So, what is Facebook Lite?

Depends on who you ask. Tech Crunch reports that it looks much like Twitter or FriendFeed:

Okay, while it seems that most of the users who are getting this message now are not seeing much different, earlier this week, it looks like a very select few may have gotten a sneak peak at Facebook Lite. According to their tweets on it, it appears to be a more Twitter-like. One user notes that it, “looks like a simplified version of twitter with comments enabled. On 2nd thought, it looks like simplified FriendFeed.”

That is of course very interesting since Facebook just bought FriendFeed for around $50 million yesterday.

Tech Crunch features this screen capture of Facebook Lite.

The Washington Post, however, says it ain’t Twitter-esque or FriendFeed-like:

But in reality, Facebook Lite has nothing to do with Twitter or FriendFeed ? at least, not right now. Instead, it was designed to be used in parts of the world where broadband speeds vary and can be expensive, we’re being told by Facebook. Given that the initial testing of it has taken place in India over the past several days, this makes sense.

Think about how slow Facebook is to load at times on some broadband connections here in the U.S., and just imagine what that much be like on connections that are several times slower. And then also consider that all of Facebook’s datacenters are here in the U.S. So for the data to get around the world, it creates an even longer natural load time. So Facebook is stripping the site back and allowing Facebook Lite to be a site where new users can quickly write on friend’s walls, send messages and build their social network. The basics.

As we said, it’s testing in India right now, but the plan is for Facebook Lite to hit places like Russia and China as well, we’re hearing.

I’m retooling the Political Whore Podcast (or the HoCast, we we lovingly call it ’round these parts). I’ve added two regular guests, broadcaster/lawyer/former political candidate Scott Farrell of The Farrell Files on 10 Connects and Joe Bardi, our associate editor whose political views shaped our hilarious Short List online for years.

We want to hear from you as we look at the hottest topics, sexiest political scandals and goofiest politicians each week. We’ll also name a Political Whore of the Week, somebody in national, state or local politics or government who best exemplifies that they are only in it for the money — or the stupidity.

We’re taping our weekly installments on Fridays at 10 am, so you can get us your ideas, questions or Whore nominations via Twitter (@poho) before then, or live during the podcast taping from 10-10:30 am. We’ll do our best to get the best of the tweets on the HoCast.

By Mitch Perry
PoHo correspondent
Mitch Perry is the anchor of the WMNF Evening News on 88.5 FM community radio.

Legendary television anchorman Walter Cronkite’s death on Friday at the age of 92 has prompted massive encomiums on his career and how no one figure could ever dominate mass communications like “Uncle Walter” did in the ’60s and ’70s. It also allows us to ponder the state of national television news.

In the immediate days (and weeks) after Michael Jackson’s death last month, America’s broadcast and cable news networks went — predictably — hog wild over the pop superstar’s death. They saw their ratings rise, while also receiving criticism from a lot of quarters that they were overdoing it.

But were you really surprised?

Pardon the expression, but haven’t we seen this movie, err, blanket news coverage before?

Can you say Anna Nicole Smith?  Ronald Reagan? Princess Diana anybody?

Each of these personalities of course was quite different in terms of their significance on the body politic. But then, other than to her friends and family, what significance did the late Natalee Holloway fall have on you?

The fact of the matter is Fox and MSNBC over the years have devolved since their creation in the mid 1990’s from offering cable news to being mostly presenting a shred of news but mostly analysis. They do a solid job of covering the White House and national politics, albeit from a distinct ideological perspective. But they don’t deliver much hard news.

CNN, unfortunately, has become the last, best hope for Americans who crave straight up news reportage. They definitely deliver more of the goods, particularly on international stories. But that’s not really saying a whole lot.

Michael Jackson’s career was legendary. In terms of his vast talents, however, he peaked in the early 1990’s. The past 15 years were were mired in scandal and bizarre excess that easily made him an international punch line.

But his death was a shock, and so it shouldn’t have been any surprise that the coverage was extensive. In U.S., and throughout the world even, most people categorized as post Baby Boomers had lots of stories to share with their friends about their own experiences listening to Michael Jackson’s music (mostly of course, in the 1970s and ’80s).

But when the coverage continued long past the first long weekend of his death, some people became upset and angry at the cable news networks.

Some, like conservative media critic Brent Bozell, cited the deaths of 7 U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan in juxtaposition to the grotesque excess of the musical star.

