Klout – Who Has It?

Several months ago, I was urged by friends in the social media world to join Klout. It’s a website that tells you who you are “influencing,” and there are perks that sometimes give you free items like crackers or coffee.

I went to the website and was all set to sign up, as I’m always interested in new social media tools. But then I saw something. At the time, and it has since changed, Klout said that it could access my direct messages (read: not public messages) on Twitter. I stopped in my tracks.

My question was, “Why does Klout need to see those?”

So I never signed up.

In the past two days, I have seen a fury of Twitter updates, LinkedIn messages and Facebook posts about how Klout has changed its algorithm and people’s scores have dropped. My first response was, “I didn’t realize we were back in high school.” My second response was, “I don’t even know what my score was before, so I really don’t care now.”

Then I came across a blog post from Tonia Ries on The Realtime Report. In it she explains that although her son has a fairly locked down Facebook page, because he commented on one of her Facebook updates, suddenly he was listed on Klout as someone she influenced.

As you can imagine, this outraged her and she suggested people disconnect their Klout profile from their Facebook profile, as it was clear to her that Klout was grabbing data from Facebook.

All of it makes me glad that I never signed up in the first place. And that’s not to say I know there is data about me floating all around the interwebs, but at least this is one more place where it’s not.

Or so I think.

My questions to you are: Have you signed up for Klout? Did you see your score drop? Do you care?

What Does Bad Grammar Kill?

I don’t think this post needs words:

Thank you, Mr. Jobs

I never met Steve Jobs, but he has had a big impact on my life. He died today at the age of 56 from pancreatic cancer — a type of cancer that has taken too many people from my life.

As I sat at my Mac and received updates via my iPhone, I went to apple.com. This is what I found. Perhaps one of the classiest things I have ever seen a company do.

Thank you, Mr. Steve Jobs. You were one-of-a-kind. You will not be forgotten.

Differences – And Similarities? – Between Italian and US Courtrooms

I was watching the coverage of the Amanda Knox appeal today and at one point after it was announced the verdict had been overturned, a commentator from CNN was walking the audience through the differences between Italian courts and US courts.

He mentioned the difference of how judges are appointed, how juries are chosen, and in a closing statement, before sending it back to Wolf Blitzer, he mentioned how there was a crucifix hanging from the wall in the Italian court.

I asked the question on my Facebook wall, “A CNN commentator just pointed out a crucifix on the wall in the Amanda Knox Italian courtroom saying US courtrooms don’t have religious symbols on the wall. Do you think the motto “In God We Trust” that adorns many courtroom walls falls under that symbol?”

I’d be interested in hearing your point of view. Please add it in the comment section here or on my Facebook wall.

Paying For News – Who Does It?

Last week, Jeff Fager, the executive producer for 60 Minutes spoke at the Excellence in Journalism Conference in New Orleans. Among other things, he declared that CBS News is not going to pay for content. He went on to say, “If there’s ever any suggestion that we have to pay for something we just walk away and find another story.”

Almost exactly a week later, on 60 Minutes, a story aired about two sister cities in California and Japan and their connection before and after the tsunami that hit the region in Japan in March 2011.

In the piece, Bob Simon reports, “At our invitation, she came back to Otsuchi…” He was talking about a woman from Fort Bragg, California going to visit the sister city of  Otsuchi, Japan.

Does the invitation include having expenses paid? A tweet directly to 60 Minutes, as well as an open question via Twitter went unanswered.

Anyone have the answer?

