Month: November 2010

Several days ago i read a news. It`s about facebook`s problem. The news said many people who used facebook have already leaked their names, personal information or even their friends names and information to internet advertising companies or other internet-based corporations. Many people said that even if they set up their files with the most strict privacy entrance, they still received unwelcoming emails or even telephones wiht computer voice aiming to promote commercials.

On the other hands, this might rise another problem in organizational behaviour. Since people put their information on line, and they keep diary or write articles to express their feelings or record activities, managers from their own company may get through to their “writings” and to see what this person is really look like. So sometimes troubles come if someone says something bad about their company, complaints, rummors, or even says what`s going on in the company, it`s something organizational managers are not expected to see.

Actually more than 50% people reported that they have the problem with facebook because they worry about their safety of personal information. A spokeman from facebook says facebook team have already taken measures to improve this problem but it`s just a matter of time. In my personal opinion, it`s hard to get this problem solved unless you don`t leave anything personal on the internet.

I believe that everyone knows MSN, which is one of the most popular chatting tools in the world. Created by Microsoft, MSN has accompanied with Windows from time to time. Today, many people use MSN to chat online, share information, keep in touch with family and friends. It seems that Mircosoft has dominated the market of this field.

However, in one of the most potential profit markets, where Microsoft is ever wanting to seize—China, people don`t use MSN. That is because Chinese people have already got used to QQ, which is another online chatting tool, invented by a Chinese company called Tecent.

I wouldn`t say that Chinese people don`t use MSN, but i would agree that most local Chinese, they prefer QQ to MSN. This is probably because decade ago, when internet was just introduced to the world and when people began to use online chatting tools, QQ was the first one that came into Chinese people`s eyes. Then in the following year till now, they have already developed the habbit to use that “particular” chatting tool. I`m in the Generation Y, people at the same age as me, mostly got the same stories and same life experience with me. As time goes by, QQ has become one a part of our life. Everytime we turn on our laptops, we get online, we login QQ. That`s the fact.

There is no way for Microsoft to give up the profitable market in China, with so large population and potential consumers. Therefore the war between Microsoft and Tencent is inevitable. However, compared with Tencent, Microsoft is a world wide known, perhaps the number one known company. So certainly it won`t do something obvious against Tencent, which would bring them with bad impression. But actually, with the advent of Vista system, which would have been a symbol for the end of Windows series, Microsoft made a change to the system that Vista is not compatible with QQ. This change has really frightened the CEO of Tencent because if people use Vista system, they will have to use MSN to take the place of QQ and that would be the last thing Tencent want to face. However, to Microsoft`s surprise, many people found out the fact that they couldn`t run QQ under Vista system, so they reinstalled Windows XP just in order to use QQ! This is really something completely out of Microsoft`s mind, and which made Vista one of the worst systems.

We can see the power of Tencent, no, it`s the power of a habbit. But what i really wanna talk about is several days ago, another free Chinese anti-virus software, 360, has reported in public that QQ is offending people`s privacy by running Trojan in the back of the control board. 360 has cut the pictures and also has recorded the whole process in which QQ is invading people`s private files. No one can really say whether this is true, but Tecent has hit 360 back by clarifying to all the QQ users that unless they uninstall 360, otherwise QQ would not run in their computer!

This demonstration brings huge discussion and fights among QQ users. It`s estimated that due to this clarification, the number of QQ users decreased 1 million in one day. Instead, with this decrease, the number of people start to take MSN to take QQ`s place is hugely increasing. In Chinese facebook, everyone`s message wall writes his/her email of MSN. I think Microsoft must be hold celebration for this somewhere. It`s really funny to see the quick change and i`m looking forward to what will happen later on because some people even say it`s Microsoft who surpports 360 from behind that create this event. However, nobody really knows the truth.