Alliance Strategies Group Feed

GOP is 'out-tweeting' Democrats in Congress

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:03:00 +0000

By Kim Hart - 01/14/10 09:30 AM ET

Republicans are using social media far more than Democrats, according to a new study to be released today.

The "Twongress" report shows that 89 Republicans are actively tweeting, compared to 43 Democrats. The divide is especially apparent in the House, where 42 percent of the Republican Caucus is tweeting, while only 12 percent of the Democratic Caucus has found a Twitter audience.

Continue reading at: http://thehill.com/blogs/twitter-room/other-news/75879-gop-is-out-tweeting-democrats-in-congress

Digital Politics: What Mattered in 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:36:00 +0000

By Kate Kaye, ClickZ, Jan 4, 2010

There were few big elections in 2009, but political and advocacy advertisers took the momentum built in the 2008 presidential elections and ran with it. From a surge in Twitter usage to the Google Surge, a variety of tools and techniques gained ground.

Twitter as Campaign ToolThe increased use of Twitter by political office holders, candidates, and issue advocacy organizations and campaigns was arguably the most important -- if not hyped -- advancement in digital politics in 2009. Campaigns like that of recently re-elected New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg employed Twitter as a component of its online engagement strategy, and even promoted the @mikebloomberg account in ads targeting people in New York City who searched Google for "Twitter."

The short-messaging tool was also used by his and other campaigns to help get out the vote near election day. Still, while the candidate himself refrained from posting to Twitter throughout most of his campaign, other political figures such as Sarah Palin and Senator Claire McCaskill took a more personal approach.

To read more, visit: http://www.clickz.com/3635995

Obama Executive Order Alters Your Legal Protections

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:31:00 +0000

by Floyd and Mary Beth Brown
Townhall.com

With the signing of an under-publicized amendment to Executive Order 12425, Barack Obama has fundamentally altered your constitutional rights. His actions are undermining your rights to protect personal privacy from a foreign internationalist police agency named Interpol. A one-paragraph executive order may seem inconsequential to many, but this action has far reaching implications and threatens the sovereignty of America.

Obama's secretive Executive Order amended an order issued by President Reagan in 1983. Reagan's order recognized Interpol as an International Organization and gave it privileges and immunities commonly extended to foreign diplomats. Reagan opened the door to allow Interpol to operate in partnership with the U.S. but with significant constitutional safeguards. Specifically, Interpol's property and assets remained subject to search and seizure by American law enforcement, and its archived records remained subject to public scrutiny under provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. Interpol had to answer to the FBI and U.S. courts under Reagan's order. These safeguards were stripped away by Obama's action the week before Christmas without debate or explanation. Obama picked the holiday season to make this radical change to minimize media coverage.

To read more, visit: http://townhall.com/columnists/FloydandMaryBethBrown/2010/01/01/obama_executive_order_alters_your_legal_protections

One-Third May Be Open To Behavioral Tracking

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 01:40:00 +0000

Nearly a third (32%) of Americans say they would be open to having their Web-surfing and television viewing habits monitored in order to receive ads more relevant to their interests -- as long as the data collected could not identify them as individuals, according to a global study of consumer media habits and advertising attitudes conducted by market research firm Synovate.

Another 8% said they would be open to such monitoring with "few, if any, concerns."

However, 35% said they would reject such technology because they would be concerned about monitoring services collecting data about them, and 9% said that they are not interested in changing the ads to which they are exposed.

Doug Hoffman Blames ACORN for Stealing Election

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:46:00 +0000

By Brian Monopoli, CBSNews.com

The Conservative Party candidate who conceded a closely-watched upstate New York House race has formally repudiated that concession in a statement that suggests community-organizing group ACORN stole the election for his Democratic opponent.

Hoffman first suggested he was "unconceding" earlier this week on Glenn Beck's radio show.

"Recent developments leave me to wonder who is scheming behind closed doors, twisting arms and stealing elections from the voters of NY-23," he writes in a message on his Web site titled "Stop Another Stolen Election." "I'm sure you are as dismayed as I am to learn of the mischief that took place in Oswego and neighboring counties. We know this would not be the first time for the ACORN faithful to tamper with democracy."

