Lights. Camera. Drama.

A teenager's alarm clock goes off in the wee hours of the morning. She stretches and yawns as she gets up from her slumber. You would think she would go straight to the bathroom to take a shower or brush her teeth. Nope. She picks up her iPhone 3GS phone from the nightstand and checks her latest Facebook updates. Forty-five minutes has passed. She is almost ready to go to school, but before she jets out the house, she takes one last picture. This has become her morning ritual. She strikes a scandalous pose. She bears her flat bottom or cleavage, but she is a hipster and must creatively channel her Twilight, teenage appeal in front of her iPhone and onto her Facebook profile. Did I mention that she is looking for a summer job?

Facebook has come under fire lately for its new Facebook privacy changes, changes that I cannot fathom at this moment because 1.) I use Facebook daily and could be possibly deceived by Facebook's antics. 2.) I see both sides of this net neutrality/privacy controversy. I use Facebook to post blog posts, pictures, and comments, but I make sure that my actions are appropriate for everyone and don't undermine or jeopardize me from obtaining a future job or network opportunity.

Critics do not want their digital footprints to be publicized and used by Facebook or other affiliated Facebook companies. Others continue to create new accounts every day and are continuing to share their information with friends, family, and their other Facebook networks. My question is to not to ask you whether or not Facebook is a capitalist enterprise, set to monetize on your personal information. We all should know that answer.

My question to you out there using Facebook is why in the world would many of you post raunchy photos and comments about your boss when you know that Facebook and everyone with a Facebook account could read them? You as the consumer is responsible for what you say on the Internet. You do not have to use social media. You do not have to log in every second to see your friend's status change from married to single. You can delete your Facebook right now at this very moment. You can try to live a life without social media and the personalization of data. But do not blame Facebook for your inconsiderate behavior and the amount of information you reveal. That was a conscious choice.You are responsible for your online presence and reputation.

Remember the teenager I mentioned earlier? She did not get any job interviews greatly because recruiters and hiring managers googled her horrible Facebook profile and declined to interview her. Do you want to end up as her? I have two great resources for you to check out:

• If you want to take the first steps to learning how to construct a good Facebook profile on your own terms, read this article here.

• Also, Jim Hopkinson from the Hopkinson Report draws some great insight on how Facebook, with all the criticism it has been getting in the last several months, might become the next social fad.

What do you think about Facebook and its privacy platform? Will you delete your Facebook profile? Are there any alternative social media sites (not talking about Twitter or Linkedin) that offer readers with more privacy options than Facebook?

Everyone has been blogging about the iPhone 4GS prototype investigation for over a week now. R.E.A.C.T's possession of Gizmodo's editor Jason Chen's Internet property adds another dimension to the case. I do not need to summarize the whole situation for you. The above links has all the background information you need to form your own opinions. I am here to provide you, the blogger, with some meaningful advice that you can take away from this dispute. I am the neutral party and Devil's Advocate in this post. I do not favor Gizmodo's or Apple's actions over the other.

1. Be prepared and responsible for your own actions. When bloggers generate ideas and research blog topics for their blog posts, bloggers must give acknowledgement to the blogger, organization, or entity they took those ideas from if the content is not originally theirs. All bloggers must take responsibility for any possible backlashes or consequences when information is posted on their blogs.

Jason Chen took a risk when he posted his observations of the lost iPhone 4GS prototype on Gizmodo.com. Whether or not he knew that his findings would get him into legal trouble, Mr. Chen should have known that Apple Inc. will not act quietly to retrieve back its merchandise because it does not play when it comes to safeguarding its secrets and products. All bloggers must be accountable for every aspect of their personal brands, including the validity and potential value of your content. The First Amendment has its limitations you know.

2. The product is only one part of the brand. So what if someone leaked the next generation iPhone? If Apple was not as notoriously secretive as it is, Apple could have used this dispute as an excellent PR move to connect with its fanbase. Whether you detest Apple or not, Apple has created some amazing, trend-setting products. Apple generates Internet buzz whenever it launches a new product or updated version of its products. However, it seems that Apple does not even incorporate the customer in the product-marketing process.

For a multi-billion dollar company that strongly emphasizes on individuality and innovation, it seems one-minded when it comes to you, the consumer. Does Apple allow public relations representatives or engineers to tweet or use other social media outlets to engage current and future Apple customers about their projects or the company's status on these projects like Intel and Google? No. Apple frankly does not even have an official Facebook page.

