Microsoft is once again relaunching its search engine - renaming it once again, too (though they call it "rebranding" in this industry). Bing aims to return relevant searches, and "overhaul" Yahoo's search. For example, when you search for a product, Bing will return a description of the item, customer reviews, online shops offering it, and so forth - you know, actually relevant search results! Searches for airline tickets will return competing prices, nearby accommodations, weather results, and similarly related information.
Google has thoroughly damaged users' expectations of search results with its flawed algorithm and irrelevant results. While Google recently took aim at sponsored posts and posters, claiming they skewed their returns, the truth is that Google's entire product used to be search and they can't get that right. In the years since it debuted, Google has become an actual online monopoly, with tentacles in literally every aspect of the Web; its search engine, OTOH, has suffered dynamically - largely because Google returns paid results and results which have been "Search Engine Optimized" (SEO).
Time and again, Google has released cryptic instructions for how to maximize search returns, then punished independent webmasters who utilized them, while placing paid "results" in the top returns. Google has also insinuated itself in every technical aspect of the Web, perverting well-intentioned technical aspects and advancements to further promote its errant algorithm.
Google's introduction of the "nofollow" value, and insistence that it be used for advertisements (text links, etc.), is a corruption of the form rel values use. It is not a noun, nor does it provide any information about the link; it serves only to further Google's ends - promoting links paid for by advertisers. This is just one of Google's many attempts to control the Web and its content.
Searches should return relevant results, so what Microsoft is suggesting is far from revolutionary; the revolutionary idea here is that any company would actually try to make such relevant results happen, because none of these eggheads seem to know how to profit from such a model. If it seems like a no-brainer that they could slap some banner ads around the results and more people would use it if it returned more relevant results, thus resulting in more impressions for the ads and higher revenue for the engine... well, don't tell anyone else that, because for whatever reason, they believe otherwise.
The truth is that these companies are simply greedy. Not in that "They're creedy, corporate pigs" activist sort of way, either; I mean that these companies literally cannot stand to reap anything less than double maximum optimum returns - they refuse to do it. They refuse to compete because that cuts into their revenue and they refuse to take anything less than three or four times what they can earn legitimately because it just isn't worth their time. Microsoft has been guilty of this since Day One and Google took their queue from Microsoft's success (that is, Microsoft got away with it, so Google thinks it should be allowed to get away with it, too - so long as everyone can rob the consumer without reprisal, it constitutes "fairness in business" to these firms).
Paul Stoddart, Microsoft's UK spokesperson for search, told the BBC the company was looking to establish an "emotional connection" with users and build brand loyalty. They hope to do this by changing background themes and engendering a less "clinical" feel than previous attempts. Stoddart dug at Google by noting they depended on ad revenue, which kept them from varying information delivery approaches.
Stoddart shot himself in the foot however, when he noted that Microsoft is actually "teaming" with web services to bring the "best in breed" to users. This means Microsoft's advertising model will be based on culling paid information "providers."
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
MySpace Convicts Bank Robber
Ah, social networking Darwinism at work:
27-year old Joseph Northington of Roanoke, VA, pleaded guilty to robbing a South Carolina bank after he boasted of doing so on his frigging MySpace profile!
Apparently, Northington was visiting a friend when he robbed a local bank of $4000. When the friend recognized him from surveillance tapes, he contacted authorities who discovered Northington's MySpace status read "On tha run for robbin a bank Love all of yall". No, for real.
Even better? His MySpace status now reads "wanted."
Joseph Northington faces seven years to life in prison and will be sentenced later for using a firearm in a violent crime.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
27-year old Joseph Northington of Roanoke, VA, pleaded guilty to robbing a South Carolina bank after he boasted of doing so on his frigging MySpace profile!
Apparently, Northington was visiting a friend when he robbed a local bank of $4000. When the friend recognized him from surveillance tapes, he contacted authorities who discovered Northington's MySpace status read "On tha run for robbin a bank Love all of yall". No, for real.
Even better? His MySpace status now reads "wanted."
Joseph Northington faces seven years to life in prison and will be sentenced later for using a firearm in a violent crime.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Reid Supply
I do not know much about industrial equipment, or manufacturing and industry outside of a Monopoly game, in general. And (honestly) I don't always do so well with it in Monopoly, so I'm not going to lie about it. I do know that if I were to ever find myself in need of such information, that Reid Supply's website is the first place I would go, so if you do know a handwheel from a fixturing component, I can't imagine there is a more informative site.
