TweetGrade Tames Twitter Universe to Help End Users Know Who They Can Trust

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Purewire, Inc., a SaaS-based secure Web gateway vendor that protects business and social interactions on the Web, today announced the launch of TweetGrade™ (www.tweetgrade.com), the authority in online user reputation on Twitter®. TweetGrade provides a quantitative assessment of a user’s reach and influence in the Twitter community, and it helps people understand a user’s online reputation, legitimacy and safety.

As the popularity of Twitter continues to skyrocket, criminals are taking note as well. Most recently, a "Best Video" scam attacked Twitter users, posting an update (or tweet) on compromised accounts that directed followers to a video prompting the purchase of rogue anti-virus software. Attacks such as this make it imperative to know the reputation of those people with whom you interact online. TweetGrade assures this trust by providing evidence of Twitter account legitimacy, protecting users from malicious or illegitimate accounts that attempt to send spam or spread malware.

The Purewire research team evaluated the use of Twitter to demonstrate the power of the TweetGrade service, and based on a seven-million user sample has found data that point to two overall realities:

First, many Twitter users abandon their accounts shortly after creating them, and a significant percentage show no signs of account activity.

* 40 percent of Twitter users have not tweeted since their first day on Twitter, evidence that the account was most likely created and subsequently abandoned.
* Approximately 25 percent of Twitter users are not following anyone, while two-thirds are following fewer than 10 people, evidence that the account was created but is largely dormant.

Second, Twitter is used more as a mass medium for receiving information, rather than as a way to interact with others. Proof is shown by evaluating the followers and friends of Twitter users:

* More than one-third of Twitter users have not posted a single tweet, and almost 80 percent of users have fewer than 10 tweets, evidence that while Twitter is billed as a great collaboration tool, a large number of users are there to consume content, not distribute it.
* Approximately 30 percent of Twitter users do not have any followers, and 80 percent of Twitter users have fewer than 10 followers, evidence that for many users, their posts are not being widely tracked or read.
* 50 percent of Twitter users are following more people than they have as followers, and another 30 percent of Twitter users are following the same number of people that are following them, evidence that users are aggressively trying to attract followers by hoping they will “follow back” but have been unsuccessful.

Additional details are available on the Purewire Web Security Blog located at http://blog.purewire.com/.

“There is a lot of noise on the Web, especially on Twitter lately with the buzz around Oprah, CNN and Ashton Kutcher. That makes it hard to wade through everything and understand who you’re interacting with online,” said Dr. Steve Webb, research scientist at Purewire, Inc. “Purewire is all about deciphering Web activity so that users know what and who they can trust, and TweetGrade is the first service that takes a comprehensive look at a Twitter account’s true legitimacy. Through our experience with PurewireTrust.org and our patent-pending Purewire Trust technology, we are able to offer Twitter users the transparency needed to identify and sort out the associated security threats.”

How TweetGrade Works

TweetGrade evaluates Twitter users based on their interactions on Twitter. The analysis is centered on a variety of inputs such as frequency and content of tweets, number of followers, number of those following and activity level. Users receive a simple letter grade that ranges from an 'A+' to an 'F' to verify their reputation on Twitter and are able to share their TweetGrade with the Twitter community with a simple push of a button.

Purewire is in the process of integrating TweetGrade reputations into a user’s Purewire Trust reputation. PurewireTrust.org launched in March at DEMO 2009, where the company received a DEMOgod award for its innovation. Purewire Trust builds reputations that protect individuals in user-to-user relationships for communication (such as social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn), collaboration (such as applications like Twitter) and commerce (such as classified sites, Craigslist and eBay).

Purewire is offering access to PurewireTrust.org and TweetGrade.com free of charge as a contribution to the technology community in support of the company’s mission to improve the online experience for both consumers and enterprises. As PurewireTrust.org becomes more widely used, Purewire can incorporate this security reputation into its Purewire Web Security Service, to better identify and block Web security threats.

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Response Mine Interactive and BrainJocks Launch 'Tweets for a Cause' to Support Local Non-Profits

/PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to increase awareness and individual donations to local not-for-profit organizations, Response Mine Interactive and BrainJocks have joined forces to create 'Tweets for a Cause,' an avid group of social media users who believe that "friends, working in concert, can change the world."

On Tuesday, May 5th at 11 a.m., 'Tweets for a Cause' will send out its first mass 'tweet' to encourage the support of Susan G. Komen for the Cure Greater Atlanta Affiliate and to take a stand against breast cancer. Interested supporters can tweet http://twitter.com/tweetsforacause or log onto http://tweetsforacause.org/ to participate. Multiple retweets are encouraged after that hour to further generate awareness for Komen Atlanta.

"At BrainJocks, we specialize in using web technologies in new and better ways and we can't think of a better way to use an online social platform like twitter, than to promote the welfare of our own community," said Stephanie Beckham, idea strategist at BrainJocks. "We hope that our involvement can help make a real difference for the people that make this area so special."

All online traffic and proceeds of May's 'Tweets for a Cause' will benefit Komen Atlanta in honor of the May 9th Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure -- Georgia's largest and most successful education and fundraising event for breast cancer.

"We are proud to be the first philanthropy chosen by 'Tweets for a Cause,'" said Kelly Dolan, executive director of Komen Atlanta. "Individual contributions are a vital part of our ability to provide lifesaving screening, treatment and research funding and we welcome the opportunity to reach people though this innovative new resource."

Non-profit organizations interested in participating as the selected charity in the June 'Tweets for a Cause' can tweet why @tweetsforacause.

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Porter Novelli Announces Lead Sponsorship of 'Tweet To ReMIND' Social Media Campaign For U.S. Troops

/PRNewswire / -- Global public relations agency Porter Novelli today announced its lead sponsorship of Memorial Day social media fund-raising and awareness campaign Tweet to ReMIND, and issued a call for high-profile partner sponsors. The innovative project aims to raise $1.65 million for ReMIND.org, a Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) initiative that provides critical localized resources and support for injured U.S. service members returning from war. The goal represents the 1.65 million who have been mobilized in Afghanistan and Iraq since 9/11. Tweet to ReMIND empowers individual Twitter users to spread awareness and raise funds for ReMIND.org.

"We are proud to be the lead sponsor for Tweet to ReMIND, and we are looking to other high-profile corporations to join us and help raise awareness for this great cause," said Marian Salzman, chief marketing officer of Porter Novelli. "Through the networking power of Twitter, individual participants can take action by spreading the ReMIND.org message."

ReMIND.org and Porter Novelli ask Twitter users to register now at TweetToReMIND.org and pledge to donate $1 per tweet via PayPal or electronic check. The Tweet to ReMIND online event will take place over Memorial Day weekend (Friday, May 22, through Monday, May 25). Tweet to ReMIND's goal is to register 400,000 tweeters who will each send 5 tweets with the hashtag #tweettoremind over Memorial Day weekend. All money raised will be spent directly on local resources to help heal and reintegrate injured service members into their communities.

More than 35,000 service members have been physically wounded in these wars. It is estimated that more than 320,000 have sustained traumatic brain injuries and more than 300,000 have psychological wounds.

"ReMIND.org is excited to work with Porter Novelli on this cutting-edge campaign that allows us to expand our reach through Twitter, to continue to provide resources and support for injured service members and their families," said Lee Woodruff, co-founder of the Bob Woodruff Foundation.

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