Breaking Tweets » Joe Siebelts

Anniversary of Berlin Wall collapse sparks Twitter comments, TwitPics

Joe Siebelts — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:01:05 +0000

As residents of Berlin commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s fall, Twitter users around the world are sharing their personal thoughts and reflections.

The event reunited a once divided Germany, and marked a symbolic end to communist regimes during the Cold War era.

Twitter users around the globe shared different reactions, some of which celebrated the event:

jasonkenney (Richmond, VA) There area handful of historical moments one measures their lifetime by. The fall of the Berlin Wall is one of those moments. 09 Nov 2009 from web

sheiskilla (Germany) Remembering the fall of the Berlin Wall exactly 20 years ago. I’m proud to be a citizen of the United Germany (: 09 Nov 2009 from web

BookRiff (Vancouver) thinking of the Berlin Wall celebration 20 years ago…. I flew there for the weekend to be part of the changing world. Beautiful moments… 09 Nov 2009 from web

jeffkwalters (Undisclosed) My college class voted the fall of the Berlin Wall as the most significant event of our senior year. Can it possibly be 20 yrs.? 09 Nov 2009 from Power Twitter

Other comments focused on the extent of problems still present today:

n667 (Undisclosed) #berlinwall must have fallen dwn, but still ,there exists an imaginary berlin wall btw every country and its neighbours 09 Nov 2009 from web

preparsed (Seattle, WA) Berlin Wall, are we celebrating you as a victory or a defeat? 20 yrs on, not sure it was the ideological finish line it was billed to be. 09 Nov 2009 from web

JBandChocolate (Undisclosed) 20 years since the Berlin wall has fallen…now we have new walls that need to be brought down…World is not rid of walls yet…. 09 Nov 2009 from web

– this quote was brought to you by quoteurl

Some Twitter users shared photos from the events in Berlin:

"These blocks of wall will fall soon like dominos, in Berlin" from @sbink

"I love this! Dominos where the Berlin wall used to be that will be toppled during the celebrations tonight." from @des_pudels_kern

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TwitPics: Users share photos as USS New York arrives in its namesake

Joe Siebelts — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:45:33 +0000

The USS New York, commissioned as a memorial to the September 11 terrorist attacks, arrived in New York harbor Monday morning. Spectators watched from the banks of the Hudson as victims of the attacks were once again remembered.

The vessel’s bow was constructed using over seven tons of steel taken from the fallen World Trade Center towers, as reported by CNN.

Some Twitter users shared TwitPics of the USS New York in the harbor:

(from @betsyreynolds)

(from @alecjr)

"USS New York LPD 21 steams into NYC "

(from @BrendaAmarG)

"The USS New York just passed by work. It was made out of steel scraps from the World Trade Center Towers. "

(from @jennifertravels)

"Statue of Liberty and USS New York - picture perfect. #NYC"

(from @ stevescottwcbs)

"Here's a little closer look at the USS New York at Pier 88 in NYC. #ussny"

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RIP GeoCities: Yahoo shuts down web-hosting site

Joe Siebelts — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:21:42 +0000

Yahoo’s once popular website host GeoCities will officially shut-down today, as reported in the Los Angeles Times.

The site, which originated in 1994, allowed users to create personal pages for free. The move comes over ten years after Yahoo purchased the site from its developers.

The closing of the site will eliminate millions of personal pages from the Web, unless transferred elsewhere.

Twitter users reacted to the news of the site’s closing, some sharing personal stories of their first GeoCities experiences and websites:

IwaDiva (Undisclosed) Almost forgot – RIP Geocities. Had my first General Hospital website on that. And where I first learned HTML. 26 Oct 2009 from web

GregKumparak (San Luis Obispo, CA) NOOOOOOO. Yahoo is finally pulling the plug on GeoCities. Good bye, first experiences with HTML. 26 Oct 2009 from Seesmic

jandervish (Undisclosed) Joining the chorus of Geocities mourners. My first website was…ahem…Jan’s Web World. I even had a PayPal donation button. #RIPGeoCities 26 Oct 2009 from web

nonapathy (Undisclosed) Oh man RIP Geocities, wow you bagged me some of my best times yet. Going to see if my page still exists…. 26 Oct 2009 from web

Kebis (Costa Mesa, CA) I feel as if as if millions of animated gifs suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. RIP Geocities. http://bit.ly/1n8SAX 26 Oct 2009 from web

edwinthethird (Chicago) The death of Geocities means the death of countless scans of my most prized baseball cards from years past. RIP, sweet prince. 26 Oct 2009 from web

filipejosue (Undisclosed) Geocities was shut down today. As a keen user in the 90s, I feel nostagic, but surely many of our current favourite websites will follow. 26 Oct 2009 from web

