Social Networking Journal

MySpace Launches New Application Gallery

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MySpace has launched a new applications gallery. The new gallery is stocked with over 1,000 new applications that are made specifically for MySpace users to post in their profiles.

Steve Pearman, MySpace vice president of product strategy, said at the O’Reilly Web 2.0 Expo here that the content of the gallery was driven by user requests for rich applications that provide an engaging experience and include strong privacy protections and insulation from spam.

“What’s been launched is a direct reflection of these desires,” he said. “That whole project has been driven by user input on what they want out of our apps. You have to check your ego at the door. It is not about what we want. It is about what the community needs.”

If you have a MySpace account, you can jump right over to the new Apps Gallery, and start adding applications instantly.

Expect the Gallery to grow a lot in coming months, as MySpace pushes the new service.

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Facebook Photo Lands Israeli Soldier In Jail

Social networks are becoming more a part of everyone’s lives, even in sometimes deleterious ways. The soldier did something that millions of people do everyday, he posted his photo on the popular FaceBook website. The difference for him, is that he works for the IDF, and is supposed to keep his identity hidden.

Reports in the Jerusalem Post claim that the soldier came from the elite 8200 military intelligence unit of the IDF, which specialises in encryption and military information.

He was jailed for taking a photo inside the base, something the IDF is cracking down on.

According to the paper the IDF now has a unit which trawls through Facebook and other social networking sites to find pictures that should not have been posted.

The soldier will spend 19 days in jail as a result of his lapse in judgement.

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MySpace Launches Election Hub

With the upcoming elections not that far off, MySpace recently announced that they launched an election hub for members of their community to use.

Along with MSNBC, MySpace members can access the latest political news, watch videos and participate in discussions about Presidential candidates and political issues. Users can also upload their own content to the site.

If you’d like to use MySpace’s election hub, it can be accessed at Decision ‘08.

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Social Networking Takes On Malaria

Social networking isn’t just something for entertainment. One social network has decided to use their
networking abilities to battle against Malaria - a deadly disease that’s spread by pesky mosquitoes.

Malaria Engage is accepting donations to help select scientists in developing countries learn more and battle against the disease.

“It’s shocking that thousands of people are dying every day from a preventable disease. When I came back from Africa last summer, a lot of people asked me what they can do to help. By encouraging individual participation and involvement, we will create international communities of common interest.” said Tom Hadfield, one of the team members involved with the site.

There are seven different fields of study and a donation of $10 or more will go a long way. Hadfield also stated that he’s hoping to spread word about Malaria Engage to Facebook and other social networking sites to help raise awareness (and cash) for his cause.

This is one disease that kills far too many people on a daily basis and it’s great to see that someone is trying to help with prevention, cure and awareness.

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Irish Inmate Loves Bebo

There’s nothing great about being locked up. Well, almost nothing. For one inmate, the fact he can use Bebo to talk to others is a big
bonus. The trouble is, prison officials are not sure how he used his Bebo profile to talk to others, and are quite sure it’s not allowed.

Pictured on his Bebo page while smiling from the comfort of his prison cell and with a mobile phone placed on his chest, the prisoner has logged on to chat with friends several times in the last two weeks and has been uploading photos of himself and fellow inmates flexing their muscles for the camera.

On his personal Bebo page he urges friends and other online users to help him pass his time in incarceration by leaving messages for his attention.

“Come on everybody,” he writes. “Don’t be shy. Leave a message when you drop into my profile.”

Apparently the man’s laid back attitude has Irish Prison officials convinced he’s sending the wrong message to outsiders. The fact that people jailed in Irish prisons are using cell phones to access the internet, plan crimes, and communicate with others is a growing concern in the nation.

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Bebo Announces American Contestant For ‘The Gap Years’

Congratulations to Cara Cioni from Chicago, Illinois. She has been selected as the American contestant for Bebo and Endemol’s upcoming reality show “The Gap Years.”

