Facebook has managed to attract over 400 million users over the years and the world?s largest social networking site seems to be popular among all generations. Nothing demonstrates this better than the bizarre story that made headlines this week of a 16 year old boy who decided to sue his own mother, for allegedly breaking in to his Facebook account and posting dubious messages and status updates on his wall. According the charges officially brought up against Denise New, the 16 year old boy?s mother accessed her son?s Facebook account, read confidential messages, posted slanderous comments to the site and then changed the real user?s password, in order to ensure that he can no longer use the popular social networking tool. Mrs. New believes that her actions are entirely in line with what anyone could expect of a dutiful, responsible mother, who simply wants to look out for her son.</p> <p>But Arkansas state prosecutors seem to agree that Mrs. New has victimized her own teenaged son. As such, authorities decided to charge the 42 year old mother with harassment. Mrs. New, however, maintains that she first became concerned with her son?s safety and seemingly reckless habits, after he admitted to driving at 95 miles per hour, following a heated exchange with his girlfriend. Mrs. New believes that if it is socially acceptable for mothers to rummage through their son?s bedroom, in order to uncover signs of harmful activities, then this right extends to Facebook and other online interactions as well. The 16 year old boy has since moved in with his grandparents?who now have custody?and has presumably managed to reconnect with his Facebook friends.

One of the easiest ways to tell a pro-Twitter user from a complete amateur is if his/her profile is adorned with a unique picture, or if it still has the generic avatar that the micro-blogging site provides by default to all who sign up. HubSpot, a marketing software manufacturer, noted that having a profile picture is especially important for companies or individuals who use Twitter to market their services and specialties, or keep in touch with their client base. In fact, HubSpot conducted a survey of how people and businesses make use of Twitter and found that those with profile pictures attracted nearly ten times more followers than people who simply kept the default avatar. While the average Twitter user with a profile picture had approximately 260 followers, those without an image only boasted between 30 and 40 followers.</p> <p>HubSpot believes that not having a photo is an obvious sign of unprofessionalism and a lack of experience in the micro-blogging world. But there are other tips that businesses with Twitter accounts should follow, in order to make most effective use of this important piece of Web 2.0 technology. Most importantly, tweets should include a mix of humour, clever phrases and captivating links, in order to lend credibility to one?s Twitter profile, rather than simply tweeting about the mundane. Social media experts also suggest that Twitter users carefully modify their profile?s meta-tags and meta-data. For example, always enter a company or individual?s full name in the title tag field and be sure to write a compelling biography. The bio displayed on each profile page is picked up by Google and used as the page?s description whenever it comes up in search results.

According to a BBC report, Israel is relying heavily on Facebook to recruit collaborators and spies in Gaza and the West Bank. The use of Facebook, and other social networking sites, has increased dramatically in the overpopulated and poverty-stricken Gaza Strip, with the most avid Palestinian Facebook enthusiasts spending up to 10 hours a day on the site. In fact, internet cafes are increasingly packed with young Palestinians, who have signed up to Facebook. But it now appears as though Israel is enticing some of them to serve as informants and provide important data from inside one of the most dangerous places in the world. Yet anyone caught spying for Israel through Facebook or by other means can expect much more than just a slap on the wrist. Gaza?s Hamas government has announced that it would summarily execute anyone convicted of espionage.</p> <p>Ehab al-Hussein, a spokesperson for the Interior ministry in the Gaza Strip, confirmed that Facebook has become a major tool in the world of espionage and that Israel is using social networking sites to recruit and to keep in touch with informants. In other cases, Facebook simply serves as a source of rich personal information and agents regularly visit the profiles of suspected militants, or their close family and friends.</p> <p>Ronen Bergman, a prominent expert in intelligence and espionage, noted that the internet and social networking sites play a key role in the work of most major security organizations. In fact, Berman went on to say that the electronic and internet-based technology used by Israel would even ?put to shame? the most iconic James Bond films.

