The Anti-Social Media

This is not social media news, Mashable.

Thank goodness!  I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to bring my iPad into Israel, and would instead have to bring a laptop or other mobile computing device.  Life was so hard before today.

It’s known I hate the “Like” feature of Facebook, and this past week, Facebook made it clear that it its trying to take over your online life.

Facebook is introducing a universal like feature.  Basically, you can go to a website, like Pandora or CNN.com, and it will access your public Facebook information to suggest articles you may like.  Sounds great, right?  It’s easier than ever to share what you like!

Most major websites and already incorporating the new Like button onto their sites.  Why wouldn’t they?  Every time a user like’s an article, it gets shared with all your friends.  More exposure equals more money making potential. However, Facebook’s greed is a terrible thing for your personal information and privacy.

Take a look at the default setting:

Unless you turn it off, Facebook will let other sites access your public information.  Granted, you should keep a lock down on what is public, but this default setting is concerning.

It gets worse.  Facebook went ahead and changed the user agreement without telling anyone.  Nothing too crazy changed, but the idea that they will change this important, legal document between the user and Facebook without letting the users know is horrifying.  In many other settings, that’s a reason to be able to end the contract early.  This change is another instance of Facebook proving it has no commitment to its users data and privacy settings.

It gets EVEN worse.  Facebook Applications can now permanently save your publicly available information.  If you thought malicious virus applications were a problem before, just wait until they can start stealing your identity because they have full access to what you share publicly.  And even if you change those settings after the fact, the can still hold onto that data, FOREVER.

I hate to say this, but Mashable has a good, easy to read run down of how to set up your privacy settings so a website or your friends can’t share anything you don’t want them sending to the whole web.  Read Write Web also has a very good article expanding on why you should delete Facebook Apps. It’s a shame that Facebook doesn’t give you more control from the beginning, and clearly doesn’t want you to stop sharing, because the more personalized and engaging the experience, the more time you’ll spend on Facebook.

I’ll keep the Facebook Fan Page Liker Page, but don’t expect to see too much original content going up over there.  If you’re expecting to see a “Like” Button over here anytime soon, don’t.  I respect your online privacy, and your ability to share an article by selecting the URL and pasting it on Facebook or wherever else you’d like.

Facebook wants to make money off of your stupidity.  They want to take over your identity and the web.  Don’t be stupid and don’t let them take over.

This is not social media news, Mashable.

This headline is awful, and the author even acknowledges it. Oh, the metadrama!

But really, does this article have anything to do with any social network?

As an aside, I do have to say I like how they finally shrunk all their sharing buttons into a reasonable size in the articles.

I figured since I started #recruitcamp with my speech, I should end it with some of my thoughts about the various sessions and speeches I heard throughout the day.  Excuse me if this is a bit longer and a bit more boring than my usual, angrier posts, but how often do we get the chance to look behind the scenes and into the minds of people who want to hire you for your next job?

Like it or not, recruiters are on the social web.  They all have Facebook accounts.  They all have LinkedIn profiles.  Many have Twitter accounts and blogs, and those that don’t are considering having them now.  On top of that, really smart people are making new technologies to help connect them to the insane number of job seekers out there.

Recruiters and HR people are looking at social media and technology for several reasons, but it comes down to finding better candidates quicker.  Really, that’s all they want from social media. They want to stay ahead of the game and they think social media has the power to do that.

Some #recruitcamp presentations addressed these issues directly.  Mike from Jobs2Web spoke on how to build a business case behind using social media to find job candidates.  The biggest takeaways from his session for me were:

• Drive candidates to actual jobs and job content, not just your company website.
• Be able to analyze what you set up. Otherwise, you’ll have no idea if it’s working.

These points seem redundant to a social media maverick like myself, but they are essential.  If you are using social media in any sense of a business matter, figure out a way to measure it.  Otherwise, why do it in the first place?

Tola Oguntoyinbo’s presentation was a bit too general for me. There were many questions and someone asked what social media blogs were good to follow to get general ideas.  She asked if Mashable was good, and when Tola recommended it I almost died.

While, I have a known grudge against Mashable, I do believe there are some much better Social Media blogs out there that are just as reactive but take a deeper and more detailed look at issues.  One I love is Social Media Today because it features a huge number of authors speaking about the variety of ways Social Media is used.  It’s not as hip as Mashable, but it aggregates a lot of really good content.  Also, Social Media Examiner posts some amazing articles and videos that break down social media studies and uses that can be applied to a variety of different fields.

Another question from that session that I know went unanswered was if someone had B2B social media campaign examples.  I still don’t have any, but I bet you can find a bunch at Social Media B2B.

