Facebook – HeadStuff https://headstuff.org Wed, 12 Jul 2023 11:14:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.8.9 https://images.headstuff.org/2021/08/25130905/cropped-hs-site-icon-32x32.png Facebook – HeadStuff https://headstuff.org 32 32 Podcast News Roundup | Facebook Shuts Down Podcasting Platform & More! https://headstuff.org/podcasts/podcast-news-roundup-facebook-shuts-down-podcasting-platform/ https://headstuff.org/podcasts/podcast-news-roundup-facebook-shuts-down-podcasting-platform/#respond Fri, 06 May 2022 09:00:02 +0000 https://headstuff.org/?p=94849 Facebook Shuts Down Podcasting Platform

Welcome back to HeadStuff’s Podcast News Roundup, your go-to place for podcast news and recommendations. This week’s roundup looks at the shutting down of Facebook’s podcasting platform, Penn Badgley’s new podcast and Spotify’s new video publishing feature. Facebook shuts down their podcasting platform after less than a year According to The Verge, Facebook will shut […]

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Facebook Shuts Down Podcasting Platform

Welcome back to HeadStuff’s Podcast News Roundup, your go-to place for podcast news and recommendations. This week’s roundup looks at the shutting down of Facebook’s podcasting platform, Penn Badgley’s new podcast and Spotify’s new video publishing feature.

Facebook shuts down their podcasting platform after less than a year

According to The Verge, Facebook will shut down their podcasting platform less than one year after it launched. Creators will no longer be able to upload new shows to the service by the end of the week, and the platform will shut down altogether on June 3rd, Bloomberg reports. There are also plans to discontinue its short-form audio product Soundbites and will be removing it’s central audio hub.

“We’re constantly evaluating the features we offer so we can focus on the most meaningful experiences,” a Meta spokesperson said via Bloomberg. Facebook will be leaving it up to the podcast publishers to update their listeners.

This announcement comes less than one year after Facebook first launched their podcast product as part of a wider audio initiative. Since then, the podcasting platform has faced several problems from issues with sharing data to its users and muting podcasts with copyrighted music.

New podcast starring Penn Badgley explores the awkwardness of adolescence

You star Penn Badgley is co-creating and hosting a brand new podcast exploring the awkwardness of adolescence. In each episode, Badgley narrates a listener-submitted story from the perspective of a teenager navigating their lives at that tumultuous time.

“Recalling that period of time for me, that was when I moved to LA and started becoming an actor professionally,” said Badgley, via the Irish Examiner. “I do find myself reflecting on that time a lot, the sense of self that I developed since then because of the things I experienced and witness.” 

Once he has completed reading the submitted stories, Badgley is then joined by co-hosts and co-creators Nava Kavelin and Sophie Ansari to chat with a guest about their own experiences.

Guests who have appeared on the show so far include Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl) and Victoria Pedretti (You). Drew Barrymore and Rainn Wilson will also appear.

Video podcasts are now available in certain regions from Spotify

In an effort to broaden their reach, Spotify is now giving creators from the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand the option to publish video podcasts.

Since the end of last year, Spotify has been testing video podcasts on their platform through Anchor.

In a post on the Spotify blog, they said “visual interactions allow fans to get to know their favorite podcast hosts even better, and allow creators to connect with their audiences in a much deeper way. But if you want to stick to the pure audio experience, that’s great too—video on Spotify is backgroundable for all listeners, so you can immerse yourself in the content when you want to, or simply lean back and just listen.”

In addition, Spotify revealed several accompanying updates, including embeddable videos, video bulk-replace, analytics, podcast subscriptions for video, integration with recording platform Riverside and interactivity for video.


Find more podcast related content on the HeadStuff Podcast Section – News, Reviews, Interviews and How-To Guides for all you podcasters out there. 

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Podcast News Round Up | What Am Politics? Podcast Ends Series After 5 Years & More! https://headstuff.org/podcasts/podcast-news-round-up-what-am-politics-podcast-ends-series-after-5-years/ https://headstuff.org/podcasts/podcast-news-round-up-what-am-politics-podcast-ends-series-after-5-years/#respond Fri, 14 Jan 2022 05:00:00 +0000 https://headstuff.org/?p=93705 What Am Politics? Podcast Ends Series After 5 Years

Welcome back to HeadStuff’s Podcast News Roundup, your go-to place for podcast news and recommendations. This week’s roundup features HeadStuff’s Podcast Of The Week and also looks at the end of the popular podcast What Am Politics?, a potential issue for podcasters uploading to Facebook and more! And as always if you want your podcast […]

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What Am Politics? Podcast Ends Series After 5 Years

Welcome back to HeadStuff’s Podcast News Roundup, your go-to place for podcast news and recommendations. This week’s roundup features HeadStuff’s Podcast Of The Week and also looks at the end of the popular podcast What Am Politics?, a potential issue for podcasters uploading to Facebook and more!

And as always if you want your podcast featured as our podcast of the week, email us at pods@headstuff.org and we’ll be sure to check it out!

Podcast of the Week

Three Castles Burning is a Dublin history podcast hosted by Donal Fallon. The show is dedicated to telling the story of Dublin, emphasising histories which may otherwise be lost to time. Episodes average around 30 minutes so are equipped for easy and quick listening. Donal’s stories will change the way you view the city, teaching us things we never knew about the Irish capital.

Donal is a great story teller, and is clearly passionate about the tales he shares. His enthusiasm keeps the listener engaged from start to finish. You can check out the latest episode below:

What Am Politics? podcast ends series after 5 years

After 140 episodes and 5 years tackling all-things politics, What Am Politics? posted the finale of the series this week. The popular show, which is part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network and hosted by Richie Nolan and Steve Byrne, dares to ask the question “what am politics?” 

On Tuesday, What Am Politics? took to Twitter to confirm that this was their final episode, and thanked fans for tuning in: “You have made us both feel as warm and fuzzy as Hercules after a bath,” they said in the Tweet. “We hope you enjoy this, our final episode.”

The podcast followed Richie, the self-confessed toddler, as he attempted to learn all about politics from his politically savvy drinking buddy Steve, to break down big political issues into comedic bite size pieces. 

They have covered a wide variety of topics in their time, from Donald Trump and Brexit, to Game of Thrones, Eurovision and space. Earlier this week, we listed some of the best episodes of What Am Politics? for you to check out. You can read the article here.

