blogging for nature in singapore

Social media part of life in Singapore, especially among the young: Nielsen

2010-02-02T16:45:00.000-08:00

Mustafa Shafawi, Channel NewsAsia 3 Feb 10;

SINGAPORE : Social media has become a big part of life in Singapore, especially among the younger set.

A recent study by The Nielsen Company, found that 52 per cent of the Singapore population are participating in at least one social networking website, with the most popular being Facebook - at 42 per cent.

Trailing behind as the second-most accessed community or social networking website is YouTube at 35 per cent, while Friendster takes a distant third spot with one in 10 locals using it.

The company's recent study involved 1,000 Singaporeans, aged 15 and above.

Nielsen's findings revealed that 95 per cent of the 15-19 age group are using some form of social networking media, while 89 per cent of those in their 20s form the next biggest users.

The survey also found that many users in Singapore are not bothered by the security risks associated with social networking sites.

Among those who did express some form of anxiety, loss of privacy from sharing personal information emerged as a top concern.

Two other concerns raised by respondents were the risk of accounts being hacked into - at 8 per cent - and getting messages or requests from strangers - at 5 per cent.

According to Nielsen's survey, the main factor that motivates Singaporeans to get onto social networking sites is to keep their friends updated on happenings in their life, at 39 per cent.

33 per cent are interested to be updated on happenings in their friends' lives, while 22 per cent use social networking sites to make new friends and network.

Among those who do not currently use social networking sites, 43 per cent attributed computer-illiteracy as the main reason for non usage, followed by lack of interest at 25 per cent, and lack of time at 22 per cent. - CNA/ms

Facebook groups for the environmental and other causes in Malaysia

2010-01-30T17:22:00.000-08:00

Striking up a group
Louisa Lim, The Star 30 Jan 10;

Welcome to the world of Facebook, where the number of hobbyist groups is astounding, and their creators even more so.

When news of 15-year-old American student Tess Chapin’s being grounded for five weeks broke out in The New York Times several weeks ago, people were flabbergasted.

It wasn’t because Chapin’s sentence far outweighed her mistake for missing her 11.30pm curfew.

It was because she had, with the help of Facebook, started a “teenage rebellion, electronic style — peaceful, organised and, apparently, contagious.”

Her group, “1,000 to get Tess ungrounded”, gathered enough support within just a few days of its start-up. Though it did not help Chapin’s campaign by any measure (her parents are sticking by their plan), it did propel this once-little known teenager to international infamy. Stranger still, people actually felt for her.

Now, a burgeoning number of people (and not to mention businesses) are taking their causes and obsessions to Facebook, where there are no rules (prompting various websites to generate their own list of “Facebook Etiquette’) and no boundaries (nine-year-olds to 90-year-olds are welcome).

This mushrooming of Facebook groups has evidently caught on even in Malaysia, where a simple search yields an astonishing stream of results from the serious (Malaysia Travel Network, Social Singles Society) to the not so serious (Malaysians Against Nasty Cabbies, Ramly Burger Appreciation Society) and the downright hilarious (Petition to Import Men to Malaysia, Why Malaysian Chinese Drama Sucks?).

While the virtues (and pitfalls) of Facebook have been trumpeted to death, many still do not know that it is also the ultimate place to take your passions further.

As enthusiasts begin to snub conventional forums in favour of Facebook, a myriad of hobbyist groups have started appearing on the site. Devotees band together from all over the world, discussing everything from wine to cameras (posting up videos and pictures to emphasise their point) with a sprinkle of light banter and mindless musings in between.

Although it’s somewhat difficult to find a group that remains active (with weekly postings and events) months after their formation, they are out there, like jewels in the rough.

That said, we are on a quest to find some of the more interesting Facebook groups created by locals for locals. Here is a list of the top five, certified as 100% original and credible by us.

Eco Warriors

Some things have the power to leave an impression on you forever: a stranger you met, a country you visited, a book you just read. For 42-year-old Matthias Gelber, it was an obscure German town where he grew up.

“Lippe was this little kampung with 500 inhabitants,” says the eco entrepreneur who has been living in Kuala Lumpur since 2005 under the Malaysia My Second Home programme.

“It was a town surrounded by nature. We’ll get snow for four months every year, and it was beautiful. But thanks to global warming, we hardly ever get snow anymore, and even if we do, it’s only for a couple of days. I could see the damage global warming was doing to it, and I knew I had to do something."Since then, Gelber has tirelessly campaigned for the environment by changing the way he lived. He gets around on public transport and promotes the use of green technology. He also made a pledge to plant 1,000,000 trees to make up for his carbon footprint.

All his efforts were documented on YouTube, earning him the title of “Greenest Person on The Planet’’ from the Canadian environmental organisation 3rd Whale.

But these achievements weren’t quite enough for the go-getting Gelber, who wanted to get others to walk the talk.

In November 2008, he created a Facebook group with a mission to “deliver fast and comprehensive positive environmental change in Malaysia, because Copenhagen has shown that there’s only so much governments can do.” It has amassed over 3,000 members since, although this figure is rising by the day.

“One of our members has managed to organise a simultaneous planting of 85,000 trees in the Raja Musa Peat Swamp near Kuala Selangor,” he says. “We’ve also managed to recruit 10,000 volunteers to plant trees on World Forest Day.”

Aside from tree planting activities, the group also conducts recycling campaigns in condominiums, awareness programmes through educational trips to nearby rainforests and swamps as well as environmental symposiums. Their next big project? Garden makeovers for children’s homes.

“We’ll be visiting Bandar Harapan Children’s Home in Ara Damansara, KL, to turn the garden into a sustainable organic farm so that the children can learn how to grow and cultivate their own vegetables.”

But perhaps Gelber’s biggest claim to fame is that he is interested in the outcome, rather than financial or political gains.

“That’s the problem with most NGOs these days,” he says. “They’re too obsessed with being visible. I just want to get things done.”

Scubaholics Anonymous

“Alcoholic, shopaholic . . . we’re just as hardcore as the other ‘holics’,” jokes founder of the group Mohan Thanabalan, 35.

“That’s why I came up with the name. I have to scuba dive at least once a month. Ever since I was certified in 2004, I’ve been an incurable addict.”

It all started when he was a young kid.

“My uncles were certified divers. Each time I went to visit them, I would put on their tanks and flippers and waddle around their house. I thought it was the coolest thing.”

Today, Mohan, who has a day job as a marketing supervisor, says everyone (colleagues included) knows that his motto is “dive now, work later”.

Even before Facebook was a faint glimmer of an idea in someone’s head, the enterprising lad had begun organising diving trips to the islands of Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia for his friends — all for a fee.

“More and more people started joining us because solo dives are no fun,” he says. “Then I created the Facebook group in early 2008 to expand our network of divers.”

To date, the group has over 350 members, 50 of whom are active and have accompanied him during recent diving trips to Mabul and Sipadan off the coast of Sabah, as well as Komodo Island in Indonesia. They’ve also had a gathering called the “Wild Teh Tarik Party” recently, to share and reminisce about diving trips in 2009. Next on their list: three days in Padang, Indonesia.

