Regarding the Pope

As the year draws to a close, so do many other things. It is the end of the decade, the end of the semester, and the end of of Chuck Norris jokes, hopefully. (Did you know that underneath his beard is a washed-up has-been?) It is time to reflect back on social media in the last few months.

I've covered a wide variety of topics on this blog. I've offered my exertise on a variety of subjects. If Frisbees wanted to enter the digital age, they "could set up a microblogging site called Frisbeer, where people could quickly share info on Frisb-ups. People could use the hashtag #frisbee to find people looking to play or discuss Frisbees." I've offered my fellow comedians some advise on how to promote themselves via this crazy media we call social. They need to remember that "it is...important to see that these comedians are real people.". It's not all fun and games around here, though. I've done some serious reviews of things like crowdsourcing and some major blogs. I've even had to expose the mistakes of some of my favorite companies, like Sony. For one of there viral marketing campaigns, "not only was the site and its contents fake, but so were many of the comments on the site as well as the Diggs promoting it." My Playstation doesn't seem to hold it against me, though, so I can sleep well at night. And Sony, if you're listening, I would love to help you use social media in a more effective way.

I know what you're thinking:

"Wow, this guy knows so much about social media, AND he's devilishly handsome."-Your mind

You're only half right. I've still got a lot to learn about social media, as does everyone. It is still growing, finding its audience. Sure, social media matters, but why? In a recent tweet, I attempted to answer this. It seems like so much of the discussion on social media is being done by social media practitioners. I'd love to hear people's thoughts on how it has affected them and where they think it will go. If you would like to talk, I can be reached numerous ways. You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or even by simply commenting here.

The year was 2006. Google had just bought Youtube for a ridiculous amount of money, Borat quotes were still relevant, and a little company named Sony was preparing for the holiday season. Luckily some of their fans were helping out. A website called www.alliwantforxmasisapsp.com, which is no longer up, was launched by a group of fans to help convince parents to buy their children Sony PSPs. Video game news sites picked up on the story and helped spread the word.
The site was filled with lots of fun little things, including a video of someone rapping about the PSP.
There were also some fan-made print advertisements that were available for download. They looked terrific. Too terrific. Readers began to get suspicious of the site and its high production values. The site also referred to the PSP product in oddly specific and technical ways, rather than how an obsessed fan would simply talk.
It quickly came to light that the sight was not made by fans, but instead by a buzz marketing firm Zipatoni on behalf of Sony. Not only was the site and its contents fake, but so were many of the comments on the site as well as the Diggs promoting it.
Sony became a laughing stock on the internet and grew much criticism for their deceitful act. Even so, Sony is still a major company with very high sales, even with this slightly tarnished image.