Mutt Media | The Daily Bone 6.26.09 MySpace lays off 700+ employees!

MySpace recently announced plans for cuts and closings company-wide including 300 jobs oversees, 420 US-based positions and 4 overseas offices, ultimately leaving them with just over 1100 worldwide employees and overseas offices in London, Berlin & Sydney. MySpace is a subsidiary of News Corp, which also owns the NY Post and Fox Broadcasting. Following is an excerpt taken from the Huffington Post.

“The move, the latest cost-cutting effort at the site, comes less than two months after the unit of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. hired former Facebook executive Owen Van Natta, 39, as its new chief executive.

It also comes a day after data from tracking firm comScore show Facebook has caught up with MySpace in monthly U.S. visitors for the first time.

“Simply put, our staffing levels were bloated and hindered our ability to be an efficient and nimble team-oriented company,” Van Natta said in a statement.

The cuts amount to about 420 people, bringing the total number of MySpace’s U.S. staff to 1,000. As of May, Facebook had about 850 employees worldwide, the vast majority in the United States.

MySpace’s user base has stagnated at about 125 million worldwide users, while Facebook said its usage has doubled to more than 200 million in less than a year.

Until now, MySpace still had the edge among U.S. users. But numbers from comScore show that in May, MySpace and Facebook both had about 70 million users apiece in the United States.

MySpace generates more revenue, according to Internet research firm eMarketer; it estimates that MySpace generated about $605 million in global advertising revenue last year, compared with $250 million for Facebook. MySpace’s revenue is expected to shrink next year while Facebook’s is seen as growing.”

It seems as though sometimes we need a little “push” to trim the fat…in life and in business. For a long time, Myspace was the only social networking game in town and really dominated the market. However as the above excerpt shows, this is no longer the case.

I say that competition is good. Good for business, good for the consumer. What do you think?

Mutt Media | The Daily Bone 6.25.09 Don't forget your Facebook personal URL…available to EVERYONE after midnight on Sunday!

Just a reminder to choose your personal URL on facebook! This service was available several weeks ago but was limited in terms of PAGES. If you have a PAGE and less than 1000 fans, after midnight on Sunday 6/28 you can now select your own URL…

For example http://facebook.com/muttmedia

This is great, especially when you want to provide links right to your homepage.

Mutt Media | The Daily Bone 6.23.09 The Iranian Elections and the murder of Neda Agha Soltan

MUTT MEDIA WARNING! | POLITICAL COMMENTARY TO FOLLOW…..

Today’s post is a sad one, but shines a ray of hope on a region in turmoil. I am writing in green to show support for the citizens of Iran and their cause.

No doubt you’ve heard all of the rumblings about the elections in Iran. If you frequent Twitter, Facebook or any of the social networking platforms, you’ve been exposed. Here’s a timeline version of what’s been going on, taken from Reuter’s website.

“(Reuters) – Here is a summary of the main developments in the aftermath of Iran’s June 12 presidential election, which took place against a background of tension with the West over Tehran’s nuclear program.

June 13 – Hardline incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad officially wins presidential election with nearly 63 percent of the vote compared with 34 percent for reformist challenger Mirhossein Mousavi, authorities say. Thousands of protesters clash with police. Mousavi calls result a “dangerous charade”.

June 14 – Mousavi says he has formally asked Iran’s Guardian Council to annul the election.

June 15 – Seven people are killed during a huge march by Mousavi supporters in central Tehran, state media says. There are also pro-Mousavi demonstrations in the cities of Rasht, Orumiyeh, Zahedan and Tabriz.

June 16 – Leading Iranian reformist Mohammad Ali Abtahi, a former vice-president, is arrested, his office says.

– The Guardian Council says it is ready to carry out a partial recount of ballots but rules out annulling the poll.

– Tens of thousands of pro-Mousavi demonstrators march in northern Tehran. Ahmadinejad’s supporters mobilize thousands of demonstrators in central Tehran.

– Authorities ban foreign journalists from leaving their offices to cover street protests.

June 17 – Thousands march in central Tehran.

– Ahmadinejad defends the legitimacy of the vote, telling a cabinet meeting it has “posed a great challenge to the West’s democracy,” Mehr news agency reports.

– Saeed Laylaz, editor of business daily Sarmayeh, and pro-reform activist Mohammadreza Jalaiepour are arrested, a reformist source says.

June 18 – Thousands of Mousavi’s backers rally in Tehran to mourn those killed in the mass protests.

– A spokesman for the Guardian Council says it has begun examining 646 complaints submitted after the June 12 vote.

– Iran’s English-language state television has reported eight people killed in five days of protests. The ISNA news agency, quoting provincial officials, says 88 people were arrested in post-election unrest in the city of Mashhad and up to 60 people in Tabriz in the northwest.