Non-divers, however, are always welcome to join the group.

“I’ve planned certification trips through Facebook for people who want to learn how to dive. Some are terrified, but seeing the thrill on their faces makes it worth my while. Of course, the most basic requirement is that you need to be a good swimmer,” he says.

To many, Mohan is already living his dream. But he has more long-term plans up his sleeve.

“I plan to take Scubaholics Anonymous international someday and get foreign scuba divers to explore the islands in Malaysia. After all, I’ve dived in many countries but Sipadan remains my favourite stop because of its sheer beauty,” he says.

“I’d also like to open my own scuba centre and resort one day so I can do it 24/7.”

Volunteer for Volunteers (V4V)

Always wanted to volunteer but don’t know how? The same predicament drove political science student Kim Manta-Khaira, 22 to start a group on Facebook aimed at “making the world a better place.”

Here’s how it works: V4V serves as a medium for volunteers, as well as NGOs and other establishments that are in dire need of volunteers like old folk’s homes, orphanages and even understaffed and under-appreciated charity gigs or theatre troupes. Prior experience is optional.

“My dad told me that no man is an island,” says Kim, whose parents are both lawyers.

“They have always encouraged my siblings and I to get involved since we were little. Today, my sisters regularly help out with NGOs, my brother works for human rights group Suaram, and I’ve been contributing to different causes, like participating in the international coastal clean-up day or becoming a facilitator for a youth conference, in between my studies. I suppose activism runs in our family.”

The idea was so simple that it’s a wonder why no other group like this existed earlier. Not surprisingly, it took off when the group was founded some time in 2008, but membership numbers (230 to date) and wall postings have stagnated since last year. Kim has since then moved on to bigger things.

“I’m currently doing something else for my university. It’s called the Green Team, and we also have a Facebook group. We’re in the midst of collecting shoes for Africa. Somebody else is handling V4V now. Many people have joined V4V but I’m not sure if anything is being done,” she says.

However, no one can deny that a group like V4V is still, by all means, necessary. All it takes is a little nudge for the group to get going once more.

As Kim puts it: “Perhaps I’ll form another group once I’ve gained more experience in social work. What matters most are, after all, concrete outcomes. And if V4V does that, then I can’t be happier.”

Why social media is the next big thing

2010-01-19T16:18:00.000-08:00

Business Times 20 Jan 10;

Panellists from NTU's Nanyang Business School:

Dr Vijay Sethi, Professor, Division of Information Technology and Operations & Director, International Business Competitions, Nanyang Business School (NBS)
Dr Kanapaty Pelly Periasamy, Assistant Dean (Business) & Associate Professor, Division of Information Technology and Operations, NBS
Dr Damien Joseph, Assistant Professor, Division of Information Technology and Operations, NBS
Dr Goh Kim Huat, Assistant Professor, Division of Information Technology and Operations, NBS

Moderator and writer: Narendra Aggarwal, Director, Public Affairs, NBS

OVERVIEW

SOCIAL media is the new buzzword as we enter the new decade. Already it is making huge inroads into the space previously occupied by the mass media and things more traditional. As information technology becomes even more pervasive, social media initially embraced by the youth is spreading rapidly into various sectors of business and society.

In an ongoing Nanyang Business School-Business Times Roundtable discussion series, information technology professors at Nanyang Technological University's Nanyang Business School (NBS) examine the rapid spread of social media and its implications for businesses, and try to find out if it is the next big thing.

Narendra Aggarwal: Can we start by defining what is meant by the new phenomenon that has been termed as social media which is exciting businesses and people of all ages?

Professor Vijay Sethi: Social media is a broad term but its key elements are easy-to-use tools that are readily available, in fact pervasive, and a culture of user participation and contribution to content. It is also about user-to-user connectivity and a growing emphasis on networks.

These aspects have combined together to create an environment in which much of what is happening online is being governed by users as opposed to institutions.

Associate Professor Kanapaty Pelly Periasamy: From another perspective, social media is the new exciting media where the end user or the consumer is in control, rather than what happens in the older media where the providers are in control.

An aspect of social media is that democracy becomes real in that everyone is able to have a say. In the older media, the mass media, it is the powerful which is in control and decides. In social media even the weak have the opportunity. It gives them an opportunity to share information, speak out and work together collectively to influence decisions and outcomes in society as well as in business and politics.

Assistant Professor Damien Joseph: Social media is no longer just a hype as these technologies have become the primary means of communication for the young as well as older folks. Interestingly, the 55 to 65-year-olds are the fastest-growing age group on Facebook in the US. Anecdotal evidence suggests that it may be similar in Singapore.

In Singapore, there are over 1.7 million Facebook users. Apparently more women (920,720) here are on Facebook than men (860,840). And Facebook itself would be the third largest country in the world considering that it has over 350 million users as of December 2009, behind China and India.

Assistant Professor Goh Kim Huat: The idea of social media moves away from the central plan kind of economy to a market-based system where each individual contributes information with the assumption that the market is sort of most efficient most of the time.

But the problem with social media is that how does one verify the information is true. For example, when it was wrongly reported on CNN's iReport that Steve Jobs had died from a heart attack, Apple's stock price dropped 10 per cent before the information could be corrected.

The marginal guy who comes in with so-called news can cause havoc as we know that individuals are susceptible to herd behaviour. You tend to follow the crowd resulting in the blind leading the blind which could be dangerous. Some form of regulation should be in place.

Narendra Aggarwal: Social media is reported to have overtaken pornography as the number one activity on the Internet last year. What are some of the reasons for the rapid growth of social media?

Dr Sethi: The whole phenomenon of social media has led to the inter-mixing and inter-mingling of roles. Earlier, the roles were defined in that there were the institutions producing information for the consumers. Today, all these particular roles are getting intertwined with each other and we have new terms like produ-user, which is a producer plus a user. Another interesting term is Market-ocracy. It's the rule of the free market where anyone can contribute but the influence they have is based on their merit.

Irrespective, social media is all about conversations which are happening online. It's the users who are dictating all aspect of these conversations - what is talked about, rules of engagement, who gets heard, whose voices pervade, and so on. The implication of this conversations metaphor is that companies cannot control social media but merely participate in it and influence it through fact and merit.

Dr Goh: Mass media is no longer the main source of information that it traditionally used to be where consumers paid to get information. I think the regular media should recognise that in this modern world who attracts attention matters as that yields money through advertising. With the dramatic rise of social media, many of the news agencies and traditional media are in bad shape financially and shedding staff.

Dr Joseph: Social media is changing the nature of reporting with the aid of technologies like the handphone and webcam. Who is generating the photographs now? Not necessarily the professional news photographer. It could be anyone with a camera or handphone and the photo could be in The Straits Times.

A good example is the recent incident where a lady jumped over the fence to grab the Pope. When that news came out, there were no video clips about the incident. But a tourist managed to capture the incident and the video clip was picked up by CNN and BBC. That is happening in Singapore as well when you look at the photo credits.

