DOES YOUR SOCIAL CLASS DETERMINE YOUR ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORK?

DOES YOUR SOCIAL CLASS DETERMINE YOUR ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORK? By Breeanna Hare CNN October 14, 2009 http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/ science/10/13/social. networking.class/ Like a lot of people, Anna Owens began using MySpace more than four years ago to keep in touch with friends who weren't in college. But soon she felt too old for the social-networking site, and the customizable pages with music that were fun at first began to annoy her. By the time she graduated from the University of Puget Sound, Owens' classmates weren't on MySpace -- they were on Facebook. Throughout graduate school and beyond, as her network began to expand, Owens ceased using MySpace altogether. Facebook had come to represent the whole of her social and professional universe. "MySpace has one population, Facebook has another," said the 26-year-old, who works for an affordable-housing nonprofit in San Francisco, California. "Blue-collar, part-time workers might like the appeal of MySpace more -- it definitely depends on who you meet and what they use; that's what motivates people to join and stay interested." Is there a class divide online? Research suggests yes. A recent study by market research firm Nielsen Claritas found that people in more affluent demographics are 25 percent more likely to be found friending on Facebook, while the less affluent are 37 percent more likely to connect on MySpace. More specifically, almost 23 percent of Facebook users earn more than $100,000 a year, compared to slightly more than 16 percent of MySpace users. On the other end of the spectrum, 37 percent of MySpace members earn less than $50,000 annually, compared with about 28 percent of Facebook users. MySpace users tend to be "in middle-class, blue-collar neighborhoods," said Mike Mancini, vice president of data product management for Nielsen, which used an online panel of more than 200,000 social media users in the United States in August. "They're on their way up, or perhaps not college educated." By contrast, Mancini said, "Facebook [use] goes off the charts in the upscale suburbs," driven by a demographic that for Nielsen is represented by white or Asian married couples between the ages of 45-64 with kids and high levels of education. Even more affluent are users of Twitter, the microblogging site, and LinkedIn, a networking site geared to white-collar professionals. Almost 38 percent of LinkedIn users earn more than $100,000 a year. Nielsen also found a strong overlap between those who use Facebook and those who use LinkedIn, Mancini said. Nielsen isn't the first to find this trend. Ethnographer danah boyd, who does not capitalize her name, said she watched the class divide emerge while conducting research of American teens' use of social networks in 2006. When she began, she noticed the high school students all used MySpace, but by the end of the school year, they were switching to Facebook. When boyd asked why, the students replied with reasons similar to Owens: "the features were better; MySpace is dangerous and Facebook is safe; my friends are here," boyd recalled. And then, boyd said, "a young woman, living in a small historical town in Massachussetts said to me, 'I don't mean to be a racist or anything, but MySpace is like, ghetto.'" For boyd, that's when it clicked. "It's not a matter of choice between Facebook and MySpace, it was a movement to Facebook from MySpace," she said, a movement that largely included the educated and the upper-class. So why do our online worlds, unencumbered by what separates us in daily life, reflect humans' tendency to stick with what -- and who -- they know? A lot of it has to do with the disparate beginnings of MySpace and Facebook, said Adam Ostrow, editor-in-chief of Mashable, a blog about social media. Facebook originated at Harvard University and was limited at first to students at approved colleges before opening itself to the public in September 2006. MySpace, on the other hand, had a "come one, come all" policy and made a mad dash towards monetization, Ostrow said. "They used a lot of banner ads without regard to the quality, and it really diminished the value [of the site] for the more tech-savvy demographic." And while the Internet can build bridges between people on opposite sides of the globe, we still tend to connect with the same people through online social networks who we connect with offline, said technology writer and blogger Sarah Perez. "It's effectively a mirror to our real world," she told CNN. "Social networks are the online version of what kids do after school." These social-networking divides are worrisome to boyd, who wrote "Taken Out of Context: American Teen Sociality in Networked Publics." Instead of allowing us to cross the boundaries that exist in our everyday lives, these online class differences threaten to carry those boundaries into the future. "The social-network infrastructure is going to be a part of everything going forward, just like [Web] search is," boyd said. "The Internet is not this great equalizer that rids us of the problems of the physical world -- the Internet mirrors and magnifies them. The divisions that we have in everyday life are going to manifest themselves online." Jason Kaufman, a research science fellow with the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University,examined the Facebook profiles of a group of college students over four years and found that even within Facebook, there's evidence of self-segregation. Multiracial students tended to have more Facebook friends than students of other backgrounds and were often the sole connection between white and black circles, Kaufman said. Nonetheless, Kaufman feels that social networks may one day help us overcome our instinct to associate with those who share our income level, education, or racial background. "I think it's fair to say that the Web has great potential to at least mitigate everyday tendencies towards self-segregation and social exclusion," Kaufman said. "In some ways, [Facebook] levels the playing field of friendship stratification. In the real world, you have very close friends and then there are those you just say "Hi" to when you pass them on the street. "The playing field is a lot more level in that you can find yourself having a wall-to-wall exchange with just an acquaintance. If you pick up the unlikely friend, not of your race or income bracket, the network may [help you] establish a more active friendship than if you met them in real life." But MySpace's users still find something appealing about MySpace that they don't about Facebook, and it may have nothing to do with class or race, blogger Perez said. "It's not just the demographics that have people picking one over the other," Perez said. "It also comes down to what activities you like. If you like music, you'll still be on MySpace. If you're more into applications, then you might go to Facebook because you're addicted to Mafia Wars or whatever." In the end, boyd isn't as concerned about the reasons behind these divisions online as she is about the consequences of people only networking within their chosen social-media groups. "Friendships and family relationships are socially divided; people self-segregate to deal with racism sometimes," she said. "Okay, fine: We've made a decision to self-segregate, but what happens when politicians go on Facebook and think they're reaching the whole public? What happens when colleges only go on Facebook to promote?" When and if that does happen, Mashable's Ostrow said, we'll know perhaps we've given social networks more credit than they're worth. "When it comes to information, I don't think social networks are the best source for that. The Internet is so open," said Ostrow, who believes users would go beyond their networks to search out information online. If you're looking to branch out of your social network box, your best option may be Twitter. Nielsen's survey didn't find a dominant social class on Twitter as much as they found a geographical one: Those who use Twitter are more likely to live in an urban area where there's greater access to wireless network coverage, Mancini said. "The simplicity of Twitter definitely creates less of a divide, because it's not a relationship like it is on MySpace or Facebook," Ostrow said. "If you live in the middle of nowhere or you live in a city, you can follow anyone about anything." ------------

