There’s a common perception about conversation on the web that at some point regardless of how well the conversation may have started off will devolve into seeing who can hit Godwin’s Law of The USENET; which was arrived at by Mike Godwin and states:

As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1.

After spending much of the past 20+ years involved with computers and the online world I have seen that law live up to its proposition so it is no surprise to me to see how some would think that the future of the Internet will be the realm of jerks and bullies.

Of course I have also heard that kind of statement pretty well every couple of years during my time online so I’m not sure exactly how much validity there is in the supposition being made with the following infographic that asks if “Are Jerks The Future of the Internet?”

As usual though I just present the message and let you come to your own conclusions which of course you can always share with us in the comments.

via Geeks are Sexy

The future of the Internet – it’s all jerks and bullies [Infographic] is a post from: The Inquisitr

It never fails that with every new technological breakthrough Hollywood howls to the moon about how this new technology is another attack against the industry and will destroy it.

Of course we all know that the exact opposite is the case but that doesn’t stop the movie industry and its trade groups like the MPAA from doing whatever they can to hold back technology and change; but all the while the industry as a whole has been recording increased profits.

To give you an idea of some of the sillier we’re at deaths door proclamations made by the industry here’s a couple from the accompanying infographic.

Studios forced to sell theaters under anti-trust laws

Studios claim free TV can’t compete with paid content

and of course the good ol’ Studios claim online piracy will put them out of business.

Here’s the full history of ridiculous claims of destruction faced by the movie industry in a handy dandy infographic from Steve Blank.

via Techdirt

Hollywood and getting it wrong about technology again and again [Infographic] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Israel is working on a high speed broadband network that will bring faster speeds and better access to the country and various business sectors. While many of us enjoy very fast Internet (30mbps myself) here in the United States and Europe to name a few, other people are still stuck with rather primitive technology.

A state-owned electric company is the one behind it and wanting to roll out faster speeds to everyone. With much faster speeds, more people can experience the Internet for what it is and more businesses such as hospitals and entertainment, can greatly benefit from it.

Via Yahoo! News:

“Experts say the fiber-optic lines can provide connections of 10 to 100 times current speeds, transforming the way the Internet is used in such areas as entertainment, business and health care.”

“All the developing countries that have a vision for 10 years ahead, or 20 years ahead, understand that the name of the game will be communications, broadband communications, very fast communications,” said Tzvi Harpak, the electric company’s senior vice president for logistics.

“The technology is known as “fiber to the home,” or FTTH. Using fiber optic lines, it can provide connection speeds of 100 megabits to a blazing 1 gigabit per second. Today, the typical broadband user in the developed world connects at five to 10 megabits using older cable and DSL connections.”

That’s quite the speed improvement and will be even faster than what most of us have. The company plans to roll out this new network in Israel over the coming months. Costs of this kind of network are expensive, but the benefits are great.

What would you do with a blazing fast Internet connection of over 100mbps?

Israel Working On Next Generation High Speed Network is a post from: The Inquisitr

Numbers can be a little mind-numbing some times, especially when it comes to anything to do with technology and the Internet. Facebook with its 800 million users, or pretty close to it, Twitter with its 225 million active users and that folks, is just scratching the surface.

So, just how many of us are there on the Internet anyway you ask.

Well according web traffic monitoring company Pingdom there were 2.1 billion active Internet users for the year 2011. This is up from the 360 million that were accounted for at the end of 2000 and it also means that 30 percent of the Earth’s population is active on the web.

Even though  social media is a relatively new phenomena it has some pretty impressive numbers to go along with its youth. According to Pingdo:

• 800+ million – Number of users on Facebook by the end of 2011.
• 200 million – Number of users added to Facebook during 2011.
• 350 million – Number of Facebook users that log in to the service using their mobile phone.
• 225 million – Number of Twitter accounts.
• 100 million – Number of active Twitter users in 2011.
• 18.1 million – People following Lady Gaga. Twitter’s most popular user.
• 250 million – Number of tweets per day (October 2011).
• 1 – #egypt was the number one hashtag on Twitter.
• 8,868 – Number of tweets per second in August for the MTV Video Music Awards.
• $50,000 – The amount raised for charity by the most retweeted tweet of 2011.
• 39 million – The number of Tumblr blogs by the end of 2011.
• 70 million – Total number of WordPress blogs by the end of 2011.
• 1 billion – The number of messages sent with WhatsApp during one day (October 2011).
• 2.6 billion – Worldwide IM accounts.
• 2.4 billion – Social networking accounts worldwide.