Their final episode, What Am Politics? (The Finale), is out now, available on all podcasting platform and at headstuffpodcasts.com

Dancing with the Stars launches new podcast with Lottie Ryan

The new season of Ireland’s version of Dancing with the Stars kicked off on Sunday night. To accompany the popular celebrity dance competition, a new DWTS podcast will release each week to chat about the dance to the glitter-ball trophy. New episodes of the podcasts will be available every Monday and Thursday, until the show’s finale airs in three months time. 

The series is hosted by Lottie Ryan, last year’s winner of DWTS. On Mondays, former DWTS contestant Brian Dowling and singer-songwriter Lyra will join Lottie to chat about the previous night’s performance. Every Thursday, Lottie will preview the upcoming Sunday night show. 

The first episode is available now wherever you get your podcasts. Dancing with the Stars airs on RTÉ One and on the RTÉ Player every Sunday night at 6.30pm. 

Spotify rolls out new “call-to-action cards” for podcasters

Spotify has introduced a brand new ad format for podcasters called “call-to-action cards.” This enables podcasters to place visual ads on the Spotify app while the audio ad starts to play. 

Advertisers can customise the cards with images, text and clickable links. 

Since these ads are played during a podcast episode, when most listeners are not watching their phone screens, the visual ads are made available elsewhere on the app. The CTA cards will therefore feature on both the episode and podcast’s show pages, allowing users to interact with the ad cards while scrolling through Spotify.

Podcasters using the CTA cards can obtain analytics based on ad clicks, allowing them to monitor the activity and engagement of the advertisement. According to Spotify, their main reason for introducing this new ad format is to increase the interactivity of podcasts. “We’re making podcast ads interactive for the first time, transforming the format from something that can only be heard, into an experience that you can also see — and, most importantly, click,” Spotify said in their announcement.

These CTA Cards were made available across select Spotify Original and Exclusive podcasts in America earlier this month, and will likely make its way to Europe in the future.

Facebook mutes podcasts with copyrighted music 

We have spoken before about Facebook and issues podcasters have faced when uploading their shows to the app. Now, the Facebook app seems to be having trouble with podcasts which feature copyrighted music. According to Christina Szeman via Medium, any podcast which includes copyrighted music will have those sections playing the music muted by Facebook. She claims that this happens regardless of whether the podcaster has paid a licensing fee or not. 

This will prove problematic for many shows who include licensed music in their podcasts, as they could have portions of their show or even entire episodes muted on the app. A study carried out by Pex in 2020 suggested that 17% of podcast episodes include “at least 10 seconds of music.” The study followed Pex’s announcement that it had begun scanning Apple Podcasts for shows which include music. 

In 2020, Spotify introduced a new feature which allows podcast creators to integrate music that is listed on Spotify into their shows. This would mean podcasters could avoid the licensing process altogether. However this does not solve the issue if podcast producers wish to share their shows across multiple platforms. 

Music rights and usage have proven to be a big issue for a variety of online media, not just podcasts. Considering the minefield that is music licensing and copyright law, it will likely take some time for this issue to be solved, if it all.


Find more podcast related content on the HeadStuff Podcast Section – News, Reviews, Interviews and How-To Guides for all you podcasters out there. 

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Podcast News Round Up | Spotify’s Expansion Into Audiobooks & More! https://headstuff.org/podcasts/podcast-news-round-up-spotifys-expansion-into-audiobooks/ https://headstuff.org/podcasts/podcast-news-round-up-spotifys-expansion-into-audiobooks/#respond Fri, 12 Nov 2021 12:17:33 +0000 https://headstuff.org/?p=92822 Spotify's Expansion Into Audiobooks

Welcome back to the HeadStuff Podcast News Round-Up were we take a look at what’s happening in the world of podcasting and give you a recommendation or two along the way. This week we look at Spotify’s expansion into audiobooks, the Hot Docs Podcast Festival and an issue with Facebook’s podcast data collection. As always, […]

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Spotify's Expansion Into Audiobooks

Welcome back to the HeadStuff Podcast News Round-Up were we take a look at what’s happening in the world of podcasting and give you a recommendation or two along the way. This week we look at Spotify’s expansion into audiobooks, the Hot Docs Podcast Festival and an issue with Facebook’s podcast data collection.

As always, we have our podcast of the week to look out for!

Podcast of the Week

After surviving October – otherwise known as spooky season, I was hunting for something light-hearted to boost my spirits (pun intended). That’s how I stumbled upon I’m Grand Mam – and what a perfect podcast to find! I couldn’t stop laughing from the moment I hit play on their pilot episode, first released back in 2019. Each week, Cork natives, Kevin Twomey and PJ Kirby come together for a cuppa, to discuss how they’ve navigated their new lives through London while battling with the one thought every Irish gay man deals with when living away from home – “what would mam think?” Paul Mescal even makes an appearance in one episode recorded at the start of lockdown last year, shortly after Normal People hit the airwaves.

Whether it’s recounting their first move away from home, navigating life amongst the gay scene in London or just their every day lives, I’m Grand Mam pays homage to mammy’s and Irish lads wherever they are. Complete with, high energy, and hilarious tongue-in-cheek humour, Kevin and PJ are sure to make you laugh as they share their stories including wild nights out on the town, or exploding hairdryers. This is definitely a podcast to listen to this weekend to put you in a great mood! 

Although the series is currently taking a break, I’m Grand Mam is heading out on tour, starting on November 27th in their home city of Cork! You can get tickets here.

Spotify Expanding into Audiobooks

Spotify is best known as a music streaming platform, however in recent years the app has also become synonymous with podcasts. Now, Spotify have announced their ambition to expand into the world of audiobooks. They have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Findaway, an audio technology company which brings audiobooks to listeners around the globe.

“It’s Spotify’s ambition to be the destination for all things audio both for listeners and creators. The acquisition of Findaway will accelerate Spotify’s presence in the audiobook space and will help us more quickly meet that ambition,” said Gustav Söderström, Spotify’s Chief Research & Development Officer.

According to Spotify, Findaway is set to grow from $3.3 billion to $15 billion by 2027.

This acquisition will broaden Spotify’s already expansive audio library and give independent authors the tools needed to bring their stories to an audio platform.

Söderström went on to say: “We’re excited to combine Findaway’s team, best-in class technology platform, and robust audiobook catalogue with Spotify’s expertise to revolutionize the audiobook space as we did with music and podcasts.”

