Have you ever wondered where URL shorteners come from? Didn’t think so, but here is a Google map anyway.

During the days of the Libyan revolution many people brought up a point that had some actual clout behind it, what would happen if the government shut down their internet. One of the more popular URL shorteners, bitly, is hosted on the Libyan domain of .ly, and people were under the impression that if the government shut down to prevent further gathering via social media and forums that everyone using the URL shortening service would have broken links.

However, a bitly admin noted that regardless of the domain being used, their services will continue to function:

We’ve also got a tremendous confidence in our engineering team, which has built a redundant, secure, highly-scaleable site. Every single bit.ly short url also exists as a bitly.com page.

So convenience and branding may have been the reason for creating the services using a specific domain, but a smart business will always have a backup.

One a mostly unrelated note to this story URL shorteners come from all over the globe, and most interestingly both our current president and Mitt Romney use domains from outside the US.

The Wide World of URL Shorteners

View The wide world of media and business. in a larger map

For those of you who don’t have the ability to add share banners like the one on the bottom of this page, you can bookmark this article as a resource to easily find the HTML for adding individual share buttons on your sites.

Facebook Like

Facebook Like HTML (FXBML)

Tip: When placing the Facebook like button on your page you may want to deselect “Show faces” as it adds additional white space below it. Also test to see if the “Send” button works prior to pushing the page live. The HTML also forces other share buttons on other lines, so make sure you account for this. Stacking buttons can look odd.

Google +1

Google +1 HTML (Javascript)

Tip: Pay attention to which button option you select. The tall one will cause more white space, where as the others fit well on a horizontal line with other share buttons.

Linkedin Share Button

Linkedin Share HTML (Javascript)

Tip: If you don’t plan on having a lot of shares for the page, you may want to leave off the count. If you don’t care about the count, then it obviously won’t make a difference which option you choose.

Twitter Tweet Button

Tweet
Tweet Button HTML (Javascript)

Tip: The Tweet Button will allow you to customize the title of the article that will be tweeted, the URL, and suggested users associated with the site. Try to keep things relevant, or people won’t be able to get back to the page that the sharer intended you to find.

Christian Oestlien (@christianism), product manager for Google+, stated in the following YouTube video that businesses should hold off from creating profiles on Google+. Currently the Google+ development team is hard at work to develop a business aspect to the new social network, but their primary concern is developing a consumer based site right now. He hinted that the business offering would include integration with Google Analytics and AdWords.

Oestlien also revealed an offer for businesses who may want to be part in a testing period prior to its initial launch, which can be completed by filling out the following [Google form]. As a result of this video, businesses should take this as a warning that Google’s team may begin to ban or remove business branded pages on Google+

Google+ is officially on the market, and it’s being released in small doses in the form of invites. Much like how Gmail was initially spread in beta, the invite only model creates a sense of exclusivity and belonging. Facebook also used this method to market their network to college students, and eventually became part of the global definition of social media. Whether Google+ mirrors this success is anyone’s guess, but until that time it is time to get to know the features.

Breaking Down Google+

Like all new programs and applications there is a learning period that dictates whether or not users will generally adopt them. For example Quora was built to appeal to techies. It’s not necessarily the most visually appealing system, but there is a plethora of great information on it. Currently Google+ has some informative YouTube videos and basic notification windows to help you learn their process, but the best way to learn how to use it is to use it.

Stream

The first thing you will see when going to Google+ is your stream. If you are Facebook this is known as your News Feed, and on Twitter it is your timeline. Here you will see updates from people you have in your circles, and in real-time.

The status update section allows you to select what circles you want to share content with, make it publicly available, or extend it to your friends friend (extended circles). Currently status updates can come in the form of text, photos (albums, single images, or from your mobile), videos (upload, from YouTube, or from your mobile), a link with some added meta text, and your location (this doesn’t work well on non-mobile platforms).