Reid Supply is going the distance, too. They have a host of great upgrades in the works for the site, which will make it easier for visitors to find what they are looking for and get more out of it. These upgrades were based on feedback they got from previous visitors, including better search, faster browsing, and more. The site really is a full-fledged resource for those in the industry, and not just another commercial website. Check it out for yourself and see.
Reid Supply is going the distance, too. They have a host of great upgrades in the works for the site, which will make it easier for visitors to find what they are looking for and get more out of it. These upgrades were based on feedback they got from previous visitors, including better search, faster browsing, and more. The site really is a full-fledged resource for those in the industry, and not just another commercial website. Check it out for yourself and see.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Beware the Flood, Agenda
I detailed my health fight this week over to The Rundown, so I won't repeat it here, but I wanted to mention that several of the posts going out today should have come out at various times throughout the week, I just didn't finish any of them in time. There will be several today and then I will probably settle back into a rhythm. It just depends on what I get done, when.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Time-Warner "Spins Off" AOL
"We believe AOL will have a better opportunity to achieve its full potential as a leading independent internet company." AOL woke up Thursday morning and Time-Warner had left this on its answering machine; the ill-fated merger finally ends with a terse explanation from a Time-Warner spokesperson.
AOL was once a juggernaut on the ISP landscape - the juggernaut, in fact - that outlasted several other early leaders with better reputations (including Netscape and CompuServe, both of which AOL eventually acquired). Forbes Magazine printed that AOL "treats its customers like shit," yet continued growing - back in 1989! While customer complaints abounded concerning everything from Web censorship to unscrupulous billing practices and all points between, AOL continued to conquer until well past the turn of the Millennium. Dial-up networking's (DUN) popularity started plunging in 2002 as broadband access became cheaper and more widely available and AOL never recovered.
"Pride goeth before the fall" was a maxim proved true, as AOL most certainly did treat its customers like shit and few of us had much choice but to take it; again, AOL became the powerhouse it was because of its penetration and saturation. For years, AOL was the only choice of ISPs for many rural residents, nationwide. The direct-mailing campaign, which resulted in every 1990s-era American household having at least one junk drawer dedicated to free AOL CDs, was also a rousing success. No matter which ISP you eventually went with, it was all too easy to grab one of those AOL CDs and get online, especially if you were a tech who "just needed to get online real quick to grab that one thing," etc.
AOL's software invaded every aspect of your computer's file system while simultaneously insinuating itself in your operating system by changing preferences, associating files, and so forth, effectively making AOL an OS within your OS - at one point in its development, installing the AOL software made it your default application for all data communications, CD playback, and more. Followed by illegal billing practices which made it next to impossible to cancel the services, too many netizens found themselves "trapped" by the company.
AOL, which owed no small amount of its success to its adult-themed chatrooms, then decided it was going to be a family-friendly service. Users discovered a floating, gray box which obscured the internal browser window whenever it was aimed at "adult" websites - a box which could not be closed, nor moved aside. Then AOL's Terms of Service functions were automated, resulting in a service-wide crackdown on... flat-out bizarre TOS violations. Users found their accounts disabled on a regular basis, only to discover they had somehow violated the TOS in such nebulous ways as "being off-topic in a chatroom" or "sending too many e-mails in too short a time," etc.
Asshats (aka, AOL subscribers) discovered how easy it was to disable someone's account simply by reporting them for TOS violations - as the service was automated, user's accounts were shutdown until they called-in to have them reinstated. If you had highspeed, you could open separate instances of the program and enter chatrooms and services under different accounts. In this way, many AOL "power users" (aka, assholes) began disabling others' accounts simply by entering numerous TOS reports in short order. They came to be called "TOS Nazis."
AOL's illegal billing practices were exposed on national TV by an irate customer who recorded his attempts to cancel his services. Then, in 2006, AOL released a mountain of "anonymous" search data which was quickly traceable back to those who had made the searches. A true moment in Cyberculture history which has been too neatly swept under the rug, AOL's data "leak" proved just how not anonymous the Web really is... at least when it involves unscrupulous firms like AOL.
