Twitter to delete photos of deceased upon family request
After saying it would take a more hands-on approach to bullying, Twitter will now remove images of deceased persons upon family request in “certain circumstances.” That follows an atrocious instance of harassment, in which several users sent Zelda Williams fake images of a body in a morgue following the death of her father, Robin Williams. After she decided to leave the social network, Twitter said it “(would) not tolerate abuse of this nature.” The new policy states that users can request the removal of such images “from when critical injury occurs to the moments before or after death” by emailing privacy@twitter.com. However, Twitter added that it would also consider “public interest factors” and may not accommodate all requests.
Filed under: Internet, Software
Via: Gizmodo
Source: Twitter
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Twitter is officially putting tweets from strangers in your timeline
You know how Twitter started inserting others’ favorites and follows into your timeline? As it turns out, it’s not an experiment — it’s official policy. We now know that the social network recently updated its timeline explanation to confirm that it’s adding tweets from strangers, new accounts to follow and other “popular” content to your feed. Like you might have suspected, the company is trying to make your stream “even more relevant and interesting” by showing you material you might not otherwise have seen.
It’s reassuring that Twitter isn’t simply broadcasting everything you do. However, as Quartz notes, it still represents a big change to the way the service behaves. Outside of ads, the timeline has always focused on showing you the latest content from people you meant to follow. Now, it’s a more Facebook-like experience where the company chooses a bit of what you see in an attempt to get more active users and boost its ad revenue. You shouldn’t miss out on any of the action, but you may have to wade through some clutter (and become some of the clutter) to get what you want.
Filed under: Internet
Via: Quartz
Source: Twitter
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Twitter tries sharing your favorite tweets with others
Have you recently noticed people commenting on your Twitter favorites, even when you didn’t (intentionally) share them with the rest of the world? You’re not alone. The social network has started putting your favorites and following activity in your followers’ timelines, whether or not you’re mentioned — if you really like an article, others may know right away. It’s not clear whether this is an experiment or a permanent feature, and we’ve reached out to Twitter for the full scoop.
The exact motives for the decision aren’t apparent so far, although Twitter has been taking many steps to keep people engaged with its service and generate that all-important ad revenue. Showing more than just updates and retweets could help bashful members strike up conversations. However, early feedback suggests that the company might have overstepped its bounds. Besides populating Twitter feeds with content that people didn’t ask for, the move also appears to play fast and loose with privacy. Many use favorites for bookmarks and other personal reasons; they may not want to share links or clever quotes with their followers, which is what the retweet button is for. While the feature only periodically kicks in and may help you discover new content or people, there’s no doubt that it irks at least some users.
Filed under: Internet
Source: The Next Web
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Before #Ferguson, Michael Brown’s death was already a topic on Twitter
Before the protests and the armed vehicles. Before tear gas sent an Al Jazeera news crew scrambling for safety. Before Ferguson, MO became a no-fly zone and before we became all too familiar with the burned out shell of a middle America QuikTrip, the death of Michael Brown was already on Twitter.
After the unarmed teenager was shot and killed by a police officer Saturday, protesters took to the streets in following days, met initially by a heavily armed police response. Tweets and Vines from St. Louis Alderman Antonio French or journalists like Wesley Lowery and Ryan J. Reilly (all of whom were arrested and released during the protests) gave a clear picture of events on the ground as the days progressed, and livestreams like those from KARG Argus Radio showed what the TV couldn’t or wouldn’t. Misinformation has also been a problem, with hoaxes and a leaked name for the officer involved (which turned out to be false) circulating.
Now, Rolling Stone writer Tim Dickinson points out the tweets of St. Louis rapper/producer “TheePharoah” that captured the actual shooting and the events that followed live as they happened.
I JUST SAW SOMEONE DIE OMFG
– Bruh. (@TheePharoah) August 9, 2014
This man saw Michael Brown get gunned down from his Ferguson apartment & tweeted in live time https://t.co/NzWigBhBMN pic.twitter.com/DK8vsCqjoM
– Tim Dickinson (@7im) August 15, 2014
With media helicopters grounded (after reports that shots had been fired at police helicopters) and satellite trucks pushed out under police orders, anyone paying attention to the protests was likely tuned in to the internet to see what was happening with their own eyes. Now, word that the shooting itself was livetweeted provides an even clearer look at the changing world we live in. It has taken nearly a week for the police to provide a report of the incident and name the officer involved, and it will be much longer before anyone is satisfied that all the details have been revealed to the public. But now, bystanders, media and community activists alike are reaching out to the world from where they are. We’ve seen the internet transform public unrest in foreign countries, and right from the start, this week has shown how much things have changed — even when it’s depressing, horrific and hard to watch — right here in the US.
