All the hoopla surrounding Facebook's privacy problems has some people wondering if there are viable alternatives to this amazingly popular social networking platform. We previously reported that Diaspora is in the development stages and should be ready for September launch, but not everyone wants to leave Facebook nor will the world automatically sign up for Diaspora when it does become available.

Reclaim Privacy

Fortunately, an open source, browser based security checker called “Reclaim Privacy” has been designed and developed to help you find out if your Facebook privacy has been compromised. By dragging a bookmarklet into your browser bar, you can log on to Facebook, click on the bookmarklet and run the privacy scanner to find out if your privacy has been retained or possibly compromised. The scanner operates entirely within your browser and the Reclaim Privacy people do not see your Facebook data nor do they share personal information about you with others.

Six categories are scanned right above your Facebook toolbar: instant personalization; personal information; contact information; friends, tags and connections; friends sharing information about you without your authorization; and an application blocker.

Reclaim Privacy does not automatically fix problems, leaving that step to Facebook users. You'll receive a “grade” based on three different outcomes: good (everything is fine), scanning (meaning that information is still being checked), and insecure. Whenever anything shows up as insecure, you can click on the link provided which will take you to the appropriate Facebook page to amend those settings.

My Test

Two categories came up as “insecure” when I tested my Facebook privacy. Instant Personalization was flagged but I was able to opt out by unchecking a box next to the following description: “Allow select partners to instantly personalize their features with my public information when I first arrive on their websites.” Keep in mind that Facebook automatically added this feature with the box checked when they made a recent update to their site.

I also unchecked each of the boxes allowing my friends to share various bits of information about me with others (political, religious, hobbies, etc.) That information falls under what Facebook describes as “What your friends can share about you through applications and websites.” I'm okay with my Facebook friends knowing whatever they want about me through my personal uploads and settings, but I don't necessarily want them to share the same with people I may not know. I unchecked each of those boxes too.

Once you're through with the scanning and have made your changes, click the “done” button and the drop down scanner disappears.

Facebook Accountability

I'm not part of a campaign to discredit Facebook nor am I urging everyone to dump Facebook when Diaspora launches. However, like so many avid web users, I am concerned about how Facebook behaves and will take whatever steps necessary to ensure my privacy while encouraging you to do likewise.

I believe that a tool such as “Reclaim Privacy” sends a strong message to Facebook: while we love the convenience of your platform, our privacy is of utmost importance. Failing that, Diaspora may eventually emerge as the social media platform of choice for Facebook expats.

(2010/05/18) SOCIAL MEDIA SE

When you began college, did you fully expect to finish school with at least a bachelor’s degree? Lots of students pursue higher education expecting to complete what they started, but for some students stopping their academic initiative could be the best decision they ever made.Contrary to generally accepted opinions, quitting college makes perfect sense for a select group of students especially the following gifted high achievers:

The Internet Brainiac — Bill Gates is a college drop out who founded Microsoft, Michael Dell quit the University of Texas, while Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak left school to co-found Apple. Had any of these students continued with their studies, what would computer technology look like today? Maybe it would appear nearly the same, but other adventurers could have jumped in had these smart guys hesitated and stayed in school.

The Business Mogul — Not everyone has the intellect to start an internet start up, but plenty of people have a business idea that is unique and likely to catch on. Ted Turner was not an ideal student, reportedly he was kicked out of college. Turner launched CNN and has made billions through his various business ventures. Sir Richard Branson, one of the richest and most influential people in the world, didn’t even bother to go to college.

The Sports Superstar — With the college football season now over, lots of talented football players with one or more years of eligibility remaining will quit school and head to the NFL. Can you blame them? Texas Longhorn RB Jamaal Charles announced he will leave school for the NFL and Rutgers Scarlet Knights RB Ray Rice is considering doing the same. The pay off? A cool multi-million salary package — something that isn’t guaranteed if these players were to decide to stay in school and are seriously injured in their final years on the college gridiron.

