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FarmVille for Dummies

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FarmVille for DummiesIt is no joke – there is a new book in the Dummies series, and it is titled Farmville for Dummies. Now I don’t know about you, but I think some of the books in this series are quite useful.  They make things easier for the average person who may not be as savvy as others.  But what about if the topic is NOT hard to begin with?

That’s exactly what I thought when I heard about FarmVille for Dummies.  If you think about it, FarmVille is one of the easiest games that you can play out there.  It practically guides you every step of the way, and if you have a question, you can simply ask your friends who are probably as addicted to it as you are!

So why the need for the book?  Is there really a market for FarmVille dummies out there?  Perhaps.  This is the argument from the perspective of co-author Kyle Orland:

Sure, FarmVille isn’t a particularly difficult game—it practically holds your hand in telling you how to play, and there’s a limited amount of strategy to playing…Some of the sections of the game—especially the farmer’s market and some aspects of animal tending—require multiple, time-lapsed steps to complete successfully, and the game only gives one screen of text-heavy explanation for how to go about them.

I guess that there will be some people who will appreciate all the tips and tricks put together in one handy reference.  Then again, if you have to go through that hassle to be a success in FarmVille, I guess dummy is the appropriate word.  Or am I being too harsh?

The book is available on Amazon on a pre-order basis.

Where Do You Update Your Facebook Status?

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facebook addict
At work? In the living room while watching TV? In bed?

I don’t know about you, but I am online pretty much throughout my waking hours. I have a convenient excuse reason, too: I work online! I am not addicted to the Internet. Neither am I addicted to Facebook. It just so happens that I need these tools for work. Just because I update my status all the time does not mean anything. I’m not like those people who update their Facebook status from – you guessed it – the loo!

Where is this coming from? I just read a press release from AIS Media, a digital agency that recently conducted a survey on where people usually update their status on Facebook; that is, where they are physically located when the access their Facebook accounts.

I don’t know what they were thinking, but they did ask a very personal question in the survey: “Do you ever use Facebook on your mobile device while you’re in the bathroom?”

I suppose the survey was anonymous as, according to AIS, 27 percent of their respondents answered yes. Of those who answered yes, 54.4 percent were women while 45.6 percent were men. More so, those who do use their mobile devices in the bathroom to update their Facebook status mostly fell in the 30 to 49 age category.

AIS, being focused on social media marketing, had some pretty important-sounding conclusions:

While it may seem humorous to survey people about their Facebook usage while in the bathroom, the results underscore the proliferation of consumer social media usage and their strong need to stay connected. For businesses and brands, social media offers an opportunity to engage potential customers like never before.

They’re probably right, but I think it means one thing: we need to get a life. (Ooops, did I just say we?)

Facebook Phone in the Works?

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facebook-phoneRumor has it that Facebook is trying to break into the mobile phone market. The news is not so new, as the rumor has been going around since last year. However, it is no secret that this market is booming in every location in the world. Mobile phone deals are all over the place, with telecommunications companies trying to catch the attention of the plethora of customers out there. Of course, Mark Zuckerberg and his cronies are going to give that piece of the pie a try!

Not too long ago, the Facebook CEO had tried to put the rumor to rest. Reeking of sarcasm, he went on about “novel” the idea was – of Facebook creating a mobile phone. While sarcasm may be enough for some people to shut up, there might be some truth in the speculation. Apparently, there have been some leaks providing more substantial information about Facebook’s mobile phone.

One of the most commonly cited sources for this rumor is Pocketnow, who reported specific details on a smartphone which they believe to be the first Facebook phone:

“An Android smartphone built to make messaging faster and smarter. It’s designed around the way people naturally communicate and has Facebook built into its core. The homescreen features multiple entry points to different Facebook functions, while a dynamic widget displays a feed of status updates, albums, videos and photos.”