Hot Docs Podcast Festival Returns January 2022

Hot Docs Podcast festival is one of the world’s leading podcast events of the year and will return January 25-28 2022. The festival, based in Toronto, Canada, will take place both live and virtually. So if you are unable to make it to the event in person, you will still be able to participate from the comfort of your own home.

Hot Docs Podcast Festival is a place for podcast lovers and creators to come together and celebrate great storytelling. The festival will host a series of live performances, conversations, masterclasses and more. There will be plenty of creator forum sessions which explore the art and craft of podcasting. If you are based in Canada, you can also submit to the Hot Docs Podcast Career Accelerator, open for Canadian creators aged between 18 and 34 to help jumpstart your audio career.

Early bird passes for the festival go on sale November 23rd. Check out the festival website here.

Facebook Data Causing Trouble for Podcast Creators

As a podcaster, one of the things you tend to keep track of is your show’s listenership. It’s the prime indicator which tells you how your show is doing. Hosting companies will typically gather listenership data, and other handy analytics across all podcasting channels to keep you informed.

However, many hosting companies are having difficulties harvesting such data from Facebook.

Facebook allows podcasters to attach their RSS feed links directly to their Pages, allowing podcast episodes to populate there, and for US-based app users to tune in to their favourite shows. But many hosting companies are unable to make sense of the data coming from Facebook.

Outlined in this article by The Verge, it looks as if iOS devices are getting confused by which server is sending back information and some Facebook listens are being submitted as Apple Podcast listens instead. However, Facebook have stated they are apparently in the process of solving this issue, and more accurate data should start to appear as the app updates.


Find more podcast related content on the HeadStuff Podcast Section – News, Reviews, Interviews and How-To Guides for all you podcasters out there. 

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How Millennials Became the Generation Holding Companies Accountable https://headstuff.org/topical/millennials-companies-accountabl/ https://headstuff.org/topical/millennials-companies-accountabl/#respond Tue, 21 Jan 2020 11:40:36 +0000 https://www.headstuff.org/?p=82525 Millennials Extinction Rebellion protest | HeadStuff.org

The corporate model is failing. That’s according to millennials, whose support for large companies took a nosedive over the last few years. Today, politicians on both sides of the aisle believe governments should behave and be run like businesses. However, young people are drawing new lines in the sand, and retracing old ones, when it […]

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Millennials Extinction Rebellion protest | HeadStuff.org

The corporate model is failing.

That’s according to millennials, whose support for large companies took a nosedive over the last few years. Today, politicians on both sides of the aisle believe governments should behave and be run like businesses. However, young people are drawing new lines in the sand, and retracing old ones, when it comes to corporate ethics, sustainability, worker protections, anti-competitiveness, taxation and privacy rights.

Having big companies and monied interests at the tiller of society and politics has been business-as-usual for as long as anyone can remember. If present trends continue, though, millennials could become the first generation that manages to hold entities accountable and put an end to free lunches for robber barons.

How Do Millennials Feel About Corporations?

There is a lot of polling data available outlining how young people today feel about their jobs, corporate culture and companies and corporations in general. Given that millennials became the largest cohort in the workforce in 2016, these shifting sentiments about the value delivered by big business could soon cause major headaches for industrialists.

By 2025, millennials will represent three-quarters of the American workforce. So what do they think and feel about these institutions? Here’s a taste:

  • The Brookings Institute reports that 83% of polled millennials believe corporations wield too much power.
  • Deloitte’s 2019 Millennial Survey found that just 55% of millennials believe big business has a positive influence on society. This has declined from 76% in 2017.
  • The Deloitte study also found that more than one-quarter of millennials have no trust in leaders from the corporate world.

Bezos corporate corporation Amazon Jeff Bezos | HeadStuff.org
That means you, Bezos

According to Deloitte, almost 50% of millennials in the survey group said they would quit their jobs within two years if they realistically could.

When people talk about millennials being more willing than boomers to jump from job to job, that’s not the whole story. Millennials today are signaling in large numbers that they want to hold their employers to higher standards. They are increasingly unafraid to shop their skills around if it means working for a company they can feel good about.

How Are Millennials Expressing Their Disapproval?

2019 saw a significant number of demonstrations in the name of corporate responsibility, fairness to employees and environmental awareness.

One of the most visible demonstrations is the ongoing Global Climate Strike, which sees young people and their allies staging walkouts from schools and places of employment. In New York City, students even received district permission and excused absences to attend these walkouts. Teachers, meanwhile, were barred from participating on the grounds of creating a “politically neutral learning environment.”

Greta Thunberg

The city misses two things here. The first is that all signs point to young people being at the end of their patience when it comes to political neutrality. The other is that there is nothing political whatsoever about averting ecological collapse. As our problems have grown, in magnitude as well as awareness, it has become increasingly impossible to pretend as though politics does not bleed into other aspects of our lives. Millennials are living this truth in ever-greater numbers.

What these and other strikes are ultimately about is taking back a measure of public control over an unaccountable corporate community. The older generations laid the foundation for a nationwide New Deal — and regional Square Deals from the likes of George F. Johnson — that balanced public needs with those of big business. A critical mass of young people today knows that there can be no organized answer to climate collapse or any other crisis until we bring these elements back into balance.

What Else Are Millennials Doing? What Brought Us to This Point?

Today’s technology-savvy and organized young people are attempting to effect change throughout the world economy, beginning with some of the most visible companies.

Microsoft employees put the company on notice for cozying up to the U.S. military with its augmented reality projects. “We did not sign up to develop weapons,” they said in an open letter. Google faced a backlash from its employees on two fronts. It was complicit with federal agencies that engage in deportations and it let an unchecked culture of sexual harassment permeate the company.

Stressed workplace | HeadStuff.org
A disillusioned neoliberal

Amazon, meanwhile, is telling employees they can expect termination if they speak out about the company’s role in climate change. This is after the company announced a lackluster “climate pledge” that was roundly panned by environmentalists. Prime Day 2019 also saw workers strike against the inhumane conditions in Amazon warehouses. Jeff Bezos continued renovations on his home throughout 2019, which will have 25 working bathrooms by the time it’s done.

Elsewhere, employees are waking up to the fact that companies have an unprecedented amount of oversight these days into how their workers use the internet and email, send and receive documents, and even use personal computers and devices. Some countries have had to create laws protecting employees from having to compulsorily check their work email over the weekends. This work-life balance line in the sand does not yet exist in the United States.

