HOW TO: Back Up Your Social Media Presence Before the Ball Drops

Remember how we were all freaking out on New Year's Eve, 1999, convinced that the world as we know it would end at the hands of machines, of course? Well, we weathered that storm and then some. Still, as we shamble forward into the next decade, it might be prudent to take pause and take stock of the years behind us. Translation: Back up your stuff.

Think of it as stockpiling food and building a fallout shelter for the 21st century. We have a ton of information, photos and memories scattered around the web that we would be loathe to lose, and while it's unlikely that the entire Internet is going to come crashing down in the next week or so, it still might be wise to put some of that stuff in an iron box for safe keeping.

Read on, and Christina Warren and I will show you how to
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Back Up Your Facebook
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We're coming pretty close to living our lives on Facebook it's our photo album, diary and mailbox, all in one so why leave all that info up to the whims of the all-mighty servers? This October, the social network got hip to data portability after it started allowing users to download their profiles photos, statues, updates, videos and all.

The process is really too simple to forgo. Here's how you can stow away your social life for safekeeping: 1). Go to Account Settings, 2). Click on "Download Your Information" and allow Facebook to download your info, 3). Wait for an e-mail that will let you know your info is ready (it takes a while, what with all the stuff you probably have on Facebook), 4). Go through the security test that allows you to download your info (kudos on that one, Facebook), and, voila, your profile is ported to your desktop in a nifty folder. Do this before you go through with that New Year's resolution to make your profile less scandalous you know, for when you're old and gray and full of sleep and nodding by the fire.
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Back Up Your Tweets
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Yes, the Library of Congress is now hoarding tweets, but that doesn't do much for the casual user looking to keep a log of his own mundane musings, now does it?

Thankfully, you're got some options. There's TweetStream, which lets you back up your data as well as mine it for information and statistics. (Be warned, this service takes a looooong time to gather your info).

And if TweetStream doesn't strike your fancy, TweetScan, a site we covered back in 2009, will track your data back to 2007, and, using OAuth, will even grab your timeline, tweets from friends and direct messages.

Pinboard, a paid, Delicious-like (RIP) tool, also lets you store your tweets you can also back up or archive tweets from other usernames or from hashtags, as well as add favorites from a username and turn links embedded in tweets into bookmarks.

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Back Up Your Blog
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After Tumblr's epic outage the other week, we showed you all how to back up your blogs. Well, we're just going to reiterate that right now, along with some solutions for WordPress as well. Remember how you felt when your mom threw away all your old journals, crammed to the margins with angsty poetry? Well, that's not a feeling one would like to replicate later in life (unless it was relief in which case, disregard).
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Tumblr
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Last year, Tumblr launched a backup app that allows users to save their blogs so that they can be viewed on any computer, burned to a CD or hosted as an archive of static HTML files. The app is super easy to use: Simply download, enter your Tumblr sign-in info and save your blog to your desktop (it looks like the below screenshot). You can launch the app and backup more info every time you post as well.

Note, this app is only for Mac OS X (10.5 or higher), but there are other options for those who use different operating systems.
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WordPress
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If your blog or website uses WordPress, grabbing a backup file of all your posts, pages and comments is easy. In the WordPress dashboard, just go to Tools, Export and choose what types of posts you want to export.

If you want a backup of your entire WordPress database, the excellent WP-DB-Backup plugin can make scheduled database backups for your WordPress site at intervals you choose and even e-mail you the backup file.
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Back Up Your Photos
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If you're like millions of Internet users, you probably upload most of your photos to a photo-sharing site like Flickr or Facebook. While you're backing up your blog entries, tweets and Facebook messages, it might be a good idea to go ahead and archive all of your photos, too. If nothing else, this is a great way to destroy the evidence from that sorority beer bong tournament in college.

Flickr is a great service and in terms of reliability, it's consistently solid. What's less consistent is the whims of its parent company, Yahoo. If the Delicious debacle has taught us anything, it's that Yahoo isn't afraid to sell off or shut down a service with millions of daily users.

