Filed under: Twitter, Vodafone | Tags: Jakub Hrabovsky, Twitter, Vodafone
There was much mirth recently when Vodafone got all foul-mouthed on its Twitter feed – sending the ridiculously offensive message: “@VodafoneUK: is fed up of dirty homo’s and is going after beaver”.
The company immediately posted an apology, but the message immediately shot around the globe. Jakub Hrabovsky, head of web relations at Vodafone, has now explained exactly what happened – telling ReputationOnline:
“Since the inappropriate tweet that was published through @VodafoneUK on Friday there have been many questions and theories (some slightly wild) about what actually happened. Therefore, we can now share what actually took place”.
“On Friday one of the members of the Web Relations team who was moderating the company Twitter account left his computer for a minute to ask a colleague some advice. Another member of staff who is unconnected with the Web Relations team saw his colleagues screen open and assuming it was his colleague’s personal Twitter account posted the inappropriate tweet”.
“Within minutes we realised what had happened and issued an apology. The individual who posted the tweet was suspended with immediate effect and an internal investigation is now underway. We have strict guidelines with respect to all the social media we use and we are naturally upset that a rogue incidence like this could happen”.
The approach seems to have worked. Happening as it did just before a weekend, the incident was mostly forgotten by Monday.
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/31366/vodafone-explains-rogue-offensive-tweet
Filed under: Copyright | Tags: British Library, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Jules Verne, Microsoft, Out of copyright classics
The British Library is to make thousands of classic 19th century works available as e-books completely free of charge.
In a joint venture with Microsoft, some 65,000 works will be offered as free downloads in the spring, with authors including the likes of Charles Dickens, Jules Verne and Jane Austen. The titles, all officially out of copyright, will be available as special digital “first editions”, complete with the original typeface and illustrations, and will significantly bolster the Library’s e-book catalogue.
Besides well-known 19th century literature, the selection will also include so-called “penny dreadfuls”, such as JM Rymer’s The Dark Woman and Black Bess by Edward Viles. Around 40 per cent of the titles on offer aren’t available in any other library. Alongside the digital titles, supporting paperback editions of many of the works will go on sale through Amazon for around £15 apiece, also featuring the original typeface and illustrations.
The announcement marks the end of a three-year process of scanning in the titles, a project funded by Microsoft. The 19th century literature was specifically chosen because it is out of copyright so can be copied freely. With the British Library officially holding at least one copy of every work of literature released in the UK, it claims that 35 to 40 per cent of its 19th century titles aren’t held by any other library.
“Freeing historic books from the shelves has the potential to revolutionise access to the world’s greatest library resources,” said Lynne Brindley, the library’s chief executive, told the Telegraph.
http://www.itpro.co.uk/620293/british-library-to-offer-65-000-free-e-books
Filed under: Facebook, Google, Picasa, Twitter, YouTube | Tags: Facebook, Gmail, Google, Picasa, Twitter, YouTube
Google is trying once again to capture some of the momentum surrounding social networking companies like Facebook and Twitter by adding new features to Gmail, its popular e-mail service. Later this week, Google will introduce add-ons to Gmail that let users post and view messages about their day-to-day activities, according to a person at Google briefed on its plans. This simple tweak to Gmail will allow Google to mimic the status updates that have driven much of the success of Facebook and Twitter, as people return to the services again and again to check out what their friends and co-workers are doing. To date, Google has allowed users to post only a brief message about their status through its Chat system, which is linked to Gmail. The new features would allow a more vibrant back-and-forth among Gmail users. It is not clear whether Google will link the new Gmail features to rival social-networking services. Google is also expected to create strong ties between Gmail and its YouTube video site and Picasa photo gallery service
