Well, it appears that yet another trend is emerging in the vast, superficial numbers-game that is social media marketing. A number of my school colleagues went to a nearby careers exhibition today, at which numerous colleges from around the country were advertising their curricula. Having been there myself a year ago, I didn't bother going again, since I figured I'd already seen everything there was to see. This was not so, however.

Apparently, at one stall, a person had a laptop and a box of lollipops. A lollipop was handed to anyone who would be willing to sign into Facebook then and there, and give a "Like" to the college represented at the stall. To be honest, I don't really know what to make of this. Is bribery really worse than some of the other shenanigans going on out there, like sock-puppet accounts and Tweet-bots?

In the end, I think this social media marketing concept is pretty ridiculous and, at the risk of sounding like Cliff Clavin, part of me believes that, somewhere sown the line, this will be recognised and the whole thing will be given up as a bad job!