Venezuelans have spent the last 10 years living under the shadow of their socialist and authoritarian president, Hugo Chavez, and over the decade dissent, criticism and free speech has been severely curbed. But a growing number of human rights campaigners and victims of Chavez?s iron-fisted rule are turning to Twitter, in order to spread their opposition to the regime and call for greater freedom and liberal democracy. Not least of these campaigners has been a judge who was recently thrown into jail by the Chavez administration, who caused a stir by tweeting directly from his prison cell. Over 8.8 million Venezuelans have regular internet access, and while traditional forms of communication?such as television, radio and newspapers?may be heavily controlled by authorities, Venezuela has not been able to censor Web 2.0 technology</p> <p>The number of Venezuelans with Twitter accounts has increased by a dramatic 1,000% in just one year and now stands at over 200,000. In fact, according to a Reuters reports, this authoritarian country is more connected to the micro-blogging site than most other nations in Central and South America. All of the 10 most popular and widely read Twitter feeds are distinctly anti-Chavez and all demand much greater freedom. But the Chavez opposition has left a mark internationally as well, when the forced closure of a major private television channel by the government became the fourth most popular topic around the globe on the micro-blogging site.</p> <p>Not surprisingly, Chavez is furious about his Twitter opposition and the authoritarian socialist president intends to do something about it. Chavez believes that Web 2.0 technology is a ?battle trench? and has appropriately set up his own Twitter account, where he refers to his followers as ?soldiers.? Venezuela?s embrace of Twitter shows how fast micro-blogging is growing in importance, even in the developing world.

Social networking enthusiasts are cheering the world?s first ?Facebook baby? after Canadian parents turned to the popular website when choosing a name for their unborn child. A couple from Ontario are awaiting the birth of their fourth child and with less than four weeks to go, they asked Facebook users to provide them with suggestions for what to name their baby. Jenn Marsh, a professional photographer, soon faced an avalanche of over 500 comments and suggestions posted to Facebook on the best name for her child. Marsh told The Globe and Mail newspaper that many of the names were highly creative and unique, and she is overwhelmed by the fact that so many Facebook users responded with interest to her unconventional request. But Marsh did help entice people to join her curious Facebook venture with a proposition that appealed to hundreds of users.</p> <p>The couple decided that the best way to reward the Facebook friend who provides the winning name was for the professional photographer and young mother to offer the lucky winner a free photo shoot and $50 worth of prints. But Facebook users are not having an easy time providing the most appealing names, considering that the Canadian couple refuses to tell their online friends and follower?s their baby?s gender. As such, both male and female names keep coming in, including highly popular ones like, such as Charlotte, Oliver, Heidi and Cruz.</p> <p>But Jenn Marsh is probably using Facebook for more than just selecting her baby?s name or making hundreds of new online friends. Marsh has realized that Facebook is a great way to promote PhotoJennic, her photography company, and her business will likely attract many extra clients after this unique online venture.

Iconic pop singer Ricky Martin has decided to use Twitter, the world?s largest micro-blogging site, to tell all of his fans that he is gay. The singer posted a simple, straightforward tweet and then a blog posted on his own website in both English and Spanish, in which he noted that he is a ?fortunate homosexual man.? Rumours about Martin?s sexual preferences have long circulated in tabloid newspapers, but Twitter users and readers of his blog were the first to see this successful 38 year star come out of the closet. Ricky Martin has two young children, and the pop icon claims that his kids were the ones who gave him the strength and inspiration to admit his sexuality to the world.</p> <p>Many people often wondered why Ricky Martin was so coy about his sexuality and why he continuously refused to address the rumours in his interviews, including a tough one-on-one with US television host Barbara Walters. Martin used his personal blog to explain that he was told by friends and confidants that coming out of the closet might jeopardize his singing career.</p> <p>Twitter was apparently much better able to handle the onslaught of interest that Martin?s coming out generated than his own blog. While the star?s personal website crashed under the weight of tens of thousands of visitors , this piece of celebrity news spread like wildfire on Twitter, with hundreds of followers posting supportive comments. But Martin is going to be doing a lot more writing than simply firing off tweets to his followers. The star?s Twitter announcement is likely to serve as much needed publicity for his soon-to-be published autobiographical book.

The Canadian Royal Mounted Police (RCMP) is famous for the bright red uniforms worn by its members, but one officer is making much less savoury headlines, after posting lewd updates on his Facebook profile. The Vancouver Sun and the Nanaimo Daily News both reported on the scandal, but neither paper disclosed the officer?s name. According to reports, the RCMP officer used Facebook to muse about how he would ?drop kick all the drunk idiots? out celebrating on St. Patrick?s Day, and how he wanted to ?catch a ginger.? But the officer?s Facebook status updates only got worse and his superiors have now launched an internal investigation into this faux pas.</p> <p>The 26 year old officer posted lewd Facebook updates on the physical features of many of the women he arrested and this in particular caused Annie Linteau, the local RCMP division?s spokeswoman, to speak out and note that such conduct was unbecoming of a peace officer. Linteau noted that police officers must always remember to remain fully professional, even if they are posting messages on their Facebook profile, as this can often be read by the public. The officer in question now faces potential dismissal from the RCMP.</p> <p>But the current scandal raises questions about Facebook privacy, and what employees can or cannot write on their private profiles, and in their own time. The unnamed officer told journalists that he now agrees that what he posted on Facebook reflected a lack of judgment on his part. But he did add that his job as an RCMP officer is very stressful and dangerous at times, and that using social networking sites to engage in harmless banter with friends is one way for him to wind down after a difficult day.

