Vanity, Vanity, all is Vanity (or PR by stealth....)

As we reported yesterday, Facebook is to introduce "Vanity" URLS.. Not to be outdone, Twitter has replied with "Verified" accounts. What is going on?

Well, the official story is its so that YOU (a Time Magazine put it) can increase your "whuffieness" (social media capital) - trust, authenticity etc - on the social network of your choice. Another touted story is that this will stop the activities of spamsters and rogues.

Its all bollocks, of course...the 2 main games in town are:

(i) To lock YOU in to the network, as we explained earlier, and

(ii) To entice/lock web celebrities into these social media services too, so they can carry on their relentless PR drive*.

Yes, gentle reader, it would appear that in this non-hierarchical world of social media we are all equal, its just that some are more equal than others, and certain web-sleb people already have their own accounts ready and polished for them, even if - in the case of Michael Arrington of TechCrunch - they didn't actually verify themselves anyway. Its just ensuring that the "right" people do the spamming.......

*The University of Salford has launched a Social Media MA for "graduates looking for careers in PR, marketing or community work. 'nuff said......