Items that you post to your stream can be edited whenever you want. In comparison Facebook currently allows for a few seconds when you post a comment, and LinkedIn provides 15 minutes to edit posts. To further your privacy settings you can also select what items can be shared publicly. That means if you select a particular circle to share content with, they will be unable to reshare it unless they save it separately. You can also disable comments on an item as well.

Breakdown: This uses Facebook’s visual look, but you can follow people like you do on Twitter and they will appear in your stream. It would appear that active conversations also appear at the top of your stream. The Stream improves upon several Facebook security issues that people complain about. Where as Facebook allows you to hide a post in your news feed, you can mute a post on your Google+ Stream. Similar to Tumblr another user can add a comment to your original post when selecting the share button.

Circles

Circles are Google’s answers to Facebook friends lists and Twitters follower lists. Twelve months ago Paul Adams (@Padday) presented what Google felt was wrong with social media, much of which related to what is now referred to as Circles. Fast forward to the public launch of Google+, Adams now works for Facebook and coincidentally resulted in some interesting thoughts on his Twitter feed.

Breakdown: Google+ Circles act like any other list (but with cooler drag and drop options, yes easily amused) where you differentiate between who you would like to see certain things you post online. Diaspora was doing great things in this arena, but it would appear their Alpha status is going to continue for quite a while. Even though Facebook has friends groups and specific privacy settings much like Circles, the issue comes down to the user. Privacy functionality is there, but unless it is easy enough to use and is clearly defined, a person will ignore it. A regular user will likely continue to just upload items based on the networks default settings out of pure laziness. If a social network really wants to protect their members they should attempt to create an algorithm that suggests circles or lists based on keywords.

Photos

So you’re a photo junkie? It would appear Google+ has trumped every other social media site with their photo system in several ways. Facebook just released their facial recognition feature that identifies faces based on common characteristics, and Google tames the process down by locating faces.

The most important feature is in the details. Once you select a photo click the Actions drop-down menu, and select Photo details. This will flip the image around and bring up the light levels, camera used, exposure, aperture and other details. That means all you folks out there who like to blow your contrast out to hide physical features will now be clearly exposed.

In addition to gaining information on the photo, you can currently select six different filters to alter the images appearance.

(+1 Button)

Google released +1 in an attempt to connect your google activity to websites similar to how Facebook uses the Like button. With the integration of Google+, +1 now acts as a Like button on all status updates. Google +1 selections from your friends will likely be a factor in your search results as well. Currently if you are signed into Twitter, Google will show search results for items that your followers/friends have previously shared.

Hangouts

One of the more interesting new features of Google+ is the new collaboration tool that pulls together Gchat attributes within a social setting. From your Google+ homepage you can start a hangout by selecting the green “Start a hangout” button on the right side navigation. From here you can select what Circles you want to join the hangout, and your webcam and microphone will activate. You can use this tool like a chatroom with cameras, to collaborating on a document, or even watch a YouTube video in real-time together (sort of odd, though Netflix would be a nice option).

As people join the hangout you can also invite specific people that are not listed in the Circle. By default the person who is talking or moving will appear in the center of the hangout. If there is one feature that will particularly make Google+ effective, this is it. Once they integrate Google Docs into the Hangout feature it will become invaluable.

The Black Bar

Google’s Black Bar (clearly I don’t have any official name here) becomes part navigation, part notification when you are signed in. The Black Bar now follows you to any other Google product like Google Docs or the Calendar, and allows you to receive notifications and update your status.

Sparks

Google Sparks appear to be their informal way of sharing content that may interest you. Essentially Google+ Sparks are like RSS feeds that draw content based on your keyword of interest. Because there are no formal groups, Sparks allows you to draw in content that interests you and share it with particular circles. At this point you can discuss or comment on the item.

Are you on Google+? You can connect with me there. Once invites open again I would be happy to send them your way. Follow me on Twitter @thejournalizer and I will announce when I can send you an invite.

On this day in 1828 the man who helped pave the way for the science fiction genre was born. Jules Vern, creator of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea has a Google tribute up in honor of his birthday (you know, because he’s not important enough for an international holiday).