Lots of apps and tools let you back up your Flickr photo stream, but a quick, fuss-free way to unload years of photo uploads is the Adobe Air app Flump. The app works on Mac, Windows and Linux and downloads a copy of each photo in your stream to a folder of your choice.

Be aware that while this will grab each and every photo, tags, titles and photo sets are not preserved. There a few other alternatives if you're willing to invest more time in the process, but Flump gets the job done.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, matspersson0
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Reviews: Delicious, Facebook, Flickr, Internet, Linux, Tumblr, Windows, WordPress, adobe AIR, iStockphoto

More About: facebook, flickr, social media, tumblr, twitter, WordPress

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http://mashable.com/2010/12/28/back-up-social-media/

Book Review: "My Parent has an Autism Spectrum Disorder

@earlyautism: Book Review: "My Parent has an Autism Spectrum Disorder A Workbook for Children and Teens" by Barba | autisable http://ow.ly/3v9Hf

Twitter Link: http://twitter.com/earlyautism/statuses/19923065127305216

Edwin Schlossberg

"The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think."

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Edwin_Schlossberg

Japanese Proverb

"Fall seven times, stand up eight."

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Japanese_Proverb

David Zucker

"Quit now, you'll never make it. If you disregard this advice, you'll be halfway there."

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/David_Zucker

Eyewitness News - BakersfieldNow - The City of Bakersfield issued a Proclamation of Local Emergency

Eyewitness News - BakersfieldNow
The City of Bakersfield issued a Proclamation of Local Emergency Sunday evening and urged people to avoid any unnecessary driving. Rhonda Sm…Bakersfield declares local emergency

http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/112168459.html


Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/minifeed.php?id=91093559934&story_fbid=91093559934_184508074892951

@bradsdeals

@bradsdeals: Pillow Pets $12 Shipped by Christmas http://bdeal.me/ikfMwQ

Twitter Link: http://twitter.com/bradsdeals/statuses/15878637555294208

Okakura Kakuzo

"The art of life lies in a constant readjustment to our surroundings."

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Okakura_Kakuzo

"Whatever" voted most irritating word in poll

HA!
-jb
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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Whatever you think about using grating words, at the end of the day it's actually better not to say whatever, if you know what I mean.

http://us.mobile.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE6BE5TL20101215

The Santa Chronicles

The following is an article from Uncle John's Unstoppable Bathroom Reader.

You probably don't give Santa a second look when you see him in a department store or on a street corner every December but maybe you should.

SANTA COPS

By December 2001, Mafia fugitive Francesco Farina had been on the run from Sicilian police for more than five years. Holed up in what he thought was a great hideout -a flat in downtown Catania- Farina was able to look out his window and see whether the cops were closing in on him. But all he saw were the regular assortment of Christmas shoppers, schoolchildren, and a Santa Claus ho-ho-hoing on the street corner. A few days before Christmas, thinking that the coast was clear, Farina decided to go out on the town. Bad idea: the guy in the red suit wasn't Santa after all. A succession of surveillance cops dressed as Santa had kept their eyes on Farina, who ended up spending Christmas in jail.

SANTA'S FISTS OF FURY

An unidentified Santa was cruising down a LeHigh Acres, Florida street in his convertible when he was approached by 20-year-old Jonathan Danzey, who asked Santa for a present. Informed there was nothing for him in Santa';s sack, Danzey got angry. Words were exchanged, Santa got out of the car, and Danzey tried to punch him. According to Katherine Phillips, who witnessed the altercation, "Santa Claus whipped his butt." He ripped Danzey's shirt, knocked him to the ground, then drove away.  The cops soon arrived and arrested Danzey on drunk and disorderly charges. "He won, " Danzey conceded, "but he was stronger and more soberer."