Dr Periasamy: It is important to recognise that in social media, people are sharing information and ideas that could be useful to other people for the sheer joy of it. Compensation is not a motivator as they are not expecting anything in return. It has emerged as a convenient avenue for people to fulfil their socialisation needs, one of the top five critical needs of the human race, and has given this need new perspectives and opportunities.

Dr Sethi: That is what makes it difficult to understand for traditional media because everything is changed about this model. The motivations are totally different. You cannot control it because people are driven by passion, or as someone called it they are 'scratching an itch'. It is a 'groundswell' - another popular term - where people rise to take up causes, air grievances, discuss products and services, and voice their opinions in a collective manner.

Dr Periasamy: The traditional media have often been controlled by powerful corporations, governments or political parties and in many cases continue to publish stories favourable to them. The social media including blogs and others have really given an alternative to the consumers and have had a big impact. It is so serious that the credibility of the traditional media is being questioned in some countries and people seem to be placing greater trust in the social media because they think 'it is coming from us, it is news from us'.

Dr Sethi: You can never eliminate any piece of content from the alternative or social media because everything gets posted or referred to in thousands of forums, in direct proportion to the significance of the content. So the more one tries to erase something, the more it shows up in comments and commentaries on the Web.

Dr Periasamy: Among the reasons for the growth of social media is that the middle class is growing, a lot more people are educated and a lot more people know about technology.

When people see something is wrong or lacking, more now feel that they can do something about it through social media, which gives people new ways to express themselves. You are in a position to challenge things. Through social media you can say it the way you like it. People are empowered to collectively challenge the powerful. Now everyone can do something when he or she sees a wrong - they can deploy the social media to try and right the wrong. But, of course, this is a double-edged sword which can also be deployed for wrong things by the unscrupulous.

Dr Sethi: Social media is about connecting people with each other. There was never a platform like it before. The new technologies like blogs, wikis, forums, reviews, user-generated videos - in their current form, they are a lot more pervasive and user-friendly.

Then of course sites like Facebook have given further impetus to people-to-people connectivity. It's the combination of a large number of new technologies which have together created the social media phenomenon as a perfect example of what is called 'combinatorial innovation'.

Dr Periasamy: Added to that is the ability to be able to post content at practically no cost. All you need is a computer, or just a cell phone to do so. And you can do it anytime, anywhere at your convenience.

Dr Joseph: Let us look back to the advent of the email in the 1990s which enhanced connectivity and exchange of information even if it was just to fix a lunch. That was an early form of social media, though limited by the technology available at that time. But once things like handphones got enhanced through technological advances social media's spread speeded up.

The tools are different today as technology has become a great enabler. But the key factor in social media is still content. There must be interesting and useful content to sustain social media. But the content must also be understandable to the user. Initially, users on sites such as Facebook and Friendster were restricted to postings in English, now you can post in most languages from Arabic to Vietnamese.

Dr Goh: Now all the attention of individuals is focused on a handful of social media sites such as Facebook, Wikipedia and Twitter which have become the new focal points of meetings and you participate because the rest of the world is there and you want to be there too to get the attention you seek.

Dr Sethi: Talking about value, social media sites are highly valued. YouTube was sold for US$1.65 billion. Facebook was valued at approximately US$10 billion before the economic crisis, and it is about a two years old company!

So there are economic incentives for people to create these kinds of platforms which were never there for the earlier forms of social media. Now these new platforms are continuing to grow and attract more and more users. Networks of users create value on these sites, but the wealth goes to the platform founders!

Narendra Aggarwal: What does social theory tell us about the immense popularity of social media and can we also examine the impact of the new phenomena from business and economics perspectives?

Dr Goh: As we shift to a people and market-based transmission and distribution of information through social media, I think some form of regulation assumes great importance as the market for social media may not be perfectly efficient. Multiple parties, including governments, are beginning to feel that if you do not regulate market behaviour, herd instincts which lead to less than ideal actions by individuals could result in undesirable social effects.

For example, the posting of President Obama's off-the-record comments on Twitter by ABS News staff led to a relentless spread of the story within the cyberspace. So, in asking for some form of regulation to govern social media, I am not against free speech. For instance, we have the SEC to regulate stock-market activities and prevent acts like insider trading. This may be a weak analogy, but I feel that some form of regulation is needed for social media.

Dr Joseph: Companies are beginning to see the role social technologies can play in the way they interact with others. Accordingly, organisations are putting in place codes of conduct, principles and guidelines on how employees engage in social media. At Intel, for example, staff are advised to be transparent but judicious in their interactions online. At Intel and other organisations, these social media guidelines extend to contractors and any who have access and contribute to their social media.

Narendra Aggarwal: Businesses like the hospitality industry are already beginning to engage and employ social media to spread their messages and thus take advantage of it. What are some of the benefits of doing so?

Dr Periasamy: Social media is another good avenue for businesses to reach out to their targeted consumers because they can see who are the people interested in their products.

For instance, the hospitality industry's marketing and customer service is being reshaped by social media. I cannot think of anyone now buying a hotel room on the Net without consulting TripAdvisor or other similar sites. There is no question that these online customer comments influence choice and decision in the hospitality industry.

Social media is one of the major innovations currently happening in hospitality e-commerce - e.g., dopplr.com, entrip.com, twitter.com. It is forcing the players in the industry like the hotels and the airlines to be more sensitive to their customers and engage them for marketing and quality improvement. If there is a negative review or posting, they cannot ignore it - they have to address it. All the major hotel chains are now into social media and are actively 'twittering'.

Social media is becoming so significant for business that information generated from them have become a critical component of executive information. Tools (e.g. 'Brand Karma' by circos.com) have emerged to help businesses to harness and consolidate relevant executive information from the social media.

Dr Sethi: Whether companies like it or not, customers are already talking about their brands. It is just that they are not talking to institutions but among themselves. What the customers are listening to now are actual experiences and not what companies want them to hear. The bigger the brand, the greater is the threat if the brand fails to deliver. That is because dissatisfied customers are liable to share their frustrations with many more people compared to those who have had a positive experience.

It is thus critical that companies be out there to defend their brand and to provide explanations. Otherwise their brand equity is getting diluted despite having spent so much money in the mainstream media. To shape people's opinion, you have to be where your customers are, in that particular town hall meeting, as that is what social media is all about.

Dr Periasamy: Another impact of social media on business is that if you compare the blogs and some of the social media sites before and now, there is growth of advertisements on these sites. Some of these have now become self-sustaining with good revenue - a viable business venture for the person who started it as a goody good project to share ideas and information and to provide a means for others to participate and contribute.

Dr Sethi: One of the greatest things companies should be aware about social media is transparency and disclosure. There is no room for deception. You cannot afford not to disclose who you are because when you are found out, the damage would be enormous. Your brand equity and integrity would be questioned in the marketplace. Eventually you will be found out because you cannot escape the masses. In social media, there are millions of eyeballs, and as it is said 'given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow'.