If Apple desires bloggers and new media publications to discuss its products, it should embrace social media to communicate with its costumers and strengthen its cultural leverage and reputation. When Apple found out that Gizmodo possessed the missing iPhone, Apple's spokesperson could have made a public statement similar to this: "Yes, this is the prototype. We at Apple are at the initial stages of the new iPhone. We will deal with Gawker Media privately, but we encourage our supporters to add their output and suggestions about improving this device. We would be more than willing to reach out to them via [email, mail, social media, phone,etc.] Thank you for your time." Done.

Steve Jobs, if you are out there, have your supporters be a part of the beta-testing process and your social media campaign (if you decide to form one). When it comes to social media and social marketing, it should be a two-way street for the organization (or business) and its followers. I do not know what will happen next in this ordeal, but I will say is that bloggers should be more careful when things gets political.

What are your views about this ordeal? What should bloggers and the new media community do next? What should happen to Jason Chen or Gizmodo legally?

As you may not know, you have to shell out a load of cash to get an iPad or any of Apple's amazing products. I also know that us poor folks can only dream of getting our hands on one....maybe two to three years down the road... but as least we get one, right?! Now, if an iPad magically arrived at my doorstep this morning, here are the five things I would instantly do on my iPad:

1. Play World of Warcraft. I would intently use the iPad's touch-screen keyboard to miraculously keybind all my toons's spells and special attacks, so I can finally raid Icecrown Citadel and kill the Lich King. I do not care if it is not humanly possible yet, I want a freaking iPad!

2. Watch my favorite shows and movies during my spare time. What is more relaxing than to watch the Legend of the Seekers or Glee with the touch of my index finger? The pixels of each screenshot emits so much holy light, that I would feel like I was witnessing IMAX resolution without playing the extra $20.00.

3. Create posts and articles for my blog and connect with friends on social media. I would tell my blog followers that I blogged my new posts using the iPad, then continue to brag that I was chosen to be given a gift from the Greek gods of Mount Olympics. Bragging rights is equivalent to street credibility in the tech world. To be the cool cat with an iPad among millions of Twitterers will only get you so far. That is why you must bring along your iPad everywhere you go to draw out every hobo, hipster, and other non-existent person from hiding out in the darkness.

4. View my favorite magazines in HTML5 Format. Since, the iPad does not support Flash (I still am confused with the whole Adobe v. Apple ordeal), I could read Wired, Wall Street Journal, and other magazines and newspapers in the new HTML5 language. I want to experience what it is like to virtually "flip" over amazing, glossy photographs without the hussle of accumulating paper and garbage overtime.

5. Try out the iPad applications. Buying an Apple product is a blessing in disguise. Buying and testing out the thousands of iPhone, iPod, or iPad applications is an even greater privilege (if you have the $$$). Since, I do not possess an iPhone, I am missing out on the cool iPhone applications everyone has been taking about. With that, I would ask my Twitter friends for possible recommendations and research on my own to figure out which iPad applications are the best and coolest around.

What five things you would do first if you had a iPad? 

This guide is two specific things. First, it is my New Year's Blogging Resolution. When I was writing my Declaration of Independence piece last December, I was also planning on writing a blogging resolution as well, but I thought writing one was quite trivial. Was I wrong?! Secondly, after writing my response to John Kownacksi's "Before You Start Being Relevant" article, I wanted to write a follow-up guide of the things I have learned about making it as a blogger and social media participant these days. It is not all peaches and cream like many bloggers seems to live through everyday. I want you to learn from my mistakes. So this is my New Year's blogging resolution and your guide to becoming a better blogger. So, what have I have experienced through this ordeal?

1. Be humble with what you already have. Be grateful with how much traffic you receive and the number of followers and comments you get daily. I am now grateful that 27 people think that my blog is worth their time to read and comment. I may not have the influence and a big fan base like many other popular bloggers have right now, but my brand will only become bigger and successful if I put the time and effort in the long run.

2. "I" + "You" = Win = Social Media. I cannot exaggerate this point enough. When I wrote the Alice in Twitterland piece, I announced that if you want to be successful on Twitter, you must interact with your followers or you are more likely to lose them. Collaborating and sharing information (Retweets, links, Twitter chats, etc.) is the key to expanding your social media empire. Now it is the time to practice what I have preached. I pledge to become a more effective communicator and leader this year. Without that exchange of information between people, there is no such thing as social media.

