Twitter account hacked? Here's how to clean up.

Over the past few days, far too many tweeps have found their account "compromised" when they clicked on malicious DM (Direct Message). The bad DMs were a phishing scheme that tricked the account holders into logging in to Twitter, thereby exposing their password. The account is then used to send out more spam, some of a highly embarrassing nature.

Here's instructions on how to recover from the official Twitter Help page.

Social Media Tools -- Tweetdeck, etc.

Once you have got the hang of Twitter or Facebook or LinkedIn, you might want to take advantage of one or some of the many free desktop or online programs that will help keep you organized.

Here is a short list of some options:

Tweetdeck, for example, is a browser that allows you to view and update Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and MySpace in real time in one convenient dashboard.

Hootsuite is an online service that allows you to schedule tweets and post them at a later time and/or date.

Seesmic is another browser that allows you to follow Twitter and Facebook in one central place on your desktop.

For more on social media tools, check out this recent post by Jay Baer at his blog, Convince and Convert, on the many options available right now.

Alas, our list of tools doesn't include smart phone applications. We'll save that subject for another day.

Social Media Count

What the New Facebook Format Means to You

Facebook has introduced (yet another) layout -- this time making changes to the ways status updates are included in the newsfeed. Whether the latest format change is good or bad for those of us administering Facebook pages remains to be see.

Heather Mansfield, a social media expert who administers the Non-Profits on Facebook fan page, is currently conducting an experiment to learn more about the latest round of changes and what they mean for fan pages with smaller followings. As a side note, her blog and Facebook fan page are both very user-friendly and insightful -- especially for those just starting out.

Check out Heather's blog, Nonprofits Tech 2.0, as well as her experiment with Facebook advertising.

The 3 Facebook Settings Every User Should Check Now

Facebook recently made some changes to its privacy settings. Here's some great advice for every Facebook user from the Grey Lady:

The 3 Facebook Settings Every User Should Check Now

The Facebook Guide Book

Want to get the most out of Facebook? Mashable has created The Facebook Guide Book, a complete collection of resources to help you master Facebook.
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