For those that care, mostly individuals in the Northeast and Midwest who battle winter weather conditions for a good four or five months a year, the news the morning of Feb. 2 was met with some confusion.

As Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his burrow on Gobblers Knob in the early hours, he told the nation that there would be six more weeks of winter. “Many shadows do I see: six more weeks of winter it must be.”

The Groundhog Day celebration is steeped in a German superstition that claims if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on Feb. 2, the Christian holiday of Candlemas, winter will go on for another six weeks. If no shadow is seen, legend says, spring will arrive early.

Winter, what’s that?

Many people around the nation are asking just exactly what that is, given it is has been unusually mild and there has been minimal snow these last several months across areas typically freezing and digging.

With temperatures projected to hit the mid-40s later in the day, this year’s Groundhog Day event may contrast what some see as anything but winter.

Much of the Northeast has seen little snow and above-average temperatures through January to date. Perhaps the early season dumping of snow that hit many of those same areas this past Halloween was more of a trick than a treat.

As Phil’s message was delivered to the thousands in attendance, it quickly spread across Twitter, Facebook and other social media tools.

Some of the tweets, many of which added some humor regarding Phil, included:

• Happy Groundhog’s Day, we suppose, if you’re happy that Punxsutawney Phil continues to not make sense.
• Do your best Punxsutawney Phil impersonation: tell us your predictions for the economy in the next six weeks.
• My daughter this a.m.: “I’ve never seen the Groundhog thing with Punxsutawney Phil.” Me: “You’ve seen the movie…Same basic thing.

So, is this just a lot of hot air (cold air if you’re standing outside in Punxsutawney on the morning of Feb. 2) or would this groundhog and his handlers really be sharing something of value with us all?

As many of us who eat, live and breathe social media on a daily basis know, many worldwide turn to sites like Twitter and Facebook to get their real-time news these days, even forgoing more traditional sites like television and newspaper web pages.

Heck, Phil and the men who await his prediction each year in the Pennsylvania town of Punxsutawney, some 65 miles from Pittsburgh, even have their own Web site. Not bad for a big furry rodent and handlers who don tuxedos each year for the extravaganza.

For those who still believe in Santa Claus (I do), the Easter Bunny (I do) and the tooth fairy (not so sure on this one), Groundhog Day is a chance to celebrate the true fact that winter is half way over.

And for those keeping score at home, Phil has now witnessed his shadow 100 times and hasn’t seen it a mere 16 times since 1886, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle. There are no records for the remaining years.

So, whether you care about Groundhog Day or not, you can bet “Punxsutawney Phil” will once again be one of the top trending topics on Twitter come Feb. 2, 2013.

And that is a prediction we can safely make….

Photo credit: today.msnbc.msn.com

For many of us in or just past the Baby Boomers generation, we grew up getting much of our breaking news via radio, television or the daily newspaper.

Today’s generation, however, simply needs to Internet access and they can stay update to date with the latest and breaking news worldwide.

As many of us first learned on Twitter Jan. 19, Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke  passed away Thursday in a Utah hospital, only nine days after crashing at the bottom of the superpipe during a training run in Park City, Utah. The Ontario (Canada) was married and just 29 years of age.

As noted in the details of her death, tests showed Burke sustained “irreversible damage to her brain due to lack of oxygen and blood after cardiac arrest.”

The four-time Winter X Games champ, who successfully lobbied to have her sport debut at the 2014 Olympic in Sochi, Russia, tore her vertebral artery, which led to severe bleeding on the brain. The accident caused her to go into cardiac arrest on the scene, and she was on life support up until Thursday morning. A publicist reported that Burke’s organs and tissues were donated per her wishes.

“I’ve been doing this for long time, 11 years,” Burke commented in a 2010 interview. “I’ve been very lucky with the injuries I’ve had. It’s part of the game. Everybody gets hurt. Looking back on it, I’d probably do the exact same thing again.”

While many Canadians and ski lovers worldwide are and will mourn Burke’s the death, the speed with which many of us learned about her passing is in large part due to Twitter.

Just like the fight for freedom in parts of the Middle East last year, along with the deaths of Osama bin Laden and Muammar Gaddafi, much of the news we hear of worldwide is coming to us via social media venues such as Twitter.

