Facebook @ Mentions now work in comments

Facebook has expanded its @ Mentions feature to include comments. This means that users can now mention/tag Facebook friends, Facebook Pages, Facebook Groups, and Facebook Events in comments to News Feed stories and wall posts, according to Inside Facebook.

Previously, users could only use @ Mentions on content they were creating from scratch, such as wall posts and status updates, and not when they were adding to already existing content. Now users can type the @ symbol when writing a comment to get the drop-down menu for @ Mentions. When a user is tagged, they receive a notification stating that a friend “mentioned you in a comment.”

Facebook first added @ Mentions in September 2009, allowing users to mention Facebook friends, Facebook Pages, Facebook Groups, and Facebook Events by typing an @ symbol followed by the first few letters of whatever they wanted to tag, and then selecting it from the drop-down menu that appeared. The @ does not remain part of your post; it’s merely the syntax that invokes the tagging feature itself. Instead, your post simply gets a link to the relevant page on Facebook.

The ability to use @ Mentions in comments was requested by many users immediately after Facebook added the original feature. Back then, the company said that “it may happen” but did not elaborate as to why it may not want to roll it out. Now it’s finally here.

The update will likely lead to users navigating to more pages and posting more content on the social network. Users are always more likely to be more active if they get a notification about being mentioned. Facebook is once again increasing visits and engagement on its website.

Facebook received 250,000 resumes in 2010

Last year, Facebook received almost 250,000 résumé applications. To help those applying to the company, IB Times put together a list of five questions you should ask yourself to see if you’re ready to work at one of the hottest technology companies:

1. Are you enthusiastic and passionate about Facebook?
2. Do you know anyone who can assess or vouch for your cultural fit?
3. Are you suited to work in a bold and open environment?
4. Can you make a difference?
5. Can you let go of work-life balance (for most of the time, at least)?

How does Facebook’s résumé count compare to other online giants? Well, Facebook is still a relatively small company but it’s very clear that the number is quite large, though definitely not the highest. For example, Google, arguably the largest Web company, receives somewhere around 1 million résumés each year, with the record for one week being 75,000.

Google had some 24,400 employees last year, while Facebook had over 2,000. It’s therefore fairly impressive that a company that is 12 times smaller, and has significantly fewer positions available, received just four times fewer applications last year.

In December 2010, the social network was named the best company to work for in the US. I’d therefore be very surprised if Facebook did not set a new résumé record for itself this year.

Facebook bans 20,000 accounts daily

Facebook chief privacy advisor Mozelle Thompson appeared before the Australian Parliament’s cyber-safety committee this week to discuss Internet-related security issues. Thanks to the event, we learned that about 20,000 users are kicked off Facebook every day for various infractions, including for lying about their age.

“There are people who lie. There are people who are under 13 [accessing Facebook],” Thompson told Federal Parliament’s cyber-safety committee, according to The Telegraph. “Facebook removes 20,000 people a day, people who are underage.”

Although the company requires its users to be at least 13-years-old, the limit is easily circumvented, like on pretty much any website on the Internet. “While the social network has mechanisms to detect liars,” Thompson admitted that “It’s not perfect”.

The original report suggested that the 20,000 accounts banned daily are all for individuals found not to be at least 13-years-old. This is not true; the number actually includes accounts deleted for any serious rule-breaking. Furthermore, it does “not include the proactive efforts that actually prevent fake or under age accounts from being created.”

“At Facebook, we take safety very seriously and we were pleased to participate in a hearing in Australia to talk about our safety policies, practices and systems,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “As we explained in the hearing, these efforts include removing numerous accounts everyday for activities including spamming, posting inappropriate content, and violating age restrictions.”

Google to launch social networking site Google Circles by May'11

The world's largest search engine Google, which has so far not tasted success in the social networking domain, plans to launch Google Circles, which is expected to give head on competition to sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

GIVING NIGHTMARES to popular social networking site Facebook is none other than old rival Google. If reports are to be believed, Google will launch its new social networking site Google Circles by May 2011. The site, which has already been christened as a Facebook killer, will allow its users to share its content with the users of other social networkingsites, and customise the kind of content they want to broadcast.

Rumour mill has it that the user would have multiple circles classified into "Immediate Family," "Extended Family," "Co-Workers," "Best Friends," "Old Friends" so on and so forth. As per the broadcast settings set by the user, the user can designate everything he/she posts according to which circle sees it.

Although Google strongly denies it, the company claims that its strategy is to simply inject more social features into it and eventually more Google products.

The features that are expected to be included are pictures, videos, and status updates - but with greater privacy options.