3. Have a strong, healthy ego. Do not try to become a shameless self-promoter all the time. There are times to do it, but not everyday. Link your blog posts to a couple of social media outlets at a time. If you promote on Twitter, late afternoons and evenings are the best times to get more retweets and publicity. Do not spam Twitter or forums like I have because people will not take you and your brand seriously. I've learned  the hard way and I will never do that ever again. Shameless self-promotion makes you appear desperate and ignorant of the proper way of social marketing and personal branding. Patience is a virtue.

4. Be Yourself. When you write your blog posts, be yourself. When you reply to your follower's comments, be yourself. When you go on social media outlets to promote your brand, be yourself. Do not try to be anyone else other than yourself. As I was watching the first season of Glee all this week, I realized that the characters on the hit TV show discovered that they could finally be themselves and appreciate their own musical talents as a part of their high-school's glee club. High-school is ground-zero for social pressures and conformity already as teenagers are pressured to become images they are not. The glee's club win at the sectional competition only proves that with talent, determination, and through adversity, you can be victorious. If you can be yourself, your passions, your influence, your integrity, and your blogging leverage will follow through.

What have you learned as a blogger?

 When I was a senior at Smith College, I took a Sociology of Rock Music class. The last paper of my undergraduate career was all dedicated to the death of the cultural global brand that once was Music Television (MTV). My professor was a bit skeptical about the whole ordeal, you know. MTV was still around, even though YouTube and Myspace continued to dominate the online entertainment space. A year has passed. I could not have predicted such a catastrophe, if it was written across my forehead.

No more TRL. No more music. No more iconic MTV logo. Do not get me started on these dumb reality shows! Do you want to know why I will only watch MTV for the awards shows now? When I heard that the cast members of Real World: Jersey Shore were given $10,000 per episode contracts to produce a second season! Oh my fucking god. MTV, what have you done? You substituted a generation of wonderful music shows such as TRL, Diary, Fanatic, and MTV Jams for a bunch of tasteless, attention whores? MTV is like Tiger Woods. It was married to popular music and well-respected by celebrities who acknowledged it as the catalyst that launched their music careers. But it ended up sleeping with Snookie instead. (Thank god I do not watch Jersey Shore!). MTV has clearly lost its morals and is only here to cash in on the latest reality show craze it helped generate in the early 1990s instead of being relevant again.

YouTube could end up on the same path to self-destruction. Unlike MTV, I will continue to use YouTube to watch videos because it is still relevant to me. After reading Wired Magazine's "5 Secrets to YouTube Success" article, I realized that YouTube has come a long way since its founding in 2005. YouTube has transformed average people and local bands into semi-famous individuals overnight and I hope that the exchange of communication and ideas continues to thrive between YouTube vloggers and their followers.

But after playing around with the new YouTube layout, I learned that YouTube needs to rethink its website design strategy. I initially thought the new video page was a April Fool's joke. However, when I realized it wasn't, I spammed Twitter, tweeting that YouTube needs to figure out who is on its user-experience team before it makes another decision because the homepage is horrendous. It may have taken YouTube ten months to listen to user feedback to create this new layout, but it needs to reconsider this disaster. First of all, I do not like this thumbs up, thumbs down policy that YouTube implemented to replace the five-star system. What if I like a video, but think it is not worthy enough of a thumbs up? So, the rating of the video is somewhere down the middle. With the new system, there is no middle ground. With the old system, I could have easily graded the video with three stars.

Secondly, I hate the excess of white space on the left side of every page. I think the font size and columns (ie. related videos) were rearranged to give the users a more "user-friendly environment". Despite the influx of spam and racist comments, I personally like the old layout a lot better. This is coming from someone who is a YouTube consumer, not a vlogger. I knew where to go, which buttons to press. Now each page looks bare and out of place. The only new feature that I like is the you can now easily share your favorite YouTube videos with your Facebook friends. Other than that, nothing.

I am glad that the people that I have talked to in person and on Twitter about this issue agree with me 100%. We as fans should contact YouTube and demand the old video page back somehow because I do not want YouTube to be the next MTV. If more fans complain about it, then YouTube will get the message. If they don't, YouTube might continue to develop new design changes without our opinions and eventually go downhill, allowing another online video-sharing website will take its place.

What are your thoughts on the new YouTube video page? What should YouTube do next? Is MTV a has been?