Former Google advertising executive, Tim Armstrong, was put in charge of AOL in March. This "spin-off" was known to be a possibility then. Time Warner is going to buy the 5% of AOL it does not already own from Google, then give it back to shareholders. AOL will be a separate company by the end of 2009, ending the Time Warner merger.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
AOL was once a juggernaut on the ISP landscape - the juggernaut, in fact - that outlasted several other early leaders with better reputations (including Netscape and CompuServe, both of which AOL eventually acquired). Forbes Magazine printed that AOL "treats its customers like shit," yet continued growing - back in 1989! While customer complaints abounded concerning everything from Web censorship to unscrupulous billing practices and all points between, AOL continued to conquer until well past the turn of the Millennium. Dial-up networking's (DUN) popularity started plunging in 2002 as broadband access became cheaper and more widely available and AOL never recovered.
"Pride goeth before the fall" was a maxim proved true, as AOL most certainly did treat its customers like shit and few of us had much choice but to take it; again, AOL became the powerhouse it was because of its penetration and saturation. For years, AOL was the only choice of ISPs for many rural residents, nationwide. The direct-mailing campaign, which resulted in every 1990s-era American household having at least one junk drawer dedicated to free AOL CDs, was also a rousing success. No matter which ISP you eventually went with, it was all too easy to grab one of those AOL CDs and get online, especially if you were a tech who "just needed to get online real quick to grab that one thing," etc.
AOL's software invaded every aspect of your computer's file system while simultaneously insinuating itself in your operating system by changing preferences, associating files, and so forth, effectively making AOL an OS within your OS - at one point in its development, installing the AOL software made it your default application for all data communications, CD playback, and more. Followed by illegal billing practices which made it next to impossible to cancel the services, too many netizens found themselves "trapped" by the company.
AOL, which owed no small amount of its success to its adult-themed chatrooms, then decided it was going to be a family-friendly service. Users discovered a floating, gray box which obscured the internal browser window whenever it was aimed at "adult" websites - a box which could not be closed, nor moved aside. Then AOL's Terms of Service functions were automated, resulting in a service-wide crackdown on... flat-out bizarre TOS violations. Users found their accounts disabled on a regular basis, only to discover they had somehow violated the TOS in such nebulous ways as "being off-topic in a chatroom" or "sending too many e-mails in too short a time," etc.
Asshats (aka, AOL subscribers) discovered how easy it was to disable someone's account simply by reporting them for TOS violations - as the service was automated, user's accounts were shutdown until they called-in to have them reinstated. If you had highspeed, you could open separate instances of the program and enter chatrooms and services under different accounts. In this way, many AOL "power users" (aka, assholes) began disabling others' accounts simply by entering numerous TOS reports in short order. They came to be called "TOS Nazis."
AOL's illegal billing practices were exposed on national TV by an irate customer who recorded his attempts to cancel his services. Then, in 2006, AOL released a mountain of "anonymous" search data which was quickly traceable back to those who had made the searches. A true moment in Cyberculture history which has been too neatly swept under the rug, AOL's data "leak" proved just how not anonymous the Web really is... at least when it involves unscrupulous firms like AOL.
Former Google advertising executive, Tim Armstrong, was put in charge of AOL in March. This "spin-off" was known to be a possibility then. Time Warner is going to buy the 5% of AOL it does not already own from Google, then give it back to shareholders. AOL will be a separate company by the end of 2009, ending the Time Warner merger.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Ever Smaller - The Netbook
I often talk about how quickly acronyms and definitions change online because they happen so often. As a roleplaying gamer, "netbooks" meant PDF files of gaming materials; paperless books (e-books) published and distributed solely online. There was something both clandestine and elegant in the idea that we could now so freely share ideas and expand the games we all like to play with one another.
Now, netbooks are lightweight, durable, and energy-efficient portable computers. They are the newest alternative to laptops and text messaging. Some have up to 91/2 hours of battery life! Many models include integrated audio and webcam systems, come with USB ports which allow you to add even more peripherals, and some models even have traditional hard drives.
Make the Web adapt to your lifestyle with netbooks.
Now, netbooks are lightweight, durable, and energy-efficient portable computers. They are the newest alternative to laptops and text messaging. Some have up to 91/2 hours of battery life! Many models include integrated audio and webcam systems, come with USB ports which allow you to add even more peripherals, and some models even have traditional hard drives.
Make the Web adapt to your lifestyle with netbooks.