Clearly, only a tiny segment of students may want to consider quitting college for other pursuits. If you do leave early, you can always get your degree part time through independent study. Of course, if you are making it just fine without a degree, then the piece of paper won’t make much of a difference for you. Besides, donating millions to your almost alma mater can be the nicest gesture you’ll ever make!

(2008/01/09) CAREER PLANNING SCL

Distance learning continues to grow and is now an option at more than two-thirds of all institutions of higher education offering at least a two-year degree. Indeed, 88 percent of public universities offer credit-granting distance education courses according to a 2006-07 survey conducted by the United States Department of Education -- National Center for Education Statistics, the last year such a survey was conducted.

Education Rocks

If you haven't seriously weighed distance education as a learning method you may not have considered all the advantages. To that end we've listed 7 reasons why distance learning rocks:

1. Opens Doors – Distance education opens doors for millions of people who might otherwise not be able to set foot in a classroom due to accessibility issues including time, a physical handicap or location.

2. Flexible Schedule – There are two types of distance learning classes: synchronous and asynchronous. With the former, you'll be gathering together with classmates and your instructor at a precise time during the week, the same as you if you attended school in person. With the latter, you establish your own learning schedule, relying on teaching materials and recorded data to accomplish your work.

3. Saves Money – Certainly, not every distance education program is cost effective which means students may still shell out a wad of cash for each course. But, some schools such as Western Governors University offer a value based package. In addition, you'll use up less gas and your car won't wear out as fast.

4. Customized Learning – You may find it easier to get the classes you want online than you would if you had to go to the Registrar's office each semester. Moreover, some programs are tremendously flexible when you pursue a degree, allowing to basically customize what courses you take beyond core subject material.

5. Builds Confidence – Older students, especially those who have been away from the classroom for decades, can find online learning liberating. No need to keep pace with youngsters or feel embarrassed about asking questions in front of a class.

6. Career Changer – Over the past few years, millions of people have seen their careers go up in smoke. Many are making the transition to a new career with distance education playing a role in helping them reshape their lives.

7. Education Sampler – Lastly, online learning allows students to sample a variety of classes some at no charge. If you aren't sure what you want to study, you may be able to preview class videos and notes before signing up. Save time and money by targeting the types of classes you want to take first.

Survey Says

More than likely when the next education survey is released, the number of schools offering online learning options will have increased. For a number of colleges and universities that is all they do while traditional campus based institutions are expanding to incorporate distance education.

(2010/03/29) ONLINE EDUCATION SCL

Online education (distant learning) is here to stay and is becoming a significantly important option for students around the world. We here at SayCampuslife.com have been following this trend since we launched this site in December 2007 and concur that online education's influence is spreading rapidly.

Virtual Education

While brick and mortar institutions aren't likely to go away, they'll need to adjust to reach students who can't or won't attend their schools in person. The smart schools are those which are now accommodating students through online options, presenting similar classes via the internet as they do on campus.

But are these classes equal?

2009 Campus Computing Survey

That was one of the questions recently asked by WCET and the Campus Computing Project, a pair of organizations who track trends in online learning. Indeed, since 1994 the “Campus Computing Survey” has been conducted annually with results of the 2009 survey released this week.

The questions asked were submitted to schools who have online programs. Those schools typically responded through their senior campus officer responsible for online or distance education programs with 94% reporting that their online programs are growing.

The most recent survey revealed a few surprises including:

• Students enrolled in online programs may pay higher fees than their on-campus counterparts. Students are paying a one-time application fee averaging $232 and are often subject to additional fees for instruction materials, technology services, and singular courses.

• Many campuses require training for their faculty before sending them “into the web” to teach online courses. Professors often must rely on a support network that includes IT staff to maintain internet access.