Continue reading this article in its entirety: http://bmurl.com/5uql

GOP Takes the Health Care Debate Online

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:10:00 +0000

By Stephanie Condon, CBSNews.com

As the House of Representatives prepares to take up debate on the Democrats' massive health care overhaul, Republicans are preparing Internet-based efforts to present a united front against the bill.

The bill, Republican leaders say, is bloated with questionable provisions that few citizens -- or legislators -- have had a chance to debate. Now, they intend to pick apart those provisions online.

"All you need to know is there are 1,990 pages," Republican House leader John Boehner said of the health care measure. "That should tell you everything." Boehner presented in an op-ed ways to make the legislative process more transparent, commenting that it is typical for "massive bills [to be] unveiled in the dark of night and rushed to a vote before anyone in America could possibly know the details."

Continue reading this article in its entirety: http://bmurl.com/pf9y

Conservatives Maintain Edge as Top Ideological Group

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:46:00 +0000

Compared with 2008, more Americans “conservative” in general, and on issues
by Lydia Saad, Gallup Research

PRINCETON, NJ -- Conservatives continue to outnumber moderates and liberals in the American populace in 2009, confirming a finding that Gallup first noted in June. Forty percent of Americans describe their political views as conservative, 36% as moderate, and 20% as liberal. This marks a shift from 2005 through 2008, when moderates were tied with conservatives as the most prevalent group.

Closing the Deal at the Virtual Checkout Counter

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:27:00 +0000

By CLAIRE CAIN MILLER, The New York Times
Published: October 11, 2009

Shoppers rarely drive to the mall, load up their carts and then abandon them in the middle of the store. On the Web, though, it happens all the time.

In online stores, it is much easier for shoppers to fill their virtual shopping carts — and much easier for them to get distracted by an e-mail message or comparison shopping on other sites. Then there are the design flaws and technical glitches that can get in the way of closing a sale.

These problems have been around since online shopping was invented, but they have taken on more urgency in the last year as consumer spending has shriveled. So e-commerce companies are trying a variety of techniques to push shoppers through the virtual checkout line.

Continue reading at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/technology/internet/12cart.html?th&emc=th

Party Time: Tivo Measures Viewing, Via Dems, GOP

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:36:00 +0000

by Wayne Friedman, Yesterday, 12:02 PM
Want to grab a Republican and not in the usual TV places? Try "Wipeout" on ABC. A Democrat? How about TNT's "Saving Grace"?

In July, TiVo used PowerWatchTM ratings service -- one that surveys its DVR users -- to examine party affiliations concerning TV programming. It didn't just measure the seemingly obvious TV news show category, but monitored general entertainment programming, as well.

The highest-rated show for those who identify themselves as Republicans was Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch," a show about real-life lobster fishermen in the rough and cold waters of Alaska. The show grabbed a 4.9 rating among Republican viewers, with an index of 130.2, which equates to some 30% over the average.

Continue reading this article at http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=114818

72 Hours Is So 5 Years Ago

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

If you haven't started your GOTV push, you're already late...
By Erin McPike, Politics Magazine

When it comes to getting out the vote, 72 hours just doesn’t cut it anymore. Five years ago, the GOP’s meticulous 72-hour program was cited again and again, particularly in Ohio, as a driver behind the party’s success in what strategists say was largely a base election. Now, as campaign strategists prepare for a volatile midterm cycle, they say there’s really no such thing as a 72-hour program anymore.

For one thing, early and absentee voting in most states have changed turnout models, so the ﬁnal 72-hour push might be too little, too late. According to Rich Beeson, a partner in the Republican voter contact ﬁrm FLS Connect and a former political director at the Republican National Committee, “It’s 720 hours now.” In order to have an impact, organizing professionals in both parties stress that ﬁeld programs for the 2010 elections must begin earlier than ever before—and plenty of them have already begun more than a year from Election Day.