Tweet TV
Twitter has teamed with Reveille productions and Brillstein Entertainment to create a Twitter-embedded reality TV show, pairing Twitterers with celebrities in a competitive format or something. The entertainment firms are responsible for such programs as Ugly Betty, The Office, and American Gladiators.
Twitter has seen a rise from 475,000 visitors a day to over 7 million this last year.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Twitter has seen a rise from 475,000 visitors a day to over 7 million this last year.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
5-D Recording
Let me start this by saying I'm a pretty bright guy. I can be fooled as well as anyone - maybe even better than some (or even most) - but I generally catch-on pretty quickly. So I am going to present this to you as best I can, but link to the article itself for further reading, as I can't make much of it! For whatever reason, I always have this problem with BBC articles on science and technology; maybe they really are that far ahead of us, educationally, but I have a sneaking suspicion they get reporters with degrees in these fields to write for them. Either that or they just regurgitate a lot of stuff from the original papers.
Anywho, a team of researchers have discovered a way to use both color wavelengths and polarization to vastly expand the amount of space available on a disc. Where some of this had been posited before, this team took it to the next level; combining both techniques allowed them to "achieve unprecedented data density." Currently, information is recorded on only one color wavelength. The team incorporated gold particles into their medium and used several layers of glass as the media.
That's... I mean, that's pretty much it. The guys said, using their methodology, the limits could be pushed far beyond the theoretical 1.6 terabytes (300x the amount you can get on a single CD today) they achieved in their experiment.
The rest is basically Greek to me.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Anywho, a team of researchers have discovered a way to use both color wavelengths and polarization to vastly expand the amount of space available on a disc. Where some of this had been posited before, this team took it to the next level; combining both techniques allowed them to "achieve unprecedented data density." Currently, information is recorded on only one color wavelength. The team incorporated gold particles into their medium and used several layers of glass as the media.
That's... I mean, that's pretty much it. The guys said, using their methodology, the limits could be pushed far beyond the theoretical 1.6 terabytes (300x the amount you can get on a single CD today) they achieved in their experiment.
The rest is basically Greek to me.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Best Insurance Rates
In times past, you had to put in some serious work to shop around for the best insurance rates. In fact, it could cost you a pretty penny, between stamps, driving, and time spent. But with the Web, it is much easier. In fact, many sites - even those belonging to the insurance companies themselves - can give you the rates of several providers side-by-side for comparison right then and there. Of course, I tend to distrust some of them, especially when the insurance company which provides this also happens to be the cheapest!
Still, if you want to find the lowest term life insurance rates, auto insurance rates, or any other kind of insurance rates, Wholesale Insurance has you covered. Simply follow the link above to find out more and go from there!
Still, if you want to find the lowest term life insurance rates, auto insurance rates, or any other kind of insurance rates, Wholesale Insurance has you covered. Simply follow the link above to find out more and go from there!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Trek-Out Your Desktop
J.J. Abram's Star Trek reboot is inarguably a rousing success and I know from experience that more than a few of you out there are Trekkies (even if you're still in the closet). So why not hop on over to IconFactory and download the Star Trek folder icon set and wallpaper? They're available for both Mac and PC. Also get the Star Trek fankit to Trek-out your social networking profile, blogs, personal website, etc.
The Rundown is an official Star Trek site and - exactly my luck - I was without Internet last week (the week of its premiere) so I didn't get to present all the cool stuff in time for the premiere. Still, I have a few things to throw at you and I figured you guys would be interested in the icons and computer stuff. Of course, you can find just about everything you can imagine on the Star Trek movie site.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
The Rundown is an official Star Trek site and - exactly my luck - I was without Internet last week (the week of its premiere) so I didn't get to present all the cool stuff in time for the premiere. Still, I have a few things to throw at you and I figured you guys would be interested in the icons and computer stuff. Of course, you can find just about everything you can imagine on the Star Trek movie site.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Seagate to Cut 1100 Jobs
Seagate Technology hopes to save $125mn annually by laying-off over 1000 employees. The popular hard drive manufacturer hopes the move will make them earnings positive by next year. The layoffs should be completed by July of this year. Since the beginning of the fiscal year, Seagate has laid-off more than 1/4 of its workforce.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
EU Levies Record-Breaking Fine on Intel
Chipmaker, Intel, was fined a record $1.45bn by the European Commission for unfair trade practices. According to the EU - and Intel rival, AMD, which has levied complaints against the manufacturer three times since 2000 - Intel offered "hidden rebates" to computer manufacturers who used only Intel chips. Intel admits to offering "incentives" but "categorically denies" any wrongdoing and plans to appeal the verdict.