Baby denied health insurance for being too fat!

17-Pound, 4-Month-Old Baby Denied Health Insurance for Being Too Fat Monday , October 12, 2009 ADVERTISEMENT Nothing brings a smile to an adult's face quicker than the sight of a happy, chubby baby. But the sight of 4-month-old Alex Lange, who measures 25-inches long and weighs 17 pounds, is bringing a frown to the hypothetical face of insurance company Rocky Mountain Health Plans, The Denver Post reported on its Web site Monday. Click here to see a video of Alex Lange Underwriters, the people who are in charge of assessing risk for insurance companies, have decided that baby Alex's pre-existing condition — obesity — makes him a high-risk patient and have denied him coverage. SLIDESHOW: WORLD'S FATTEST BABIES His parents were shocked. "I could understand if we could control what he's eating. But he's 4 months old. He's breast-feeding. We can't put him on the Atkins diet or on a treadmill," joked his frustrated father, Bernie Lange, a part-time news anchor at KKCO-TV in Grand Junction. "There is just something absurd about denying an infant." Bernie and Kelli Lange tried to get insurance with Rocky Mountain Health Plans when their current insurer raised their rates 40 percent after Alex was born. After filling out the necessary paperwork, the broker who was helping the family find new insurance called last Thursday with the shocking news that Alex, who weighed 8 1/4-pounds at birth, was being denied coverage. At 17 pounds, Alex is in the 99th percentile for height and weight for babies his age. His parents were told insurance companies don't take babies above the 95th percentile, no matter how healthy. Dr. Doug Speedie, medical director at insurance company Rocky Mountain Health Plans, told KKCO-TV, it's possible for a baby to be above the 95 percentile and still be healthy, and admitted the system is flawed. "Your weight is not an absolute determinate of health," Speedie said. "Unfortunately when we try to sell people insurance, a number has to be used as a cutoff." Click here to read more on this story from The Denver Post. Click here for more from KKCO-TV in Grand Junction. SEARCH Click here for FOX News RSS Feeds Advertise on FOX News Channel, FOXNews.com and FOX News Radio Jobs at FOX News Channel. Internships At Fox News (Summer Application Deadline is March 15, 2007) Terms of use.  Privacy Statement.  For FOXNews.com comments write to foxnewsonline@...;  For FOX News Channel comments write to comments@... © Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Copyright 2009 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. All market data delayed 20 minutes.B