National Republican Senatorial Committee executive director Rob Jesmer says “classic GOTV” has gone from a weeklong to a yearlong process. His committee started working with the Republican National Committee and state parties in September to begin their 2010 ﬁeld plans, which consist of gathering information from voters well into next March and messaging based on that information beginning in mid- to late-summer before moving into turnout.

To read the article in its entirety, visit: http://www.politicsmagazine.com/magazine-issues/october-2009/72-hours-is-so-5-years-ago/

Neutrality Rules Will Thwart Broadband Investment

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:32:00 +0000

Two Republican lawmakers say the Federal Communications Commission should put the brakes on a plan to craft new net neutrality rules.

"We believe that network neutrality would actually thwart further broadband investment and availability," Reps. John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said Friday in a letter to President Barack Obama.

The lawmakers are asking Obama to urge the FCC to "refocus its priorities on properly examining the broadband market and completing its broadband plan."

To read the article in its entirety, visit: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=114776

Entrepreneurs Hire Consultants to Promote Business on Social-Media Sites, but the Extra Cost Is Big Question

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:21:00 +0000

Firms Get a Hand With Twitter, Facebook
Wall Street Journal, 1 October 2009
By SARAH E. NEEDLEMAN

Sylvester Chisom began paying a consultant last summer to blog on Twitter, post status updates on Facebook and run marketing campaigns on both sites for his auto-detailing business.

He thinks the service, which costs $450 a month, is worth it. "It's just better having somebody else dedicated to thinking of stuff to put up," says Mr. Chisom, co-owner of Showroom Shine Express Detailing LLC in St. Louis.

Some small-business owners, overwhelmed by the time commitment required of marketing their products and services via social media, are hiring consultants to lend a hand. But the price of such support can vary widely based on the extent of work involved, and many entrepreneurs with already meager resources for marketing and advertising may need to think carefully before taking on the extra cost.

To read the article in its entirety, visit: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125435764583454651.html

Americans Now View Congress As Least Respected Job

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:54:00 +0000

With the health care debate raging in Washington, D.C., there’s one change Americans clearly believe in: Members of Congress have now surpassed corporate CEOs to hold the least favorably regarded profession in the country.

Rasmussen Reports periodically asks adults their views of nine major professions. In both June and February, corporate chief executive officers rated at the very bottom, no surprise really given the country’s economic straits. Members of Congress in both surveys came in next to last - but not any more.

The 7 Biggest Legal Risks to Your Company When Using Social Media

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:29:00 +0000

How to Avoid Draconian Rules and Keep the FTC Off Your Back at the Same Time
By Brian Heidelberger Published: September 15, 2009

As an advertising lawyer, I know that times are tight and marketing budgets have been slashed. (Heck, I've had to go from triple-billing my clients to only double-billing them.) So, in the hopes of single-handedly lifting our nation out of this recession, I am providing my own mini stimulus package: a list of the seven biggest risks to your company when using social media.

1. EmployeesSo your CMO likes to keep his "followers" in the loop about the company's latest product introductions. Or your newest assistant-assistant account executive likes to gossip to her "friends" about the love lives of her co-workers. Bad news, dude. Your company may be liable for these "personal" social-networking messages, regardless of whether you even knew your employee was posting them.

2. MothersYes, I said it. Mothers are a huge social-media risk. Listen, I have nothing against mothers. Even a lawyer like me loves his mother. (Hi Mom!) But your idea to send moms free stuff in the hopes that they will blog about it has legal implications. So, before you ship out a pallet of your latest soy-acacia-berry juice box, realize that the FTC requires that you make sure that moms disclose the free swag in their reviews.

To read the article in its entirety, view http://adage.com/talentworks/article?article_id=139022

Civic Engagement Online: Politics as Usual

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:38:00 +0000

Whether they take place on the internet or off, traditional political activities remain the domain of those with high levels of income and education.

Contrary to the hopes of some advocates, the internet is not changing the socio-economic character of civic engagement in America. Just as in offline civic life, the well-to-do and well-educated are more likely than those less well off to participate in online political activities such as emailing a government official, signing an online petition or making a political contribution.

