In today’s Quick Hits, we explore some changes at Facebook and talk about the consequences of living in a “world of YouTube.”

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Google Rebrands Local Business Center

Google is pushing Google Places, a new name for what was formerly called Google Local Business Center. In a post for Small Biz Trends, Lisa Barone of Outspoken Media explains what Google Places and Google Place Pages means for small business owners in terms of marketing and local search.

What’s Coming Up at Facebook’s F8 Conference

Facebook’s annual f8 conference is in full swing and many tech pundits are wondering what Facebook has in store for today. CNN Tech offers a few possibilities, including the official announcement of a “universal like button,” the announcement of a “places” feature, and the announcement of more technologies that will compete directly with Google and other major technology companies.

Facebook Lite is Finished

While debate rages over what Facebook will be unveiling, CNET is reporting that Facebook Lite has been terminated. Facebook Lite, which was begun seven months ago as an alternative browsing experience for Facebook users, was not widely successful when it first came out and it’s unlikely that the service meshed well enough with Facebook’s strategic plans to keep working on it.

Google Calls Out Countries That Request Information Removal

In response to growing pressure to remove certain content from the company’s search results, Google has developed a tool that shows which government agencies from around the world are requesting information be censored. Google’s claim at the Official Google Blog is that this government request tracker will help bring transparency to the process, but that’s only partly true. A better bet is that Google hopes this technology will expose governments that they feel are too restrictive on information access, forcing them to back off a little bit and leave Google alone.

Teachers Fired Over YouTube Lapdance Video

Two teachers in Winnipeg have been fired from their jobs after they participated in a mock lap dance at a school pep rally. The incident was captured on cell phone cameras and quickly shared online. Within a few days, the video went viral earning over two million views.

While the teachers would have likely been reprimanded even if the video hadn’t gone viral, Jackie Sneesby, chairwoman of the Winnipeg School Division, captured the bigger issue when she said, “I think we live in a world of YouTube. Everywhere you go and whatever you do, whether you’re a celebrity or in this case even if you’re not a celebrity, anybody can have a camera at any time and take pictures and it’ll end up on YouTube. This is the 21st century and this is part of it, I guess.”

Today’s Quick Hits focus heavily on Facebook and Google. Check back later today for an update of our Recommended Facebook Privacy Settings.

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Facebook’s New Privacy Controls Offer Confusing Improvements

Facebook has made some significant (and confusing) new changes to its privacy settings with the addition of a new privacy section called “Friends, Tags, and Connections.” The changes themselves are generally positive. For one thing, they allow users to hide certain parts of their profiles such as their Friend List, current city, and “things they like” (what we used to call Fan Pages). Unfortunately, the language in the new privacy section is extremely confusing.

As TechCrunch points out, Facebook’s description of the “Friends, Tags and Connections” section is filled with weird double speak. Facebook says that the section “covers information and content that’s shared between you and others on Facebook. This includes relationships (shared between you and the person you’re in the relationship with), interests, and photos you’re tagged in. These settings let you control who sees this information on your actual profile. However, it may still be visible in other places unless you remove it from your profile itself.” (My emphasis added.)

Facebook’s continued efforts to give users control over their privacy is admirable, but the site has a bad track record of clearly articulating new changes. What are “other places”? What do they mean by “remove”? If you take a picture down from your profile, does that mean it won’t still appear on a friend’s profile? Average Facebook users do not have the time or inclination to figure these settings out themselves and Facebook should have learned from its previous privacy settings debacle to have clearer communication in place.

Will Facebook Privacy Affect Attorney General Race?

Former Facebook executive Chris Kelly is hoping to become the next Attorney General of California, but will Facebook’s privacy issues tarnish his image among voters? An article in the San Francisco Chronicle discusses how Kelly cites his Facebook experience as a positive attribute, while others wonder if it might not be a negative one.

Ten Countries Appeal to Google Over Privacy Concerns

Google is again catching international heat over its privacy policies. According to the Wall Street Journal, officials from 10 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain and the United Kingdom) sent Google executives a joint letter asking the technology company to build more privacy protections for users. The letter implies that Google is more interested in its technology than its users saying, “Privacy cannot be sidelined in the rush to introduce new technologies to online audiences around the world.”