Over the past months, Twitter had been the target of a long list of hackers. But one of the most prominent trouble-makers on the micro-blogging site was arrested by French police earlier this week, after breaking into the accounts of celebrities and major corporations. ?Hacker Croll? is reportedly a 25 year old unemployed man who still lived at home in his parents? house and clearly had a lot of extra time on his hands. Recently, the hacker managed to break into US President Barack Obama?s Twitter account and also interrupted Britney Spears and Lilly Allen in their micro-blogging efforts. French police reportedly cooperated with the FBI in tracking down the prominent Twitter hacker, but authorities provided little concrete information into how Hacker Croll managed to break into so many popular accounts.</p> <p>French police believe that the 25 year old hacker may have simply guessed the passwords of prominent users as part of a bet with friends. Hacker Croll also made sure to leave a mark each time he broke into the micro-blogging site and police believe that this is indicative of the ?arrogance? demonstrated by most hackers, who want to take credit for their feat. But Hacker Croll?s mischievous Twitter activities may very well cost his dearly. Under French law, hacking carries sentences of two years for each count and the Twitter hacker has broken into dozens of micro-blogging accounts. The incidence also raises questions about what security measures the White House might take in the future, to ensure that sensitive information cannot be gleaned by breaking into Obama?s Twitter profile.

Parents and teachers have long been worried that encouraging teenagers to blog about their thoughts and lifestyles might lead to the glorification of misbehaviour, but research conducted by Ohio State University suggest that getting youth to write blogs can actually be therapeutic for troubled teens. Dawn Anderson-Butcher, a social work professor at Ohio State, discovered that most teens wrote blogs to develop a sense of community among their peers and that rather than blogging about misbehaviour, the vast majority wrote about entirely innocuous subjects, such as attending church service with their families, the challenges of school assignments and extra-curricular activities, like sports and the performing arts. These research conclusions dismiss previously held assumptions that teens would naturally want to blog about anti-social behaviour, including drugs or alcohol use.</p> <p>When teens did use their blogs to complain, the vast majority did not gripe about their parents, teachers or schools. In fact, 65% complained most about boredom. Anderson-Butcher pointed out that teens were most likely to be bored between 3pm and 6pm, as they would have finished school by then, but their parents may not have arrived home from work. The social work professor noted that these three hours presented the greatest opportunity for teens to get involved in risky activities including drugs and alcohol, but it seems as though blogging during these hours may actually be serving as an innocuous pastime.</p> <p>The most popular topics among teens that write blogs included playing or reviewing video games, the discussion of television shows, after-school activities, such as dance practice or sports teams and accounts based on participation in church youth groups.

German and Swiss privacy commissioners are getting ready to challenge Facebook?s use of private information and this could dramatically alter the way in which 400 million users throughout the world use the popular social networking sites. According to an Associated Press report, Swiss and German authorities are concerned by the fact that Facebook allows users to upload photos and videos of other private individuals, without first obtaining their consent. Even more troublesome is the possibility of tagging photos of people who do not even have a Facebook account. There are also signs that the 27 nation European Union may closely scrutinize the practice of allowing users to upload third party personal information to the social networking site. But if European privacy commissioners force Facebook to restrict users from posting photos without first obtaining the explicit consent of those portrayed in these images, the EU may find itself in an unpleasant row with President Barack Obama?s administration.</p> <p>The US and the European Union seem to have markedly different views when it comes to online privacy. American privacy watchdogs do not believe that the onus is on Facebook to monitor and censor content posted by individual users, in order to ensure that they have the consent of third parties. The Obama administration is likely to side with Facebook if a conflict erupts between the social networking site and European officials, considering that the White House has a very close relationship with Web 2.0 companies and the technology sector in general.</p> <p>Yet there are signs that Facebook may be willing to accommodate some European concerns, although the firm has not yet responded to a letter by a German privacy commissioner informing it that the site does not confirm to EU norms. In Spain, however, Facebook did raise the minimum age of membership to 14 years, after the Spanish government expressed concern about young children using the site.