What’s Been Accomplished This Year

On my birthday, I wrote a post titled, “Hopes & Wishes For The Year Coming.” In it I outlined what I hoped to accomplish this year. Now, more than six months later, let’s evaluate where we are:

1. Give blood on a regular basis again — DEPENDS ON WHAT COUNTS
2. Volunteer at least once a month — WORKING ON IT
3. Work out more (or at all) — I WAS!
4. Visit new places — already have New Orleans and Florida on the list — I DID AND THEY WERE GREAT! A FAMILY VACATION TO DISNEY WORLD AND A CONFERENCE IN NEW ORLEANS
5. Meet more of my internet friends in real life — ABSOLUTELY HAVE DONE THAT!
6. Continue to build the relationships with people I first met on the internet — I’m looking at you, Rafat, Juli and Julia! — and the wonderful people who are still friends with me after all these years — AGAIN, I’D SAY THIS HAS HAPPENED FOR SURE. IT’S INCLUDED TRIPS TO CAPE COD, WASHINGTON, DC AND NEW YORK CITY.
7. Send more handwritten notes – WHILE MANY OF THEM THANK YOU NOTES, MANY OF THEM WERE SIMPLY NOTES TO SAY HI, AS WELL.
8. Not eat at the same restaurant more than twice — there are too many good ones here to continue eating at the same places — CAN’T SAY I’VE DONE THIS. THERE’S A NEIGHBORHOOD PUB THAT WE LOVE AND IT’S CONVENIENT.
9. Try more new recipes — if you have any favorites, leave links in the comment section. Thanks! — I’VE TRIED A FEW, BUT WOULD LOVE TO TRY MORE. ANY SUGGESTIONS?
10. Get rid of some debt — WOO HOO! YES!!
11. Save more — WOO HOO (AGAIN)! YES!!
12. Learn how to use my Mac better — been a PC girl all my life and love my Mac, but having a tough time with some of the transition — DONE AND DONE, THOUGH STILL LEARNING
13. Write more articles for work which make me proud — I’VE WRITTEN A LOT THAT MAKES ME PROUD, BUT HAVE MORE AHEAD OF ME.
14. Read more — as in books. I used to be a voracious reader, then life and technology got in the way. Need to get back to it. — STILL WORKING ON THIS ONE. IT’S BAD WHEN YOU CAN’T “FIND TIME” TO READ FOR FUN.
15. Try to get my dog to understand the mailman isn’t a bad person, or our neighbors, or their dogs. This will be a tough one. — I DON’T THINK THERE’S ANY HOPE ON THIS ONE.
16. Find a bathroom cleaning fairy — ok, so that one isn’t likely going to happen, but it’s my birthday and my wishes. — STILL LOOKING!
17. Be in front of change, not behind it — CERTAINLY BEEN INVOLVED IN A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CHANGE AND CHANGES TO MAKE.
18. Continue to expand my musical selections — thank you, Robyn! — YES, THANK YOU, ROBYN!
19. See more live music — French Horn Rebellion, Dispatch and NKOTBSB on the docket so far! — SAW THOSE PLUS MAROON 5 AND TRAIN. THEY WERE ALL GREAT SHOWS.
20. Take and edit more video — I have so much fun doing this and I simply don’t do it enough. — I’VE TAKEN MORE VIDEO, BUT NOT NECESSARILY EDITED IT. NEED TO DO MORE OF THAT.
21. I hope to get some of the restitution owed to me from when my house was burglarized, though I’m not holding my breath on that one. — I’VE RECEIVED $30. AND HE’S BEEN ARRESTED AGAIN. DOUBT I’LL EVER SEE MY MONEY AGAIN.
22. Visit more museums — like restaurants there are so many in this city! — NEED TO WORK ON THIS ONE.
23. Become better acquainted with the city so that I can give better directions — I HAVE BEEN DOING A FAIRLY GOOD JOB OF THIS.
24. Learn other bus routes, not just the one that goes by our house — SUCCESS! I’VE TAKEN AT LEAST TWO OTHER BUS ROUTES AND AM FAMILIAR WITH THEM.
25. Actually work on developing my business plan — sorry, that’s all you get on that one — WORKING ON IT
26. Explore more of my new state — especially during the summer! — THE TRIP TO CAPE COD COUNTED, I THINK.
27. Watch Syracuse become national champions again — STILL WAITING
28. Go to a Celtics game and a Patriots game — PERHAPS THIS SEASON? WELL, IF THE NBA CAN GET ITS ACT TOGETHER, AT LEAST.
29. Continue to surround myself with smart, innovative, fun people — DONE AND DONE
30. Visit my family on the west coast — WE WERE THERE IN SEPTEMBER AND GOT TO SEE SO MANY OF THEM. IT WAS FANTASTIC.
31. Donate more of the clothes that I never wear — DONE AND DONE
32. Love my husband and all of his quirks — yes, I already do this, but I promise to continue to do so — MY HUSBAND IS MY ROCK AND I AM SO LUCKY HE CHOSE ME.
33. Become a mom — no this is not an announcement, just a goal — NOW I CAN MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT. IF YOU DIDN’T KNOW YET, YES, I AM EXPECTING TWINS AT THE END OF THE YEAR. I WAS NOT PREGNANT WHEN I WROTE THAT, BUT CLEARLY WAS HOPING TO BE. WE ARE THRILLED AND GOING BACK TO NUMBER 1 ON THIS LIST, I’VE GIVEN MY FAIR SHARE OF BLOOD IN THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, THOUGH NOT TO BE DONATED.