A couple of days ago, I was strolling through my Tweet Deck until I came across a ijustine tweet with a link to a recent Justin Kownacki's article entitled, "Are You Waiting Until You're Popular Before You Start Being Relevant?". The title alone struck a chord to me. His words defiantly brought life to a continuing situation in my life: what is my path to success and how I can implement it in social media and in other mediums? Am I socially irrelevant? It only took me only two minutes to decide to write a response to this insightful article. I am here to confess to you that:

1. I am a shameless self-promoter sometimes. Who else is going to do my dirty work? Me.

2. I tweet celebrities and other famous people (in their own right), seeking some form of self-recognition and acknowledgment from the people that I admire, when nine out of ten, they don't response back.


3. Twitter and other micro-blogging platform feel like  continuous beauty pageants. Everyone including myself, is seeking their fifteen minutes of fame in the most constructive or ludicrous ways possible. I personally was not the most popular girl in high-school, so I may already be at a disadvantage.

4. Setting yourself and your personal or professional brand(s) is harder now since more and more people are now signing up to Twitter and other social networking sites and creating new blogs at an astronomical rate. Your Twitter account or blog is like a resume/cover letter with hundreds of thousands of hiring managers grossing over it to see you are worthy following.

5. Twitter has now socially integrated into my own personal life. So for people who think I have no life outside my laptop computer, you can just stuck it.

6. Despite my pleas for self-recognition, I fear overexposure. Case in point, Justin Bieber. I still do not know why is he is a constant trending topic on Twitter.

7. Fear should be a sin. Like what Kownaski said in his article, what is stopping you from being the real "you"? I do not have a definite answer, but the plot thickens.

Despite these confessions, I am more grounded than I had thought. I do not compare the Twitter backgrounds or the tweets or writing styles of successful bloggers and social media experts to my own brand because everyone is different. There is no point in trying to be someone else or be another ijustine or aplusk. What I do envy, however, is the self-recognition and support that these people get on a daily basis. I just want to be known for my visionary talents. When you seem like you have a good foot in the door, another obstacle crashes on top of you. Despite my fears and problems, I see the brighter side of the rainbow. (To Be Continued).


What are your fears and anxieties using social media tools to enhance your business or brand?

Dear Google,

I love you. I really, really, love you. My love for you grows stronger with each passing day. But lately, your mistakes have been getting in the way of our relationship. Google Buzz. Google Wave. Both are a bit.....late in the game.

I've played around with Google Wave a couple times in the last three months and I had a hard time connecting with people to make any Goggle Waves of my own. Maybe it is my fault. Maybe I need to do more in the relationship. I'll give it another shot. But after the product's launch last November, the frenzy has died down. I do not even hear anyone using Google Wave anymore. It is not even in the news or under my Twitter news feed.

Google Buzz.... I think it was a mess. I saw the layout and functions of Google Buzz and thought it looked alright, but I am a Twitter junkie now. It resembles all the other major social networking platforms. What happened to your innovation, Google? Plus, I did not like the fact that Google Buzz was coded into Gmail without my permission. I thought you would be honest with me! *Tear* If Google Buzz was designed  three years ago when Twitter came out, it would had a better chance with social media consumers. But I still love you. You and your flaws. *Hug*

Love,

Christina Brown
Google's Girlfriend

With a April 3rd release date the tentative release date and the overexposure the Ipad has been receiving on the Internet for the past month, consumers are still wondering whether or not Apple's newest creation is a worthy marketing venture to invest one's money in. In my "Steve Jobs, What Have You Done?" piece, I strongly believed that the Ipad will become a marketing success and I continue with that proposition.

Imagine a world with iPads during your college days. It was literally several months ago for me. I remembered my heavy black backpack, full with books, notebooks, and the occasional laptop. What if I had replaced my current Compaq Presario CQ70-120US laptop with a 64GB iPad? Do you know how much bag space I could had with a two pound "netbook" on my back? I could have saved many days and many nights walking up and down the Smith College campus. The convenience is maddening. I could have done all my homework and online research more effeciently with an iPad.

The iPad is going to redefine "space" once again. With the iPod, the user controls the flow of music, his/her emotional capabilities, and the social environment around him/her. A iPod user can literally shut off the emotional and mental demands of everyday life by becoming one with the music. With the iPad, professors, students, business people, and other professionals will control their work and social media activities, the presentation of such work, and their social interactions with other people around them.