• Quality still looms as a large question for online education programs. Colleges are struggling to manage their online programs in response to surging demand. A number of the survey respondents said that their online programs would be be overhauled within the next two years in a bid to streamline management and introduce new technologies to keep pace with demand.

Tech Support

Of note, is how tech support plays in managing online education. 36% of the schools offer 'round the clock support, which is critical when your student body is located across many time zones, if not around the world.

25% offer support throughout the week during daytime and early evening as well as limited access on weekends. 22% responded by saying that they offer support on weekdays and limited evenings while 17% offer support only during normal business hours which are defined as 9 to 5, Monday through Friday.

Summation

Clearly, those schools who are limiting themselves will grow slower which means that technological improvements as well as policy changes need to be made to welcome more students online. Finally, closing the cost gap is essential if schools want to attract distant learning students. By maintaining a wide open gap, schools will find that other institutions will beat them where it counts: in the wallet.

(2010/10/23) ONLINE EDUCATION SCL

Twitter has grown on me. So much so that I have embraced this social networking site wholeheartedly after initially holding it at arm's length.

Like so many latecomers (I started using Twitter in earnest in January 2009), I have discovered a certain mystique about Twitter not found elsewhere. Sure, Google Buzz is making a gallant effort to get you to use its service, but I'm not convinced that the Big G has gotten it right. More importantly, fellow Twitter users just don't seem much convinced of that either.

Lots of people write guides about Twitter in an attempt to prove some point about it. In my experience many of these tips are good, but they should be taken with a grain of salt—what works well with one user doesn't always hold true for another one.

I've also discovered what may have been “tried and true” about Twitter months ago may not be so today. Therefore, always look at the date when an article was published; check to see if has been updated to reflect current information.

To that end, I've developed a short list of five commonly held Twitter beliefs and have tested them to see if they are hold true. Keep in mind these results are not scientific and only reflect my experiences. However, they may also cause you to do some testing of your own. In that case I've succeeded in helping you not take every Twitter mantra at face value.

Mantra #1 – Twitter trending topics make for great article ideas on your blog.

Fact – Take a look at the trending topics and on most any given day you'll see Justin Bieber's name trending. Well, if you write an entertainment blog, you may get some juice by blogging about him. More likely, your post will get lost in a sea of Bierberisms and fail to stand out. Consider NOT using Twitter trends for your story ideas.

Mantra #2 – The more followers, the better.

Fact – I can see where having a lot of followers can help you sell your brand. Trouble is, mostly all of the supposed power players on Twitter acquired these same followers en masse and have no idea who these people are. Mass following may work for Oprah, but I don't see any evidence that anything other than a steady, but comparatively slow growth in the number of followers makes much a difference for anyone.

Mantra #3 – Abandon blogging for social networking, particularly Twitter and Facebook.

Fact – I actually like it when one of my competitors decides to leave the blogosphere in a quest to dominate social networking. That means I can go after their former advertisers for that part of the business! Facebook and Twitter may bring you the business, but now you're wholly reliant on the success of someone else's business model. I'm keeping my blogs and I'm using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon and a handful of other sites as part of a united package.

Mantra #4 – Automated messages rock.

Fact – Actually, automated messages roll: they roll right past me. I hate them, I find them intensely impersonal and I see no value in sending a canned message out on what is supposed to be a “social” site.

Mantra #5 – Twitter must be used every single day.

Fact – This mantra can be a difficult one to refute especially if you have found a way to profit from Twitter as you would if you had a storefront and invited customers in every day. For some users, always being “open for business” is important, but for the vast majority of users there isn't any need to be tethered to Twitter. Use is frequently or use it on occasion; just don't go more than 30 days without tweeting otherwise I will cull through my list and remove you!

;-)

That's it – a healthy list of five unhealthy mantras. I'm sure someone will dispute at least one of my points, but that is to be expected. Something could be a personal mantra, but that doesn't mean it holds true for the entire Twitter community.

(2010/03/19) SOCIAL MEDIA SE