SANTAS ON THE RUN

One of the oddest sights in the history of sports took place in Newtown, Wales, in December 2002. More than 1,000 runners -both male and female- participated in a four-mile race for charity all dressed in full Santa Claus garb: black boots, red pants, red coat, and a big white beard. Said one of the runners: "It's a lot easier to run in a Santa suit than to try to hold a normal conversation in one."

SANTA PROTESTORS

What if Santa were banned from Christmas? That's what they tried to do in the small town of Kensington, Maryland in 2001. Some of the townspeople complained that it made them feel uncomfortable having a "religious figure" participate in the annual tree-lighting ceremony, so the town fathers decided to ask Santa to stay home. Unfortunately, not everyone in town agreed with the decision. Result: 50 Santas showed up and marched on City Hall. Pro- and anti-Santa factions clashed; one Santa was arrested.

SANTA MELTDOWN

Shortly before Christmas in 1999, Kelley Fornatoro placed her 19-month-old son next to Santa for a holiday portrait in a Woodland Hills, California shopping mall. The baby immediately started crying. So Fornatoro suggested that Santa put his arm around the boy to calm him down. That's when Santa had a fit of his own. "I will not imprison your child!" he yelled at her. "Was it worth it for you to torture your child for a picture? You must be an evil person." As Fornatoro retrieved her baby, she said she'd be filing a formal complaint. "You can complain about me if you want, but I am Santa Claus. I am the best person in the world!" Then he got really mad. While parents rushed to cover their shocked children's eyes, Santa began undressing. He took off his hat, beard, wig, coat, and belt, and was down to his red, baggy pants and a tank top when security guards escorted him out of the building.

THE SANTA

In a quest to find Great Britain's ultimate Santa, organizers at Guinness World Records sponsored the first-ever "Santathon" in December 2001. The event included a field of eight top contenders donned in full beards, red suits, and black boots. Competitive events included sack-hauling, pie eating, chimney climbing, stocking filling, and ho-ho-hoing. First prize was awarded to David Broughton-Davis, 43, from Croydon, a professional department store Santa. "I'm not very proud to admit that my best event was eating three large mince pies," Broughton-David lamented after being awarded the Golden Boots trophy. "I just wish that event hadn't taken place before the chimney climb. It was hard on the stomach."

___________________

The article above was reprinted with permission from Uncle John's Unstoppable Bathroom Reader.

Uncle John's Bathroom Reader is having their annual Holiday Sale, in which you can save 30% on your purchase! Get free shipping on orders of $35 or more by using the code HOL10SHIP. And check out the BRI's newest volume, Uncle John's Heavy Duty Bathroom Reader.

http://www.neatorama.com/2010/12/13/the-santa-chronicles/

Anais Nin

"We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are."

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Anais_Nin

Martin Luther King Jr.

"Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars... Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Martin_Luther_King_Jr.

Thomas Paine

"He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself."

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Thomas_Paine

Spike Milligan

"Are you going to come quietly, or do I have to use earplugs?"

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Spike_Milligan

Indira Gandhi

"You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist."

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Indira_Gandhi

--
This article was sent using my Viigo.
For a free download, go to http://getviigo.com

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Joseph Addison

"A misery is not to be measured from the nature of the evil, but from the temper of the sufferer."

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Joseph_Addison

Hugh Macleod

"Good ideas alter the power balance in relationships, that is why good ideas are always initially resisted. Good ideas come with a heavy burden. Which is why so few people have them. So few people can handle it."

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Hugh_Macleod

Sensory processing disorder

@TheCoffeeKlatch: Sunday: Chynna Laird Author of award-winning book, "I'm Not Weird, I Have SPD" on Tweetchat w host @ChuckWalley #Sensoryprocessingdisorder

Twitter Link: http://twitter.com/TheCoffeeKlatch/statuses/10506143851880449

John Stuart Mill

"If mankind minus one were of one opinion, then mankind is no more justified in silencing the one than the one - if he had the power - would be justified in silencing mankind."

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/John_Stuart_Mill

5 Ways You Can Block A Facebook Stalker

A follow-up to previous post. Thanks to all who research this stuff!