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/technology/companies/09social.html
Filed under: Axel Springer, Die Welt | Tags: Axel Springer, Berliner Morgenpost, Bild, Die Welt, Hamburger Abendblatt, Le Figaro, Paid for content, Times online
More European newspapers are joining the paid content club: Axel Springer has put up online paywalls for two of its German newspapers, the Berliner Morgenpost and the Hamburger Abendblatt. This follows reports of French paper Le Figaro readying a paywall this month, and ahead of a planned paywall from Times Online, expected this spring. Access to all content on morgenpost.de now costs EUR 4.95 a month. A premium subscription to abendblatt.de costs EUR 7.95 a month. Abendblatt.de has a mixture of free and premium content: it appears it charges extra for content specific to the Hamburg region, while making national news free. Subscriptions for both are renewed on a monthly basis. Axel Springer has already seen some success in paid-content models for its papers. In December 2009, it launched paid-for iPhone apps for two of its other German newspapers, the tabloid Bild and Die Welt. Clickandbuy, which provides the charging mechanism for these apps as well as the new online paywalls, says that Bild is now ranked first and Die Welt ninth in Germany’s app store.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2010/feb/08/european-newspapers-paywalls
Filed under: Iran | Tags: American spies, Fomenting unrest, Iran, IRNA, Julian Knapp, Radio Farda
Iran has arrested seven people linked to a U.S.-funded Farsi-language radio station for allegedly fomenting unrest, and accused some of the suspects of working for American spy agencies, Iranian state media reported Sunday. The official IRNA news agency and Iran’s state radio both cited an Intelligence Ministry statement saying the suspects played a role in violent anti-government demonstrations in Tehran on Dec. 27. On that day, at least eight people were killed and hundreds were arrested during clashes between opposition supporters and security forces. IRNA quoted the ministry statement as saying “some of them have been officially hired by the U.S. intelligence agencies.” State radio said the suspects were trained outside of Iran in sabotage, disturbing public order, spreading rumours and overthrowing a government by soft means. It also said the seven planned to take part in opposition demonstrations expected on Feb. 11, when Iran marks the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution that brought the country’s hardline clerical establishment to power. The U.S.-sponsored Radio Farda, meaning “Radio Tomorrow,” is Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Farsi-language service. The station, which has bases in Prague, Czech Republic, and Washington, D.C., has been broadcasting since 2003. RFE/RL’s spokesman in Prague, Julian Knapp, expressed concern over the arrests, but said the station has no independent confirmation of them
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hhhEAg2nZizslRKRgEiDxK3OeKxw
Filed under: Audit Bureau of Circulation, Conde Nast | Tags: ABC, Better Homes and Gardens, Conde Nast, Glamour, Reader's Digest, TV Guide
Magazine circulation continued to fall in the second half of 2009 from a year earlier, according to preliminary data from the Audit Bureau of Circulation, with Better Homes and Gardens eclipsing Reader’s Digest to be the most purchased magazine in the U.S. Better Homes, published by Meredith Corp. (MDP), saw its total paid and verified circulation fall just 0.5 percent to an average 7.6 million copies for the monthly. That compares with a 13 percent drop for Reader’s Digest to 7.1 million. Its parent, Reader’s Digest Association Inc., is about to emerge from bankruptcy protection. Among the nation’s most-sold magazines, TV Guide saw the biggest decline, with its average circulation sliding 26 percent to 2.4 million copies. Consumers are increasingly using programming guides on their set-top boxes. The publication was bought in late 2008 by private-equity company OpenGate Capital for USD 1. The biggest gainer amid popular titles was a 6.9 percent average increase for Conde Nast Publications Inc.’s Glamour to 2.5 million as it recorded an 11 percent jump in subscriptions.
