Georgia Aquarium is a Believer in Social Media

I enjoy talking with the people that run the social media platforms at their companies and organizations.  These are mainly newly created jobs and many of these people are learning as they go. 

They all say their job is exciting and different each and every day.

Here's a guest column that I did for the Technology Association of Georgia where I talk about how the Georgia Aquarium handles social media and get some great insight from Ashley Payne, who is the Manager of Digital Media for the Aquarium.

Here's the link... enjoy.

http://tagthink.com/latest/georgia-aquarium-uses-social-media-to-their-advantage.html

Atlanta Mayor Weighs in on Weiner Scandal

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed called for troubledRep. Anthony Weiner to resign during an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.

"It's very bad for Democrats," Reed said. "I believe the Congressman should resign so we can move on."
Rep. Weiner said on Saturday that he plans to take a leave of absence for treatment after admitting he sent inappropriate messages to several women through his Twitter account.

Reed made his second appearance of the year on "Meet the Press," appearing as a member of the political round table.

On Rep. Weiner:
"We need to be talking about creating jobs. That's not happening. We're having a conversation about the Congressman."

Rep. Anthony Weiner Says He's Done Talking About His Weiner

The politician with a possible problem in his pants declared Thursday that he was done talking about the crotch shot posted online via his Twitter account.

As camera crews staked out his Capitol office - and tourists snapped photos of the scrum - Weiner refused to say whether the photo actually showed him or his underwear.

"I did a bunch of interviews yesterday," said Weiner, keeping a stiff upper lip. "I don't have anything more for you today. I understand you are doing your job. I am trying to get back to doing mine."

Weiner has flatly denied posting the photo from his Blackberry to a 21-year-old college student in Seattle.

But he flummoxed fans and critics alike by saying he didn't know for sure if the photo was him.

The nondenial denial incited the press and conservative pundits out for the Democrat's blood. It also guaranteed additional attention to Weiner's woes, infuriating fellow New York Democrats

Celebs Who Tweet Lose Popularity

Celebrities who bombard fans with Twitter updates are likely to have shorter careers than those who maintain an aura of mystique, according to a survey.

Easy access to stars through social networking websites has made them less appealing and increases the likelihood of followers getting bored, music consumer research by publishers Bauer Media said.

"In this social media age, it's all too easy to follow your musical icons on a minute-by-minute basis. There's a consensus within the industry that this ease of access is leading to artists losing appeal more quickly," the Phoenix IV report said.

The music industry is starting to consider restricting access to certain types of artists in an attempt to boost their staying power in popular culture and lengthen their careers, it added.

Although younger fans surveyed said they were thrilled by the idea of 24-hour access to their favorite stars, older respondents said their interest was tempered by a hankering for the days when stars were "more special."

Many celebrities have embraced Twitter as a way of communicating day-to-day musings as well promotional material with fans.

Tweets on singer Katy Perry's page include: "What does it mean when you see the number 33 all the time? For instance, I've seen it over 7 times today."

While actress Demi Moore, one of Twitter's most prolific celebrity users with over 3.5 million followers, wrote on Friday: "Kind of digging soft curls with a side part. A good change from straight with a middle part?

I'll believe this report if we quickly see the likes of Charlie Sheen disappear from the limelight.

Twitter May Have Some Competition

UberMedia, a company which has coded multiple Twitter apps, may be planning to launch its own site to compete with the social networking giant.

CNN says, the service would be designed to address common problems people have with Twitter. For example, it might eliminate the length restriction (140 characters) or make the network more accessible to newcomers who are confused by the standard UI.

Twitter has crushed competition in the past, in particular FriendFeed and Google Buzz, and now boasts around 200 million registered users.

Just last week, Twitter released statistics saying users were sending 155 million tweets a day, a 282% increase from a year ago.

I'm not sure Twitter has anything to worry about.