With more than 845 million Facebook users, the evaluation by most experts is between $75 billion and $100 billion. What is Facebook truly worth? If the Facebook evaluation reaches $100 billion it would make Facebook worth almost half of Google and would make it the largest U.S. Internet based offering in history. Not bad for a company started in 2004 by a college dropout.

Facts about Facebook

• There are currently 845 million Facebook users worldwide
• In 2011 Facebook ad revenue accounted for 89% of the $3.8 billion generated
• Zygna, the makers of Farmville, accounts for 12% of Facebook’s revenue
• Zuckerberg holds 553.8 million shares, worth $28.4 billion, based on a company valuation of $100 billion, or $53 per share
• Zuckerberg owns 28% Facebook

The Facebook Effect

Will going public change the culture of Facebook? That is a possibility given that approximately one-third of the Facebook employees will become millionaires overnight as a result of going public. In that event some wonder if these same employees will have the same passion and drive they had prior to the impending financial windfall. Will going public negatively impact Facebook as we know it today?

The other big question is how will other tech startups be affected? Facebook going public could open the door for more Internet based startups being acquired. Zygna, another popular Internet based company, is predicted to go public this year as well.

Only time will tell what the trickle down effect of SEC filing, but one thing is for certain; once Facebook goes public it will never be the same. Being a publicly traded company brings with it not only a financial windfall for the social media company but also it’s own set of challenges and pressure to bring financial return to its investors each quarter. It will be interesting to see how Facebook innovates as a public company when it had the luxury developing the product on its own timetable.

Do you think going public will change the culture of Facebook for the better or the worse?

(Image: WhiteHouse.gov)

President Barack Obama is no stranger to interacting in the digital space, conducting town hall meetings on popular social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Now, Obama is bringing the dialogue to Google+.

Starting at 5:30 p.m. ET, the commander in chief will talk about his State of the Union Address in a live interview.  Mashable reports over 225,000 people sent in or voted on questions, and six of those participants will be invited to join the live conversation with Obama.

Tune in to watch the discussion on the White House’s Google+ page or the White House YouTube Channel.

(Image: File)

It seems the time has come. Facebook, the iconic social network, will file for an initial public offering on Wednesday, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

If Facebook files regulatory papers for its public offering of stock next week, this will be the largest tech IPO in history, turning out around $10 billion for the social network, according to Mashable. Infineon Technologies AG, a German company, is the current record holder for having the largest global technology IPO of all time, which raised $5.9 billion in 2000. Google’s 2005 IPO didn’t accomplish what it set out to do; it did not even reach the $2 billion mark.

There are very few details available regarding the long-awaited IPO. Facebook isn’t commenting, and the WSJ’s source is unnamed. The paper says the $10 billion share offering would yield Facebook a total valuation of $100 billion.

Techies dig in at Google (Image: Google)

As part of Google’s commitment to advancing computing and technology, they are providing scholarships to support students in their study of computer science.

The Generation Google Scholarship is a new program for aspiring computer scientists to excel in technology and become active role models and leaders in the field.  Selected students will receive $10,000 USD (for those studying in the US) or $5,000 CAD (for those studying in Canada) a year for up to four years (or until graduation, whichever comes first) so long as they maintain criteria for renewal.  Recipients will also be invited to attend Google’s Computer Science Summer Institute (CSSI) in the summer of 2012.

Who Should Apply?

Applicants must be high school seniors and meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Intends to be enrolled in or accepted as a full-time student at a university in the US or Canada for the 2012-2013 school year
• Intends to be enrolled in or accepted for enrollment in a baccalaureate Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or related program
• Exemplifies leadership and demonstrates a commitment to and passion for computer science and technology through involvement in their community
• Strong record of academic achievement
• A student from an underrepresented group in computer science (African American, Hispanic, American Indian, Female, or a Person with a Disability)
• Demonstrates financial need.

For complete details, visit the Generation Google Scholarship site.

Deadline to apply: Monday, February 20, 2012

Questions? Email us at generationgoogle@google.com.

For more information about student opportunities at Google, check out www.google.com/students.

In today’s job market, personal branding is the name of the game. Not only are companies spending time — and lots of money— managing and cultivating their  brand profile but individuals are carving out niches for themselves as professional brands of their own.

Whether it’s one’s presence on the Web or one’s persona and look, all these elements make up key components to the brand that is you. If you haven’t started thinking of yourself as a brand, a great place to start is by doing a Google search of your own name to see what already exists and what needs to be tweaked. No matter how incognito you’d like to be, your personal information can be accessible with the click of a mouse, from those Facebook updates and photos to your resident location to your dating profiles.

Since many hiring managers and human resource professionals check up on candidates and employees via the Internet — especially their social media profiles — it’s vital to know what story is being told about you via the Web.

So, take a moment to Google yourself. You may be surprised. If you see things you don’t like or maybe things you wouldn’t like to show up first, experts have advised updating your social media profile privacy settings, tweaking your profile details or tweeting more relevant messages that include hash tags that you want your personal brand to be linked to. Though in many cases, Tweets and Facebook posts can be deleted but won’t totally disappear from the Web, you can also delete accounts that may be unused, unsavory or just plain outdated. Update Website photos and links, and try contacting unrelated sites to have personal data hidden or excluded.

Also, be sure your resume is SEO-friendly, and find ways to push down more dated or not-so-professional bits about on the Web by publishing a professional blog, Facebook fan page or professional bio site of your own. Be aware of the information you share on the Internet and what has your name attached to it, such as comments, e-mails, forum posts, tagged photos, and log-in information.

Take charge of your Web presence so that you can present the best “brand you” possible and have no worries when it comes to getting that new big job opportunity.