A perfect example on the positive side is Wikipedia. If there are errors, somebody will find them, perhaps in 10 minutes or within a day, because it is an ongoing cycle. Disclosure, being upfront and honest is critical in social media as people appreciate honesty in conversations.

Narendra Aggarwal: How should companies craft a social media strategy? And what goals is social media best leveraged for - marketing, influence, learning, knowledge?

Dr Sethi: The first part of the strategy has to be listening to learn what the game is all about and to know what social media is saying about your company, your products, brands and services, and your plans.

So companies have to get engaged with social media and then see how they may want to channelise it in a certain way. Do you want to create other platforms where people who are more supportive of you can talk good things about you? If somebody types your brand name on YouTube, you need to know what video comes up on it. Is it a fair representation? Is it what you want to be known about you? All this affects your brand image and you have to be out there on social media projecting the right image about you.

Moving on, you could be like Dell. If somebody posts something critical when his computer breaks down, you could be there to offer him an alternative, thereby turning criticism into an opportunity to promote your products.

Dr Joseph: We are beginning to see organisations hiring managers to monitor and manage the social media. For instance, IDA put out an ad for a senior manager whose role is to develop, monitor and manage opportunities for local businesses in the social media space. Similarly, other organisations like marketing and public relations agencies now have social media executives to help clients devise strategies for the social media.

In the social media space, most of the tweets or posts are spontaneous or knee-jerk responses, but organisations cannot respond in this manner. Organisations have to respond in a considered and measured way, taking into account branding, objectives and market strategies to use social media to promote their business.

Dr Sethi: You must have top management support. In fact in most of the successful cases senior management has taken the lead to go out and respond on social media. In Dell's case it was Michael Dell himself who told the marketing manager to respond to a particular criticism - there is a celebrated case study on this.

Dr Periasamy: Social media is not just transforming business, society and politics today but it will also be the competitive arena, if not the battle field, in the future. The winners will be those who exploit the social media and act. The losers will be the victims of this technological tsunami in progress.

Face up to people power

2010-01-10T03:48:00.001-08:00

7 Days 10 Jan 10;

The social networking site is being used for a host of causes. But are the campaigns making any difference?

Your boss probably snarls every time they catch you on it, while certain colleagues appear to fill every single hour of their working day on it.

But 350 million people can’t be wrong, and social networking site Facebook could well be of some serious value in the modern age.

The average user spends 55 minutes on the site a day. Could that actually be time well spent?

Well, several recent incidents highlight just how important the phenomenon of social networking on the web really could be in the 21st century.

The social networking site hit the headlines again this week after Pears Traditional Soap, the world’s oldest brand, abandoned a new recipe on the back of an online campaign.

Unhappy users claimed that new ingredients had seen the soap ‘change considerably’. One ‘Bring Back The Original Pears Soap’ campaign later, and it appears as if the manufacturers have bowed to people pressure.

Similarly, an incredible one million music fans mobilised through the web site and set up a campaign which helped American rock band Rage Against the Machine to the UK Christmas No.1 spot over X-Factor singer Joe McElderry.

A new campaign recently launched already has a staggering 130,000 fans of the cult British comedy ‘Gavin and Stacey’ onboard, with the hope and belief that people power in the modern age can force unwilling writers to perform a U-turn and script a new series.

Paddy Smith, technology journalist, believes the concept has helped individuals shape global communication campaigns.

“As a campaigning tool, sites like Facebook are pretty oversaturated, but the fact that some chap in Essex can sit in his bedroom and out-market Simon Cowell to the Christmas number one is testament to its potential,” he says.

“Cowell had a weekly prime-time TV show, billboards in major towns across the UK and more column inches than you can shake a microphone at. “Jon Morter, the 35-year-old who started the Rage Against the Machine campaign, had a PC and a Facebook account.

“It’s handed the power of global mass communication to the individual, and that can be used for anything from inviting a few select friends to dinner to mounting an international campaign on a serious issue.

Facebook’s what you make of it - powerful marketing tool, pointless timesink or perilous identity theft trap.”

Of course the phenomenon is nothing new to the UAE.

HH Sheikh Mohammed, Ruler of Dubai, has his own page and over 118,00 followers. The vice-president of the UAE last year
conducted a Q&A session with journalists and talked about a range of issues including democracy and labour rights.

Elsewhere, more than 26,000 people have signed up in a bid to free the controversial whale shark from the Aquarium housed in Dubai hotel The Atlantis.

Facebook, first launched in 2007, is now also seen as hugely influential by brands in the world of marketing and advertising.
American clothes shop The Gap ditched TV advertising altogether for their recent ‘Born To Fit’ campaign, instead running with a Facebook-based campaign.

Over half a million users have signed up for the page which is aimed at giving the brand ‘credibility’.

But the credibility of a a new ‘bra colour’ status update, recently launched to help raise awareness of breast cancer, has come under fire. Critics have accused campaigners of ‘slactivism’, as any change in status does not help fight the problem or educate.

Similarly, three million have signed up to ‘Stop Global Warming’.

But with just over $38,500 raised on the page, perhaps it’s not quite as easy to part with cash as it is to simply sign up for a campaign.

Good cause or not, a 55-minute stint is still likely to get you into trouble with the boss.

Paddy explains: “Of course, it’s open to abuse, and that’s why a lot of offices block the site.

You don’t want your staff spending all day playing games on Facebook. On the other hand, you probably do want them leveraging the power of social media to generate new business. It’s a tricky call.”

But whether you’re logging in for a good cause or not, individuals must take care.

“As for privacy concerns, those are real and potentially dangerous.” Paddy warns. “My advice is never to put anything on Facebook or any other social network site that you wouldn’t happily give to someone in the street. It’s the users who post their private information.”

Health Minister's blog gets high praise, but other ministries not yet ready to follow suit

2009-12-17T16:54:00.000-08:00

Netizens say bring it on
Leong Wee Keat Today Online 18 Dec 09;

SINGAPORE - His initial worry about blogging and replying to Facebook posts was that it would take too much time. Three months after venturing online to talk policy, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan's concerns have diminished.

"Typically, I spend less than 20 minutes per day," he said, adding he was "pleasantly surprised by the experience".

"I'm discovering its many uses, helping me in my work, in reaching out to Singaporeans in a direct and personal manner," said Mr Khaw in an email interview with MediaCorp.

The online platform has become an informal channel for him and the Ministry of Health (MOH) to convey his thoughts and discuss the MOH's priorities next year. "I can share ideas which are on my mind, even before they become policies," said Mr Khaw.

The MOH blog casts the spotlight on the Government's cyberspace journey and what may lie ahead. While new media has been used previously, for purposes such as party recruitment or personal sharing with the electorate, this latest new media push has centred on healthcare issues and policies.

But despite the positive experience - and the 1,530 MOH Facebook users so far - it looks like Mr Khaw and MOH could remain the lone ministry voices in the blogosphere in the near future.

Ministries don't rule out blog option

A MediaCorp check with six Government ministries found the majority have little intention to follow in MOH's footsteps just yet.

