When it comes to real names and identities G+ is making real names a feature launched too early to resist. On the other side of the social network battle sits Facebook, with a ‘social culture’ accustom to using false identities. Since the Facebook culture is relatively developed, veering from the norm is risky business as change isn’t always welcome.

If Facebook chose to enforce it’s terms of service with a firm hand it’s likely to upset users, inconveniencing them, or possibly causing them to leave. Businesses who rely on personal accounts instead of page and place accounts will lose connections, or have to work hard to migrate their fan base.

The Consequences of Fake Names on Facebook

Real names mean big bucks, at least when it comes to valuation. A false identity in the eyes of an advertising and marketing executive doesn’t hold much value. It’s similar to disqualifying a survey because the respondent answers the same question two different ways.

In regard to business pages and places, fake names or incorrectly used accounts devalue Facebook as a whole. Facebook designed features for these types of accounts and the less people who leverage the features appropriately, the less users benefit. While the messaging feature is not enabled like it is for a personal account, many valuable features for businesses are available on the page.

P.S. using a personal account on Facebook for commercial purposes is a violation of their terms, see point 4 under the “Statement of Rights and Responsibilities” titled “Registration and Account Security”.

It’s Not Google’s First Identity Crisis

Back when Google acquired foursquare and delivered Google Places, they ran into some serious data quality and identity issues. Merging data from Google Maps with Google Places was clearly a nightmare. Issue’s still exist with place account ownership and quality of information that cost businesses real money.

An Opportunity for G+ To Differentiate

Google said right from the start, don’t create business profiles yet. Why? Long term common sense says revenue models… as well as ownership of more controlled and higher quality data. This goes hand in hand with their fake name policy as well; as Google+ seeks higher quality and more reliable people information.

Being a new service, Google+ is able to differentiate itself by setting rules early in the game. While parts of a ‘social media culture’ and ‘Facebook culture’ will roll over into Google+, someone who is willing to switch or try something new is more likely to abide by new rules. When new rules are strictly enforced, they become clearly understood.

From Leon Haland, who posted the graph on Google+

Don’t jump too quickly into discrediting Facebook for their challenge. Understanding just how much data they had to manage early in the game was impossible to estimate for the service that gave birth to social networking.

Quality Content is Important

Facebook was a boom, a new way of using technology to interact with people. As more Internet, social media, Facebook, and the likes are consumed, users of all types will require higher quality of content and data. If reliable information is not available, significant credibility is lost.

Search engines also face a similar issue with quality of content and identity. With the growing popularity of Internet marketing and search engine optimization (SEO), the Internet has become flooded with information. Reaching a point of super saturation, there is now a growing need for content filtering which Google+ is addressing head on.

Like Facebook was a progression of MySpace, Google+ will in some ways be a progression of Facebook. It’s highly unlikely Facebook will vanish off the face of the earth like MySpace, but Google+ has an opportunity to pick up where Facebook leaves off.

While people will ultimately decide what social network is best for them, there is always room for new market entrants. As history shows, fad’s are cyclical, and Google+’s method of differentiating seems to be circling lots of attention.

I’m proud to announce the founding of my new company providing Internet Marketing Services – Digi Social. 

Services include:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO):

Digi Social will help companies increase leads and opportunities via the world wide web by increasing their position in organic direct, indirect, and alternative searches as they relate to their business.

Pay Per Click Advertising (PPC):

Digi Social will create and deploy eye-catching advertising campaigns for business on targeted

Social Media Marketing (SMM):

Digi Social will help businesses connect and communicate with their customers via Social Media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

For more information, Follow Me On Twitter, or Contact Digi Social.

Alex

If you’ve read anything about the Thunderbolts Battery Life you might already have reservations. If battery life is anything of a concern for you, this phone isn’t going to make you happy. While the other features of the phone seem very enticing (and they are)… for someone like myself who is constantly talking, writing e-mails and sending text messages on the go, the Thunderbolt will do nothing but leave you looking for more power. Some fixes have been provided, including an LTE network Toggle which allows you to disable the 4G connection. There’s also task killer applications, and power management applications available in the android store. But, Verizon has nothing official to say, no information on Android 2.3 (which may help), and therefore I’m no longer an owner of the device.

The HTC Thunderbolt smartphone drains battery quick. Battery statistics on the phone indicate that the screen is a major culprit, even when running as dim as possible it’s responsible for 70%+ of battery usage. Mix in using lots of memory running multiple apps, and moving in and out of 4G reception areas and your phone’s battery is dangerously low in no time. Improvements in the software (Android) could help battery life, but that is the responsibility of the handset maker and the service provider.

Don’t release a smartphone when in order to have acceptable battery life you have to disable all the features, run as few apps as possible, keep the screen as dim as it goes, and get a battery making it twice as thick. It eliminates the features of the phone, and for that reason HTC  and Verizon need to understand they didn’t do a great job with this release.

The perfect smartphone involves a happy marriage between hardware, software, connectivity, and battery life. The HTC Thunderbolt was originally delayed due to these problems, and they haven’t been fixed. It’s unfortunate, but a reality of a first generation device on a brand new network. Perhaps the folks over at Motorola Mobility will get it right with the release of the Motorola Droid Bionic smartphone. The bionic will boast a dual core NVIDIA Tegra 2 (which may reduce power consumption), as well as the new qHD screen. I have yet to find any research on how the qHD screen compares to the Thunderbolts display in terms of power consumption. I am still baffled at the fact Motorola is launching this phone with 512MB of RAM. If the RAM consumption mirrors that of the Thunderbolt running Android 2.2, then it will most certainly be a bottle neck.

Until next time 4G Capable Smartphone running Android.

HP Thin Clients from DisklessWorkstations.com

Primarily for the education market and schools, these videos in combination will take you from Installing Edubuntu to running an LTSP Edubuntu Server.