Millennials’ lack of patience with unaccountable and exploitative corporate culture is leading to the death of entire industries. Luxury goods manufacturers are on notice for exploiting natural resources, and so are department stores, casual dining restaurants, membership-based gyms, cable TV companies and golf courses. A variety of reasons exist, ranging from ecological and resource mismanagement to price-gouging, toxic workplace cultures and more.

There’s also the small matter of millennials working longer hours than their parents, for the same or lower wages, and consequently having less disposable income for these and other unnecessary products and services.

Millennials Social Media- HeadStuff.org
Revolutionaries hiding in plain sight

Millennials Express Their Frustration with Companies Worldwide

Millennials everywhere are helping amplify, and hopefully win, the oldest and most important conflict in the world: the general population vs. established interests. There is nothing inherently unethical or unfair about the corporate model, but young people today are increasingly vocal about the changes they’d like to see. Without progress, the exploitation of the planet and its people by the corporate community will continue unchecked.

Whether they’re boycotting environmentally destructive companies or eschewing mainstream employment to work with non-profits, millennials are coming into their own as opinionated and future-minded individuals. They want the modern workplace to function like communities, where average people feel their lives are well-balanced and they have a say in how their future unfolds. Moreover, they want companies to serve a purpose beyond turning a profit. These aren’t sky-high demands. They are, arguably, long overdue.

Feature Image Source

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How Social Media Censorship Affects Marketing Companies https://headstuff.org/topical/social-media-censorship-marketing/ https://headstuff.org/topical/social-media-censorship-marketing/#comments Thu, 18 Jul 2019 09:56:20 +0000 https://www.headstuff.org/?p=78786 Stressed workplace | HeadStuff.org

Social media has completely changed the way companies conduct their marketing over the last couple decades. Traditional modes of advertising, like billboards, have been de-emphasized in favor of influencing people through their social media feeds. Although marketing has always been a methodical industry, it is now more carefully designed around the consumer, often with a […]

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Stressed workplace | HeadStuff.org

Social media has completely changed the way companies conduct their marketing over the last couple decades. Traditional modes of advertising, like billboards, have been de-emphasized in favor of influencing people through their social media feeds. Although marketing has always been a methodical industry, it is now more carefully designed around the consumer, often with a special focus on their social media use. 

Many social media developers have made changes to their sites through the application of algorithms. Whether incidentally or by design, these changes often censor or limit certain types of users or content. For example, while founder Mark Zuckerberg insists that such changes that were made to Facebook were implemented to better curate users’ feeds, they have had a major impact on companies who seek to market through the social media platform.

Social Media Censorship

Social media was designed as a platform for social interactions among friends, family, and other acquaintances. However, most of these platforms quickly became sites for the creation and sharing of original content. This is a process that was easily adopted by marketers, having since become a staple of digital marketing. With everyone creating media to promote on Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg and his team of web developers made the decision to curate feeds in order to highlight the most important information for each individual.

Facebook marketing censorship | HeadStuff.org

This change was applied to Instagram as well, after Facebook purchased the photo social media site. These are two of the largest social media sites that exist, though it’s important to note that networks like YouTube and Twitter are seeing similar algorithmic changes.

Regardless of intentions, it’s difficult to say how successfully these changes have been adopted. Facebook used this change as an opportunity to limit the number of posts people would see from businesses, a move that was expected to increase their ad revenue due to higher engagement rates. However, with brands struggling to have their content get the exposure they would like, many are looking for alternatives.

What are the pros and cons of this form of censorship, and how can marketers continue to see success in digital marketing going forward?

Pros 

Site developers have begun applying insights from big data through algorithms. This helps them promote content based on what it sees as a person’s preferences. Sites like YouTube and Netflix use big data to recommend content as “suggested media” in sections of their site. These suggestions are made using search histories and data concerning how consumers use the site. 

As algorithms direct related content to users who are more likely to be interested in it, users have become more trusting of these platforms. This improved relationship keeps users logged in and engaged, which helps make it a stronger marketing platform for many companies.

Algorithms can also help ensure that certain ads are targeted to individuals who are most likely to be interested and benefit from them. They can provide helpful content to those who could benefit from the products or services — and therefore help marketers reach their audiences as directly as possible.

Cons

Because Facebook creates the rules that marketers must work with, they are now unable to promote their original content effectively without paying for advertising space. Facebook has used algorithms to minimize attention to posts that promote other websites, which means fewer people see this type of content than they did before the changes were applied. 

Algorithms are also imperfect, and as they are often designed to target certain demographics, they may leave out customers who could potentially be interested in the product. It simply depends on how thorough marketers are in their research and how much they’re able to spend to refine their targeting.

Data Science
Source

Effects on Marketing Companies

In order to dodge the negative effects of algorithms that limit business reach, marketing companies must be aware of the impact to expect through censorship, which can help them stay ahead of the curve. The key is to remember and focus on the purpose of marketing: reaching consumers. Even if a social networking site gets in the way of that, marketers can find ways to overcome these obstacles by maintaining the integrity of their content and products. 

Whether the content is beautiful pictures or long-form writing, good content is always recognised and often shared by consumers, especially when it gets into the right hands. Even if the organic reach for businesses is no longer between 15% and 20%, it’s still possible to make progress towards marketing goals by doing a thorough job on your own part. 

Social media censorship has had a large impact on how marketing companies are able to do their job. While some changes have provided extensive benefits for marketers, many have also been negative. As algorithms continue to change, there’s no saying how social media marketing will be done in the future. However, the reach attained through social networking sites will likely remain one of the best avenues for reaching a large, targeted audience.

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Mario liked That! Social Media’s Positive Impact on Gaming https://headstuff.org/entertainment/gaming/mario-liked-that-social-medias-positive-impact-on-gaming/ https://headstuff.org/entertainment/gaming/mario-liked-that-social-medias-positive-impact-on-gaming/#respond Wed, 10 Jul 2019 18:17:42 +0000 https://www.headstuff.org/?p=78570 Social Media - HeadStuff.org

Social media and gaming are quickly becoming inseparable. As more are more games embrace social media mechanics and social media platforms take an interest in gaming, it is becoming apparent how much the two impact each other. While social media’s presence in the gaming world has had its fair share of controversies (a la Gamergate), […]

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Social Media - HeadStuff.org

Social media and gaming are quickly becoming inseparable. As more are more games embrace social media mechanics and social media platforms take an interest in gaming, it is becoming apparent how much the two impact each other. While social media’s presence in the gaming world has had its fair share of controversies (a la Gamergate), the effect on the gaming industry overall is a net positive. Social media, in a lot of ways, is changing the world of gaming as we know it — and for the better more often than not.