Of course you can`t compile any web numbers without looking at the impact that video has had on the Web:

• 1 trillion – The number of video playbacks on YouTube.
• 140 – The number of YouTube video playbacks per person on Earth.
• 48 hours – The amount of video uploaded to YouTube every minute.
• 1 – The most viewed video on YouTube during 2011 was Rebecka Black’s “Friday.”
• 82.5% – Percentage of the U.S. Internet audience that viewed video online.
• 76.4% – YouTube’s share of the U.S. video website market (December 2011).
• 4,189,214 –Number of new users on Vimeo.
• 201.4 billion – Number of videos viewed online per month (October 2011).
• 88.3 billion – Videos viewed per month on Google sites, incl. YouTube (October 2011).
  
• 43% – Share of all worldwide video views delivered by Google sites, incl. YouTube.

One has to wonder in light of the incredible growth of mobile what kind of numbers we will see next year.

via Windows Observer

Pingdom reports in to let us know there are 2.1 Billion active Web users worldwide is a post from: The Inquisitr

The World’s largest country based on population at well over one Billion people, also has the largest amount of people who access the web. New data came out that showed in 2011, 513 Million people accessed the Internet in some form.

While the Internet isn’t anything new to most of us, there’s still people from other countries who have never experienced it or are fairly new to experiencing it. Keep in mind there’s still various parts of China that are underdeveloped and rural.

Via Los Angeles Times:

“The number of Web users in China soared past 500 million last year, a tech-industry group said Monday, capping a period of explosive growth that has elevated Chinese Internet companies and challenged social and political discourse in the communist-controlled state.”

“The government-run China Internet Network Information Center said Monday that the number of Web users in China grew 12% in December, to 513 million, compared with the same period in 2010.”

What’s interesting to note is that, despite the Internet being controlled in China thanks to the communist government, the number of users of social networks or micro-blogging platforms quadrupled in the past year. Of course, larger sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube are blocked so there are other sites similar in nature that offer a workaround.

“Micro-blogs were instrumental last year in exposing government mishandling of a deadly high-speed rail collision in the eastern city of Wenzhou, protests concerning a chemical plant in the northern city of Dalian and corruption in the southern village of Wukan.”

“Today we can say without hesitation that an independent and richly participatory civil society is emerging on China’s Internet,” wrote Hu Yong, a journalist and commentator in a recent article translated by the China Media Project at the University of Hong Kong.”

Over Half A Billion People Access The Web In China is a post from: The Inquisitr

A staffer at the New York Times had an “oops” moment on Wednesday when they accidentally sent an email to 9 million New York Times readers instead of the few hundred the email was meant for.

At first the New York Times called the emails accidental “spam” but later said the message was only meant to go out to a few hundred people who had recently chosen to cancel its home delivery service. Instead the email was sent to anyone who had ever provided an email to the New York Times for any reason.

Almost immediately after the New York Times made its announcement fears began to surface that the “spam” came after recipients’ security was breached by a hacker, allowing them to steal user information.

The security breach concern was valid as the company’s email provider Epsilon had been hacked earlier in the year, a fact that led many industry analysts to suspect that the new spam messages were part of a phishing scheme.

A spokeswomen for the paper quickly revealed:

“We regret that the error was made, but no one’s security has been compromised.”

The New York Times has apologized and promises that no information provided to the company was used erroneously.

Here’s a copy of the exact message that was sent out to readers:

From: The New York Times
To:
Subject: Important information regarding your subscription
Date: Dec 28, 2011 12:03 PM

Dear Home Delivery Subscriber,

Our records indicate that you recently requested to cancel your home delivery subscription. Please keep in mind when your delivery service ends, you will no longer have unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps.

We do hope you’ll reconsider.