The Education Ministry, for example, "has no plans to start a corporate blog". "We are exploring various online platforms to engage the public," added a spokesperson.

The National Development Ministry, which is "reviewing" its online outreach and engagement efforts, also does "not have plans to blog currently". But a spokesman added: "We do not rule out the possibility of doing so in future."

With most ministries keeping their plans close to the chest - and their options open - the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts did say blogs are "suitable for communicating certain Government policies" to a new, media-savvy population.

"Nonetheless, we would still use mainstream media as the main platform for communicating Government policies and national issues due to their wider reach," said a spokesperson.

Media and internet policy researcher Tan Tarn How, of the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), offered some reasons why Government agencies would be reluctant to venture online.

These include the fear of losing control of the conversation, the unfamiliarity of not talking down to citizens, an unwillingness to admit to mistakes when they happen, a reluctance of being scrutinised publicly and an unwillingness to be open with views and information.

When contacted, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan said "the use of new media is to be encouraged", but he is also "mindful of its limits".

"Policy formulation requires access to information, time for deep analysis and rational dialogue based on trust and goodwill amongst diverse stakeholders," he told MediaCorp.

'Honest, open, fast with information'

Citizens and media analysts rate Mr Khaw's blog and MOH's Facebook page highly - not just for his "honest", "open" and "conversational" style, but also the information disseminated.

Earlier this month, a general practitioner posted on the Facebook page asking for more information about H1N1 vaccine for children, after the Ministry had posted a press release on the page.

Instead of receiving the information via the usual circular "one to two days later", the doctor received a response on Facebook "within hours".

At times, retiree Raymond Lo - who provided feedback on elderly dental policies - feels there is room for improvement. "The replies are standardised and just to pacify you," said the 70-year-old. "Whether they'll think about it is another question."

But National University of Singapore communications and new media lecturer Gui Kai Chong feels blogging could show "how policy-making is a complex process involving dilemmas, balancing acts, and difficult choices" - hence, an effective way to get the public's understanding.

The more communication, the better

When it comes to news announcements, for example H1N1 vaccination for babies, Mr Khaw feels it "works better" when an appropriate blog elaborates on the thinking and the concerns behind the formal press statement.

"Of course, a press conference can do the same, but I cannot be giving press interviews several times a week ... but I can blog every other day, or even daily," he said.

"Health is such a complex subject and affects everyone and is of great interest to all" that he advocates more, not less, communication - be it through mainstream or new media.

Netizens whom MediaCorp spoke to suggested that the Finance and Environment Ministries, as well as statutory boards such as the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, could also start online engagement channels.

But Mr Gui warned that new media may not work well for every Minister or Ministry. "This practice (blogging) may not be suitable for all the Ministers, perhaps because of the sensitive or strategic nature of their portfolio, their personal image and style, or other factors," he added.

But as social media continues to be more widely used, IPS' Mr Tan said these tools will become "as important as, or more important than traditional means of communication". "Furthermore, in a crisis, these tools may become invaluable," he added.

More government bodies listen to views online

2009-11-03T16:11:00.000-08:00

The aim is to start taking public sentiment into account in policy-making
Alicia Wong, Today Online 4 Nov 09;

IN A move that seems to give more attention to online voices, some government bodies are experimenting with what has become a growing practice among private companies - monitoring online chatter and applying appropriate feedback to policy-making.

From as early as June, ministries and agencies have been seeking social media intelligence services, as tenders on the official e-procurement portal, Gebiz, show.

The latest are the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and Ministry of Manpower (MOM), which put up tenders for a three-month trial to monitor online sentiment in various areas related to their ministries last month.

Their requirements included round-the-clock social media analysts to evaluate online sentiment, as well as daily, weekly and monthly reports of their branding, reputational health and trends.

Such efforts go to strengthen its strategic planning and "complement existing environment scanning methodologies", said MOM, which wanted surveillance on at least 100 social media sites.

According to the tender documents, MOM's objectives are to "monitor public sentiments and conversations relating to MOM", "improve and enhance the MOM brand equity by having a better insight of the social media" and "ensure timely rectification of misperceptions of MOM".

Most of the government bodies had similar objectives, but some agencies, like the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, were just focused on a particular project.

In this case, it was the Next Generation National Broadband Network.

The three-month trial started in September.

In June, as part of its "e-engagement efforts", the CPF Board also called for a tender to monitor online views of its financial planning website IM$avvy and other CPF schemes. The winning bidder would have to come up with appropriate campaigns to improve perceptions of IM$avvy and engage and educate top influencers and commentators for certain sites.

REACHING OUT

Since it appears the public sector is paying more attention to netizens' views, and has the capability to monitor what is said online, could - or should - the next step be to engage with netizens outside of Government e-engagement portal, Reach, or online sites of mainstream media?

Communications and New Media department lecturer from the National University of Singapore Gui Kai Chong said listening to online chatter would enable the Government to "gather useful information about sentiments on the ground" that could result in more "well-formulated policies that truly address people's concerns".

However, engaging on various online platforms could be "counter-productive" if it were to raise people's expectations "excessively" when it comes to the Government's e-engagement initiatives.

As pointed out by Ms Tania Chew, the head of 360 Digital Influence Consulting at Ogilvy Public Relations, whether it is a private organisation or government agency, "simply starting something on Facebook or Twitter without a proper plan is meaningless and will not have long-term results".

"Social media is not just a channel to push a message," she added. Instead, it is about "real people" and a "free flow exchange of ideas online".

So, rather than engaging across various websites, what the Government perhaps should look at, is showing that it does take into account online comments.

Mr Gui said more Singaporeans would "hope to see signs that the Government actually listened to their ideas online and acknowledge those contributions explicitly". He also suggested engaging netizens in "face-to-face" for "more tangible" interactions.

ONLINE ACTIVITY

Other ministries MediaCorp spoke to, such as the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts, said they had an in-house team to track feedback from mainstream and online media.

The Ministry of Education, which also does online monitoring in-house, is "looking at various online monitoring services available in the market".

The Ministry of Health (MOH), which has grown increasingly active online with its "Health Minister Says" MOH Blog, Facebook page, Twitter account and YouTube channel, has a new media unit to study online comments and discussion forums. Response to its outreach is "encouraging", said a spokesperson.

Blogathon nets funds for Malaysian turtle sanctuary

2009-10-28T18:09:00.000-07:00

New Straits Times 29 Oct 09;

KUALA TERENGGANU: They may have had a pot of coffee ready but it was adrenaline that kept conservationists Prof Chan Eng Heng, Pelf Chen Nyok and Chang Kew Fong blogging around the clock.

It paid off well as they raised RM4,500 for the newly-established Turtle Conservation Centre (TCC) in Setiu.

The blogathon was part of efforts to raise funds for the RM2.5 million complex aimed at conserving the species and to provide a site for research and outreach programmes.

TCC also aims to restore the depleted wild population of fresh water, terrestrial and marine turtles in the country, especially in the northern part of the state.

The blogathon, which started at 9pm on Sunday, recorded 700 hits.