“While we believe that online piracy by foreign websites is a serious problem that requires a serious legislative response, we will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cyber security risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet.”

Still not concerned? See all the reasons anyone who uses the internet should be, and then check out AdAge’s list of the best SOPA protests online today.

(Image: ThinkStock)

How would you feel about the U.S. government policing the Internet? Well, a new bill, Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) would allow them to control content on the World Wide Web as we know it today. There are major concerns with the application of this bill that run must deeper than just blocking Websites. Imagine for a moment what this type of censorship would mean: any content you post to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or any other social network or website could be blocked and become unsearchable on the Internet because of a single link.

The underlining issue of protecting intellectual property is a real problem, which is supposedly why the bill has been proposed. For content providers law enforcement to fight online trafficking and copyrighting infringements sounds like a noble and justifiable reason to pass the bill. But, the collateral damage of this bill’s passage would be so immense that it would far out weight the value that it would provide based upon how the bill is proposed today.

The Impact of SOPA on Entrepreneurs

Let’s look even deeper at this bill, which would be stifling to entrepreneurs, who are the lifeline of the economy. Booz & Co. interviewed 200 prominent angel investors and venture capitalist about this bill and reported that 70% of them would be deterred from investing if anti-piracy regulations were passed. This would impact innovation and job creation in the U.S. Think about the impact to Silicon Valley and other tech hubs, as well.

What Would be the Long-Term Impact of SOPA?

• There would be fewer startups launching because of the increase legal risk.
• Social networks, personal pages and sites where people express themselves could become unsearchable and blocked on the Internet.
• Email providers could be forced to censor emails to scan for links users send or receive.
• Content you share in your social networks would be monitored and censored—this includes photos, videos and status updates.
• Increased censorship would possibility remove legitimate content that you are sharing.
• Payment-processing companies like PayPal could be forced to stop doing business with sites that have been blocked.
• Most U.S.-based hosting services would relocate outside the U.S. jurisdiction, which would result in lost jobs.
• Site owners would become liable for user-posted content, if they don’t do enough to stop users from posting “illegal” content on his/her site, which could become very costly.

Which Popular Sites Would be at Risk?

• Facebook
• Google
• Twitter
• YouTube
• LinkedIn
• Vimeo
• And countless other websites and/or social networks

What Actions Can You Take?

Send your Congressman a pre-written letter via the American Censorship website (click here).

Sign the ‘Stop the E-Parasite Act’ petition by clicking here.

Follow the Electronic Frontier on Twitter to stay posted on your digital civil liberalities @EFF.

Check out the TechCrunch procedure list of over 40+ companies against SOPA by clicking here.

(Image: File)

• ‘The Help’ Leads SAG Award Nominations
  

The Help and The Artist are tied in the lead with three Screen Actors Guild nominations each.

Although The Help was overlooked in the best movie category, Viola Davis was nominated for best actress, while co-stars Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer are both competing for best supporting actress.

Read more at CNN…

• Romney’s Slogan Used by the Ku Klux Klan

This is not the first time Americans have heard Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s campaign slogan.

According to Americablog, Romney’s campaign phrase “Keep America American” was once a central theme for Ku Klux Klan publications in the 1920s and served as a rallying cry for the group’s campaign of violence against minority groups.

Watch Romney’s campaign ad here:

[The Root]

• Google.org Releases 2011 Grant Recipients

Google’s charitable arm, Google.org, has released its list of 2011 non-profit grant recipients.

The list highlights Google’s work in supporting STEM grants, the fight against slavery and human trafficking, among other pivotal areas.

The grant recipients received a combined $40 million.

Watch the video to learn more about Google.org:

[Mashable]

Google Plus Pages

Tips on Establishing a Google Plus Branded Business Page

• Know Where to Start: Creating a Google Plus Page starts with simply clicking on the creation page inputting your info and pressing “join.”
• Use Your Real Business Name: Down the line Google is going to allow users to create customized URLs, when that happens you’ll want to be positioned to secure the one that aligns with your business name. Brand synergy is key to customer recognition.
• Adding People to Your Circles: Think about how you want to engage with customers when you are developing your Google Plus circles for your Google Plus Page and add people accordingly.
• Tagline and Photo: You can add up to 10-words so choose your words wisely. They should be direct and to the point of what represents your brand.
• Look at Examples of Other Brands Using Google Plus Pages: Pepsi, Burberry, and Anderson Cooper are good examples.
• Administrators: Currently, only a single administrator is permitted so organizations and companies will have to determine the single point of contact that will manage the page.

Three Reasons Why You Should Create a Google Plus Business Page

Direct Connect from Google Search: Google is adding features that will allow customers to add Google Pages to their circles in Google Plus. This feature is currently being used by a limited number of pages, which includes Pepsi.

Not establishing a page will be a lost opportunity in organic search. One of the key reasons a business should strongly consider Google Pages is their integration into Google Search. Google Pages are starting to appear in search and over time there will be a stronger integration. One of the big advantages Google Pages will probably have over Facebook Fan Pages will be page ranking in Google search.

Securing your Identity: Establishing a business page in Google Plus is a very good strategic move. Currently, Google hasn’t enabled the vanity URL feature that would allow users to customize their URLs like Facebook. This feature is sure to be released in the future. When it comes to the digital space, the earlier you stake your claim to a piece of social real estate the better for your brand and your pockets when it comes time to try and buy back what’s rightfully yours.

Adding Professional Features: Google is well positioned to add key business features that you’ll see rolled out over time that will allow for deep engagement with users. Google’s suite of apps/services positions it well.

Let us know how you are using Google Plus Branded pages for your business.