As a valued Times reader we invite you to continue your current subscription at an exclusive rate of 50% off for 16 weeks. This is a limited-time offer and will no longer be valid once your current subscription ends.*

Continue your subscription and you’ll keep your free, unlimited digital access, a benefit available only for our home delivery subscribers. You’ll receive unlimited access to NYTimes.com on any device, full access to our smartphone and iPad® apps, plus you can now share your unlimited access with a family member.†

To continue your subscription call 1-877-698-0025 and mention code 38H9H (Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. E.D.T.).

Did you receive an email from the New York Times?

New York Times Accidentally Emails 9 Million People, Promises It Isn’t Spam is a post from: The Inquisitr

Mom, please put the phone down and come to dinner!

Not the words you would expect to hear in this day and age, but according to ABC News the phone sex industry is flourishing with the help of at-home mothers.  ABC got its numbers form an organization called ratracerebellion.com, who are dedicated to finding mothers at home work.  According to them the phone sex industry has seen a 400% increase from at-home mothers.

The oldest profession goes High-tech! well not so high-tech.  With the explosion of the internet over the last 20 years, most at home sex workers have turned to video conferencing as their preferred way of making a buck.  The phone sex industry truly reached it peak in the 80′s and 90′s, back when 900 numbers were everywhere, but even though most phone companies give you the option of blocking calls to 900 numbers, anyone with a credit card and desire can still find an over the phone romp.

Chris Durst, CEO of Ratracerebellion.com, told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that many moms who reach out to her for help procuring phone sex work are embarrassed that they have to do it, but that necessity overrides personal feelings towards the industry.

The phone sex industry is still a huge industry with over $1 Billion dollars annually spent on the phone.  They say it is more of a niche market now, for those not wishing to be seen over a computer line or in person, but the money is still there.  Mothers are reporting income of between $10- $50 dollar per hour as a phone sex operator, with certain nights averaging much more than that.

Where are the fathers in all of this?  You would be shocked to know most (albeit a bit begrudgingly) are supportive, realizing that if all that stands between them and paying their bills or their mortgages is a dirty phone call, there is a lot worse things that can be done.

One of the husbands interviewed by ABC News had this to say about his wife’s new profession “That she has the ability to bring in a little extra each month and sometimes a lot extra each month and be able to not have to worry about how and where we’re going to get food or if the electric bills are going to be shut off, that’s a big deal … That overrides any sort of other worries I might have.”

Would you be ok with your wife being a phone sex operator?

At-Home Sex Workers: Mothers Turning to Phone Sex for Cash is a post from: The Inquisitr

The U.S. Federal Government has seized 150 domains belonging to online counterfeit sellers in the United States.

Domain names seized by the government included websites that were known to sell pirated and counterfeit items that included DVDs, golf equipment, professional sports jerseys and other items of value.

Speaking to NPR one official revealed:

“For most, the holidays represent a season of good will and giving, but for these criminals, it’s the season to lure in unsuspecting holiday shoppers.”

While some shoppers may realize that their purchasing fake good online the Federal official notes that may people may not realizing that they are in fact purchasing counterfeit goods.

The crack down on the websites comes at a time when the government is attempting to lower the unemployment rate, by eliminate cheap foreign knock offs of major brands the Feds hope to keep jobs in America.

Counterfeit goods are also known to damage a brands reputation by devaluing a brands products through cheap knockoffs that oftentimes do not last as long as their better made counterparts.

Officials also worry that counterfeit goods were going to help organized crime rings by providing capital to fund their operations.

Website owners who have had their properties seized have 60 days to challenge the governments takeover however officials state that in almost every case the seized domains become the permanent property of the U.S. Government due to their illegal activities.

Have you ever purchased a product online only to discover that what you ordered was a cheap knock off?

Federal Government Seizes 150 Websites That Deal In Counterfeit Goods is a post from: The Inquisitr

Human beings lie. It is almost second nature that at some point during the day we will lie. White lie or otherwise it doesn’t matter we all lie but interestingly enough when it comes to our online lives the majority of lies happen in emails.

This is the findings of a new study that was conducted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst title humorously enough “Liar, Liar, Hard Drive on Fire: How Media Context Affects Lying Behavior”.

The study looked at 110 same-sex pairs of college students and their conversations that were held either face-to-face, using email, or instant messaging and analyzed their interactions for inaccuracies.