While some argue that sites such as Twitter can at times provide nothing more than rumors, such as Colts’ QB Peyton Manning reportedly retiring before he actually does, social media venues like Twitter and Facebook have implanted themselves as part of our daily news intake.

Anytime news such as that like Burke’s death appears on sites like Twitter, it is important to make sure that it is factual to say the least.

That being said, many people like me, someone who has been in the field of journalism for some 23 years, are keeping one eye on Twitter and Facebook and another on the “real news outlets” during the day.

Then again, maybe some of these social media sites are becoming the “real news outlets” of this online information-driven age.

Photo credit: globalnews.ca

With new social media platforms emerging at such a rapid rate, it has become increasingly important for existing platforms adapt to the changing times and pull out all the stops to stay above the competition. In recent months, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter have all redesigned their platforms in an effort to gain new users while maintaining their relationships with current users. While each design has its pros and cons, Twitter’s new interface not only makes it easier for new users to understand what it means to “tweet,” but it also creates a more seamless experience for seasoned users. Let’s dive into some of the specifics:

Simpler @mentioning: Twitter’s new design allows users to @mention others right from the top of users’ Twitter profiles. This feature makes it much easier to initiate conversation with a person or brand when directed to their profile from an outside site. Goes to show how a small change can make a big difference!

Improved multimedia functionality: The new Twitter makes it much easier for users to share photos and videos. Twitter now integrates these multimedia items into the main stream, making broadcasting, viewing, and interacting with multimedia on Twitter easier than ever before.

Embedded Tweets: Twitter now allows users to grab embed codes for their favorite tweets. This means that rather than taking screen shots of tweets and uploading images to our blogs and websites, we can embed tweets so that users can interact directly from our site. Test it out below!

#protip Now you can embed a Tweet right on your WordPress blog, Posterous Space, or any website. Read more: dev.twitter.com/blog/tweets-an…

— Twitter (@twitter) January 5, 2012

Brand Pages: Finally, Twitter has brand pages! These pages allow brands to add a customized banner to their Twitter profile page. This customization increases brand awareness and gives brands the ability to promote a particular phrase, image, or promotion/event. In addition, brands are able to pin tweets to the top of their pages, drawing attention to content that the brand feels is most relevant to its audience. Check out the Jet Blue brand page!

What do you think of the New Twitter? What are some pros and cons you’ve noticed?

The 2012 college football season has not even officially started and yet players at Ohio State were left wondering if social media would be in their playbooks come spring practice.

Reports earlier this week initially said new head coach Urban Meyer was banning players from using Twitter. Then, reports surfaced that Meyer’s plans were essentially flagged for illegal procedure.

Defensive players Bradley Roby and Reid Fragel told a Columbus radio station that reports of the Twitter ban were in fact not true.

Meantime, tight end Jake Stoneburner initially tweeted, “Twitter=Done. Me=back for senior year, leading this team, and shocking the world!! #gobucks #12-0.”

OSU athletics representative Jerry Emig, who was sat in on the football team’s Jan. 3 meeting, told a local publication that Meyer never informed him of a Twitter ban for the Buckeyes.

“All I know was I was not made aware of a ban,” Emig told The Lantern in a Wednesday email. “I have no idea where this all originated or how it originated.”

The Buckeyes, who fell to Florida 24-17 in the Jan. 2 Gator Bowl, are coming off of one of their toughest seasons in school history, finishing a mediocre 6-7.

Not only was Ohio State inept at times on the field, but it was and will in essence pay for the prior actions of a number of players and former head coach Jim Tressel through next fall.

The NCAA sacked Ohio State with a one-year bowl ban and added penalties recently for violations that began with eight players taking a total of $14,000 in cash and tattoos in exchange for jerseys, rings and other Buckeyes memorabilia.

So, could a head coach institute a broad band on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook for his or her players? Looking at it from a legal point of view, the answer is likely no.

Imposing a ban on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ etc. would essentially be like telling one’s team they are not allowed to talk outside of any football-related activities. While many coaches prohibit their players from talking to the media without permission, the thought that you could completely ban your team from hopping on the Internet seems a little out of bounds.

It is safe to say, however, that more and more eyes are tuned on how athletes are using social media venues these days, especially in light of some comments by both pros and amateurs that stoked controversy in recent years.

