Ramon Thomas

Social network interview about Facebook

by Ramon Thomas in Social Networking on 2424/111111/2011201120112011 • No Comments • facebook, Stellenbosch University

Every now and then students contact me while doing research on articles I’ve written on this blog or interviews published on my work. So this one started out very interesting although the eventual questions were not asking the right questions I believe.

Student Request

I’m studying journalism at Stellenbosch University, and have to write an in-depth article about something, and I chose Facebook . So it’s not for any publication and the deadline is Wednesday. Since it’s about facebook do u mind if we do it via facebook? and the other reason would be that im currently busy with exams so i cannot really go anywhere.

I would like to know your opinion about social networks in general? what u think…do they actually provide a service or is it just to make money? facebook has a shaky history with both good and bad comments…do u think it will die down after the rush is over or will it actually become a real option for building networks…or do u think it is finally reaching it’s peak?

here goes…

your opinion about social networks, especially facebook?
has it brought change into your life / business? how
does facebook have a future in this competitive market or not?
why is facebook so popular?
your opinion about social networks, especially facebook?

Social networks are the unification of the Web in the post Search Engine era. What I mean by this is that since the rise of Google in 2000/2001. Social networks connect people more directly than email, websites or search ever could do. And it plays on the social nature of human beings to connect, flirt, chat, watch, observe, challenge each other. It essentially maps the psychological and emotional nature of the human being onto the Web.

Facebook is a special case because it has integrated every other concept that has gone before and amplified the interconnectedness between “friends” or between groups. It also allows other websites from blogs to major news websites to connect into Facebook. Starting out among students in 2004 it now dominates as the leader of ALL other social networks.

- has it brought change into your life / business? how

Yes, it has allowed me to connect with old friends and new friends easily and quickly. More and more people recognise me in the real world from my Facebook exploits. Imagine Liezel vd Westhuizen or Lee-Ann Liebenberg actually recognising me from Facebook/Twitter and being happy about it. That’s what’s happening to me.

It has also led to very intense business relationships because my life is now an open book. And my clients can see what I get up to in the evenings or on the weekends. I have to strike a delicate balance between what is privately private or publicly public.

- does facebook have a future in this competitive market or not?

Yes, Facebook will remain the leader for a very long time to come. There are many new social networks trying to compete with Facebook. So they have nothing to worry about because simply in pure size they are the King Kong on the block. Since they surpassed MySpace in 2008, there is almost no other competition in this market for them. The only way to compete is to focus on niche social networks in the way that www.NING.com allows users to do so.

- why is facebook so popular?

For all the above reasons and more. Facebook has managed to innovate on a regular basis the functionality and freedom people have to update their friends and play online. It’s the dominant social network on mobile phone now. And with more than 800 million users worldwide, it’s of the total o

Linkedin Coach makes your Recruitment Agency irrelevant

by Ramon Thomas in Social Networking on 1818/080808/2011201120112011 • 1 Comment • LinkedIn Coach, recruitment

When you think about how much money is spent on the recruitment process, you may feel like there is no other way. Well with the rise of business social networking sites like LinkedIn, you have more power in your own hands than you ever dreamed.

As a Linkedin coach I’ve helped CEO’s of major corporations to show them the power of Advanced Search using LinkedIn, and how to do targeted searches. When management sees the benefits so clearly, they realise this is one online business tool that the organisation cannot continue to ignore or avoid. Every staff member within a company no matter how big or small is encouraged to create a detailed profile, and to connect with each other, as well as others in their industry.

To bring the benefits of this new approach to sourcing talented and highly skilled professionals to a wider audience within the company a LinkedIn coach adds tremendous value. Sessions to assist company officials can be with Human Resources, Sales or Marketing departments on individual or group basis. This process helps you find new avenues to complete company objectives like hiring talented people who are difficult to recruit without headhunters. LinkedIn also helps those who need fast and accurate background checks.

Thousands of industry sectors are well represented in the leading global business network. And various subjects where issues are assessed and resolved are discussed by this active community on a daily basis. This makes it an excellent source of competitor information. Again, a LinkedIn Coach, may assist in training your team so they can produce enhanced competitive analysis reports, fulfill a talent management request, or identifying a dealmaker/investor for a new business operation. Whatever the sought information may be, a Linkedin coach can provide the needed references to similar projects published in the website and done by a professional Linkedin member who might have contributed his expertise on the matter. Considering the magnitude of information from millions of contributors, a Linkedin Coach guides you to sort out data and pinpoint the specific pieces that are required.

