Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2013 September 6

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September 6

Song name

Does anyone know the song from 0:00 to 1:22 in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SgATNwxrOo? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Money is tight (talk • contribs) 06:12, 6 September 2013 (UTC)

Shazam was unable to identify it, which is unusual. Could be original/amateur stuff. Matt Deres (talk) 01:34, 7 September 2013 (UTC)

Are online memberships and social networking services getting popular?

Back in the 1990s, Sites like PBS Kids did not require membership. Anybody could play the games solo. Nowadays, I see that the same website advertises some sort of website membership or send in the scores. Is it me or are these website memberships getting popular? Also, why is Facebook so popular? It's like there are references to Facebook and Twitter on TV commercials nowadays. I once got my own Facebook and Twitter account and seldom visited them. I guess they would be useful, if you have a large circle of friends, waiting to see your messages every minute or so. 164.107.102.118 (talk) 16:04, 6 September 2013 (UTC)

Getting popular? I'd say they have been for a decade or more. Many web sites now require a membership due to the monetization of the site. If they can ask a few questions of their members (age, sex, etc) then they can tailor the ads on the site to the users. Say you have a bunch of users who are mostly 12 year old boys (I don't know what PBS Kids had but I'm trying to work within your example). It would be pointless to advertise Barbie dolls on the site since so few of those boys would be interested in buying a Barbie. But if they require membership, they have a better understanding of their user base. They know that ads for more stereotypical 12 year old boy type toys would appeal more. Then they can go to their advertisers and show them the figures of how many boys/girls, what age groups, and what part of the country they live in. The advertisers can target their audience and make more money.

As far as references to FB and Twitter, if Ford Motor Company has a FB page, and they can get people to hit "like" on their page, they can put their company's name in front of the consumer more often. If the user sees their name more often, they're more likely to buy one of their vehicles. Also, if the consumer is already on FB, then it's no problem just to type "Ford" into the search box and see what the page has to offer.

And FB and Twitter aren't just for keeping up with your friends. Though that is definitely a primary cause for people visiting the site. It's also an easy way for many people to find out about events going on in their area. For instance, this Sunday I have an event that I'm going to. The event and the sponsor have FB pages. If I know someone who might be interested in going, I can send them an invite. I don't have to create an email or even know their email address.

And all that said, I don't visit FB or Twitter "every minute or so". Most days, I check FB only twice and Twitter hardly at all. But they're still useful to me. And I think many users feel the same way. Dismas|^(talk) 17:38, 6 September 2013 (UTC)

Out of curiosity, what type of event are you attending on Sunday? Church? 164.107.102.118 (talk) 18:09, 6 September 2013 (UTC)

A local pet food store holds an annual event at a local outdoor museum for people to bring their dogs. Vendors set up booths, the police put on a K-9 demonstration, etc. Dismas|^(talk) 19:25, 6 September 2013 (UTC)

One possibility for sites like PBSKids requiring accounts is the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act from 1998. This imposed restrictions in the US on data gathering for children under 13. There's exceptions for parental permission, etc. If there's any sort of data gathering associated with a site, especially one aimed at under-13 year olds, making an account with the appropriate validation ensures that the account holder either is over-13, or has the appropriate permission from their parent/guardian. -- 205.175.124.72 (talk) 21:31, 6 September 2013 (UTC)