Twitter Hits 10 Billion Tweets

Last night, Twitter reached another impressive milestone: the company’s 10 billionth tweet. So what did it say? Was it something profound about the power Twitter gives us to connect with the world? Ironically, nobody knows. According to Mashable, the 10 billionth tweet came from a protected account, which means that the only people who can see the update are friends of the user. Of course, Twitter can’t be too upset that number 10 billion was anonymous; imagine how embarassing it would have been if it were spam?

Protecting Your Social Media Reputation: A Security Perspective

In a guest editorial for ZDNet, Branden Williams discusses the importance of protecting your identity on the web from hackers, scammers, and other would-be cybercriminals. Focusing on some of the security-related steps you should take to lock down your accounts, Williams advises users to use strong passwords, update their software when prompted, and frequently monitor their social networking presence. Sounds like pretty good advice.

The Sordid Details of Facebook’s Early Years

While investors talk about how many billions of dollars Facebook will be worth when the company finally makes an IPO, the dedicated journalists at Business Insider have been busy snooping into the company’s past. In the most comprehensive investigation on Facebook to date, Business Insider dredges up details on Facebook’s origins, including instant message conversations and e-mail exchanges, that don’t paint founder Mark Zuckerberg in the most flattering light.

American Idol Bans Personal Social Media Accounts for Contestants

In an effort to protect their show, American Idol producers have prohibited contestants from maintaining individual Twitter and Facebook accounts, forcing them instead to connect with fans through an official American Idol account. The general assumption is that Idol producers didn’t want follower numbers to serve as an unofficial barometer for the popularity of certain contestants, thus sucking the suspense out of the program. The fact that is now harder for contestants to tweet something stupid and hurt the show’s credibility is also probably a factor.

High School Student Investigated Over Death Threat on Facebook

In what has become a familiar pattern, a high school student in Brevard County is being investigated for statements he made on Facebook. What did he say?

“Hey, I want to kill Mrs. Bowen. Does anybody want to help?”

While this can be dismissed as a joke (who hasn’t said they want to kill somebody in mock frustration?), school administrators aren’t taking any chances. A death threat is a death threat, and when you make it online where everyone can see, you’re going to have to answer for it.