Most recruitment companies can also benefit from a Linkedin coach to develop new skills in the changing business landscape. Recruitment has changed in fundamental ways, and talented people are harder to find than ever before. People skills are not what they used to be, and relationships value has dropped the more people rely on online social networks for building connections. LinkedIn provides mechanisms for recruitment agencies to remain viable in the world dominated by social networking. Formal training on the use of the Linkedin website may also be conducted by a Linkedin coach. In such trainings, the specific techniques of maximising the website and tapping into it’s vast resources are explored in a customised manner. This knowledge imparted by the Linkedin coach cannot be found in books, magazines as they have been learned through extensive experience. These strategies can be adapted to increase the value adds offered in the headhunting process.

Download and read by LinkedIn Lessons guide or contact Ramon Thomas for assistance.

LinkedIn Coach helps you capture business opportunities

by Ramon Thomas in Social Networking on 1515/080808/2011201120112011 • 1 Comment • business networking, LinkedIn Coach

LinkedIn is the global leader in online business networking. In 2011, the company successfully listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and announced it has over 120 million active users. According to some reports there are more than 1.1 million South African business people using LinkedIn and the growth continues.

Business networking has never been more critical as more and more people are trying to find the right business partners, the right staff or the right leadership. Your LinkedIn Coach is a valuable partner to sidestep the complexity or confusion when trying to navigate the social media landscape. One of the strengths of LinkedIn is how it empowers your company to avoid the lengthy recruitment process, and is some respects avoid using recruitment companies completely. When you find you are ready to start using LinkedIn in your business, engaging with a top LinkedIn coach helps to accelerate the advantages you can derive from using this social network.

In today’s modern business environment, great emphasis must be placed on business intelligence to stay competitive. You can spend hours researching, reading article after article, report after report, without finding the right sources of intelligence you need to make a decision. With a professional network of contacts organised with help from LinkedIn, half your problems disappear. You can easily reach out to your network via a status update, or via a participating in a closed industry specific group, and gain valuable information and help from your peers.

Professionals worldwide have banded themselves into a structure using LinkedIn, like a global network, with the main aim of exchanging business intelligence among them. It is a common fact that information is doubling at a more rapid pace as each year goes by. This private business network, allows you to tap into the combined resources of your peers without leaving your office. This site is so enormous that there is a need for a Linkedin Coach to guide you on how to use this giant website as a source of knowledge or a vehicle for disseminating information.

You can download my free LinkedIn Lessons guide or contact me for a LinkedIn consultation.

Operation Facebook, Hacktivists Rise Up!

by Ramon Thomas in Social Networking on 1010/080808/2011201120112011 • 1 Comment • Anonymous, facebook, hackers, privacy

Over the years I’ve noticed a love-hate relationship with Facebook developing. On the one hand, it seems like a marketing dream. On the other hand it’s a parent’s worst nightmare. When you consider the amount of information Facebook can now access via a user’s cellphone it indeed becomes scary. Smartphones with their tight integration into social networking sites allow for much more access to be shared than most users imagine. Every application you install on your phone has your implicit permission to access your data.

Anyway, a hackers group, Anonymous, is promising to take down Facebook on Guy Fawkes Day, 5 November. And the story has picked up attention from Gizodo, Business Insider & Village Voice. As a long time Internet users, and privacy advocate, I see their intention as good. However, as a former IT Security professional, I seriously doubt their ability to bring down Facebook. If anything they may cause a denial of service for an extended period. However, the next day, all the server should be back up and running. With the kind of investment Facebook has received, there is no doubt they won’t protect their assest, the user data with numerous backup strategies. So time will tell whether the prolific hacking group, Anonymous will succeed in their attempt to kill Facebook.

All this reminds me of the scene at the end of The Truman Show. As he accepts his freedom, the two security guards who’ve been avid fans, just look puzzled, and say to each other, “I wonder what else is on tv….” Whether Facebook lives or dies, this is the likely response to by the masses, “What else is out there?”

