In the USA, a coalition of booksellers and online content providers approached a judge on Tuesday to ask that a new expansion to the Massachusetts state obscenity law be stopped. According to the coalition, if put into place, this new law will not only restrict what minors on the web can see, but also what adults should rightfully be able to see.</p> <p>Supporters of the expanded law say that this is the closing of a loop hole; however, content providers say that the amendments amount to what is a ?broad censorship law? that will allow the ban of any information seen as harmful to minors, including information on pregnancy, contraception, and literature which adults have a First Amendment right to see.</p> <p>According to Michael Bamberger, the plaintiff?s attorney, the way the law is written, adults would be prohibited from even speaking freely in a chat room, in fear that a minor might see it. "You have a statute here that restricts protected speech," said Bamberger.</p> <p>However Attorney General Martha Coakley, Assistant Attorney General Jessica Barnett, and state district attorneys ? named as defendants ? argue that the content providers have an ?unreasonably broad reading? of the new amendments. "Absent intent to specifically send it to a minor, there is no crime," says Barnett.</p> <p>While of course we are all for the protection of minors from harmful material and would-be predators on the web, free-speech advocates are concerned that this new law will open a door where content providers will have to pre-emptively censor themselves ?just in case?.

In response to the up-coming launch of Google?s Chrome Web Store, Mozilla, the makers of Firefox has announced a ?prototype of an Open Web App Ecosystem?, with technical documentation and key design principals put in place to define what will be known as open web apps.</p> <p>Basically, the premise behind Mozilla?s creation is that they do not want web apps to be restricted based upon store, browser or platform. Under their system, apps would be offered directly from the developer or through multiple online application stores. Not only that, Mozilla proposes that applications also be accessible across compatible mobile and desktop gadgets, devices, and operating systems. The question is, will Google play along?</p> <p>There is absolutely no doubt that today?s announcement is in direct response to the impending Chrome Web Store opening. It is also common knowledge that the relationship between Mozilla and Google have been somewhat strained since the launch of Google Chrome. With Google gaining visibility and taking more shares in the browser market, especially in the USA, the Firefox creator cannot afford to sit back while the search engine giant tries to take control of the web app ecosystem as well. And, since there is no other viable competitor, Mozilla has decided to take them on with open web apps.</p> <p>Seeing as there is no incentive for Google to endorse or support Mozilla?s Open Web App Ecosystem, we can expect the two companies to forge ahead with their own ideas with no cooperation from the other.

Earlier this year, Fionn Downhill, CEO of Elixir Interactive, ran into a problem. A supposed customer, angry with Elixir, launched an internet campaign attacking her and accusing her of stealing client money. This was put into a blog which then became the top-ranked item when the term ?Elixir Interactive? was typed into Google.</p> <p>"The person who did this knows exactly what they're doing because they knew exactly how to make this present in a very damaging way," Downhill says.</p> <p>But Downhill does not believe it was a customer at all, but rather a competitor. "If it wasn't for who we are, our reputation would have been destroyed," Downhill says. Downhill?s counter-attack consisted of creating a load of new websites which promoted positive content about the business.</p> <p>It seems that search optimisation companies ? like Elixir ? are often approached by businesses which are fraudulent in nature. According to eMarketer, a digital media research firm, search optimisation and suppression is a $2 billion industry ? with major companies like BP and Toyota spending fortunes to keep negative press hidden.</p> <p>"It is an absolute game changer, and a fundamental piece of marketing for any company out there," says Jon Kaufman, a senior VP at the Zog Media. He goes on to say that this industry is all about who controls the message.</p> <p>Ed Magedson, founder of consumer website the Ripoff Report, says the line is crossed whenever anyone messes with the free flow of information. "People don't realize they're making a deal with the devil." As for Google, they say it is okay ? creating new content to hide negative material is fair play.

