URL Shortener Bake-off

What’s the best URL (web link) Shortener? Here at Leading Hands we put the top URL Shortener’s to test with a little bake-off. We asked the question, “Are you ready for a throw-down?”, just like Bobby Flay.

If you are wondering, “Why should I use a URL Shortener? What are the advantages and disadvantages?” The advantage of shortening a long URL, like from Google Maps, is that it’s easier to send to a friend. Another advantage is that most shorteners let you track clicks. The biggest disadvantage is that many short URLS are tagged as SPAM, so be careful how you use them.

Bit.ly - This site was picked by Twitter as the URL shortener of choice a few months back. It’s solid and enables tracking on clicks. You do need to register for an account. There is a pro version available which I have never tried.
http://bit.ly/

BudURL - This free site is latest in shortening technology. I like this shortener because it tracks clicks. Sign-up required for full functionality. There is a pro version available which I have never tried.
http://budurl.com/

Facebook URL Shortener - Facebook created their own service. You have to be logged into Facebook to use it. It works well, but I didn’t see any tracking.
http://fb.me/

Google URL Shortener - Need a Google Account to use it. Stable and Secure are good qualities of this service. Tracking on clicks is available.
http://goo.gl/

TinyURL - This site is the original URL Shortener. It’s free to use and shortens URLS without sign-up.
http://tinyurl.com/

Youtu.be - This service is brought to you by YouTube. It works, but you have to be logged into an account to make it work.
Youtu.be

Do you have any URL (web link) Shorteners to add?

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

New Facebook Features

If you didn’t notice, Facebook once again mixed up their interface. Basically the top and left menu bars were simplified and condensed which may cause you strife to find everything right away.

Do you like this new layout or are you wishing you had a choice of the old one?

http://www.facebook.com/sitetour/homepage.php

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Classifications of Facebookers

CNN recently did a classifications of the most annoying  Facebookers. Can you relate to any of these listed here? Do you have any to add?

1. The Let-Me-Tell-You-Every-Detail-of-My-Day Bore.  - tell me more?
2. The Self-Promoter. - every link to your blog (I am guilty of this one)
3. The Friend-Padder. - 1000 friends?
4. The Town Crier. - I can’t take who just died.
5. The TMIer. - too much info
6. The Bad Grammarian - I can’t spell
7. The Sympathy-Baiter. - too much bad news
8. The Lurker. - not much participation but they know alot about you
9. The Crank. - complainers
10. The Paparazzo. - constantly tagging posting photos
11. The Obscurist. - not clear updates
12. The Chronic Inviter. - constantly sending out group invites

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/08/20/annoying.facebook.updaters/index.html

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Non-Tweet Section Please!

The other day, Disney pop starlet Miley Cyrus decided to quit Twitter cold turkey. Similarly in a recent interview with Drew Barrymore about her directorial debut Whip It, she responded that she is a Non-Tweeter. It started me to think, what if in the future Tweeting was banned from public places just like smoking? Can you have second-hand Tweets like second-hand smoke? Can Tweeting be as addictive as nicotine? Do these constant micro-blogging alerts cause health effects?

Imagine the following scenario ten years from now. You walk into a restaurant, the hostess asks you, “Would you prefer the Tweeting or Non-Tweeting section?” If a customer sits in the Non-Tweeting section and they are caught Tweeting, the establishment and other patrons will have reason to ask the Tweeter to leave. At this time as a society, we truly don’t know the side-effects of Twitter to our health, could it be detrimental?

Do you think there should be a special section in bars and restaurants for Twittering, Facebooking, etc…?

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Staying Safe and Private On Facebook

Tori Woods sent me a note that said, “I thought you might be interested in this great article about Facebook safety– it ties into Leading Hands. It’s a step-by-step (therefore very useful) guide.” Below find the five points, but follow the link below to the step-by-step instructions of staying safe on the social networking leader.

5 Tips to Stay Safe on Facebook

1. Make Friend Lists - categorize your friends into various groups
2. Who Can See Your Profile - limit who can see your profile
3. Who Can See Your Phone Number - limit who can see your phone number
4. Who Can Find You On Facebook Search - limit who can search for you
5. Don’t Connect to Unknown Applications - take control of the info you’re sharing on those quizzes

http://www.readwriteweb.com

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Do You Own Your Life On Facebook?

