Julie Shaffer and I are presenting three webinars this week.  We will be highlighting various aspects of social media tools.  Please join us for the series or pick and choose one or two to tune in.  If you have an experience you would like to share related to the topic, email me directly mgarnett@printing.org      Thank you! Mary Garnett  http://www.printing.org/node/9091  LinkedIn as a Sales Tool    Today!   February 15 http://www.printing.org/node/9090  Monitoring Your Online Reputation  Februay 16 http://www.printing.org/node/9089  Putting Your Company on the Map with Geo Social Tools February 17...

The Social Media Field Guide website will carry book reviews. The first one is: How to Disappear: Erase Your Digital Footprint, Leave False Trails, and Vanish without a Trace  by Frank M. Ahearn and Eileen C. Horan, Lyons Press, September 2010. Disappearing in general is difficult, expensive, and detail oriented; or, you must be very lucky.  If you really think you will need to disappear, forget using social media sites and tools. The detailed outline of erasing your digital footprint is helpful and dicey. With all the discussion of privacy, the regret of overexposure on social media and plain curiosity, I read this book.  Ahearn says he is a “liar for hire” (AKA skip tracer) and he details how he “always finds his man (or woman).” That sets the tone for the gritty language and vivid descriptions. It was informative, humorous, and filled with thoughtful suggestions. Rating 4 of 5    Full review is available....

While billboards, banners, posters, and signs have long been part of the printers offerings, interactive billboards are breaking in with interactive ads that pedestrians can use a smartphone to download an app or send a text message to the company.  Wi-Fi is the key to these interactive posters.  A few companies are experimenting to see what the business model will be.  Google Inc., Nokia Corp. and France Telecom SA’s Orange are running pilot tests.  While not wide spread, interest is gaining ground.  Check it out. ...

Have you ever regretted a written text message or video sent to someone? Have you ever sent a joke or forwarded someone’s message and had second thoughts?  A new messaging service called TigerText may be the answer.  It sounds intriguing for those who fear the records they are creating. Both the sender and the receiver must have the app.  This app is available on iPhones, Androids and BlackBerry devices. Basically, the user sends a message/video and sets an expiration date; message travels across the TigerText network; receiver activates the expiration process upon opening the message.  Immediately upon expiration, the service writes over the file and no copies are stored or available.  I am going to find a friend to try this. What business could benefit from using this?  Doctors?  Lawyers?  Fund Traders? Alleged criminals that have their messages brought into court will wish they used it. How could our industry benefit from disappearing text? Users could be anyone who wants privacy.  Check out a review of TigerText: http://prnt.in/Z43  Here is the article in WSJ–http://prnt.in/Z4J...