The news, which more or less sounds like a rumour, is also being touted as the upgraded version of Google Me, another social networking venture by Google, which was scheduled to be launched in 2010.

The site, which was initially rumoured to be unveiled at the I/O conference in San Fransisco has now moved its location to Austin in Texas during a southwest technology event.

Make money from social media.

If you have found this page, you already know that social media is king on the internet. I won't have to convince you of that. Have you been struggling with a way to actually make money from social media? It takes a while to find your bearing and become successful with internet marketing.

What are the keys to success with social media?

1.Don't just sell! Continuous ads with no real content will have your followers tuning you out or turning you off. Take time to pass on some tips to others who are marketing the net. Advertising ways to increase others marketing success will bring you huge results.

3. Sign up with Facebook, Twitter, Squiddo, LinkedIN, Hubpages, and MySpace. Put up real profiles and check you pages at least weekly. Connect with others with common interest and spend some time actually looking at their profiles.

4. When someone becomes your friend, write them a note! Social media is all about personal relationships. If you don't have them, then you don't have anything.

5. OK, now to the money making part. Make sure you have a capture page of some sort. If you are giving relevant content to people who follow you, you must convert these people into sales! Here is a good example of a capture page:

http://likwidenergy.com

Significance of Holi..

Holi, or Holli (Hindi: होली), is a spring religious festival celebrated by Hindus. It is primarily observed in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka,^[1] and countries with largeIndic diaspora populations, such as Suriname, Malaysia, Guyana, South Africa, Trinidad, United Kingdom, United States, Mauritius, and Fiji. In West Bengal and Orissa of India it is known as Dolyatra (Doul Jatra) or Basanta-Utsav ("spring festival"). The most celebrated Holi is that of the Braj region, in locations connected to the god Krishna: Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandagaon, and Barsana. These places have become tourist destinations during the festive season of Holi, which lasts here to up to sixteen days.^[2]

The main day, Holi, also known as Dhuli Vandana in Sanskrit,also Dhulheti, Dhulandi or Dhulendi, is celebrated by people throwing coloured powder and coloured water at each other. Bonfires are lit the day before, also known as Holika Dahan (burning of Holika) or Chhoti Holi (little Holi). The bonfires are lit in memory of the miraculous escape that young Prahlad accomplished when Demoness Holika, sister of Hiranyakashipu, carried him into the fire. Holika was burnt but Prahlad, a staunch devotee of god Vishnu, escaped without any injuries due to his unshakable devotion. Holika Dahan is referred to as Kama Dahanam in South India.

Holi is celebrated at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna (February/March), (Phalgun Purnima), which usually falls in the later part of February or March. In 2009, Holi (Dhulandi) was on March 11 and Holika Dahan was on March 10. In 2010, Holi was on March 1 and Holika Dahan was on February 28.

This Year 2011 Holi Holi (Dhulandi) on March 20 and Holika Dahan on March 19

Rangapanchami occurs a few days later on a Panchami (fifth day of the full moon), marking the end of festivities involving colours.

Significance

In Vaishnava Theology, Hiranyakashipu is the great king of demons, and he had been granted a boon by Brahma, which made it almost impossible for him to be killed. The boon was due to his long penance, after which he had demanded that he not be killed "during day or night; inside the home or outside, not on earth or on sky; neither by a man nor an animal; neither by astra nor by shastra". Consequently, he grew arrogant and attacked the Heavens and the Earth. He demanded that people stop worshipping gods and start praying to him.

Despite this, Hiranyakashipu's own son, Prahlada, was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. In spite of several threats from Hiranyakashipu, Prahlada continued offering prayers to Lord Vishnu. He was poisoned but the poison turned to nectar in his mouth. He was ordered to be trampled by elephants yet remained unharmed. He was put in a room with hungry, poisonous snakes and survived. All of Hiranyakashipu's attempts to kill his son failed. Finally, he ordered young Prahlada to sit on a pyre on the lap of his demoness sister, Holika, who could not die because she also had a boon which would prevent fire from burning her. Prahlada readily accepted his father's orders, and prayed to Vishnu to keep him safe. When the fire started, everyone watched in amazement as Holika burnt to death, while Prahlada survived unharmed, the burning of Holika is celebrated as Holi 2011.

Radha and the Gopis celebrating Holi, with accompaniment of music instruments

Later Lord Vishnu came in the form of a Narasimha (who is half-man and half-lion) and killed Hiranyakashipu at dusk (which was neither day nor night), on the steps of the porch of his house (which was neither inside the house nor outside) by restraining him on his lap (which is neither in the sky nor on the earth) and mauling him with his claws (which are neither astra nor shastra).

