In today’s Quick Hits, we talk about social media in the office, the growth of the reputation monitoring industry, and why one Michigan high school student may not be happy with his newfound Internet fame.

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Online Reputation Monitoring on the Rise

According to Econsultancy’s third annual Online Measurement and Strategy Report, there has been a 9% increase in the number of agencies tracking analytics related to reputation monitoring since last year. This represents the largest increase among all measured analytics in the report. The report also showed how companies are managing online reputation, with 24% using a combination of free and paid tools.

Student Who Slept Through Obama Speech Gains Internet Fame

I think it would be pretty cool if the President of the United States gave the commencement speech at my high school graduation, but apparently it wasn’t interesting enough for one Kalamazoo Central High School student. As detailed in this article for the Kalamazoo Gazette, a video of President Obama’s remarks at the high school shows a boy in the background who appears to be sleeping. Even worse for him, his unintentional act of disrespect has made him a mini-celebrity on Facebook, where a Fan Page set up in his honor has amassed thousands of fans overnight.

While the story is amusing from an outsider’s perspective, I imagine it’s pretty embarrassing for the student who fell asleep. Hopefully, his infamy is only short-lived and he doesn’t have to live with the embarrassment for the rest of his life.

ISACA Study Shows Dangers of Social Media in the Workplace

A new study by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) shows how social networking in the workplace can cause problems for companies. The top five social media-related risks identified in the report were “malware, brand hijacking, lack of content control, noncompliance with rules over recordkeeping, and unrealistic expectations of Internet performance.” Reputation management was also factored into the report.

New Zealand Investigating Google Over Wi-Fi Sniffing

Following the lead of Australia, Spain, Italy, and Germany, New Zealand has announced plans to open a criminal investigation against Google over the company’s recent admission that it collected unsecured Wi-Fi payload data through its Street View cars.

Will Facebook Find Major Success in China?

Facebook is often hailed as the king of social networking sites, and rightfully so with close to 500 million users. However, outside of the United States, Facebook isn’t always the top dog. NPR has an interesting article on how Facebook ranks in terms of global social networking websites and why it is often difficult for American social media companies to succeed in countries like China.

We’ve already earned some great feedback on our new Facebook privacy application, PrivacyDefender, but today’s article at UrbanDaddy.com may be the best yet. Comparing PrivacyDefender to a virtual bouncer for your Facebook profile, the Urban Daddy article discusses how keeping your Facebook account secure is a necessity in the Internet age.

From the article:

“[PrivacyDefender] is like having a bouncer for that most exclusive club of all: your online circle of friends (and “Friends”). You’ll log on to the app (which, perhaps ironically, means giving PrivacyDefender some access to your account). Then, you’ll see a dazzling array of colors, laid out in a circle symbolizing how vulnerable your account is. (Long story short: red = bad.)

From there, if you’re an exhibitionist, you probably don’t need to touch anything. If you believe in total privacy, well, you shouldn’t be on Facebook. But if you want something in between, you’ll set everything to green, and click “Fix My Privacy.” Which means you and only you will decide if your mother gets to see that picture of you taking the house on black 26 in Monte Carlo yesterday.

She’ll be so proud.”

Since we launched PrivacyDefender last week, over 10,000 people have downloaded the app. If you haven’t used PrivacyDefender to manage your Facebook privacy settings yet, you can install the application here.

In today’s Quick Hits, we explore Google’s ongoing legal troubles, get a behind-the-scenes look at Facebook, and learn how Australia plans on keeping kids safe online.

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Interview with David Kirkpatrick, Author of The Facebook Effect

David Kirkpatrick, the author of The Facebook Effect, sat down with ABC News to talk about his book, Facebook’s growth (and subsequent privacy problems), and how Mark Zuckerberg has changed from the time he founded the company to now. The interview is full of interesting insights about Facebook, particularly about the company’s 26-year-old founder.

Does Mark Zuckerberg Need an Eric Schmidt?

In his IMHO Blog for ZDNet, Tom Foremski ponders whether it’s time for Facebook to bring in its own Eric Schmidt (CEO of Google), an experienced executive that can guide the company toward a successful IPO while helping Mark Zuckerberg manage the rigors of running a massive tech company. The article is pure speculation, but it is still an interesting read.