All in all, I think this year is going quite well. I can’t wait to see how the rest of the year spans out.

What are your goals before the end of the year?

Word Of Mouth Travels Fast – Word Of Twitter Travels Faster

Imagine my surprise as I sat at home working yesterday and I saw a message from NBC News’ Twitter account saying there had been a plane crash at Ground Zero. I immediately searched Twitter for any other recognition of this alleged crash. I couldn’t find any.

But I did find plenty of people who were already re-tweeting the initial message.

Within moments, there were also lots of people — fellow journalists and people from NBC alike — coming to the defense of NBC saying the account had been hacked and a crash had not happened. But the messages from the NBC account kept coming. One said a plane was missing. Then another was from the alleged hackers claiming responsibility.

In less than ten minutes from the initial tweet,  both the NBC account and the hackers’ account were frozen. It was drastically different than weeks before when Fox News’ account had been hacked and the messages stayed up for days.

But people were still re-tweeting the initial message. Perhaps, though, it could be argued, other people were more vigorously posting messages indicating that the account had been hacked and the messages weren’t true. I was in the later group, trying to ease fears and correct wrongs, because as fast as word travels by mouth, it travels even faster by Twitter.

The whole time this was happening I couldn’t help but think of Ryan Osborn, the director of social media at NBC. In an interview with MSNBC, which was later further reported by VentureBeat, Ryan said around the time of Hurricane Irene he had received a message expressing concern for his family. When he responded asking who was on the other end of the message, the writer indicated it was his next door neighbor and there was an attachment… which Ryan opened.

I have not heard more as to whether it was that attachment that, in fact, did NBC in, but it’s something to keep in mind. Don’t open attachments from unknown sources, because it could lead to messages like these being spread through the interwebs. And as fast as word of mouth travels, it can travel even faster on Twitter.

Have you ever been the victim of hacking? What did you do to fix it?

A Society Of Phone-Dependents

They’re used for everything from making calls, to finding directions, to sending email to updating Facebook. Cell phones these days are obviously more than just things for talking and listening.

courtesy: Highways Agency

In some cases, people might even consider them critical. They even go as far as calling them pet names like “Baby” or “Sweetie.”

Why is it so easy to do this? Because phone makers have made it so easy to depend so much on our phones. Look for a pay phone in your community. Can you easily find one? Probably not. What about a map? Other than of a small geographic area at a bus or train stop? Probably not. What about a public computer that has  internet access. Head to the library.

What has this dependence done to society? We now know a lot more about the top of people’s heads, as it seems their faces are buried in their phones. There must be more walking near-collisions, too, though data cannot be found on this.

What happens when a phone’s batteries die? It can be catastrophic. Do you take a left or right at the next intersection? What time was that appointment? Want to take a picture of that celebrity who just walked by — sorry! Bored on the bus and looking for some funny Facebook posts — oh well.

No longer do friends sit at a bar debating for hours who scored the winning run in the 19xx championship game in sport Z. Everyone grabs their phones and quickly looks up the answer.