Google’s interactive image allows you to explore 20,000 leagues under the sea by navigating a small joystick. Pretty cool.

And yes, there are Narwhals in there.

[Google][Jules Verne]

Google

Google Inc. has come to a settlement after their product Google Buzz caused privacy issues. You won’t get a penny though.

According to Google, users will get an education rather than financial compensation. Google Inc. is going to establish an $8.5 million fund for organizations focused on Web privacy policy or education, and of course cover the lawyer expenses. Additionally, Google has stated they will make more of an effort to educate their users about privacy with the users of Google Buzz. After complaints from early adopters of Google Buzz, various prompts and notices were put in place to make areas of concern apparent.

[Google Buzz Settlement]

Google’s Press Release

Google Buzz Settlement

Mountain View, Calif. — On October 7, 2010, federal district court Judge James Ware preliminarily approved a class action settlement related to the launch of Google Buzz last February. The Settlement resolves a lawsuit filed by Gmail users who alleged that Buzz’s launch violated their privacy.

“We are satisfied with the agreement and are glad to move forward,” said a Google spokesperson. “We have always been committed to offering users transparency and choice in Buzz and all our products, and will continue to work together with users to provide the best experience possible.”

Immediately following the Buzz launch in February of this year, Google moved quickly to make significant product improvements including increased visibility, an updated start up processfeaturing auto-suggestions, and adding Buzz to the Google Dashboard. In April, Google rolled out a “second chance” encouraging Buzz users to check and verify their privacy settings.

The Settlement Agreement acknowledges the important changes Google has made to Buzz. As part of the Settlement Agreement, Google will create an $8.5 million fund, the majority of which will go to organizations focused on Internet privacy education and policy, and will make additional efforts to educate users about the privacy aspects of Buzz.

Gary E. Mason, counsel for the Plaintiffs in the litigation, said, “We feel this Settlement provides many benefits to Class Members, including providing a significant amount of money to non-profit groups committed to educating users about Internet privacy and ensuring that Buzz users can join this on-line community without compromising their privacy.”

The Court will consider final approval of the proposed Settlement on January 31, 2011. Full details on the Settlement are available in the Notice.

What Are My Options?

• EXCLUDE YOURSELF - This is the only option that allows you to bring your own lawsuit, or be part of any other lawsuit against Google about the legal claims resolved in this Settlement. You must mail your request for exclusion so that it is received no later thanDecember 6, 2010.
• OBJECT - Write to the Court about why you do not like the Settlement. Your objection must be received by January 10, 2011.
• GO TO A HEARING - Ask to speak in Court about the fairness of the Settlement. Send your Notice of Intent to Appear so that it is received no later than January 10, 2011.
• DO NOTHING - Give up your rights to sue Google about the legal claims in this case and thereby accept the terms of this Settlement.

Please consult the Notice for more details on your options.

Fairness Hearing

The Court will hold a Fairness Hearing at 9:00 a.m. on January 31, 2011, at the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, San Jose Division, 280 South 1st Street, Courtroom 8, 4th Floor, San Jose, CA 95113. At the Fairness Hearing, the Court will consider whether the proposed Settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate. The Court will also consider Class Counsel’s request for attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses, and the incentive awards. If there are objections, the Court will consider them.

The Fairness Hearing may be moved to a different date without additional notice and no further notice will be provided to you that the Settlement has been approved. It is recommended that you monitor this website for updated information and developments.

Google has finally released the publick goo.gl URL shortener. Requires no back talk.

It appears that many brands now have their own URL shortener, and now Google has followed suit. Although they have had internal URL shorteners for quite some time, they have now released the application to allow anyone to utilize it.

To access the Google or goo.gl URL shortener, simply access it through their short link. Place any URL inside the text box, hit shorten and presto, you have a short link. Because Google is generally a well trusted brand, it should be safe to say this service will be much more reliable then Tiny URL or the like, which often causes broken links after a short period of time. This makes it impossible to utilize short URLs in an archive.

The goo.gl URL shortener also has a built in analytic service for those currently signed in. Although it’s quite simplistic, it will likely fashion Google Analytics in the future.