Ring of Fire is RINGING

Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2009, 8:31 PM South Pacific Quakes Trigger Tsunami Alert CBS News - ‎3 minutes ago‎ (AP) Two powerful earthquakes rocked the South Pacific near the Vanuatu archipelago Thursday morning, the US Geological Survey reported, triggering a ... Pacific tsunami generated after Vanuatu quakes Reuters - Rob Taylor, Mark Bendeich - ‎3 minutes ago‎ SYDNEY, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Quakes in the southwest Pacific generated a tsunami on Thursday, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said, without giving details ... Powerful earthquake off Vanuatu triggers warning of tsunami guardian.co.uk - ‎18 minutes ago‎ The Pacific tsunami warning centre today issued a tsunami warning for 11 countries and territories, including the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, ... Quake and tsunami warning The Age - ‎8 minutes ago‎ Vanuatu-based staff of CARE Australia have twittered of a "big wave coming" after a major quake triggered a tsunami warning in the South Pacific. ... Powerful 7.8 quake off Vanuatu, tsunami alert The Associated Press - ‎19 minutes ago‎ WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Two powerful earthquakes rocked the South Pacific near the Vanuatu archipelago Thursday morning, the US Geological Survey reported ... Pacific on alert after quakes Sydney Morning Herald - ‎20 minutes ago‎ Residents of parts of Tuvalu and New Caledonia are being evacuated after two powerful earthquakes hit the Vanuatu region. The US Geological Survey recorded ... Fourth 7.1 quake hits off Vanuatu NEWS.com.au - ‎21 minutes ago‎ The Bureau of Meteorology issued a tsunami watch for the Great Barrier Reef offshore water areas between Yeppoon and Bowen at 8.44am (AEST) after the US ... Strong quakes spark tsunami in Pacific TVNZ - ‎23 minutes ago‎ The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre says two strong earthquakes off Vanuatu have generated a tsunami but it has not given any details of the size of the wave ... Tsunami warning issued after Vanuatu quake New Straits Times - ‎28 minutes ago‎ WASHINGTON: An earthquake of magnitude 7.8 occurred in the Vanuatu region on Thursday local time, triggering an expanding regional tsunami warning from the ... Tsunami watch issued for New Zealand Sydney Morning Herald - ‎30 minutes ago‎ The Ministry of Civil Defence has issued a "tsunami watch" for New Zealand following two powerful earthquakes off Vanuatu. The first earthquake, measuring ... Tsunami warning after earthquake hits remote islands in south Pacific Independent - Kunal Dutta - ‎31 minutes ago‎ Two earthquakes rocked the South Pacific near the Vanuatu archipelago last night triggering tsunami alerts as far away as Australia and New ... Tsunami watch cancelled Brisbane Times - ‎40 minutes ago‎ The BOM issued a tsunami watch for the Great Barrier Reef offshore water areas between Yeppoon and Bowen at 8.44am after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit the ... Tsunami Warning After Quakes In Pacific Sky News - ‎47 minutes ago‎ A tsunami warning has been issued in the south-west Pacific after two huge undersea earthquakes struck the region. It comes just one week after a series of ... Tsunami alert issued for South Pacific region CBC.ca - ‎51 minutes ago‎ A tsunami warning has been issued after a powerful earthquake struck the South Pacific near the Vanuatu archipelago Thursday morning. ... Pacific quakes prompt tsunami warning The Age - ‎55 minutes ago‎ A huge 7.9-magnitude earthquake near Vanuatu prompted a tsunami warning over large parts of the South Pacific on Thursday, seismologists said. ... Pacific quake sparks tsunami alert Aljazeera.net - ‎1 hour ago‎ A powerful earthquake has erupted in the South Pacific near the Vanuatu archipelago, triggering a regional tsunami alert. The quake, between 7.8 and 8.1 in ... Tsunami warning announced for Pacific Islands, NZ on watch National Business Review - ‎1 hour ago‎ Another tsunami alert has been raised in the South Pacific, with a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Vanuatu generating a regional