Want to show off your portfolio to a potential employer or favorite college professor? Bingo! Bring out your Ipad and demonstrate your skills in a more professional and timely matter. My only concern with the iPad and other e-book devices is the digitalization of books. I want my books in my face, not on my computer. Magazines, newspapers, scholarly journals, articles, and annual reports are the exception.

Print magazine publications such as Wired Magazine and the Wall Street Journal will be available on the Ipad in digital form. With the Wired Magazine demonstration, it is like having the physical components of Wired Magazine, but in Adobe Elements format. With the Wired brand's strong readership, I would not be surprised if its fans are willing to pay a monthly fee to use the new Wired application on the iPad. Wired Magazine Editor-in-Chief Chris Anderson stated about this digital evolution, "The point here is that we are entering a new era of media, where we finally have a digital platform that allows us to retain all the rich visual features of high-gloss print, from lavish design to glorious photography, while augmenting it with video, animations, additional content and full interactivity."

I could not agree more with Anderson, but I have some questions. If other print magazines followed suit with this concept, what will happen to the online versions of these print magazines? Should they be included in the reconfiguration of print magazines on the iPad? I personally think if Wired Magazine gets to be digitalized on the iPad, so should Wired News (wired.com). Secondly, do you think every print magazine and newspaper will follow Wired Magazine in this approach? With traditional print media dying every day, they will be only a matter of time when the Internet will take over the print industry.

Lets get down to business. I have been reading and hearing mixed results about Apple's new "netbook". Wired.com senior editor Nick Thompson was a guest on CNN yesterday and he asserted that the Ipad was a good product but not revolutionary like how the Ipod and the Iphone revolutionized the music and smartphone industries respectively. According to a Gadget Lab poll, out of 892 Wired.com readers, 41% said that the Ipad did not live up to the hype but will gain traction among high end costumers. Only 14% believed that it was better than expected.

So what is my take on the announcement? Well, I think the Ipad will be revolutionary in the near future. Just like when the Ipod came out in 2001, it was a bit bulky in size and did not come in color. There were bugs and technical problems with it, but over the past several years and several Ipod generations later, the current Ipods are nothing like the first Ipods. They are more smaller and slicker and come in different vibrant colors and sizes than its predecessor. Plus, the current Ipods can hold more music, video, and audio files than the first IPod model.

I believe that the first model of the Ipad will be imperfect and it will take some time for the bugs to be corrected. But like many Apple consumers, they are going to buy this first model and purchase all the newest versions because this is Apple that we are talking about. Apple is going to reinvent the Ipad over and over again until new applications are added and it becomes the perfect netbook. Whether or not the Ipad will save the media and publishing industries, I do not know.

However, media and publishing industries that have been given consumers access to their free web content for years (I know who are you!) should not rely on just one company to save them from extinction. Apple is not the federal government, giving away our taxpaying money (bailout money) to the greedy media companies because print journalism in many respects is dying and free content generate little  profit. (I am so awesome). These companies should think of innovative ideas to gain more annual revenues and reach more viewers. That is why marketing directors and experts are hired to work in these organizations in the first place. Use them wisely.

If you want more information on the linguistics and highlights of the Ipad, click here. If you want to view parts of Steve Job's Ipad announcement online, watch it here. If you want a hands-on demonstration, Time Magazine's Techland site has it all.

Sunday night was my first experience tweeting about a major entertainment event in "real-time". For three hours, I was tweeting about the major developments and surprises during the 67th annual Golden Globes with thousands of other Twitter users before, during, and after each winner was announced. I connected with people about my ideas and thoughts about who won, who should have won, and who worked it on the red carpet. I was retweeting Golden Globes news to my followers. I actively participated in the social media realm and I felt that it was more gratifying than watching Ricky Gervais host the Golden Globes on my TV.

If you remember from my What is Twitter is Good For? article last month, I declared that I was using Twitter solely to understand company politics, job postings, and read statements from my favorite Hollywood celebrities. Since then, I have expanded my membership by actively using Twitter to market my blog and reach out to people outside my inner circle. I am now following more technology and media gurus because I am interested in a career in new media. I am tweeting and retweeting about everything, from whatever I was thinking in a certain moment in time to a link to an article about Conan O'Brien's unexpected departure from the NBC network. I think I am becoming a Twitter addict and I think it is a good thing. Usually, addictions are bad transgressions that we cannot control, yet metaphorically I will use Twitter's marketing tactics to control my personal brand and its reputation on the Internet.

