In some ways I feel like a therapist. I get emails with details on how a blogger or small brand is being taunted and tormented by others online. I completely feel for them because I have my own trolls and 'mean girls'. I always thought that grown ups would be different. I figured that [...]
Frequently I am contacted by someone whose online work is being used without their permission. Whether it is an idea, a design concept, something from Twitter, a hot deal, a complete post, photos, graphics, it seems like there is a lot of taking going on. In addition, as many are trying to grow their [...]
Remember when you were a kid and your mom or dad told you "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."? And then you rolled your eyes (with your head turned so they couldn't see you) and under your breath called your brother a jerk? OK, maybe it was just me. But, [...]
This week, on May 11, 2011, Facebook made some sweeping changes to their promotional guidelines. The Facebook promotion guidelines are much shorter, but still pack a punch. As such, I wanted to highlight the changes. To see the prior iteration of the guideline, check out my Blog Law post about the prior Facebook promotion guidelines. [...]
More and more I'm seeing giveaways that may not be fully compliant with federal or state laws governing giveaways. Whether online or off, there are a host of laws that every contest holder must follow or risk significant fines or, in some states, criminal prosecution. Giveaway laws in the U.S. cover sweepstakes, contests, and [...]
Most SEO experts suggest using at least one photo in every blog post. From an aesthetic perspective, it's a good idea, especially when the online photo has something to do with the content. Photos and images are especially important for storytelling. Remember that "A picture is worth a thousand words" adage? I always thought [...]
UPDATE: Facebook changed their promotion guidelines on May 11, 2011. This post reflects information regarding promotion guidelines prior to that date. I have provided an update to Facebook promotion guidelines. Technically, Facebook promotions and giveaways are not a legal issue. However it has come up quite a bit so I figured it's an important topic. [...]
Used to be that we would upload our photos to our computers and then email them out to friends and family. Then the photo files got to be larger and larger and it become annoying to send one photo at a time. Photo sharing sites were developed to help facilitate showing our friends and family [...]
On December 1, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) updated their rules regarding advertising disclosures. It was the first time that the rules specifically brought bloggers under the FTC rules and guidelines. And the blogging world, since then, has been trying to figure out what to do. The FTC provisions are set out in 16 [...]
What happens to our social media and online accounts after death?I know, kind of a morbid topic. But last week CycleGuy found out on Facebook that one of his friends from high school had passed away. A guy he had talked to on Facebook chat just a week or so prior. A 40-something year young [...]