Instagram users were upset Monday when Instagram published their Terms of Service. The big news was that Instagram's new Terms of Service stated that "You consent that a business (or other entity) may pay us to show your username, likeness, and photos (alongwith any associated metadata, and/or actions), in connection with paid content or promotions without any compensation to yourself." After a 3 month-old deal, Instagram bought their photos and could then sell them to anyone. Even I raised an eyebrow, as I tend to remain calm in these small storms. However, I was not ready to join the fist shakers in an ecstatic fit.

Facebook has maintained almost the same Terms and Conditions for quite some time. They have also "forced" numerous changes (e.g. They also "forced" many changes (e.g. Timeline) onto users, causing uproars everywhere but ultimately not to their benefit. attitude names for instagram for girl All of this had no impact on Facebook's 1 billion users. Even my family members, friends, and coworkers have declared year after year that they would delete their Facebook accounts. Yet, they continue to post what they ate for breakfast each day (complete with photos).

Since the Facebook acquisition, Instagram was bound to change. They changed their interface (a positive improvement in my book), cut support for Twitter cards (not an improvement), and added two cool filters. Then came the policy change to seal the deal. This was the problem: too many changes too quickly, with the latest being a big deal and causing quite a stir.

I can recall the panic that everyone felt about plug-ins connecting new mobile devices to social media accounts. To do this, you needed to grant the following permission: "Allow XYZ to post on behalf of you." This was legal banter meant to protect developers. This did not mean that XYZ would post embarrassing content on your social media profiles. People realized that the permission wasn't a threat to their privacy over time and click "accept" without thinking. Similar language was used in the Instagram policy text from Monday. Although it sounded harsh, in the grand scheme social networking, it was still status quo. If everyone actually read the 10 page Terms of Service, they wouldn't accept any contract without a lawyer.

The fist shaking I thought was a serious overreaction ended up shaking Kevin Systrom, Instagram founder. He posted a blog on December 19, explaining that the new terms for Instagram were wrongly interpreted. While this satisfied some, others thought it was just pandering. Today, I was going on Instagram to post a picture with my Venti Starbucks Peppermint Mocha. I used the new Mayfair filter. I noticed that the top of the interface had the words "Updated Terms and Service Based on Your Feedback".  attitude username for instagram for girl To read the highlighted "Updated Terms of Service Based on Your Feedback", I clicked through. The revised terms, which were edited to lessen the blow of last Monday's announcement, will be posted on January 19, 2013. Kevin Systrom's complete blog post is available until then. Is this a victory for all social networkers? Perhaps. You might be a little scared if you do read the entire Terms of Service.

All of this shows that CEO's and other leaders of these social networks have learned that communication is key. Kevin Systrom and his team could have kept Instagram users updated (via blog posts) about every new update and provided better explanations, and there wouldn't be as much negative feedback. We must also remember to give them some slack. Logging into social networks is a highly sophisticated way to connect with the world. Every post is supported by a team. Mark Zuckerberg, in the Social Network, reluctantly stated that "My colleagues" and "I do things that no one else in this room, not even your clients, is intellectually or creatively capable." He's right. They don't do it for free. Advertising revenue is the only way that social networking can continue to function and improve its service.

"My colleagues, and I, are doing things no one in the room, including your clients, is intellectually or creatively able to do"

It's evident that social networking has become more important than ever as we move into 2013. instagram names for girls attitude Social networks allow us to have a voice unlike any other, whether we are small-business owners with little marketing budgets, environmental activists without a platform to advocate for our cause, or amateur photographers with a passion for Peppermint Mochas. Kevin Systrom heard it and, although it didn't have any real impact on what you post on Instagram, it did open up communication which is exactly what Social Networking was all about.