June 19 — Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says protest leaders would be responsible for any bloodshed if rallies continued against the election, which he said Ahmadinejad had won fairly by 11 million votes.

June 20 — The Guardian Council says it is ready to recount a tenth of the votes in the disputed election.

– Riot police are deployed in force, firing teargas and using batons and water cannon to disperse groups of several hundred Iranians who had gathered across Tehran.

– A suicide bomber blows himself up near the shrine of Iran’s revolutionary founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran, Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency reports.

– State television says more than 450 people are detained during clashes in Tehran in which at least 10 people are killed.

June 21 — Mousavi urges supporters to continue protests, issuing an oblique appeal to security forces to show restraint.

– Ahmadinejad accuses the United States and Britain of interfering in Iran’s affairs.

June 22 — Hardline Revolutionary Guards issue a statement saying they will “firmly confront in a revolutionary way rioters and those who violate the law”. Police break up a protest in Tehran hours after the Guards issued their statement.

– People in Tehran again chant “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest) from their rooftops at nightfall.

June 23 – Guardian Council again rules out annulment of the election saying there has been no major polling irregularities.”

Just yesterday, a protester named Neda Agha Soltan was shot and killed in the street. Someone captured this heinous act with their cell phone and it’s been getting lots of play on YouTube. Video follows, but please be warned: it is violent and graphic and YouTube requires that you verify that you are over 18 to view it.

There has been so much controversy over the middle east, Iran, Iraq and the degree to which the US should get involved but I think the events of the last few weeks show us that the citizens want some sort of democracy and a fair election process. I am sure that they know the western world is on their side in this endeavor, as their continuous Twitter and other internet communications indicate. This is GREAT. Unfortunate is that lives are lost but this is an important fight and a stand that, in my opinion, needs to be taken.

All of the Tweets, photos and video footage show us that these are a people willing to fight for their desired rights – rights they have long been denied. It’s nothing short of amazing.

So maybe Iraq was the wrong venue at the wrong time, but the ideology was right on target. If only the violence would stop.

links that may be of some interest to you..

thestar.com | nytimes.com (they have a great blog that is tracking the protests and running commentary) | reuters.com

Mutt Media | The Daily Bone 6.17.09 Facebook says "Claim your Username!"

Happy Hump Day – It’s Wednesday

On June 13th, Facebook launched it’s newest toy – the opportunity for users to claim their own recognizable domain name. So now, instead of the generic url address of http://www.facebook.com/home.php, which leaves you virtually unidentifiable, you can – in the spirit of the Gold Rush 100+ years ago – claim your unique identity and easy to convey domain name (i.e., http://www.facebook.com/topeyelidsurgeon). Ok…that was a plug for one of my favorite clients

Anyway, registration began at midnight on 6/13 and according to Bloomberg News about 1 million people staked their claim within the first hour alone.

It’s really easy. Since prior to 6/13 when you logged onto your account you probably have seen a message alerting you to this new feature. It’s easy to get if you haven’t done this already. Just visit http://facebook.com/username and follow your nose.

If you have a Page on Facebook with less than 1000 fans, this feature will not be available to you just yet; you’ll have to wait until June 28th when this limitation will be lifted.

To get all of the answers to your questions, just click on this link. Mutt Media will take you there!

Oh, and it would be nice to become a fan while your out there looking around if you haven’t already. We’ve got a link to make this really easy. Just look to your right under the “Blogroll” header…and click away!

Mutt Media | Daily Bone 6.9.09 A lonely fish contemplates joining Facebook.

Here’s a comic strip I found in my travels. Really cute. My prediction is this fish will become addicted, soon after will need a support group then will go back to life in the fishbowl. Any thoughts? Email me at feedback@muttmedia.net

Enjoy

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© 2009 Mutt Media NY LLC All Rights Reserved

Mutt Media | The Daily Bone 6.8.09 How much is too much on Facebook?

Over the weekend I read about a woman who was murdered back in March named Caroline Wimmer. Ms. Wimmer was unfortunately strangled with the cord of a hair dryer in her home on Staten Island. One of the EMT’s who responded to the call was a retired NYPD Detective named Mark Musarella.

Musarella, according to the accounts I’ve read, had a stellar record while serving on the NYPD, logging a few downright heroic deeds such as saving a man from a burning car and helping to rescue a mother and daughter who had fallen from a boat that had capsized (NY POST Friday, June 5, 2009).

Musarella is claiming that the posting to Facebook was accidental and that the photo inadvertantly got uploaded with several others.

