Mainstream media now has competition with alternative news sites, as do governments.

People voice their opinions or share what they believe to be fact, whether it be in comments, on social networking sites, or in blog posts.

Anyone can be a broadcaster of sorts.

Today’s Lesson

The article titled, Secret Media War of 2012 states, in part,

Throughout the heyday of print media and radio and recently, even cable news, the job of the press has been to manipulate and control public opinion as well as voting blocks. The elites bought and controlled most media outlets and developed and promoted a controlled political opposition, on both the left and the right, that allowed them to set the parameters for discussion and debate.

That’s true. News, as well as other information, used to be (and in some cases, still is) manipulated and does not necessarily consider what’s in the best interest for the public.

Before the internet, all we had were TV channels, radio and print media to depend on and what we believed was often based on limited information.

In fact, if those in powerful positions didn’t want us to know additional facts, they weren’t published.

No one was the wiser.

Until today.

With the advent of blogs and social networking sites, the doors to information from all sources are now open and although at times it may feel like we’re being bombarded with too much data. we can pick and choose what to believe.

WE can make up our own mind, and not feel like we’re being brainwashed; not feel like we don’t have access to all of the facts.

Additionally, as bloggers, we have more information at our fingertips. More arguments to make. More ways to inform our readers.

And although we’re not technically journalists, we can broadcast newsworthy stories or share posts which can help others in unimaginable ways whether we have one reader or a million.

Today’s Assignment

Do you realize what you post can, and does have an impact on others?

Do you feel like a newscaster, or do you think what you publish is unimportant?

Care to share?

~Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Nowadays, this quote has been changed to “The keyboard is more powerful than a gun. “, which to me means, some of the words which are posted online (or in texts and emails), can, in some instances, hurt another person so badly, they decide to end their life.

When I hear stories of children committing suicide because they were bullied, it breaks my heart.

Because of words, and possibly the inability to defend themselves, the self esteem of these children ended up in the toilet and they (probably) felt like life wasn’t worth living. Maybe they felt worthless. Or felt they were a burden on society. That no one cared about them. Maybe they didn’t feel loved, wanted, needed and/or heard.

Because I haven’t walked in their shoes, I can’t say exactly why a child would take their own life, but the world won’t be the same without them. They will be missed.

Today’s Lesson

Cyber bullying is on the rise and as more young people sign on to social networking sites or start blogging, the problems will undoubtedly escalate.

Cyber bullying won’t go away, but it can be minimized.

When I analyze social networking sites and blogs, I see how problems can emerge.

Let’s look at Facebook. They utilize a “like” button and label those we communicate with with as “friends”.

Most adults can differentiate between real friends and online friends, but can children?

We enjoy the “like” button as it’s a quick and easy way to give a thumbs up to what others are sharing, but children may feel if no one “likes” what they post, then they’re not liked either.

Sites like Twitter with their “followers” and Google Plus with their “circles” use different terminology, but it still comes down to who “accepts our request(s)” and follows us back. Who likes us, so to speak.

It also makes me wonder if bloggers contribute to the problem.

In my travels around the blogosphere, I’ve seen where some blog authors let their commenters rate other comments as “winner”, “loser”, “spam”, and “like”. Although this gives others a chance to quickly share what they think of other comments, it also lets fellow bloggers be the judge and jury.

Instead of verbally disagreeing with the opinions of others, we can instantly place a virtual “loser” stamp on the comment/author.

If children observe adults doing this, might we be teaching them to do the same? To label others?

Although some will say it’s solely the parent’s job to be a good role model and monitor what a child does online, a parent cannot realistically be with a child 24/7. Plus, even if we are doing everything right to raise well balanced, self confident children, a child is more apt to listen to the words of their peers rather than those from a parent.

With cyber bullying, it’s words which are killing or negatively affecting our young people. Words which hurt. Words which others don’t take responsibility for. Words which are often published in haste.

I wish I had a sure-fire way to stop cyber bullying, but I don’t.

What I do have though, is a blog; a place where I can ask you for your suggestions.

Today’s Assignment

How do you think we can help solve the cyber bullying problem?

Care to share?

Cyber bullying resources:

• Stop Bullying
• AFT.org – Anti-bullying tools for teachers
• NEA – Bully Free Schools
• Canadian Resources for Anti-Bullying
• StopCyberBullying.org
• Kids Health Online Magazine
• Article from iSafe on Cyber Bullies (pdf)
• Cyber Bully Help – a site dedicated to cyber bullying

With the introduction of social networking sites such as MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin, plus with us posting to our blogs; what we feel, what we think, what sites we link to and what we believe, is no longer being viewed by just a select few but possibly by “private eye” type companies hired by potential future employers, or even our current employer, to spy on us.

Today’s Lesson

Although Google and Facebook are usually the spots where potential employers or clients look for information about us, if a professional social networking surveillance company is hired, no stone goes unturned.

Take, for example, Social Intelligence Corp (a division of RivData), who describe what they do as follows:

Social Intelligence Corp solely generates reports based on employer pre-defined criteria, both positive and negative. Negative examples include racist remarks or activities, sexually explicit photos or videos, and illegal activity such as drug use. Positive examples include charitable or volunteer efforts, participation in industry blogs, and external recognition.