Now one can say that just because the phone is supposed to have Facebook built into its core, it does not mean that it is going to be a Facebook phone. After all, everyone simply wants to use Facebook on their mobile devices. However, the manufacturer immediately went on the defensive and removed all references to Facebook after the rumors circulated; obviously in the hopes that the rumors will be dispelled. I say a little too late, buddies! I will not be surprised to see a Facebook phone of some sort as part of mobile phone deals before the end of this year. What’s your prediction?

Facebook Killing the Christmas Card

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christmascard
We have to face it – the popularity of the traditional way of greeting people during Christmas has slowly been declining over the years. You may say I am stating the obvious, but if you think about it, Facebook might not be the main thing to blame. Some guys at Mintel International actually points out that the decline in Christmas card sales started way back in 2005. Today, though, experts are pointing fingers at social media sites – not just Facebook, mind you.

One of the purposes of Christmas cards is to do some catching up, and with people being more connected on a daily basis these days, the need for the former is fast become non-existent. Think Facebook status updates – at least once a day for most people. Think tweets – definitely more than once a day for those who are on Twitter. Then there’s e-mail, instant messenger, text messaging, e-cards, and so on. All of these things are so accessible and do not take up much time. Compare that to having to purchase Christmas cards, writing notes (manually!), and posting them.

With the mindset and fast-paced lifestyle that people have these days, it is not such a surprise that Christmas card sales are way down, is it?

Enter Facebook card app Fun Cards. To be honest, I haven’t used this app even though they have been up since 2007. Christmas 2010 is not here yet, but 8 million cards have been sent so far.

Things do seem ominous for the Christmas card, don’t they? How about you? Are you going the Facebook card route or are you going to try for something more tangible?

Photo via SMU

Jumo: More than Social Networking

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chrishughesEven before I read the details about the newest social networking site in town, I was already feeling positive about the whole idea. Perhaps it was due to the fact that I immediately took notice of its charitable goals.

You have to admit, social networking sites are fun and easily fill up idle time, but at the end of the day, their worth in real life might be up for discussion. With this new site that Chris Hughes has set up, things just might have a better impact.

Called Jumo, the site is primarily aimed at building connections between individuals and non-profits or charitable organizations. Charities will be indexed and people can find – or browse – these entities, as well as evaluate them.

In case the name Chris Hughes seems familiar but you just can’t quite put your finger on it, let me point you in the right direction. He is actually one of the co-founders of Facebook and is also known for having been the director of online organizing for Barack Obama’s campaign back in 2008. It is not a surprise that he is the guy behind Jumo, is it?

I have to be honest – I am wondering if Jumo will actually result in people giving more to charities. If you think about it, Facebook offers its own venues for giving, but how many people actually give to charities via this venue? I wonder if Jumo will be able to take things one step further and result in tangible donations for those who are in need the most.

One question: would you sign up for Jumo and be more active in giving because of it?

Twitterpoo and iLoo: Tales of Addiction

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I have been called a nerd, an addict, obssessive (with and without “compulsive”), but I don’t really think much about them. People like sticking labels to other people, and they can actually be meaningless. Today, though, I came across an article that got me thinking.

Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson introduced me to the term “iLoo”, which she used to refer to the habit of some people of using their mobile phones while – you got it – doing their business. The result of an informal poll that she did was that five out of six people (whom she knew) had no qualms about checking their e-mail on their phones while on the toilet. More than that, these people actually admitted to having this habit.

If you think about it, checking your e-mail isn’t the only thing you can do in the loo with your phone (or laptop or whatever mobile device you can’t part from). You can play a game, play on Facebook, and update your Twitter. Indeed, I have heard the term “Twitterpoo” used in this regard. (I don’t need to explain what it is, right?) A little crude, yes, but quite apt, don’t you agree?

So are we taking things too far by accessing the Internet and all that it has to offer via various mobile devices – in the bathroom? Are there really e-mail/Internet addicts out there?

Don’t get me wrong – I am not going to deny or affirm my own e-mailing/Internet browsing habits – but hey, if you are bothered by this concept, maybe it’s time to assess your own habits? Then again, why should you? Who cares if you go online from the bathroom – just don’t announce it to the world? :p