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Digital drugs – not just a FAD

By Nicole Melzer

When you read an article in the newspaper, are you looking for the “Like” button? Do you check Facebook or Twitter after you go to bed? If your answer to these questions is yes, then maybe you have FAD (Facebook Addiction Disorder). 

The internet has so many benefits for us: socialising, at work, and even in the classroom – no one really thinks about getting sick from it. Time we spend online can be productive, but for some people heavy use of the internet can interfere with their daily life as they become addicted. In the last few weeks I’ve realised that the most absurd things can lead to addiction, all of them online! There is now a growing body of research focused on the relatively new issues around internet addictions.  People are spending more and more time in the virtual community, slowly turning away from face-to-face communication.

Here in Germany, FAD is a relatively new phenomenon. Still, it is unclear which groups are most hooked and until today there is no medical definition for Facebook addiction. FAD rather describes the behaviour of people using the social networking site extensively to document their daily life, chat with friends and exchange picture material. However psychologists already warn of findings about reported feelings of helplessness, aloneness and anxieties.

After FAD now GAD? There seems to be no way out of digital drugs because new tools are on the way.  A few weeks ago, Google finally launched its own social network: Google+, which is designed around users’ social circles. You can add interests, organise video chats in groups or share content also via mobile. But if we spent hours on social networking sites such as Facebook, who has still time for a new social platform?  Apparently a lot of people have a lot of time – with the new social networks topping 20 million members already. It won’t be long until we’ve all found each other again in this new online room. 

Has Murdoch’s spell been broken?

By Hannah Townsend

Last week saw the demise of one of the longest running and most popular newspapers in Britain.  The closure of the News of the World, following allegations of illegal phone hacking, has brought to light not only the influence of the Murdoch Empire, but also how much the UK Government has turned a ‘blind eye’ to the media’s previous abuses of power.

Conveniently coinciding with the premiere of the last of the Harry Potter film franchise, Rupert Murdoch has been likened to Harry’s arch nemesis Lord Voldemort, with the press labelling him the ‘dark lord media baron’ who is ‘yet to be vanquished’.  Labour insiders have even tried to portray Ed Miliband as Labour’s answer to Harry Potter taking on Voldemort, in response to him being the first leader of the opposition to demand action. 

Yet, although there is no justification for the story-grabbing tactics those at the News of the World have shown, is it really a simple case of good vs. evil?  What about the police corruption, the failure to pursue previous hacking investigations, and the contrived relationships between a large number of politicians and the press?  Surely, the bigger question here is how this was allowed to happen in the first place?

Although Murdoch’s business acumen and ruthless nature has a large part to play, the dominant factor seems to be that he has been allowed to get away with exerting such influence for so long.  The close collusion of politicians and Murdoch’s empire has long been clear to see, what with Margaret Thatcher and Murdoch enjoying numerous Christmases together in the past, and David Cameron’s festive celebrations with News International’s chief executive Rebekah Brooks only six months ago.

The UK Government has shown signs of weakness, becoming almost governed by the press – a fact highlighted by the description of Murdoch as being the 24^th member of the cabinet, as well as Cameron’s recent admission that the media’s corrupt ways were often ignored due to fear of what could be done to reprimand it.

It has taken almost six years of phone hacking investigations, the intolerable news that missing schoolgirl Milly Dowler’s phone was hacked and the subsequent public outrage, to finally give politicians the opportunity to take a stand.  Maybe this time they will be able to liberate themselves from such dominant media moguls? 

Whether this is realistic or not remains to be seen, but the independent inquiry into the hacking affair could be a good place to start.

Follow @HanT86 on Twitter as #hackgate continues to unfold.

 

Google wiping the floor with Facebook in PR war

By Mike King

It has been a tough few weeks for Facebook’s PR team and it doesn’t look like it’s getting better any time soon.  Following last month’s reports that the social networking giant’s user numbers were dropping, particularly in key mature markets like the US and UK, it was forced onto the back foot to try and rubbish the claims. 

Although the story of diminishing users got a lot of pick-up, there are some that bought Facebook’s line that the stats were wrong.  Given how difficult it is to delete a Facebook user account (Facebook will let you suspend a user account but deletion is by no means an easy option) they may well be right.   Regardless, the story permeated that numbers were dropping because it’s no longer cool to be on Facebook with your mum and dad. 