In part, these disparities result from differences in internet access -- those who are lower on the socio-economic ladder are less likely to go online or to have broadband access at home, making it impossible for them to engage in online political activity. Yet even within the online population there is a strong positive relationship between socio-economic status and most of the measures of internet-based political engagement we reviewed.

To read the entire report, visit http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1328/online-political-civic-engagement-activity

Does Twitter favor conservatives?

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:19:00 +0000

Johanna Neuman
The Los Angeles Times

The White House announced with some fanfare over the weekend that its Twitter account had passed the 1 million mark.

“A million followers – nice,” the White House @whitehouse wrote in a tweet sent out Sunday afternoon. “What would you like to see more of from this feed? Photos? Quotes? Cowbell? Tell us @whitehouse.”

Big deal. Arizona Sen. John McCain, who lost to Barack Obama in the 2008 election, passed the 1 million mark six weeks ago. He declared that tweeting, which for him was novel, was "a phenomenal way of communicating."

Like most things that come out of Silicon Valley, Twitter was assumed to be in a purview of the left, another tool for tech-savvy liberal netroots to use as they besieged the political system in the name of progressive change, in 140-character bites.

But the left has usually used Twitter to promote ideas, according to Alan Rosenblatt, of the Center for American Progress Action Fund. "We have a lot of amazing progressives on Twitter," he told Maine's online news source, the Exception. But, he added, there had been "nothing that brings everyone together."By contrast, he said, the right has been using Twitter to create new pressure points in politics. Conservatives have a website, Top Conservatives on Twitter, that ranks various right-wing tweeters (former House Speaker Newt Gingrich currently rides on top), and offers pointers on how to organize.

Liberals are fighting back -- Rosenblatt has created a rival website, TopProg.org -- but it's in its infancy.

Meanwhile conservatives seem to be having more fun with Twitter.

When Republicans staged a protest last summer and refused to leave for summer recess, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi simply adjourned the session and turned out the lights, effectively turning off the C-SPAN cameras. So several GOP stalwarts started tweeting an account of what was going on from the House floor. They developed a following and prompted conservative commentator Michelle Malkin to call Twitter "the new gathering place for conservative activism.”

To read more, visit http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/08/does-twitter-favor-conservatives-.html

Who’s Driving Twitter’s Popularity? Not Teens

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:01:00 +0000

By CLAIRE CAIN MILLER
Published: August 25, 2009

Kristen Nagy, an 18-year-old from Sparta, N.J., sends and receives 500 text messages a day. But she never uses Twitter, even though it publishes similar snippets of conversations and observations.

“I just think it’s weird and I don’t feel like everyone needs to know what I’m doing every second of my life,” she said.

Her reluctance to use Twitter, a feeling shared by others in her age group, has not doomed the microblogging service. Just 11 percent of its users are aged 12 to 17, according to comScore. Instead, Twitter’s unparalleled explosion in popularity has been driven by a decidedly older group. That success has shattered a widely held belief that young people lead the way to popularizing innovations.

To read the entire article, visit http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/26/technology/internet/26twitter.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

AAPC Statement Regarding Disclaimers in New Media

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:03:00 +0000

ASG, a member of the American Association of Political Consultants, agrees with its statement regarding the use of disclaimers in new media communicationsfor political candidates:

This policy statement was issued in response to a Florida Election Commission complaint filed against Mayoral candidate Scott Wagman in St. Petersburg, alleging he omitted the state's required disclaimer in online advertisements he was sending out. Brian Franklin, a member of AAPC and a consultant to State Senator Ted Deutch of Florida, requested this statement to aid the senator in writing and defending his proposed legislation regarding disclaimers on online advertising. Senator Deutch proposed legislation last year which was not acted upon. He is planning to reintroduce the bill.

The policy statement was crafted by the AAPC Legislative Committee; Art Hackney and Rich Schlackman, co-chairs; and members Tom Hiltachk, Mark Mellman, Liz Welsh and Brad Chism. Also involved in the drafting of the statement were our AAPC officers; Whit Ayres, Dale Emmons and Ed Goeas Board Member Rebecca Donatelli and members Brian Franklin and Mike Hutchinson. Mark Weaver, a political law attorney and AAPC member in Columbus, Ohio is assisting Brian and the Senator on drafting this proposed legislation.

