Surprise! Mark Zuckerberg Gets Married | Pakistan Blocks Twitter Over Cartoon Contest | Microsoft Launches Academic Social Network

Zuckerberg Weds Longtime Girlfriend, No Word on Prenup (Reuters)
Details of Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg’s surprise wedding trickled out on Sunday, but mysteries remained, not least whether there was a prenuptial agreement in place that could affect Zuckerberg’s large stake in the company. Zuckerberg wed his longtime girlfriend, Priscilla Chan, on Saturday in the backyard of their modest home in Palo Alto, Calif., with fewer than 100 people in attendance, a Facebook spokesman authorized to speak on behalf of the couple said. CNET However, a woman in India is reportedly divorcing her husband because he committed the cardinal 21st century crime: he didn’t change his Facebook status when they got married. How can a woman trust a man who doesn’t whip out his cell phone the minute the marriage ceremony is over and declare himself to the world? VentureBeat NASDAQ chief executive Robert Greifeld admitted Sunday that the exchange was at fault for some glitches in early trading of Facebook’s IPO but said it had nothing to do with the stock’s uninspired performance. Facebook expected trading to begin at 11 a.m. on Friday, but it did not begin until about 11:30. GigaOM Catching the last five minutes of the Boston University commencement speech by Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt on WBUR, I was struck by the veiled swipes (pokes?) he took at Facebook. You know, the company that last week launched the most anticipated IPO in years, and that despite NASDAQ glitches and a disappointing finish, wiped Google out of the record books? Yes, that Facebook. CNET A mother wanted to share a picture of her son on Facebook. He lived only eight hours. Facebook removed the image, deeming it “too graphic.” Much later, the company offered an apology and admitted it erred.

Pakistan Blocks Access to Twitter Over Cartoon Contest (The New York Times)
The Pakistani government blocked access to social networking service Twitter for much of Sunday, after publicly holding the company responsible for promoting what it described as a blasphemous cartoon contest taking place on Facebook, officials said. The restoration of Twitter service late in the evening was as sudden as its suspension earlier in the day. NBC News Pakistanis found workarounds and took to Twitter Sunday to rail against the government’s decision to block access to the website. The move followed tweets promoting a competition on Facebook to post images of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, said Mohammad Yaseen, chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication’s Authority. AP Facebook confirmed in a written statement that it blocked access to the content in Pakistan. The site noted that it occasionally restricts content when it is illegal or offensive out of respect for local laws and culture.

Shhhh! Microsoft Launches Academic Social Network (ZDNET)
While most pairs of technologically inclined eyes have been diverted by the Facebook IPO, Microsoft has quietly launched So.cl, a social network that ran in beta and was tested by university students last year. Originating from Microsoft’s FUSE labs, the network is promoted as a tool created for use by students and academics for research purposes.

The Aloneness of Social Media (The Huffington Post)
After the initial excitement of reconnecting with elementary school friends fades, most users of social media find themselves “friending” people who share a similar cause or passion. Twitter is perhaps the maximum expression of this — where those with whom one interacts are most often anonymous and where the interactions of 140 characters are thematic and usually trivial.

Major League Teams Working on Social Media Message (Bloomberg Businessweek)
Major League teams like the Chicago Cubs are trying to entice fans with social media nights by offering ticket deals and giveaways on Twitter and Facebook. Savvy franchises are trying to create the right mix online, part content and part business opportunity.

Solar Eclipse 2012 Creates Social Media Photo Frenzy (The Los Angeles Times)
The “ring of fire” solar eclipse has become a social media event, with images of the rare event shared on Facebook, Twitter and other Web applications. In Los Angeles, the partial eclipse was captured in backyards, roofs and parks — as well as from such landmarks as Staples Center before the Clippers game, Dodger Stadium, Hollywood Boulevard and Griffith Park and even on freeways.

Schools Go into the ‘Cloud’ to Embrace the Popularity of Social Media (The New York Times)
Several start-up companies have begun offering cloud-based platforms that combine education and social media. Companies like Teamie, based in Singapore, provide software that lets teachers create, share and manage academic content, and also let students collaborate on assignments on platforms that are similar to the “walls” used on Facebook.

Text Messages Make Us More Truthful, Study Suggests (The Huffington Post)
New research from the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research shows that people are more willing to be candid when they are texting, compared with when they’re speaking out loud. The researchers also found that texting prompted people to be more precise in their answers, and to be less likely to give broad, “good enough” answers.

What You Can Learn From Zynga’s Cool Company Culture (Mashable)
Mashable took a tour of Zynga, a wildly popular distributor of some of the most played social and mobile games. When it comes to perks, the father of FarmVille doesn’t skimp. In fact, Zynga’s office is so loaded with perks and amenities, it would make working from home a bore.