The Week That Was, September 6th, 2012
The cost of buying followers
With the practice of purchasing Twitter followers growing in controversy, particularly around certain presidential campaigns currently taking place, senior Saudi cleric Sheikh Abdullah has declared the act as ‘dishonest and mendacious’. According to the Guardian this condemnation followed a Saudi Marketing company’s admission that it had sold “bundles” of Twitter followers, Facebook fans and YouTube “likes” to “sportsmen, businessmen, poets and clerics”.
Deemed a fatwa (a religious opinion considering something unacceptable or immoral), Sheikh Abdulla expressed that the buying of followers is not only shameful, but also sad, sinful and dishonest. To top this off, psychologist Talal Thaqafi proclaimed that the buying of followers in social media spheres is a sign of a “weak and disturbed personality” for people suffering from “an internal void, and by increasing amounts of followers, he or she satisfies such a void, and draws attention to him or herself”.
See the full story here.
We’d like to hear your opinion – is social media a mechanism of gratifying self-indulgence, or a medium of connecting and communicating with other people?
Cracking down of fake “Likes”
Whilst buying followers is growing in controversy, it has been reported this week that Facebook is attempting to cut down on fake “Likes” caused by spammers, malware and black marketeers in an attempt to uphold the social networking sites integrity.
As reported above, companies and people of status as increasingly taking to purchasing followers on social spheres, and it would appear that the purchasing of Likes is not different, with many Likes coming from fake Facebook users.
According to Facebook, the cleanup will benefit genuine users and brands who utilize the page, maintaining that the number of Likes being received is a more accurate representation of fan count and audience engagement.
See the full story here.
**Happy 30th birthday, email! **
On August 30th, 1982, the term “email” first entered the public lexicon. Short for “electronic mail”, the word email has become synonymous speed and communication, entwining its way into daily life. According to ExactTarget’s 2012 Channel Preference Survey, email is today used most often for personal written communications, with 92% of US adults using email on a regular basis. We’re sure everyone in the PR industry would unanimously agree that email is the backbone of business!
See the full story here.
Freddie Mercury, an Angry Bird!?
In commemoration of the late rock stars birthday on September 5th, Rovio Entertainment, the creators of Angry Birds turned Queen front man Freddie Mercury into an honorary character!
Image source: Mashable
According to Mashable, Rovio’s gesture supports the annual Freddie for a Day campaign which annually celebrates the singer’s life, and raises funds for HIV/AIDS charity Mercury Phoenix Trust.
See the full story here.
Mad Men, Rickrolling!?
Finaly, wrapping up TWTW, what happens when you cross the hit TV series Mad Men with Rick Astley? Well we’re not telling, you quite simply HAVE to see for yourself!