User Activity Insight with Polestar

Moderation tools in the Brandstation platform

We fully understand the issue of moderation and security of websites. Brandstation provides a moderation toolset / range of moderation tools that are ready to go / available to ondemand social networks, while bespoke solutions can be  developed.



Brandstation aims to enable owners to have full control over their site.

• Moderation tools allow site content to be managed by site owners and other admin members with assigned access permissions (multiple site moderators are possible).
• Moderation rules are configurable by the admin staff.
• Content items can be reported on by all members of a brandstation social network.
• Components may also be configured in such a way that make it mandatory that only content items that have been approved by a moderator will appear live.
• Moderators may assign content items to another moderator.

The moderation summary page provides a simple reporting feature that allows printed or filed references to be made by showing todays date, the start date and end date range of the content items that need to be moderated.

The total number of content items is listed versus the number of content items that have been flagged or reported.
The number of active versus inactive items is displayed.

Also noted on the moderation page are the number of moderation comments made on the reported items, the number of content items reassigned to another moderator and the number of users who have been made inactive due to moderation.

The Content made inactive vs Content reported as abuse is also shown as a percentage of rejections.

For every reported item, the following information is available:

• User → User that has been reported
• Reporter → User that reported the content
• Reason→ reason why the content item has been reported
• Comments → additional comments by the moderator(s)
• Content Title → item/type of content item that has been reported
• Content → more detailed information about the content item
• Content Abuse Count→ shows how many content items have been reported
• Date Reported → date when the content item was reported
• Moderator → moderator the content item is assigned to. By default content items are not assigned to any specific moderator.

Microsoft Windows 7 Touch Screen

Microsoft this week announced that they plan to have Windows 7 touch screen out for commercial use in the near future. Whilst some have said it is a rip off of Apple's Iphone, just on a larger scale, I personally think it is a true revolution and large step towards the futuristic appearences first displayed in hollywood sci-fi movies such as Minority Report. While the interface appears to be similar to the design of Apple Mac, it is surely a huge step forward in the use of personal computers. I personally cannot wait to get one and give it a test run.

See link below for sample video of it's functionality as displayed on bbc.co.uk:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7965513.stm

Lyndon

Social Nets and Blogs More Popular Than E-Mail

Aside from searching for information, e-mail has long been the most popular activity online. But no more.

According to Nielsen Online, more people in the US and other leading digital countries worldwide are using social networks and blogs than e-mail.

While search and destination sites remain the most popular online activities, social network and blog use exceeded that of e-mail, increasing their reach by 5.4 percentage points.

In addition, time spent on social networks and blogging sites is growing at over three times the rate of overall Internet growth.

Need data for presentations? eMarketer subscribers can download charts instantly — over 50,000 choices. Learn About an eMarketer Subscription

Regardless, marketers should use caution before abandoning simpler media such as e-mail or search for social network advertising.

A 2008 study performed by IDC found that 43% of social network users never clicked on ads, and only 11% of those who did actually purchased anything. Compare that to nonusers, 80% of whom clicked on ads at least once per year; 23% of those who did click bought something.

Online retailers surveyed in an Econsultancy and R.O.EYE study found e-mail marketing to be very cost-effective in terms of customer acquisition, with affiliate marketing and paid search not far behind.

There is a lot of untapped potential in the social media space. But in a recession, when expenditures are shrinking, e-mail budgets are relatively safe. Shrewd marketers will not stop doing the things that are proven to make their clients money. (Source article on emarketer)

NOTE: TV widget playing below

Viewmy.tv design and build innovative social media technology.
 
Viewmy.tv provide expertise in social media with ready built core social networking functionality. Our brandstation social network solution has been already implemented for leading global blue-chip clients such as Diageo Plc (UK) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (UK).
 
Viewmy.tv have ready built on-demand social networking functionality and are able to offer customers compelling solutions with proven engaging features. Viewmy.tv also develop customised innovative social media widgets, gadgets, applications and ad technology. Viewmy.tv fully understand the complex issues around building community web 2.0 social networking platforms, as this is our core business.

Quick update that with our brandstation on-demand service we've recently implemented new features such as contact importing from yahoo, google, hotmail, msn. Friend request notifications. RSS import / exporting of OPML files. Video channel list import / exporting as XML. Folders for shared files. Customer changeable design templates.

We're now running ads across most of the 150+ sites in our network and have some powerful tools that allow us to bulk manage publishing ads from our own ad marketplace or external networks. We expect to be running over 1000 sites this year and are very keen to work on more client social media projects.