Other tweets did not carry the same web-nostalgia:

steenyweeny (Edmonton, Alberta) Good riddance geocities! Burn! 26 Oct 2009 from UberTwitter

removablefriend (Canada) I for one, do not miss Geocities. So long animated GIF’s, annoying auto-load music, and copied-and-pasted codes. 26 Oct 2009 from web

RoryBecker (Poole, UK) Geocities disappears today… Average level of hideous crap on internet goes down. Can we target MySpace next? 26 Oct 2009 from Seesmic

Senshuu (Tennessee) Byebye Geocities! Another cancer of the internet gone. 26 Oct 2009 from web

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#JanMoir: Controversial article spurs Twitter discussion

Joe Siebelts — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:44:53 +0000

A recent article from U.K. journalist Jan Moir has sparked debate from Twitter users. The article in question, published in Ireland’s Daily Mail, describes the death of Irish musician Stephen Gately. Moir’s article received attention due to the journalist’s focus on the singer’s sexuality in relation to his death.

As reported on the UK Guardian’s site, 22,000 complaints have been registered with the British Press Complaints Commission in regards to the article, a record for the organization. The Daily Mail’s site also received a 21 percent boost in traffic following the article’s publication.

Some Twitter users defended the journalist’s rights to free speech:

TheMightyEvo (Undisclosed) Team Jan Moir and Team Freedom of Speech (that’s as political as I will ever get, I promise). those “offended” by her need to toughen up. 20 Oct 2009 from web

katnook80 (London) Are we overeacting a little over Jan Moir and Stephen Gately, she may be ignorant beyond belief but she did not actually kill him! 20 Oct 2009 from web

TheKeyFiles (Undisclosed) I dont keep up w/Jan Moir, am I the only 1 that thinks she has a right to her opinion? IMO she spoke of his celebrity lifestyle.. Shocker!! 20 Oct 2009 from Echofon

Others reacted negatively to the nature of the article:

bendoyle1983 @NicolaRed (Undisclosed) Agreed. I think Jan Moir was misguided. Her editors are as much at fault as her. They thought they’d get away with it! NO GO! 20 Oct 2009 from web

derekrootboy (Scotland) When someone dies, it’s usually best to allow friends and relatives to mourn in peace. Jan Moir’s speculation about Gately WAS poisonous 20 Oct 2009 from web

gstopani (Undisclosed) Jan Moir should be sacked from her job, i can’t believe she still has a job after her insulting remarks about Stephen Gately in her article. 20 Oct 2009 from web

thulbert (Setauket, NY) Jan Moir. Word of advice. Learn when to stop digging… #fb 20 Oct 2009 from web

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New York Times to eliminate 100 newsroom positions

Joe Siebelts — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:23:51 +0000

The New York Times will cut 100 jobs through the end of this year, eliminating about 8 percent of the current staff. The planned cuts will affect the newsroom staff, with employees being offered buy-outs of their current contracts.

The move comes as the newspaper industry continues to suffer from falling advertising revenue and sales, which have ailed even big papers like the New York Times.

While the positions eliminated will depend on those who agree to a contract buy-out, the possibility exists that a portion of staff reporters will be part of the cuts.

Some Twitter users tweeted solemnly on the declining state of the newspaper industry:

CarySkelton (Roanoke, VA) Oh no, I feared for this. RT @newmediajim New York Times to cut 100 newsroom jobs http://bit.ly/4dZvNj #mainstreammediadeathspiral 19 Oct 2009 from web

jjbanzer (Louisville, KY) The New York Times announced today it is cutting 100 newsroom jobs (8% of newsroom staff) … What’s next? The crossword puzzle? 20 Oct 2009 from web

hummingbird604 (Vancouver, BC) Whoa. What does it say for the state of the newspaper industry that the New York Times eliminates 100 jobs Feeling really bad now. 20 Oct 2009 from TweetDeck

frankbrill (New Jersey) More sad news for American journalism: New York Times to eliminate 100 newsroom jobs http://bit.ly/1bt55z 20 Oct 2009 from web

EWKingCo (New Jersey) New York Times to cut another 100 jobs. Approximately 36,000 journalism jobs cut this year alone so far. Media contacts? Yeah right. 20 Oct 2009 from web

azaaza (San Francisco) The New York Times is cutting 100 newsroom jobs. Tough times for traditional truth finders. http://bit.ly/4jHNIE 20 Oct 2009 from Tweetie

Others shared even bleaker feelings on the state of the medium:

doug_campbell (Cazenovia, New York) Uh oh journalism! The New York Times is cutting jobs again. All my dreams… http://bit.ly/37H9hE 19 Oct 2009 from Tweetie

LydiaMReynolds1 (Undisclosed) 8% of the newsroom. Beginning of the end? RT @wonkroom: The New York Times is to slash 100 jobs in its newsroom: http://tinyurl.com/yg7drh7 19 Oct 2009 from UberTwitter

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Ford tacks on 4.5 million more vehicles in ongoing recalls

Joe Siebelts — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:41:33 +0000

The Ford Company sent out a recall for approximately 4.5 million vehicles Monday, according to a CNN.com report. The recall covers vehicles with malfunctioning cruise control switches posing a potential fire danger.

