Julie Minevich

Tonight, Facebook unveiled its new geo-location feature: Facebook Places. Here’s a quick video the company has put out to explain the new feature.

Now, for my thoughts:

• I’m pretty excited for the unveiling of Facebook places. I’ve used Foursquare, a niche geo-location social network since March 2009 and I’ve definitely found it useful and fun. I think that many more people will be exposed to the concept of sharing their physical locations with their online social networks which will only add richness and value to all users.
• I do think that there will be a backlash regarding privacy concerns. I don’t think that the general population is really ready to embrace this type of online/offline interaction. I give Facebook kudos by being proactive and explaining the privacy settings up front. Clearly, the company has learned its mistake of being too open with users’ data.
• A huge win for Facebook places is its ability to also check users into Foursquare, Gowalla and Yelp. This helps ensure that the early adopters who have built a community on those sites can migrate to Facebook and know that they will still be able to engage with those services.
• Where are the women project managers in the video above? The video makes sure that the Facebook spokespeople are all culturally diverse but gender equality seems to be missing…

So, what do you think? Are you excited to try out Facebook Places? Concerned about how it may erode privacy?

I was recently interviewed by Alexa Lee of The Daily Universe, Brigham Young University’s student newspaper, for an article she was writing about twentysomethings who are successful at using new media as business ventures. I have provided a sneak peak of the article below. (Please note: This is the last of a three part series –  Read part one and part two.)

What do you recommend for those trying to break into and incorporate web 2.0 and other technologies?

I have three tips that can help both individuals and organizations be successful in adopting these new tools:

First and foremost, don’t try to do everything and be everywhere right away. Start off small, perhaps by setting up a Facebook profile. Once you’ve really mastered one platform add something to your “regime” and then once you have a handle on the two, add another component, and so on.

Be consistent across all platforms. For example, pick one picture to represent you online and use that anywhere you are asked for a picture. Choose one form of your name – don’t go by Billy in one place and William in another. In essence, you are building an online identity. (This is easier for organizations – they should already have a brand identity established.)

Be aware that everything you put on the web can be found, so be on your best behavior at all times. That may seem like common sense, but when we’re typing on a computer and not talking to a person, we forget how much of our online activity is public. There was a recent case where a Ketchum VP insulted his Fedex Client through a Tweet and consequently tarnished his personal reputation as well as that of his firm. (A summary of the incident can be found here.)

Why does new media matter?

We used to have a physical water cooler around which we shared news, caught up on the latest gossip, and provided recommendations. With today’s distributed workforce and the resulting dispersed personal and professional networks, that activity has shifted online and the conversations we have are being facilitated by new media. In order to participate in the conversation, in order to provide your input, in order to raise awareness about you as a person, the organization you represent, or the cause you fight for, you have no choice but to use these new tools.