tsunami warning for the area. ... Tsunami confirmed after large quake off Vanuatu New Zealand Herald - ‎15 minutes ago‎ The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has confirmed a tsunami has been generated by a large earthquake off Vanuatu. Civil Defence said a tsunami measuring 0.4m ... Latest updates: Vanuatu quake, tsunami warning New Zealand Herald - ‎1 hour ago‎ 12:15 Vanuatu was struck by two earthquakes, the first measuring 7.8 at 11.03am (NZT) and the second measuring 7.3 at 11.18am. ... Tsunami Alert Issued in Pacific After 7.8 Quake Hits Bloomberg - Ed Johnson, Aaron Sheldrick - ‎1 hour ago‎ Oct. 8 (Bloomberg) -- A magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck off the Santa Cruz Islands in the Pacific Ocean today,... Tsunami warning for Queensland coast Brisbane Times - Tony Moore - ‎1 hour ago‎ A tsunami warning has been issued for the north Queensland coast between Yeppoon and Bowen following another earthquake in the Pacific. ... Tsunami warning issued for Pacific as strong earthquake strikes Vanuatu Telegraph.co.uk - Bonnie Malkin - ‎1 hour ago‎ A 7.8 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Vanuatu, triggering a tsunami warning for large swaths of the South Pacific. ... NZ Issues Tsunami Warning After Large Quake Near Vanuatu Wall Street Journal - ‎1 hour ago‎ WELLINGTON (Dow Jones)--New Zealand Civil Defence on Thursday issued a warning for a potential tsunami following a large earthquake near the South Pacific ... Second major earthquake hits Vanuatu The Australian - ‎1 hour ago‎ A SECOND major earthquake has hit Vanuatu, this time recording a magnitude of 7.3 on the Richter scale. The US Geological Survey reports the second quake ... Strong earthquakes rock South Pacific CNN - ‎1 hour ago‎ (CNN) -- Two major earthquakes struck 15 minutes apart Thursday morning near the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean, the US Geological Survey said. ... 8.1 magnitude earthquake strikes NW of Vanuatu Reuters - ‎1 hour ago‎ WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 (Reuters) - An 8.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the northwest of Santo, Vanuatu, the US Geological Survey said on Wednesday. ... Tsunami watch upgraded to warning TVNZ - ‎4 minutes ago‎ A tsunami watch for New Zealand has been upgrade to a tsunami warning, following two earthquakes which struck off the north-northwest coast of Vanuatu. ... Great quake hits South Pacific, tsunami warning issued The Age - ‎1 hour ago‎ An 8.1-magnitude quake hit the Santa Cruz islands in the South Pacific early Thursday, seismologists said, and a tsunami warning had been issued for Vanuatu ... Tsunami warning in south Pacific BBC News - ‎1 hour ago‎ Two earthquakes off the south-west Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu have put the region on alert for a tsunami. The first quake with a magnitude of 7.8 was ... 7.3 earthquake hits South Pacific, minutes after 7.8: USGS AFP - ‎44 minutes ago‎ PORT VILA — A major 7.3 earthquake struck off Vanuatu just minutes after a 7.8 quake nearby triggered a tsunami warning for large parts of the South Pacific ...

Insight

INSIGHT "Do not blame Caesar, blame the people of Rome who have so enthusiastically acclaimed and adored him and rejoiced in their loss of freedom and danced in his path and gave him triumphal processions. ... Blame the people who hail him when he speaks in the Forum of the 'new, wonderful good society' which shall now be Rome's, interpreted to mean 'more money, more ease, more security, more living fatly at the expense of the industrious.'" --Roman statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 B.C.) This quote found on this page: http://patriotpost.us/

New Virus/trojan picks banks pockets - be aware!

Be sure to have your antivirus program up-to-date.  WebTV'rs want get it but they can pass the virus.  Please inform all in order for us to be on guard.  Dee   drrohe http://bit.ly/o49Vc ATM for crooks - new trojan/virus picks your bank account pockets. Be aware!less than 5 seconds ago from web     Gangster's ATM: New 'Trojan horse' opens your bank account to crooks -- DailyFinance