As Baratunde Thurston voiced in a recent Varity Fair article about what the late MLK would have thought of microblogging platforms such as Twitter if he was still alive, "Twitter is everything today: news source, stock ticker, pop-culture meme tracker, font of inane narcasstic chatter, time suck, marketing tool, and promised savoir of journalism/capitalism/democracy/[insert dying institution here]."

I could not say or phrase it in any other fashion. Twitter is now my source of news, fun, online politics, and guilty pleasure rolled up into one multifaceted online pool. And as the inquisitive person that I am, I am only dusting off the surface of my Twitter experience. There are still other Twitter techniques out there that I am still unaware of and I hope with online research, I will learn to use Twitter more to market my blog to new readers by finding new ways to effectively implicate my 140 character feed to attract new readers and industry professionals to my work. But life is all about learning and communicating, so I will get there in time. I hope to engage in more online "real-time" sessions in the future because my Golden Globe Party was quite fun. It would have a lot cooler if I had dressed up and met Gerard Butler in person. *Sighs*

Every online website and cable news network from Time Magazine to CNBC has shared their own lists of  the best and worst celebrity scandals or ideas of the last decade. And now I am going to give you my rundown of the lessons that I have learned since the year 2000. I still cannot believe it has been ten years already since the start of the twenty-first century. I am getting old.

1. Don't Fuck With The Terrorists: I apologize for using the f word, but I had to. With 9/11, this recent attempted Christmas bombing of a commercial airplane heading to Detroit, and the Fort Hood massacre still lingers in the hearts and minds of the American public, I do not want to be in the way of their plans for mass destruction and terrorism. And I am not only talking about Islamic fundamentalists.

I am talking about the seemingly liberal media, government agencies, and other American institutions that continues to undermine the potential and progression of the American people. Not all media people are terrorists. I love NYMag.com, Huffington Post, and other online blogs and websites. But I know when to draw a line between the facts and sensationalism. So do not screw with the terrorists. Learn to overcome their campaigns of fear the best way you can. The politics of fear is the most destructive weapon of all. I've learned to not take every breaking news with a grain of salt. Take control your life or they will.

2. Douchebags Rule the World: If you have not read my wicked Halloween tale yet, I strongly recommend you read it. Douchebags rule the world basically. Jon Gosselin thinks he is a living, breathing male god who is now rumored to have lied about a home invasion only to get publicity. He is a douchebag because he has not grown up to support his eight children. A douchebag would not allow his children to be on television in the first place.

A doucebag could be the nice neighbor, your ex, your psychopathic brother or even you. Stars like Kanye West, Richard Heenes, the White House Crashers, Dave Letterman, Charlie Sheen, and Tiger Woods are just the high-profile ones. The list goes on and on. You can take a douche bag out of Hollywood but you cannot take Hollywood out of the douche bag. The last of the most intelligent people on Earth should reclaim the planet from these people or by December 21, 2012, the world might come to an end. So when you write your New Years Resolutions people, please promise me to either convert the douche bags in your life to reasonable human beings or ignore them altogether.

3. Technology Has Redeemed Itself from the Dark Ages: With the highly-anticipated Google Nexus and the Apple Tablet coming out next year, I am glad that I do not have to use floppy disks and CDs anymore. I am glad that 2010 will bring us closer to the science fiction days of our childhood pasts. I am glad that we are a step closer to artificial intelligence and Star Wars technology. Did anyone notice that in one of my Tech Diva 2010 Prediction post, I predicted that Apple will come up with a new invention before I even knew that Apple was going to premiere the "Apple Tablet" sometime next month to the public. Haha, I'm good. So, Facebook and YouTube are in. Goodbye 20th century garbage. 21st century technology is our future.

4.  Celebrity Deaths Are Overrated: This decade will forever be known as the decade of the Greats. Michael Jackson, Brittany Murphy, Heath Ledger and Anna Nicole Smith all die due to reported drug overdoses and/or long histories of drug addiction. I still remember the day when I heard about MJ's untimely death. I just did not believe it because it's Michael Jackson we are talking about. The Michael Jackson. But there should be a line between at least a few days news coverage to about a year's worth of  untrue stories, fabricated truths, and millions of dollars of unnecessary publicity. Talk about the missing children of this world. I do not want to watch six months worth of the reasons why or maybe why Anne Nicole Smith died. There are other important things that matter to me. End of story.