What they found was  that while you could find some sort of deception across all three mediums lying was present more in instant messaging and emails; with emails coming out ahead with the number of lies told. This boiled down to the confirmation that lying was much more common, and easier, with both how far away the respondents were from each other and in the case of email the asynchronous nature of the communication.

“Ultimately, the findings show how easy it is to lie when online, and that we are more likely to be the recipient of deceptive statements in online communication than when interacting with others face-to-face,” says Feldman.

“In exploring the practical implications of this research, the results indicate that the Internet allows people to feel more free, psychologically speaking, to use deception, at least when meeting new people,” Feldman and Zimbler say. “Given the public attention to incidents of Internet predation, this research suggests that the deindividualization created by communicating from behind a computer screen may facilitate the process of portraying a disingenuous self.”

via PhysOrg

Lying online? Most of it happens in emails. is a post from: The Inquisitr

Not listed: keep opening Chrome windows before you realize the internet is in fact, still down.

[Pleated Jeans]

Things to Do When the Internet is Down is a post from: The Inquisitr

Poor Mitt Romney even algorithmic computer programs are saying he can’t win the U.S. Presidency or for that matter even the GOP primary. In an amusing “Did you mean” search result from Google on Friday users who type in “Romney Can Win”  are asked by Google “Did you mean: Romney Can’t Win.”

Before skeptics try to claim that the search results (shown in the screen capture above) were fudged by typing in “Romney Can’t Win” first and then typing in the correct sentence that isn’t the case. Google often provides the opposite of a search and provides top searched query suggestions for searches, it just turns out that this time the search giant’s results are a bit anti-Mitt Romney.

Funny enough it’s only Mitt Romney receiving the “Did you mean” treatment is such a funny way.

This scenario harks back to the days of the Google “White People Stole My Car” fiasco with far less racist connotations.

Have you run into any other funny “Did you mean” Google search results lately? Feel free to share them in our comments section.

Google Search Result: Mitt Romney Can’t Win is a post from: The Inquisitr

Filing patents, and their subsequent granting without any serious investigation, is a daily occurrence it seems in the tech world. Everyone does it and even in case where prior art or even common sense would dictate otherwise companies amass war chests of patents that seem to be more about crushing innovation instead of fostering it.

So it isn’t surprising that the reaction to Apple filing a patent for “In Application Purchasing” has not been  “if it will be used” against competitors, like Google and Microsoft, but rather “when it will be used”.

Apple first filed the patent in April 2010, almost a full year after the technology was first introduced, but the patent just showed up in the US Patent Office (USPTO) on October 9, 2011. Now the interesting thing here is that Lodsys LLC, a private patent (troll) holding company already holds a similar patent, although it is considered to be wider in scope to Apple’s filing.

This hasn’t stopped Apple from licencing the “customer-based product design module” patent from Lodsys which has caused a bit of confusion as to how Apple can file their patent in the first place if there is any resemblance to the one from Lodsys.

Now there has been no word that Apple will go on the offensive if they are granted the patent as outlined in the filing but given that in-app purchases are becoming the backbone on mobile monetization Apple may at some point figure out that by suing competitors for similar processes they can keep their lead.

via Redmond Pie

Apple’s “In Application Purchasing” patent filing creates a mobile timebomb is a post from: The Inquisitr

At the end of the day, it’s basically you electric service that trumps all others.

Technology Needs, Ranked is a post from: The Inquisitr

Strong online advertising growth has continued into the first half of 2011, rising 23.2 percent to $14.9 billion.

Figures released by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC US) showed that the growth more than doubled year-over-year. Last year’s first half ad revenues of $12.1 billion represented an 11.3 percent increase as against 2009.

This year’s second quarter alone broke the record as it increased by 24.1 percent to $7.7 billion as compared to last year’s $6.2 billion.

Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of IAB, explained the confidence of marketers despite the weak economy:

“The remarkably resilient performance of interactive advertising so far in 2011 demonstrates that more marketers are placing big bets on digital to tell their brand stories. This welcome news, in light of the weakness in a large part of the rest of the U.S. economy, confirms that the innovations happening in interactive marketing deliver great value to the industry and to the consumer.”