Ford previously recalled over 11 million vehicles affected by the same problem. To date, this marks the single largest recall from a major auto manufacturer.

Some Twitter users reacted to the news in light of the company’s recent struggles:

mtaati (Undisclosed) Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo #ford. I started believing in you guys. May be this is not the end. http://tinyurl.com/yhh9q5t 13 Oct 2009 from web

davidcvogel (North Carolina) Very bad news for Ford: recall of 4.5 million vehicles because of fire hazard http://bit.ly/1sZ7FJ 13 Oct 2009 from bit.ly

CantBuyClass (Undisclosed) Dear Ford: U really r gonna recall another 4.5million vehicals #COMEONSON 13 Oct 2009 from web

BasketsUCanUse (Philadelphia) Wow- not a good day for Ford. BIG recall numbers… 13 Oct 2009 from web

Some, including a Ford dealership’s Twitter account, provided helpful information to others regarding the recall:

rish1103 (Detroit) @mtaati its oy on cars built prior to 2003. Not the new #ford 13 Oct 2009 from txt

BurdFord (Indianapolis) BURD FORD RECALL CENTER – Faulty cruise control switch… takes less than 5 minutes to replace. Call us Burd Ford today at 800-359-7511 13 Oct 2009 from web

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American researchers receive Nobel Prize in Economics

Joe Siebelts — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:48:32 +0000

Oliver Williamson and Elinor Ostrom won the Nobel Prize in Economics for 2009 on Monday, as reported in the New York Times.

The work of Williamson and Ostrom takes a more personal approach to economics, focusing less on theories and more on how individuals interact in “business-like” settings.

Ostrom became the first woman to win the award in economics since its inception in 1968.

Some on Twitter reacted positively to the award’s first woman recipient:

tomtomhungry (San Francisco) Woo to Elinor Ostrom on being the first woman to win the nobel prize in economics. Her work in management of common resources is very worthy 12 Oct 2009 from Tweetie

rbaileyp (Jacksonville, FL)Congrats to the 1st woman ever to wing the Nobel Peace Prize in Economics! 13 Oct 2009 from web

enbarham (Bloomington, IN)Congrats to Elinor Ostrom, an IU faculty member, first female to win Nobel Prize for Economics. 13 Oct 2009 from txt

jeiemji (South Korea) so maybe it isn’t such a curse to be a woman: first woman wins nobel prize in economics. 13 Oct 2009 from Scalaris

Others took the opportunity to comment on the current economy and the work of President Barack Obama, perhaps with a flare of sarcasm:

timforston (Charleston, SC) i can’t believe obama didn’t win the nobel prize for economics 12 Oct 2009 from web

roehlstation (Sharonville, OH) Anyone notice that the Nobel Prize in Economics did NOT go to President Obama? 13 Oct 2009 from Twitterrific

brwhite76 (Undisclosed) Barack should have one the Nobel for Economics since he is such a wiz with our own economy. 13 Oct 2009 from web

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Hotmail hack affects thousands of e-mail users

Joe Siebelts — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:41:48 +0000

Hotmail users, be warned. Microsoft Corp announced that hackers breached its popular e-mail interface, according to a report from Reuters.

An estimated 10,000 user passwords were leaked and published to a website, but have since been removed.

The Twitter world reacted with some frustration at news of yet another internet hacking operation:

CircusLover (Indonesia) May those who hack my Hotmail lose their sights -Indra 06 Oct 2009 from Yatca

mistywabbit (Edinburgh, UK) Changing passwords cos of this hotmail/yahoo etc security breach. Already forgotten what I’ve changed them to. Great. 06 Oct 2009 from web

RonTrucker (Undisclosed) What’s the deal with Hotmail getting hacked..people don’t have anything to do but read other peoples email! That’s #outrageous 06 Oct 2009 from UberTwitter

gusduenas (Jacksonville, FL) asking juts one thing…a hacker dude can really hack onto Bill Gates…juts like this?
I mean stealing 10000 password from hotmail is harsh 06 Oct 2009 from web

Some individuals took the chance to help-out fellow web users, warning of the Hotmail hacking and offering solutions:

eligiofonsecajr (Hollywood, CA) Passwords for google/yahoo/hotmail illegally leaked online! I’m Changin em passwords now. Suggest u do the same. 06 Oct 2009 from UberTwitter

bmcrowell (Undisclosed) we are supposed to change our yahoo gmail or hotmail passwords immediately, due to a hack/phishing scam..it’s on the news, just an FYI! 06 Oct 2009 from Tweetie

rsd737 (Undisclosed) Change all your passwords right now! Passwords for Google/Yahoo/Hotmail accounts illegally leaked online http://is.gd/40g2H 06 Oct 2009 from Echofon

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FTC adopts new regulations for bloggers as social media booms

Joe Siebelts — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:45:49 +0000

The Federal Trade Commission announced a change in the regulations for endorsements in blogs and social media forums, as reported in the Wall Street Journal. Under the new guidelines, individuals must disclose when they receive payment or gifts for promoting a company’s product.