So before you browse a newspaper or a popular search engine for information, activate your common sense and take yourself on a wild goose chase.

I have been using Twitter on and off for the past year I believe. Many online users tweet about their daily lives in real time communication for the sake of digital contact with the digital world. I sometimes do, but since most of my friends are on Facebook, I do not have the luxury of tweeting each day to friends and family. I use Facebook instead to reach out to my larger audience. On Twitter, I follow industry news, career specialists, and "Hollywood" celebrities to get the latest scoop on finding jobs, career advice, and understanding the seemingly complex celebrity life in cyber space.

But what really, really bothers me is that for some Twitter obsessed celebrities, the only way to communicate to their fans is for their fans to pay them $$$. According to an article I recently read entitled "Want Kim Kardashian To Tweet You? It Will Cost $10,000?", reality-TV star and socialite Kim Kardshian collaborates with in-steam advertising company Ad.ly and through this collaboration, demands $10,000 per tweet. Unfortunately, she is not the only celebrity listed on the company's website. Check it out for yourself.

How nonsensical and pointless can someone get?!  It only goes to show that many celebrities are willing to do almost anything for money and fame these days. That is why I come to hate the Kardashians quite profoundly since Khloe Kardashian got married this past summer after nine days of engagement. They are just greedy, attention-whore douchebags.

I know that celebrities are marketing brands and  the security blankets for many advertising and entertainment companies. Hence why despite Tiger Wood's infidelity scandal on the news, the man virtually owns golf and sports marketing as a whole. I know that social media sites have been used by average Americans and small businesses alike to market their own products and sell their brands to the outside world. We are stilling living in a capitalist, opportunist age even amidst a global recession.

But when you thought celebrities desired to get closer to their fans online because they are so busy running their careers, you have to pay them a certain compensation in order for them to stay in the Hollywood spotlight. Sometimes, I wait for particular celebrities to tweet me back after I tweeted them on their pages and now I know the truth. Therefore, what use does Twitter have for celebrities besides money?

2010 is right around the corner after a decade of catastrophic world events and poignant memories. The Internet has defiantly shaped the way in which we perceived these world events, but everything has a beginning. Do you wonder sometimes how the Internet started in the first place? I know it did not begin overnight. SixRevisions.com recently up with a cool, interactive timeline that summaries the history of the Internet in less than one page! Did you know that e-mail was invented about 40 years ago? If history itself does not just end in 2009.

This year alone, we have observed millions more people using small and more popular video-sharing, social networking sites such as Fickr and Youtube more than ever in their daily lives. This year should be recognized as the zenith of online media in itself. People were tweeting during award show events and about news minutes after it was reported to the public online. Like Google Wave,  real-life communication is fueled by our greed for digitalized information. Major corporations and retail stores that were not exposed to the Internet like ten, twenty years ago are now capitalizing on this service. How did we hear about a company's job openings or the Tiger Woods scandal? Nine out of ten, it was from probably from blogs, websites, or our Blackberrys. 


So, what do I think 2010 has in store for us? Here are my early predictions:

• Many news content websites will charge users a fee for reading their content.
• There will be a new "it" website. So, move over Twitter and Facebook. I do not know what the website or service is, but it will take the Internet world by storm.
• The Internet will have a profound effect on the 2010 elections.
• New microeconomic technologies will help people from third world countries get out of poverty.
• Unemployed people will use the Web in ways thought unimaginable.
• Apple or some other company will design the next "Ipod". Remember when the Ipod was introduced in 2001? It will be more convenient and better than the best  mobile technologies today combined. And you know I will buy it.
• Within the next 10 years, a new Internet company will be born or rise the ranks. Google, Microsoft, Yahoo. Be aware of these smaller companies.

What do screaming Twilight fans, a 40 year old perverted wannabe vampire, and holiday shoppers all have in common? They are out of control! What happened to the humanity?! If you fit in any of these categories, I am going to help you act like a smart shopper starting this holiday season. You must act smart and  spend deliberately as you visit dozens and dozens of malls across the country. Because we are still in an economic recession, I already know that you are not going to purchase expensive holiday gifts unless you are within the top one percent tier of the American population. With the unemployment rate over 10%, who is going to spend a ton of $$ this year? You want your GAP clothes and laptops at extremely low and discounted prices.