Underneath some of the resentment was no doubt racial. The white backlash was best articulated by Long Island Republican Representative Peter King, who famously blasted Jacko as a “pervert” unworthy of nonstop media coverage.

And though lots of people felt that way, a significant slice of the population didn’t. Specifically black people. Polls showed a huge discrepancy between blacks and whites about how excessive the coverage actually was.

There were criticisms that the performer’s controversies were (pardon the expression) whitewashed. But MSNBC seemed to have extensive coverage of Vanity Fair scribe Maureen Orth on the night Jackson died, talking about her reporting on his 1993 legal problems regarding allegations of inappropriate behavior with a young boy.

But to Bozell and others who decried the networks failure to cover more “important” stories, I wanted to shake people and ask: And you’re just realizing this NOW?

People’s memories can’t be that hazy. You may recall the weekend after Iran’s Presidential election, there were loud complaints in the blogosphere about the lack of coverage of the events on the streets of Tehran.

Remember? That’s when we learned of the so-called “Twitter revolution”. Why Twitter?  Because those in the U.S. who were fascinated by the events regarding the race between Ahmadinejad and Moussavi, and had to rely on social media sites like Twitter and for reports from sites like the Huffington Post for the news, because the cable networks were taking the weekend off.

But how much information did you get regarding the coup in Honduras? Or the murder of a human rights activist in Chechnya? Immediately after 9/11, the networks bulked up as a craving developed among the American populace that they NEEDED to know what was going on overseas.

But that costs money. And though MSNBC and FOX were never beacons of such coverage, it is CNN that has become our biggest letdown of resources.

And if the coverage of Jackson was too soft for some, what are we to make of the six-day post-death coronation of the late Ronald Reagan back in 2004?

The late President was no doubt a giant figure of American history. However, he was also a controversial leader who many thought might be impeached in 1986 after news of the Iran/Contra scandal erupted. Nary a negative word was said between the time the Gipper died on a Saturday night, and when he was buried in the twilight of a Southern California summer evening six days later.

No, MJ’s coverage was akin more to the culture of celebritydom that was captured in the death of Princess Diana back in 1997, the first time that all three of “the cables” could go nonstop (including the live coverage of her funeral in the middle of the night in the U.S.).

And I’m not even talking about the disturbing trend the networks displayed in recent years showing nonstop coverage of missing attractive white women, which climaxed in the coverage of Natalee Holloway (and what led one academic to blame on the demise of the Fairness Doctrine).

At least Michael Jackson left something behind that people could identify with. But what to make of the coverage of the deaths of Chaundry Levy, Laci Peterson, and Anna Nicole-Smith?

So is there any positive source of television news 28 years after Walter Cronkite was forced out at CBS in 1981? Well, I can’t answer for what Katie, Brian and Charlie are doing at 6:30 PM (I’m doing my newscast at that time), but I can tell you that except for the breaking news conference, I’m not going to the cables for news. What about commentary, to make sense of it all? As the soon to be departed Governor of Alaska said recently, hell yes. But for day to day coverage, if you can’t get BBC America on your cable or satellite package, you’re better off sticking to the many other great sources of information still in existence in the summer of 2009. You know, like newspapers, certain web sites, or yeah, even public/community radio stations.

The News Media Guildi is protesting (and rightly) on behalf of its members at the AP because of new social media policies at the news organization that will now require reporters and editors to remove comments and other info on their Facebook pages that don’t meet AP standards.

From Editor & Publisher:

“It is making some people cringe,” said Kevin Keane, News Media Guild administrator. “It is not appropriate for a company that heralds free speech.”

Keane also objected to another portion of the new rules that states: “Posting material about the AP’s internal operations is prohibited on employees’ personal pages.”

“You can’t tell people not to talk about anything internal to AP,” Keane said. “It is too broad. People have the right.”

Equally is its backwards policy on reporters using Twitter to communicate news. Here is both the Facebook and Twitter provisions from AP’s Q&A-format policy:

Q. Anything specific to Facebook?

It’s a good idea to monitor your profile page to make sure material posted by others doesn’t violate AP standards; any such material should be deleted. Also, managers should not issue friend requests to subordinates, since that could be awkward for employees. It’s fine if employees want to initiate the friend process with their bosses.