In the recently-held Wales Blog Awards, blogger Ruth Davies from Court Henry won two awards ? best blog and best writing ? for her blog entitled The 7 Journey, a chronicle of her life and pain after the death of her husband Emrys.</p> <p>Mrs Davies, a public health worker, had little writing experience when she began her blog, ?I had no idea who'd read it, or whether anyone at all would read it. I knew nothing about blogs; I just knew I had to get these feelings off my chest, for my own good.?</p> <p>Ruth?s blog not only reflects the pain she continues to deal with, it also highlights some of the many good times she had during her two year relationships with Emrys.</p> <p>?It's blown me away how many people have read it, and seem to have enjoyed it; if that's the right word. As I say, I'm a bit of a technophobe, so it was only when I was nominated for the Welsh Blog Awards that I realised that you could even get stats on how many people had read your work.?</p> <p>Six thousand readers in 10 months, with people from as far away as the USA, Netherlands, and South Korea subscribing to her latest updates.</p> <p>?The most comforting thing is that, out of this horrible loss, I've been able to help other people. One woman wrote to me to tell me that I'd made her realise how short our time together really is, and that she was going to make sure she appreciated her husband more now.?

Who says staying in your pyjamas all day isn?t fashionable? Bloggers have become the new ?it? in celebrities at fashion events around the world.</p> <p>Last month, Canadian blogger and New Zealand expat Casie Stewart was flown business class from Toronto to New Zealand to attend NZ Fashion week. Considered an international VIP, Ms Stewart received celeb-like treatment ? with five star luxury accommodation, gifts, chauffeur driven luxury automobile, and the attentions of a ?personal minder?. And she is not the only one. Tavi Gevinson, a British fashion blogger, was the darling of New York fashion week, where she sat up front, was asked to share her opinion, and even given free clothes by the designers. Then there is BryanBoy, a 20-something unemployed Filipino with a readership of around a half a million. He was given prime position at Dolce & Gabbana?s Milan show.</p> <p>Although the fashion industry has been late with engaging in social media, it is now catching up; with Burberry having recently invested 40 percent of its marketing budget in online media. And, for people who are addicted to the many ready forms of instant news available online and want to stay up on the latest fashion trends, fashion blogs are just as relevant and important as newspapers, television bulletins, and online magazines.</p> <p>"I live, I love life, I blog," says Stewart of her blogging. "My site is a lifestyle blog where I promote and share a certain lifestyle that is fun, happy and often backstage or VIP."

Klout, a popular social media analytics service that helps business users determine their influence on Twitter, has now launched a new service designed to help those businesses determine their reach on Facebook.</p> <p>To determine level of influence, Klout uses various data points which they then compile into what they call a ?Klout Score?, which is intended to represent the user?s online influence and ability to compel others to action. On Twitter, Klout uses things such as retweets, number of followers, list memberships, and unique mentions to calculate a user?s ?true reach?. Now it is applying the same methodology to Facebook.</p> <p>Once connected to a Facebook account, Klout will use information like comments, friendship network, and number of likes in order to calculate the user?s influence. Calculating the data is not instantaneous; it can take up to 72 hours. This new Facebook score will then be integrated with the existing Twitter score for a single Klout Score.</p> <p>For users concerned that integrating Facebook with Twitter will lower their Klout Score, Klout says do not worry ? ?there is no risk that your Klout will go down.?</p> <p>For businesses using or considering the idea of using social media as a business marketing tool, Klout can help determine who their most influential customers are, find out who is the most influential in their industry or niche, and provide insight into who is talking about their business and brand ? all information which can be used to help drive the campaign and enhance positive communication.

There is talk that Facebook may be beta-testing a new comments system, which includes a series of new features: including user network, threaded comments, feedback rating and comment count, and ? perhaps most importantly ? comment voting. If these new features are implemented, this would be a huge step forward for Facebook comments.</p> <p>The speculation comes from the appearance of a screen shot showing some of these new features in action. The screenshot appeared on a site called ?All Facebook?; however, the exact origin of the screenshot isn?t known.</p> <p>If implemented site-wide, this new comments platform will be a great change for Facebook ? taking the current simple system and turning it into something much more advanced.</p> <p>Of key note are threaded comments and voting. By threading the comments rather than placing them in a single column, Facebook is encouraging further interaction between individuals who are not necessarily ?friends?, an activity which falls perfectly in line with Facebook?s goals. The voting system, which will give users the ability to rate both positively and negatively, goes a long way to satisfying Facebook user?s cry for an ?unlike? button as well as serve as a useful way to moderate comments, if/when Facebook decides to add a moderation system. All of these things, while great for individual users, will be a boon for Facebook business users ? further increasing its attractiveness as a marketing and communications platform.</p> <p>Because we are uncertain of the origin of the screenshot, we cannot say with certainty when, or even if, these new features will be implemented. But we hope so.