The question remains, why would an Emergency Medical Technician take a photo with his cell phone while performing his duties? Why would he need or want this image for personal use? Beside being pretty macabre, I believe this is a breach of ethics. The upload to Facebook notwithstanding this is something that he should probably be disciplined for on a professional level. According the story in the Post, while the photo was on his account for only “Friends” to see (his account is set to “private”), one viewer took offense to it and called the hospital that Musarella worked for (Richmond University Hospital). The hospital fired him and he is now facing charges – he is charged with official misconduct and faces up to a year in prision.

I think about the victim of this terrible crime and the family that she leaves behind. Ravi Batra, the attorney for Wimmer’s family believes that prosecuting Musarella will, “keep society civil”.

Good luck.

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© 2009 Mutt Media NY LLC All Rights Reserved

Mutt Media | Daily Bone 6.2.09 Ever hear of a "jobvite"?

Read an interesting article in the New York Times on Sunday 5.31.09 called, “Finding New Employees, Via Social Networks”. You can click on the link to read the full article but to sum it up, Julie Weed tells the story of Alan Kennedy, a 54 year old man who found himself unemployed. Kennedy is now working at Hubspot, thanks to some social networking and Facebook.

I’ve spoken here before about how Facebook profiles can be used FOR and work AGAINST you during your job search. Cleaning up your account for your job search is paramount but once that’s done you can begin to take advantage of some third party applications that are designed to assist you in your search using social networking.

Jobvite & Appirio are two companies that an employer may seek out to fill positions. Keep in mind that these cater to the Company, not the individual.

Go check out how they work and how they can affect your job search!

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© 2009 Mutt Media NY LLC All Rights Reserved

Mutt Media | Daily Bone 6.1.09: Iran & the Facebook ban

Over Memorial Day Weekend I read in my favorite newspaper (as well as other news outlets) that the Iranian government has blocked its citizens from using the Facebook service. Critics of this move attributed it to the upcoming June elections.

Candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi has used Facebook heavily in the past to mobilize young voters for his benefit, much like Obama did with his presidential campaign.

Here’s a video posted on You Tube that tells the story in short…forgive the ad at the end..sometimes these things cannot be helped.

No sooner did I begin drafting this blog then did Iran’s government lift the ban. From all I’ve read, this seems to be a pretty common practice; sites are routinely banned both in Iran as well as other extremely Muslim countries and in China too. When a website’s content runs in contradiction to the fundamental religious philosophies of a nation, these bans are commonplace.

Let’s feel thankful that we live in a country that allows and encourages free speech and opposing views.

Comments? Share ‘em!

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© 2009 Mutt Media NY LLC All Rights Reserved

Mutt Media | Daily Bone 5.29.09 Top 10 Tips for marketing yourself online. Tip #9: Get them talking!

Mutt Media Tip #9

Another Tip from Mutt Media NY

9. While you do want to be stringent about monitoring your social networking sites for undesirable photos and questionable alliances, we should never forget what they are for – networking! By all means, use your contacts. Ask them to post a link about you. Your audience will increase exponentially (see earlier post and the viral networking Faberge illustration).

Provide your friends with a link to your Blog (you should set this up asap as we discussed earlier this month – see Tip #4). There are several sites that are really user-friendly including WordPress and Blogger that make it very easy for you to set this up.

Make sure your posts are relevant and blog often. If people find you interesting, they will come back and voila! You can amass a following and get viral marketing to work for you. Remember, fresh and interesting content is the most important thing! And what’s more interesting than you?

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© 2009 Mutt Media NY LLC All Rights Reserved

Mutt Media | Daily Bone 5.27.09 Using Social Media sites for your job search

Another Mutt Media Tip

Another Tip from Mutt Media NY

Ok….so this was not an original one of our Top 10 Tips but it well could’ve and probably should have been.

Considering the extent to which social media and micro blogging can reach, these mediums can and should be used to let your network of contacts know that you are in the market for work and what you can offer.

Remember that you can be exposed to not only your contacts, but to your contacts’ contacts too, depending upon their account settings. Like a virus, word will spread that you are available for employment or internship. I may not be looking to hire, but think of it like the old Faberge Organic Shampoo (with pure wheat germ oil ‘n honey!) commercials….(yes, I am dating myself) where the girl was so enamored of her shampoo that she told two friends and they told two friends and so on and so on and so on…..take a look if you’d like a stroll down memory lane.

This is a great example of viral marketing in it’s most basic form and the principle can be applied online to your job search efforts. Visibility is key and as you know – once it’s out there, it’s out there. So go ahead, post your unemployed “status” on Facebook or Tweet away to your heart’s content. It can only help.

Oh, and provide an online link to your resume that will contain your contact information…you never know whose virtual desktop it will land on!

This has been your Daily Bone
© 2009 Mutt Media NY LLC All Rights Reserved