For the Ohio State Buckeyes and new head coach Urban Meyer, there is likely going to be a 15-yard penalty for pass interference, which is passing along bad information.

So, do you think college athletes should be banned from using sites like Twitter and Facebook?

With the death of Kim Jong-il, the Korean peninsula has the best chance yet to end decades of hostilities.

It is yet to be known whether anointed successor Kim Jong-un will follow in his father’s footsteps and continue to deny his citizenry the basic rights that have been earned or whether he be the last true dictator of the North and bring his people into the 21st century (or 20th for that matter)?

With the role that digital technologies played in the Arab Spring, coupled with people who are fed up with being denied human rights by dictators, it could be only a matter of time before the people rise up. If Kim Jong-un is smart, he’ll use his new-found power to guide the North Koreans into a respected place in the world. If he doesn’t, he might just find himself at a card table with Gadhafi, Osama and the like.

This past March, in the U.S. Embassy’s Public Affairs building in Seoul, I sat in a small auditorium and answered eager questions from North Korean defectors. My mind wandered a bit as the interpreter began to translate my words into Korean. Maybe it was the jet lag that had engulfed my consciousness since arriving two days earlier, but for about 30 seconds, I was an outsider looking in on a fascinating experience.

Here I was, giving advice on how to use Twitter and Facebook and texting to college-aged students that had escaped the harsh regime of North Korea to find better lives for themselves.

Their childhoods were extremely different from mine, yet here our paths converged in a moment of significance (well, to me at least) in an effort to see how the North Korean people can use these global digital information tools to spread freedom in one of the tightest-controlled nations on Earth.

For some background, I was asked to participate in the U.S. State Department’s Speakers Program to talk about the role social media is playing in politics, journalism and culture in the United States. The program sends American experts around the world to speak about different topics of interest within the host country with a goal of developing cultural exchanges between citizens. It was an honor to be asked, and I accepted the offer without hesitation. With a month or so of planning, the U.S. Embassy in Seoul set up an intense schedule of speaking events in four cities around Korea, where I presented to groups of elected officials and their staffs, leading journalists, tech entrepreneurs, university students and educators. And yes, groups of North Korean defectors.

After a long flight from Washington DC to Seoul, with a quick stopover in San Francisco, I was met at the airport by U.S. Embassy staff and immediately briefed on the week’s schedule. With only a few hours of shuteye, I was picked up and headed to the embassy. After some brief preparation, I had an hour-long interview with the largest newspaper in Korea. I was asked about the reason for the trip, the role social media is playing in politics and journalism, and how it can be used on the Korean peninsula.

After this interview, I, along with an entourage of professionals from the Embassy, headed to my first presentation with top Korean TV journalists. Questions came streaming in after the presentation, and in what was to become a regular occurrence, the staff had to whisk me out with audiences eager to continue the discussion. I almost felt like I was Justin Bieber…or maybe his slightly older cousin. Okay, maybe not (but I used Justin Bieber in the piece, and you know Kim Jong-un is a fan).

After lunch, the team headed to our next presentation with a group of conservative economists and people that run Radio Free North Korea. The presentation shifted a bit from social media in journalism to the role it has played in revolutions and business. In a final post-work meeting of the day, I presented to the new media staff of the National Assembly (Korea’s Congress). Understandably, this talk focused on politics and campaigns, and the staff was eager to hear about my days at MySpace, the 2008 Obama campaign, and how elected officials are now employing these tools in the United States.

For the next four days, I was whisked around Korea, with stops in Suwon, Busan, and Jeju Island, giving anywhere from 3-5 presentations/meetings each day, with lunches, teas and dinners with university presidents, administrators, embassy staff, a leading member of Korea’s National Assembly (Rep. Hong Jung Wook), and I was honored to be hosted for dinner by Ambassador Kathleen Stephens, a leading U.S. diplomat, at the Ambassador’s home. The dinner included top Korean new media experts, influential bloggers and journalists, leaders from the National Assembly and the head of new media from the Blue House (Korea’s version of the White House).

Overall, the entire process was a whirlwind exchange with an intense schedule of speaking engagements. The question most asked, of course, was how social media can be used to resolve the tensions on the Peninsula. With minimum Internet access in North Korea, my advice always resorted to hypotheticals.