In Vrindavan and Mathura, where Lord Krishna grew up, the festival is celebrated for 16 days (until Rangpanchmi) in commemoration of the divine love of Radha for Krishna. Lord Krishna is believed to have popularized the festival by playing pranks on the gopis here. Krishna is believed to have complained to his mother about the contrast between his dark skin complexion and Radha's (Shakti or energy that drives the world) fair skin complexion. Krishna's mother decided to apply colour to Radha's face. The celebrations officially usher in spring, the celebrated season of love.

There is alternative story detailing the origin of Holi. This story is about Kamadeva, a god of love. Kama's body was destroyed when he shot his weapon at Shiva in order to disrupt his meditation and help Parvati to marry Shiva. Shiva then opened his third eye, the gaze of which was so powerful that Kama's body was reduced to ashes. For the sake of Kama's wife Rati (passion), Shiva restored him, but only as a mental image, representing the true emotional and spiritual state of love rather than physical lust. The Holi bonfire is believed to be celebrated in commemoration of this event.

10 Ways Social Networking Can Impact Your Business & Career As A Civil Engineering Professional

Remember when musings of the Internet was just a fad?  Remember when the compass and slide rule were irreplaceable?  Remember when the Post Office was relevant?   Well, as it turns out, the  Internet is here to stay; if you have a compass and slide rule you just might get your 15 minutes of fame on PBS’ Antiques Road Show; and I can’t recall the last time I paid bill or sent a hand written letter via snail mail. That said, consider yourself forewarned in regards to the utilization of Social Networking sites LinkedIn (44M+ users), Facebook (250M+users) and Twitter (4.5M+ users), among others – don’t be a naysayer, or you will be left in the dust.  Chances are, if you are reading this, you are familiar with, and hopefully active on, one or more of these technologies.  The key is – how can you make sure your company stays relevant by using them effectively?

10 WAYS SOCIAL NETWORKING CAN IMPACT YOUR BUSINESS & CAREER AS A CIVIL ENGINEERING PROFESSIONAL

1. Recruiting Professionals - Did you see the user statistics in the above paragraph? And those are only the three most popular sites among hundreds.  And guess what?  I suspect there are likely hundreds of thousands of members of the civil engineering community  who utilize these tools and share information. They have put themselves “out there.”   By joining these networks yourself and “working the network,” you will find many outstanding professional candidates, both passive and active.  This topic of recruiting on social networks is quite a robust topic and information can easily be found online, in books or through various seminars.  There are plenty of experts in this area so invest a little bit of time and money to catch you and your firm up to speed.

2. Industry News - Facebook, Twitter & Linkedin all have users and usergroups who will be of interest to you.  You will find that ENR, ASCE, Society of Hispanic Engineers, SMPS, etc all have active users and groups on these sites where news bites and press releases are shared regularly. Also, by connecting with other friends and colleagues within the industry you will often read status updates or tweets in regards to local infrastructure news.

3. Relationship Building – Learn what your colleagues, clients, and potential clients are doing; learn their interests; follow their tweets; make logical and profound comments in response to theirs.  You  can get a real sense of their personality, interests, etc that will certainly assist during face-to-face marketing efforts.

4. Marketing/Branding – Develop a Facebook Fan/Group page with blog entries, promotions, press releases, wins, job postings, awards, charity events, etc.;  tweet these same items; develop a compelling corporate profile on LinkedIn and make sure your employees do as well.

5. Recruiting College Students-This is a “no brainer”.  If you want to reach out to the next generation of civil engineers you need to have a strong corporate brand on Facebook and MySpace for sure.  When visiting college campuses for recruiting trips have a couple laptops up and running at your table exhibiting these pages and invite them  to join your pages or groups on line.   Come prepared with business cards that provide the URL’s of your corporate social networking sites.  College students want to work for firms that understand and are avid  users of the web 2.0 technology that they utilize.  85% of college students are active on Facebook, 65% are active on MySpace.  Again, a “no brainer.”

6. Recruiting Boomerangs – How often have you had employees of your firm fly the coup, only to return because the grass was not greener on the other side?  By staying in touch with well respected ex-employees  by inviting them to join a group where they will be exposed to all the great news that is occurring with your firm, you are giving yourself a nice advantage above other firms when the time comes that he or she begins to look for a new job.  Firms like URS & Toll Brothers, among others, each have “Alumni” groups on Linkedin.

