New York Times social media editor Daniel Victor argues that the oft used Twitter hashtag is mostly visual noise. Using #superbowl as an example, Victor points out your #superbowl hashtag was one of 3 million used in a five hour period. So it didn't likely get noticed. The more popular the hashtag, the less effective it becomes.

But what's the harm you may ask. Victor's response is pretty funny.

"Using a hashtag does no harm in the same way wood paneling does no harm to your station wagon, or a misspelled tattoo does no harm to your bicep."

Victor calls hashtags "aesthetically damaging" believing they are less likely to be retweeted.

But there are good uses for hashtags as Victor admits. They work well for smaller groups and subtext.

Regarding best practices for professionals, Victor makes some good points. As for the rest of Twitter users, I suspect most use hashtags more often than not to feel they are part of something larger.

California and Illinois had laws take effect at the start of 2013 that prohibit employers from demanding passwords for social network accounts of workers and job applicants. The two states join Michigan which enacted a similar law in December. The Michigan law also bans educational institutions from dismissing or refusing to admit students who decline to provide account information.

The practice has become more common. Those needing jobs may feel as if they have little choice but to comply. I'm not sure I'd want to work with a company that would even request my passwords, but does North Carolina need similar law?

These laws do not protect workers from action over an inappropriate status update or tweet. So remember, you are what you tweet.

Via Reuters

Incorporating a social media component into customer experience is one way to engage customers, according to Olalah Njenga, founder and CEO of the YellowWood Group, a Raleigh-based marketing and sales performance company.

One opportunity to do that is for retailers to ask their customers to share their positive experience or purchase on social media.  Retailers should also consider offering an incentive, such as $5 off the next transaction, if the customer posts a picture of their purchase and tags the store.

“Socially, I think brands want people to be more engaged and share more,” Njenga said. “So, doing something that will illicit that kind of behavior is something that brands should really consider.”

Hotels, Njenga said, have it down to a science.  When Njenga shares her positive hotel experience with the front desk, the first thing she is asked to do is: “Could you please share that on Trip Advisor? Could you please give us five stars? Could you let other people see that you had a great experience?”

Development at Facebook could lead to the social network site lifting its current ban on users under the age of 13.

The move would expand Facebook's market with an even deeper reach in to the youth population.

The WSJ says Facebook is testing buffers and parental controls. Consumer Reports reported last year there were 7.5 million children under the age of 13 using Facebook. Microsoft Research sponsored a study reporting that 36% of parents were aware that their children joined Facebook before age 13.

Is it a matter of being too young, or is it parenting issue? Nearly all of us know of adults that have difficulty curbing their Facebook participation. Can parents and Facebook protect them?

Colin Campbell of the Clayton News-Star and News & Observer reports that the Johnston school board has approved new policies regulating student and teacher use of social media. The board wants principals to be able to crack down on bullying and other harassment.

Campbell reports that principals could discipline students for posted comments as if the student had made the comment at school. Also, teachers can't use social media to communicate with students, parents or co-workers. So a teacher cannot "friend" a student on Facebook. It will be interesting to see if other school systems follow Johnston's lead. --John Drescher

You will see an improved News & Observer with a new appearance starting Monday. Our print paper has had the same look for about 10 years. It needs to be updated to reflect some of the changes in how information is reported, distributed and received.

On the second page of the A and Sports sections, you will see daily features that reflect what people are saying online and in social media. The new Sports feature, “Sports Now,” will include an excerpt from one of our sports bloggers, as well as Twitter highlights from the North Carolina sports community. On 2A, “Talking Points” will report on the digital conversation, locally and nationally, and will show which stories are hot in the Triangle.

In the Weekend section on Fridays, you will find a new roundup of movie reviews. In Home & Garden on Saturdays, we will add new columns on decorating and gardening. To make room for some of these features, some of our comics will be eliminated.

The paper also will have a new look. The page will be slightly narrower (by less than a half-inch) but will be easier to read. On section fronts and many inside pages, we will run five wider columns instead of six narrow ones. The wider columns – about 2 inches wide – enable most readers to move through a story quicker. The size of the type in stories will not change.

Our 10 community papers will make similar appearance changes, effective with Wednesday's editions.  Read more Saturday in my column at newsobserver.com. Let us know what you think about the changes.

--John Drescher

Ray LaHood, the U.S. transportation secretary, recommended today that automakers equip new cars with controls to disable some kinds of in-vehicle technology while the car is in motion -- to limit the safety hazard of distracting drivers with communication, entertainment and other functions that are not required to operate the car safely. [See 2/16/12 story.]

The driver would have to stop the car and put the transmission in "park" to perform functions on built-in gadgets including texting, Web browsing, 10-digit phone dialing, and viewing more than 30 characters of a text message unrelated to driving. 

These functions would be enabled in moving cars only for devices that are used by passengers and cannot be viewed by drivers. ... [MORE]

Google's plan to integrate its Google+ social network into its search results has Twitter on the defensive.

Called "Search Plus Your World," Google's new search culls through Google+ data to deliver more personal search results.

In a statement Twitter said, "We're concerned that as a result of Google's changes, finding this information will be much harder for everyone. We think that's bad for people, publishers, news organizations and Twitter users."

A post from Google volleys that Twitter can't be too surprised. This is appears to be the fallout of Twitter choosing not to renew their agreement with Google. Remember Google's Realtime Search that churned up tweets?
 

Google+ has generated a lot of buzz. Some have anointed it the Facebook killer which is a far stretch, but Google+ does have some intriguing features and a refreshing interface.

Here is a handy infographic that shows you how the two stack up.

As Facebook emerged from the primordial ooze of social media, skeptics assumed its users were a bunch of misanthropic hermits and rid the technology as a threat to real-world relationships.

Guess what.

Researchers have found that those on Facebook are more social than those who are not. Those not online tend to be more socially isolated.

This shouldn't shock anyone who actually uses social media, but it does affirm common sense. Even a user with the of slightest social tendencies can perceive the value of social media tools. Thus social hounds naturally gravitate toward Facebook for its social managment.

There are a few interesting factoids in the story at this link.