Stories related to: social networking

Facebook has matured from an e-frat house where co-eds post pics of their hedonistic exploits to a cyber-cocktail party where the well-heeled gather to display baby pictures and taunt each other like, well, school kids. “I am so telling Rupert,” a columnist teases the Journal’s Matthew Rose, after discovering Mr. Murdoch’s future employee playing Scrabble on the site. More »

The day after MySpace announced it was joining a Google-led alliance meant to let applications written for one social networking site be used on others, it looks like lone outsider Facebook could join up, too. That's according to Fortune Magazine , which reported that Facebook and Google representatives met yesterday and that a board member said Facebook is open to the OpenSocial standard. More »

Tech bloggers are buzzing about a rumored partnership between MySpace and Google’s about-to-be-launched OpenSocial project; a big reveal may come as soon as today. Though it still leads Facebook in membership and traffic, the social networker has lost much of its spotlight recently—and CNet’s Caroline McCarthy says the deal is likely a good move for MySpace owner News Corp. More »

Tech workers in India are turning their expertise to innovative ways to combat the poverty that surrounds them, the New York Times reports. One example is a site called Babajob.com, started by former Microsoft worker Sean Blagsvedt, which allows Indian laborers to use social networking to land jobs. More »

Social-networking sites make it easier to connect with friends and make new ones, but they also let casual acquaintances  like co-workers—or your boss—look you up on a whim.  Protect your privacy with these six steps from MarketWatch : Look for tools that allow you to restrict access to your profile, like the "private" setting on MySpace or the "limited profile" function on Facebook. More »

Microsoft's recently purchased stake in Facebook may make it harder for the social networking site to hire talented employees, reports the Wall Street Journal . By selling a 1.6% stake for $240 million, Facebook increased its valuation to $15 billion, in turn radically increasing the cost of stock options, which are a vital part of many Silicon Valley compensation packages. More »

After raising $240 million from Microsoft, the social networking site Facebook expects to raise a further $260 million from hedge funds and private-equity investors, according to the Wall Street Journal . The cash will be used to fund an international expansion and a new ad revenue system. The investment would put the value of Facebook at $15 billion. More »

There’s nothing like Loopt for meeting up with friends. Loopt, and social-mapping programs like it, broadcast your cellphone’s location to other users, a useful service the New York Times says, with troubling privacy implications. “There is a Big Brother component,” said one analyst. “If my friends can find me, the telephone company knows my location all the time, too.” More »

Now even dead ancestors can join the social networking craze. Their descendants, today’s consumers, can submit cheek swabs to genetics company GeneTree, which compares the DNA to its database and creates an interactive digital family tree. Users can post videos, photos, and link up with other members of their tree, which also reflects geographic migrations over the centuries. More »

Google's attempts to capitalize on its Orkut social networking site in Brazil blew up when ads began appearing next to child pornography and racist screeds, causing a round of controversy and a lawsuit for the online giant. Google immediately yanked the ads, reports the Wall Street Journal,  but now wrestles with how to control content that can be posted by anyone. More »

While Facebook and other online social networks are growing like digital weeds in Silicon Valley, their popularity may be more a product of hyperbole than actual developmental potential, the Economist argues. But major internet speculators Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft don't seem to care, as each bids billions to buy Facebook, whose 2007 revenue may be only $100 million. More »

Facebook will roll out new protections against online predators, CNN reports, after an investigation by New York's attorney general last month blasted the site for "significant defects." The improvements include a new disclosure for parents and an easier process for reporting unwanted advances. Facebook will also appoint (and pay) an independent examiner to keep tabs on the site's progress. More »

Mammoth networking site Facebook is triggering a massive mobilization of protesters around the world who will hit the streets this weekend in support of the Burmese monks, Wired writes. Nearly 300,000 people have joined the Facebook group "Support the Monks' Protest" since a story on the movement broke last week,  and thousands of those are expected to turn out for marches tomorrow in cities from Taipei to Vienna. More »

eBay's $2.6 billion acquisition of phone service Skype looks like a wrong number, with profits on hold indefinitely. The Wall Street Journal reports eBay will take a $1.4 billion write down on Skype, which  accounts for $90 million of eBay's $1.83 billion in revenue in the third quarter. Skype CEO Niklas Zennstrom is stepping down. More »

Entrepreneurs are rolling out social networking websites aimed at those old enough to have spawned the devotees of Facebook and  MySpace, the NY Times reports. Investors say it's good business—older surfers are more likely to stick with a site they like, and there are a lot of tech-savvy boomers. “I’ve discussed my divorce … and when do I dare go dating again," says one 52-year-old. More »

Internet giant Yahoo and networking site Bebo will collaborate on advertising in the UK and Ireland, the Wall Street Journal reports. Bebo—launched in 2005— hasn't taken off in the US, but it's the top social-networking website in Britain. Yahoo will sell the bulk of Bebo's banner and video ads, which analysts say will boost Yahoo's advertising revenue and target younger surfers. More »

The privacy market is hot, Wired observes, as new startups and big-name net companies are rolling out services to help consumers control information about themselves. But few may care enough pay for them. A new study shows most people are unwilling to spend even 25 cents to protect their privacy. "People prefer money over data, always," said a researcher. More »

A blog called "Facebook Secrets" posted a restricted section of the site's source code on Saturday, revealing a major security flaw in the popular social networking site. While the leak didn't  reveal any sensitive information, it does raise concerns as to whether the site's 52M users' personal data is secure and protected. More »

Advocates for people with eating disorders are calling on social networking sites like MySpace and FaceBook to bar "thinspiration" videos—movies of anorexics showing off their alarmingly underweight bodies to encourage others to emulate them. One MySpace pro-anorexia group with over 1,000 members boasts that it wants "no people trying to recover—it ruins our motivation." More »

A new search engine launched today won't help you find a bargain on a new microwave or the capital of Burma, but rather other human beings. Spock.com bills itself as "the online leader in personal search," and boasts over 100 million individuals already indexed. Spock combs social networking sites for public information and then ties the info to a name. More »