Q. How about Twitter?

We’re still the AP. Don’t report things or break news that we haven’t published, no matter the format, and that includes retweeting unconfirmed information not fit for AP’s wires. Feel free to link to AP material that has been published. It’s difficult for most people to link to AP Mobile stories right now, so link to member and customer sites instead and try to vary the links to spread the traffic around. It’s a good idea to reference the AP in the promo language, i.e. Just how much geek can be chic? Test your fashion IQ with this interactive game. Also, when tweeting, remember that’s there a big difference between providing an observation (”I nearly bumped into Chris Matthews outside Penn Station”) and an opinion (”I nearly bumped into the loudmouthed and obnoxious Chris Matthews”).

BTW, that’s not opinion about Matthews; he is an obnoxious loudmouth. That’s how he puts bread on his table.

(As penance, here is the link to the American Association for the Deaf-Blind. Go there and you’ll feel better.)

And so, the next thing for Florida politicos to discuss: Will Governor Charlie Crist run for re-election or for the United States Senate? And when?

So today on Twitter, there is a new #cristcountdown discussion.

What do you think? Post your tweet on Twitter:

RT @StateOfSunshine @jaketapper @markknoller #cristcoundown | Date and office

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Not much news so far, but one major candidate is missing, Jamie Bennett. He is at a City Council meeting.

UPDATE: Forum lasted about two hours, and no knockout punches or spectacular ledes. Here are some thoughts after seeing these candidates do their business:

• Deveron GIbbons is a smooth talker. He was engaging and inspirational, even riveting the audience with a story about being 11 years old and watching a guy get shot in the head right in front of him at a playground, as an illustration of understanding the violence gripping St. Pete. He was reallllll short on details or solutions, however. He started in on an answer about BayWalk, for instance, and never did get to what is wrong with it or what can be done about it. But he did it so slickly that I’m not sure everyone watching the forum got that he just cruised right past the question.
• Bill Foster is exceedingly well versed in the details of government and has some interesting ideas. His voice, however, is very soothing and low-key, so he tends not to score knockout points with his grasp of city hall policy. One reporter put him on his snoozer list.
• Scott Wagman keeps hammering the “I’m not a politician” bit and intends to throw as many new ideas out there as he can, even at the risk, as he admitted himself, that some don’t cut it. That can be exciting or a risky strategy, but his talk about keeping rec centers open for more hours and recruiting high school seniors and college students to get credit for mentoring after-schoolers at the centers was the most interesting new idea of the morning.
• Larry Williams is a nice guy but didn’t impress anyone at the event.
• Alex Haak’s Dutch accent makes it hard to figure out what he is saying — if he is saying anything worth figuring out. Hard to take the guy seriously, as he spoke for a short time compared with the rest and didn’t have much meat on the bone beyond a lengthy screed about how youth events will boost tourism.
• Kathleen Ford also had a strong command of details but just didn’t seem to connect with the audience.
• Jamie Bennett got screwed, as the forum was scheduled for the same morning as a City Council meeting. He chose the people’s business over campaigning.

Bay Buzz’s Aaron Sharockman has an interesting live blog of the forum. And the full text of all my Twitter coverage after the jump (in reverse order):

Twitter.com
poho
# Gibbons on listening to constituents on taxes: “As a business person, I don’t have the room to fail. You have to listen to your customer.”about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck

