Copyright Hoaxes down at Facebook... And the Google/Apple War Rages On...

So Cybergirl logs onto the FB this week (as per usual) and what does she find? A slew of the following posts…

In response to the new Facebook guidelines I hereby declare that my copyright is attached to all of my personal details, illustrations, comics, paintings, professional photos and videos, etc. (as a result of the Berner Convention).

For commercial use of the above, my written consent is needed at all times!

(Anyone reading this can copy this text and paste it on their Facebook Wall. This will place them under protection of copyright laws.) By the present communiqué, I notify Facebook that it is strictly forbidden to disclose, copy, distribute, disseminate, or take any other action against me on the basis of this profile and/or its contents. The aforementioned prohibited actions also apply to employees, students, agents and/or any staff under Facebook's direction or control. The content of this profile is private and confidential information. The violation of my privacy is punished by law (UCC 1 1-308-308 1-103 and the Rome Statute).

Facebook is now an open capital entity. All members are recommended to publish a notice like this, or if you prefer, you may copy and paste this version. If you do not publish a statement at least once, you will be tacitly allowing the use of elements such as your photos as well as the information contained in your profile status updates...

Everyone is manically posting and reposting – but what is this scaremongering all about? Is it really possible for third parties and FB itself to use all of our personal information, our images, our data since FB birth - are we seriously at risk? Prayed on by a dark, three headed monster intent on consuming our digital presence and reproducing it in the form of publicity fodder for all manner of nefarious publications? (Cue scary music) – well it turned out there was no need to panic – the –‘copyright’ doctrine was a well thought out hoax that took the majority of Fb users hook, line and sinker and offered some sweet, green ‘I told you so’ moment to the ones who managed to work it out ahead of time.

Cybergirl particularly enjoyed the following post from a fellow FB user:

In response to new blah blah blah I blah my blah blah blah in occurrence from blah notwithstanding blah blah blah blah blah tremendous self importance blah. Blah blah blah blah Roswell blah. Blah blah blah. Blah copyright blah blah blah I AM IMPORTANT AND BEAUTIFUL blah. Blah. Blah! Blah? Blah blah blah too much blah spare blah time blah blah they will come for our blah children. Blah.Officially blah only to refer to blah within the confines of blah and private. Blah blah. Secret blah blah insecurity blah image. BLAH!

So what is the moral of the story? Generally, anything that is filled with legal jargon, related to Facebook and its infringement of human/copy ‘rights’ and allows the reader merely by posting, a lifetime protection from the aforementioned risk – is generally too good to be true. Anything, and I mean anything you post on FB – treat it as officially in the public domain… Because in all but name – it is. See a friend who recently vied for a job at Google and won – what did he post? The slightly uncryptic ‘Larry said yes’ – the young man in question also had something to say about Apple which readers of this blog might enjoy:

‘Bad Apple’ - accompanied by the following photo…

Cue the following comment from the user’s friend:

"Yes...good time to be a Google analyst rather than Apple one huh??"

Hmmm, my sentiments exactly.

And just to finish - here's another image Cybergirl particularly enjoyed...

And just for posterity - here's another...

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The Website of the Year Awards... What Makes a Destination Domain?

They came, they saw, they conquered! Yes last night was the much lauded Website of the Year Awards here at The GWG, and what a night it was... Tensions rose, Prosecco corks popped, mini hamburgers were dessimated in their hundreds and the great and good of the digital world mingled to super netoworking effect. What a night it was – actually incredibly moving also, a tribute to the founders of note who have carved out their own little slice of web magic... (Click here for the winners...)

Which brings me to the title of this week’s post, what does it take to create a brilliant website?

The elements are fourfold (ignore them at your peril):

- The frontend

- The backend (come on don’t laugh)

- The functionality

- The design

These foundations (supported by robust tethered beams) must be paid heed to if a domain is going to scale the heights of say Net-a-Porter....

The beams consist of:

- Providing up to date original content in a myriad of forms. All search engines lap it up like Pavlov’s dog.
- Next up it’s quality not quantity – bear this in mind! Look at sites like Nowness – (that purposely limit the amount of content they upload). The site sources artists (from the world of fashion art and photography) to provide enduring, boundary pushing content. Never forget that just as the web’s greatest strength is the abundance of information available, so too is this its downfall...
- Think outside the box; how can you make that newsletter more appealing? How can you impart information more succinctly and swiftly? How can you target your reader with content tailored to user preference (see StumbleUpon for a stunning example). Never stop asking questions. Because all good business stems from providing a solution to a user's problem.
- Never underestimate social media – it’s the past, the future and the present. More traffic, more readers and more unique hits come via this stream than any other – fail to harness it at your peril.
- Simplicity is key – not only will this allow your site to play to its strength across a wide range of search engines, but the sites that are really pushing the boundaries are mutually unexclusive in this regard, united by the clean, sharp, high res imagery that can be found on Squarespace for example. Again quality not quantity – use graphics sparingly.
- Search facilities are core to user experience. How swiftly does your server break down a request? In how many seconds is a well-timed response pinging its way back to your friendly unique user? This is where the back end comes in - functionality is key.
- The product – to finish, no domain however flashy, well designed and custom built is going to last the distance if it’s a case of style over substance.

