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Are You Ready for the Sharepocalypse?

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Social SitesI don’t know about you, but I think this whole thing about using -calypse as a suffix is getting old. Still, I couldn’t stop myself from digging deeper when I encountered the term “sharepocalypse”.

I don’t know where the term originated, but I first saw it in an article written by Nova Spivack, which was published by Mashable. The idea is very simple and not surprising at all: “In the Sharepocalypse hundreds (if not thousands) of online friends share content with us across various social networks, culminating in massive information overload. Our lives will become more fragmented, we will lose productivity, and we’ll perpetually be playing catch up.” ((Article))

Think about it. How many social network accounts do you have? In how many of these networks are you active? Let’s be more specific, when you update your status and/or post links/photos, how many platforms do you use for the same content? [Read more…] about Are You Ready for the Sharepocalypse?

Google Plus Anti Divorce?

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Are you plus one-ing yet, or are you still stuck with liking? Google’s beta release of Google Plus last week has got everyone online going gaga over the newest social networking site in town. With the limited and sporadic invites available, not everyone is on Google Plus yet. Still, divmore and more people are finding their way to the site.

With that comes all sorts of articles, critiques, and commentaries on Google Plus. One of the more interesting ones that I have stumbled upon is written by Kashmir Hill of Forbes.com. ((Article)) The topic? How Google Plus seems to be anti-divorce. Divorce may be an ordinary thing in most countries in the world, but in my neck of the woods, divorce is stirring up controversy. Yes, the Philippines in the only place on Earth (barring the Vatican) where divorce is not legal – yet.

So what is this about Google Plus not being nice to divorcees? For those who have an account already, check out the options for relationship status. As opposed to Facebook, which does provide “Divorced” as an option, Google Plus only offers the following.

Google Plus Relationship Options
Google Plus Relationship Options

The list of relationship status options being a fact, what does this imply about Google? I honestly wouldn’t have given it any further thought if I hadn’t read the article. Hill has a theory that, perhaps, Google took heed of feedback from the past (the “Call Daddy” reminder in Gmail, which offended some people with father issues) and chose not to include divorce as an option. After all, divorce can be one of the main sources of issues in people’s lives.

Then again, I honestly think that reading into the absence of the option is a waste of time. As far as I am concerned, it should be enough to state whether you are married, in a relationship, or single. After all, Google Plus is NOT a dating network – although I suppose for some people, that just might become one of the purposes.

Whether or not Google is against divorce – I don’t care. I do care about making sure that my stream is kept clean of the noise that I have on Facebook and that I use those circles to my advantage. How is your Google Plus experience so far? Do you miss the “Divorce” option?

Your Favorite Logo – The Honest Version

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Logos have been used forever to make brands stick. There is no denying that the use of logos work, hence the high premium placed on brilliant logo designers. Now, something we may not think about a lot is the fact that while some logos are brilliant and help make the brand name stick, these logos may not actually be an accurate reflection of what the brand stands for.

Then again, logos are made to show companies in the best light possible, so stark reality may not be the first priority. Am I confusing you? How about we take a look at honest portrayals of some of the most popular logos that we see on a daily basis today? These logos were designed by the guys at Designers Couch ((Designers Couch)). Let the images speak for themselves!

Facebook = Procrastination

Facebook
I only have one question: how many hours do you spend on Facebook everyday? I will not even dare to answer that for myself!

PlayStation = Procrastination

PlayStation
Facebook may be more accessible than the Sony PlayStation, but anyone who has this gaming console will know just how fast time can fly by when playing a game. It’s as honest as logos can get!

Nintendo = Nothing to Do

Nintendo
It’s still funny, but I am not sure “nothing to do” encompasses the concept of Nintendo. Then again, if I think about how people will get together on a boring night and end up playing Wii…could be wrong, though. What do you think?

McDonald’s = McDiabetes

McDonald's
It can also be McOverweight, McUnhealthy, or McDisgusting. Now you know why I am not a logo designer by profession.

Camel = Cancer

Camel
Long known fact. We can substitute Camel for any other cigarette brand, but it would not look as good, would it? Plus, it hasn’t stopped people from smoking for hundreds of years. Will this honest logo make any difference? For my sake, I hope so.

Absolut = Vomit

Absolut
Funnily honest logo, but I feel that I have to clarify. Absolut only equates to Vomit if you drink a bottle on your own, straight, in a short period of time. I would be more agreeable to a similar idea if it were Jose Cuervo = something. It’s too horrible to think about.

