Birdwatch Becomes Community Notes and Goes Global

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Twitter's Community Notes, which was previously known as Birdwatch, is the social media giant’s crowdsourced fact-checking system and now visible around the world. 

The feature allows users to add context to tweets and takes an open source approach toward debunking misinformation. Moderators who are part of the program can add notes to tweets to add context and users can then vote if they determine the context to be helpful. Prior to this global expansion, Community Notes were only visible to users in the U.S. Twitter plans to add moderators from other regions soon.

If Elon Musk is correct, he says it "is a gamechanger for improving accuracy on Twitter."  We'll see.

E-Commerce Supremacy Goes Global

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The world's largest retailer, Walmart, will acquire a 77% holding in Flipkart Group for $16 billion.

The deal — Walmart's biggest ever — gives it greater access to India's e-commerce market, which Morgan Stanley has estimated will grow to $200 billion in about a decade.

For Walmart, this move enables it to tap into India's retail market without building stores.

Learn more about how Walmart just bought its way into India's e-commerce treasure trove.

Local Snowboard Firm Goes Global

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Snowboard firm Gilson Boards, known as Your American Snowboard Company, started three years ago with three people, manufacturing snowboards on a former dairy farm.

The company has since grown to 16 employees, who helped the company build and sell more than 1,000 boards this season from Gilson’s, a 5,000-square-foot facility near New Berlin. Sales have increased an average of 200 percent a year.

In 2015, the company started shipping overseas and now ships orders to:  Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Korea, England, France, Italy and Switzerland.  Overseas sales make up about 15 percent of the company’s business, according to the owner of the firm, Nick Gilson.

Read more:  Local firms go global

Today in Global Small Business: Expressing How You Feel Goes Global

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What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• Learn how to protect your intellectual property at your business (no charge WEGG webinar).
• Nielsen looks to fill the e-commerce data void by working directly with retailers.
• Expressing how you feel goes global.
• Before you decide a home import/export office, consider these drawbacks.
• The Peterson Institute releases a new study on the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
• Why small businesses are growing.

Pot (Cannabis) Goes Global

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The late rock star Jimi Hendrix is known for his affinity toward marijuana, now will also be known for a brand of cannabis.  And that cannabis, also known as pot, will go global through the efforts of Silver State Trading.

"We license to best-in-class operators who have the legal rights to produce, cultivate and distribute cannabis in medical or recreational states nationwide, and also internationally," said Andrew Pitsicalis, Purple Haze Properties CEO and president, in a statement.

Read more:  Jimi Hendrix-branded pot going on sale in Colorado

LIVESTRONG Goes Global to Spread the Message of Hope and Perseverance to New Markets All Over the Globe

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Lance Armstrong's philanthropic organization, LIVESTRONG, is taking its product line global. His company creates the iconic yellow bracelets (pictured) and other goods such as clothing and accessories.

The global push begins in July.

“We’re excited to embark on this new phase for LIVESTRONG and Nike,” said Lance Armstrong Foundation President and CEO Doug Ulman. “Lance’s return to cycling drew the eyes of the world to the fight against cancer and Nike’s support is allowing us to spread the message of hope and perseverance to new markets all over the globe.”

Read more here.

American Bailout Goes Global

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A financial problem that began in the United States is making its way across the globe. Now, the American bailout is going global, too, a move that could raise its cost and increase scrutiny by critics.

Read more here.

Water Pen Saves Lives and Goes Global

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With 6,000 children dying a day from waterborne diseases, the LifeStraw -- a $3 personal, portable water purifier made by Vestergaard Frandsen that eliminates virtually all waterborne bacteria and most viruses responsible for causing diarrheal diseases -- looks simple but has the potential to save lives worldwide.

Are you working on a life-saving product or service that will change the world?

Water, water everywhere ...