Creating New Communities and Friendships

Games like Pokemon Go are inherently social in that, in order to get the most of the game, interacting with others that play the game is necessary. Both within the game application and on social media platforms, these types of games encourage players to reach out to one another to schedule meetups where they might work together to reach a goal. Through games that require social interaction in reality and on social media platforms as well, gamers end up cultivating entirely new gaming communities.

While online relationships between video game players begin from a shared interest in whatever game they might be playing, the often-required interaction between players to achieve a goal opens the door for new, lasting relationships to develop. What starts as an exclusively in-game friendship often naturally evolves into a deeper, more nuanced relationship. This is where social media allows for players to continue their friendship outside of simply playing games together. Whether it be through Facebook groups dedicated to specific games or just two players who have become fast friends, social media facilitates these relationships.

These relationships are just as real and valid as any in-person relationship, regardless of the fact that they almost exclusively take place through gaming and social media. The joy that these online relationships bring and the grief experienced when an online friend passes are legitimate. For years it has been a common occurrence for players to hold in-game funerals or memorials for friends that have passed. Even if players have never met in real life, through gaming and social media they are given the tools needed to form tight bonds.

Breaking Down Barriers

Another benefit that social media brings to the world of gaming is that it provides a direct line of communication from players to developers. Video games have carved out a sizeable portion of the Twitterverse, with over 1 billion tweets regarding gaming being made globally in 2018. While many of these tweets were made to express excitement about new games or in relation to competitive gaming, a lot of valuable user feedback was given to game developers as well.

In the past, complaints from gamers were common, but there weren’t as visible as social media makes them in the modern era. Now, if a game is released with major bugs or lackluster gameplay, like Fallout 76 for instance, fans are quick to spread their opinions of the game. This can reverberate widely across social media. Game developers that choose to listen to players complaints and suggestions can actually end up saving a game from mediocrity, as was accomplished with Destiny, The Division, and (perhaps most famously) No Man’s Sky.

Additionally, social media platforms also provide a way for developers to get into contact with one another. Social media can act as an incredibly useful tool for networking and collaborative efforts between developers, allowing them to share information in real time and have timely discussions about progress. This ability to instantly connect can help developers stay one step ahead of leaks or to quickly address issues pertaining to development as they occur, saving time and money.

Changing the Face of Gaming

It can be useful to take a break from social media every once in a while — and maybe even delete your Facebook in the pursuit of privacy — but those invested in the gaming world might want to reconsider doing so. The rise of social media platforms that emphasize video game streaming hasn’t gone unnoticed by the tech giant, and they are now looking to muscle in on this new and wildly popular way to enjoy gaming socially. Twitch is by far the most popular of the streaming social media platforms, and streaming itself has become popular due to the rise of battle royale-style games.

Out of all of the games that streamers play, Fortnite has some of the biggest draw for fans. Fortnite itself is actually a popular social media platform in and of itself, with over 250 million users playing regularly, having fun, and forming friendships and fandoms. Many young people idolize some of the biggest players on the platform like Ninja or the members of FaZe Clan, spending hours online watching them.

For Generation Z, the line between social media and gaming is becoming increasingly blurred. This generation has shown an intense interest in the overall blending of social media and gaming. This is evidenced by the rise of streaming as entertainment and the fact that this love of games like Fortnite bleeds into popular culture in songs and other mediums. For game developers, this opens up an exciting new chapter in gaming culture and development as a whole

Social media and gaming have reached a point where they go hand in hand, bringing the concept of multiplayer farther than it’s ever been. For developers, social media provides the ability to get instantaneous feedback on their projects so that they know what is and isn’t working, as well as a way to communicate quickly between other developers. For players, social media is a place where relationships can flourish and they can freely express their opinions. Social media and gaming may be even further intertwined in the future, existing as one immersive experience. Until that day, grab a controller and make some new friends.


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Social Media Darwinism | Is Facebook Marketing Dead? https://headstuff.org/topical/topical-features/ups-downs-facebook-marketing/ https://headstuff.org/topical/topical-features/ups-downs-facebook-marketing/#comments Wed, 19 Dec 2018 07:55:37 +0000 https://www.headstuff.org/?p=71924 Facebook marketing | HeadStuff.org

Facebook has become a multi-headed beast where businesses are concerned. For a long time it has been one of the dominant digital marketing channels, and arguably it still is. However recent kerfuffle over U.S. election interference and the proliferation of “fake news” has caused the platform to crack down hard on the way that advertisers […]

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Facebook marketing | HeadStuff.org

Facebook has become a multi-headed beast where businesses are concerned. For a long time it has been one of the dominant digital marketing channels, and arguably it still is. However recent kerfuffle over U.S. election interference and the proliferation of “fake news” has caused the platform to crack down hard on the way that advertisers interact with the platform. Algorithm changes based on user feedback about advertising haven’t helped either. Unfortunately, many businesses small and large will feel the ripples of those reactions.

That doesn’t mean that Facebook marketing is dead — far from it. It’s still a viable and valuable marketing channel, but making the best of it is going to require new strategies.

The Good Ol’ Days

Way back in the before time, the long, long ago (around 2013), Facebook wasn’t just effective, it was easy. Organic reach for business pages was around 15-20 percent, and getting followers and fans was the name of the game. It was simple: The more people followed your page, the more people saw your posts.

Over the years, the organic reach of posts has decreased a significant amount, and Facebook’s more recent algorithm changes focused on prioritizing friend and family content over posts from pages they follow. Having lots of fans isn’t a clear measure of success anymore. Now, if you want the people who follow your page to even see the posts you make, you have to pay for it.

There are different ways to get your content seen. You can either start an advertising campaign or boost posts, but even with paid boosts, the mood of users as well as the algorithm has turned against sponsored content.

Marketing’s Not Dead!

So is Facebook Marketing dead?

Not at all, but it has changed drastically.

In the end, it’s important to realize that Facebook’s changes are not unlike Google’s changes. They occur at different times and in different ways, but the rub is that users are the lifeblood of the platform. The goal of algorithms that choose what to display is to approximate what the user wishes to see. While these changes are made in the name of user-friendliness, the platform also needs to make money, so Facebook advertising will likely never be “dead” — but you have to react to the prevailing winds.