The EU claims Intel basically bribed computer manufacturers Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and NEC, as well as retail outlet, Media Markt, to use/sell only Intel products and delay the launch of AMD-based products throughout 2002-2007. In 2008, Intel dominated the microprocessor market, providing chips for over 80% of all PCs; AMD had only 12%.
Intel faces anti-trust legislation worldwide, including here in the US. Japan and Korea are also investigating Intel's business practices.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
The EU claims Intel basically bribed computer manufacturers Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and NEC, as well as retail outlet, Media Markt, to use/sell only Intel products and delay the launch of AMD-based products throughout 2002-2007. In 2008, Intel dominated the microprocessor market, providing chips for over 80% of all PCs; AMD had only 12%.
Intel faces anti-trust legislation worldwide, including here in the US. Japan and Korea are also investigating Intel's business practices.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Craigslist Pulls Erotic Services
After meeting with attorneys general of Illinois, Craigslist operators agreed to remove their Erotic Services category. It will be replaced by another adult-themed category which will be stringently moderated by the company. The ads currently running in the Erotic Services category will expire next week.
Craigslist has repeatedly been cited by lawmakers and others for offering a forum in which prostitutes could advertise their services. The site more or less refused to admit any wrongdoing or change their protocol until a man who trolled the site for victims was arrested for murder.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Craigslist has repeatedly been cited by lawmakers and others for offering a forum in which prostitutes could advertise their services. The site more or less refused to admit any wrongdoing or change their protocol until a man who trolled the site for victims was arrested for murder.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Egypt Blocks Pr0n Sites
A Muslim lawyer championed in Egyptian court when the judge ruled that all pornographic websites should be blocked. Up to recently, Egypt was the only Middle-Eastern country which did not restrict Web access. There are an estimated 12 million Egyptian Internet users, the largest in the worldwide Arab community.
The court ruling said, "Freedoms of expression and public rights should be restricted by maintaining the fundamentals of religion, morality, and patriotism." The court has instructed the government to restrict access to any and all pornographic sites.
While the ruling may be appealed, Egyptian lawmakers note it would put them in a bad situation, as overturning the ruling at this point would send the message that Egypt condones, or even supports, pornography.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
The court ruling said, "Freedoms of expression and public rights should be restricted by maintaining the fundamentals of religion, morality, and patriotism." The court has instructed the government to restrict access to any and all pornographic sites.
While the ruling may be appealed, Egyptian lawmakers note it would put them in a bad situation, as overturning the ruling at this point would send the message that Egypt condones, or even supports, pornography.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Promo Items
Too often, webmasters and other digital business owners and managers forget just how helpful an offline campaign can be. I have spoken before on how effective customized utilitarian items can be, particularly if the item(s) is something directly related to your business.
While pens, pins, bumper stickers, and similar products are one way to go, they are a bit hokey and literally scream "ADVERTISEMENT!" Many people will overlook them. However, there are other utilitarian items which could promote your business effectively and to your target market. Backpacks, ecologically-friendly tote bags, even promotional water bottles can be used to advertise your business effectively and to the right demographic.
Follow the link provided to learn more about Quality Logo Products and what they have to offer you.
While pens, pins, bumper stickers, and similar products are one way to go, they are a bit hokey and literally scream "ADVERTISEMENT!" Many people will overlook them. However, there are other utilitarian items which could promote your business effectively and to your target market. Backpacks, ecologically-friendly tote bags, even promotional water bottles can be used to advertise your business effectively and to the right demographic.
Follow the link provided to learn more about Quality Logo Products and what they have to offer you.
File-Sharing Leads to Call for Net Policing
The guilty verdict in the Pirate Bay proceedings has emboldened many governments to call for more policing of the Web and users' activities online.
Today, a controversial bill in France passed by a vote of 296 to 233. The Creation and Internet Bill is a "three-strikes" policy which will disconnect users caught downloading or sharing copyrighted material three times. The first time, a user receives a threatening e-mail; the second, a letter is mailed to him; on the third time, the user is banned from Internet access for one year. While backed by the global film and music industries, the Bill still has to pass another legislative body to go into action. Governments around the world are watching to see this precedent in action and will likely base their own laws on it.
