Sam Houston State University
HUNTSVILLE, TX (3/5/13) -- Texas was the first state in the nation to mandate school policies on dating violence, but it still has some work to do in protecting victims and addressing consequences for the crime, according to a study by the Crime Victims' Institute at Sam Houston State University.
"We conclude that school districts' implementation of the dating violence policy as it currently stands is in need of additional attention," concluded Dr. Leana A. Bouffard, Director of the Crime Victims' Institute. "Though most of the districts have a definition and set of consequences, the wide range of disciplinary techniques may unintentionally benefit the offending student and may send a message that this type of behavior is uncommon or unimportant."
Dating abuse is a problem that affects every community across the country. Every year, nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical violence from a dating partner, and one in three girls in the U.S. are victims of physical, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner. One in ten high school students have been purposely hit, slapped or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend, and one-quarter of high school girls have been victims of physical or sexual abuse or date rape, according to Teen Dating Violence Prevention and Awareness Month Web site.
In response to the 2003 death of 15-year-old Ortralla Mosley at the hands of her boyfriend in an Austin high school, the Texas Legislature passed a law in 2007 requiring school districts to adopt and implement a dating violence policy. The report found that while 90 percent of select district had adopted policies, there were few safety provisions provided for victims and the consequences for committing the crime at school were too general and wide-ranging.
In a report entitled "Texas School Districts' Implementation of Teen Dating Violence Legislation," Dr. Bouffard, Dr. Kathleen Fox of Arizona State University and SHSU Graduate Student Robin Jackson surveyed the 72 largest school districts within the 20 Education Service Center across Texas. Here are some of the major findings of the research.
Based on the sample, 90 percent of public school districts in Texas have adopted the basic components of the state's dating violence policy.
Many districts have a wide ranging set of consequences for dating violence on school property or at school events, ranging from reprimand to expulsion. Many districts treat the crime as general mistreatment or misconduct.
None of the districts offered safety provisions for victims, such as allowing requests for transfer from a class or campus, and one-third of the districts do not clearly indicate that students can get counseling services for the issue.
School district information on teen dating violence was generally either nonexistent or difficult to find.
The report suggests that districts develop a distinct set of consequences for dating violence that reduces the discretion of school officials and incorporate into the policy safety provisions specifically for dating violence victims that address the physical and verbal elements of the crime. Districts also should implement programs to raise awareness about the issue, such as the Safe Dates program that has been credited with reducing violence rates over time. The Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) also provides a variety of resources and a model policy to address teen dating violence (http://www.tcfv.org/resources/teen-dating-violence-policy).
###
The full copy of the report can be found at http://www.crimevictimsinstitute.org. The full study of the issue is expected to be published in an upcoming issue of Criminal Justice Policy Review.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Study focuses on dating violence in Texas public schoolsPublic release date: 6-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Beth Kuhles kuhles@shsu.edu 936-294-4425 Sam Houston State University
HUNTSVILLE, TX (3/5/13) -- Texas was the first state in the nation to mandate school policies on dating violence, but it still has some work to do in protecting victims and addressing consequences for the crime, according to a study by the Crime Victims' Institute at Sam Houston State University.
"We conclude that school districts' implementation of the dating violence policy as it currently stands is in need of additional attention," concluded Dr. Leana A. Bouffard, Director of the Crime Victims' Institute. "Though most of the districts have a definition and set of consequences, the wide range of disciplinary techniques may unintentionally benefit the offending student and may send a message that this type of behavior is uncommon or unimportant."
Dating abuse is a problem that affects every community across the country. Every year, nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical violence from a dating partner, and one in three girls in the U.S. are victims of physical, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner. One in ten high school students have been purposely hit, slapped or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend, and one-quarter of high school girls have been victims of physical or sexual abuse or date rape, according to Teen Dating Violence Prevention and Awareness Month Web site.
In response to the 2003 death of 15-year-old Ortralla Mosley at the hands of her boyfriend in an Austin high school, the Texas Legislature passed a law in 2007 requiring school districts to adopt and implement a dating violence policy. The report found that while 90 percent of select district had adopted policies, there were few safety provisions provided for victims and the consequences for committing the crime at school were too general and wide-ranging.
In a report entitled "Texas School Districts' Implementation of Teen Dating Violence Legislation," Dr. Bouffard, Dr. Kathleen Fox of Arizona State University and SHSU Graduate Student Robin Jackson surveyed the 72 largest school districts within the 20 Education Service Center across Texas. Here are some of the major findings of the research.
Based on the sample, 90 percent of public school districts in Texas have adopted the basic components of the state's dating violence policy.
Many districts have a wide ranging set of consequences for dating violence on school property or at school events, ranging from reprimand to expulsion. Many districts treat the crime as general mistreatment or misconduct.
None of the districts offered safety provisions for victims, such as allowing requests for transfer from a class or campus, and one-third of the districts do not clearly indicate that students can get counseling services for the issue.
School district information on teen dating violence was generally either nonexistent or difficult to find.
The report suggests that districts develop a distinct set of consequences for dating violence that reduces the discretion of school officials and incorporate into the policy safety provisions specifically for dating violence victims that address the physical and verbal elements of the crime. Districts also should implement programs to raise awareness about the issue, such as the Safe Dates program that has been credited with reducing violence rates over time. The Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) also provides a variety of resources and a model policy to address teen dating violence (http://www.tcfv.org/resources/teen-dating-violence-policy).
###
The full copy of the report can be found at http://www.crimevictimsinstitute.org. The full study of the issue is expected to be published in an upcoming issue of Criminal Justice Policy Review.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
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Public release date: 6-Mar-2013
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