Banner ads, rich media, digital video and sponsorships (classified as display advertising) totaled more than $5.5 billion during the first two quarters of the year, representing a 27.1 percent increase over the same period last year. Digital video during the first half of this year grew by double digit, up 42.1 percent over a year ago as it close near the $1 billion mark with $891 million.

Display advertising accounted for 37 percent of all advertising expenditures for the first half of 2011. Search remained the leading online category at 49 percent. Both display and search grew by about 27 percent as compared to last year’s 11.6 percent.

So what is really happening? We have an economy that is faltering on one side and strong online advertising growth on the other end.

Internet Ad Revenues at $14.9 Billion in First Half 2011, Up by 23% is a post from: The Inquisitr

A study conducted by About.com and Latitude revealed that users searching on the Internet displays any of these three distinct human behavior: “Answer Me”, “Educate Me” and “Inspire Me.”

In giving importance to the study, Tracy Raiser, senior vice president for sales at About.com, said:

“These findings offer advertisers and marketers a better understanding and valuable insight into the way consumers search online. The Three Mindsets of Search study aims to improve the understanding of how consumers search. It’s a real opportunity for marketers to think about campaigns in a whole new light.”

By understanding these three search types, marketers can better connect with people in all three mindsets. Marketers can capitalize on an Answer Me (46%) moment by featuring product benefits front and center, in addition to aligning content that presents quick, easy-to-find answers. For the Educate Me (26%) search mindset, it is essential to create messaging that is informative, in addition to providing a way to learn more about the topic from multiple angles and aligning with content that presents in-depth information and resources. For the Inspire Me (28%) mindset, marketers should align with content that inspires creativity and offers endless choices. Too many ideas are never enough – people consume inspirational content in multiple formats on the same topic as long as it excites their imagination.

In addition to the identified three mindsets, respondents to the study also revealed that when it comes to advertising:

64% agreed that ads helped them find great options, deals or discounts;
77% agreed that ads can be useful when they are very relevant to their search;
88% felt the best ads are the ones that work with the information source to help you get what you need; and
86% noticed and enjoy when brands stop trying to sell you something and focus on teaching you something

How about you? What mindset do you have when searching on the Internet?

What’s on Your Mind When You Search on the Internet? is a post from: The Inquisitr

We all know the dark side of the Internet, one of which is using it to facilitate human trafficking. It is good to know also that it can be harnessed to monitor and combat this same form of modern-day slavery.

The finding is result of a year-long investigation by the Center on Communication Leadersip & Policy (CCLP) at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. The report, Human Trafficking Online: The Role of Social Networking Sites and Online Classifieds, focuses on how technology and online tools can be used to prevent trafficking, protect victims and prosecute perpetrators.

Just as the Internet has given traffickers easier means of exploiting their victims, online technologies also offer new ways to combat human trafficking, according to the report. For example, online communications from or to traffickers leave behind traces in cyberspace. This information provides important glimpses into criminal behavior, techniques and patterns. And if anti-trafficking investigators can assemble enough of it, they can take specific actions to help victims and prosecute traffickers.

A common starting point for investigators is combing through photos and online advertisements searching for potential victims of sex trafficking, particularly girls who seem younger than their advertised ages, the report reveals.

CCLP research director Mark Latonero, PhD added what law enforcement can do:

“Data mining, mapping and advanced analytics can be developed to support law enforcement and other organizations in fighting human trafficking. The report also describes how mobile phone applications, crowdsourcing and other new technologies might be used to help victims.”

Human Trafficking Online is available at humantraffickingonline.org or by sending an email to commlead@usc.edu.

It is high time that we fight the misconception that the Internet has nothing but its dark sides by using the technology itself to proactively fight human trafficking.

The Internet as Weapon Against Human Trafficking is a post from: The Inquisitr

Via Pleated Jeans, a chart that explains the time that rapidly evaporates as soon as you launch your Chrome browser.

[Chart] Maslow’s Hierarchy of Internet Needs is a post from: The Inquisitr

Two-thirds of American parents are worried about their children’s safety when using the Internet. So, despite the widespread acceptance of the Internet as source of information, e-commerce, social networking and more, it remains a source of worry for parents as well.

