There’s something special happening in Baltimore right now.  Something almost indescribable.

The best way to explain it is to say that there’s a social media revolution happening in and around the city of Baltimore.  That’s right - a social media revolution.  And if you’re reading this, you’re about to watch a beautiful (and somewhat nerdy) flower blossom.

Each and every day, we witness a whole new flock of businesses and consumers joining the many social sites that we’ve been following for a quite some time now.  They’ve heard the buzz about these new communication tools, and they want in.  They’re expanding their personal networks, but also fueling a growing machine that’ll eventually connect each and every individual in and around the city of Baltimore.

On top of that, local web developers and marketing teams are developing ideas, sites and tools that are positioning the city as a major player in the social media realm.  Here are a few examples of what’s happening (if you haven’t already heard):

VisitMyBaltimore.com

Developed by FastSpot for the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association, this reincarnation of a previous video-sharing site serves as an aggregator for all things Baltimore on the web.  Driven by three primary content areas - Watch, Look, and Listen - the site pulls in videos, pictures, and ‘tweets’ from the user’s accounts on the major social sites (YouTube, Twitter, Flickr).  The site’s users utilize this constantly updated content to define local attractions, events, restaurants, etc.  The site is years ahead of its time, and will undoubtedly be “mimicked” by other destinations.

*Disclaimer* The Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association is a client of MGH.  The site is still awesome though.

600Block.com

There are an endless number of consumer review sites floating around the web right now, but 600Block.com is the one that finally got it right.  Local reviews of restaurants, attractions, and stores written by those who know them best are what make 600Block special.  Users create their “scene” in order to receive updates about the city’s newest dining options to the drink specials that can be found in town on a random Tuesday night (you have no idea how handy this can be).  Rumor has it that there’s also an iPhone application in development.  Okay…it’s not a rumor.  I saw it, and it’s awesome.

Beehive Baltimore

What do you get when you shove a bunch of developers, designers, and entrepreneurs into a room?  Most of the time, a lot of arguing and bickering.  But that’s not the case for Beehive Baltimore.  Beehive’s mission is to provide a common workspace for Baltimore’s creative professionals, hoping that ideas will be “cross-pollinated” (get it?) and that the business community will be better off because of them.  For a minimal fee, anyone can spend the day at Beehive and bounce ideas back and forth between the center’s attendees.  It’s a new way of doing business, and one that’s sure to produce results that will benefit the city as a whole.

It’s been said that Baltimore would be more aptly named “Smalltimore”.  Cliché, yes. But as these connectivity tools continue to develop and become populated by the city’s residents, we might need to request that name change.

Image c/o Grufnik (Flickr) http://www.flickr.com/photos/grufnik/

Written by Ryan Goff (@ryanatmghwom)

I know spring officially started a couple of weeks ago, but, for me spring does not officially start until Masters Weekend, and its finally here!

Unfortunately, I cannot be glued to the television as much as I would like for the next four days, so I have put together a list of the best places to enjoy the Masters on the web.

Twitter

The Masters is a hot topic on Twitter right now. Head over to search.twitter.com to join in on all of the conversations happening about the tournament.

To get constant tournament updates in your Twitter stream, follow these accounts as well.

@the_masters - The official Masters Twitter account

@Masters_AUG - The official Augusta, GA Twitter account

@waggleroom - A local (Baltimore, MD) blogger who is tweeting about the tournament

@golfchannelnews - The official Golf Channel Twitter account

@PGATOUR - The official PGA Tour Twitter account

Websites

When reading about the tournament isn’t enough, head to one of these websites to get up-to-the minute leader board standings, live streaming video, and interviews from all of your favorite players.

The Official Masters Website - You can also download the Masters widget and share it on all of your social networks.

Augusta.com

CBS Sports

iPhone Apps

When its time to head out of the office for lunch, don’t forget to take the Masters with you, using either one of these free iPhone apps.

These apps both allow you to stream video from the event, check in on the leader board, and take virtual tours of the course.

The Official Masters app (iTunes store link)

2009 Masters on AT&T (iTunes store link

Whichever way you choose to follow the Masters this weekend, you have no excuse for missing any great shots. Enjoy the tournament, and feel free to tweet along with me on Twitter and @RussWalters.

Written by: Rusty (@russwalters)

Now that the new Facebook has been out for about a week, I think it’s time to weigh in and see how things are looking. Of course, with any change there will be dissent. There was major uproar when Facebook switched around last fall, and in my opinion, that change was more cosmetic than anything.

This time around is no different. There are already countless groups sprouting up, begging Facebook to give people the option of using the old interface. Let’s discuss.

I hate to jump on the band-wagon with everyone, but I have to say I am not pleased with the changes that have been made. It seems that in the wake of their failed attempt to purchase Twitter, Facebook has done everything they can to imitate it.

