October 2^nd 2009 marked Mahatma Gandhi’s 140^th birthday. In order to recognize and commemorate the freedom fighter’s efforts to promote non violence during the British rule of India, United Nations declare his birthday the International day of Non-Violence. With our busy lives we tend to forget to reflect on our history and the forefathers that fought for everything we have today. On October 2^nd, Google changed their logo for the day to include an image of Mahatma Gandhi so people were reminded of his birthday and remember him.

Mahatma Gandhi is often referred to as “father of the nation” in India where his non violent philosophies and teachings have contributed to the independence from the British Empire.  His teachings also brought awareness to social issues in India such as equal rights to lower castes and women. The Google search engine regularly reminds us of the figures and milestones of our past by changing their logo on important dates such as this one to reflect the historical importance of that day. They have been known to change their logo to reflect national and religious holidays, birthdays of historical figures, and much more. Gandhi is the second Indian to be remembered by Google after Rabindranath Tagore.

The Internet is a great opportunity to bring mass public awareness on current social and political issues around the world. Social networks have also played a significant role to bring light to current political upheavals and human injustices across the globe. Twitter was able to help people active in Iran’s liberation movement voice their protests after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was accused of corrupt voting practices. Twitter provided a platform to the citizens of Iran to voice their frustrations that even distinguished news sources such as CNN weren’t able to provide. Whether CNN chose to stay out of it or they couldn’t provide the up to date details that Twitter users in Iran were able to, remains a disputed subject. But the fact of the matter is, social networks such as Facebook and Twitter play a crucial role to update us on current events that otherwise we have no time to read about in the newspaper or watch on television.

Social networks also are being used by businesses and corporations to give updates to consumers about services and products that have recently entered the market. Facebook and Twitter provide consumers the freedom to discuss the products they invest in and give a chance for corporations to respond to comments and statements made in reference to their brand name. Social Media Optimization is the latest marketing strategy businesses are using to communicate and create awareness about their products and services through social networks. Social networks such as Facebook and MySpace are compatible with video sharing websites such as YouTube and micro blogging websites such as Twitter.

Social networks allow consumers to directly communicate with companies and corporations and give them their feedback. This feedback will in turn give manufacturers a better perspective on marketing their products and services to keep their customers satisfied. Just as Google search engine has created awareness about important dates and people in our history, Social Media Optimization also helps create awareness between consumers and companies about products and services.