Google has implemented the Konami Code in many of their products, and Google Docs has joined the pack.

The Konami code, sometimes referred to as the Contra Code can be used on many of Google’s applications. Google has now implemented the code on Google docs, which flips the sites contents. The effects of the code  can be reversed by putting it in again, or reloading your page. Many websites like Facebook or even the Oatmeal have utilized this nerdy feature.

To utilize the Konami Code, press on your keyboard: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Enter.

*Sorry for the shaky video, my iPhone 4 was the only thing handy at the moment.

The Internet is exponentially greater than any other source to find out about a person, but one wrong word and it’s over.

Carl Herold, Programmer extraodrinaire, has been providing free online classes to help people learn more about programming. His first course, presented in 2009 on the social media site Reddit, has led to over 6,000 students to follow his courses.

In addition to providing invaluable information for free, he has been a programmer for 15 years and owned several businesses. More importantly, Herold is self-taught and has never attended college.

On June 3, 2005, Herold was labeled as a con artist because an unhappy customer posted a complaint on Ripoff Report and as a result any time his name is searched for on Google, it is the first item that appears.

Herold’s case is a familiar sting when it comes to the Internet. Websites like Ripoff Report will yield top search results because they are considered high traffic sites. Even though Herold has made a clear case that the customer was simply lacking the proper contact information to get a refund, the client would not remove the report. Additionally, the issue at hand was because the client could not get a refund of $29.95.

Herold has tried several times to have Ripoff Report to remove the false accusation, and their website clearly states that they are not responsible for what other people have said (reducing the possibility of being sued for libel). Herold has now turned to the popular social media site, Reddit. They have often come together to create works of genius, create relationships that last a life time and occasionally some grand humor.

Reddit users have decided to search for Carl Herold’s name and his business, tweet it on Twitter and provide him SEO suggestions to improve his websites ranking. Currently the results of Reddit users hard work can be shown above, as his programming website is now number two, as it was ranked number seven earlier in the day.

Carl Herold’s website provides free programming to everyone.

[Herold's site][Ripoff Report]

Prevent this from happening to you

Although Reddit has generously devoted its time to assist Herold, this situation can happen to anyone or any organization. SEO optimizers will often charge people for this type of assistance, and it will still not push a persons name to the top of the Goolge’s search results.

Everything on the Internet is open.

You may have a private profile, a locked Twitter feed and even password protected blog posts. No matter what you think, these can be accessed, copied and spread over the Internet. A fine example of such is the spread of individuals personal images.

Example:

A girl sends her boyfriend a nude image of herself through Facebook or text message. They break up and he decides the image should no longer remain private. He sends the image to all of his friends and posts it on the Web. A week later the girl notices that her face is now on an adult websites advertisement. Sadly situations like this occur often, and can break a persons reputation for years to come.

Social Media is exception for promoting a person or business, but it can also break them. Be aware of anything you decided to display on the Web, because what may appear to be an image of you drinking at a BBQ, may be a reason for a future employer not to hire you. It’s difficult to say what information and images of you will appear at the top of the results, so it’s important to reduce the likelihood of anything negative ever appearing in general.

Protect your Facebook account, be careful what you say on Twitter and try not to send nude images to your partner.

Evolution Freelance Media

Evolution Freelance Media (EFM) provides free communication assistance for all your social media needs. We are a non-profit group that creates strategic marketing and communication plans, press releases and assists with SEO optimization.

*Editors note – The information Herold has provided has been proven to be factual and is support by the dates on the Ripoff Report. At times people will spam Reddit and other social media sites, and essentially cry wolf for their 15 minutes of fame. Herold’s situation is very real and he has given back to the community, in turn the community has decided to support him.

Google Easter Egg

Google goes mad for the World Cup by adding in the G0000000000al easter egg.

A search of “world cup” on Google will not only provide fans with the teams involved and game schedules, but now a cool easter egg.

Be sure to watch England smash the USA this Saturday or some other games.

[Google]