The Retriever Weekly Tuesday, October 18, 2011 6 >>Foreign Desk: Argentina A Step Outside the City of the Buenos Aires province By dianna brittian and come to such a peaceful Foreign Correspondent city. NewsThe city of Rosario is Last weekend we zipped one of the larger ones in our overnight bags and Argentina and we were toothbrushes and packed treated to a smaller, cleaner, ourselves into the caravan and “friendlier” version of of three buses to be shipped the nation's capital. I say outside of the city. friendly because rosarinos It was a much, much needed (a person from Rosario) are break. As much as I love very lax, laid back and eager Buenos Aires, just getting out to help when there is a need for a weekend is a nice break to. We were given maps from reality. Sunday was spent lying out on “ the scalding sand right next to the freezing, cold water of the D ianna Br i t t ian —TRW river that gives the city its Itsinto atmosphere a restaurant and people for make the Rosario all- aRosario vacation destination were a for modern many in Argentina art exchange and abroad. student jokes were prominence as a port. you-can-eat lunch that the museum (which many people part of the experience. That program arranged. didn't seem to like due to the is what I love about it. We just ” This was a good chance to contents of the exhibit), The had a good time without really see what rosarinos were like Monument to the Flag, a stroll worrying about anything. Our destination? The (always a big mistake) and and I immediately started through the city's streets by We all did the silly group province of Santa Fe and the when we asked for help, we talking to the man who ourselves and, of course, the photos of us in the water city of Rosario. It lies about were always given directions was preparing fruit crepes. beach. in our bathing suits—yes, five hours to the north of and a friendly smile with After talking to him for a Sunday was spent lying out freezing cold—and then we Federal Capital and is a good them. few minutes and asking him on the scalding sand right next were herded back to the bus weekend trip. After watching an about Rosario from his native to the freezing, cold water of to head back to Buenos Aires. A city that boasts a port Argentinean movie and perspective, my general the river that gives the city its I wouldn't mind studying bigger than that of Buenos singing along with the ’80s understanding was, “Yes, we prominence as a port. Soaking in Rosario. It's buena onda Aires, it was a treat to drive music that the driver decided are a smaller Buenos Aires up a bit of sun, enjoying the (good vibes). through the flat and lush to charm us with, we got off but we are nicer.” light breeze, and being with green lands that is the Pampa the buses and were ushered A few more of our stops in friends and making typical [email protected] Notes from the Newsroom: A graveyard of social networks

By Olivia Ignacio be shut down in just a few is not the only company to they buy or rate a song on 1,600 employees in June News Editor weeks. This endeavor became try to break into the social iTunes. Needless to say, Ping 2009 to approximately 200 in the center of controversy soon networking game with did not receive rave reviews June 2011, according to Tech announced recently after its launch, when it had a minimal success. nor a strong following once Crunch and The Wall Street they would kill off one of their tendency to expose frequent Apple launched iTunes users realized Twitter was Journal. early attempts at a social contacts of users. Ping early this year. It was easier and more efficient for Some other less-than- network. , which Along with Buzz, Google marketed as a way to keep up following artists. successful social network was created early last year as will discontinue other social to date with artists and your In 2006, Wal-Mart launched endeavors were ConnectU, a way for users to share their aspects of iGoogle, allowing friends, by following them their little-known social Yahoo! Buzz and . content with one another, will them to put more work into Twitter-style and receiving network for teens called The With all this in mind, it’s cultivating Google+. Google a notification whenever Hub. It was almost a replica difficult to determine whether of MySpace, boasting similar Google+ will be a social features, but lacking freedom- network to rival Facebook -parents of teenaged users or will meet the same fate as were notified of all their Google Buzz. Google+ doesn’t child’s activity on the site. The seem to have any flashy or Hub also laid large emphasis attractive features Facebook on teens creating Wal-Mart does not already provide and shopping wish lists. It was the responses to the new live for only ten weeks. network have been less than And let’s not forget about raving. MySpace. Many of us probably Google CEO had MySpace profiles in said recently that 40 million our teens since its height of people signed up for Google+ popularity was from 2005 accounts since its launch in to 2008. Its decline began June. Whether the users are when Facebook exploded active, happy and ready to onto the scene and it has abandon Facebook, we have steadily decreased in both yet to find out. C ar l o s L u na — TRW size and revenue since. The company went from having Google joins the many companies to have failed in a social networking endeavor. [email protected]