#SongbirdStories: The Rest from the Nest of #SocialMedia

Another week, another stash of stories we just couldn't devote a full article to. So, without any further ado, let's crack on.

Facebook Rumoured to be Testing Desktop Messenger App for Mac

Insider knowledge from Facebook has hinted at the possibility of a standalone Facebook Messenger app for Mac, which seems odd considering how quickly Facebook gave up on the Windows version they previously launched. They do, however, still seem determined to establish Messenger as a platform in its own right and this would certainly be a step in the right direction if successful. An leaked photo acquired by TechCrunch adds credibility to the story, as it appears to show a Facebook employee making use of the new Mac app. The details are few and far between at present, but we'll do our best to keep you updated.

Madonna Blocked by Eldest Son Rocco Amidst Custody Battle

It is strange how a simple action on a social networking site can reveal so much about a family's relationship. Rocco Ritchie gave us exactly that kind of insight as he blocked his mother from seeing his Instagram posts, then deleted his account entirely, as tensions rise in the ongoing custody battle between Madonna and her ex-husband Guy Ritchie. It's rumoured that the bad blood began during Madonna's Rebel Hearts tour, on which Rocco accompanied his mother for a two month stint working backstage. Frustration, coupled with embarrassment caused by her social media posts, seem to have been the major influencing factors in why Rocco left the tour, choosing instead to spend Christmas in the UK with his father and step-mother. The family are now locked in a highly public dispute, with more and more details emerging via social media.

DailyMail

Jeremy Corbyn's Twitter Account Hacked

Jeremy Corbyn's Twitter account was the cause of much amusement on Sunday, as a hacker seemingly took over the Labour leader's account and posted a string of irate, profanity filled tweets. Most of them are a bit too strongly worded for us to publish here, but some of the tamer tweets included statements such as "Davey Cameron is a pie" and attacks on the government's Trident program. The newly appointed Labour leader quickly regained control and deleted the tweets, but by that time the damage was already done.

Facebook Audience Network Testing Expansion into Mobile Web Advertising

For those who haven't heard of it, the Facebook Audience Network (FAN) is a tool launched in 2014 that allows developers to harness Facebook's data and ad interface for use in paid ads on other apps. The service is a direct competitor to Google's AdMob, and now it looks set to move into the territory dominated by Google's web-based AdWords as well. A report conducted by AdExchanger indicated that Facebook are running tests to expand into the mobile web, and the reports have since been confirmed by the social network. If the expansion goes ahead, I would expect to see the service cross over the desktop browsers in the near future.

Arizona Shaming 'Deadbeat' Dads on Social Media

Fathers who try to duck out of paying child support in Arizona run the risk of being publicly shamed online as part of a new initiative by Governor Doug Ducey to encourage people to "Man up, and pay up". The state have already shamed one such 'loser', as Ducey refers to them, and plans to release the names of, photos of and amounts owed by countless others, accompanied by the hashtag #Deadbeat. Whether this will actually help the child or mother to see any of the owed funds is a question that will be answered in time, but it may encourage some to pay their fair share simply to avoid embarrassment.

Social Media Helps Boy with Terminal Cancer Achieve his Dying Wish

5News

8 year old Dorian Murray, of Rhode Island, has set an admirable example for the world to follow by conjuring the strength to fight a four year battle against rhabdomyosarcoma, a form of paediatric cancer that affects the connective tissues. Sadly, after a checkup in December revealed cancer cells in his spinal fluid, Dorian and his family decided to discontinue treatment in the new year. Now facing a harrowing reminder of mortality the ever-strong champion of bravery expressed just one wish: to become famous around the world.

Once upon a time that would have been a highly ambitious goal, but in the age of social media the world is a much smaller place. A few posts on Facebook and Twitter quickly went viral, with messages of encouragement and support being shared under the hashtag #DStrong, and Dorian had his wish fulfilled. Dorian describes the viral hashtag as "my little logo thing", rallying people the world over to stay strong in the face of the debilitating condition. There's a lot we can all learn from this young boy's story. May his message live on long after he has found his peace.

Facebook to Celebrate 12th Birthday with #FriendsDay

February 4th will mark 12 years since the social networking giant Facebook first went live, and Mark Zuckerberg is aiming to use the occasion to encourage users to share stories of how friendships have shaped their lives. In a recent status update, Zuckerberg reminisced about the early days of the network, about how he had hoped it would simply help his college community connect and about how the site now achieves this goal for 1.5 billion users. Its understandable that Zuckerberg would be delighted with what he has achieved and would want to celebrate it, and I'm happy that he has found a way to do that which will also remind millions of people just how important the connections we make are in terms of how our entire lives will pan out. Zuckerberg's post includes some beautiful sentiments on the nature of friendship, and has been warmly received by the Facebook community.

@TwitterGaming Aims to bring Twitter's Gamer Community to Prominence

The online gaming community is such a massive demographic that social networks such as Twitter really can't afford to ignore it. The countless hours of let's plays and gaming tutorials on YouTube, along with the launch of their dedicated gaming network, have only served to prove this point. Not wanting to miss out, Twitter have recently revealed their own attempt to give the gaming community a home with the Twitter Gaming account. The account aims to bring together all the most popular gaming related tweets in one place, making the content easier for Twitter's audience to find. The account will be headed up by Twitter's newly appointed Director of Gaming, Rodrigo Velloso.

The 'Ladyball': Terrible Product or Genius Marketing?

Twitter - Ladyball

A new female-focused football (or soccer ball to our American audience) has provoked heavy criticism, as well as speculation about whether the product is even real or just part of an elaborate marketing stunt. The 'Ladyball' is basically just a bright pink football which describes itself as "Soft-touch for a woman's grip, eazi-play for a woman's ability and fashion-driven for a woman's style." Stereotype overload!

The marketing slogans used, which would definitely fit into the bracket of 'so bad it's almost good', have caused many people to speculate about the validity of the product, instead expecting some big reveal about a larger campaign, perhaps to promote women's football or a similar endeavour. For the time being, all we can do is sit back, watch and wait, but if the Ladyball is real they have set themselves up to be on the receiving end of a social media storm.

Instagram's Search to Provide Extra Details on Followers

Instagram's search functionality is about to get a lot more useful and will soon display information about who follows you, who you follow back and plenty more all within the search tab itself. For accounts with a larger following you will also be presented with a follower figure, and you can easily see which of your friends also follow the account. This will make it make easier for people trying to grow their account using simple 'follow, follow back' techniques, and will also help the average users connect more with their community by displaying accounts you both have an interest in. As it stands the new features seem a little buggy, but with a bit of refining they could become very useful in the future.

Sam Bonson

Sam is an aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. Currently working as Editor of Social Songbird, he hopes to one day drop that 'aspiring' prefix. Follow him @SamAtSMF

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