I published Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP) – Growing for 10 Years, Still Going on DisklessWorkstations.com.

Moving To Linux? What You NEED To Know

1. Linux Is Different
2. Your Organizations Infrastructure Needs To Be Linux Friendly
3. Your Users Need Proper and Thorough Training
4. Your Motivations Need To Align With Opportunities

A recently published article in the Financial Times, Google ditches Windows on security concerns focuses on the security of the Windows operating system not being acceptable. With references to the Chinese operation being hacked, a profound problem in Windows desktop computing has been unveiled. The operating system has been in existence for many years and most of the framework behind the operating system is similar version to version. With prolonged dominance in desktop operating systems this led to exploits, hacking, viruses, spyware, etc … As the Windows framework stayed the same for so many years, a new changing and evolving framework was being developed; The Linux Kernel. Linux is flexible, modular, and open. For the technologically gifted, those 3 words define security. Developers have the opportunity to change many different features and functionalities when using Linux. They can add modules, strip modules, and more, making the operating system both custom and familiar to those who contributed to it. From a technical stand point, Linux makes a lot more sense. From a everyday user’s stand point, Linux can make a lot more sense … It’s just all about the approach.

1) Linux Is Different

A Linux based operating system will feel, look, and sound different. You will find buttons renamed, folder navigation windows organized differently, menus with different naming schemes, and other things that look nothing like the Windows desktop. It’s no longer called a “Recycle Bin”, it’s called the “Trash”, and it has nothing to do with being eco-friendly. All of these points should be far from deterring. They should be embraced, respected, and handled appropriately. How do you approach all this change, all this different? Everyone’s answer to this question varies. My suggestion: know how much geek you can speak. If its very little, find the appropriate resource(s) to help you understand and translate the differences. As younger generations become more and more tech savvy, it is likely we will see them adopt alternative desktops faster compared to older generations.

Whichever distribution  (A distribution is a different version built on the Linux kernel, ex: Ubuntu is a distribution, Fedora is a distribution) of Linux may interest you (A Guide To The Top 10 Distributions – 2009), it is imperative that you understand they are all a bit different.

2) Your Organization’s Infrastructure Needs To Be Linux Friendly

If you’re anything from a SMB on up in size, you know that the desktop is the furthest from the most valuable piece of IT in your organization (unless your a graphic designer). What happens behind the scenes with document management and sharing, user management, firewalls, etc … these are the important things. If your organization is currently an all Windows shop from printers to people, your going to find it hard to make a cold-turkey switch to Linux. The key is to find the spots where it will work. If your shipping department uses UPS software (written for Windows), your going to have a bit of trouble putting a Linux desktop there, unless your ready to jump into running WINE or some other application to bring the Windows application to life on the Linux desktop. A secretary who browses the Internet, sends e-mails, and creates the occasional document could be an excellent opportunity. What’s important to make sure is that your back end infrastructure speaks Linux. Do your printers work with Linux? Can you use and manipulate shared files and folders?

3) Your Users Need Proper and Thorough Training

I can’t seem to emphasize training enough. As mentioned above under Linux Is Different, Linux is different. Historically speaking, people are resistant to change. In order to get them to change, you need to set expectations, explain the how, the when, and the why this is happening. Include in your training why your employees have to deal with a switch to Linux. Perhaps its security, perhaps its cost savings … either way if your not open and helpful with your employees you’re set to face a wave of resistance.

4) Your Motivations Need To Align With Opportunities

If you are switching to Linux for cost-savings and paying the most expensive consultant a monthly fee for helping you make a switch you know nothing about, you’re going to be disappointed. All the money that was to be saved was spent on paying the consultant. If you are switching to Linux to make your users more productive, yet you skip over the training piece, you’re going to be disappointed again. Linux based operating systems provide a vast world of customization and opportunity. To capitalize on the opportunities within, exert your initial effort into approach, planning, research and strategy. You’ll find these 4 tactics at the heart of every Linux based success story … Of course, experience helps too.

Whats Next?

Try It!

Do a bit of research, and find a Linux distribution you think you will like. The distribution i currently use is Ubuntu 10.04, it’s fast, easy to setup, and the user base is growing rapidly.

After you install it, or use the Live CD, engage in discussions with other people using Linux. Encourage them to highlight differences for you. Read blogs on the Internet. By exploring Linux based operating systems, you will discover the opportunities that lie within for you.

Read LTSP Bundled Support Press Release

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work directly with the SCALE staff who gave their full attention and consideration to us at DisklessWorkstations.com, and for that we thank them.

The ability to have a presence at a conference where you have an opportunity to meet leaders of well known Open Source projects and individuals who are asking “What is Linux?” in the same day is an excellent experience.

If your not a SoCal resident, find a Linux conference near you where you can connect with like minded people, or begin your exploration of Linux and Open Source Software.

You can look for myself and DisklessWorkstations.com at other Linux con’s in the future.

Until Next Time SCALE,

Alex

Erick Tyack and I will be attending Scale 8x this year. We’ll be somewhere around the Westin in the Los Angeles International Airport from the evening of Thursday Feburary 18th -> the evening of Sunday Feburary 21st. Except for a few talks…

LTSP Local Apps – Unchain The Desktop

LTSP Local Apps – “The Secret Sauce”

LedgerSMB – Powerful Open Source Accounting

We are trying to fill our time meeting with those individuals who we share things in common with, share similar interests, or who we want to learn more about, or vice versa. This is our CFM (Call For Meetings).

If your interested in meeting with us to discuss anything related to Linux / Open Source / LTSP / Thin Clients, please contact me ASAP to be sure we have an opportunity to connect.

Twitter: @AlexDLWS

E-mail: info (at) DisklessWorkstations.com

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