UK authorities targeted ISPs (Internet Service Providers) instead, tentatively announcing plans to force providers to track their users' activities online. Some nine creative bodies and five trade unions have signed a petition, asking the government to disconnect repeat offenders, which may require the ISPs to reveal the true names and personal information of users. Officials called upon ISPs to be more active last year, threatening possible legal sanctions if they did not clamp-down on illegal file-sharers. UK officials set a goal to cut illegal file-sharing 70-80% over the next 2-3 years.
ISPs rebuked the notion, releasing a statement through Ispa (an organization which represents ISPs throughout the UK) saying the current technology is not sophisticated enough to provide truly accurate results and would likely be inadmissable in court. it called disconnection a "disproportionate response" which should require a court ruling to enforce.
The current method - sending threatening letters to users via snail-mail - proves how dangerous and truly useless such policing attempts are at this stage in the game. Many netizens and casual users received letters when they had never downloaded any content, whatsoever; hijackers and hackers sometimes crack others' accounts to carry out their deeds.
Currently, ISPs are merely conduits for delivery. Ispa told the creative industries individual ISPs would be more willing to police users and carry-out legalities against them if said content providers paid them for doing so. If this model is adopted, it would recognize the Internet as the delivery system and ISPs would be duly compensated as distributors. This would actually be great for end-users, as we would be able to call upon ISPs to reduce their outrageous rates.
Further, Ispa has repeatedly requested the creative and entertainment industries to update their business models when dealing with the Web. With more licensing options for users, it would ease piracy all the way around and benefit the industries, the ISPs, and we netizens. Some creative bodies' spokespersons agree, noting they have to change the current business model.
Officials believe more than 50% of all online traffic in the UK involves illegal content. The recent enactment of an anti-piracy law in Sweden cut Internet traffic into 1/3 its normal rate.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Today, a controversial bill in France passed by a vote of 296 to 233. The Creation and Internet Bill is a "three-strikes" policy which will disconnect users caught downloading or sharing copyrighted material three times. The first time, a user receives a threatening e-mail; the second, a letter is mailed to him; on the third time, the user is banned from Internet access for one year. While backed by the global film and music industries, the Bill still has to pass another legislative body to go into action. Governments around the world are watching to see this precedent in action and will likely base their own laws on it.
UK authorities targeted ISPs (Internet Service Providers) instead, tentatively announcing plans to force providers to track their users' activities online. Some nine creative bodies and five trade unions have signed a petition, asking the government to disconnect repeat offenders, which may require the ISPs to reveal the true names and personal information of users. Officials called upon ISPs to be more active last year, threatening possible legal sanctions if they did not clamp-down on illegal file-sharers. UK officials set a goal to cut illegal file-sharing 70-80% over the next 2-3 years.
ISPs rebuked the notion, releasing a statement through Ispa (an organization which represents ISPs throughout the UK) saying the current technology is not sophisticated enough to provide truly accurate results and would likely be inadmissable in court. it called disconnection a "disproportionate response" which should require a court ruling to enforce.
The current method - sending threatening letters to users via snail-mail - proves how dangerous and truly useless such policing attempts are at this stage in the game. Many netizens and casual users received letters when they had never downloaded any content, whatsoever; hijackers and hackers sometimes crack others' accounts to carry out their deeds.
Currently, ISPs are merely conduits for delivery. Ispa told the creative industries individual ISPs would be more willing to police users and carry-out legalities against them if said content providers paid them for doing so. If this model is adopted, it would recognize the Internet as the delivery system and ISPs would be duly compensated as distributors. This would actually be great for end-users, as we would be able to call upon ISPs to reduce their outrageous rates.
Further, Ispa has repeatedly requested the creative and entertainment industries to update their business models when dealing with the Web. With more licensing options for users, it would ease piracy all the way around and benefit the industries, the ISPs, and we netizens. Some creative bodies' spokespersons agree, noting they have to change the current business model.