7. RFP’s – It’s only a matter of time before builders, agencies and architects will be tweeting RFP’s.

8. Professional Growth – By joining Facebook or LinkedIn groups, or by following specific associations or trainers or presenters on Twitter, you can remain well informed of all of the conferences, seminars, blogs, articles and publications being offered that you find relevant in your career.

9.

10. Ignorance is Bliss.  Do not fall into this trap.  These networks are no longer the wave of the future, they are a mainstay.  As a civil engineering professional, by not jumping on board you will become a relic – and this label is not something you or your firm will want to be labeled as as the demand for talent begins to hit the upswing.

As you can see, I intentionally left a blank space after #9 – what might you suggest to fill in that blank?

How to Download & Backup your Facebook Information

Just noticed that Facebook has added a “Download Your Information” option underAccount settings. This is a useful feature which allows Facebook users to easily downloada copy of entire information, present on their Facebook profile.

Data that’s included when you Download your Facebook information:

• Your profile information (e.g. your contact information, interests, groups)
• Wall posts and content that you and your friends have posted to your profile
• Photos and videos that you have uploaded to your account
• Your friend list
• Notes you have created
• Events to which you have RSVP’d
• Your sent and received messages
• Any comments that you and your friends have made on your Wall posts, photos, and other profile content

To Download Facebook Information, go to your Account Settings page, click the ‘learn more’ link beside "Download Your Information." From there, click the ‘Download’ button; a dialog-box will open, click the Download button. Then wait some time!

Unfortunately, there is no way to individually select which data you would like todownload. The download is provided as a zip file, within this zip file you will have access to your data in a simple, browseable manner.

Note: Facebook will ask you to verify your identity in order to help protect the security of your account. After making the request, it may take some time to process your request and you will receive an email when your archive is ready for download.

10 places to find stuff to share on Facebook

People today spend more time with their friends on Facebook and other social networking websites. It has its merits as well as demerits. The winner is viral content manufacturers whose creations get spread around much faster now than before. Compared to now, earlier very few people used to download and share interesting movies, songs, pictures and other media on their phones or through email. With the news feed and constant updates of social networking sites like Facebook, the amount of things shared on Facebook has grown exponentially.

People share things they find cool and newsworthy. So it is subjective from person to person. However everyone likes to share or receive funny, shocking and other sensational media files that become the talk of their friend circles both online as well as offline. Sharing on Facebook has attained a sort of competitiveness with everyone vying to share things that receive a lot of “likes” from friends online. There are a lot of places from which one can find stuff to share on Facebook:

1) Facebook itself: Everyone has different friend circles and something share-worthy posted by a friend from circle A can easily be shared by the person among friends of circle B.

2) Other Social Networking Sites: The same logic as above applies to accounts of different Social Networking Sites. One could share something cool sent by a friend on Orkut with their friends on Facebook.

3) Stumble Upon: Stumble Upon is a website that customizes the internet experience of a person. When a person registers and selects their likes and dislikes, the data is compared with the same data of the person’s friends and other people who, through complex algorithms are calculated to be similar to the person. Thus Stumble Upon provides a concise list of things that would be of a user’s liking. The person can take the links from StumbleUpon and share them on Facebook.

4) General Surfing: Most internet surfers land up on a cool website or webpage at one time of the other accidently or in the process of their casual web surfing. Almost all websites today support “Share on Facebook” buttons where with a simple click you can post the content you see on your Facebook profile. Many sites even offer logging in using the Facebook User ID and Password which makes it easier to share things from that site onto Facebook.

5) Blogs: You can find blogs by searching for specific terms or if you are a regular blog reader you are bound to find some very interesting blogs at one time or another. Contrary to popular perception, blogs do not just have text; many blogs now only feature pictures, video and other artistic or interesting graphics.

6) Viral Websites: This is the simplest and short-cut way to increase your cred and ‘likes’ among Facebook friends. Rather than wait to get something cool to share you can Google or visit Viral Content search engines and get the latest and craziest videos that will instantly make you a share-star of Facebook.

7) YouTube: YouTube is fast replacing Television viewership. People prefer watching exactly what they like when they like rather than mass formatted programming of Television. Millions of videos are uploaded on YouTube regularly and one can find the most watched videos or videos from their favorite YouTube video posters and then share them on Facebook.

8) Google News/ Other News Sites: Fresh news, controversial news, relevant news are some of the most shared items on Facebook.

9) Flickr: Find interesting uploads in the last seven days or you can explore flickr through tags/populr tags to find interesting images to share.

10) Social bookmarking sites: Sites like digg, reddit, delicious, magnolia, propeller are excellent sources of interesting pieces on the web.

Please share here some pf the other sources which you use to find content to share with your social network.