Lap Dances at Yahoo's Hack Days? A Lesson in Monitoring a Global Brand

Allyson Kapin — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:35:39 -0400

Where are the Women in Tech and Social Media?

Allyson Kapin — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:05:57 -0400

When you look around the room at a tech or social media conference what do you see? Are the panels filled with a diverse group of tech and social media experts? Chances are they are probably filled with white men. So why is that a bad thing, when after all, the tech sector is comprised of about 75% men and 25% women? It's a problem because when we design technology and social media platforms we design it for all. Women make up approximately 50% of computer and social media users.

Twitter's Published Stolen Documents Raises Ethics Questions

Allyson Kapin — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:44:17 -0400

"Journalists should report on what people need to know, not what people want to know" the late Walter Cronkite once said. Journalism has certainly changed since Cronkite retired. The most established newspapers in history are struggling to survive and come up with a viable financial model. Bloggers and citizen journalists are carving out niches and redefining what makes a breaking news story. The lines between blogger and journalist are blurred and as a result we have run into ethics issues.

Social Media Roundup: Sex and Drama

Allyson Kapin — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:51:28 -0400

Sex and drama have filled the social media world this week. Between prominent tech figures and investors spouting more crude images of women to make their points about Web site usability to a Harvard study that claims men have more of a following then women on Twitter, it's been a whirlwind.

Pioneering Women Who Are Breaking Through the Digital Ceiling Part 3

Allyson Kapin — Sun, 10 May 2009 00:34:49 -0400

What would you do if your customers revolted against a new company policy? Would you put it to a public vote on the company blog? When Amy Muller and her business partners were looking for an inexpensive CRM or trouble ticket solution for their side project “Valleyschwhag” to help improve customer service, they couldn’t find one, so they built it.

Pioneering Women Who Are Breaking Through the Digital Ceiling Part 2

Allyson Kapin — Thu, 07 May 2009 21:08:51 -0400

Shireen Mitchell, Founder of Digital Sisters/Sistas, Chair of the media and technology task force of the National Council of Women's Organizations (Geekette '84) and one of the founders of the Fem 2.0 Conference and Social Media Women of Color is at the forefront of the nptech and social media world.

Pioneering Women Who Are Breaking Through the Digital Ceiling – Part 1

Allyson Kapin — Tue, 05 May 2009 21:18:38 -0400

On Monday I posed the question on the Fast Company blog “Who’s to Blame for the Digital Ceiling?".

Who's to Blame for Creating the Digital Ceiling?

Allyson Kapin — Sun, 03 May 2009 20:11:51 -0400

Let's be honest, no industry is immune from sexism, racism, or ageism for that matter. The tech industry is no different.

Vista: The Safest Operating System on the Planet?

Allyson Kapin — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:01:02 -0400

At least that's what Microsoft COO Kevin Turner said last week during a speech at a CIO summit.

"Vista today, post-Service Pack 2, which is now in the marketplace, is the safest, most reliable OS we've ever built. It's also the most secure OS on the planet, including Linux and open source and Apple Leopard. It's the safest and most secure OS on the planet today."

The Joys of Facebook’s Redesign

Allyson Kapin — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 09:31:13 -0400

Facebook has redesigned their site again hoping to squash some complaints that the site is cluttered and not user-friendly. Did Facebook succeed with the new redesign and create a clean site with an intuitive interface and good flow? Many users say no. The big problem is that Facebook has transformed itself from a community to easily connect with friends to a website that is trying to become “The King” of all social networks filled with lots of bells and whistles and useless apps and widgets.