Is this better or worse for society? Certainly collisions are not good, but if it’s for sake of finding directions, are they worth it? Does seeking out the answers avoid fights? Can that phone call wait?

What do you think? Maybe you want to weigh in as you’re riding the bus or walking down Main Street. But do it before the battery dies!

Hurricane Irene – Hype or Hurt

Starting at the beginning of the week, the coverage of Hurricane Irene started to ramp up. It got to a point mid-week, where even people in the northeast were paying attention. With the potential that D.C., New York and Boston would all be hit, this was “a big storm.”

But was it the “storm of the century”? Friday night, WBZ-TV meteorologist Barry Burbank said this via Twitter, “Yes, this is a significant storm with several issues BUT too much hype & overreaction! It will NOT be cataclysmic-NOT a 100-year storm!”

This is coming from a man with more than 30 years experience of forecasting the weather in New England.

But local, national and cable news continued ramping up the coverage. At some point Friday, it seemed to go into warp speed and 24-hour coverage.

By Saturday night and then Sunday, when the storm was supposed to be bearing down on New York and Boston nearly all strength was lost. In the storm. Not in the coverage. Still local stations and cable outlets were covering the storm 24/7. People were taking notice – and taking hits via Twitter and Facebook. Many of them didn’t believe the strength of the storm that now existed warranted the coverage.

Many people made the argument that if the storm was losing strength, the news outlets should pull back on their coverage.

In Massachusetts, there was a lot of rain (in places), some wind (in places) and power outages (in places). But it wasn’t anything that hadn’t been seen during a blizzard or during the storms last summer.

Granted, when Irene made her way to Vermont, she was devastating. And eventually the national reporters and meteorologists who were stationed along Long Island, in New York City and along the Massachusetts coast, were moved to Vermont.

With the coverage what it was, it raises the question: When the next storm approaches, will people pay as much attention? Will they prepare by getting batteries, bread and buying in bulk? Or will they lounge on their sofa and not worry?

It’s a tricky position in which news outlets often find themselves. If there’s too much coverage and not a lot of damage is credibility lost? But if the next time the coverage is decreased and the storm gets worse and there’s a lot of damage, does the outlet get blamed for people not being prepared?

What do you think? Was there too much coverage, just enough, or too little? Will you pay attention next time?

Why Should I Care?

Ultimately, it’s the question at the heart of any story. Why should my audience care?

Is it a story about taxes and how it will change daily habits? It is a story about gas prices and the global economy? Is it a story about whether a town is going to allow people to plant trees in their yard? The question that should be asked often is, “Why should my audience care?”

I pose this question to the thousands of people in London this week covering the royal wedding. Why should I care? No really, why?

Didn’t our forefathers spend years fighting with the British to separate ourselves from them? Didn’t they come to the new world to start fresh? Didn’t they no longer want to be under rule of the monarchy? So why, in 2011, should I care who is marrying whom in the royal family?

I’m not the only one who doesn’t seem to care. A CBS News/NY Times poll conducted last week indicates that only six percent of Americans are following the royal wedding very closely. Another 22 percent is following it somewhat closely. A combined 72 percent is either following it not very closely or not at all. That number is Great Britain is slightly lower at 70 percent.

I may not have majored in math, and the joke is that journalists aren’t very good at math, but I do know what a majority is, and I know that if a candidate won an election with 72 percent of the vote that’s what the headline would read.

So why are networks spending thousands of dollars on covering this event? And it is certainly thousands.

Not only are the hosts of the morning shows (Today Show, Good Morning America and The Early Show) there, but so are their staffs. Their producers, photographers, makeup/hair people, PAs, editors, you name it, they’re there.

While I have not seen a spreadsheet of how many people from the nets headed over the pond, I know it’s a lot. In fact, Tracie Potts of NBC tweeted, “I’m told royal wedding may be NBC’s biggest story ever (people/preps), including Olympics!”

So with 72 percent of Americans not caring about this, why all the attention?