"More importantly, we managed to generate interest among the public about turtles. We even had kids as young as 9-years-old participating," Chan, who is also TCC's co-founder, told the New Straits Times.

Chan said Max Gen Sdn Bhd, a vacation incentive service provider sponsored a four-night stay for two at a hotel in either Bali, Indonesia or Pattaya or Phuket in Thailand as well as a two-night stay for two at a hotel in either Langkawi, Genting Highlands, Pulau Perhentian, Penang, Port Dickson or Kuantan.

The winners will be announced today on the www.turtleconservationcentre.org

Related articles
Blogging to help save sea turtles in Malaysia New Straits Times Asia One 20 Oct 09 on wildsingapore news.

Wherever the Web is heading, it's going there fast

2009-10-25T17:19:00.000-07:00

James Skinner, Senior Advisor, MobJet.com
Business Times 26 Oct 09;

The most important trend in Web 2.5 is 'externalization'. It is no longer about driving traffic to your site, it is about driving traffic to your message and having your message in many places!

Web 2.0 is so old school!

Web 1.0 is the world of home pages and information. Most companies are still there. They have a company page that has information on the company and its products. Just because you use the Internet in 2009, does not mean you are in the Web 2.0 world. The biggest impact of Web 1.0 was to allow information on various computers around the world to be shared and indexed in a common format - usually HTML.

Web 2.0 moved us from information online to applications online. Google indexes information from pages all over the Web, YouTube, YouPublish, Scribd and others allow users to post their own content, and in the case of YouPublish to even sell it. Match and other dating sites let you search for other singles that meet your specifications, and often charge you for the privilege. E-bay and Yahoo run online auctions. Twitter and MobJet give you microblogs that can be used from your phone. And so on.

In other words there is something to do, not just something to see.

Web 2.5 is a universe filled with Web applications that are built using tools already on the Web. For example, your site may have a Twitter feed, embedded YouTube videos, paid content for sale from YouPublish, search within the site done using Google, a frame of your Facebook page ... In fact the whole page might consist only of content from other pages. In turn many elements of your page may be consumed outside your page. Content and location are now completely disconnected on the Web.

No control of the conversation

Part of what this means for companies is you no longer control the conversation about your company, products, and services. The content (information about your company) is divorced from the location (your company's page). This was true in Web 1.0 as user-generated pages allowed customers to share information, but it is even more true today. Conversations about your products are taking place on YouTube, Facebook, Blogspot, and any other number of places. A YouTube video that shows your product in an unfavourable light could be embedded in thousands of different forums and blogs. The best you can hope for is to be involved in the discussion as an active and interesting participant. Business based on customer control and customer ignorance is dead.

Giving it away

Let me put it another way. The most important trend in Web 2.5 is 'externalization'. This means linking your website in meaningful ways to the rest of the Web world. It is no longer about driving traffic to your site, it is about driving traffic to your message and having your message in many places! Make sure your site includes interesting and useful content that can be embedded elsewhere. Have a Facebook, Twitter, MobJet, BlogSpot, and MySpace account and use them. Put your content on YouTube, YouPublish, Scribd, and anywhere else you can think of. Participate actively and genuinely in customer and user forums. Make sure all the information on your site, including the content of user manuals and brochures, can be indexed by Google and other search engines.

The next step is to make sure that anything that can be done offline can be done online. For example, Toyota lets you build your own Toyota online in the same way Dell lets you build a computer. You don't have to go to the dealership anymore.

But take it a step further. Build an API (application programming interface) so that everything that can be done on your site can be done on any other site on the Web. Let people build sites that let other people build their own Toyotas! These new sites can add tremendous value, such as telling you what the coolest colour is for a Camry, and offering add-ons to pimp your ride. They also keep you relevant and in the consumer eye. Create affiliate programs that encourage people to do this and pay commissions. Let users access your estimated shipping time to build sites that show users which vendor can ship a part the fastest. Give users access to pricing information to build web sites showing the best price on the web for something.

As a rule, the less the conversation takes place on your corporate page, the more successful your web strategy is. If your web strategy depends on people coming to your page, you are already a dinosaur. Who wants to read a corporate brochure when you can be watching videos on YouTube!?

This is all counter-intuitive to white-shirt corporate types, who think the world lives in their briefcase. The world lives where your customer is. The Internet is just reminding us of this in new and more powerful ways.

How to change the world

2009-10-23T16:20:00.000-07:00

Neo Chai Chin, Today Online 24 Oct 09;

Technology is changing the way individuals and companies give to social causes, and it is changing the way social enterprises reach out to beneficiaries and donors.

By holding a "run" on three-dimensional virtual world Second Life to mirror its real-life event, the Relay For Life, the American Cancer Society raised over US$270,000 ($376,000) this year. Various support groups in the United States also utilise Second Life to counsel members.

And on social giving platform ammado.com, companies are giving their employees virtual gift vouchers to donate to charities of their choice.

These were cited at an inaugural social innovation conference on Friday at the Singapore Management University, organised by the Lien Centre for Social Innovation.

Social iCon 2009 was the setting for more than 30 of the world's most impactful social entrepreneurs, including Tony Meloto, whose non-governmental organisation Gawad Kalinga builds sustainable communities for a slum-free Philippines, and Aussie David Bussau of Opportunity International, which helps train budding entrepreneurs and provides microfinance loans.

The participants also highlighted the issue of social financing, with experts calling for the business and social sector to engage in a two-way dialogue. Even in the wake of the economic crisis triggered by the collapse of financial institutions, stakeholders should not create a "false dichotomy of 'business bad, social good'", said Mr Rob John, co-founder of the Asia Venture Philanthropy Network.

There are business principles that social entrepreneurs would do well to adopt - and values like integrity that the latter can impart, he said.

What the social sector could do with is more venture philanthropists willing to sink their money into worthy enterprises.

Professor Mic Billet, chairman of non-profit organisation Apopo, told MediaCorp he would like to engage banks and government officials in Singapore to contribute to his cause of eliminating landmines - by training rats to detect them.

Such a move would be sound investment in the long term, in the form of economic development in a "safe world" free of the explosive devices, he said. NEO CHAI CHIN

Newspaper readership holds firm in Singapore

2009-10-22T17:23:00.001-07:00

Survey also finds use of Internet on the rise among adults
Felda Chay, Business Times 23 Oct 09;

NEWSPAPERS and other print media may be in decline in the West, but they continue to do well in Singapore, according to the 2009 Nielsen Media Index survey.

The study, conducted from July last year to June this year, surveyed 4,687 adults aged 15 and over. It found that print readership held firm from last year, with 75.3 per cent of respondents having read a newspaper the previous day - the same as in the 2008 survey.

Overall daily readership of English newspapers, excluding the bilingual My Paper, was about 49 per cent - similar to last year. Similarly, readership of the three Chinese papers remained stable: 29.4 per cent of those surveyed said they read at least one Chinese daily, versus 30.1 per cent a year back.

