Why Spoof Twitter?

So the question remains... Why spoof twitter profiles? Why create twenty-three versions of me?I gained a lot of insight into this issue from Gilad Lotan's recent article "Mining Twitter gold, at five bucks a pop."Buy followers_1Buy followers_2Buy followers_3 So for five bucks, I could buy 5,000 twitter followers... profiles like mine, that have been spoofed.So now you have 5,000 more twitter followers. Congrats. Where does that get you? It doesn't get you more engagement. Maybe it gets you more people following you but ...and I'm going to shout this ...MORE FOLLOWERS =/= MORE TWITTER SUCCESS.You cannot buy success on social media. Really you can't. If you try, you may find a bump for a short time but in the long term, you will not see an increase in sales or hits or any other TRUE measure of success.Don't measure your ROI by followers, fans, or likes. Measure your ROI by engagement and conversation. And... by not buying followers, you prevent identities from being stolen!

Twitter Spoofing

Recently, I had an interesting situation. A friend emailed me to tell me that someone was tweeting under a very similar username to mine, and mentioning my friends in the tweet. She had sent my usual "Shabbat Shalom" tweet on a Wednesday and @'ed my friends.Odd.I looked her up.Turns out, she had used my header image, my username, and every few hours... tweeted my tweets.I felt violated.My dog's face was all over twitter... being used randomly by a stranger. It seemed like she was responding to my friends. How do I make this stop?So I googled. And I found that this is a technique for creating many, many twitter accounts to sell to people to boost their follower count. Turns out, for five bucks you too can have 5000 twitter followers... but does that really help anything? I will address that in a second blog. For now, here is the rest of my story.Twitter Fakes_1I started to get curious. If there was a thdprc ... what else was out there? Turns out, as I marched down the keyboard I found - thdprl, thdprq, thdpre, thdpry, thdprj, and thdprd. I found seven that day. The next morning, I opened my computer and went to take a look. I was curious. Were there any more? Bam - thdprz, thdprw, thdprt, thdpru, thdpri, thdprx, and thdprm. Seven more. Fourteen fake profiles, in total. Why were they doing this to me? My Twitter account is fairly innocuous. I update it fairly regularly. I say Shabbat Shalom to my friends. I post pictures of my dog. I link to my blog and retweet interesting articles. Sometimes, I even live tweet conferences.I was shocked. But it fired me up. I was going to find out everything I could. They shared links to my blogs so I saw IP addresses and links to pages that gave me names. I am fairly certain, based on the things that I found, that it is a person based in China.The next day, I had a thought... Since it appears they mashed me up with another person, how could she find out this was going on? It wasn't her username or tweets that were used. So I searched for my actual name on twitter, exactly how I wrote it on twitter... I found nine more profiles. This time, instead of my username, they used my profile picture, my real name, and my bio. Again I reported them -  talzirp, talzirc, talzirt, talzirh, talzird, talzirf, litastarsp, muttnheadc, and taliasimonrant.Twitter Fakes_2 Again, they took someone's username and changed it by one letter. I sent out a flurry of tweets. "You are being spoofed!" "Look here and report it to Twitter!" Some people actually thought my tweets were spam. The person who I was mashed with was very receptive and she started reporting them too. While all of this was going on, I started getting emails from Twitter."Hello, This is an auto-response to let you know we have received your impersonation report and will respond shortly. Your patience is greatly appreciated. Please note Twitter allows parody, commentary, and fan accounts; if an account is in full compliance with our policies, it is not considered impersonation. For more information, see this help page: http://support.twitter.com/entries/106373"Greeeeaaat.Reported it May 28.Got the "thanks for reporting it" May 29.Got the next email on May 30.

Hello, Thank you for bringing this to our attention. In order to process user impersonation reports, we need to confirm your identity. Please click on the link and upload a copy of your valid government-issued photo ID (e.g., driver's license, passport). We need to be able to see your full name and photo on your ID, so please try to send a legible copy. This information will be kept confidential, and will be deleted once we have used it to confirm your identity. Once we have received your documentation, we will review and process your report. We will not process your report until we receive a valid photo ID. We appreciate your cooperation.

Uh. Ok. So I scanned my driver's license... and uploaded it to their secure website.

Whistle. Whistle. Sure no problem... I'm not worried THAT SOMEONE IS STEALING MY LIFE ON TWITTER. Whistle. Whistle.

EMAIL! They suspended the first round of profiles on June 3 and the second round on June 4. Mind you, I filled out their impersonation form (for your reference, it is here) for the first round TWENTY-THREE TIMES. Each time, I linked to the offending profile, each tweet they stole, and gave them a link to the images that is connected to my name. It was a process that took maybe 10 minutes or so each? I did it every single time. For every single tweet. I made a handmade spreadsheet to keep track of them all - who was reported, which one had the documents uploaded, and which ones were removed. I am still waiting for eight to be removed.