But the one piece of encouragement I was able to impart was this: The more the Internet — and information, for that matter — is attempted to be controlled, the more those that are creating these digital tools will be impassioned to overcome those restrictions. And those creating the tools are smarter than those creating the restrictions!

The Korean audiences across the country were interested, eager and participatory. There was little left to the imagination for the trip, but when I asked for a trip to the DMZ when I had any time off, they were eager to accommodate.

Thus, the final day, I was escorted by the US Army’s head of public affairs on a private tour of the DMZ. Having studied the history (and watched tons of episodes of M*A*S*H), I thought I would be prepared for the experience.

Little can prepare you, however, for walking through a relatively small area where there thousands of mines steps off the path, and there are literally people in view that are trained to watch, and potentially kill, you. Of course, I was being guided by men with large guns, which helped to allay any concerns.

What was imparted to me is that tensions are still high, but there have been exchanges between the North and South through commercial means, and a few humanitarian exchanges. Will these continue?

Little is known about the new 20-something leader except some speculation, but let’s assume he’s been one of the few people in his country to have experienced the outside world. Let’s assume he’s one of the few people in his country to have used the Internet, and potentially Facebook and even Twitter. Let’s assume there is the small hidden part of his brain behind the Iron Curtain influenced by “education” that thinks to himself, “I can be the man that brings freedom to my people, and they will cheer and erect statues of me…and maybe the world’s leaders will cry when I die many years from now.”

Maybe this is too hopeful. But with the other option being what we are seeing in Syria and so many places throughout the Arab world, hope must be kept alive.

———————-

This piece originally appeared in HyperVocal.

Lee Brenner is co-founder and publisher of HyperVocal and speaks regularly about the role of social media in politics and news. Follow him on Twitter @deepdishpol. Read his full HyperVocal archive here.

If you are a Netflix subscriber or have been following the company’s news in recent months, you know that it stated it would begin charging separate costs for its DVDs-by-mail and streaming video options.

As a result, Netflix customers who desired both services saw their bills go from $10 a month to $16 a month, something that did not go over too well with many subscribers.

In just the last week, Netflix made news again when it announced it was splitting up its DVD-by-mail and video streaming services, once again leaving subscribers left with questions and concerns. The ensuing split would lead to the company calling its newly formed service Qwikster.

While price increases and changes to service offerings have led the company to do some explaining – they may have some explaining to do on what other small item – not doing their homework.

Social Media Challenges When Your Desired Name is Already in Use

According to an MSNBC report, Netflix officials failed to check Twitter to see if their newly created service’s name, Qwikster, was available as an account name on the social networking site. Oops. As it turns out, an individual actually holds the registration keys on Twitter to the name @Qwikster.

The story goes on to note that the @Qwikster username on Twitter belongs to a student who has among his interests’ women and recreational drug usage. Again, the term oops comes to mind.

Making matters even more interesting is that the individual’s Twitter icon is a picture of Sesame street character Elmo in possession of a marijuana joint. You probably know where this story is going at this point.

While Netflix may not want to admit it, Twitter is a heavily used social networking site, and I’m guessing that Netflix aren’t too thrilled with the idea of countless subscribers and others confusing the current @Qwikster account on Twitter with one that would be tied to the company.

So, will Netflix approach the individual holder of the @Qwikster name on Twitter in an effort to gain control of it? If so, will they offer money or a year’s free subscription to Netflix, I mean Qwikster?

Two factors come into play here according to the MSNBC story. First, it appears Netflix does not hold a trademark filing for Qwikster, secondly, Twitter does not allow users to purchase handles from others.

It appears short of the individual user freeing up the handle that Netflix will have to wait and see if the tweeter goes on the inactive list for a while.

According to Twitter rules, users must log in and Tweet (i.e., provide an update) within 6 months of their last update. Accounts can be permanently removed as a result of prolonged inactivity.

So, will Netflix wait it out and hope this Twitter user gets bored with his account and they’re able to eventually overtake it, or will Netflix have a “qwik” solution to the problem?

In the land of social media, even your user name has implications.

Photo credit: deadline.com

It has happened to major businesses, those not as well-known and even government installations. As some media outlets have discovered, they too can be the victims.