So are these logos honest enough for you?

Last Night Never Happened: An App to Delete Your Boo-boos

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Last Night Never Happened

Upon waking up today, I saw a friend’s status on Facebook: “To the 2 strangers I called last night, and have no recollection of what we talked about, I am very sorry.” Now I don’t know what that was about, but it reminded me of so many incidents wherein people got so wasted that they had no recollection of the events of the previous night. I am sure that you are no stranger to such events as well, and that, in the morning, you wished that there was a way to undo things.

But wait – there is an app for that! At least for deleting written evidence. Developed by So Soho Holdings Limited and 22seeds, the iPhone app is being dubbed as “the world’s first morning-after app” and seems to hold some potential. The idea is rather simple: once you wake up from your drunken stupor and realize that you have posted some things on Facebook and Twitter that you would rather not have posted, you can launch the app and delete those posts. Oh, and you can delete photos as well.

The graphical interface is simple – specially designed for people still suffering from a pounding head and blurry vision. There are also idiot-proof measures so that you don’t end up deleting more than you actually want to. (You never know – in your earnest desire to get rid of humiliating evidence, you might accidentally delete “legitimate” data.)

If you are ALWAYS in control when it comes to your social network accounts, then forget the app. Then again, I have a strong feeling that you will find this app very handy. Get it from the iTunes store for $1.99.

The Dating Game Goes Social

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The Dating GameRemember that TV show which helped singles meet the person of their dreams? Quirky and funny, The Dating Game was one of the most popular TV shows in the old days. If I remember correctly, The Dating Game was even franchised in different countries. Not much has changed in the face of dating in that people are still on their own quests to find their perfect match. If anything, dating has merged with technological developments, creating new options.

Everyone knows about online dating and how it has become a viable alternative for many people. 3G Studios, a Reno, Nevada-based developer, has introduced a new element into the equation: a dating game that can be played with real people via social networks. Surprising? Not really. Silly? Probably.

The format of The Dating Game is not totally different from the TV show. A game will have a bachelor, or a bachelorette, seeking a date. There will be three potential dates who remain anonymous until the bachelor/bachelorette makes a decision. He or she will be asking personal questions which each of the contestants must answer. After several rounds, the person seeking a date will make his or her choice and gets to go on a date with the winner. Of course, the date may either be virtual or for real, depending on the people involved. The game is available for Facebook, MySpace, and Friendster – among others. (So people still do use Friendster???)

This new game raises a lot of questions, one of which is with regard to security. The developers deals with this issue by allowing avatars instead of photos. Personally, I think that if someone wants to play a dating game using his or her social networking account, then security would probably not be an issue for that person. Then again, if you take a look at that screenshot above, you might have second thoughts about playing the game.

In any case, if you are single and you find yourself having nothing to do this weekend, grab The Dating Game for free. Or you can read a book. That’s probably more productive.

Ecotopia: A Worthwhile Facebook Game?

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Ecotopia
For some reason, I have never gotten into FarmVille, which is perhaps the most popular Facebook game of all time. I did find myself wasting lots of hours on CityVille, though, for reasons I cannot explain. Now, here comes another game, which aims to catch the attention of the hordes of people already addicted to Facebook games. Called Ecotopia, the game seems to have some similarities with CityVille and other games in the same category. The big difference is that Ecotopia is being touted as a “green game”. It is being developed by Talkie, in cooperation Conservation International, with Hollywood star Harrison Ford’s support.

The game has not been launched yet, but there is already a Facebook page for Ecotopia. According to what the developers, the game is:

  1. Eco-friendly
  2. A heroes-versus-villain adventure
  3. Players start with an environment that is dirty and inhabitable. The task is to generate resources and eventually create one’s own utopia – with the good of the environment always a prime consideration.

Just like all other social games on Facebook, players can connect to their friends and interact with them via the game. Indeed, no social game will be complete without these features. For those who may already be raising their eyebrows and thinking that the game is nothing more than an escape from reality, Ecotopia does reach out to the real world. I don’t know exactly how the system will work, but the developers say that “players will also be heavily rewarded for performing real-world acts of green and incorporating them into their Ecotopia gaming experience.”

I know many of my Facebook friends do not care about my fish, my mafia, or my city; but if Ecotopia is going to be good as it is being hyped up, I wouldn’t mind risking the ire of some Facebook friends for a worthy cause. Shall we give it a try when it comes out on the 4th of April?