Twellow Gets Twitter OAuth Support
February 26, 2010
Our Twellow team has been working hard on getting Twellow set up to use Twitter's OAuth system, and that support is now available on Twellow.com.
"The Twellow OAuth upgrade is a major improvement for Twellow users," Twellow's Lead Developer Matthew Daines says. "Not only is it much more secure, but it also increases the amount of interaction users can have with the Twitter universe from Twellow."
"With this version of Twellow we've added the ability to tweet directly from Twellow, so users don't need to switch between Twellow and Twitter for simple posting of updates," Daines adds. "In addition there are a few behind-the-scenes improvements in performance that should help as we continue to grow our database of Twitter profiles."
Benefits include:
- OAuth is more secure
- OAuth provides the same access you are used to
- You can use a different password for Twellow
- Twitter access limits are increased with OAuth
- Tweet directly from Twellow
Current Twellow users can upgrade their accounts to take advantage by logging in with their Twitter screen name and password, entering a new password to be used with Twellow, clicking the "continue to Twitter" button, making sure they are logged into Twitter under the correct account, and clicking "allow".
LinkedIn Allows Users To Edit Profile Layouts
February 3, 2010
It's no secret that most people like having a measure of control, and today, LinkedIn gave it to them. Members of the professional network can now rearrange their profiles' sections in order to highlight whatever parts of their resumes make them proudest.
Aaron Bronzan, an associate product manager, explained the change on the LinkedIn Blog. He wrote, "You will notice that the headers of each of the sections on your 'Edit Profile' page now have handles that can be dragged. To reorder a section, all you need to do is click and drag one of these section headers up or down the body of your profile."
This move should allow all sorts of people to get more out of LinkedIn. Students who have only worked in fast food could, for example, show off the name of a prestigious university. Or people who've been laid off could highlight recommendations proving that they left on good terms.
The change is definitely a welcome one. It's apparently not going to represent an isolated upgrade, either.
Bronzan promised, "The ability to reorder the sections on your profile is just the first of a huge number of enhancements that are coming to your LinkedIn profile in the upcoming months. And, as always, we'd love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions about how LinkedIn can help you to represent, manage, and share your professional identity."
Have You Read This?
> LinkedIn To Roll Out Changes To Address Book
> LinkedIn For iPhone 3.0 Launches
> LinkedIn Launches Faceted Search Feature
Google Offers $5.7 Million In Research Funding
February 2, 2010
Google said today it is increasing its funding for 12 university projects to further advance research in areas the company is interested in developing.
Google Focused Research Awards, totaling $5.7 million, include four categories: machine learning, the use of mobile phones as data collection devices for public health and environment monitoring, energy efficiency in computing, and privacy.
"These are all areas in which Google is already deeply invested, and yet there is a long way to go. We're excited to see what these projects contribute to the body of research in these important areas," wrote Alfred Spector, Vice President of Research and Special Initiatives, Google.
"These unrestricted grants are for two to three years, and the recipients will have the advantage of access to Google tools, technologies and expertise."
Have You Read This?
> Google Profiles Go to the SERPs
> Google Launches Social Search Experiment
> Can Search Engine Optimization Survive Google?
Facebook Sends Cease And Desist To Friend-Seller
November 21, 2009
uSocial is a controversial advertising company that specializes in social media. For a fee, it promises to get stories on the front page of Digg, direct followers to a Twitter account, and/or find someone Facebook fans (among other things). But Facebook's put at least a temporary stop to the sale of friends.
The BBC reported this afternoon, "Facebook sent Cease and Desist letters to USocial claiming that the way the marketing firm operates violates its rights by sending spam, using web tools to harvest pages, getting login names and by accessing accounts that did not belong to the marketing firm."
As a result, "USocial defended itself against Facebook's claims, saying that it did not spam users or use web tools to gather information about profiles. . . . However, in response to the legal letters, USocial said it would delete the login information it had collected and broadly stop offering to sell Facebook friends."
This is an interesting development insofar as, three months ago, Twitter also tried to crack down on uSocial. Its back-channel methods apparently didn't succeed, but now that Facebook's established a precedent, we might see another attempt. Delicious, Digg, and Reddit could well join the fight, too.
Of course, the hubbub around such a scuffle would act as free advertising for uSocial and might spread the notion that these social media sites can be gamed, so it's also possible that absolutely nothing will occur.
Have You Read This?
> Facebook Puts Privacy Policy In Users' Hands
> Facebook Blocks Popular iLike App
