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Changing the Rules as we see fit - Regulation of Social Media

If they were not aware, the FTC / FDA is working to implement the rules of social media by 2011. These guidelines are established to ensure transparency for consumers in relation to advice and receive information on products and services in social media networks. In other words, it's time to get rid of the accomplices in the "wild west" world of social media marketing.

But where will the FTC / FDA seek guidance in finding a way to control the marketing function tactics that take advantage of social media? Maybe they will see the NCAA, which is already one step ahead of the game. The governing body for collegiate athletics has been regulating the use of social media during the recruitment process for almost 5 years (and let's be honest, the process of recruiting for football and college basketball is essentially a giant marketing campaign).

I recently conducted an Internet search for media cases social infiltrate the "protected bubble of collegiate athletics. The results were not hard to find:

>> On 17 February, Alabama High School Athletic Association (SAHA) has entered into an agreement with the athlete to coach social networking site, Eporro.com.
>> University of Michigan Head Coach Rico Rodriguez football offered 6'5? 355 lbs offensive front, Aundrey Walker, a full athletic scholarship through Aundrey Facebook page.
>> Ex-Head of Tennessee football coach Layne Kiffin prematurely announced the engagement of JC defensive end Copeland on Twitter, a violation of NCAA recruitment.

The integration of social media at the collegiate athletic recruiting process is really very interesting. rules NCAA on general communication between coaches and athletes are very strict, complicated and constantly changing. The development and growth of the media social makes creating and enforcing these rules even more difficult.

In one of his final decisions, the NCAA totally forbidden to send coaches text messages to recruits in 2007. However, the explosion of social media has blurred to this rule a little. Division I and II coaches are to communicate with the athletes through a messaging perspective of a social networking sites (Division III banned all social networks for recruitment purposes 2007). But what if the coach chooses to receive recruits "approved social network communication" in your phone as a text?

Perhaps Illinois Head Football Coach Ron Zook had the right idea when he said: "I'm not sure the NCAA understands exactly what [the media] is ... Of course not. "

It's a little funny considering the fact that athletes are recruited probably have a better management of media and communications mobile than the regulatory body that makes the rules and drop the hammer when the rules are broken. After the coaches are poor are caught in the middle, wondering: "Should I or Should I Go Tweet" (a traditional home visit.)

I think the NCAA on the nail, for the most part. The prohibition messages text was in response to athletes complain about getting a flood of messages from coaches that it was meddling in his personal life. Moreover, this was at a time that "unlimited text messaging" rolling plans were still a utopia, you can imagine the costs incurred by the young athletes (ie, their parents) for all text input.

Because the NCAA is supposed to have the best interests of the student-athlete in mind, it makes sense for them to enhance communication through social networks. A high school athlete can choose when looking at his Facebook page, so the intrusion into his personal life should be restricted. In addition, passengers can remember to appreciate the value of a personal visit and the negative value of being an Internet spammer.

As evidenced by the recent news that the FTC and the FDA is cooking at the federal regulations for social media, this is just the beginning. With mobile applications becoming more sophisticated by the hour and crazy "tablet" teams that look like Magna Doodles on the road, regulatory bodies and will feel compelled to put their two cents. And that will become more difficult with each new development in the phenomenon of social media. The lid of the can of worms is so loose your mother could open it.

DizzyDougTV's BCS Championship Thriller (NCAA College Football)