I’ve long believed that the “@” sign carried with it great power on the Web. In definition, it is the representation of “at” which evolved from the phrase of “at the rate of” in accounting and commercial invoices. Over time its ubiquity was solidified with its use as the buckle linking names to domains in email addresses.

Recently, I discussed the validity of whether or not social networking (the verb) and social networks (as a noun) were impairing our ability to learn. A Stanford study suggested that this might be the case.

Sometimes we are quick to judge with or without due cause. Even if we believe our views to be right, many times our perception is merely right within our world and not necessarily the worlds of others. Perhaps we’re caught up in the real-time aspects of having access to information and the power to publish on-demand. Maybe we need to seek justification for our unwillingness to step outside of our comfort zones.

On Monday, the National Football League announced that it will now limit use of social media and networks during the season. Players, coaches, officials, personnel, third-party representatives, and even the media are prohibited from updating their status, blogging, or tweeting 90 minutes before a game until post-game interviews are completed.

It is not only an interesting question for those who run rampant in the streams of the social web, it’s an intellectual voyage that unravels answers that just may hit home. According to a Stanford study, multitaskers are “suckers for irrelevancy” according to communicationProfessor Clifford Nass, one of the researchers whose findings are published in the Aug. 24 edition of theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “Everything distracts them.”

Employers are seeking candidates with established relationships in social networks, complete with a portfolio of individual and career defining social content – in the form of blog posts, videos, comments, and thoughtful updates. In some cases, size matters.

Twitter is an ocean of conversations that reach the greatest depths of topics and extend into the vastness of conversational ether. Twitter offers live views of trending topics. Search.PeopleBrowsr.com offers views into live trending, down to the minute (click on live trending next to the search box. Collecta provides a real-time view into trends and conversations in and around Twitter. There are also many, many other tools for tracking trends in Twitter… Twist, now Trendistic recently revamped its services to more effectively help you track, analyze, and chart trends in Twitter.

Facebook 3.0 doesn’t represent just another iteration of its already popular mobile app. 3.0 represents the evolution of mobile social networking and a tangible glimpse of the future of personal and professional communications and also the distribution and consumption of media.

For years, Facebook and Twitter have maintained a friendly coopetition of sorts, with neither one taking a firm stance against the other. However, if you believe that Mark Zuckerberg does not actively contemplate strategies for either acquiring Twitter or rendering it obsolete, please think about the landscape and monetization drivers that aren’t yet readily apparent to us as everyday consumers. This may seem like the “Social Media Summer of Love,” but in the end, there are billions of dollars and users at stake here.

Truthfully, many departments (not all, not most), will be forced to socialize and therefore require social programs at the departmental level managed by a centralized group (that most likely managers other factions of branding or communications concurrently). In the meantime, it’s utter chaos and social anarchy within…just look at the disjointed efforts of even the best brands engaging online and their discontinuous and fragmented use of social networks that only muddle and dilute branding efforts and existing equity and resonance. You ask, “Who owns Social Media?”

While I’m currently in the midst of writing my next book, I stumbled across some very interesting and useful statistics that offer a glimpse into Facebook behavior and activity as well as the state of the Facebook platform. I believe that they reinforce many of our hunches and assumptions and also introduce facts that may alter the ingredients of your next Social Media initiative.

In most cases of corporate Social Media, conversations equate to chatter, which to be honest, is child’s play. It’s a perpetual cycle of moving and reacting and I have yet to see the true value, scale, and return in responding to everyone on Twitter. Yet, if you attend any conference where Social Media is at the crux of the experience, you’d believe that Twitter is the only social network on the Web.

In 2007-2008, many brands and companies flocked to Second Life to build a virtual presence, which spiked, peaked, and created somewhat of a backlash and ultimately a bit of a retreat in the process. By mid-2009, virtual worlds were realizing a comeback of sorts. In July 2009, virtual worlds consultancy kzero.co.ukreported that membership of virtual worlds grew by 39% in the second quarter of 2009 to an estimated 579 million.

According to Rafat Ali, The Wall Street Journal today amended its editorial policy to no longer participate in embargoed news herds and will only consider exclusives from this point on. In March, The WSJ introduced a new plan to grade journalists based on the stories they break for the newswires.

A changing of the guard is due and it starts with the cognizance of to whom we serve and report. While technically, we answer to our business leaders and the board that governs their activity and performance, when we embrace anything with an outward focus, we must recognize and acknowledge our customers, peers, and prospects – in their voice, words, and sentiments. Doing so, changes everything.

Over the years, I’ve actively called for Twitter to contribute to its own culture and direction by leading instead of following. It would effectively serve as a source of inspiration and orientation for consumers and the businesses hoping to connect with them, which would ultimately increase the alarming 40-percent user retention pattern. I suggested that the company actively define user scenarios and offer a quick-start guide for the unique groups of users seeking guidance in order to not only increase user retention, but also accelerate adoption and the evolution of the service.

In order to effectively engage today, we need to first identify the people of significance and determine our role within the various ecosystems of value. You’ll quickly observe that in the [lack of] attention economy, relations and recognition, and not necessarily relationships, serve as the primary currency of Public Relations, Customer Service, and Marketing Communications.

Mark Zuckerberg proudly announced on the Facebook blog this week that the popular social network continues its global dominance jumping from 200 million to 250 million users. To commemorate the milestone, Facebook created a map that visualizes connections and adoption worldwide.

After I finish the new (unannounced) book that I’m feverishly writing, I plan to finally pursue “Internet Famous – The rise of micro celebrity and the end of privacy.” Alexia Tsotsis (disclosure, she’s a dear friend) recently wrote an intriguing article at the LA Weekly entitled, “Is All of Hollywood the Bitch in Twitter’s Sex Tape or Just P. Diddy?”

Everything starts and fortifies with you. Your actions and words online are indeed extensions to how people interpret, perceive, and react to the brand your represent. Concurrently, you also represent your personal brand – the digital identity that’s established through the collection of digital shadows you cast across the social web.