Give ’em what they like

Marketing Share Bait | HeadStuff.org
Source

Shady ads, react and share bait posts, listicles without substance, clickbait headlines — users are sick of exploitative and poor-quality tactics, and those tactics are rightfully being penalized. It’s unfortunate that Facebook’s own loose content policies created the issues in the first place, and now a large swathe of businesses are being penalized. It means that even if you don’t engage in shady content tactics, it’s time to double-down on creating quality content that people read and interact with, that they enjoy, and that teaches them something.

One idea to consider is to give users incentives to follow you on other platforms, where you have more reliable access to them. Some examples of channels they could follow include social media pages, email lists, or your onsite blog. Running promotions or contests that require an email signup or social media follow is one good way to do this.

Manage Your Audience Targeting Carefully

One of the most useful things about Facebook advertising in particular is the ability to create targeted ads based on the social information of users. This Facebook audience feature is especially useful for small and niche businesses, allowing you to be very particular about who you target and when. This tool is ideal for small businesses on a budget due to the amount of control you get over how your dollars work for you.

Facebook also remains useful for small businesses and independent creators despite the algorithm difficulties for these audience features, because it allows you to cultivate and speak to extremely niche audiences, and take part in activities and interests they share. It’s also a good source of more grassroots marketing efforts, because these days many people like to rally around small businesses in their community, as distaste for the business practices of the bigger guys grows. Social media often breeds community-focused movements. Small Business Saturday in November is one example, presented as the small business alternative to Black Friday. It’s a great opportunity to use social platforms like Facebook to reach people by creating content around a common popular topic.

Making sure that those well-targeted ads aren’t wasted is the trick, and Facebook is a heavily saturated platform. Done the right way, it’s a very effective platform for engaging new users or re-engaging past customers. However, the additional work involved and the significantly reduced organic returns may mean that today, Facebook marketing isn’t the best tool for everyone. If you don’t have a very strong sense of who your target audience is, and know that they use Facebook (many young people don’t!), it might be best to save that money.

Make Use of Video

Facebook is prioritizing video content, it’s been a rumour for a while, but we know it now for sure. Some key takeaways include that they are spending around $1 billion on developing their video content platform, which they wish to position as competition to the likes of YouTube.

Both live and recorded video are seeing boosts, and videos that drive repeat viewership are very likely to encounter a friendly algorithm.

What this means for your business is that a robust schedule of video content — non-promotional and promotional, live and recorded,— may just be the new secret to Facebook success. You’ll need to learn the ins and outs of creating and editing videos for Facebook’s platform, and start experimenting with content and formats that users respond well to.

Facebook marketing is far from dead. It’s certainly not as easy as it was a few years ago, but for the right amount of effort, for the right audience, it’s still very much worth its while.

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The Continued Evolution of Oculus https://headstuff.org/entertainment/gaming/the-continued-evolution-of-oculus/ https://headstuff.org/entertainment/gaming/the-continued-evolution-of-oculus/#respond Mon, 12 Nov 2018 15:31:31 +0000 https://www.headstuff.org/?p=70706

Have you ever watched a movie or played a video game and become so wrapped up in the story it felt as if you were actually there? Transporting audiences via an immersive storytelling experience was once considered the hallmark of good script writing and set building. Now it’s a reality for viewers and players worldwide […]

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Have you ever watched a movie or played a video game and become so wrapped up in the story it felt as if you were actually there? Transporting audiences via an immersive storytelling experience was once considered the hallmark of good script writing and set building. Now it’s a reality for viewers and players worldwide — albeit an augmented one.

Augmented and virtual reality headsets have recently entered the mainstream entertainment space, and while this sounds like cause for celebration and excitement, the reception has been lukewarm at best. Despite the hype preceding its 2016 release, Oculus Rift, one of the most popular name-brand VR gaming sets, has only sold 1 million units. This may sound like a lot, but if you place it in the context of more traditional gaming consoles selling in the hundred millions, it seems slow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tkzHSC6jwQ

The question now becomes: how will Oculus evolve in order to stay competitive in the market? Fortunately, the gaming company has social media and tech giant Facebook behind it to help it find its way. Facebook acquired Oculus as a startup four years ago, and at the time, Zuckerberg said that he saw VR as a new chance for social and communication innovations.

Given that Facebook has already changed the way we use social media and our smartphones, there’s little doubt that Zuckerberg and his team will find a way to harness Oculus’ potential for new projects. It just may not be in the gaming industry exclusively. Given its history and forward momentum, it’s possible Oculus may find new ways to come into our homes in the future.

A Brief History of Oculus

Like most famous startups, Oculus’ origin story was that of a scrappy startup trying to raise money any way it could so it could do what it loves. Oculus got lucky, however, and after raising $2.5 million via Kickstarter, it was acquired by Facebook two years later. It then began developing VR video game experiences for the consumer market.

In 2015, after two years of development, Oculus revealed the first playable titles for its system. They were similar in style and tone to most of the major best-selling games on the market at the time, with a sci-fi flight simulator, a space exploration escape game, and a first-person RPG among them. These were played, of course, in a fully immersive VR 3D experience never before brought to consumer homes.

Oculus - HeadStuff.org
Games like Skyrim have been ported into VR with great success. Source.

The new titles and system release quickly got the gaming community excited. Here was a new way for gamers to enjoy their favorite pastime, but with the added level of intensity of actually feeling as if they’re inside the game itself. Unfortunately, the excitement hasn’t been enough to prompt many video game enthusiasts to invest in the gear needed to enjoy a VR experience.

However, it’s important to note that new technology can simply take a few years to penetrate the market. Sometimes adoption needs a few cycles before growing widespread. Additionally, sometimes new iterations or user-experience updates have to come via trial and error.

From Entertainment to Business Tools

The good news is that if Oculus Rift doesn’t want to stay only in video games, VR technology has a lot of opportunity in other sectors. There are, of course, flight simulators and other experiential markets to explore and disrupt. However, it’s worth looking at industries that traditionally haven’t had VR and could benefit from it.

One such industry is marketing and advertising. Marketers have been trying to find ways to get inside the consumer’s head, and the possible A/B testing opportunities opened through VR testing are endless. This isn’t necessarily hypothetical, either.

Although consumer systems like Oculus Rift have only been on the market as recently as 2016, VR technology has been helping market researchers since 2008. Major players like Unilever and Walmart use virtual shopping simulators and eye-tracking technology to gain new insights on their customers. With VR technology advancing every day, there’s no end to the scenarios researchers can test to learn as much as they can about their target audiences.

