NASA Tweetups are evolving. It's time to be more social

March 8, 2012: NASA is expanding its successful program of Tweetups to include more social media platforms, broadening the agency's use of social media to engage audiences about the agency's mission of exploration and discovery. As part of this effort, the "NASA Tweetup" will now be known as "NASA Social."

Since 2009, NASA has hosted 34 in-person Tweetups, which are informal meetings of people who use the social messaging medium Twitter. Hundreds of participants have shared thousands of tweets, pictures, videos and blog posts with their followers, detailing behind-the-scenes views of NASA launches, centers, missions and speakers. The agency's primary Twitter account, @NASA, has nearly 2 million followers. Multiple NASA missions and centers maintain Twitter accounts as well. NASA's innovative use of Twitter has been recognized as one of the best in federal government. 

"NASA has been recognized for its efforts in social media and we want to build on that success, engaging in an online conversation that seamlessly spans platforms, taking advantage of the diverse online social experience that each enables," said David Weaver, associate administrator for communications at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "A Tweetup is identified with a specific online service and many participants are members of other Internet communities. We felt it was time to expand the Tweetup concept to embrace other social media platforms."

The agency also has a significant presence on Flickr, YouTube, Google+, Facebook, Foursquare and other social media websites. NASA Socials will allow the agency to better expand online and in-person programs to connect with audiences following NASA on a growing variety of social media websites.

For more information on NASA Social, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/social

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Sony offers the chance to be a part of gaming history

New competition launched to create your own character in Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception™ on PlayStation®3

March 5, 2012: Game characters are not just animations, in 'Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception™' on the PlayStation®3 they're played by real actors, acting out the scenes in a performance capture studio. Think you could do this and be as good as Nathan Drake? Sony is offering the chance to be part of Uncharted history and become a playable game character through a new competition launching this Friday 9th March on the Sony Facebook fan page - The Uncharted Audition by Sony!

Not only will the winner get to create their own in-game multi-player character, they will get to do this at the home of motion picture in Culver City, L.A. and meet the Naughy Dog Inc. creative team behind the game, they will also get the unique opportunity to experience the behind-the-scenes of motion capture.

How it works:

The 'Uncharted Audition' Sony Facebook competition will launch a series of three challenges where entrants can prove they have what is takes to be as good as Nathan Drake. Entrants must take part in all three challenges which include:

1. ‘Name like Nathan Drake’, creating a compelling name for themselves as an action hero

2. ‘Move like Nathan Drake’, submitting a video of themselves demonstrating their moves and agility

3. ‘Act like Nathan Drake, recording a voiceover to a muted game scene, testing their creativity and voice acting skills

From across Europe, there will be 10 finalists selected to compete at a live event in L.A, where one lucky winner will be chosen to win the grand prize of a trip to the Naughty Dog Inc. studios to be a part of gaming history and leave their legacy in the Uncharted series.

The competition opens this Friday 9th March and closes on Sunday 18^th March at 24:00 GMT.

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NASA releases first multi-player Facebook game

February 1, 2012: NASA has launched its first multi-player online game to test players' knowledge of the space program. Who was the first American to walk in space? Who launched the first liquid-fueled rocket? These are only a few of the questions players can answer in Space Race Blastoff.

Available on Facebook, Space Race Blastoff tests players' knowledge of NASA history, technology, science and pop culture. Players who correctly answer questions earn virtual badges depicting NASA astronauts, spacecraft and celestial objects. Players also earn points they can use to obtain additional badges to complete sets and earn premium badges.

"Space Race Blastoff opens NASA's history and research to a wide new audience of people accustomed to using social media," said David Weaver, NASA's associate administrator for communications. "Space experts and novices will learn new things about how exploration continues to impact our world."

NASA chose to make the game available through Facebook to take advantage of the social media site's large audience and enable players to compete against others. Individuals also can play solo games.

Once in the game, players choose an avatar and answer 10 multiple-choice questions. Each correct answer earns 100 points, with a 20-point bonus to the player who answers first. The winner advances to the bonus round to answer one additional question for more points. Correctly answering the bonus question earns the player a badge.

Space Race Blastoff was developed by Scott Hanger, Todd Powell and Jamie Noguchi of NASA's Internet Services Group in the Office of Communications. Play the game now at:

 

http://apps.facebook.com/spacerace

 

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Google + invites giveaway

 

August 19, 2011: We have a whole bunch of Google+ invites available and here’s how you can get one:

1. Like the connektivism Facebook page or follow @connektivism on Twitter

2. Leave a comment under the "Google+ invites giveaway" post on our Facebook page, or tweet the following message to your followers:

Google + invites giveaway http://bit.ly/qRSI0X via @connektivism

First come, first served!

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