Wednesday, February 17, 2016

If love and respect is no longer being served, get up from the table!

If love and respect is no longer being served, get up from the table!

To all those struggling with bad relationships. Always, choose the right people to have a coffee (read: relationship) together. Exercise your choice well so that you don't regret later.

When you begin to tolerate people who don't care for your feelings, it soon begins to lower your spirits and pulls you down to depths of misery.

Not just this you also begin to feel the pain that never seems to go away, especially at nights. And it seemingly hurts whatever positive energy you can summon.

You don't have to suffer this, when you make life better getting them out of your life.
Because you have the power, the choice to decide. So don't make an excuse.

If love and respect is no longer being served, get up from the table!

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Why you don't own what you post on social media?


Did you know that some services and apps you use may be snooping on your personal information, edit contacts, reading your texts and even send emails without your permission. And services like Google, Facebook and Linkedin have the rights to edit, distribute and modify the content you upload. 

Data Privacy Day passed by on January 28, now let's take a look at a few services and mobile apps terms and conditions and you'll be shocked at the permission you've granted.
 
Linkedin can modify and distribute your content without permission
As between you and LinkedIn, you own the content and information that you submit or post to the Services and you are only granting LinkedIn the following non-exclusive license: A worldwide, transferable and sublicensable right to use, copy, modify, distribute, publish, and process, information and content that you provide through our Services, without any further consent, notice and/or compensation to you or others. Read full terms https://www.linkedin.com/legal/user-agreement
 
Google can translate or adapt your content
When you upload, submit, store, send or receive content to or through our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content. https://www.google.com/policies/terms/
 
Facebook has global license to all that you post
You own all of the content and information you post on Facebook, and you can control how it is shared through your privacy and application settings. In addition: For content that is covered by intellectual property rights, like photos and videos (IP content), you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacy and application settings: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook (IP License). https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms
 
Whatsapp keeps track of all your contacts 
You expressly acknowledge and agree that in order to provide the Service, WhatsApp may periodically access your contact list and/or address book on your mobile device to find and keep track of mobile phone numbers of other users of the Service. https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/
 
Torchlight apps can use your pictures on any advertisement
You give us permission to use your name, profile picture, content, and information in connection with commercial, sponsored, or related content (such as a brand you like) served or enhanced by us. http://www.techtimes.com/articles/18762/20141026/flashlight-apps-are-spying-on-users-android-ios-windows-phone-smartphones-is-yours-on-the-list.htm
 
Users want the service free and companies need revenue. Therefore, these terms and conditions are not going to change any sooner. But the point is that users are unaware of the unconditional permission provided to the service providers. 

Think you own your online life? The truth is NO. 

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

The Truth About Influencer Marketing in India


Influencer marketing is at a very nascent stage in India. Most brands are engaging in trending hashtags, but that's just one tiny bit of influencer marketing.

Influencer marketing is all about creating opportunities for conversations about your brand. And like any typical marketing, acquisition is the end goal.Conversation shrinks or expands in proportion to your investment in social media and marketing.

At the heart of a good influencer marketing campaign is content. Good content makes brands feel good, great content makes consumers feel smart. Content is now being discovered by consumers through conversations. Content is the pollen that social media bees spread from one flower to another. But social media is not about merely sharing your content, it's about adding value to the consumer's life.

Real influencers are those who collaborate with brands to amplify the message to audiences who may need it. Influencer marketing is a lot like gardening. You sow a seed of conversation, nurture it and it yields fruits of buzz about your service. It's certainly not just contests and brand hashtags on Twitter.

Social media offers tremendous potential for brand advocacy and engagement. People trust recommendations from friends they know. That's why marketers are keen to leverage influencer marketing.

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

8 Indian Selfies Where Tragedy Struck


Selfies seem to be everywhere these days: at political rallies, parties, in front of running trains and at the edge of high rise buildings. People seem to be dying to take a selfie that could earn them 5 minutes of social fame. Taking a selfie seems cool, but not for these people who unknowing played with fate.

Train mows down teen taking a selfie


On Feb 2nd this year, a teenager who took a selfie before a running train in Chennai was killed on the spot. This turned the spotlight again on the lurking dangers for daredevil mobile phone snappers.

Elephant chases selfie takers

Two young men from Kannur, Kerala, who dared to take selfies with a tusker behind them were chased out of the forest by the elephant. While they escaped, it sparked outrage on social media.

Girls washed away in Mumbai

Three college girls who perched themselves on the egde of a rock, near Mumbai's Bandra Fort, and took a selfie fell into the waters when a huge wave hit them. Two of them were rescued by an onlooker who was himself drowned while trying to rescue the third girl. http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/3-girls-fall-into-sea-while-clicking-selfie-man-drowns-in-rescue-bid/

A boat ride to hell

In Nagpur last year, 7 youth died while attempting to take a selfie on a boat. The boat tilted to one side and drowned them all.

Daredevils on rail track meet death

Three college students who were driving to Agra were suddenly seized by the urge to do a selfie on a railway track at Mathura. The daredevilry went horrible as the train mowed them down, even as a fourth was shooting the whole drama on a camera.

Man falls off Jodhpur Fort rampart

While on a holiday at Jodhpur Fort, 23-year-old Nikhil Prajapat who was to get married in 10 days, climbed on to a rampart to take a selfie. He lost balance, fell several feet down and died. http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/two-men-drown-in-doon-jodhpur-while-trying-to-click-a-selfie/story-xSpBqcGbPVqV3jSAq3unnL.html

Drunk youth slips into canal

A youth who was allegedly drunk tried taking a selfie on the Shaktinahar canal, around 40km from Dehradun, and slipped into the canal. http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/two-men-drown-in-doon-jodhpur-while-trying-to-click-a-selfie/story-xSpBqcGbPVqV3jSAq3unnL.html

Australian tourist falls into 30-feet well

An Austrian tourist, Friedel, who was on a tour of Junagarh Fort in Gujarat fell into a 30-foot well while attempting to take a selfie. Passersby who created a rope by tying together pieces of cloth, managed to pull him out. http://www.india.com/stream/selfie-disaster-averted-austrian-tourist-fells-into-well-in-junagadh-fort-gets-rescued-in-thrilling-manner-video-906251/

While it's part of our visual culture to take selfies at every half opportunity, risky selfies are increasingly causing disgust with many calling for "no-selfie zones" in every city . Fearing a stampede, a no selfie zone was imposed at this year's Kumbh Mela. Mumbai Police have identified 16 no-selfie zones after the recent selfie-related drowning.

Rajasekar KS is a content and social media strategist who tweets at @positivemantra. When he's not playing with his family of one loving wife and two caring daughters, he blogs at www.positivemantra.com He travels to connect to himself and the universe.