Facebook is now a cultural phenomenon and the world now posts their lives online for the world to see. Videos of your kids playing, class reunions, first wedding dances and countless memories that are truly special. However have stopped to think about who owns your information? Do you care if Facebook decides to sell your photos, videos and updates one day? If they do, are you thinking you’ll be the next reality star?

The truth is that last year Facebook changed their privacy rules saying they owned all the content being posted on their site. However, they instantly switched back their terms and conditions after thousands of users were outraged. Why couldn’t they switch it back again? I personally have been reluctant posting family images on my profile. If I do post, they are only of me. Twitter just released new terms of conditions and listed you own your content, but they could just as easily reverse their decision tomorrow.

With the rise of shows like iCarly and Web Soup, Internet video clips are becoming staples of TV programming. Internet clips are diamonds in the rough. These clips which are now being shot on mobile devices are cheap, quick and easy. You do not own your content on social media sites and all together online. Your personal memories will be broadcast without your consent so be careful what images and videos you post on your sites. Even if you lock it down now, who knows what will happen in the future. Your digital foot print is sacred.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Oh No! Your Parents Just Joined Facebook?

The other day I heard a few talk show hosts insinuating that Facebook has “Jumped The Shark“. I then saw on Doug Craver’s TechBytes and on a few Twitter feeds the website My Parents Joined Facebook referenced. The website insinuates that youth can no longer post everything happening in their lives on Facebook because now their parents will find out about it.

For example, a college student kept asking her father for money to pay for rising book fees. However after dad joined Facebook, became friends with their kid and started reading about her excessive partying, the money was cut off. Then the student “Unfriended” their dad so he couldn’t read her updates any longer. The reality is this trend is rising everyday and this new website, My Parents Joined Facebook says, “this is your chance to get back at them for taking away your public privacy.” The idea is to share the embarrassing messages parents are writing on your Facebook wall in order to fight back.

The reality is everyone should realize that whatever you write as your status, on your wall, or any picture you upload is permanent record online. Even if you delete your account or remove the information later, a search engine, the site hosting the material or another user will be retaining your information. Be careful out there in Internet land!

http://myparentsjoinedfacebook.com/

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Commentary: Tired of Social Media?

Everywhere you turn, whether if its on the six o’clock news or at sporting events, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn advertisements are posted. “Join us”, “Follow Us”, “Hit Us Up”, “Make Us Your Friend”, “Connect With Us” on the Internet is the message we continually hear from companies. Are we starting to reach the breaking point with all the inundation of the social media fad? Honestly, how many more times can we hear about that party that happened last night? How many more times can we hear the story about your goldfish that came back to life after a food coma?

In the next few months, more and more people will begin to delete their profiles and go offline. More viruses will be hitting our Twitter accounts. More scams will be encroaching on our lifestyles via social media (SM). Advertising will be coming soon to Twitter and every other Tweet will be slammed with ad words and search related noise. The culmination of all of these threats will turn off many users, but will we truly lose them? Will it be too late to get back all those millions of users that got turned off by the social media bandwagon? I say, “no”.

Human nature is to be curious. Eventually another secure form of micro-blogging communication will emerge. We can’t get rid of social media phenomenon because our “friends” want to know what we are doing at all times.

So how will the world adjust to SM? Simple. New tools are appearing that will automate responses. Professional writing teams are being assembled to represent corporations in social media. The question is, how will the average person keep up with SM? Sure mobile applications give us the ability to update over lives on the go, but we tend to add even more to our schedules when something becomes faster. Eventually will we all just pay someone to do our social media for us, like someone mowing our lawns.

Are you tired of Social Media?

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Trazzler, Tell Us Where To Go?

The other day Leading Hands gave you Hunch, a website that recommends books, movies, etc… based upon filling out a few questions. Now another service called Trazzler, recommends trips based on your location and travel personality; it seems that recommendation featured websites are all of a sudden becoming popular even though Amazon has been doing it for over ten years.

Your travel personality is created as you save trips in your wishlist and places you’ve been. Then Trazzler learns about the kind of trips you like and creates more trip choices. If you have a Facebook account, Trazzler will connect to your account, share wishlists, recommendations, and soon will suggest new friends based on travel compatibility. As you continue to use it, more travel suggestions will occur.

Note: All your travel descriptions and choices are public information.
http://www.trazzler.com/

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Keeping Your Kids Safe on Facebook

Here’s a good video by Christine Plich on how to keep your kids safe on Facebook.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites