Media Twits -- Part IV

My apologies for the tardiness of this, the most important news story each day: Facebook v Twitter. For those who have followed my analysis, this column each day shows how many "news" stories feature Facebook and Twitter on GoogleNews.

Reporting on everything that happens on social networking (SN) sites is an unusual paradox.

Firstly, considering that 90% of the world's population (not an accurate statistic) lives on the bloody thing, you would presume there would be no need to report on SN because we already know what's going on in the SN because we spend all our time on the SN.

It's much like the media reporting on the media, superfluous and lazy.

Anyway the score as at 1.39pm is:

Twitter 118,416

versus

Facebook 96,530

BEST OF THE BEST

TWITTER: US tennis big mouth Andy Roddick has slammed US Open officials for trying to regulate the player's tweeting before or during their matches. US Open officials claim it could contravene anti-corruption regulations. Roddick however twitted on Twitter: "I think it's lame the US Open is trying to regulate our tweeting."
We all think it's lame that you feel people care about your tweeting and the fact is, shouldn't you be concentrating on the game and not tweeting to your "fans"? Don't Twit for me Argentina when you are bundled out in the quarters because you thinking about your next 144 characters.

FACEBOOK: IBM have patented a social networking remote control so "couch potatoes" can Facebook and Tweet without having to get out of their lounge chairs. Did anyone see the movie Wall-E when all those humans were shunted into space only to become obese lard arses unable to lift their own body weight? Art imitating life or art hitting the nail on the head?

Tweeting medical alerts? Not the best idea

If there was a medical alert, for let's say, a toxic gas release, would you go to Twitter as your primary source of information? What about some regional communicable disease issue? Would you rely on Tweet to bring you the news?

Well according to a report at IEEE Spectrum titled Medical Alerts in 140 Characters or Less, that is exactly what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US is planning.

According to the article:

"The CDC has jumped on the bandwagon with three different feeds, one dedicated to emergency notifications, one specifically for information about the flu, and one that more generally redirects traffic to the CDC site."

One question -- do you trust Twitter to be the purveyor of up-to-date and accurate news?

What about those people, like me, who are not connected?

Then there is the problem of hackers, which Twitter itself addressed in a media statement released on January 5, 2009.

Oh and I am sure that those at Twitter have updated their passwords since July 15 when it was revealed that they had set their server password, as the word password hence allowing access to the search product database.

There was the German political unintelligently, unoriginially titled 'Twittergate', and well, you get the idea.

Tweet, tweet, cheap cocaine anyone?

First story I read this morning was about the British PM Gordon Brown (over there on your left) 'Tweeting' the support of his own health system, the NHS.

Good job Gordy. That'll get the kids on board.

Then of course there was the obligatory Twitter campaign story in the Sydney Morning Herald (thankfully it was relegated to the Technology section so no complaints there really). This campaign was against a fashion label that printed shirts for babies that say 'They shake me'.

Even Gordon thinks it's funny, look, he is smiling. Good job media.

IN OTHER NEWS:

* The iPhone is now officially recognised as the tool of the Devil, after reports they "suddenly burst into flames and smoke";

* Apparently no one likes Australia anymore, which of course is understandable if you are a New Zealander because, well, when Australians cross the ditch they are the biggest bunches of tight arses around;

* Drug dealers in Canada are set to have a slow weekend after it was revealed animal worming drug is being used to cut cocaine. Interestingly though the story on CBC.ca was the second most commented story as at 9am on Friday (amazingly it was just behind the story Ignatieff lags Harper in approval rating: poll). Several theories here:
A) There is a lot of people who are bummed about no cocaine this weekend
B) There are a lot of animals concerned they will get worms in the near future.
C) Politicians are worried about getting worms off Ignatieff;

* If you want award winning sausages you need to get to the Lower Clarence in Australia;

* Thanks to the Naked Scientists we discover why men have to stand to urinate -- very interesting.

and finally;

* The maths behind the expanding universe thanks to Starts With A Bang