[AP Photo/Jeff Roberson]
Filed under: Internet
Via: Mediaite
Source: @TheePharoah (Twitter)
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Twitter makes it easier for VIPs to reach each other above the noise
There’s a chance that you signed up for Twitter to catch what your favorite celebrities are saying. However, a lot of famous people either do little more than self-promotion, or are reluctant to sign up in the first place — are you really going to come back if these luminaries aren’t as interesting as you’d hoped? Twitter is worried you won’t, so it just gave its verified users a pair of new features to help get them talking. The site now gives these privileged folk an alert in the Android and iOS apps when another verified person follows them. They’ll also get to see a list of their verified followers if they’re using iOS. If all goes according to plan, it should be easier for superstars (and, yes, the media) to strike up conversations, giving you more to read when you’re not chatting with your friends.
The strategy makes sense on that level. However, it won’t be surprising if the move rubs a lot of regular Twitter users the wrong way. Many argue that the company doesn’t do enough to serve the bulk of its audience, such as taking a more active approach to fighting harassment. Upgrades for the verified camp may give the impression that Twitter only cares about members who attract large crowds and thus generate lots of ad revenue. The approach could well improve the quality of what you see on the service, but it’s not going to help your interactions with others.
[Image credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for The Mint Jubilee]
Filed under: Internet
Source: Twitter Media Blog
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Michael Jackson’s next posthumous act: The music video as tweet
Sony has used all kinds of technological tricks to sell you Michael Jackson’s posthumous Xscape album, ranging from streaming music offers to life-size holograms. Its next move is something you’re more likely to experience first-hand, however. The company’s Epic Records label will premiere MJ’s latest music video, “A Place with No Name,” in a Twitter post; visit @MichaelJackson at 10PM Eastern tonight (August 13th) and you’ll see the late King of Pop’s promo attached to a tweet. Yes, it’s ultimately a publicity grab for a music legend that doesn’t need any stunts to capture the world’s attention. With that said, there hasn’t been a major music video launch on Twitter before — it’ll be interesting to see if Jackson can lure people away from the cat photos and social updates in their timelines, if just for a few minutes.
A Place With No Name is the first music video to launch on Twitter. Read more here: http://t.co/cbNWoJArNj #MJXSCAPE pic.twitter.com/uE96QHG502
– Michael Jackson (@michaeljackson) August 11, 2014
Via: Forbes
Source: Michael Jackson
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Video ads are coming to your Twitter feed, too
By now, you’ve likely scrolled past an auto-playing video advertisement in your Facebook feed. Mr. Zuckerberg’s outfit has been placing those motion ads for sometime now, and it appears that Twitter is looking to do the same. Promoted Video is just that, but instead of adopting the other social network’s nuisance, the 140-character option will allow users to tap play before the content begins. Thanks to the embedded Twitter Video Card that’s been in testing since the spring, those moving ads are nestled into a user’s timeline and can be viewed from there. While the ads are currently in beta, we’d surmise it’s only a matter of time before they show up in your timeline on the regular.
Filed under: Internet
Source: Twitter
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Up to 23 million active Twitter accounts are bots
Twitter’s said its active user base is growing, but not every account that’s active is necessary a flesh-and-blood human. Alongside those verified accounts of the stars, there’s all kinds of bots that use the service to deliver completely stupid nonsense, sudden (urgent!) sale news and even earthquake reports — well, some have their uses. Twitter’s now updated its filing, noting that bot accounts total up to 8.5 percent of its active user count at the end of June. That’s roughly 23 million tweeters that aren’t human – and probably aren’t going to be clicking on that ad for Innovative Cloud Storage Solutions any time soon.
Filed under: Internet
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UK regulator proposes crackdown on misleading Facebook and Twitter ads
While Twitter and Facebook are enjoying returns from their native advertising platforms, it’s still not easy to tell if a tweet or status update is actually a company trying to sell you something. It’s a practice that the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has become increasingly aware of, so it’s begun consulting opinion on whether it should enforce stricter rules on promotional messages shared by financial firms. Blogs, social networks and photo and video services are all in the FCA’s crosshairs, as it looks to crack down on companies that rely on misleading messages like “Join us now and we promise you’ll make a 758% profit on your first stock investment” to sign up new users.
As expected, some of them have already kicked up a fuss, arguing that character limits make it hard to warn users about adverts. However, the FCA cites accepted methods, like the use of #ad or embedding additional information inside an image, to show how easy it is for them to comply. Interested parties will have until November to show their support (or voice their concerns), with final rules set to be put into force by the end of next year — great news if you’re tired being spammed with offers that always seem too good to be true.
Filed under: Internet
Source: FCA
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Well known leaker Evan Blass (aka @evleaks) announced he’s retiring
If you’ve been reading tech news even for a short while you’ve probably heard of @evleaks. His real name is Evan Blass and he’s been feeding the tech world with all sorts of smartphone, tablet and other gadget-related leaks from his website evleaks.at. @evleaks actually started feeding us all sorts of leaks from his Twitter handle… Read more »
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AIVAnet 