In a rash of publicized cases in recent months, victims of online hacking have come forward to detail exactly what happened to their Web sites.

None may have been more psychologically damaging than what took place just 48 hours before last weekend’s 10^th anniversary of 9/11.

A pre-9/11 Scare via NBC’s Twitter Account

Hackers were able to gain entry to the NBC News Twitter account (approximately 134,000 followers) and post false correspondence regarding new attacks on New York’s sacred ground zero. What makes the attack even more interesting is that reportedly only a trio of NBC News execs has the account password.

As reports indicate, a group labeling itself The Script Kiddies claimed responsibility for the intrusion on the NBC site, which included three messages regarding a hijacked plane striking the World Trade Center site just prior to 6 p.m. The Script Kiddies are reportedly a splinter group from the better-known “Anonymous” and “LulzSec’ groups, both of whom have been targeted by authorities.

Quick to respond to the incident, NBC provided a statement Friday acknowledging the hacking, claiming it is “working with Twitter to correct the situation and sincerely apologize for the scare that could have been caused by such a reckless and irresponsible act.” Both Twitter accounts for NBC News and The Script Kiddies were suspended not long after the tweets went live.

So, can you imagine the horror that would have hit New Yorkers and others across the country who came across the fake tweets last Friday on a momentous anniversary was about to take place nationwide?

Can Hackers Be Stopped or Not?

As authorities continue their investigation into this latest notable hacking, the big question is can such attacks be halted before doing significant damage? According to one government official quoted in a response to the attacks, “The truth is it’s relatively easy to get into these accounts.”

The messages, which were obviously tweeted to coincide with the 9/11 anniversary, included:

“Breaking News! Ground Zero has just been attacked. Flight 5736 has crashed into the site, suspected hijacking. more as the story develops,” read the first message that appeared on the NBC News Twitter feed at 5:48 p.m. EDT.

A follow-up message four minutes later read: “Flight 4782 is not responding, suspected hijacking. One plane just hit Ground Zero site at 5:47.”

Then, three minutes later: “This is not a joke. Ground Zero has just been attacked. We’re attempting to get reporters on the scene.”

A moment later another message appeared: “NBCNEWS hacked by The Script Kiddies.”

Company Responses Coming Faster

Despite the trauma that could easily come out of last week’s actions by the hacking, it does appear companies are more quickly responding to such incidents.

Ryan Osborn, the director of social media for NBC News, told reporters he viewed the hackers’ Twitter message online less than a minute after it went live. He was already logged into the account and determined that the password had been altered. Reports indicate some NBC News employees and other Twitter users recognized what was going on and quickly informed the public of what was going on.

Given the fact that reports indicate more users are turning to Twitter each month for news and information, it is incumbent upon companies and Twitter for that matter to put as many firewalls as possible in place to prevent such attacks.

Otherwise, the news and information we receive may be taken with a grain of salt.

(Video: Watch this video on the post page)

10 years ago, I watched the news in Mr. Golden’s 8^th grade science class. I remember going to lunch and seeing half of my grade crying. I remember getting out of school early and looking up at the sky to see smoke in the air, even being miles away from New York City. I couldn’t help but think back to two weeks earlier, when I went to the very top of the World Trade Center for the first and last time. Everyone has their own 9/11 story. 10 years after September 11th, social media provides us with an outlet to share our stories and remember the impact of that fateful day.

Facebook teamed up with the National September 11^th Memorial & Museum to create the 9/11 Memorial application. This application allows you to update your profile picture and dedicate your status to those who sacrificed their lives during the September 11^th attacks. Since September 11th affected so many people’s lives, it is impossible for us to know every personal story and truly understand the magnitude of this event. This application helps us recognize those who have lost their lives on 9/11, even if we didn’t know them personally. Michael E. Brennan, this is for you.

YouTube created a channel dedicated to the 10^th anniversary of September 11^th.  On this channel, YouTube asks users to submit a video answering “What is your strongest memory of 9/11?,” “How did 9/11 change you and/or America?,” or “What did you lose or gain because of 9/11?” These submissions make up a collection of personal stories, reactions, and memories from that day.

#GodBlessAmerica and #September11 were both trending topics for the majority of September 11, 2011 on Twitter. Using these hashtags allowed Twitter users to share their personal experiences as well as a pay tribute to those who have lost their lives on this day 10 years ago.

