SocialMedia

Why Facebook's Falling Share Price Really Doesn't Matter

On Monday, Facebook's stock fell from its IPO price of $38 to a low of (as of this writing) $33.60. So what? Nobody who actually paid attention to Facebook's statements before the IPO should be surprised by this latest turn, or even worried. Here's why:

Facebook IPO Valuation Sets Record: Is It Really Worth $104 Billion?

Facebook finally set its IPO price Thursday evening: $38 a share, for a record-setting value of $104 billion on the social media giant. Is it worth it? Who knows. But despite the skeptics, there are definitely ways to make money from all those Facebook users' eyeballs.

Maryland May Ban Employers from Demanding Facebook Passwords

Maryland is poised to become the first state to ban employers from demanding applicants or workers hand over their log-in information for social media sites like Facebook. The measure handily passed the legislature earlier this month, and now awaits the governor's signature.

Want to Protect Your Online Privacy? Too Late

Recently, companies have begun to ask potential employees to hand over their Facebook passwords, and the backlash has been loud, widespread and angry. Too bad we hardly have any online privacy left to save.

How Crowdtilt Brings 'Fun' into the Group Funding Craze

The evolution of the idea was probably inevitable. Once people got comfortable using sites like Kickstarter to crowd fund creative projects, someone was going to launch a pooled-money platform for funding the social activities of groups of friends. That site is Crowdtilt.

Why Facebook Is Paying These People's Tax Bills

When the Facebook IPO arrives, many of its employees are almost certain to hit it rich -- and they're getting an extra benefit no one would have expected: The company will pay the taxes on their stock profits. Crazy? Recent history says not. Here's why:

The Perils of Social Media Connectivity: We Can't Quit

Hyper-connection means missing an email, text, Tweet or status update -- or a moment of the Kardashians. But is that a good thing? Are we too connected? And if the answer is yes, is it even possible to back away from the smartphones and social media and go back to our old-fashioned ways?

SEC Warns of Social Media Schemes After Fraud Case

Regulators are warning the public to be wary of social media sites that could be offering bogus investment schemes. The warning follows civil charges filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission against an Illinois-based investment adviser who tried to sell fraudulent securities through Linkedin.

Music Video Moves BofA on Stalled Mortgage Loan

It might not be the right method for everyone seeking a home loan, but it worked for one Georgia couple: A music video that went viral got Bank of America to close on Ken and Meredith Williams' long-delayed mortgage.

How Facebook Timeline May Poke Holes in Your Privacy

Facebook's new Timeline program allows users to review everything they've ever shared on Facebook and showcase what they think is most worth remembering. It's fully customizable -- but there are some downsides.

What Insurers Could Do With Your 'Social Media Score'

Here's yet another reason to watch what you say and do online: Insurance companies are already surfing social media sites to get the scoop about their customers, and what their data-miners find may soon be compiled into a new way to rate you as a risk: a social networking score.

Investors 'Unfriend' the Facebook IPO

Are you hungry for a piece of the Facebook IPO? If so, then pull up a chair. There's plenty of room at the table ... because the other guests are fleeing. After months when all we've heard is that this (eventual) stock sale will be the hottest thing since Google, the hype trend has reversed.

Zagat Unveils the Next Generation of Crowdsourcing

It's a classic tale, retold a million times: The brash young gunslinger rises to the top of his craft, only to find himself facing a new generation itching to unseat him. But for Zagat surveys, the most famous name in restaurant reviews, the revolution is far from over.

Does Facebook's Spotify Deal Threaten Pandora?

There's a new threat on the horizon for Internet radio leader Pandora: Facebook has plans to partner with music streaming service Spotify. The good news for Pandora is that Spotify isn't online in the U.S. yet. They won't compete head to head for years. But when they do, what might it do to Pandora's stock value?