The Straits Times remained the leading newspaper, with daily readership of 37.7 per cent, slightly down from 39 per cent last year. Readership of The Business Times remained the same year on year at 2.9 per cent. Professionals, managers, executives and businessmen accounted for about 80 per cent of BT's readership.

The New Paper gained readers, upping its share to 13.8 per cent, from 13 per cent in the previous survey.

Free newspapers did not do badly. Readership of My Paper jumped 2.6 percentage points from last year to 8.4 per cent. And readership of Today rose to 18.4 per cent, from 16.8 per cent.

'More people who are reading paid papers are reading free papers as well,' said Rebecca Tan, executive director of Nielsen Media Research. 'The free papers have also attracted other English paper readers, especially My Paper, which was launched with the aim of giving English readers more exposure to the Chinese language.'

Television held its own, with 78.2 per cent of adults tuning in TV daily, versus last year's 78 per cent.

The survey also found that Internet use has increased, with 59 per cent of adults going on line, up three percentage points from the previous survey.

The Straits Times maintains its lead
Nielsen survey also shows its online site increasing its reach
Chua Hian Hou, Straits Times 23 Oct 09;

IN A year when many newspapers around the world lost readership to the Internet, Singapore's most widely read paper, The Straits Times, held on to its 1.4 million readers.

The number was unchanged from last year's, an annual media survey has shown.

The Nielsen Media Index, regarded as the most authoritative here, released its report yesterday confirming this paper's dominant position in Singapore.

And it was not just in print that the 164-year-old broadsheet made its mark.

Its recently relaunched online site, www.straitstimes.com, recorded the largest leap in eyeballs of all newspaper sites, increasing its reach from 3 per cent of total readership to 4.3 per cent, a 43 per cent increase.

Straits Times editor Han Fook Kwang attributed the strong showing to the newspaper's focus on quality journalism.

'It's heartening to know that The Straits Times held on to its readership in a year when many newspapers around the world lost readership to the Internet and to free papers, he said.

'It shows that readers are prepared to pay for newspapers provided we deliver quality content relevant to their lives. That's what we have to continue to do to remain the dominant paper.'

The newspaper has undergone several makeovers over the years to meet changing readership needs, including a major re-design and revamp last year.

Its 22-strong pool of full-time regional correspondents is the biggest such network in the region.

Its Sunday edition, The Sunday Times, also maintained its readership at 1.4 million.

Other products by The Straits Times' publisher, mainboard-listed Singapore Press Holdings, also did well, according to the survey, which polled 4,687 adults over a one-year period ending June.

Bilingual news freesheet My Paper, which recently broke the story of pageant winner Ris Low's brush with the law, was the star performer in achieving the biggest increase in readership reach of all local papers - growing its share of readers here from 5.8 per cent to 8.4 per cent.

Readership of vernacular newspapers like Lianhe Zaobao, Berita Harian and Tamil Murasu remained largely stable.

MediaCorp's freesheet Today was read by 18.4per cent of Singaporeans.

Unlike audiences overseas, 'there are only a few locally-based sources that cover the news thoroughly,' said assistant professor Mark Cenite, of the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at the Nanyang Technological University.

'So those local sources are able to hold on to their market share even in economically turbulent times - the alternative for the audience is not knowing what's happening.

'However, if the mainstream sources get more competition, particularly free or cheaper competition that is trustworthy, audiences may choose those alternatives.'

Innovations see ST sites forging ahead
Straits Times 23 Oct 09;

AN AUGUST revamp of The Straits Times' online offerings, with more breaking news, blogs and multimedia content, helped it score more readers.

The site's Breaking News section is now the site's most popular section, and readers also flock to the blogs by the paper's journalists, which cover topics as diverse as Bangkok street protests and a blow-by-blow account of a charged meeting at which the ousted committee of a local women's group retook the reins.

The multimedia content by RazorTV was also a hit, with more than one million visitors every month checking out videos like the infamous 'Boomz' interview video of ex-beauty pageant winner Ris Low.

Other innovations include a free iPhone program introduced in January to allow users to catch RazorTV videos. In June, the team worked with Nokia to pre-install a custom-made program onto the phone giant's N97 mobile phone to allow users to read news from the site, and it launched a Twitter feed in May.

Said straitstimes.com editor Joanne Lee: 'The focus has been on building the newspaper's Web presence by reaching out to online readers.

'We aren't just waiting for readers to visit ST.com but we're pushing out content on social networks and mobile applications to connect with readers in whatever medium they feel comfortable.'

CNA remains favourite channel for professionals & managers: survey
Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia 22 Oct 09;

SINGAPORE: From issues affecting Singaporeans at home to latest developments in the region, Channel NewsAsia - which turned 10 this year - brings the Asian perspective to viewers.

And this has made it the television news outlet of choice among professionals and managers in Singapore, reaching two in five of them.

The latest Nielsen survey showed that 42 per cent of that segment watches the channel regularly. Among the general population, the channel retained a steady 20 per cent viewership.

Other MediaCorp channels remain popular, with about 80 per cent tuning in everyday. In particular, Chinese-language channels - 8 and U - being the most popular.

The broadcaster said that it boils down to having a good mix of quality local and overseas programmes.

"We don't want to give them a good reason to say, I need to still subscribe to other channels, because terrestrial TV alone can give them the stuff they need, and we can satisfy their viewing needs," said Chang Long Jong, deputy CEO, Television, MediaCorp.

Despite the growing popularity of the Internet, Nielsen said this does not come at the expense of traditional media in the short term. And that is because presently, most people go online to check emails or surf the web.

"But in the long term, as the young become more Internet-savvy, we foresee that the trend will change. There will be a gradual shift to the young going after information and entertainment via the Internet," said Rebecca Tan, executive director, Media Group, The Nielsen Company, Singapore.

Riding on a global trend, free papers like MediaCorp's TODAY continue to attract those looking for complementary sources of information to paid broadsheets.

TODAY's daily reach rose 1.6 points from last year to hit 18 per cent, with more people aged 25 and above reading the free newspaper by MediaCorp.

Also, radio remains ever popular - with over 9 in 10 tuning in on a weekly basis.

- CNA/sc

Singaporeans more wired than ever
Nielsen survey shows an increase in online messaging
Today Online 24 Oct 09;

SINGAPORE - Not only are more Singaporean adults - three in five - now plugged into cyberspace, the proportion hooking up with social networking sites has doubled, from 12 per cent to 23 per cent of the population.

While email and general surfing remain the top two activities online, the Nielsen Media Index reported, more are using Internet messaging to keep in touch.

"We are seeing at least one in four adults in Singapore using (Internet messaging) on a monthly basis," said Ms Rebecca Tan, executive director for Media Group, The Nielsen Company Singapore.

With faster broadband speeds and connection, more people across all age groups are also watching videos, movies and television programmes (31 per cent, a 6 percentage-point increase), as well as accessing news/current affairs (24 per cent, a 5 percentage-point increase), on the Internet on average every month.

The Nielsen survey involved 4,687 respondents here above the age of 15. Broken down by age group, however, what proved popular online activities varied markedly between generations.