Please get in touch:
Peter Woodford, CTO
peter@viewmy.tv
mobile: +447970873299
office: +442089643759

Here's a recent Brandstation Product Map (also added in File Sharing)

• Trichet says main policy rates not at their lowest level and could “diminish further”; reiterates Bank's inflation goals have not changed • BoE's Blanchflower says a massive boost of jobs for the youth in next month's Budget critical in avoiding “permanent scars” on British society • PBC's governor proposes replacing the US dollar as the international reserve currency with a new global system controlled by the IMF • Trade volumes expected to fall 9% this year, the strongest contraction since WWII, WTO says • Moody's downgrades GE to Aa2 from AAA; warns that GE Capital may report a loss in 2009 • President Obama urges G20 leaders to take quick measures to stimulate global growth • Japan extends ban on short selling of stocks till end of July • NZ Finance Minister says the economy probably contracted around 2% in 2008 • South Korean government announces $13bn in extra spending to boost the economy

EUROPE
Trichet hinted interest rates could be cut further in the eurozone as “main policy rates are not at their lowest level”. He said that the bank's actions in the past few months have been “very bold” and its inflation goals have not changed.

Outgoing BoE member David Blanchflower said a massive boost for jobs, targeted at the young, is needed in next month's Budget to avoid inflicting “permanent scars” on British society. A stimulus of 90bn pounds would “be a good starting point for discussion”, he said.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d1c2a6b6-17da-11de-8c9d-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1

The International Organization of Securities Commissions has proposed a set of common principles to help create a more consistent international approach to short selling, including a reporting regime to give markets timely information. Iosco added that short selling was a “beneficial feature of a well run market” and had not exacerbated the market turmoil in 2008.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9d2eb19c-17c6-11de-8c9d-0000779fd2ac.html

Barclays plans to double its investment banking staff in Japan from its current strength of about 40 over the next two years, Bloomberg reported.

US
People's Bank of China's governor has proposed replacing the US dollar as the international reserve currency with a new global system controlled by the IMF. He said the goal would be to create a reserve currency “that is disconnected from individual nations and is able to remain stable in the long run”.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7851925a-17a2-11de-8c9d-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1

Trade volumes will fall 9% this year, the strongest contraction since WWII, as demand collapses in the biggest economic downturn in decades, the WTO said. The forecast is much steeper than the 2.8% fall forecast by the IMF in January.

Moody's stripped GE of its triple-A rating which it had held for 42 years. GE's rating has been cut to Aa2 primarily because of the increased risks associated with GE Capital. The rating agency further warned that GE Capital's large portfolio of real estate and consumer loans could tip the unit into the red in 2009.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/233680e8-1804-11de-8c9d-0000779fd2ac.html

President Obama has urged fellow G20 leaders to agree on immediate action to boost the global economy at the London summit next month, according to German newspaper Die Welt. He said that quick measures to stimulate growth were essential for a secure recovery.

Goldman Sachs is working on a bid for iShares, Barclays' asset management business. Other bidders thought to be interested include Bain Capital, Vanguard and a consortium led by Hellman & Freidman. The valuation of the business could be as high as $6.5bn.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bc6ff444-17e4-11de-8c9d-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1

A survey of hedge fund investors by Deutsche Bank has revealed that a third of them expect withdrawals of more than $200bn this year, which is greater than the net $155bn is taken out last year. Only a fourth of the investors expect net inflows into the industry.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f075ecf0-17d8-11de-8c9d-0000779fd2ac.html

Goldman Sachs is considering selling part of its 4.9% stake in Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, a move that could raise more than $1bn, WSJ reported. Any transaction though would have to wait until late April, when a lockup on half the stake is set to expire.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123783664899116789.html

Moody's has downgraded 496 tranches, representing an aggregate balance of $15.5bn, of US commercial mortgage backed securities on large loans and single-borrower transactions rated from 1997 to 2008.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123782258785015105.html

GM, Chrysler and Ford may get 10,000 United Auto Workers union members to accept buyouts after the elimination this year of benefits related to job security and unemployment pay.

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said that 15 of the top 20 bonus recipients at AIG had agreed to return their bonuses in full, amounting to more than $50mn. He added that he expected to recover about $80mn of the $165mn of bonuses paid out this year.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/01500150-1801-11de-8c9d-0000779fd2ac.html

President Obama filled key Treasury posts by appointing Neal S. Wolin as Secretary Geithner's number two and former White House aide Lael Brainard for the top international job. The only key unfilled post now remaining is the office of domestic finance who is the administrations ambassador to Wall Street.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e6cc5096-1813-11de-8c9d-0000779fd2ac.html

JAPAN
Japanese finance minister Yosano said the government would extend its ban on naked short-selling of stocks till the end of July. The government also extended rules on company share buybacks till July.

Minutes of the February BoJ meeting showed that many of the board members said the bank should extend special corporate funding measures to ease corporate funding towards the end of the fiscal year.