Honestly, one of the scariest things is that there are major brands out there who have NO IDEA that someone took their image and are using it. And the other thing that makes me a little freaked out is that I have found several profiles that have mashed up three people... there is a person out there, that doesn't know that someone is using their profile image. Maybe there are more spam profiles out there using my image? It makes me think about the intelligence of putting my child's image online.

I think that if Twitter banned IP addresses, that might slow them down. But spammers will always spam. And that sucks.

Why Spoof Twitter?

Disable the Dashboard in OS X Mavericks

I downloaded the new OS X Mavericks for my macbook and I love it... except there are a few things that I have been struggling with. One was that the Dashboard launched if I sneezed the wrong way... I would just swipe the wrong way and while I was in the middle of working, I would end up in the dashboard. UGH! It was driving me crazy. So I googled and found this article from IT World: http://www.itworld.com/operating-systems/379426/disable-dashboard-os-x-mavericks How to kill your Dashboard in OS X Mavericks. The old articles have instructions that don't work but this did. If you aren't sure where the Terminal is... search for it using the spy glass on the top right of your Mac. :) Hope this helps you, it helped me!

Disable the Dashboard in OS X MavericksGet rid of the Dashboard in OS X MavericksBy Jim Lynch, ITworldHere's how you can disable the Dashboard in OS X Mavericks.1. Open the Terminal application (it's in the Utilities folder).2. Type in the following command then hit Enter.defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled -boolean true3. Type in the following command to relaunch the Dock, then hit Enter.killall DockNow the Dashboard is gone from OS X Mavericks.

Days like today...

When crisis strikes in Colorado, Israel or really anywhere in the world, my days look like this:Wake up.Learn there is a crisis.Obsessively check Facebook, Twitter, news outlets, any information I can find online (in the case of the November 2012 Israeli engagement it was an awesome blogger giving blow by blow).Compile information and compare with my team.Obsessively check Facebook, Twitter, news outlets, any information I can find online.Shout information from my office to my bosses office.Obsessively check Facebook, Twitter, news outlets, any information I can find online.Make a recommendation to the CEO to open a fund (or he tells us that we have to).Obsessively check Facebook, Twitter, news outlets, any information I can find online.Write an "ePhil" (electronic philanthropy) to our community.Send said ePhil to team for fact/spell checking.Obsessively check Facebook, Twitter, news outlets, any information I can find online.Send said ePhil upstairs for approval.Get told to add more pictures.Obsessively look at devastating pictures from the tragedy.Add them to ePhil.Resend upstairs for approval.Obsessively check Facebook, Twitter, news outlets, any information I can find online.Nudge hard to get approval so we can send before 5pm.Obsessively check Facebook, Twitter, news outlets, any information I can find online.Get some changes or approval.Send to community.Obsessively check Facebook, Twitter, news outlets, any information I can find online.Post it on Facebook while... obsessively checking Facebook, Twitter, news outlets, any information I can find online.Obsessively check Facebook, Twitter, news outlets, any information I can find online until it is time to go home.Obsessively check Facebook, Twitter, news outlets, any information I can find online at home.Obsessively check Facebook, Twitter, news outlets, any information I can find online from bed before I fall asleep. Wake up.Obsessively check Facebook, Twitter, news outlets, any information I can find online.Write another message from the CEO/ press release to news outlets.Obsessively check Facebook, Twitter, news outlets, any information I can find online. I think you can see where this is going...CO Fires FB pic_TH

Mandy Patinkin at JFS Luncheon

I had the pleasure of listening to Mr. Patinkin speak at the Jewish Family Service luncheon here in Colorado. He was a joy to listen to and he sang a little bit of a song a the end in English and Yiddish. Here are my tweets from the event and the sound bite at the end. 

 

 

 

oops... break the bread to come back together

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mandy Patinkin Singing at JFS

 

Jewish Family Service of Colorado Video

Purex Earth Day Contest!

Folks! Get in on this Purex contest for a chance to win!1161-promo-031.130848The Go Purex Gro Green Instagram Contests ends Tuesday, April 30th, so don't delay!Instructions:1. Follow Purex on Instagram, @Purex2. Instagram a photo of your favorite eco-friendly practice or activity3. Be sure to use the hashtag #GoPurexGoGreen in the photo caption and share the photo on Facebook & Twitter4. Ask your friends to “like” your photo on Instagram to increase your chances of winning.Prizes:The 5 participants that receive the most “likes” on Instagram will get their very own mini greenhouse (ARV $50), along with a free bottle of Purex Natural Elements detergent (ARV $6). This contest ends April 30th, so there’s no time to waste! Get started now and you just might find that with Purex, it pays to be green.