If, for example, a business wants to test a new store layout, they no longer have to rely on physically moving — and then moving again — their entire stock and shelves. They can simply invite customers to put on a VR headset and then solicit feedback about the potential changes they see. This not only streamlines the process but saves a lot of hours in setup and take down.

“Tomorrow’s Newest Social and Communication Platform”

Mark Zuckerberg directed Facebook to acquire Oculus because he saw the possibility for innovating the ways in which people use social media. While Facebook’s own versions of VR social media are not yet available to the public, other applications have since launched, allowing players to engage with one another in never-before-seen ways. This can foster the chance to go so much further than a text post update on someone’s wall.

One such application is Bigscreen. This VR app allows users to create 3D avatars of themselves and then stream movies or play video games together as if they are in the same room — even if all parties are playing from separate countries. In their own words, Bigscreen says, “we aim to build useful tools that enable users to use existing content, apps, and games in VR, and to socialize and hangout in a shared VR space with their friends and coworkers.”

Another example of social VR applications is AltspaceVR, a company that hosts VR events where people can “meet” and “hang out” together in addition to playing video games. The company boasts the opportunity to “get front row seats” to favorite celebrity acts and to always have someone to hang out with, “day or night.” It supports a wide variety of VR systems, making it easily accessible to players regardless of console or system preference.

Regardless of what the future holds for the gaming world, VR technology seems to be moving in an exciting direction. The ability to connect with friends and family from around the world without having to worry about airfare or planning a trip is simply a free app download away. By finding new ways to keep people engaged with one another, VR will continue to stay an integral part of the technology industry and its ever-rapid growth.


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Hanging out With Strangers Alone: The Social VR Experience https://headstuff.org/topical/science/social-vr-experience/ https://headstuff.org/topical/science/social-vr-experience/#respond Fri, 10 Aug 2018 15:02:41 +0000 https://www.headstuff.org/?p=67797 Social VR - HeadStuff.org

Virtual reality might sound very futuristic, but it’s already a part of modern life. VR dates as far back as 1838, more than a century before someone first coined the term, by trying to make people feel like they were part of a painting or still image. Slowly, movie producers and gaming communities, and maybe […]

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Social VR - HeadStuff.org

Virtual reality might sound very futuristic, but it’s already a part of modern life. VR dates as far back as 1838, more than a century before someone first coined the term, by trying to make people feel like they were part of a painting or still image. Slowly, movie producers and gaming communities, and maybe soon journalists, started embracing VR. Now, companies are expanding VR for use in social situations.

Instead of going out somewhere to meet new people or hang out with friends, you can do everything from the comfort of your couch. VR programs are allowing people to come together on the same server and explore pictures, videos or even live events together.

The magic of VR lies in the activities it offers. Sitting in a computerized room with 20 strangers might be weird with nothing going on. With VR, you can watch sports games or concerts while also mingling with the crowd — without ever actually being there.

Social VR - HeadStuff.org

Spaces, Venues or Neither

Facebook is the company leading the social VR charge. They already have a market in social interaction, but now, they’re trying to expand on cyber socializing with Facebook Spaces.

While not exactly teeming with anything extremely exciting, Spaces offers a simple and fun activity with friends. After about a year in service, Facebook has learned a few ground rules for users accessing VR. Most notably, users want more to do with each other than to look at old pictures in a different way.

Oculus Venues fills the gap. Venues is a service showcasing live events as if you were there. Events remove the question of what to do with each other in the virtual world. The attraction is the main point of the VR experience, with social interaction being a side venture. Because of the tool’s broad reach, one might never realize Facebook owns Oculus.

If you’re like many and don’t want Facebook as a part of every social interaction, then you’ll be happy there are a lot of programs still up and coming. Microsoft acquired AltspaceVR back in May, which allows a unique social experience like a 360-degree video jukebox. Not to mention, Sony’s PlayStation VR program has been growing in popularity over the last few years.

Social VR - HeadStuff.org

Are Chat Rooms Extinct?

What made socializing on the Internet so popular in the first place was the elimination of social anxiety. You didn’t have to walk up to someone and start a conversation. Instead, users could type up a few words and hit send to a faceless user. On the opposite side, you could ignore a weird message from someone if you wanted to.

VR brings the same amount of pleasure as real-life social interactions, but without the risk of awkward face-to-face conversations. VR socializing still isn’t nearly as “real” as reality. You can create an avatar to look like anything, and you can still always use the mute and block buttons. Whether VR evolves or destroys the idea of a chat room remains to be seen.

The Future of Anonymity and Trolls

The problem with easier social interaction on the Internet is the resounding negativity. Some people who believe they’re behaving anonymously see no problem with being rude or even abusive to others. For many people, being anonymous offers an excuse to behave negatively when they otherwise wouldn’t. However, a lot of people feel more comfortable interacting anonymously.

While social VR is going to be immersive enough to allow avatars, nothing will be strictly anonymous anymore. Perhaps the future will see more spaces that enable or even encourage anonymity, but for now, server owners will know who you are. The whole point of forced connections to Facebook with Spaces and Venues is to provide accountability for actions.

If you’re worried about random people trying to harass you, you should know that will be a difficult task to accomplish. As mentioned earlier, you can still mute and block people. Other users walking into your personal space won’t be a problem, either, as VR gives everyone their assigned seat. You can move to different spots, but walking freely will not happen on some programs, or it will occur only while the person walking is invisible in others.

Social VR - HeadStuff.org

Access and Comfort

One would think the only thing making VR inaccessible to anyone is the multi-digit price tag. Though VR gear can be expensive, the price of VR will eventually go down as the economy — and the demand — catch up. The problems that need the most work are vertigo and comfort of the headset.

With mind and body at odds about whether the user is moving around or not, nausea is a common complaint about VR products. Manufacturers are developing technology to fix the issue, but they may be unable to completely resolve it for years to come, if ever.

More presently, the headsets are sometimes awkward to wear. They can be heavy and bulky, and they don’t always account for a person’s hair. The feeling of a lump attached to your face while using VR also adds to nausea. As production continues, there’s hope the headsets will become more comfortable for anyone to use.

New Events

Oculus Venues’ main selling point is live events. They’ve done concerts, comedy clubs, sports games and even hosted movie theaters. As these VR social events become more popular, they will host more events, making the prices drop and the audience grow.

