There is a saying in Spanish that I’ve always liked: “pueblo chico, infierno grande” (small town, big hell). The Internet is vast, but social media has brought us together in ways that constantly remind me of this phrase. Short social connection pathways lead to clusters of communities where a tiny Read more
[blackbirdpie url=”https://twitter.com/joe_hill/status/212902087481241601″] I have just read one of the most interesting tweets in a while, and I suspect that the author’s intention was different from the actual result. In case you cannot read the code above, it is a comment from Joe Hill to Neil Gaiman complaining about how geeks Read more
If you live in Costa Rica, the answer to the question appears to be ‘No’. La Nacion newspaper reports today that Facebook has decided to close the accounts of 19 convicts, who had maintained a presence in the social network despite being in jail. FB took this decision prompted by Read more
Source: 9gag.com via Andres on Pinterest Pinterest, in case you have not heard, is the latest social network. It is sort of like Tumbler without the social angst and hipster look. Some have described it as “Facebook for women” (because everyone knows that no woman uses FB). Time magazine tells Read more
In a re-enactment of last November’s Sabam v Scarlet, the ECJ has ruled against indiscriminate filtering by service providers again, but this time in a case regarding social networks. In Sabam v Netlog (C‑360/10), the Belgian collecting society Sabam sued a social network site named Netlog, based in Ghent, attempting Read more
As Wikipedia goes silent today in protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA), and as other Internet giants unite their voices against the proposed legislations, we could really say that Web activism is starting to become a force to be reckoned with. Undoubtedly Read more
There has been quite a lot of talk in social media in recent days about Klout. This has been prompted in large part by an adjustment in Klout scores, which saw a huge drop in influence (10 points in my case). To a lesser extent, some discussion has been generated Read more
Last Sunday Fidel Gamboa, the lead singer of Malpaís, died at the painfully young age of 50. I wish I had known him enough to call him a friend, we had met several times and I admired his music, his sensibilities, and now I must carry the regret that I Read more
Consulting firm Gartner has produced a report suggesting that interest in social media may have peaked. The report says: “Of the respondents, 24 percent said they use their favorite social media site less than when they first signed up. These respondents tended to be in segments that have a more Read more
The UK has had a glimpse of what the total societal collapse looks like. The UK riots of August 2011 have struck me as an example of systemic failure of government and society at almost every level of organisation, as lawlessness and anarchy reigned supreme for a few nights. This Read more