Social Media

Let's say you want to keep up with the latest in Maryland's governor's race, wherever you are, so you sign up to follow the major candidates on Twitter. Social media, still largely obscure when former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and Gov. Martin O'Malley squared off for the first time, is now such a dominant technology that both campaigns are trying to use platforms like Twitter and Facebook to connect with voters, keep people informed and build support. So you sign up to follow @bobehrlich and @martinomalley, and you get … a stream of messages about Garfield cartoons?

Golfer Paige MacKenzie was killing time on her Twitter page recently, taking a break from getting ready for this week's McDonald's LPGA Championship in Havre de Grace, when she noticed something fellow LPGA Tour member Jeehae Lee had written from the airport. Lee was hoping to fly to Baltimore, and was now hopelessly confused and seemed a little panicked. Is there a good reason why these people at the gate are saying baltimore, washington? Lee wrote. Am I missing something? Oh rookie, MacKenzie quickly Tweeted back, you're going to BWI-Baltimore/Washington.

Electricity was shut off Wednesday evening to outlets in McKeldin Square that protesters have used for the past month to power computers, televisions and kitchen appliances. Safety concerns were the primary reason that power was cut off, said Ian Brennan, a spokesman for Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who has said she will address violations on the plaza while the protest continues on a case-by-case basis. Inspectors surveyed the area and determined that the large number of items being powered from each outlet created fire hazards, he said.

This holiday season, some of Maryland's oldest charities are reaching out to donors and volunteers, not only with the usual "snail-mail" appeals and kettles on the corner, but with tweets on the Internet and clicks of the mouse. Organizations such as the United Way, Salvation Army and the American Red Cross are using Facebook pages and Twitter accounts to reach younger volunteers and donors. Facebook fans of the Salvation Army can create virtual kettles on their pages and ask their friends to make donations without ever visiting a real storefront kettle.

Camilo Villegas had just one request for fans now empowered to bring cell phones to the PGA Tour's fairways. "Just turn (the sound) off, guys — 'vibrate,'" the Colombian pro said during an appearance to promote next month's Honda Classic. As if on cue, someone's phone announced its presence at the back of the room. "Heard one!" Villegas quipped. It won't be the last. Intermittent breaches of the old "Quiet, please" standard are bound to happen. Heck, they've been happening for years as folks sneaked their mobile devices onto the course in violation of the old ban. Now, though, they'll be more annoyance than outrage, an occupational hazard.

To head off problems such as the unruly, violent crowds that descended on Towson and downtown Baltimore this year, police departments locally and across the nation are seeking new ways to tap into Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. Baltimore police reviewed Twitter posts during the city's Sailabration and Grand Prix race to get real-time information about possible criminal activity. In Tampa, police monitored Internet posts for the Republican National Convention, looking to spot problems before they arose.

Amy Webb believes in the power of awesomeness so much that she wants to bring some to Baltimore. As the founder of Webbmedia Group, a Baltimore-based digital media consulting firm, Webb moves in technology circles, where the idea for the Awesome Foundation originated. The Boston-based foundation, begun in 2009, is encouraging the creation of chapters around the world. The idea is that a "dean" and 10 trustees at each chapter give $1,000 grants every month to a project in their community that they deem, ahem, awesome.

Students beware: Scholarship providers aren't just going by your application to learn about you. They're also checking you out on Google and social media sites, according to a recent survey. And what they uncover — the good or the bad — could be the tie-breaker when it comes to deciding between you and another candidate. "Students need to recognize that the colleges and scholarship providers are increasingly looking at this," says Mark Kantrowitz, the publisher of Fastweb.com, a scholarship site that conducted the survey.

The Baltimore City Fire Department plans to implement new social media guidelines after Chief James S. Clack said he found that firefighters and officers were "crossing the line" by posting inappropriate or sensitive information online. The social media website Twitter has become a forum for griping about City Hall policies in 140 characters or fewer - the maximum allowed in postings. The new policy comes after fire personnel have written a number of heated, politically charged barbs aimed at the department, Clack, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and the City Council over a recent budgetary decision to close three fire companies in the city.

The Internet and social media are radically reshaping many organizations — even, in an odd twist, a technology trade association. This is the reality that confronts Sharon Webb, the chief executive who's been in charge of the Greater Baltimore Tech Council since December. Webb took over at the association in January and has spent the past year on its transformation. Before the rise of social media and easy online networking, the GBTC was the go-to source for events geared toward technology pros and entrepreneurs in Baltimore.