I loved Laurie Ruettimann’s keynote.  It took a very different tone, analyzing the state of the work force and what recruiters and HR professionals should be talking about.  Her main point: The system is broken, and social recruiting isn’t going to change a broken system.  It was completely different, and absolutely Laurie.

Honestly, I was lost by the sessions immediately after Laurie.  But, they did give me a free cookie, and I can’t forget that.

A personal highlight was meeting Jennifer McClure, aka CincyRecruiter.  I started following Jennifer on Twitter long ago when I was looking for my very first full time job.  She’s wonderfully down to earth, and a master of the nuances and intricacies of personal branding. My favorite quote from her session: “There is no ‘and’ in personal brand.  You can only be one thing.”  True to this statement, I’ve embraced my role as The Anti-Social Media guy, and will start letting my other roles take the backseat.

Overall, I’m glad I spoke, and I am glad I was given the chance to learn so much.  The world is changing faster than ever, and people are using all of the social media tools in more exciting and creative ways.

Anyways, I’ll be back to my normal, curmudgeonly self next week, and I promise I will start taking on more aspects of what Facebook announced at f8 (hint, I don’t like it).  Also, if you’ve been waiting for me to say something about LinkedIn, I may finally have something for you to read.

This is not social media news, Mashable.

This headline is more generic than the prescription drugs the doctors in the hospital prescribe.  Also, that first sentence is written in the passive voice.

Shame on you Mashable.  Shame on you.

I’m spending the day at #recruitcamp.  I’ll be speaking on why Everything you Learn on the Internet is Wrong, and then spending the day wallowing in shame learning about how recruiters and HR personnel are using social media tools to reshape hiring processes.

I have to admit, when Rob Humphrey approached me to speak at this conference, I was overwhelmed.  What can I, someone who mostly makes fun of how people use Twitter or Facebook’s never ending quest to “Like” the web, contribute to recruiters?

I realize now #recruitcamp isn’t simply about learning how to put recruiters on Twitter or LinkedIn to fill job openings or attract better job candidates.  It’s about taking a moment to rethink the way companies hire and how people can make it better, whether through using social media tools or just getting the processes better.  It’s about rethinking personal branding and the way job applicants, and all people, can better sell themselves online.

Just like every one of us, the #recruitcamp attendees can make a real difference with each tweet and status update.  It’s time we stop thinking of using social media, but why we use social media and how we can use it better.  I for one, intend to make sure I do my best to make their social media use better.

I like to follow the first two rules of Fight Club about talking about work in social media

1. You do not talk about work in social media.
2. You DO NOT talk about work in social media.

Well, darn Jay, those rules seem pretty harsh.  Why shouldn’t I talk about my job online?

You don’t want to get dooced (though that seemed to work out very well for her in the long run).  And whatever it is you do, it probably isn’t the best idea to share any of the details about it with the rest of humanity.  We all deal with our own horrors at work, the last thing we need are yours.

There are a lucky few who exist in a rare and amazing bubble where they can talk about certain parts of their jobs and work life online.  But those people are a select few and even then they are extremely limited in what they can talk about.  Often, their intent isn’t to share details, but generate new business, and they aren’t as personal as you might want to be.

So, what do the rest of us do to talk about work online?

Since we can’t talk about what pays the bills, we make work to talk about.  You happened to be reading the work I make for myself.  Other people have hobby blogs, or charity websites. These don’t pay the bills, but they keep the eyeballs on you.  They prove your ability to put something together, that you can write, and that you have a passion for something.

You may not be able to talk about exactly what work you do, but you can be creative and make a way to talk about what work you want to do.

I checked The Anti-Socla Media Facebook page today and found this message:

Introducing the Like button

Starting today people will be able to connect with your Page by clicking “Like” rather than “Become a Fan.” We hope this action will feel much more lightweight, and that it will increase the number of connections made across the site.

Wait, what?

Thanks for the warning about this Facebook.  You already know I hate liking things.  Now, you’ve gone and perverted Fan Pages into just Pages.  The one thing I thought made me stand out, and here you’ve gone and perverted it into something people just like.  Isn’t liking an inherent part of being a fan?

What’s worse is that Facebook is doing this just to try and figure out how to sell more ads and make more money off of each user.  If you are connected to more brands and things, then Facebook knows which products to try to sell to you.  It’s all a twisted way of playing with words to try and make a few more dollars.

So, go on, keep liking things.  Just play into Facebook’s arms until it crushes you in it’s monstrous bear hug.  One day, when you’re crushed with connections and likes, you’ll wish things were simpler.