-JB
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Facebook is a great platform for networking. You can reconnect with old friends from school or stay in touch with family and friends who live far away. Facebook makes it easy to find and get in touch with people. However, this feature can haunt you when someone you wish you had never met won't stop messaging and harassing you.

If your stalker's prime route of contact is through Facebook, there are several things you can do to block that Facebook stalker and make it difficult for them to contact you. This article will guide you through the options you have. The two final steps can also help to never attract a stalker in the first place.

If the Facebook stalker is or was on your friend list, unfriending them is not enough. Anyone not your friend on Facebook can still search and find your profile and see everything that you share with everyone. The only way to exclude that person, especially if you have mutual friends on Facebook, is to block them.

There are three different routes through which you can block people.

1. Via Your Block Lists

You can block both people and applications.

In Facebook, go to > Account > Privacy Settings and find the item called > Block Lists at the bottom of the page. Click the > Edit your lists link to proceed.

On the following page you can enter Facebook users by name and email address and block them.

If there are several people with the same name, you will see a list of matching profiles. Click the > Block button next to the person you were looking for.

2. Via Their Profile

On each Facebook user profile there is a > Report/Block this Person link at the bottom left. Click this link and a window will pop up that allows you to make a selection.

For example, you could report the person for > Unwanted contact and check the box to > Block this person. If you go with the block, the name will appear in your Block Lists, as described above.

3. Via Their Messages

If the person you wish to block has sent you any messages, you can block them by clicking the > Report link next to their name and the date the message was received. To see the link you must open the message. Once you click it, a window with further options will pop up.

Note that no one you block will be notified of the action. However, if they are on your friend list, they will be removed and your profile will not be visible to them. Likewise, you won't be able to view their profile. You both will be invisible to each other, with the exception of third party applications.

If you accidentally blocked someone, you can easily remove the block. Go to your Block Lists and click the > Unblock link next to the person's name. You will be asked to confirm. Unblocking a person will not restore a previous connection.

4. Remove Your Basic Directory Information

If you have a serious stalker, chances are they will just set up a new Facebook account once you block them. In this case you should consider making your profile private, so that strangers can not find and harass you.

The first thing you should do, is remove as much of yourself as possible from the > Basic Directory Information. Go to > Account > Privacy Settings and click on > View Settings.

On the following page you can define who can search and find you on Facebook, send friend requests or messages, see your friend list, and more. For each item choose carefully from the following options: Everyone, Friends of Friends, or Friends Only.

Unfortunately, you cannot completely hide yourself. Facebook states that "your name, profile picture, gender, and network are always open to everyone." This explains why.

5. Tighten Your Privacy Settings

Besides restricting basic directory information, you should also restrict who can see the things you are sharing. Go back to > Account > Privacy Settings and click the > Customize settings to adjust your > Sharing on Facebook options. You can also choose from a default setting.

A new page with a list of options will open. Go through all the points and decide who you want to see your posts, your personal information, or things others share with you. You can choose from Everyone, Friends of Friends, Friends Only, or Customize each point and make the information visible to only yourself or hide it from specific people.

Conclusion

It goes without saying that Facebook is just one medium through which a person can stalk you. No matter how tight your privacy settings or how trustworthy the people on your friend list are, someone determined to find and harass you still has the rest of the internet at their disposal. Be sure to treat your personal information, your contact data, and your online privacy in general like a raw egg.

This article can only scratch on the surface. For more detailed information, check out The (Very) Unofficial Facebook Privacy Manual written by my colleague Angela.

Here are several more articles you may find helpful:
6 Simple Tips To Protect Your Privacy on Facebook
How To Secure Your Facebook Seetings The Easy Way
How to Remove False Information about Yourself on the Internet

Image credits: Ronen Boidek

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Makeuseof/~3/eouONmI-XRo/

Stop Cyberbullying and “Find Help” on Facebook

Repost of someone else's earlier post, but well worth sharing. A friend of a friend was stalked on Facebook and these links are nearly impossible to find -- even worse to find after you block the stalker because now you can't point Facebook Customer Service to his/her page!

