How many of you were on the early platforms of Social Media? Friendster? Classmates? MySpace?
![A History of Social Media [Infographic] - Infographic](http://netdna.copyblogger.com/images/history_of_social_media.jpg "A History of Social Media [Infographic] - Infographic")
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54 million WordPress websites. 3 million Jetpack downloads.
If you are one of the 54 million on a WordPress.org site, but not one of the other 3 million who use Jetpack because it was only available for WordPress.com, you can now supercharge your WordPress site now with these powerful new features that were only available to WordPress.com users previously.
Best part of 2.0, users can now automatically share blog content throughout all their social networks and no more installing myriad plugins utilizing different systems. WordPress will now be ‘more social’. Yay!
Jetpack 2.0’s features include (via the WordPress website):
- Simple, concise stats with no additional load on your server. Previously provided by WordPress.com Stats.
- Email subscriptions for your blog’s posts and your post’s comments.
- Social networking enabled comment system.
- Monitor and manage your site’s activity with Notifications in your Toolbar and on WordPress.com.
- Simple, Akismet-backed contact forms.
- The WP.me URL shortener.
- Hovercard popups for your commenters via Gravatar.
- Easily embedded media from popular sites like YouTube, Digg, and Vimeo.
- The ability to post to your blog from any email client.
- Integration with and automatic posting to your favorite social networks including Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and LinkedIn.
- For the Math geeks, a simple way to include beautiful mathematical expressions on your site.
- A widget for displaying recent tweets. Previously provided by Wickett Twitter Widget
- Your readers can easily share your posts via email or their favorite social networks. Previously provided by the Sharedaddy WordPress plugin.
- Your writing will improve thanks to After the Deadline, an artificial intelligence based spell, style, and grammar checker. Previously provided by the After the Deadline WordPress plugin.
- With Carousel active, any standard WordPress galleries you have embedded in posts or pages will launch a gorgeous full-screen photo browsing experience with comments and EXIF metadata.
- A CSS editor that lets you customize your site design without modifying your theme.
- A mobile theme that automatically streamlines your site for visitors on mobile devices.
- Mobile push notifications for new comments via WordPress mobile apps.
- The ability to allow applications to securely authenticate and access your site with your permission.
- and many more to come!
Has anyone downloaded the new Jetpack 2.0? Let us know what you think.
Just when they thought no one was looking, BAM! Facebook made another permissions snafu. They changed everyone’s email address to Facebook specific emails and posted them on your timeline. Though an easy fix, it just makes you wonder why the hell they just keeping doing sneaky stuff like this…(If you answered, “because they can” – Ding Ding Ding! You win the toaster oven!)
HOW TO FIX THE FACEBOOK EMAIL DEBACLE OF 2012…
If you have not fixed it yet, it takes literally 2 minutes.
- Click “About” on your profile and scroll down to your email address. Click “Edit” to change them.
- Click on the circle next to your Facebook email address and change its setting to “Hidden From Timeline”.
- Click on the circle next to your other email addresses and change their settings to “Shown On Timeline”.
- Click the Save button at the bottom of the Edit popup (Don’t forget this step).
THEN – just when I thought I could not hate Facebook anymore than I did….they did this…
Aaaarrrgghhhh….must…now….like….Facebook. Again.
Yes, it a wonderful thing.
Yes, it is long overdue.
Yes, it is what Geek Girl stands for and we won’t rest until there are more women in tech.She is the first woman on the previously all male-dominated board at Facebook. She is also one of the very few women on any boards in Silicon Valley. Hoo-freaking-ray.
Yes, it is long overdue.
Yes, it is what Geek Girl stands for and we won’t rest until there are more women in tech.She is the first woman on the previously all male-dominated board at Facebook. She is also one of the very few women on any boards in Silicon Valley. Hoo-freaking-ray.
So now I must suck up my love-hate Facebook relationship because a sistuh done good.That’s okay. I’ll take the small victories any day…
Who are you and what do you do?
Hi, I’m Nikki and I’m a geek. I’m also a word crafter, digital scribe, and British expat. I’m on a mission to empower extraordinary businesswomen (like YOU) through the power of the written word.
What will you be teaching at the Geek Girl Tech Conference this year?
Blogging. Want to start a blog? Or ready to take your blog to the next level? I’ve got you covered. Oh, and if you’re trying (and failing) to find your authentic writing voice, I’d love to help you out with that, too. Highlight me on your schedule and come shower me with questions.
What was your favorite part of the conference last year?
In my next life, I want to be a photographer, so Maura Longueil’s workshop was definitely up there.
PC or Mac?
I’m a closet PC.
When did you first know you were geeky?
When I realized how at home I felt among other geeks at my first Geek Girl Tech Conference.
Star Wars or Star Trek?
Star Wars. No doubt.