Google took full advantage and announced that it was the first web company to reach a billion users, prompting Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg to respond by claiming it will also hit the billion user level, just not anytime soon. 

Perfect build up to Google’s latest salvo; the launch of Google+ as a direct rival to Facebook with additional features such as video chat. 

Facebook’s announcement this week of a partnership with Skype to deliver its own video chat features has, of course, been widely reported to be in direct response to the launch of Google+.  

It is too early to tell how the Facebook versus Goggle+ battle is going to evolve but Facebook’s complacency has given Google a real opportunity.  Social video has been coming for a good few years and Facebook really should have delivered in this area far earlier.  Its latest attempt to stop users moving away has been to block an exporter tool for moving ‘friends data’ to other social networking sites.  This probably isn’t going to help change the impression of a company with its back to the wall. 

 

One UK newspaper in dire need of PR help

By Claire Ayles

It’s been a big week for the media in the UK, with News International finding itself on the receiving end of some extremely hostile journalism following unsavoury revelations that the News of the World may have illegally hacked into the voicemail accounts of, among others, 7/7 bomb victims.  

There’s a certain irony that the paper most famed for its exposés is now the subject of the headlines.  The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph are even carrying live news feeds, tracking the story as it unfolds.

It’s perhaps inevitable that rival papers will jump on the chance to bash the NOTW, but this clearly isn’t just some cannibalistic feeding frenzy.  With advertisers pulling out of their contracts, and with public support for further boycotts gaining momentum, those connected to the paper find themselves with a lot to worry about (and that’s even before any possible legal proceedings swing into action).

On that note, our industry rag PR Week has asked its followers to suggest some PR advice for Rupert Murdoch.  Any ideas?

I reckon he’ll just follow the example set by all those people who’ve found themselves on the wrong end of a NOTW headline, and call in Max Clifford.

Follow @claireayles on Twitter as the phone hacking saga continues to unfold.

Follow, Like, Join – why?

Brands have had both successes and failures when braving social media, but it does seem that most are now at least maintaining some kind of social media presence, whether it be a Twitter account, Facebook Page or LinkedIn Group.  But why do we follow these brands?  And what impact does it really have?  This infographic (yes, another one!) from Get Satisfaction and Column Five is a good place to start.

Hack attack

So, to the relief of high-profile organisations the world over, LulzSec has decided to call it  quits.  The infamous group of hackers took no prisoners during its brief but ravaging reign, with the likes of Sony, Nintendo, and PBS all falling prey to seemingly effortless hacks of scandalous magnitude. 

For those of you that have been following the story and want to get some perspective on the LulzSec hacks, this infographic by Gadgets and Gizmos summarises the vital statistics of hackers and online security on the whole.

Home is where the work is

By Alexandra Radius

The chance for a quick lunchtime nap or to keep an eye on the children – not to mention the bliss of escaping lengthy traffic jams and crippling transport strikes – working from home is a popular dream for any employee.   

According to the annual French study published recently by “l’Observatoire de la parentalité” (parenting observatory), for those workers with children, the ‘home office’ option is a top priority when it comes to career choices, in order for them to balance their professional and family lives. 

Not only do home workers make better use of their time – particularly as a result of avoiding the problems that plague the French transport system – they often have a habit of accepting more of the workload in an effort to reassure the boss that their situation isn’t seen as an escape from the normal office groans and grumbles.  

Alcatel-Lucent – a technology firm with approximately 10,000 employees – has been a trendsetter in this domain for several years now with 30 percent of its workforce functioning on home-based agreements (working remotely on average one day a week).  That said, even though large French companies such as Air France, France Telecom and Renault have all signed agreements to put home working measures in place, the practice is not as widespread as expected. 

In any case, with the continued development of technologies like VoIP and video conferencing tools, I believe that the home office mentality will soon be a de facto standard in many organisations.  Often with a more motivated, autonomous approach to their workload, home workers will soon be recognised as efficient, valuable members of any business team.

And with summer just around the corner, there’s no better time to test out the theory!

 

New Facebook page – find out who JK really is

By Lindsey Challis

The internet has always had that unique characteristic of anonymity to it - being able to talk to people on forums, and on social networks, without ever really revealing who you are. But with web 2.0 in full swing and social networks growing at an unstoppable pace – is that now over? As we begin to confide in these communication methods – do we now know more about each other?

