It is June 26, the day after the death of the King of Pop. It is still surreal for me to type these words and comprehend the truth – Michael Jackson is dead.

Amidst all the feelings of shock and nostalgia, it occurred to me how quickly this news spread across the world. With social networking sites playing such a huge role in our daily routines, it is not surprising that sites like Facebook and Twitter were the first to notify many.

As a rather credible news source, CNN has been covering the impact of MJ’s death – “Jackson dies – almost takes Internet with him.” With the news spreading like wildfire across the Web, from searches to social network status updates, this type of event was the closest thing to the Internet “breaking.”

In addition to Google Trends reporting the “volcanic” search volume, Twitter crashed, Google news was temporarily out of service, and AOL Instant Messenger shut down for 40 whole minutes. In short – Online Armaggedon.

 

 For some of us, June 25 will become a significant date: the day the world said goodbye to an American icon. (And to IMs for 40 minutes).

 RIP MJ.

As I was bidding my farewells to the friends I made on my latest family vacay in Russia, I pulled one of these, "Keep in touch, add me on Facebook!" .....whoops!

As it turns out, not only did they know what I was talking about, but they have their own version of Facebook!

It's called "V Kontakte," literally meaning "In Contact." The similarities to the Facebook design are uncanny - from the interface, to the features and apps, to the page layouts - these social networking sites are practically identical!

 

 

Even on the other side of the world, the impact of social networking is quite staggering. What is remarkable is how quickly these sites have been socialized on a global scale. The last time I visited family and friends in Moscow, the only way we kept in touch was through email.  Now with "V Kontakte," I can share photos, messages, and keep up to date with everything going on in the "motherland" (like my guilty pleasure Russian pop songs, shhh!). 

In today's economic climate, round trip plane tickets may be a bit of a splurge. But with a virtual passport at your fingertips, you can embark on your own international getaway!

Now it's that easy to stay "V Kontakte"..... I like this! (insert thumbs up)

Just when you thought social networking had permeated virtually every aspect of our busy lives (personal and professional), an unexpected function for these social networking sites is discovered  - disaster situations.

Researchers have found that sites like Facebook and Twitter have become critical in disaster situations like major fires and school shootings. 

As ABC 7 News reports, emergency managers are actually being encouraged to utilize these sites as vital tools for speedy information exchange. While the article refers to federal agencies in Denver, CO, organizations like FEMA all across the country have added social networking as a method for communicating important details at the first sign of an emergency or dangerous occurrence.

It is impressive that sites like Facebook that were once used day-to-day for lighthearted, small-talk type messaging have now evolved into news-breaking, crucial tools for enabling rescue in perilous situations. 

Wired online magazine featured an amusing article on Monday, 1/19, titled "Scott Brown on Why Hollywood Needs a New Model for Storytelling."

 In the midst of what Brown calls a "multiplatform, multipolar, mashup-media culture," the article illuminates the dwindling fate of the traditional storytelling model in Hollywood. With the plethora of interactive (and sometimes hyperactive), "reality-based," user-generated content being consumed through various media, the traditional hero's story is slowly becoming a thing of the past. 

Scott Brown's tongue-in-cheek alternative "Die Hard" plot makes one wonder - is our adoration and addiction to interactive, byte-sized media consumption contributing to this shift in storytelling?  And if so, is this a natural evolution, or will the nostalgia for traditional storytelling creep in?

Either way, the Internet is the place to satisfy your craving for "Story," whatever type it may be.

As the results of the U.S. presidential election hit the nation on the evening of November 4^th, it led many to analyze the strategy and effectiveness behind the winner’s campaign. Undeniably, the Internet was an influential force in this historic race, and has become a part of the evolution of mass media’s role in politics.

It began with families huddled over the radio listening to FDR’s Fireside Chats in the 1930s. Then came the Age of Television, when the famous 1960 debate of John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon was heavily influenced by the visual juxtaposition of the candidates. Those that may have been positively impacted by Nixon’s radio speech had a very different effect from the televised debates, where Kennedy’s photogenic look appealed to the masses.

And now we are in the Age of the Internet, where the viral power of the Web has enabled mass political messages to be heard through a plethora of outlets.

As the Clickz.com article title states, Web ads mattered more than ever in the 2008 election. From candidate fan pages on Facebook, to Obama and McCain profiles on MySpace, to personalized YouTube video messages, the Internet is an extremely pervasive medium for reaching the national and global audience in the political sphere.

It is also evident that Obama’s strategic online social network presence may have significantly aided him not only in fundraising, but in uniting his supporters and reaching out to younger, more tech savvy voters.

As NPR’s Scott Simon spoke with Techpresident.com co-founder Micah Sifry, predictions are being unveiled about Obama’s online presence now that he is President-elect. Check out the interview podcast!

So, can we still expect emails signed “Barack”?