Officials believe more than 50% of all online traffic in the UK involves illegal content. The recent enactment of an anti-piracy law in Sweden cut Internet traffic into 1/3 its normal rate.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Age Verification
You may have noticed The Weirding has an age restriction in the TOS. I installed this on the old site many years ago because I was worried about minors accessing something they probably should not. It explains that, while this is not a pornographic site and contains no pornographic materials, it does contain adult language, themes, and other material to which parents might object, and minors probably shouldn't access. Now, this was included back in/around 1999-2000 and has been there since, and the reason I developed it to begin with was due to issues many had with age verification and minors accessing improper content; the age verification issue is not a new one.
Now, after 10+ years, lawmakers in the UK are considering a bill which would force sites which sell certain products meant only for adults to go further with their age verification checks.
A 16-year old was given pre-paid credit cards, which included his real birthday and address, and directed to go online to see how hard it was to purchase AO (Adults Only) goods, including knives, cigarettes, and adult DVDs and video games (among other things). The lad had little to no problems procuring whatever he wished. In fact, while he was able to buy whatever he wanted from all of the sites visited, only three even bothered to ask him to verify his age. On these, he simply lied.
A coalition of children's charities strongly support the bill and say a precedent has already been set with gambling sites.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Now, after 10+ years, lawmakers in the UK are considering a bill which would force sites which sell certain products meant only for adults to go further with their age verification checks.
A 16-year old was given pre-paid credit cards, which included his real birthday and address, and directed to go online to see how hard it was to purchase AO (Adults Only) goods, including knives, cigarettes, and adult DVDs and video games (among other things). The lad had little to no problems procuring whatever he wished. In fact, while he was able to buy whatever he wanted from all of the sites visited, only three even bothered to ask him to verify his age. On these, he simply lied.
A coalition of children's charities strongly support the bill and say a precedent has already been set with gambling sites.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
Cyberculture's Role in Drew Peterson's Arrest
As I continue to delve into this subject, it continues to evolve. I have spoken of the scope of The Cyberculturalist many times and will continue to do so as I go on, but the arrest of Drew Peterson kind of straddles the entire culture - all of society and, particularly, pop-culture and the media, in general. But the key to understanding what comprises the Cyberculture is remembering that the Web is both a medium and a media - both the delivery (the Internet) and the content (the Web - generally HTML, Java, and so forth). The developments in the Drew Peterson case help illustrate this and illuminate what the Cyberculture is.
Shortly before the announcement of Peterson's arrest in connection with the murder of his third wife, Yahoo! had a story regarding Peterson, HBO, and the Moonlight Bunny Ranch. HBO has a documentary series centering on the legal Nevada brothel (Cathouse) and the pimp who runs it openly admits he has been in contact with alleged multiple murderer, Drew Peterson; apparently, he contacted Peterson and offered him a job in some capacity. Because, let's face it: hos should be scared of a pimp what kills bitches. Am I right? Whatever the reason, whatever the impetus, HBO said in no uncertain terms that Peterson would not be appearing on the show; a producer said Cathouse would be canceled before Drew Peterson appears on it.
The pimp who runs the bitches at Moonlight Bunny Ranch said he didn't care that Peterson could not appear on the show, he was still talking to him about a job. Peterson's lawyer said the former cop and alleged woman-killer was interested in whatever position was offered.
It was very shortly after this story appeared (AP) that Peterson was arrested in connection to the murder of his third wife, who was found dead in her bathtub. Originally, the death was ruled accidental, based almost solely on the testimony of fellow cops; it was only after the highly-publicized "disappearance" of his fourth wife that the body was exhumed and the cause of death changed to homicide.
Now, the Associated Press ran the story about the Moonlight Bunny Ranch, and AP is traditionally associated with print. However, we all know that print is dead. The fact is that the HBO-related story would not have run in the dailies, except maybe in large markets with late editions; it would not have appeared until tomorrow. This means the story hit online... and that's it.
Did the story prompt the police to pick Peterson up? Well, there's no real way to tell. I suppose I could try to contact someone involved with the case, but I'm quite certain they have their hands full with media right this minute and I'm not sure how well the question would be received (largely because I doubt they would grasp the purpose and might think I was just being cheeky). Maybe someone will reference it somewhere along the way and I'll be watching to see if they do.
Still, Drew Peterson is a heartless motherfucker. Whether or not he killed one or three or four wives, he has never shown the slightest bit of concern for their collective demise. In fact, Nightline just ran a clip of him telling a reporter he had no problems seeing the house in which his third wife died because "life goes on." I have a pretty good feeling this story was not well-received by anyone involved in any of the many cases of wife murders which mysteriously surround Drew Peterson; I have some idea that this story was the straw what broke the camel's back when it comes to just how snide and uncaring the people in charge of this case - as representatives of society, in general - were willing to let this piece of human offal be.
