China's biggest social network, Renren, made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday. The company's shares soared raising $743.4 million through the sale of 53.1 million American Depositary Shares. Renren is trading on Wall Street under the symbol "RENN".The Beijing-based company seen as China's answer to Facebook initially priced the shares at between US$9 and US$11 but later raised the price to US$14.Renren shares soared as high as US$24 during the day's trading on Wednesday before closing ...

The online group buying industry (often called social buying, collective buying or even social commerce) has literally boomed in South Africa, as it has all over the world.Rather interesting, especially when one looks at the fact that other countries have up to six times the internet penetration than South Africa has, and have far more people with a great deal more buying power. So why has it grown so fast -- is it hype?Thus far, Groupon have rushed in ...

The winners of the 15th annual Webby Awards were announced on Tuesday. Famous for identifying the break-out stars of the year, and awarding deserving industry leaders, this year's Webbys, with a good mix of both, should prove to be no different.The Webbys hosted by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences are held to honour excellence in website design, interactive advertising, film and video, mobile and applications in various categories. There are four main categories: "Websites," "Online Film and ...

Naomi Klein’s NO LOGO chronicled a global backlash against a number of “super brands” that used advertising and branding in questionable ways to maximise their profits. The book helped produce a new class of conscientious consumers by highlighting some of the features of an overly branded and globalised world: No Space, No Choice and No Jobs.NO LOGO was the warning on the label of the bad mood rising against corporate brands that abused their role and influence in society. And ...

Media coverage is very important for startups. It is how they gain respect in their community, it is how they can win investors, and it is invaluable in helping to recruit staff.Positive media coverage will also help gain users of their products and services, providing valuable marketing services that could cost tens of thousands of dollars.But the only reason media coverage of a startup and their product is valuable is that the media coverage is seen as a neutral third ...

As the internet grows and users become more aware of its uses and better ways to use it, so does the concept of its freedom. After the scenes witnessed earlier this year as people in the Middle-East, used the internet as a tool for organisation to challenge oppressive regimes the importance of internet freedom cannot be denied.On the backdrop of the role the internet is playing in society today, Freedom House, the 70-year-old world renowned freedom and democracy watchdog ...

The Pakistani IT consultant who hoped for a quiet life in a summer resort town in Pakistan has become an internet sensation as the first to report the attack on the world's most wanted man.Sohaib Athar was just another witty voice on microblogging site Twitter until he heard the sound of helicopters near his home in a Abbottabad, 50 kilometres north of Islamabad early Monday.But Athar is now world famous with almost 90 000 Twitter followers as the first person ...

Anonymous, the free-form leaderless internet hacker group has moved in the last year from its history of being "prankster" group with actions such as "Operation Titstorm", to an actual "group" that does present an actual (online) threat to those who come into its cross-hairs. The latest victim to fall in Anonymous' line of fire -- the Iranian government.The Iranian regime's opinion of the internet has always been pretty clear. In 2006 it was declared an enemy of the internet by ...

Twitter has proved itself to have far more power and reach than just the 140 characters bursts it allows. Many global events and issues have also become "Twitter events" thanks to the reach and power of the microblogging site.The death of Osama Bin Laden, after a "targeted bombing raid" as US officials put it, by US forces in Pakistan on Sunday night was the same, and more.Branded as the world’s most wanted criminal with a US$25-million bounty on his head, ...

There is a widespread perception within the Silicon Valley community, that when it comes to the media, as long as everything is disclosed about potential reporting biases, then it's OK.That seems to be why some have defended Mike Arrington, Editor of the influential Techcrunch publication, when he disclosed last week his investments in startups, and said it did create "conflicts of interests".Some praised his disclosure, saying that as long as his financial biases are disclosed then that's OK.However, Arrington has ...