Get your weekly news fix here! (12/07/10)
Monday 12 July 2010
TAGS: Social media | Social networks | Twitter
Yahoo! plans news service based on searches and trending topics
Yahoo! plans to launch a new type of news service based on search queries and Twitter’s trending topics.
The service, to be called “The Upshot”, will comprise of content written by a dedicated editorial team and will be derived from analysis of search data from across the Yahoo! network i.e. trending terms or phrases.
Trending terms are defined as terms being actively searched for and/or spoken about in high numbers at that particular moment. Yahoo!’s main purpose in completing this activity is to increase the relevance of the news stories promoted upon its home page and match these articles to its consumer interests and needs in a rapid, natural way. The addition of this service also allows Yahoo! to tap into and respond to news trends more rapidly.
Yahoo! hopes to attract new users through the provision of this targeted news service and although it doesn’t comprise the complete package for the company’s new media strategy, according to the VP James A. Pitaro, the introduction of “The Upshot” is “a big component”.
Survey reveals the internet is a positive force
A Pew Research Centre and Elon University study has revealed 85% of Internet experts agree the Internet is a great way to build and cement social ties.
The research found the Internet’s positive aspects, such as social networking and its ability to enhance and extend real-life relationships, overwhelmingly outweigh its negatives.
Industry bodies feel this should be a wakeup call for 84%* of UK business that don’t have a Facebook or Twitter account, therefore missing out on the benefits of social networking.
(*Study by Insurantz.com found only 16% of UK businesses had Facebook or Twitter accounts.)
Home internet access is now a necessity, not a luxury
New research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, a social research charity, has revealed all UK working-age households believe a home computer with Internet access is now a necessity.
Two year’s ago, home Internet was only viewed as essential for households with school-age children.
The report shows a change in attitude towards the Internet, from one that viewed it as a requirement for work and study, to one that believes it is part-and-parcel of full involvement in society.
In Finland for example, having access to the Internet is now a legal right. If this survey is to be believed, the UK could be going the same way.
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