Weekly New/Digital Media homework Week 24

WEEK 24

1. Google hires founder of 4chan, the ‘Zuckerberg of online underground’

• Chris Poole founded the controversial online community 4chan when he was 15, and many speculate he’s going to help Google tackle social media
• Google has hired Christopher Poole, the founder of the notorious and controversial internet image-board 4chan.
• Poole announced the move in a post on Tumblr, writing that he planned to “contribute my own experience from a dozen years of building online communities” to the internet behemoth.
• Poole’s reference to “online communities”, as well the news’confirmation by Google+ architect and vice-president of streams, photos, and sharing, Bradley Horowitz, has led many to speculate that Poole will help Google tackle social media, one of the few areas of the internet where Google has failed to compete.

2. Apple launches ‘Support’ Twitter account, allowing people to tweet at it

• The company doesn’t have an official account, instead preferring to send updates out through its executives or profiles dedicated to specific services
• Apple has launched an official Twitter account to allow people to tweet at it with their problems.
• The company doesn’t run an official Twitter feed, instead offering individual ones for each service. But the new account might be the closest that it comes to offering a central account.
• The @AppleSupport account is tweeting tips and tricks for Apple devices, as well as responding to questions from users. People can tweet at the account publicly, or it offers private direct message conversations.
• Apple has long offered live online chat with its support staff, through its own website. But the new account brings it in line with a range of other companies by offering a way for people to get in touch over the social network.