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In response to increasing concerns about teenagers' safety on Facebook, SafetyWeb.com, a web-based monitoring site, has introduced a new "Find Help" application on Facebook.

The app allows users to report any violation or cyberbullying to Facebook officials while also connecting to safety and support organizations related to cyberbullying, child exploitation, suicide, depression, substance abuse and LGBT issues.

Clicking on the app brings up links for reporting incidents and useful numbers from organizations like the National Center for Missing Exploited Children's CyberTipline, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline and Facebook Abuse Reporting.

Bully victims can find it difficult to self-report incidents; this app will hopefully make it easier for them to not only report abusive behaviour but seek help and guidance at the same time. Cyberbullying is a real problem that has only recently gained mainstream attention due to a rash of teen suicides.

Social networks, despite their friend lists and updates, have also shown the dangers of cyberbullying. While social media tools like "Find Help" won't eradicate the problem, they help paint Facebook not just as the site of bullying but also as a solution to it.

Are there any privacy concerns to downloading an app like this? Is there any danger of falsely reporting abuse? Is Find Help a revolutionary app leading the charge to end cyberbullying? Let us know what you think and if you'd recommend the app in the comments below.
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Reviews: Facebook

More About: bullying, cyberbullying, facebook, find help, safetyweb.com, social networks, suicide

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Merger of Christmas and Hanukkah

This is an old article, so the link may not work. But it helps express the frenzied, hurried feeling of the season. (Have a good time and try not to take the season -& stress- too seriously!)

Happy Christma-Hanuk-Kwanza!
-JB
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Continuing the current trend of large-scale mergers and acquisitions, it was announced today at a press conference that Christmas and Hanukkah will merge. An industry source said that the deal had been in the works for about 1300 years.

While details were not available at press time, it is believed that the overhead cost of having twelve days of Christmas and eight days of Hanukkah was becoming prohibitive for both sides. By combining forces, we''re told, the world will be able to enjoy consistently high-quality service during the Fifteen Days of Chrismukah, as the new holiday is being called.

Massive layoffs are expected, with lords a-leaping and maids a-milking being the hardest hit. As part of the conditions of the agreement, the letters on the dreydl, currently in Hebrew, will be replaced by Latin, thus becoming unintelligible to a wider audience.

Also, instead of translating to "A great miracle happened there," the message on the dreydl will be the more generic "Miraculous stuff happens." In exchange, it is believed that Jews will be allowed to use Santa Claus and his vast merchandising resources for buying and delivering their gifts.

One of the sticking points holding up the agreement for at least three hundred years was the question of whether Jewish children could leave milk and cookies for Santa even after having eaten meat for dinner. A breakthrough came last year, when Oreos were finally declared to be Kosher. All sides appeared happy about this.

A spokesman for Christmas, Inc., declined to say whether a takeover of Kwanzaa might not be in the works as well. He merely pointed out that, were it not for the independent existence of Kwanzaa, the merger between Christmas and Chanukah might indeed be seen as an unfair cornering of the holiday market. Fortunately for all concerned, he said, Kwanzaa will help to maintain the competitive balance. He then closed the press conference by leading all present in a rousing rendition of "Oy Vey, All Ye Faithful."

http://www.jokes.com/funny/whatever/merger-of-christmas-and-hanukkah

Picture and frame on one!

I have done this, but it sounds fabulous!

Just follow the link to the article and from there link to the actual site.
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Fracture - is a new kind of one piece picture frame that is made from printed glass. FractureMe is an easy-to-use tool that lets you customize your pictures online so they are ready to be printed on such a frame. You start by uploading your picture that you want to customize. Read more: Fracture: Get Your Images Printed on Glass Frame

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Makeuseof/~3/32SjT7pa3-0/