Twitter and Facebook lived in two separate spaces before. Twitter was the one you always had running in the background of your desktop, while Facebook you would check once or twice a day. Different conversations occurred on Twitter than on Facebook. Twitter is much more about conversation and making connections, and because of that, I’d say is much more high involvement than Facebook used to be.

In order for the new Facebook to catch on, people will need to begin using it differently. The days of staying in the loop by occasionally checking in on Facebook are out. Because of real-time news feed, Facebook has turned into a much more demanding site. If you want to get the same amount of relevant information as you did before, you better be checking in frequently.

What made Facebook great was its ability to re-connect old friends and let you take your current circle of friends with you online. It obviously did that better than any other site. Now, it seems to be turning its focus on to connecting with EVERYONE, allowing you to open your profile to the entire Facebook network. The news feed has also seemed to lose its unique ability to only highlight information relevant to those you interact with on a regular basis. I hope Facebook has not completely lost sight of what made it the most popular social network on the web.

Don’t get me wrong, the new Facebook is a great site and will serve as a great tool in connecting people, but I can see why “old” Facebook nostalgia is already setting in.

The people spoke and Facebook listened. In response to the outcry from thousands of the 175 million registered Facebook users, Facebook has reverted back to their original Terms of Service.

This change of TOS, posted on February 4, 2009, flew under the radar until the Consumerist, highlighted the changes. The popular consumer watch-dog blog outlined the portion of the TOS that stated that Facebook had full rights to any user content posted “in connection with the Facebook Service.” This meant that Facebook indefinitely owned videos, photos, notes etc, posted by users whether a user’s account was active on the site or not. The Consumerist post alarmed thousands of Facebook users and received over 500,000 views.

Facebook quickly responded to the uproar by returning to the original Terms of Service. The site has begun to poll users as to whether or not they want Facebook to return to its original Terms of Service. Additionally, they have created a new Facebook group: Facebook Bill of Rights and Responsibilities. This group has given users the option to voice any concerns they may have with the Terms of Service. So far, over 4,000 people have posted comments. Facebook has made this information available on the site’s homepage.

Now, don’t get too excited just yet. Facebook is still working to revise their TOS as Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO, explained on the Facebook blog. However; they have assured users that the new TOS will be clearly written, in plain language. Zuckerberg also states that, “since this will be the governing document that we’ll all live by, Facebook users will have a lot of input in crafting these terms.”

All in all, crisis averted. Facebook responded quickly and let it be known that they will listen to what its users have to say. Their actions have reassured users that Facebook is more of a democracy than a dictatorship. Keep checking out their blog for the latest on their TOS.

Every once in a while something comes along on the internet that draws massive attention, something that everyone is talking about. Usually it is something that someone creates with the intention to get as many viewers as possible, much like Fred Figglehorn. This time around though, a viral sensation has taken over the World Wide Web, with seemingly non-viral motives.

Enter Puppy-Cam. Originally launched as a way for the owners of 6 Shiba Inu puppies to keep an eye on them when they were not home, the puppy-cam was discovered by the general public and has created hysteria among dog-lovers everywhere.

Most incredibly, the puppies have developed somewhat of a cult following. They consistently have more than 10,000 people viewing at any given time, and have maxed out at over 15,000 viewers. In just the 5 weeks that the puppies have been on air, they have received nearly 2 million views to their cam. Continue reading ‘THE AWWW FACTOR: UNVEILING THE PUPPY-CAM’

The MGH WOM team is happy to support the viral campaign, Blog Action Day, that empowers literally thousands of bloggers all over the world to step up and talk about global issues. Last year it was the environment, today it is poverty.

Obviously, working in a word of mouth department, we understand the power of people talking. We are aware of people’s reliance on the internet for their information. Many of these people turn to multiple blogs daily for this information. If someone reads 5 different blogs a day, and 4 of them have a post about Blog Action Day, they will take notice. This year, with a goal of 20,000 bloggers, there will be a voice that can not be ignored.

Unfortunately, this is not a topic that lends to light reading. Each year, almost 50% of the world’s population lives on the equivalent of less than $2.50 per day, and the divide between the rich and poor is exponentially growing in the wrong direction. In 1960, the 20% of the world’s people in the richest countries had 30 times the income of the poorest 20% — in 1997, 74 times as much (Global Issues).

The issue of poverty is a world issue. It is not something that is just occurring in third world countries. It is prevalent in every city of every country in the world. What better time than now to reach out and make a difference. We believe that it all begins with education. Learn about the issues, and share that knowledge with others. Do a simple Google search for “poverty” and a wealth of information is at your fingertips.

From there, you can begin making a difference. It is true, all of us can make a difference on an individual level, but think of the difference we can make when we unite around an important social cause.

For more information on Blog Action Day and 88 ways you can help, visit: http://site.blogactionday.org/