According to a recent report by SearchIgnite, a paid search optimisation solutions provider located in Atlanta, Georgia, the amount US companies spend on paid search advertisement has increased by almost 6% year-over-year, with Google commanding the lion?s share with 80.2% of the US PPC advertising spend.</p> <p>The report also indicates that the new Bing-Yahoo! alliance is serving Bing well, with speculation that the search engine is set to become a viable competitor in the future.</p> <p>The amount spent on PPC search in the USA over the third quarter increased 5.8% year-over-year. This is in contrast to last year, which showed flat growth. Month-over-month analysis also shows that the growth is picking up, boding well for fourth quarter figures: with July up by 4.9%, August up by 5.8%, and September up by 6.7%.</p> <p>While click-through rates have increased for PPC adverts served on the combined Bing-Yahoo! search, SearchIgnite?s report shows that the ads delivered by Bing show minimum cost-per-click inflation; and the company doesn?t expect this to change in future.</p> <p>The report, which was based upon data collected from 1 January 2006 through 30 September 2010, tracked over 55 billion impressions and over 1 billion clicks on Bing, Yahoo!, and Google.</p> <p>Google, founded in 1998, provides search and advertising services amongst other things. Bing is a Microsoft product which was officially announced in May last year. Yahoo is a US-based company founded 1994 and SearchIgnite, founded in 2004, is one of the USA?s leading providers of search optimisation and reporting solutions.

Andrew Marr, one of the BBC?s most recognisable faces, has told the Cheltenham Literary Festival that bloggers are ?inadequate, pimpled, and single? ? dismissing citizen journalism as the ?spewings and rantings of very drunk people late at night.? This is in contrast to the Associated Press? recent press release stating that its journalists should consider bloggers as reputable news sources and give them credit when and where due.</p> <p>Marr, a British journalist and political commentator who currently presents BBC1?s Sunday morning offering The Andrew Marr Show says that while blogging is ?fantastic at time? it ?is not going to replace journalism.? He goes on to say,</p> <p>?Most of the blogging is too angry and too abusive. Terrible things are said online because they are anonymous. People say things online that they wouldn't dream of saying in person.?</p> <p>Nick Robinson, Mr Marr?s successor as BBC?s political editor has also been heard criticising blogging, in particular, the comments section. He says he has stopped reading most comments on his blog because of the low tone and quality. "It's a waste of my time," he said, adding that comments were full of people who have "already made their minds up, to abuse me, to abuse each other, or abuse a politician."</p> <p>BBC?s website currently has almost 100 blogs where it tells readers to have their say on a wide-variety of topics. It will be interesting to see what effect Mr Marr?s comments at Cheltenham will have, if any at all.

Market analysts K2 Advisory has published their findings from research conducted earlier this year concerning businesses and the way they use social media to market and engage customers and its relationship to human resources. The results, provided in a report entitled, ?the Digital Workplace: Preparing for the 2020 Workplace?, give insight into how actively and successfully businesses are using social media.</p> <p>Key findings include:</p> <p>More than two-thirds of the marketing professionals surveyed during the study consider their social media campaigns to be successful. This is in contrast to continuing media reports that social media is being poorly managed by most sectors.</p> <p>Over the next 12 months, 82% of those surveyed plan to increase their use of social media. However, of that 82%, only 50% believe their IT departments are capable of providing the support necessary to fully take advantage of social media marketing opportunities. They go on to say that both the IT departments and human resources take a closed door approach to social media ? creating a no-cross barrier between intent and capability.</p> <p>This anti-social media mind set is confirmed by the findings, with 37% of organisations stating that they actively block access to external social media sites.</p> <p>The report goes on to suggest that use of work-from-home staff and mobile marketing strategies makes practical and financial sense. Recommendations include collaborating with IT and HR departments to improve social media policies, training in proper use of social media, and revised technology requirements for staff members.