So before you glance over newspaper ad clippings, Tech Diva advises you to hit the digital world this year to get the most updated cool bargains and giveaways and economy experts' tips. Here are my three recommendated websites that you should check out:

• Black Friday 2009: This is probably the Google of all Black Friday themed websites. Not only does it contain forums where you can post your suggestions and insider information about your favorite stores and name brands to others, but it has free consumer buying guides, top stores' Black Friday hours, and the most updated online deals around. For instance, did you know that you can buy a Fuji FinePix J28 camera for yourself or a loved one on Amazon.com for only $80! Plus, the site is linked to other online stores' websites such as Amazon and Walmart so you can purchase the item online.

• If you are a Twitter geek, follow CheapTweet on your Twitter account. CheapTweet searches the Twitter database for the best sales and deals. That way you are aware of those deals at every minute of the day on your computer or mobile phone. Rule of thumb. Follow your friends and your favorite celebrities and brand names on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking sites. Maybe your best friend might "twitter" you about an awesome 50% deal off of jeans and accessories at JCPenneys. You never know.

• NY Mag.com's Black Friday Shopping Guide: For your NY hipsters out there, NYMag.com has collected a list of the best NY places to shop this Black Friday. Many vintage and upscale stores have great bargains including DSW that is selling Gucci handbags 50% off and other clearance items 70% off. 

Fast forward today. I've applied to two Google positions within the past year. I did not get accepted for an interview or a series of Google's onsite interviews, but that does not mean that I will not continue to use Google products in my daily life. Who can get mad at Google? I just have to find another job. I will not let rejection get the best of me. I am just simply awesome for Google's own good. *smirks*

So you are wondering how and why do I incorporate this brand in my daily life? For one thing, I like free, inventive stuff. I love Blogger because I can create a free blog in which I can present my life and its delicate mysteries to other people. Without Google, I would not be standing here right now talking to you about Google or even about my deep hatred for Megan Fox. Google's Blogger kept me sane when I thought I had nothing else to do. Writing has always been a passion and I will use for my own benefit. iGoogle and Google Mail are also my life right now. I do not get as much spam as I have gotten on my Yahoo account which is a major plus. Yahoo!, shame on you! I customize my own widgets and the internal detailing on my homepage. I've inserted YouTube videos, my Gemini horoscope, the Huffington Post and the NYTimes and a TV guide all on my iGoogle page. It is like I have invented my little world inside a digital world inside a much larger, unflattering world I call Earth.

But enough of my obsession. You want to know what Google has been up to lately:

Google OS System
Move over Apple and Microsoft. Within 5 years or so, Google will embrace the OS business like I embrace my laptop every morning. Will it be better than the Mac or the recent Windows 7 OS? The new operating system is under development right now and BirTorrent and other Internet sites are now offering the new product as open-source to the public, so Google can get inspired information technology experts and fans to download the files and repolish its applications. I recommend you read these articles on Technorati, PC World, and Computer World for more information.

I personally do not know what the Internet juggernaut has in store for us, but what I do want is an operating system that can either improve upon Apple's and Microsoft's mistakes, but can still bring something new to the table. I do have a question though. Google Mail and Google Documents, for example, are free if you have a Gmail account. Will Google decide to make Google OS a free, affordable mechanism, so that Google Mail and Google Document continue to be free to the public or will we have to start buying better versions of those Google products if Google decides to incorporate them into the operating system like Microsoft? Even if it becomes free, how is Google going to profit from this product? Ads?

Google Wave
Will Google Wave replace email and all things Twitter? Yes and No. I have read the pros and cons of this new Google product from the increase effort to building real-time communication among college students, business colleagues, and other social groups to the threat real-time communication poses to your Internet privacy. I personally hope Google Wave is incorporated into Google Mail. Now, that would be amazing.

So I just received my Google invitation last week. What have I learned? What do I like or do not like? I have not had much process my first week. I did invite a good friend to Google Wave, but we haven't started talking. It is going to take more time and more effort on my part to make something happen. I am a part of a new wave called "Women on Wave" which gives female participants the space to discuss women's rights and issues. It consists of over 100 people from around the world and I have managed to write a brief introduction about myself to the group. Yet, we hope to have a real live online discussion really soon. So, I will keep you posted on my experiences within the given weeks and months to come. I will make history for the sake of humanity. Oh, what joy will come out of this. This is Tech Diva at your service and she is here to stay.