I’d argue that it depends on the person behind the social networking tool. If you choose to depict yourself accurately, people will have a better insight into your character. If you choose not to reveal such information, or even twist the truth in some areas – people will know even less about the real you. So it’s your choice – to deceive or not to deceive!

Here at JK we want you to get to know who we are. At the moment you’ve seen our personalities shine through blog posts, whether it is the techy one, the gamer, the tweeter or the one who just wants to defend her Essex stereotype – find out more about us, the techy quirks that grab our interest, and what it’s really like to work at JK, on our new Facebook page!

“Like” our Facebook page and be in with a chance to win a Freecom DataBar XXS.

A post-PC world?

by Richard Ratcliffe

The launch of Apple iCloud has seen the return of talk concerning the post-PC world. Similar sentiments were expressed at the consumer technology show, CES, earlier this year. With sales of PCs down, smart phone and tablet adoption up, and cloud services in vogue, it’s not hard to see why some people may come to this conclusion. But are users really ready to give up their PCs in favour of cloud based computing?

I’m not so sure. There are a number of barriers that may prevent users from trusting the cloud to handle all of their computing needs. For a start, UK wireless or wireline communications are not yet reliable enough to guarantee ubiquitous service. Neither business users nor consumers will be very tolerant if they are unable to access basic software or data because of peak traffic or a poor connection.

Another factor is the feeling of ownership that a traditional PC provides when it comes to both data and software. Apple’s authoritarian approach to content and incidents like Amazon spontaneously removing books from users’ libraries may make individuals hesitant to hand control over to external organisations in the immediate future. How forgiving would you be if you tried to access cloud based personal data, such as photos or videos, only to find it had been inexplicably deleted by your service provider?

Perhaps the biggest argument against abandoning the PC in favour of the cloud, is the security risk it poses. Recent years, and 2011 in particular, have seen recurring incidents of high profile organisations losing sensitive data entrusted to them. Until companies can find a way to secure the online world there will be significant numbers, myself included, who will want to hang on to their traditional PCs for a while yet.

Cyber warfare – from sci-fi fantasy to an imminent reality

By Ginnia Cheng

Over the past couple of weeks, nations and corporations alike have been hit by an unrelenting wave of high-profile, internationally prevalent security breaches, causing some of the world’s most powerful country leaders and CEOs to seriously reconsider their foreign policies and corporate strategies. It therefore comes as no surprise that cyber warfare has never been more of an impending threat than now.

Only last week, US officials announced plans to treat cyber attacks as ‘acts of war’ which may provoke real world military responses. So when it emerged that hackers who stole hundreds of login details from Google’s Gmail system originated from China, the world waited for reaction from the US Government with baited breath. 

One cannot help but draw similarities to conflicts past, as a “war of words” between these two international giants escalated over the past week. While the US simply stated it was “looking into” the Gmail security breath, the Chinese government categorically denied any involvement with the attacks. It has also been reported that US Defence Secretary Robert Gates announced “we are not trying to hold China down”, and that only last month, a top Chinese general declared that China has no intention to match US military power.

Yet hostility again arose this week when a Chinese government newspaper opined that the allegations were motivated by the "vicious intent of sparking new disputes concerning Internet security between China and the US”. This recent to-ing and fro-ing is no doubt reminiscent of Cold War exchanges, especially now that the US government is moving to classify cyber warfare as real world acts of aggression.

The recent antics of “hacktivist” groups like Anonymous and LulzSec, who target corporations, organisations and governments worldwide, have also attracted the attention of intergovernmental military organisation NATO, which has indicated that “the [Anonymous] groups will be infiltrated and perpetrators persecuted”. LulzSec reached the heights of notoriety when it repeatedly attacked Sony’s websites and swiftly moved on to Nintendo and other organisations it took offence with, while Anonymous most recently hacked Iranian government servers. 

It’s hard to tell whether there is a degree of fear mongering occurring in the media at the moment surrounding the threat of real world conflicts resulting from cyber activity, and it remains to be seen how and when – or if at all – any hacking attacks translate into real world warfare. Indeed, I think I speak for everyone when I say that I sure hope it remains nothing more than a cyber cold war – but it seems very clear that we have a reached a new chapter of the world of cyber warfare.