Filed under: Thomson Reuters, Twitter | Tags: Illegally imposing pay cuts, Newspaper Guild of New York, Thomson Reuters, Twitter
A labor union has filed a complaint against Thomson Reuters Corp. alleging the financial information and news service is illegally imposing pay cuts and restricting what workers can write on their Twitter accounts. In a complaint filed with the National Labor Relations Board, the Newspaper Guild of New York charges that Thomson Reuters plans to cut wages of reporters and other employees by an average of 10 percent this year without the union’s consent. Thomson Reuters disputed the figure Friday, saying it is guaranteeing a 0.5 percent salary increase for the more than 400 U.S. journalists represented by the union at its Reuters News service. The conflicting figures provided by the union and Thomson Reuters’ management reflect the acrimony underlying their talks on a new contract. Other media companies, mostly newspapers, have been lowering wages and requiring unpaid furloughs during the past year as a severe advertising slump dried up their main source of revenue. The Newspaper Guild contends Reuters hasn’t been hit as hard because it isn’t as dependent on advertising as newspapers. The complaint also alleges that Thomson Reuters hasn’t followed proper procedures for drawing up its policy governing its employees’ use of Twitter, a popular online tool for broadcasting messages of up to 140 characters. Thomson Reuters bars its workers for posting anything “that would damage the reputation of Reuters News or Thomson Reuters.”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100205/ap_on_bi_ge/us_thomson_reuters_labor_complaint
Filed under: China, Cybersecurity, Google | Tags: Black Hawk Safety Net, China, Google, Hacker training website
China has closed what it claims to be the largest hacker training website in the country and arrested three of its members, domestic media reported on Monday. The “Black Hawk Safety Net” website taught hacking techniques and provided malicious software downloads for its 12,000 members in exchange for a fee, the Wuhan Evening News newspaper reported this weekend, citing police in Huanggang, just east of Wuhan. Hacking from China has received international attention since Google Inc threatened to quit China last month after a serious hacking attempt originating from China, resulting in the theft of its intellectual property. China has denied involvement in the hacking episode and said it does not condone hacking. The website was shut in late November and three of its members arrested on suspicion of criminal activity, the newspaper reported, without saying why the news was only released now
Filed under: Data Protection, Data secrecy, Germany, Google, Privacy | Tags: Germany, Google Street View, Ilse Agner, Personal data privacy
Germany has warned internet giant Google that it might take legal action to prevent Google Street View from offering photos on the country’s cities and streets. The country’s Consumer Protection Minister Ilse Aigner told Focus magazine that she was considering “legal steps and possible changes to the law,” to prevent Google from publishing photos taken in Germany. Google’s Street View offers 360-degree pictures taken along streets in cities and towns across a country. Aigner said she was considering reversing a 2009 settlement whereby individuals would have to object should they not want to have their house or property photographed. Rather, Aigner suggested, it should be Google who has to seek permission from individuals to put their data online. The minister described the images on Google street view as “a millionfold violation of privacy rights.” Google rejects the criticism, saying that it had been granted the permission to take the pictures under the 2009 settlement with the German authorities. The deal included a provision that licence plates and faces would be blurred and that any individual could object to the their photographs appearing online. Google says only some hundred people so far had objected. The internet company plans to make the street view service available later this year
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5222701,00.html?maca=en-rss-en-ger-1023-rdf
Filed under: Censorship, China, Google | Tags: Censorship, China, Google, Goojje, Infringing trademark
Google has warned a copycat Chinese website to stop using a logo that resembles the US Internet giant’s or face possible legal action, state media reported Monday. The warning issued to the “Goojje” website comes as Google is contemplating its future in China after saying it would no longer obey government censorship rules and could pull out entirely over alleged cyberattacks. Google accused Goojje of infringing on its trademark rights, saying the logo of the Chinese website could make users believe it was authorised by or linked to the US company, the Shenzhen Economic Daily reported. In a letter sent to Goojje by Google’s lawyers, the US Internet firm demanded the Chinese site stop using the logo by Monday, the report said. Reports have said Goojje was launched last month by a 20-strong team led by a college student identified only by the surname Wen, after Google issued its threat to pull out from China. The operators of Goojje have posted vague statements on the website construed by some media as offering support for Google. Goojje’s homepage imitates Google’s design and its Chinese name ends with a character that means “big sister”. Google’s Chinese name, meanwhile, ends with a character that is a homonym for “big brother”.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gWxB0WvSikhS0Jt-UifAe59H9GNg
