If you've been wondering why footballers get racially abused online all the time, why some people make disgusting death threats on social networks, or why presumably otherwise sensible celebrities say offensive things in their tweets about other people, a new book may well provide the light bulb of clarity you've been seeking. It's certainly something I've wondered about: why, in the past few years, has there been such a significant and notable increase in vile behaviours online where people … [Read more...] about Unpicking the vicious cycle of anger, hostility, and outrage on social networks
FIR 203: Insurrection and Sea Shanties
'Trust' was the major theme for discussion in the January episode of The Hobson and Holtz Report podcast aka FIR 203 that Shel and I recorded last weekend and published on Monday. It underpinned all other topics we discussed as we started the episode reviewing the key analysis in the Edelman Trust Barometer 2021 - the report concludes that there is a 'crisis of leadership' with a growing trust gap and declines in trust worldwide; and without a trusted leadership source to look to, people … [Read more...] about FIR 203: Insurrection and Sea Shanties
FIR 198: Is #WFH the post-pandemic future?
What coronavirus will do to our offices and homes post-pandemic is a question that prompts multiple answers on a daily basis. If there are ten questions, you'll find ten different answers. About the only thing that's consistently equal in opinion is that there will be change and it will be profound. It's a big topic that exercised Shel and I in the August 2020 episode of The Hobson and Holtz Report aka FIR 198. We anchored the discussion with a broad-brush picture painted by the BBC that … [Read more...] about FIR 198: Is #WFH the post-pandemic future?
Social media stars breaching rules on promoting brands, watchdog says
The Guardian reports on a rise in complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the UK advertising regulator, who says ‘influencers’ on social media sites such as Instagram and Twitter fail to declare that they are being paid to publicise products. The newspaper defines 'influencers' thus: Social media celebrities who have large and engaged followings online. They get paid money to publicise products and can command tens of thousands for one post. This is about disclosure where … [Read more...] about Social media stars breaching rules on promoting brands, watchdog says
#Hashtag10: the best hashtag fails in a decade
How did we manage before Twitter? is a question I often hear, asked by a range of different people from casual personal users to immersed influence marketers. I've found it a great tool over the past decade to help me connect with others, share thoughts and opinions, bookmark ideas and join up the dots in conversations. It's that latter aspect that is especially useful thanks to the hashtag, a device created by Chris Messina that came to the fore a decade ago as a means of connecting people … [Read more...] about #Hashtag10: the best hashtag fails in a decade
Lights, camera, action: the unexpected rise of live online video
One of the most credible articles I've read this year on what's happening with live online video appeared in the Guardian last week. Written by Jerry Daykin, a global digital partner at Carat UK, the feature describes a complex landscape where live-video tools like Periscope, Facebook Live Video and Snapchat enable individuals to create and share content on-demand, yet highlights an issue that could have a big impact on how this landscape continues to evolve: A growing problem for social … [Read more...] about Lights, camera, action: the unexpected rise of live online video
FIR #818: Do we really have to take emoji seriously?
Intro: New FIR Podcast Network show: the Fellows Circle debuts live on July 30; Quick News: Twitter deletes tweets on DMCA grounds; consolidation in the social media space; Residence Inns lures Millennials with booze, food trucks, and augmented reality; LinkedIn adds lead-generation tool to SlideShare; the Media Monitoring Minute with CustomScoop; News That Fits: Do we really have to take emoji seriously?; Dan York's Tech Report; Edward Snowden's message to the IETF, Instagram brings … [Read more...] about FIR #818: Do we really have to take emoji seriously?
Dick Costolo: Twitter unfollows the leader as social milestones are missed
The news yesterday that Twitter CEO Dick Costolo is stepping down from that leadership role next month has attracted widespread commentary and opinion, not least on Twitter itself. There's credible opinions that Costolo is going because he hasn't evolved Twitter as many observers and critics expected or believe he should have. Indeed, the stock market greeted yesterday's announcement with a 10 percent rise in Twitter's share price at one point. An analysis in the Guardian today - you can … [Read more...] about Dick Costolo: Twitter unfollows the leader as social milestones are missed