AUSTRALIA  & NEWZEALAND
New Zealand's finance minister said the economy probably contracted around 2% in 2008. He added that the balance of payments deficit for 2008 was of the order of 9% of GDP.

ASIA
South Korea said it would spend nearly $13bn extra to shield its economy from an almost certain recession. The finance ministry has forecast that the additional spending should add 1.5pps to growth.

Saudi Arabia has established a new company named Hassana Investment Company, to oversee the investment of the assets of the largest state run pension fund. The fund will also lead the development of real estate, commercial and services projects and be able to sell those projects.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a32e45e0-17f2-11de-8c9d-0000779fd2ac.html

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry's retail business survey index for Q2 rose to 75 from 73 in the previous quarter- its first rise in six quarters.

Weaker than expected sales has prompted Toyota to revise down planned production in Japan in May, local newspaper Asahi reported.

South Korea's first planned global sovereign bond offering in three years will likely hit the market next month at the earliest, Reuters reported. The country plans to sell up to $6bn in global bonds this year.

Temasek, Singapore's state-backed investment fund, has offered the beleaguered hedge fund industry a rare show of support by pledging to commit more money to the sector this year. A senior manager of the fund said there would be more allocation to hedge funds because they provide greater downside protection relative to equities.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/5038663/Temasek-offers-hedge-funds-hope.html


Events (GMT):
FRA  07:45    Consumer Spending (Feb)                    -0.9%(-0.5%)
FRA    07:50    Business Confidence Indicator (Mar)         68
FRA    07:50    Own-Company Production Outlook (Mar)
FRA    07:50    Production Outlook Indicator(Mar)          -77
FRA    08:00    PMI Manufacturing (Mar P)
FRA    08:00    PMI services (Mar P)
DEU    08:30    PMI Manufacturing (Mar A)
DEU    08:30    PMI Services (Mar A)
SWE    08:30    PPI (Feb)
EMU    09:00    Current account (Jan)
EMU    09:00    PMI Manufacturing (Mar A)                  33.5
EMU    09:00    PMI services (Mar A)                        39.5
GBR    09:30    BBA home loans (Feb)
GBR    09:30    CPI (Feb)                 
GBR    09:30    Core CPI (Feb)
BEL    14:00    BNB Business Confidence level (Mar)         -32
USA    14:00    House Price Index (Jan)
USA    14:00    Richmond Fed Manufacturing index (Mar)
USA    21:00    ABC Consumer Confidence
JPN    23:50    Adjusted Merchandise Trade balance (Feb)
JPN    23:50    Total Merchandise Trade balance (Feb)

New design templates and widgets are about to be released for the brandstation.

New widgets let us add unique functionality to any site, these would typically allow an interaction with another site like getting stock updates, text ads, google ads, a digital clock clock, amazon related books, top itunes downloads etc.

• Widgets or component applications + fully branded and customised design templates can be created for customers own sites by viewmy.tv

New pricing plans have been released for the Brandstation social networking platform, created by viewmy.tv ltd., specialists in social media.

The steps to creating your own social network just got even easier:

1. Step 1: Choose a price plan
2. Step 2: Sign-up
3. Step 3: Build your community!

With the new brandstation pricing plans there are no setup fees and there's even a free option! Customers can get their own social networks live instantly!

The brandstation service allows customers to fully control their brand online, use their own domain, manage and moderate their own community and get insight into audience engagement through member activity reports.

Further to that the brandstation has proven functionality and is already being used by blue-chip clients. With point-and-click customisation, highly scalable architecture, ultra secure data storage, plus ready-made core functionality viewmy.tv see brandstation as their winning software platform.

To offer flexible solutions for brands the brandstation platform allows any verified developer to build bespoke widgets and gadgets to communicate with an API. Widget examples include distributing videos and conversations to other social networks, external sites, desktops or mobiles. The platform enables any company to enjoy the benefits of full control of their own social network, either as an open external marketing site or a closed member only internal communications site.
The brandstation on-demand platform allows customers around the world to get the social media features they want and there's a healthy roadmap for future developments which are rolled out to customer sites as free upgrades. Finally to squash any ROI concerns ad revenue sharing is offered so customers get to generate revenue from their sites.
An on-demand brandstation site gives businesses the control of choosing the features they want with simple rapid set-up and integration that can take less than 60 seconds. It gives clients the opportunity to start small with low costs and low risk and then scale up.
Viewmy.tv is inspiring the social media industry and understands that clients want more cutting edge Web 2.0 features to be available for communication, collaboration, audience engagement and insight. Peter Woodford, Cofounder and CTO says “After launching the on-demand platform 2 months ago we're already powering 60+ sites and now with the e-commerce self-signup, by mid 2009 this could easily be 1000+.”
To get further information, experience a live demo or simply create your own social network, simply visit http://www.brandstation.tv