New Facebook Marketing Tactic

I recently spoke at a Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) training session about social media with a dear friend and SM phenom, Shana Sisk. While we were talking through some tactics, I mentioned that Facebook has a new marketing tactic that I have found very useful. They are calling it "Promoted Posts." I did not realize until then that this hadn't been rolled out system-wide yet. I am very thankful that Facebook choose me and my business page - Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado - to test this new option. It really came in handy with the recent disasters that have struck Colorado (fires and the movie theatre shooting).When we were faced with these tragedies, the Jewish community mobilized and wanted to give back to our neighbors. The Federation opened funds for donations and we distributed the money to agencies on the ground. I found the promoted post option was incredibly useful to get the word out.How does it work? I wrote a post on the business page and it gave me the option to "promote" it. I decided to check it out so I spent $5 each on two posts. By promoting the post, you show up in more newsfeeds, not just people who have 'liked' your business or are a 'fan' of your page.  This broadens your reach and you end up with a higher rate of views. For example, on our two posts that we 'promoted,' we saw this:

  • Wildfire post
    • Organic: 1,131 views
    • Viral: 496 views
    • Paid: 989 views
    • Total: 2,006
  • Movie theatre shooting post
    • Organic: 801 views
    • Viral: 142 views
    • Paid: 2,068 views
    • Total: 2,884

Without the promotion, we usually average 1,000 views... clearly, the promotion helped the movie theatre shooting post do very well and it gave a nice boost to the wildfire post. Each of those cost me $5. It is set up just like traditional PPC or PPI advertising but it is in the stream of Facebook consciousness in your newsfeed. I highly recommend trying it out when it is rolled out to you.One of my favorite sites for social media information, HubSpot, posted this great blog about the new promoted posts. I found it very helpful and hope you do as well. Click here to read: Facebook Tests Promoted Posts in News Feeds of Non-Fans.Has this been rolled out to you yet? Have you tried it? Let me know! 

Creating A Return On An Investment...

ROI - in business ROI stands for return on investment... And that is exactly what Lynn Schusterman got from the recent ROI Community Summit in Jerusalem, a return on her investment of the future of the Jewish people.From June 10-14, I attended this summit in Jerusalem with 150 other young Jewish innovators. Out of 600 applications, we were selected as connectors and creators, entrepreneurs and catalysts. From the United States, Israel, England, South Africa, Latvia, Brussels, Turkey, and even Uganda, we represented 30 countries. As a community, we descended on Jerusalem to sharpen our skills and pitch new projects or refine old ideas. I instantly connected with the local director of AIPAC in Dallas, an experiential journalist from London, an event promoter from NYC, a guy working to get the Israeli flag and a Torah on the moon, a woman running a speakeasy and kosher, organic, and locally grown restaurant from her Brooklyn home, a leader in the National Young Leadership Cabinet (NYLC) in Atlanta, and a Chabad rabbi. I also got to spend time with Boulder's very own Jonathan Lev, the executive director of the Boulder JCC. All I can say is, "yeah, that happened." Words seem so inadequate to express this experience.We spent five days connecting and creating. Part of the program was the opportunity to present a concept that you want to develop and then crowd-source it to get support, help developing it, and potentially funding. This year 50 ideas were posted to the site IdeaScale and for the first time, the world could vote for them. The top three ideas and their creators had the opportunity to pitch the idea to four celebrity judges. Danna Azrieli - chair of the Azrieli Foundation in Israel. Noa Tishby - actress, producer, model, and non-profit spokeswoman. Yossi Abramowitz - one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world in 2011 & 2012 according to the Jerusalem Post. President and co-founder of the Arava Power Company. Yossi Vardi - an Israeli high-tech entrepreneur.I highly encourage you to go to roisummit2012.ideascale.com and look at what came out of this conference. And yes, I did pitch an idea. One that my co-worker at the Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado, Melissa Scholten-Gutierrez and I have been developing. It is called Tikkun Platoon. This is flash mob philanthropy, where collective identity meets collective responsibility to affect social change.  I hope that with the help of the ROI community, this dream will become a reality soon!The amazing thing about ROI is that it is not just a conference, it's a community. I am now a part of something big, with some 800 ROI'ers across the world, we have access to each other and our talents and microgrant funding for projects. The goal is that through a 1000 ROI'ers, we will reach 1 million people. And it is happening. You may be familiar with G-dcast.com, the weekly parsha videos online or Moshe House? These are both concepts born from ROI. Judging by the brilliance that was posted on IdeaScale, there will be many more.At the end of the day, though, my favorite moment happened on the last day. Lynn Schusterman, who made it possible for me to be at ROI, and I sat together after a morning session and we did our yarn crafts together and chatted. She, knitting a scarf for her grandchildren. I, crocheting a scarf for my friend. We discussed technology and yarn and knitting and the beauty of Colorado. And that is what ROI is about, finding people with similar interests and connecting... Even if there is an age difference.See my ROI profile at http://www.roicommunity.org/users/talia-davis-haykin