redmango:

My favorite quote; “Building a network on thefacebook.com isn’t creating a new community disjoint from your natural social community, it’s creating a directory and a tool to help you navigate your flesh and blood social network.”

Social website draws heavy traffic
by Daniel Gilbert - May 7, 2004 4:31 pm CDT

In its first week at the University of Chicago, thefacebook.com has achieved rapid, widespread popularity among students, with some 1500 students registering in the first 75 hours. After one week, there are 2,380 students registered at the University, with 118,560 students registered throughout the United States, according to the website’s founders.

Some students have wondered why The Facebook, which first opened to Harvard students on February 4, took so long to reach the University of Chicago. The three months it took for the website to arrive at the U of C has a further twist: Donna Zuckerberg, the younger sister Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of The Facebook, is a first-year in the College.

Donna Zuckerberg was present at The Facebook’s conception, which happened on an evening over winter break, while she and her brother were discussing an article just issued from Harvard University. The article condemned a now defunct website constructed by Mark in the fall called “facemash.com.” Administrators at Harvard stated that the Facemash site would cause a two-year delay in the University’s own production of an online facebook. Donna recalled her brother’s reaction: “That’s ridiculous, I could do that in one night.” “And he did,” she added.

Many students familiar with similar websites such as Friendster and Livejournal prefer The Facebook for its combination of utility with a fun gimmick. Ethan Jewett, a third-year in the College, emphasized how the restriction of the website to one’s university, as opposed to an abstract network of friends, is critical to the site’s success.

“Building a network on thefacebook.com isn’t creating a new community disjoint from your natural social community, it’s creating a directory and a tool to help you navigate your flesh and blood social network,” Jewett said. “While some students still engage in a popularity contest, the impulse is moderated since no one wants to look like they’re desperate for friends in a place where their real friends will see them.”

Other students mistrust the social network that The Facebook provides. Dmitri Sandbeck, a first-year in the College, has not registered a profile. “The Facebook feels far too impersonal in the way that it connects people, allowing you to claim as friends people who you barely even know, or who you have never talked to,” Sandbeck said. “Also judging by the volume of e-mail my friends are getting, it’s practically like signing up to receive more spam.”

Many students view the popularity of The Facebook as a fad, soon to lose its novelty. Plotting social networks and amassing friends appear to be the first features with which students become disenchanted. Some students voiced complaints that others were posting profiles with false pictures and inaccurate information, yet no one has denied the potential utility of the website to keep in touch with friends from different schools, and to contact people in their classes at the University.

A first-year speaking on condition of anonymity noted that The Facebook is a lot about projecting a certain image. “You choose one picture, and certain books and movies to represent yourself, but do you choose the books you actually like, or do you choose what you want people to associate with you?” she asked. The student gave an example of how posting a profile has tangible repercussions with regard to her social life. “I’m currently having a fight with my boyfriend, because he doesn’t like the picture I’ve posted,” she said.

Students who decide that The Facebook is not for them have the option of deactivating themselves from the website. While numerous students have done this, The Facebook’s press contact Chris Hughes said that he and his team are not keeping a record of how many students deactivate.

In the meantime, the founders appear to remain one step ahead of the game. The website’s most recent feature, an option to list summer plans, allows students to connect with others who will be near them during the summer, fostering additional opportunities for social networking.

(Source: dankimredmango)

A Community Manager is the face of a company, managing communications in both directions. This digital-savvy employee is responsible for all communications, PR, social media, events, and content creation, among other things.

It’s a Web 2.0 communications role, incorporating online tools and in-person networking to create relationships and ultimately build the company’s brand, both online and off.

While every day as a Community Manager is different, this is what the role’s responsibilities may include:

1. Content creation - writing blog posts, articles, newsletters, communications materials, and material for social media channels

2. Social media marketing – creating, managing and growing the company’s presence through blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and other strategically relevant online properties

3. Events and event planning – attending industry events in your city (often outside of 9-5 hours) and planning meetups for your community

4. Public relations – (note: some companies may have devoted PR departments so this may not be relevant) managing incoming media requests and building relationships with industry journalists; creating, executing and measuring media campaigns

5. Customer relations – the Community Manager is often responsible for customer support – answering questions however they come in (phone, e-mail, Twitter) and managing any online feedback forums such as GetSatisfaction pages

6. Communications/marketing strategy – the Community Manager is responsible for creating strategic marketing/communications plans to provide direction for the company’s public-facing communications

7. Analytics – Using Google Analytics and other measurement tools to provide reports on metrics, and continually find ways to improve on those metrics through testing and new initiatives

8. Business development - Depending on the company and depending on how senior the role is, a Community Manager can also be responsible for business development and sales

Some of the best words of love come from our favourite movies.

NZ Bride lists the 11 most memorable movie quotes about love to inspire you and express how you feel about your love on your wedding day…

“It seems right now that all I’ve ever done in my life is making my way here to you.” The Bridges of Madison County

“I will love you my whole life. You and no other.” Braveheart

“The best love is the kind that weakens the soul, that makes us reach for more, that plants fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. That’s what you’ve given me. That’s what I hope to give to you forever.” The Notebook

“I love that you get cold when it’s seventy-one degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle in your nose when you’re looking at me like I’m nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night.” When Harry Met Sally

“I love you. You complete me.” Jerry Maguire

“I guarantee there’ll be tough times. I guarantee that at some time, one or both of us is gonna want to get out of this thing. But I also guarantee that if I don’t ask you to be mine, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life, because I know, in my heart, you’re the only one for me.” Runaway Bride

“You make me want to be a better man.” As Good As It Gets

“I love you. Very simple, very truly. You’re the epitome of every attribute and quality I’ve ever looked for in another person… I can’t stand next to you without wanting to hold you. I can’t look into your eyes without feeling that longing you only read about in trashy romance novels. I can’t talk to you without wanting to express my love for everything you are… I’ve never felt this before, and I like who I am because of it… There isn’t another soul on this… planet who’s ever made me half the person I am when I’m with you… I’m forever changed because of who you are and what you’ve meant to me.” Chasing Amy 

“I will love you.” Sex And The City: The Movie

“I am just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.” Notting Hill

“Poets often describe love as an emotion that we can’t control, one that overwhelms logic and common sense. That’s what it’s like for me. I didn’t plan on falling in love with you, and I doubt that you planned on falling in love with me. But once we met, it was clear that neither of us could control what was happening to us. We fell in love, despite our differences, and once we did, something rare and beautiful was created. For me, love like that has happened only once, and that’s why every minute we spent together has been seared in my memory. I’ll never forget a single moment of it.” The Notebook