So there are Cybergirl’s tips... Look at the winners of the Website of the Year Awards - they have all paid heed to these simple concepts.

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Tax Avoidance, Soho House and the Death of ITunes?

So for those of you following this blog – Cybergirl has been banging on week in, week out about the shady tax shenanigans of high profile brands such as Google, Facebook and Apple to name but a few – brand who clearly believe that tax avoidance is akin to filing a dodgy taxi receipt on expenses or waiving the service in a restaurant. ‘Tax avoidance is legal’ is the catchphrase du jour, from politicians and brands alike.

But I ask you, is it legal for the millions of ordinary citizens who file self assessment forms every year come January 31^st? How would Apple feel if their employees started filing expenses to the tune of £200 million? Or if their customers started paying £2 instead of the £270 for an IPad Mini?

Margaret Hodge, Labour chairman of the public accounts committee said, ‘We’re not accusing you of being illegal, we’re accusing you of being immoral,’ – why not? Why on earth is this kind of corporate behavior not illegal? Why when British citizens are expected to adhere to the authority of HMRC, are companies that rake in millions in profits exempt? Google has admitted structuring its affairs to reduce liability, well if it’s good enough for them – it’s good enough for us. That wad of blank taxi receipts Cybergirl found abandoned in the back of a black cab recently – they’ll be filed imminently – it’s ‘legal’ don’t you know...

On another note Cybergirl spent the weekend at a very exclusive private members club/hotel in the heart of the Somerset countryside, this uber exclusive hang out (and preserve of the rich and famous) is well known for banning mobile phones within its hallowed walls, but now seems to have taken the ethos one step further with a cyberwall that blocks all Facebook chatter. No matter how hard Cybergirl tried, no status updates, photos or location services would penetrate the barrier imposed on this very private garden of Eden. Top marks for privacy to the Soho House Empire...

Thirdly – (yes two points are never quite enough) Spotify – is it the death of ITunes? How on earth did Apple think they could get away with ‘leasing’ material to the millions of people dependent on ITunes software when Spotify; previously the underdog, were offering an almost identical service – the only difference being that with ITunes (and for an exorbitant price) the music is leased for life... Hmmmm - Leased for life or leased by the month – sorry what’s the difference?

Finally (yes this is the week of gripes) what on earth is wrong with Apple’s Mail? The search facility is terrible... Cybergirl can never ever find the requisite email without logging on via Google or another mail client. Googlers have got the hang of searching email – how can Apple be so far behind? Here’s an idea – how about Google lease the technology to Apple? Then all the dominoes would be neatly lined up in a row – now there’s something to think about. Right, rant over.

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Crowdfunding, The Most Retweeted Comment in The World, and a bloggers' haven at Chanel...

So what’s on the brain this week? First up crowdfunding ladies and gentlemen. Oh has Cybergirl been impressed with the sheer ingenuity and business acumen that is Tallulah Rendall – the singer songwriter has been harnessing the power of the web and social networking in particular to fund the production of her next album. Rendall who is one of the most talented singer - songwriters we’ve seen in the last few years (think Florence crossed with KT Tunstall, with the haunting elegies of Kate Bush thrown in for good measure) is hard at work getting the resources together to get her third album into the public domain. Not only has she created the most ingenious YouTube video (see below) but she has harnessed the power of crowdfunding to match. Where there’s a will there’s a way ladies and gentlemen and the Internet is nothing if not a cog in a very creative wheel...

In Tallulah’s words it offers us all the ‘Freedom to Create…’ And that's no bad thing...

On another note – what a week it was for the humble tweet! Yes Barack Obama, pronounced his victory, with not only a stunning all rounder in less than 140c, but a Twitpic to match… If ever evidence was needed of the stunning tour de force that is social networking, this is it – with his statement; ‘Four more years…’ and a heart-warming image of him hugging wife Michelle to match. What an incredible start to the next presidential term… And might we say a huge relief for millions of Americans…

Here in the UK, Cybergirl spent the week doing the rounds of press shows, starting off with a tour at uber brand Chanel, who showed its sheer dedication to harnessing the power of the blogger, with a press day to match. Yes their incredible new spring summer collection was displayed in all its glory – for the bloggers of the world, to photograph, tweet and even video – ready to go viral (see the beautiful images below). Ahhhh, the ever growing power of the web; where once humble journalists feared to tread – now bloggers storm in swathes… There’s no question the clever PR peeps down at Chanel, have scoured the blogosphere for only the top talent around but this brings me to an ever growing concern... With an unlimited amount of data ready and waiting to be filled in the giant miasma that is the Internet, is there a creeping concern of quantity over quality?