Companies like this will find all of our blog posts, comments we left on other blogs, links we like, tweets on Twitter and posts on Facebook. Although we can delete some of the derogatory statements/photographs, if we’re in the job pool/market now, it may be too late.

Knowing this is happening can raise fear in bloggers. In fact, we may become so fearful, we either don’t start a blog or if we do, we become blogging sheeple, never expressing our true beliefs, but instead “playing nice” and acting like we don’t have a backbone. If it appears we don’t have an opinion or are wishy-washy on most topics, that could be construed to mean we cannot make decisions. Even small ones.

On the other hand, if we’re outspoken and share views that go against what a potential employer or client is looking for, would we be a good match for them anyway? And…would we even want to work for a company/client who isn’t accepting of opposing views?

I know some of you will say, “I’ll just blog/tweet/Facebook and use a pseudonym (fake name). That way I can say whatever I want”. In actuality that could hurt us. In the event our goal is to build up a clientele or develop a digital footprint which will benefit us in the future, all of the work we’ve done using the pseudonym could be wasted. Plus, not showing any online activity could appear suspicious.

Building a digital footprint and being aware of the breadcrumbs we leave on the world wide web can be daunting, however if done right, it could lead to great success and/or that dream job.

What say you?

Today’s Assignment

If your online activity was investigated, how would you score?

Based on your digital footprint, if you were in the market for an assistant, would you hire you?

Care to share?

For links to other posts on this topic, check out:

1. Do You Pass the Social Media Recruitment Test? (Mashable)
2. Social Media and Employment Law: Six Things You Need To Know (Monster Thinking)
3. Yes, Virginia, HR Execs Check Your Facebook Page (Gigaom)
4. Pre-employment Social Media Screening Deemed Legal, posted on Reppler, which is,

…a social media monitoring service designed to keep your social reputation clean and safe.

Photo Credit: Felipe Venâncio

Facebook and Twitter are about communicating and people want to be heard.

Today’s Lesson

Blogging is the same.

Many bloggers will admit their real life friends don’t understand blogging, nor do they have an interest in what we’re blogging about.

Real life friends may think blogging is silly, a passing fad or even a waste of time.

But bloggers know, with having a blog, comes an audience whom we believe are interested in what we publish.

Via comments they validate us or expand on the topic and carry the discussion further.

It feels good to know we’re being heard.

In real life, where others seem to be consumed with their own lives, we may not get that. Hence, our blog becomes our voice.

It’s no wonder when our real life friends do read our blogs or the comments we’ve left elsewhere, they’ll often say, “I didn’t know that about you.”

Today’s Assignment

If a friend or family member read your blog or a comment you left on another site, would they be surprised and find out more about you and your interests?

Care to share?

For those who spend most of their time in the blogosphere, on cell phones and social networking sites, it would be huge.

We’re discussing what happened in Egypt – how the internet was “killed”. How cell phone companies were ordered to shut down service.

Within a very short period, many were silenced.

Temporarily.

Today’s Lesson

Egypt isn’t the only country which has tampered with internet usage. Other countries regularly ban sites from internet users, sometimes erase derogatory comments about “the powers that be” and even go as far as shutting down sites.

In most parts of the world we have freedom of speech, however, if an emergency were to arise, what happened in Egypt could happen anywhere.

I don’t know about you, but I rely on the internet for a lot.

I take it for granted that the internet will always be there.

For my blogs I use a plugin for automatic backups and the information is sent to my email address. Sometimes I save the file to my hard drive, sometimes I don’t.

I have my favorite blogs I visit. I don’t know the URL for each one, but my (online) RSS feed does.

I have other sites which help me in other aspects of my life. I rely on my (online) Bookmarks to record them.

I can recall a few email addresses, but isn’t that what an online email address book is for?

My social networking sites keep a list of my friends and followers so I feel no need to memorize their user names.

Some of my passwords are written down, but some are “remembered” (online) from previous visits.

When I think about it, if the internet was “killed”, I’d be scrambling.

I might even panic.

But, it’s my fault.

I’ve put too much trust into an inanimate object which could be taken away in the blink of an eye.

How about you?

Today’s Assignment

If someone pulled the “kill switch” on the internet, how would you react?

How much of your reference or backup material would be lost?

Or have you planned ahead?

Care to share?

References used to prepare this post:

Egypt Cuts Off Most Internet and Cell Service
Egypt Leaders Found ‘Off’ Switch for Internet
Obama Can Shut Down Internet For Four Months Under New Emergency Powers
“Internet ‘kill switch’ bill will return”
Decentralizing the Internet So Big Brother Can’t Find You
Freedom Box Foundation
Wikipedia – Internet Censorship
Wikipedia – Electronic Police State
Wikipedia – Computer Surveillance

In the United States for example, under the Communications Assistance For Law Enforcement Act, all phone calls and broadband internet traffic (emails, web traffic, instant messaging, etc.) are required to be available for unimpeded real-time monitoring by Federal law enforcement agencies.[2][3][4]