I mean come on: the guy's the number one suspect in the murder/disappearance of at least two of his wives and he's looking to go into pimping!? I'm pretty sure that was the point at which those involved in the whole thing said, "Enough."
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Shortly before the announcement of Peterson's arrest in connection with the murder of his third wife, Yahoo! had a story regarding Peterson, HBO, and the Moonlight Bunny Ranch. HBO has a documentary series centering on the legal Nevada brothel (Cathouse) and the pimp who runs it openly admits he has been in contact with alleged multiple murderer, Drew Peterson; apparently, he contacted Peterson and offered him a job in some capacity. Because, let's face it: hos should be scared of a pimp what kills bitches. Am I right? Whatever the reason, whatever the impetus, HBO said in no uncertain terms that Peterson would not be appearing on the show; a producer said Cathouse would be canceled before Drew Peterson appears on it.
The pimp who runs the bitches at Moonlight Bunny Ranch said he didn't care that Peterson could not appear on the show, he was still talking to him about a job. Peterson's lawyer said the former cop and alleged woman-killer was interested in whatever position was offered.
It was very shortly after this story appeared (AP) that Peterson was arrested in connection to the murder of his third wife, who was found dead in her bathtub. Originally, the death was ruled accidental, based almost solely on the testimony of fellow cops; it was only after the highly-publicized "disappearance" of his fourth wife that the body was exhumed and the cause of death changed to homicide.
Now, the Associated Press ran the story about the Moonlight Bunny Ranch, and AP is traditionally associated with print. However, we all know that print is dead. The fact is that the HBO-related story would not have run in the dailies, except maybe in large markets with late editions; it would not have appeared until tomorrow. This means the story hit online... and that's it.
Did the story prompt the police to pick Peterson up? Well, there's no real way to tell. I suppose I could try to contact someone involved with the case, but I'm quite certain they have their hands full with media right this minute and I'm not sure how well the question would be received (largely because I doubt they would grasp the purpose and might think I was just being cheeky). Maybe someone will reference it somewhere along the way and I'll be watching to see if they do.
Still, Drew Peterson is a heartless motherfucker. Whether or not he killed one or three or four wives, he has never shown the slightest bit of concern for their collective demise. In fact, Nightline just ran a clip of him telling a reporter he had no problems seeing the house in which his third wife died because "life goes on." I have a pretty good feeling this story was not well-received by anyone involved in any of the many cases of wife murders which mysteriously surround Drew Peterson; I have some idea that this story was the straw what broke the camel's back when it comes to just how snide and uncaring the people in charge of this case - as representatives of society, in general - were willing to let this piece of human offal be.
I mean come on: the guy's the number one suspect in the murder/disappearance of at least two of his wives and he's looking to go into pimping!? I'm pretty sure that was the point at which those involved in the whole thing said, "Enough."
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
So What is Apidexin?
You may have heard of it - it is one of the many diet supplements making the rounds as late. There are many of them and almost all of them claim to be the best, work the best, produce the greatest effects, and work for everyone. But we all know there's a lot of hype involved in all of that and sadly, it is often left to the consumer to determine which is what.
But there are now plenty of websites and authorities - consumer reports, reviews, and references - concerning these supplements and almost all of them include Apidexin. Of course, your health is far more important than anything else, so this is not a subject in which you want to skimp on the research! Check out the link provided to learn more and get involved - add your experiences and reviews to the growing community of consumer sites related to these products and help your fellow dieters better choose!
But there are now plenty of websites and authorities - consumer reports, reviews, and references - concerning these supplements and almost all of them include Apidexin. Of course, your health is far more important than anything else, so this is not a subject in which you want to skimp on the research! Check out the link provided to learn more and get involved - add your experiences and reviews to the growing community of consumer sites related to these products and help your fellow dieters better choose!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Moving, Moving... Still Moving
I should be in the new place (with electricity, I hope) today. However it may be as late as Wednesday before I get connected and will be online. There is a lot going on in the Cyberculture, and we'll try to cover it ASAP. However, there is a whole lot going on IRL, so the rest will have to wait.
Don't get the Swine Flu!
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Don't get the Swine Flu!
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
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