Chris Kelly, Facebook, and the California Attorney General Race

Kashmir Hill at True/Slant has a nice wrap-up on how the ongoing Facebook privacy debate is affecting former Facebook executive Chris Kelly’s chances at becoming the Democratic candidate for attorney general in California. We’ve touched on the California attorney general election previously, but this is a good introduction to those unfamiliar with the story.

Connecticut Attorney General Investigates Google Over Wi-Fi Sniffing

The Google Street View Wi-Fi sniffing scandal has been a problem for Google for more than a month now and it doesn’t show any signs of stopping. A day after Australian authorities stated they were opening a criminal investigation into Google’s Wi-Fi sniffing, the attorney general of Connecticut has said his office would determine “whether the company violated state privacy laws when Google gathered private data transmitted over unsecured networks used by residents and businesses.”

Australian Government Launches Online Help Center for Kids

According to reports, the Australian government has launched an online “Help” button today that will provide kids and teens online a one-stop shop for information about Internet safety. The safety tool will also provide teens with a place to report cyberbullying and other Internet crime.

Today, Reputation.com is proud to announce the acquisition of Ziggs.com, a social networking site specially designed for business professionals. The acquisition provides a unique opportunity for Ziggs users to continue building positive digital identities with Reputation.com’s unique suite of online reputation management products.

From the official press release:

“Our mission is to make managing one’s online reputation easier,” said Owen Tripp, COO of Reputation.com. “We were interested in Ziggs.com because of its similar approach to helping professionals build and maintain an online presence. Moving forward we will work to enable Ziggs.com users to more completely take the reins of their digital lives.”

“Our mission with Ziggs.com has always focused on fostering a community of like-minded professionals who acknowledge the value of creating and maintaining a professional online identity,” said Tim DeMello, founder and CEO of Ziggs.com. “Early on we recognized Reputation.com as the leader in the space. Joining Reputation.com now makes it easier for our community of users to manage their online reputations across the entire Internet.”

If you are a current Ziggs.com user, you will continue to be able to access the website without disruption. However, we encourage you to visit http://www.reputation.com/ziggs to learn about a special offer for Reputation.com products.

For more information on how the Ziggs.com acquisition may effect your experience as a Ziggs user or as a Reputation.com customer, please contact us at 877-735-3057.

In today’s Quick Hits we talk about social media safety, Google’s legal problems, and how an American General became the victim of Facebook scammers.

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How to Ruin Your Life with Social Media

John Fruhlinger at PC World has a wrap-up of the countless ways that individuals can “ruin their lives with social media.” Fruhlinger covers many stories that we have talked about in the past (including the “Drunk Pirate” teacher who was fired for an extremely benign MySpace photo).

Report Sheds Lights on Teen Safety Online

The Online Safety and Technology Working Group released a report on Friday that addresses teen safety online. The report echos some of the things we’ve been saying for a while, namely that sexual predation online is less prevalent than it used to be and that the primary threat facing children online today is cyberbullying and other forms of harassment. The research also pointed out that “loss of reputation from posting photos and written records” can be a problem for young Internet users, leading to problems later in life.

Yahoo Partners with Facebook for Social Integration

Yahoo has gone social in a big way with the full-scale rollout of its partnership with Facebook. According to a Yahoo blog post, the integration means that users can now “see your Facebook News Feed from your Yahoo homepage, Yahoo Mail, and other favorite Yahoo sites and services.” Cognizant of Facebook’s recent privacy problems, Yahoo also redesigned its privacy dashboard to make it easier for users to see how their information is being shared online.

Top American General in Iraq Scammed on Facebook

General Ray Odierno, the top American general in Iraq, was recently the victim of scammers on Facebook. According to a Fox News report, scammers accessed Odierno’s account and used it to request money from his followers. Army officers are looking into the scam attempt, as well as other scams that target military families.

Australia Opens Investigation into Google Wi-Fi Sniffing

The Australian government has opened a criminal investigation against Google to determine whether the company broke any laws when it accidentally collected Wi-Fi payload via Street View vehicles. The investigation comes after a month-long standoff in which Google has refused to turn over the data it collected, saying instead the company will destroy the data. Last month, when he learned of the issue, Australia’s Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said Google was responsible for the “single greatest breach in the history of privacy.”