Diageo is treating the social networking phenomenon as more of an opportunity than a threat as it tries to adapt its advertising model to reach out to the emerging generations of consumers, the company's chief information officer (CIO) and business process director told delegates at Forrester Research's IT Forum EMEA 2007 in Edinburgh today.

But, alongside the benefits on offer, Diageo also recognises that operating in a virtual world can present its own unique challenges too, such as people pretending to be what they're not, specifically when it comes to age and alcohol.

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http://www.itpro.co.uk/internet...

By Les Luchter

THE ANNUAL PROMAX/BDA CONFERENCE FOR television promoters, marketers and designers, getting underway tomorrow in New York, is taking on the air of an online media event this year, with speakers representing Google, YouTube, Second Life, AOL, DoubleClick and other key Internet players.

"TV marketers and designers are not just about television anymore," said Lee Hunt, PROMAX's interim managing director, who played a key role in setting the direction and shape of the conference sessions. "All these content platforms are becoming more important to the TV experience."

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http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm...

People who control avatars of themselves and float around in the popular virtual world of Second Life could find themselves on the wrong end of a tax demand that will leave them wanting to flee their first life.

Yes, even fictional profits in games are taxable, and the dark lords of the Inland Revenue are logging in to catch you.

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http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/blogs...