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Facebook Inc. is already trading like a public company as insiders and wealthy investors use private marketplaces to buy and sell stock in the social- networking company ahead of its initial offering.

Almost lost in Zynga’s disappointing fourth-quarter earnings report was one bright spot: advertising. Ad revenues jumped 230%, to $27 million in the fourth quarter–almost four times the social gaming company’s 59% rise in overall revenues. Chalk it up in part to a new, more interactive kind of ad from “engagement marketing” firm SocialVibe.

Don’t tell anyone, but the Washington Post is paying me to hunt for photos of beautiful bedrooms and mid-century modern chairs and post them on an online bulletin board. Pinterest, the talk of social media mavens, is now part of my job as a reporter. I’m using my design eye for branding, marketing and promotion. Laugh, if you will, but in case you haven’t seen from the myraid reports, the site is totally fun and addictive.

Employees who tweet or update their Facebook status saying ‘I had a bad day at
work’ could face losing their jobs, says a leading employment lawyer.

A Kenyan chief in a town far from the bustling capital foiled a predawn robbery recently using Twitter, highlighting the far-reaching effects of social media in areas that don't have access to the Internet.

Don't expect a initial public offering of shares of Twitter anytime soon. CNN is reporting that the company has placed restrictions on employees who hold shares, forcing them to keep 80 percent of the shares they own. The cable news outlet cited company emails about the policy, which has been in effect for a year, and said at least one high-level employee resigned because of the policy....

We're going to feel a little guilty if this news gets you fired. But you can now play "Angry Birds" on Facebook.

Myspace, the once dominant social-networking site that faded into obscurity during Facebook's rise to dominance, added 1 million new users over the past month, according to the company.

We will be looking for any signs of an increase in Zynga's average revenue per user for its new games, which is one of the biggest drivers to its stock value, by our estimates.

News of the tragic death of Whitney Houston this weekend didn't appear first on television or mainstream news sites.