A Prayer for Peace Using Social Networking

by Ramon Thomas in Social Networking on 2727/040404/2011201120112011 • No Comments • Hasitha Amarasena, Peace, Prayers, Social Networking

Recently I received a very interesting press release about a new social networking website to promote peace. So I emailed the founder Hasitha Amarasena to request an email interview and give this a better context in a world flooded with Facebook.

1. What is your motivation to start this project?
In the knowing that having a thought is in itself a powerful influential act. From that thought came the idea to create a social network that displayed the world’s problems and giving the whole world an opportunity to contribute positive words or prayers to each world issue. I believe with the power of social media we can energetically connect together and solve the world’s problems. I have a genuine belief we will have world peace within our life time. To finally live in a love based world instead of a fear based world. Prayers for Peace will be the largest Peace movement in the world!

2. How does your social network increase peace, and decrease violence in the real world?
The site presents real-time news updates of worldwide implications and it also ensures that the news remains in the forefront of our thoughts until resolution. Now for the FIRST time you have the opportunity to post your positive expressions along with the news and see how your contribution affects our world. Throughout the centuries great minds have acknowledged the intensity of power resulting from collective positive energy and prayer. Have you ever wondered if prayers and positive thoughts really worked? Now
we have a chance to see the results.

3. How is your social network relevant in a world dominated by Facebook?
Facebook is a one of many social networks. Social networks existed prior to Facebook. Social networks demonstrated how we can easily communicate with people all over the world in seconds. Social networks revolutionized the way we communicate with each other. Here is a list of all the other social networks.

4. How does your social network relate to mobile phone users who don’t have access to a computer/laptop?

We are currently working on applications for the website to work on all mobile devices and are translating the site into different languages.

5. How does your social network relate to South Africa?
We will present real-time news of worldwide implications, which would include South Africa.

Groundbreaking Social Networking Site Has Launched

Social networking is fun! No matter where you and your friends are you can stay connected, share your pictures; exchange updates and always know what’s going on. Now, let’s take social networking to another level and add more features that allow YOU to be part of the solution to the world’s problems. But how?

For the FIRST time ever a social networking site for news, dedicated to Peace has launched. The site presents real-time news updates of worldwide implications and it also ensures that the news remains in the forefront of our thoughts until resolution. You no longer have to feel paralyzed by the news you read or see.

PrayersForPeace.net provides a platform that provides a CONNECTION between YOU and the world’s problems. Throughout the centuries great minds have acknowledged the intensity of power resulting from collective positive energy and prayer. Also, you have been taught that through positive thoughts and prayers, you could move mountains and miracles will occur. Now for the first time you have the opportunity through PrayersForPeace.net

Join PrayersForPeace.net to test these principles and theories and share your positive expressions along with the news and see the effects it has on our world. This social network motivates us to set aside our differences and embraces all cultures, religions, traditions and beliefs. It encourages you to create friendships with everyone in the world. There are no limits to the amount of friends you can have. We have a symbiotic relationship with everyone in the world. What we do to others, we do to ourselves. If you are alive at this moment, you can be part of the solution! We can be the Peace, we want in the world.

Some tips to avoid problems on social networks

by Ramon Thomas in Social Networking on 2929/040404/2010201020102010 • 2 Comments • children, parents, problems, social networks

Here’s some tips for children:

Never give out your full name or physical address. The less information about you on social networks the better.
Ensure that you use the maximum amount of privacy and only invite/accept friends that you actually know in the real world.
When someone posts a nasty comment on your social networking profile, delete it and remove/block them so they cannot do it again.
When someone talks to you about sexually explicit topics, stop talking and block them.
Tell your parents about anything unusual so they can help you deal with it.

Here’s some tips for parents:

Sit with your child and ask them to show you around the social networks they use.
Talk to your child about posting to many photos on the social networking sites because this puts them at greater risk from predators.
Encourage your children to talk openly about anyone who is stalking or harassing them online so you can help them through it.
Place limits on the amount of time you child spend on the Internet e.g. between 8am-8pm during the week or limited airtime on cellphones.
Use technology as a source of conversation over the dinner table to show your children you are interested in their world.
Don’t let technology be a substitute for parenting or experience. Spend time with your children doing other activities so they can learn how to do them and in the process bond with you.
Do your best to avoid violent computer games for your children because this conditions them to become desensitised to the same acts in the real world.

Ramon Thomas is a available for a motivational talk on the psychology of technology and social media for parents, teachers and learners.

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