The more Web-savvy Generation Y, those 15 to 29 years old, go online for a broader spectrum of purposes, especially entertainment and social networking. Generation X (aged 30 to 44) log on more for news and information, but a sizeable chunk also go online for entertainment and social networking.

Internet use is generally lower among practical Baby Boomers (aged 45 to 59) but "financial institutions would be interested to know that ... financial services ranked fifth as the most popular Internet feature used by Baby Boomers, and that Generation X and the Baby Boomers are more likely to conduct financial services online compared to Generation Y", said Ms Tan.

High-Speed 'Other' Internet Goes Global

2009-10-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

Robert Roy Britt, livescience.com 16 Oct 09;

A super high-speed global Internet devoted solely to science and education has just expanded to include half the countries of the world, and yes, you at home can be jealous.

The Taj network, funded by the National Science Foundation, now connects India, Singapore, Vietnam and Egypt to the larger Global Ring Network for Advanced Application Development (GLORIAD) global infrastructure, and "dramatically improves existing U.S. network links with China and the Nordic region," according to an NSF statement.

The combined GLORIAD-Taj fiber-optic network is aimed at helping scientists collaborate, and to improve education in schools and universities. The network offers large-bandwidth connections for scientists and educators who seek to avoid the often bogged-down Internet the rest of us are stuck with.

Your child may have used the setup at school, but there are no plans to make it available for home use.

"Scientists deal with lots and lots of high-intensity data, and this dedicated other system enables transfer of huge amounts of data quickly and efficiently," explained NSF spokesperson Lisa-Joy Zgorski. She added, however, that it's not an elitist network.

"This is not aimed to only connect the scientific elite, but to bring science to the world through schools and universities," Zgorski told LiveScience.

GLORIAD started as a 1997 NSF-funded project that created MIRNET, connecting scientists in the United States and Russia. In 2004, it was expanded to China, Korea, Canada and five Nordic countries. The cyber-network now reaches half the countries on the planet and 10 million IP addresses for an estimated 30 million or more users. A new exchange point in Alexandria, Egypt, allows ties throughout the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia and the Caucasus regions.

Among other uses, the network is employed to remotely operate telescopes and microscopes. It's particularly useful for data-intensive visualizations. Researchers can carve out portions of the network for specific, uninterrupted long-distance collaborations that might include a lot of video conferencing and other intensive data exchange.

"Science is increasingly data-driven and collaborative, and does not respect national borders," said Ed Seidel, acting assistant director of NSF's Math and the Physical Sciences Directorate. "High-speed optical networks are critical to both national and international scientific efforts."

Some data for geeks: The upgrade beefed up U.S.-China network service by a factor of 4, from 2.5 Gbps to 10 Gbps.

GLORIAD's Taj Network is not the same as "Internet 2," a domestic project aimed at connecting U.S. scientists with one another.

iPod in sync with schools

2009-09-30T17:12:00.001-07:00

Applications include teaching maths, making music and taking students' attendance
Amelia Tan, Straits Times 1 Oct 09;

PRIMARY 1 pupils at CHIJ Kellock used to lug boxes of marbles and ice cream sticks to school to help measure objects during mathematics classes. But now, all they have to do is 'touch' to learn.

The school in Telok Blangah started using Apple's iPod touch portable media player earlier this year to teach units of measurement. Applications on the touch-screen device help the girls measure objects, such as leaves, window panes and table tops, around their school and during field trips.

Alexandrea Tan, seven, said: 'We get to use the iPod touch during trips outside of school. This is more fun than normal lessons in classroom where we just sit down. I hope we will use it in English lessons too.'

Teacher Adela Chua said: 'Laptops are too heavy for seven-year-olds to carry around, but an iPod touch fits in their hands. We can easily use it in excursions. This will make lessons more fun.'

The iPod touch has also been gaining popularity with other schools as a replacement for textbooks and worksheets and even as a tool for teachers to take the attendance of students.

A check with three education technology services providers showed that more principals and teachers have been approaching them to find out how they can use the device in their schools.

Elchemi Education is working with teachers at five primary and secondary schools, such as Yishun Primary and Nan Chiau Primary in Sengkang, on ways to use the iPod touch in teaching various subjects and during school excursions.

It is also running programmes for 10 secondary schools, including Catholic High School, Maris Stella High School and Bukit Panjang Government High School, to teach students how to develop their own iPod touch applications. The company will run similar programmes for 10 other schools next year.

Another company, Zimerick, has implemented a programme using the device's wireless connectivity to record the attendance of students at three secondary schools, including Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road). It has received enquiries about the programme from about 20 other schools.

MusicTEC started an enrichment programme earlier in the year at Bukit Panjang Government High School, teaching students to make music using digital instruments on the iPod touch. It is in talks with eight other schools to introduce the programme next year.

Principals and teachers say they like the iPod touch as it takes mobile learning to a whole new level, and because their students already know how to use it.

Schools can pay for the device by applying for a three-year infocomm technology (ICT) grant from the Ministry of Education. The value depends on the number of students a school has. Other funds to support innovative ideas in schools are also available at the cluster, zonal and ministry levels.

Ms Karen New, chief executive of content producer for mobile platforms Omnitoons, said in order to engage students, both schools and companies have developed educational content in forms they are familiar with.

Her company has launched a digital comic book version of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream that can be downloaded on products such as the iPhone and iPod touch. It will introduce five other e-book titles in the next three months.

'Not many teenagers will want to read a thick Shakespeare book that does not have pictures and is heavy to carry around. But they will be interested if the book has pictures and sound and can be read on their iPod touch,' said Ms New.

How to get your blog listed here

2009-08-30T20:39:00.000-07:00

We hope to feature here posts that raise awareness about

Singapore's nature and/or
Environmental issues in Singapore

How does the listing work?
When your blog is accepted for listing, it will be added to the standard "Blog List" widget on Blogger. This will automatically extract your latest post and display it on this blog.

What kinds of blogs are accepted for listing?

Only blogs. And only blogs which can be picked up by the Blogger widget. Which means you must NOT deactivate your feeds.

Only blogs that focus mainly on nature or environmental issues in Singapore. We suggest you don't submit a mostly personal blog which only occasionally mentions nature and the environment. Why not start a separate blog for such posts?

Why are there two lists of blogs?
For fair viewing of as many blogs as possible, there are two lists.

"Latest posts" are for blogs that are very regularly updated, e.g., updated daily.
"More latest posts" are for blogs that are less regularly updated.

In this way, those with blogs which are less regularly updated are not overwhelmed by more regularly updated blog.

I have an upcoming nature event, can I list it on this blog? That is not the purpose of this blog. If your blog is listed on this blog, you can blog about the event. You might also consider submitting your event to the wildsingapore happenings blog for listing there. More details here.

I would like to contribute ideas and experiences about blogging.
Wonderful! We would be glad to hear from you! Do feel free to leave a comment on the appropriate topic on this blog. Or email Ria at hello@wildsingapore.com

I have MORE questions and can't find the answer here. Do email Ria at hello@wildsingapore.com