Choose 5 people from any moment of time to have dinner and drinks with. Who would they be and why?
Whitney (in her hey-day, pre-drug addiction) – she was sassy, witty, and I loved her in The Bodyguard (who didn’t?)
Henry Cavill – why? C’mon ladies, have you SEEN “The Tudors”?
Marilyn Monroe – I just finished her autobiography. She seemed both humble and woefully misunderstood.
Robin Williams – he’d crack everyone up.
Buddha – to teach us a thing or two about the path to enlightenment.
Who do you feel has had the most impact on technology in your time?
Steve Jobs.
Facebook or Twitter?
Twitter.
Tell us something about you nobody knows….
I love it when people impersonate my accent. (Do it, I double dog dare ya.)
I would suggest you watch this. Then watch it again. Then repeat….because everyone is unprepared.
Seth Godin, the marketing guru and author talks about the new year, the ‘forever recession’, and how you can join the race to the top, instead of settling for the bottom.
It’s all about the New Economy…it’s not your Father’s Economy…
It’s a Forever Recession – so Race to the Top.
Don’t wait for someone to pick you…pick yourself.
Word.
Thanks to our dear friend Chris Selland for the head’s up.
Here is a fantastic opportunity in the initial seed phase from the Defrag Conference and the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) to send a Geek Girl in high school to college!
In the words of Eric Norlin from the Defrag blog:
As a corollary to that (call this a pre-announcement), we’re working on a program whereby we would award money for college to a deserving young woman in high school that has an interest in computer science. I’m still hammering out the details, but we’re talking to our sponsors, the NWCIT, etc — where the idea would be that Defrag and Defrag’s sponsors throw some money in a pot, and we find the right mechanism for award selection. Like I said, I’m still working on details, but wouldn’t it be cool if we could build this up to the point where there was a Defrag award that could PAY for the college tuition of a woman choosing to enter the field of computer science?
We at Geek Girl Camp applaud Eric Norlin and would love to support him in anyway possible to get this happening this year, and every year. If you read our mission, we are all about opportunities like this for women who want to get into computer tech and have supported many organizations in the last few years with over $12,000 in scholarships. We eat, drink and live this stuff.
And to think, you could also go to the Defrag Conference and learn about Computer Science from November 9-10th in Denver! Learn all about: Big Data, Analytics, Enterprise, Social Media, Mobile Apps, Cloud Computing and more!
If this is not the place to be for a future geek, then we don’t know. A target-rich environment, I opine.
Are you interested in this scholarship when it comes to fruition? Interested in going to Defrag? Let us know, or stay tuned to the Defrag Blog and website as they update more information on both.
It can be done…and how awesome is sending a geek girl to college to learn about computers? Way….
Do you love the ocean?
Long walks on the beach?
69 degree average temperature year round?
Fish tacos and Stone IPA?
Then you MUST be a San Diego Geek Girl! And we want you!
We just started a Meetup Group to find Geek Girls in the San Diego area who might be interested in being a part of future Geek Girl Boot Camps in the area, as well as the successful “Hire a Geek Girl” program.
If you are a programmer, designer, social media maven, Quickbooks queen, PC or Mac afficionado, foursquare junkie, code toad or IT rock star…then join our Meetup Page and suggest some topis to discuss, events to partake in and perhaps just an all-around networking meetup and get to know ya party.
And if you are interested in sponsoring any of our events, we would love to have you involved and come and speak to the group!
Join us today and get involved with helping others get empowered in tech!
P.S. Geek Guys are so invited.
Here are the Top 10 Reasons to go to Geek Girl Boot Camp on Saturday, March 19th from 8 am. to 6 p.m. at the Cape Cod Community College in West Barnstable:
10.) Not a Geek? Not a problem. It’s meant for all types of computer users; newbies, the hesitant, the self-taught, hard-core geeks, and people just wanting to empower themselves with all things geeky. Knowledge is Good!
9.) Not a Girl? Not a problem. The demographics of Boot Camp range from our youngest at 10 to our oldest at 84. And guys are totally welcome!
8.) Open schedule. Go to any workshop you want (some may have max capacity, etc)
7.) Come with friend/fellow co-worker and divide and conquer on workshops and share. Make new friends. Then learn how to make friends online with Facebook and Twitter!
6.) Outstanding Value. 8 hours of computer instruction, demos, discussion and the famous Geek Girl Help Desk, for less than the cost of 1 hour with a computer tech. Bring a laptop and take advantage of the opportunity!
5.) It’s Local! Right in your own backyard! No need to travel to Boston or Silicon Valley to get the latest on technology. It’s so simple!
4.) You’ll have fun! End the day with a schwag bag full of goodies and a tshirt, mix and mingle with attendees and speakers at the cocktail party where oodles of giveaways will be handed out to winners. (And martinis.)