Facebook Has 41% of Social Media Audience, LinkedIn and Twitter Growing

According to research from comScore, Facebook commands 41% of the social media audience online. That is no surprise considering the site boasts a userbase numbering more than 400 million strong. Another interesting discovery from the research was a significant increase in the number of people using the professional social networking website LinkedIn. This suggests that social media users are becoming more savvy about personal branding online.

Brent Franson, Reputation.com’s Director of Advanced Client Solutions and President of the Online Reputation Management Association, recently appeared as a guest on Defamation Law Radio where he discussed Internet privacy and reputation management issues. To listen to Brent’s segment, click on this link (a media player will open in a new window). You can also read a transcript of the interview.

In today’s Quick Hits, we discuss improvements to Google, Twitter etiquette, possible changes to Facebook’s advertising efforts, and more. Chime in with your own Quick Hits in the comments.

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Google Makes Finding Names Easier

Google has improved its search technology yet again. According to a post from Pandu Natak at the Official Google Blog, the company has recently rolled out a “more localized Google Suggest, improved spell correction for names, and auto-correction for 31 languages.” In other words, Google made it even easier for people to find information online, making it even more important for individuals to be proactive in managing their reputations online.

What’s the Deal with Facebook’s Like Button?

Last week, Facebook announced it would be developing a “like button” for the web. Since then, tech pundits have been trying to figure out exactly how the button will function, what it means for Facebook advertising, and the possible privacy implications for users. PCWorld has a nice wrap-up of the issues surrounding the like button, including insight from the New York Times and Financial Times.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs Talks Twitter

There are two ways people use Twitter; one, to offer engaging and reasoned observations to the world, and two, to spout out whatever happens to crop up at the top of their heads. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs falls into the former category. In an interview with CNN, Gibbs said, “It takes an amazing amount of discipline to write out all of what you want to say in 140 characters or less. If you ever watch me do it, it takes me a few minutes to sort of edit even myself down.” If you’re not taking time to edit your tweets before you send them, you could be putting your reputation at risk. We should all take Gibbs’ advice and think before we hit tweet.

Facebook Takes Up Employee Attention, YouTube Takes Up Business Bandwidth

Security company Network Box recently revealed some interesting data about how employees are using the web while at work. According to the company’s research, “Analysis of 13 billion URLs used by businesses in the first quarter of 2010 shows that 6.8 per cent of all business internet traffic goes to Facebook – an increase of one per cent since the last quarter of 2009.” Another interesting stat showed that 10% of all bandwidth used by businesses is from surfing videos on YouTube. Given the perception that Facebook, YouTube, and other social media websites are detrimental to worker productivity, not to mention the inherent safety risks that come with sharing information online, this data must be a headache for business managers.

Welcome to another awesome edition of Meet the Reputation.com Team! Last time out, we met former journalist and world traveler Adam Tanguay, who heads up MyEdge efforts for Reputation.com. Today, we say hello to Veena Padmanabhan, who keeps busy in the all-important role of Financial Planning and Analytics Manager.

Say hi to Veena below.

Who are you and what do you do?

My good name is Veena Padmanabhan. I work as the Financial Planning and Analytics Manager. I take care of payroll, ad hoc reporting, accounts payable and the list goes on, as I enjoy having my hands in a lot of jars.

What did you do prior to joining Reputation.com?

I went to school in California and New York City. From the time I arrived in the Big Apple to now, I have worked in a number of different finance roles from investment banking to financial consulting in Europe.

What attracted you to Reputation.com?

I had never heard of reputation management until I read about Reputation.com. As I did my research about the industry and the company, I came to this conclusion: the bottom line at Reputation.com is to help individuals recapture their online reputation and give them power over their life online. I wanted to be a part of team that strived toward this goal of helping people.

Why do you think it’s important for people to manage their reputations online?

Individuals, young and old should take charge of their reputation. I always think to myself that face to face (in-person), you can stand up for yourself and not let someone deface you. It should be the same way in the virtual world. You should be able to defend yourself and take charge of who you are on the web, and Reputation.com helps our clients put their best feet forward online..

When you’re not helping individuals control and protect their good names online, what do you like to do in your spare time?

I volunteer, hike, garden and travel. I enjoy reading and spending time with my friends and family.

What’s your all-time favorite website?

SteepandCheap.com, I love the outdoors and getting gear for cheap!