The changes also call for an elimination of advertisements with “non-typical” results, even if a disclaimer is provided.

The new regulations, as described in an FTC release, mark revisions to the FTC’s Guides Concering the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials, last updated in 1980. These changes come in light of the expansion of consumer-based publishing, such as blogs and Twitter accounts.

Some tweets had a positive reaction to the news:

ThemePark (Pasadena, CA) Happy to see the FTC adopt the disclosure policy we’ve always had at ThemeParkInsider.com. 05 Oct 2009 from web

balletbookworm (Iowa) @thebookmaven I can see why the FTC would want to make sure people weren’t fraudulently endorsing something that could seriously injure/kill 05 Oct 2009 from TweetDeck in reply to thebookmaven

ArthurGreenwald (Studio City, CA) The FTC requires Tweeters & Bloggers to disclose sponsorships and freebies! This is good news if you take social media seriously. http:/ … 05 Oct 2009 from Twidget

Others reacted negatively to the government’s involvement in such an issue:

GabrielNeas (Sterling, VA) Hot Air FTC trains government focus on … bloggers: Where does it stop? http://bit.ly/keHV4 05 Oct 2009 from twitterfeed

gundabad (Undisclosed) So the government (FTC) is regulating product reviews in blogs now. Seems like a big overreach. Where is the line drawn? Need to read up 05 Oct 2009 from Echofon

gilv (Undisclosed) @ThursdayGirl I think that the FTC is overstepping its authority – I don’t want more oversight by gov’t. Common sense can guide readers. 05 Oct 2009 from TweetDeck in reply to ThursdayGirl

wbryant (Spartanburg, SC) What defines a “Blogger” by the FTC? Will the gov’t stop trying to control the internet already??? http://tr.im/ALZf 05 Oct 2009 from web

houston_foodie (Houston, TX) What’s next? Must register w/ gov’t to blog? RT @eschipul: Wow – FTC rules bloggers must reveal freebies http://bit.ly/LCvNF 05 Oct 2009 from TweetDeck

Twitterers also found time for some humor, as well:

JRMcGrail (New York City) FTC now requiring paid endorsers to use & continue to use products. Can’t wait to see Jeter driving a Ford on next date w/supermodel 05 Oct 2009 from mobile web

55SecretStreet (New York City) Along w/the FTC required “freebie” disclosure – I’ll disclose when I get press releases telling me what Rihanna, Lohan, etc did, wore, ate 05 Oct 2009 from Seesmic

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Xerox cashes in on $6.4 billion merger

Joe Siebelts — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:03:31 +0000

As reported by the New York Times Monday, the Xerox Corp. will acquire Dallas-based Affiliated Computer Services for $6.4 billion. As part of the deal, A.C.S. stockholders will receive $18.60 compensation for each of their shares, as well as 4.935 Xerox shares for each A.C.S share.

The move marks a continuing trend of technology companies acquiring “service” businesses to re-focus on customers instead of products in a effort to yield higher profit margins.

Several employees of A.C.S. reacted to the news of the merger:

lowelldeeds (Undisclosed) Just found out that Xerox Corp bought our computer company ACS. We really don’t expect any change in service. 28 Sep 2009 from web

VarunVijayNair (Bangalore) Ok, officially a Xerox employee now! From a 6.5 Billion company, we leaped to become a 22 Billion company today! Fingers are crossed though! 28 Sep 2009 from web

PaulMiddaugh (Houston) Really confused about the company I work for. I found out today that it was sold to Xerox. Well if that doesn’t beat all… 28 Sep 2009 from web

joshrlewis (Undisclosed) Xerox bought the company I work for today, so I bought some Xerox (http://bit.ly/G9cT8) and made some $$$ in the market. It was a good day. 28 Sep 2009 from Tweetie

Others outside of A.C.S. also reacted to the move:

eldarelaev (Israel) I didn’t know Xerox has that kind of money – RT @TechmemeXerox Buys Affiliated Computer Services For $5.75 billion http://bit.ly/3ViFQS 28 Sep 2009 from web

editorfred (Stamford, CT) Thank goodness, it appears the economy is, in fact, turning. Xerox-ACS deal today a good sign for biz confidence in the future. 28 Sep 2009 from web

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