Klout has been in existence for about three years, but so far hasn’t reached the popularity of some social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, even though these ones are used inside of Klout’s program. It utilizes one number to measure a user’s influence across the amount of social networks that this user may be a member of.

As soon as you open a profile in Klout and connect all of your data through the personal social networks, one number called a Klout score will instantly pop up on the screen. The company explains this number as your influence of power across your network and it is calculated based on algorithms that are able to check the size of your network, the amount of content created and how the others are interacting with that content through sharing possibilities and likes, for instance.

The algorithm that is used to calculate the influence level of a user based on the ability to drive action on social networks is being constantly improved. The actual Klout website connects social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Tumblr, Foursquare, LinkedIn, Intagram, Blogger, LastFm, and Flickr and it is also trying to increase to include other ones.

The constant updates are also intended to show the user’s influence on the web. In the beginning it was possible to find metrics as True Reach, Amplification and Network Impact, but these scores have been removed to give space to Moments. According with the company’s explanation, this section will work as a report of the user’s activity from the past 90 days and how each activity has impacted a user’s Klout. This new feature is going to come in the next few weeks.

The Klout score has received attention mainly in the job recruiting processes. It came out that few companies had been hiring the candidates with higher “influence power” according to Klout, but the discussion has started to show that one number related to one’s virtual influence may not be a strong argument for such definitions.

Many candidates with work experience have been declined for companies that choose by Klout score. The job recruiters must give the right weight for such score, and a few professionals are actually saying that this weight should be zero. It is possible that one’s influence on social media could mean that a person actually doesn’t do so much besides posting and updating his or her social profiles.

Many companies have been discussing what the best way to use Klout score is. Airlines, the hospitality industry,  and big retailers are trying to develop one way to reach those with the best influence, and through this method drive actions through the social network. Offering special gifts, VIP areas, or cards to develop a premium experience for those with higher Klout scores can be on the plan for such companies, but so far, there aren’t any real public actions that correlate.

Many strongly divergent opinions have risen debating if Klout is good or bad. The best solution for the user is to be aware about the functionality and goals of the Klout score and how this can impact their security and privacy, and from the companies’ point of view, there are always chances to reach key people to increase influence.

The article Klout Score – What about your Power of Influence? appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The Obama administration announced on Thursday (Feb. 23) a Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights as part of a comprehensive framework to enhance consumers’ privacy online, and to ensure that the Internet ecosystem remains innovative and a sector for economic growth.

The following statement should be attributed to Kathryn C. Brown, Verizon senior vice president for public policy development and corporate responsibility: ”Verizon commends the administration’s leadership in developing a new policy framework for consumer privacy in the Internet age.

“The online privacy policy report and consumer bill of rights that the White House released today are important first steps toward defining the right policy structure for privacy online.  While we have not yet reviewed the report in detail, we believe the structure it outlines will help consumers navigate this new world with a clear, uniform set of policies that apply to all players in the Internet ecosystem.

“We also are pleased to hear that the administration’s policy framework and process are dependent on industry involvement. The bottom-up, multi-stakeholder model the administration has endorsed to address specific privacy issues should help create a framework that is nimble enough to keep pace with the speed of innovation and changes in technology and to meet consumers’ evolving needs and preferences.

“Verizon will continue to work through multi-stakeholder processes to develop these principles into practices, and we welcome the administration’s ongoing engagement on this issue. We believe industry must step forward to develop these principles into company practices, and we are committed to providing the necessary support and leadership to make this happen.”

Verizon Communications, headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America’s most reliable wireless network, with nearly 109 million total connections nationwide.

Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America’s most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500.  A Dow 30 company with $111 billion in 2011 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 194,000.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

The article Verizon in Favor of the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.