J litestytes No social power on Twitter Tweeting during unrest was mostly commentary, very little for organizing By STACY THOMAS ew research has proven that Nive is not as effective at broadcasting wide scale messag- es as previously thought. Since Twitter activity rose during the London riots and the Arab Spring, it was assumed that social media was now playing a large role in social move- ments. “Even though social media may be important for communicating where to meet, it’s not always the reason why people meet,” said Kathleen Carley, computer science professor at Carne- gie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Her research, released this month in Vancouver at the American Associa- tion for the Advancement of Science’s annual conference, has shown that those theories are based on misconcep- tions. “There’s anecdotal evidence, so peo- ple go to these anecdotes and think, well that must be all there is,” Carley told the Voice by phone. “But we don’t have a lot of empirical evidence about {social media’s] overall behavior.” Social demographics, literacy rates, and “the underlying human face to face social network,” are more important to the effectiveness of social media, Car- ley said. Some Langara groups are also find- ing Twitter to be ineffectual. Justin Lai, of the Langara Chritians Club, said they use Facebook to get their message out. “More people expect some sort of so- cial media platform as part of their communication plan,” he said. “[Twit- ter] didn’t really fit in with our plan.” Langara communications officer Syl- via Tan said keeping up with Twitter is a snap. “I pay attention to it all day long,” she said, “probably about two hours a day.” But, she still finds Face- book to be the most effective way to connect with students. “Definitely Facebook is more effective,” she said, “just by sheer numbers.” “On Twitter, once the tweet is in someone’s stream, it’s gone in about five to 15 seconds,” said Eli Zbar of the Langara Students’ Union. “Facebook is where everyone is. It’s a much more powerful social engagement tool.” CARLY SMITH photo Annina Greenfield helps customer Jason Chan prepare his two-wheeler for springtime riding at Out Community Bikes. Tuned-up bikes to beat traffic BICYCLE tune-up tips With spring just around the cor- ner, it’s time to ready your ride By CARLY RHIANNA SMITH s the seasons shift gears from winter to spring, it’s time to get your bicycles ready to rumble. Getting your bike in shape can seem intimidating, but it’s actually simple to do and easy on your wallet. Langara students can perform their own bike repairs in the Langara Stu- dent Union bike shop, located in the lower floor of the Students’ Union Building. “We want students to use [bikes] as their transportation as much as possi- ble. Whether it’s raining, snowing or sunny,” said LSU resource coordinator Gabriel Pelletier. The bike shop, overseen by the envi- ronmental committee, is free and open to all students. To use the shop, simply sign in at the LSU reception on the upper floor of the SUB. The bike shop offers tools and a work manual, and a limited number of parts for sale. Volunteers are on hand to help with repairs, when their sched- ules allow for it. Once the weather gets better volun- teers and bike enthusiasts will flock to the bike shop, which has been less busy in winter months, said Pelletier. “People want to ride when the weather gets better. They itch for it,” he said. Another option for those keen on saving money and fixing their bike themselves is Our Community Bikes on Main Street at 17th Avenue. “Tf you don’t know how, we can teach you,” said Annina Greenfield, an OCB employee. Operated by non-profit organization PEDAL, OCB is a do-it-yourself bike shop with staff and volunteers on hand. “We are dedicated to education and teaching people that it’s perfectly okay to do it yourself,” said Greenfield. She also said to come in as soon as possible, before the weather changes. “We notice on a lot of sunny days that we get this huge influx of people being like, ‘There’s something wrong with my bike!” she said. As well as tool and stand rental, OCB offers the option of verbal or hands-on instruction. The prices range from $6 to $18, depending on the amount of help you need. The fee goes toward the cost of keep- ing the shop running. Give the frame a good wipedown and lubricate the chain Make sure your tires are pumped to proper pressure. Most bikes shops will help you check ME Check for wear on your wheels, chain, gears and brakes HM ifthe teeth of your chain-rings are either pointy or shark-fin-shaped, they need replacing Source: Our Community Bikes With new food trucks on the way, Is the current crop safe eating? MICHELLE GAMAGE photo Fasttrac Fusion serves dishes made from scratch out- side the Langara-49th Avenue Canada Line station Vancouver’s growing food truck industry is as safe and clean as restaurants By MICHELLE GAMAGE Fasttrac Fusion food truck outside the Langara-49th Canada Line sta- tion, is as safe as it should be. According to Vancouver Coastal Health reports, Vancouver’s renowned street-side food trucks are just as clean and safe as Vancouver’s restaurants. Vancouver Coastal Health conducts more than 16,000 inspections of restau- rants, food facilities and stores annual- ly, ensuring businesses follow the strict health guidelines and applicable codes. Sean Ruudz, owner of Big Dogs Street Hots, said inspectors usually show up at his Georgia and Granville location every six months, but “some- Si on a lamb skewer from times they just show up.” Food trucks’ smaller kitchens make them cleaner than restaurants, he said. “It’s a single person operation,” said Ruudz. “So the responsibility [to clean] comes down on you.” Regional health protection guide- lines require that all vendors have ap- proval from a provincial health officer, have a completed food service permit and complete FoodSafe B.C. training in food safety, handling and sanitation. “Food carts are very clean,” said Pat- rick Yien, whose family runs Fasttrac Fusion. “You can see the whole kitchen [from the outside]. It’s spic and span.” Yien also thinks food trucks have an advantage over restaurants. “It’s more affordable and just as good as restaurants, but quicker,” he said. Japadog, a Japanese-style hotdog business, operates in Vancouver from a restaurant and three food carts. In- spections in the past year show prob- lems at the restaurant were more seri- ous than those found in the carts A November inspection of the res- taurant found several problems, in- cluding the potential for microbiologi- cal contamination and that a hot food storage container under the required temperature of 60 C. In contrast, Japadog’s three carts, all inspected since last June, had a total of ten problems including missing ther- mometers, over-diluted sanitation products and cluttered counters. All problems were apparently cor- rected at the time of each inspection. Vancouver’s food truck industry is booming and with spring just around the corner business is going to contin- ue to grow, said Ruudz. A panel of local journalists, chefs and notaries are currently judging teams of hopeful entrepreneurs com- peting for 12 new food truck licenses. The panel’s choices will be revealed in the spring.