To view the entire statement, visit http://theaapc.net/mail/util.cfmgpiv=2100045558.8279.42&gen=1

Focusing on Social Networks

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:40:00 +0000

AUGUST 18, 2009

They do it all

Universal McCann’s “Power to the People: Social Media Tracker” study, now in its fourth year, indicates that social networks continue to climb in popularity around the world. But the research firm believes a change is happening in social media: Internet users are “starting to focus their digital life” around single networks, rather than around many specialized tools with social features.

The study found a major increase in the percentage of US Internet users with a social network profile between 2008 and 2009. This year, 59% of active Web users—those with access at least every other day—reported having a profile, up 16 percentage points. Previous gains were in the single digits.

eMarketer estimates that 44.2% of all Internet users in the US are social network users, meaning they log on to such sites at least monthly. Logically, Universal McCann’s figure is higher, since its respondents may have created a profile but use social networks less often.

For Companies, a Tweet in Time Can Avert PR Mess

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:43:00 +0000

By SARAH E. NEEDLEMAN

The Wall Street Journal

A growing number of businesses are tracking social-media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter to gauge consumer sentiment and avert potential public-relations problems.

Ford Motor Co., PepsiCo Inc. and Southwest Airlines Co., among others, are deploying software and assigning employees to monitor Internet postings and blogs. They're also assigning senior leaders to craft corporate strategies for social media.

One morning last December, Scott Monty, Ford's head of social media, saw Twitter messages alerting him to online comments criticizing Ford for allegedly trying to shut a fan Web site, TheRangerStation.com. The dispute prompted about 1,000 email complaints to Ford overnight.

Mr. Monty, who joined Ford the previous July from an advisory firm specializing in social media, didn't wait to learn the facts. He posted messages on his Twitter page, and Ford's, saying he was looking into the matter.

To read more, visit: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124925830240300343.html

MALL GROUP DEMANDS A “CONSERVATIVE FREE ZONE”

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:33:00 +0000

SIMON MALL PROPERTY EVICTS VENDOR OVER NON-PUBLISHED POLICIES

CONCORD MILLS, NC—Loren Spivack, proprietor of the Free Market Warrior business (www.freemarketwarrior.com ) was informed by Simon Property Group management that his lease would not be renewed at their Concord Mills, NC Mall on July 31st, because mall management found three of his best-selling products “offensive” and in direct violation of a non-published policy for which they refused to produce. Simon Property Group, the same company to bane a tea party at their Atlanta property earlier this year, began scrutinizing Mr. Spivacks’s business as a result of a letter to the editor that appeared in the June 8th edition of the Charlotte Observer attacking Spivack’s business.

“These are the items that allowed me to pay the rent at their mall because I’m catering to the demands of mall customers like a business owner should,” said Loren Spivack, owner of Free Market Warrior. “I’m being punished for promoting and attempting to benefit from free market capitalism while expressing my freedom of political speech.”

The items accused of lacking balance and appearing offensive are as follows:

• A bumper sticker that reads: “Impeach Obama;”
• A bumper sticker that reads: “Al Qaeda’s two favorite days 9/11/01 & 11/4/08;”
• A baby’s bib that states: “Thanks mom and dad for choosing life.”

And what’s not considered offensive and being sold at the same Concord Mills mall?

click here to find out: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000029537303&v=app_2347471856&viewas=1089556391&ref=mf#/note.php?note_id=237310280713

Welcome to Never Neverland

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 21:01:00 +0000

by Jackie Gingrich Cushman

www.townhall.com

“Second star to the right, and straight on till morning.” Peter Pan to Wendy on how to get to Never Neverland.

Never Neverland, the magical background in Peter Pan, is where boys go when lost by their nannies, where children never grow up. Based on our nation’s economy and the actions of our government – it appears that our elected officials might be on a trip to Never Neverland.