3.) The Essential Geek Girl Handbook. Containing Top Ten Lists for workshops, speaker bios, ads from sponsors, glossaries, resources and filled with your own notes, this full-color book will be your reference source long after Boot Camp is over.
2.) Demos. Check out computers, smart phones, tablets, video cameras, digital cameras and other consumer products before buying. Get information from the people who use the products every day.
And the #1 Reason to go to Geek Girl Camp….
1.) Just so you can shock your know-it-all teenagers, your impatient spouse or that know-it-all guy in your office and say, “No thanks, I don’t need you to fix my computer. I went to Geek Girl Camp and I can do it myself!” Priceless…
It’s not too late! Register NOW!
Just a Thought: Donate a Scholarship to a Student or Woman in Need! This is a wonderful way to “Pay it Forward” – You can stay anonymous or we can post your name on the website. Contact us for more information.
See you at Boot Camp!
The Geek Girls
Here is another Facebook Privacy Settings blog post that you all should know about. Recently, I posted Take Note: Delete Facebook Applications. Like, Now. which addressed the issue with third-party applications and your privacy which deserves a quick glance if you are interested in privacy issues.
Just because you updated your Facebook privacy settings once in one area, does not mean you are protected against others using your information. If you have not gone through these privacy settings for what your friends can share from you, and you do not want them to share your information, then follow these immediately to ensure they do not.
There are plenty of applications out there that still will cull your information if your friends have the application and sending to you, such as a automatic ecard or others. The best thing to do is make sure you are taking responsibility for your own data and that you are not releasing any information that you do not want out there. Also, just don’t make the changes. Understand the changes you are making so that you will become more familiar with all these profile settings so you can, from time-to-time, make sure your settings are consistent with your privacy concerns.
Despite what a lot of people think, Facebook does make it very easy to change your settings. However, they may not be as vocal in these changes as most would like. I would highly recommend you follow certain Facebook Pages that provide you with resources that will let you know when things change, such as Geek Girl Camp, and Facebook itself has some great pages to follow so you can get the updates in your stream such as Facebook Products, Facebook Pages and Facebook Security. “Like” these, and get the updates when they are released. It is your responsibility to be vigilant in knowing what is going on.
Let’s get started with these changes:
- Go to your “Privacy Settings” page and choose “Applications and Websites.”
- Click the “Edit Settings” button next to “What your friends can share about you.” This page will show you all the options that your friends’ applications can access.
- Check or uncheck them based on what you’re willing to share.
Your friends probably do not even know they are making your information public, so don’t blame them. Certain applications your friends are using may target your information if they send something to you. Don’t let the application use your information if you do not want them to.
As always, Facebook and any other web application service is going to do what is best for them. Just make sure you are protected if you do not want your personal information out there.
I must interject that I am a little surprised at all the hullabaloo with Facebook, as Google Buzz and Twitter have no privacy, either. It’s inevitable that Facebook will become more social. Whether you like it or not, it will.
So, take responsibility of your own information, and stop blaming the companies. They will continue to do what is best for them. Not you.
Wonder Twin Powers – Activate!
One of the most highly anticipated conferences of the year will be working with Geek Girl Camp and combine forces on educational endeavors for women and “paying it forward and giving back”.
SOBCon, the brain child of Liz Strauss and Terry Starbucker, has long been known as the one of “the” invents that serious bloggers and social media mavens attend. In their own words, “It’s where the Virtual Meets Concrete”.
SOBCon grew out of Open Comments Night on Liz Strauss’ popular Successful-Blog.com when several regular attendees including original founders Terry Starbucker and Chris Cree convinced Liz that what was happening online needed to happen in person as well. And so the conference began.
How powerful is the conference? Here are just a few of the presenters besides Liz and Terry: Amber Naslund, Jonathan Fields, Loren Feldman, and our own Geek Girl Big Daddy, Chris Brogan. (See more presenters here.)
We are very fortunate to initiate a bond with an event like SOBCon and create relationships with Liz and Terry, as they understand the mission of Geek Girl Camp. All of us have a wonderful mission of education, opportunity and empowering everyone when it comes to computer technology. They understand all about giving back and paying it forward. They also understand that some people who want to and can take the initiative also need help in getting there. That is why both of us are working together to provide opportunities for the next generation of SOBs and Geek Girls.
In recognition of this new partnership, SOBCon is providing all Geek Girl subscribers, attendees, fans and supporters, a very gracious $200 discount to SOBCon on April 30th – May 2nd in Chicago.
Signup here using the discount code: geekgirl and save $200.
So, if you are a Geek Girl, or FOGG (Friend of Geek Girl), why don’t you also add another moniker to your repertoire? Because everyone wants to be a real SOB….
Yours truly will be there live blogging and a Tweetin’ and Facebookin’. All thanks to Liz and Terry. And a very special Geek Girl named Julie….
See you at SOBCon!