# best new issue heard at forum: Wagman’s rec center after-school initiative, which Gibbons secondedabout 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Gibbons: favors keeping baseball, but Rays have to show investment, Williams: yes, there is factual information avail on hotel rooms bookedabout 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Q from “angry curmudgeon:” how many fact-based reports show econ benefit for new sports stadium have you seen?about 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# all forum candidates at Tradewinds are done with 10 min speeches, now questions from audience of about 30about 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Gibbons: no blank check for Rays new stadium, and opposed to new taxes until he sees details and how we will hold Rays accountableabout 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Gibbons is a dynamic and forceful speaker, but short on details of his platform or depth on the tourism issues at hand todayabout 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Gibbons: When I was young, we had the rec centers open all the time, youth leagues, etc that kept young people off the streetabout 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Gibbons: crime in St Pete compared with four larger cities is not up. We need to “enforce the laws that are on the books.”about 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Gibbons: “going forward, I’m going to be more accessible than anyone else in this race.” ironic, since he largely hasn’t given interviewsabout 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Gibbons: “Baseball is a tremendous part of our community and we need to continue supporting it.”about 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Gibbons threw some love to his company, Amscot, and its 2,500 employees in I-4 corridor. interesting since some see Amscot as a liabilityabout 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Gibbons is a Republican, after allabout 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Gibbons: It comes down to “Fresh leadership, fresh new ideas, less government and more freedom.”about 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Deveron Gibbons up next, but he gave everyone 1 minute of his time to get up for coffee, to stretch. might be the hit of the forum for thatabout 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Did Haak just ask for everyone to vote for him on sept 2, the day after the election??about 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Haak: aim for events, sports tournaments that appeal to youth, as they drive the tourism-destination decisions for their parentsabout 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# next up: Alex Haak, former NJ mayor and “renegade” Democrat in Pinellas local politicsabout 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Foster: supports a new stadium only after 2016 at the same site, with vertical redevelopment of the siteabout 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Foster: Las Vegas would write a check and snag our Tampa Bay Rays in a heartbeat. But he supports a referendum in the city.about 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# RT @adamsmithtimes: At forum for st pete mayoral candidates. Least sleep-inducing so far? Kathleen Ford and Scott Wagman.about 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Foster: “It’s all about heads in beds.” i.e. we need to spend tourist taxes carefully on events/facilities that bring visitors and dollarsabout 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# RT @gregoryswilson: Foster doing a better job directly answering the tourism-related questions asked by forum host, rather than campaigning…about 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Foster: “we also have to look at affordable housing” so workers for beach communities can afford to live hereabout 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Foster: Don’t flip off that driver with Michigan tags who cuts you off in traffic, they are pouring dollars into our local economyabout 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Foster: tourism permeates every corner of our local economy. “It’s all new money. We’re always looking for money from outside the area.”about 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# RT @MarkSharpeFL: I signed a letter as Vice-Chairman of the BOCC opposing the onerous, unfair, and economically damaging tax on Cigars.about 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Next up is Bill Fosterabout 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# @SaintPetersblog says candidate Jamie Bennett not here because forum conflicts with City Council meeting going on nowabout 3 hours ago from TweetDeck in reply to SaintPetersblog

# Wagman: use college students and high school seniors to mentor and supervise children after school to keep them from breaking into houses.about 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Wagman: mayor will have to take a much stronger position to aid the school board on education; plan for after-school program for latchkeysabout 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Wagman: the downtown St. Petersburg area is “absolutely glorious” but beaches are real draw to the areaabout 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Wagman: Assault weapons in the hands of 17 and 18 year olds will not continue for long if I am mayorabout 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Wagman: Race boils down to crime, economic development, education and quality of life. Pillar issue is the crime situation.about 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Wagman: On city cuts including to top admins: “This is exactly the kind of spread the pain” type of cuts we need to haveabout 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Wagman: I was raised by depression parents, an only child. Values learned were “work hard, make a difference and give back”about 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Wagman: I’m not a politicianabout 4 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Next up is Scott Wagmanabout 4 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Ford: all county voters should weigh in on whether tourist tax is extended to pay for a new Rays stadium.about 4 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Ford: on a new tax for a baseball stadium, she supports requiring voter approval of any spending for pro sports facilities.about 4 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Ford: distressed that city eliminated its arts/cultural position since arts & culture are “jewels” of St. Peteabout 4 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Ford: mayor, city council didn’t look after the city’s purse. Lost millions while city employee overseeing investments got a raiseabout 4 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Ford: …and not just the privileged few.”about 4 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Ford: In these difficult economic times, we need somebody who is paying attention … and has the interests of all the people at heart …about 4 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Next up at mayoral forum: Kathleen Fordabout 4 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Williams: Would support the Rays new stadium plans, as they create lots of jobs hereabout 4 hours ago from TweetDeck

# Larry Williams first up: BayWalk is “An eyesore that’s got to be fixed. We’ve got to deal with panhandlers downtown. “about 4 hours ago from TweetDeck

# @Scott_Wagman here on Twitter, tooabout 4 hours ago from TweetDeck

# at the St. Petersburg Mayoral Forum in St. Pete Beach, at the Tradewinds. Reports to come along with @gregorywilson who is live-tweeting 2about 4 hours ago from TweetDeck

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prestonrudie Coast Guard also said it found a life jacket and cooler about 16 miles SW of where the boat capsized. They believe it belonged to the men.
19 minutes ago from web

prestonrudie Missing boaters’ families were briefed by CG before they anounced the search would be called off.
20 minutes ago from web

prestonrudie Coast Guard will be calling off the search for the remaining 3 missing boaters at 6:30 pm EST. Watch at www.10connects.com
25 minutes ago from web

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