“The Gap Years” will follow 6 travelers as they journey around the world. 40 million members of the Bebo community will determine their fate.

Andre Tardiff was chosen as the Canadian contestant. Winners from the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia will be named in upcoming weeks.

“Self expression, community and discovering new experiences are the heart of what Bebo is all about, and Cara is the perfect representation of all these values — we wish her the best of luck as she sets out on her global adventure,” said Joanna Shields, President at Bebo. “The Gap Year
will be the first truly interactive reality series, adding another engaging and fun component to the Bebo user experience — the chance to interact and steer the fate of six travelers as they encounter exciting adventures around the world.”

They’ll visit places like the Burning Man Festival, Machu Picchu, Peru, Iceland and Russia.. just to name a few destinations.

The Gap year will be filmed in 2008 and will air exclusively on Bebo.com

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“Sofia’s Diary” Makes Transition From Bebo To TV

“Sofia’s Diary” is getting a lot of attention for the simple fact they’ve successfully made the transition from “social networking phenomena” to mainstream television show.

“Sofia’s Diary,” is already a hit in the U.K. and for social networking site Bebo. Bebo actually commissioned the British version of the show. That’s the version that will air on Five’s hip digital channel, Fiver.

Joanna Shields from Bebo was elated about the news.

“This news represents a milestone for television broadcasting. Fiver’s enthusiasm for ‘Sofia’s Diary’ shows that it wants to play a role pioneering the next stage of entertainment,” she said.

For more information: Sofia’s Diary.

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13 Year Old “Bebo Whore” Sexually Assaulted

A 13 year old girl who was a member of Bebo appears to have been sexually attacked after making a post where she labeled herself a “whore.” The crime occured in Nuneaton, Warwickshire last Friday evening.

Sources say she jokingly described herself as a ‘whore’ and made herself out to be older than she was.

The term ‘Bebo whore’ is often used on the web to describe someone who “acts like a whore” to bring attention to their Bebo account, according to an online dictionary of internet phrases.

The Urban Dictionary defines a Bebo whore as “users who have lots of slutty pictures and add lots of people they don’t know to their friends’ list to make them look popular.

Whether this is the main reason for the attack remains to be seen. A 19 year old man is being sought in the case. As always, this story illustrated the importance of safeguarding personal information on Social Networking websites.

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MySpace Music Goes After iTunes

Apple has been having too easy of a time of it in the last few years, so it’s not surprising that a number of companies have their products in mind for serious competition. iTunes has been a particular flagship of Apple for years now, revolutionizing how people accessed music. The new MySpace Music will be a direct competitor for Apple iTunes, and one with a ton of clout. MySpace truly does have the dominant music-based website, so it was only a matter of time until someone leveraged the the power of their network of music makers and consumers.

Some in the music industry think it has long been time for a change.

“We believe that one of the greatest growth opportunities for our industry is to develop new partnerships and models focused on unlocking the value of music in the online community space,” said Edgar Bronfman Jr., chairman/CEO of Warner Music Group.

Right now, MySpace is dominant in the online music community space, with an audience that constantly seeks new music. MySpace hopes their DRM-free downloads will compel them to purchase songs, rather than bootleg them.

MySpace Music will be closely scrutinized in the next few months. It could be the next step in the evolution of the music industry.

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Saudi Arabian Woman Beaten To Death By Father For Using FaceBook

A Saudi Arabian woman has been beaten to death by her father. Apparently the woman was chatting with a man she met on Facebook, when the father came into the room. Enraged, he beat her until she was dead, according to the al-Arabiya website.

The death actually occurred in August of 2007, but only recently came to light when a firebrand Saudi cleric mentioned the case during one of his speeches. Ali al-Maliki, who is a vocal opponent of FaceBook said: “Facebook is a door to lust and young women and men are spending more on their mobile phones and the Internet than they are spending on food”.

He recommends that women be entirely banned from the social network.

Some are worried that the entire nation will soon block FaceBook.

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