In December 2008, the nation’s official unemployment rate was 7.2 percent. Last month, the rate was 9.5 percent. And even that estimate may be low. According to the Washington Post, the real rate of unemployment might be “16.5 percent when you add in discouraged Americans who have stopped looking for work and those who want to work full time but can only find part-time jobs.”

This equates to 25 million Americans who are either out of a job and looking for a job, discouraged and have given up looking, or who are working part-time, but want to work full time. This is a serious, real-world problem that is not only affecting them, but also their families.

HOW TO BE A PATRIOT – A 12-STEP PROGRAM

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:51:00 +0000

GrassTopsUSA Exclusive Commentary

By Don Feder07-13-09

Patriotism isn’t a seasonal occupation – something to be packed away with the flags and bunting until next year – not if you care about your country. Defending America is a year-round, 24/7 cause that requires knowledge, stamina and commitment. Especially in our hour of peril, with a doctrinaire leftist in the White House, who is, at the very least, indifferent to his country’s fate (that’s America’s, not Kenya’s) – think Michael Moore on Slim Fast, think George Soros without the creepy, Transylvanian accent – now more than ever before, we need to raise up a new generation of patriots. If you’re wondering where to begin, you can start here:

1. Know your country’s history – You can’t defend America if you don’t understand America. American history is barely taught in high school and rarely taught in college. A 2000 poll by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni gave seniors at elite colleges and universities a D or F grade on a high-school level history test. (Only 22% knew that “Of the people, by the people and for the people” came from the Gettysburg Address.) Read history by authors who believe in America – “A History of the American People” by Paul Johnson; “America: The Last Best Hope” (2 volumes) by William Bennett, and “A Patriot’s History of the United States” by Schweikart and Allen. The more you read, the more you’ll believe, and the more you’ll want to fight.

2. Tell America’s story – Especially to the young. And a glorious saga it is, from the Mayflower Compact to the Continental Congress, from Bull Run to the Bulge and Baghdad, from Washington’s Farewell Address to Ronald Reagan’s “A Time for Choosing” speech and beyond. Remind Americans that our national holidays mean something. Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving aren’t there just to give them a three-day weekend, but to strike what Lincoln called the “mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone.”

To read more, click here: http://grasstopsusa.com/df071309.html

Companies Cope With Twitter Imposters

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:41:00 +0000

By SARAH E. NEEDLEMAN
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Twitter users have caused an uproar by impersonating celebrities on the popular micro-blogging service. Businesses, too, are targets of fake Twitter profiles -- sometimes from competitors.

Exxon Mobil Corp. has found at least two unauthorized Twitter accounts under variations of its name. Twitter -- a networking service where users create profiles and send out short messages, or "tweets" to their followers -- terminated one of the profiles last summer. An Exxon spokesman says the oil company is considering what to do about the second profile, which it discovered several weeks ago. The profiles didn't appear to contain malicious content.

The incidents are reminiscent of "cybersquatting" in the early days of the Internet, when people registered Internet domains of well-known companies and sometimes demanded payments to relinquish them.

To read more, click here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124623159206366203.html

Florida candidates launch campaigns in cyberspace

noreply@blogger.com (Alliance Strategies Group) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 16:43:00 +0000

Americans everywhere are addicted to social networking sites. So it's little wonder politicians are flocking there.
By Josh Hafenbrack Tallahassee Bureau
2:17 PM EDT, June 20, 2009

TALLAHASSEE - So long, stump speech. Hello Twitter.Florida candidates are launching their campaigns using social-networking shorthand, in tweets and Facebook messages instantly beamed to their online networks of friends and supporters and beyond.

An example: Sen. Dave Aronberg, D- Greenacres. By the time he stepped to the podium in Fort Myers to declare his candidacy for attorney general, the word was already out.

"Friends: After hearing from so many of you, I am following my heart and am running for Attorney General," Aronberg wrote on his Facebook and Twitter accounts. "Pls join us!"

Aronberg said he thumbed the message on his BlackBerry on the drive to his press conference.