Most of the effective algorithms for measuring sentiment rely on fairly well formatted, “predictable” text that follows formal grammar rules. But formal writing carries a bias. It is an immensely more difficult task to harvest information from the drips-and-drabs of informal writing such as is found in twitter and forums (or even blogs).

Last week saw Google Buzz already embroiled in controversy, as was Southwest Airlines. There’s lots of love for the Olympics though.

Reactions to the 2010 Super Bowl ads were reported early and often: The tally of mad, mid-game tweets let us know what the digital mavens were thinking. But what about the rest of the country? The folks who prefer to enjoy their social media on work computers in the days after?

If advertising is dead, why is Apple buying an ad network? Are we more interested in the Olympics or the fact that our cars are being recalled? And Buzz… really?

What do the Super Bowl, Volkswagen, politicians, and gang members all have in common? You guessed it, they all use social media. We keep saying it but, folks, it’s not going away.

Everybody is doing it, even the president. Technology and social media are playing a big role in global, national, and local news and events. In the meantime, big companies and a generation of old-timers are trying to figure “it” out.