In a nationwide survey conducted by legal information website FindLaw.com, it was revealed that 67 percent of 627 parents are extremely worried (10%), very worried (18%) or somewhat worried (39%) about their children’s safety online. About 20% said that they are not very worried while 14% are not worried at all. The study was done with a small sampling but FindLaw.com said that it was demographically representative.

Most parents are taking steps to restrict their children’s use of the Internet. Steps taken vary, including: monitoring which sites they visit (35%); using site-blocking software (21%); restricting their access to computers (19%); restricting the use of social networks (18%); reading their emails or social posts (17%); and not allowing any Internet use (8%).

Stephanie Rahlfs, an attorney and editor with FindLaw.com, said:

“Our survey shows [that] the vast majority of parents (74 percent) are taking at least some steps to try and protect their children from what they feel are potentially dangerous or unwanted aspects of the Internet. While the Internet can be a very useful tool for adults and children alike, there are many areas that can concern parents, from age-inappropriate content to cyberbullying to Internet predators and more. However, there are many options available for parents to monitor activities and limit access to certain parts of the Internet.”

We do not disagree with the findings but we may frown on some of the restrictions employed. In this day and age though, kids should be worried as well with how their parents are using the Internet.

Two-Thirds of American Parents Worried About Their Children’s Safety Online is a post from: The Inquisitr

It’s apparently simple physics, as pointed out by one sciency redditor who knows how those things work.

Passage of Time at Your Computer Relative to Activity is a post from: The Inquisitr

It never, ever, fails.

It happened with television, it happened with video games, and now it’s social networks.

Yes, says a survey from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (pdf), using social network sites makes teenagers more likely to use age-restricted and illegal drugs.

In the preamble to the results the authors write that on any typical day 70 percent of 12-to-17-year olds spend anywhere from a minute or three to hours on social networking sites whereas 30 percent don’t. It is those 70 percent that parents need to be really concerned about because these sites put the children at an increased risk of smoking, drinking, and drug use.

WTF?!? (right now that sound you are hearing is me banging my head against my desk).

The really scary part about this is that the people behind this study are down right serious, this isn’t any April Fool’s joke.

Please tell me if you can see any of the logic behind crap like this stuff that is right from their report:

Compared to teens who in a typical day do not spend any time on a social networking site, those
who do are:

• Five times likelier to use tobacco (10 percent vs. two percent).
• Three times likelier to use alcohol (26 percent vs. nine percent).
• Twice as likely to use marijuana (13 percent vs. seven percent).

No wonder–with what’s on Facebook and other social networking sites for teens to see:

• Half of the teens who spend any time on social networking sites in a typical day have seen pictures of kids drunk, passed out, or using drugs on these sites.
• Even 14 percent of those teens who spend no time on social networking sites in a typical day have seen pictures of kids drunk, passed out, or using drugs on these sites.

Compared to teens who have not seen such pictures, teens who have seen pictures of kids drunk, passed out, or using drugs on Facebook or other social networking sites are:

• Three times likelier to use alcohol.
• Four times likelier to use marijuana.
• More than twice as likely to think they’ll try drugs in the future.
• Four times likelier to be able to get marijuana, almost three times likelier to be able to get controlled prescription drugs without a prescription and more than twice as likely to be able to get alcohol in a day or less.
• Much likelier to have friends and classmates who use illegal drugs and abuse controlled prescription drugs.

Especially troubling–and alarming–are that almost half of the teens who have seen pictures of kids drunk, passed out, or using drugs on Facebook and other social networking sites first saw such pictures when they were 13 years of age or younger; more than 90 percent first saw such pictures when they were 15 or younger. These facts alone should strike Facebook fear into the hearts of parents of young children.

Talk about Dr. Phil material.

I’m sorry but anyone with half a brain should be able to see this for the garbage that it is; but I feel sorry for the kids who’s parents will see this as some headline on a website or in the mainstream press and get all up in arms and start spouting the typical “but think of the kids” as they mass mail their Congress person to do something. We all know what happens then – more mass stupidity.

via Geek are Sexy

A moronic survey says social networks will cause teens to do drugs is a post from: The Inquisitr