What’s the Point?

Unless you can’t leave your home or travel, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of point to socializing with VR. Yes, this tech significantly cuts the cost and hassle of travel, and allows you to experience a live event you otherwise couldn’t get to.

However, one point of social VR is to allow users a social outlet they perhaps couldn’t find otherwise. Companies are taking away anonymity and the ease of typing up a short message. The awkwardness of genuine social interactions is coming back in style, but at the price of everyone being able to get involved in the conversation.

There’s something to be said about meeting people of your same interests who live thousands of miles away. VR can certainly be rewarding by making the world a smaller place and showcasing more worldly experiences. For those who can’t travel, VR can be a whole new world.

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The Week in World News | Facebook, free speech and fake elections https://headstuff.org/topical/topical-news/week-world-news-facebook/ https://headstuff.org/topical/topical-news/week-world-news-facebook/#respond Tue, 07 Aug 2018 13:45:13 +0000 https://www.headstuff.org/?p=67676

The world moves fast. If you don’t stop and read the papers, you might just miss a few things. So with this in mind, let’s take you through a few of those global stories that you may have missed over the last week. Facebook and disturbing content Facebook was called before our Oireachtas Communications Committee […]

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The world moves fast. If you don’t stop and read the papers, you might just miss a few things. So with this in mind, let’s take you through a few of those global stories that you may have missed over the last week.

Facebook and disturbing content

Facebook was called before our Oireachtas Communications Committee after a Channel 4 Dispatches investigation in late July revealed content moderators were not removing disturbing content from the platform.

The UK media investigation centered heavily on Facebook’s international headquarters in Dublin, and showed moderators clearly bypassing violent and harmful content, including child abuse, which should have been removed in accordance with Facebook’s own content policy.

Moderators were filmed citing equally disturbing rationale for leaving the content on the site, in what appeared to be a de facto policy that exists within the company. On the programme, one CPL moderator, employed by Facebook, said if Facebook start censoring people too much then people will stop using the platform and “it’s all about the money at the end of the day.”

Facebook uses CPL, Ireland’s largest recruitment agency, to recruit moderators. The recruitment agency was shown to deliver training to Facebook employees,with material that also contradicted official Facebook policy on how to deal with harmful content.

The social media company claim they were unaware of changes made to the training material used by CPL and that this was an oversight on their behalf, that it does not reflect Facebook’s values and is currently under investigation with CPL.

Facebook’s Head of Public Policy, Niamh Sweeney, was challenged on this by Chairperson of the committee meeting, Hildergarde Naughton, who referenced a 2016 memo entitled ‘The Ugly. In the memo, Facebook’s vice president, Andrew Bosworth, set out that anything that achieves growth for Facebook is de facto good even if it means somebody dies as a result of being exposed to bullies or through a terrorist attack planned using Facebook platforms.

The issues raised at the committee meeting go beyond what was captured in the documentary, many of which warrant every Facebook user’s consideration. You can read the full committee meeting here.

Mark Zuckerberg Facebook | HeadStuff.org
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg

Ireland looks like it will be taking the lead on pushing for statutory regulation with Sinn Féin’s ‘Digital Safety Commissioner Bill’ already at the committee stage. The bill would provide for a Digital Safety Commissioner who would be authorised to adjudicate where this is an issue with a platform and an affected user.

The Digital Safety Commissioner will also be there to assist in determining what constitutes as harmful communication and to provide a path of appeal for affected users.

Meanwhile, Facebook say they understand the logic behind the bill, but are seeking more clarity on the definition of harmful content and cited concerns of its potential to unintentionally impede freedom of speech.

It’s worth reflecting on where you fit into the debate between statutory regulation of a private social media company and the right of freedom of expression. A model of co-operation is needed between the user, platform and state. Users or parents of users need to understand their personal responsibility when using the platform, realistic expectations must be set of the mechanisms or tools that can be used by a platform to mitigate users exposure to harmful content, and some degree of regulation must be put in place for those cases where there is a clear and intended failure to remove content that is in violation of its own policy.

Amnesty International

An Amnesty International staff member was targeted by highly sophisticated and invasive spyware technology, known as Pegasus and developed by the Israel-based NSO group.

The organization believes it was a deliberate attempt to spy on its staff by a government hostile to its work. The staff member received a suspicious WhatsApp message in Arabic with details about an apparent protest outside the Saudi embassy in Washington D.C and a link to a website.

The Amnesty International technology team have confirmed that clicking on the link would have installed the Pegasus surveillance tool, which would have allowed the software to infect the user’s smartphone tracking keystrokes, taking control of the phone’s cameras and microphone and accessing contact lists.

The NSO group is known to sell spyware to governments and according to company policy, is to be exclusively used for the investigation and prevention of crime and terrorism. The domain link in the message was found to belong to a larger network of more that 600 suspicious websites that have all been connected in some way to the NSO group.

NSO Facebook spyware | HeadStuff.org
NSO Group

It’s likely that the spyware has been used to bait and spy on other activists in several countries including, Kenya, Hungary and countries in the Gulf region.

This is not the first time that NSO group have been found to be at the centre of a surveillance scheme. According to Amnesty International (who cite Citizen Lab), activists, journalists and opposition party leaders were targeted in Mexico in an attempt to silence government opposition.

You can read Amnesty International’s statement here, which also includes a response from the NSO group.

Zimbabwe elections

Unrest throughout parliamentary and presidential elections in Zimbabwe has left six people dead this week, after Police opened fired on protestors. Journalists covering a post result press conference were also targeted by Police who stormed the conference and shouted for everyone to leave.

The Thursday night result saw Emmerson Mnangagwa elected as President after winning 50.8% of the vote. Mnangagwa’s main opposition, Nelson Chamisa, has criticised the result and said ballot boxes were tampered with. Election observers appointed to Zimbabwe had originally raised concerns from the outset that counting was taking longer than expected and that the announcement should also have been made sooner.

Mnangagwa Zimbabwe | HeadStuff.org
Emmerson Mnangagwa

For now, the result remains, but Chamisa is expected to legally challenge what is being observed as the official result.

It appeared to be a new era for Zimbabwe after former dictator of the country, 94-year-old Robert Mugabe, was ousted by the military in November. Mugabe ruled the country for 37 years after he led his party to victory in Zimbabwe’s war of independence, but in the years proceeding independence Mugabe was notorious for his violent repression of civil society, opposition and media.


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