Did you use social media to share your memories of September 11th?

How do you think our response to 9/11 would have been different if social media existed in 2001?

Leave a comment with your thoughts!

Need another example of Social Media’s influence on all aspect of our lives? Look no further than the current negotiations between the NBA and the NBPA. As Derek Fisher and the NBA Player’s Association try to outmaneuver the NBA and commissioner David Stern, they need to leverage Twitter as an asset in their negotiation.  Soon the lockout will begin encroaching on the regular season schedule and public perception will begin to apply pressure to negotiations based on how the story is framed in the media.  The side that controls public sentiment can come out in better favor with fans and effectively own the hearts and minds of NBA fans now and in the future. As the catalyst for the player’s to control public relations, I give you Fisher’s Five: LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Lamar Odom, and Derek Fisher.

To date, in the public arena, commissioner David Stern has controlled the conversation in the media. If the conversation is brought to Twitter and the proper strategy employed, the player’s can gain control. The starting five have more followers than the teams, the league, and owner Mark Cuban combined. (see graph below) If they get to field reserves they could exponentially dwarf the NBA’s twitter influence with less than 25 active players.

The NBA has taken a strong position and painted the picture they want the fans to perceive.  According to the NBA, the league is a business and the teams and owners are losing money, therefore the players need to make concessions in order to support the league and restore health to an ailing business.  Since an honest discussion about highly complex issues can’t be had in the public arena and the league has decided to go to the press, the player’s must respond in kind. Tweets with photos, video, and well-developed arguments can give twitter followers a complete picture of the issues and demonstrate to the NBA that the player’s have direct influence over the fans.  This is the only future for the player’s. If players control communications with the fans then the league, networks, and brands will be beholden to them.  The player’s having direct-to-fan contact is the only way to effectively shift leverage and create a league where the player’s can negotiate a fair and equitable CBA.

By: Anthony Rodriguez, Lineage Interactive

Many of us who follow the sports world have read or heard about some of the Twitter gaffes that professional or collegiate athletes have made in the last few years.

Mistakes, in fact, that have led to crack downs by teams or schools, who in many instances now warn athletes that their actions are being monitored and taken seriously.

Among some of the notable messages (tweets worded as they went out over the Internet):

• Steve Johnson Buffalo Bills wide receiver blames God for game winning dropped pass – “I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!! AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO…”
• San Diego Charger’s Antonio Cromartie’s Food Tweet – “Man we have 2 have the most nasty food of any team. Damn can we upgrade 4 str8 years
  the same ish maybe that’s y we can’t we the SB we need.”
• Marlon Williams of Texas Tech Tweeting about his coach being late – “Wondering why I’m still in this meeting room when the head coach can’t even be on time to his on meeting.”

While none of those tweets were offensive as far as any racial slurs etc. against any individuals or groups, they did not win any favors either from their employers or college officials.

Think Before You Type

For athletes using sites like Twitter, it allows them to be closer to their fans and fellow athletes as they share details regarding their personal lives. Going viral, however, does have its shortcomings, especially when a tweet is perceived as a slam against an individual or group.

Former Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson was hit a while back with a two-week suspension after using an anti-gay slur on his Twitter account. In light of that, Johnson switched his account over to private, meaning individuals had to gain his approval before being allowed to read his posts.

That being said, some athletes are actually tweeting up a storm on Twitter, with New England Patriots and former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco tweeting on average more than eight times each hour.

In order to make for better experiences on sites like Twitter, some professional and collegiate teams have hired social media consultants to work with athletes, meaning that what they’re saying online will not come back to haunt them or their organizations/schools.

The bottom line is that athletes who take to tweeting need to remember that those messages can become viral time bombs in such a short period of time.

Even if there is an apology to a message they made, the athlete can suffer repercussions for some time to come. Among those problems can be suspensions, fines and loss of pricey endorsements.

As social media continues to evolve, and as athletes continue to want to express their feelings about their games, careers and life in general, those who employ such individuals (while athletes are not technically employed by colleges, they do represent the schools) will likely be monitoring what they say.

Remember, it just takes one tweet, Facebook share or other electronic communication for an athlete to drop the ball.