Facebook faces off with Ontario gov't

The Facebook. Currently 21 million worldwide users are regularly updating their profile on their dedicated page on Facebook. From high school students to company workers, numerous people have set up their Facebook page. Has it been a good influence on people or bad influence? I myself, for example, have gotten rid of the Facebook. Generally it took too much time out of my hands. Even when I had an exam the next day, I was constantly checking on Facebook if anybody updated any of their pages. Also how would people feel if lots of people in the world are checking on your profile to see what you did yesterday, and what you usually eat for dinner? Wouldn't it be a invasion of privacy?

Now the question arrives.
Ontario government employees won't be among the 21 million worldwide users of the popular social networking website Facebook - at least while they are at work. Premier Dalton McGuinty said Thursday he doesn't see how Facebook - an internet phenomenon that allows members to display their profile, photographs, interests and comments to fellow users and reconnect with-long lost acquanitances - adds value to a workplace environment.

This is true. I currently work for University of Massachusetts Office of Information Technologies. Whenever I am on duty, I am told not to go onto the Facebook. I agree that going onto Facebook does not help the workers to work in any way. Sometimes Facebook contains pictures that are obscene for a workplace environment. this is why Facebook should be off-limit to some of the places and times.

When workers tried to log on to their accounts Wednesday, they were greeted with "access denied" messages on their screens in the same way as pornography and gambling sites are blocked on provincial computers. As a follow-up, Chris Kelly is "puzzled" by the government's decision to restrict access to the site.

Several Facebook members have started groups on the site extolling and lamenting its addictive properties, with numerous users claiming to check the site more than 20 times an hour. This shows that we really need to restrict the Facebook off from the work environment.

Mike

Sources:

Facebook faces off with Ontario gov't
PUBLISHED: May 3, 2007
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/05/03/ontario-facebook.html

CHINA SHUTS FAKE OLYMPICS SITE

China shuts fake Olympics site

Chinese police have arrested three men for setting up a fake Olympic Games ticket website, the official xinhua agency has reported. Nowadays websites have been really controversial. Lots of people are trying to steal other people's money and even identities.

This is a great example. In China, three men created a website, which sold fake Olympic Games tickets online. This is just absurd. It's even more frustrating when 10 people have actually tried to buy the tickets through the site operated from south-eastern Fujian province since March. Some people have no idea that those sites might be fake. Innocent and naive people like that are only bringing these people into the web. People have to be aware of these things. They have to know which are real and which are real.

Beijing began taking orders for tickets for next year's Games last Sunday, promising "very affordable" tickets and strong security, with group or block bookings banned. Those men were very sneaky. They thought, by creating a fake ticket selling website, they could get away with the crime. However, they were bound to be caught.

It is said that prices range from 30 yuan ($4.20) for preliminary shooting events up to 5,000 yuan for the opening ceremony on August 8, 2008. Delibery will only begin in June 2008. This shows us that we need to be careful when we are spending and transacting money online. We never know who's at the end of the transaction line. From now on, we ALL need to be careful when dealing with money.

Sources:

CHINA SHUTS FAKE OLYMPICS SITE
PUBLISHED: April 23, 2007
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,21603853%5E15331%5E%5Enbv%5E15306-15319,00.html

TEEN FAKE POLICES YOUTUBE CLIPS

Teen fake polices YouTube clips

Once my Operating Professor told us that half of the internet could be affected by few teenagers with their computers in their basement. He told us that those kids could do so much damage since all they do is coming up with mischievous things to do while they play around with their computers. Some kids are geniuses. For example, some can make viruses that can crash hundreds of computers when infected, and some can even port-block computers so that people won't be able to connect to the internet.

On this post, a teenager pretended to represent the national broadcaster in demanding the removal of hundreds of video clips from the YouTube website. The 15-year-old boy sent YouTube a signed form saying he represented the copyright owner, ABC Television, and that he wanted the footage removed from the website.

It's crazy how one kid can affect so much on multi-billion dollar corporations. How can a kid pretended that he represent the ABC TV, and send a form to YouTube for demand? and he's only a 15-year-old kid. Apologizing was all he done, and he was let free. ABC TV said that it was not yet clear why the boy had decided to impersonate an ABC employee, but it's pretty obvious that he was just doing it for fun-and-games.

The funny thing was that YouTube was actually sending copyright infringement notices to people who have been uploading Chaser clips to YouTube, threatening to shut down their access to YouTube if they persist. YouTube had no idea that the form could have been fake. Advancing technologies nowadays... Is it a good thing? or a bad thing?


Sources:

TEEN FAKE POLICES YOUTUBE CLIPS
PUBLISHED: April 16, 2007
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,21563838%5E27317%5E%5Enbv%5E15306-15319,00.html

MySpace blocks Photobucket videos and slide shows

Social-networking giant MySpace.com on Wednesday blocked Photobucket videos and photo slides shows from being uploaded to its pages. This is a great update from MySpace.com. My only reason of not using MySpace.com was 'cause of the slow load-up time for the pages and videos that pop up constantly every time I load up the pages.

The Facebook.com has been a hit. It generally went for the college social network, and it had so much success getting so many fans into the networking website. One of the main reason why Facebook.com succeeded was that it was very simple and ad-free. There were no user-added photo slide shows on the pages, and especially videos that drag the load-up time of the pages.

Furthermore, MySpace.com will no longer let users post such content from Photobucket in their profiles, blogs or comments section. Even though MySpace.com blocked Photobucket for violating MySpace.com's terms by encouraging users to post advertisements, it was a good move towards getting more users to join the network, I believe. As in the post, the move was said to be something akin to Microsoft blocking third-party applications from Windows. Scores from companies offer software tools, commonly referred to as "widgets," that allow users to post photos, music, video and other contents to Web sites, and many have built their businesses specifically around MySpace.com's 90 million users.

It's true that Photobucket is the largest photo-sharing site on the Web with more than 17 million monthly users, and has recently branched into videos. And the fact that MySpace has blocked Photobucket is a huge news. According to this post, the social-networking site never alerted Photobucket before pulling the plug on slide shows and video.


Sources:

MySpace blocks Photobucket videos and slide shows
PUBLISHED: April 11, 2007
http://news.com.com/2100-1026_3-6175272.html

CD with medical data of 75,000 is found

CD WITH MEDICAL DATA OF 75,000 IS FOUND

A missing CD containing confidential medical and personal information on 75,000 Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield members was recovered Wednesday.

Erin Sommers, a spokeswoman for Magellan Behavioral Services, a managed care company that monitors payments for mental health and substance abuse cases of insurers, said the company received a telephone call Wednesday morning saying that the CD was delivered by mistake to a residence in the Philadelphia area. The CD had been missing since January.

Magellan sent two security employees to identify the CD, interview the people who received it and bring it back. "We have no reason to believe, based on our interviews, that there was any improper access to the evidence," Sommers said.

The recipients were assembling a new audio system when they found the Magellan disc among the packages, she said.

The coding and password protection for the information on the CD, which included the names of patients, their doctors, hospitals, Social Security numbers and medical claims going back to 2003, had been removed by the sender, Health Data Management Solutions, a company working for Magellan, Sommers said.

Health Data Management Solutions is a unit of ActiveHealth Management, a data management company owned by the Aetna insurance company. Health Data and Magellan staff members "had agreed to exchange the data in an unencrypted manner," ActiveHealth spokeswoman Oonagh Holt said.

Law weighed to stop online predators

Law weighed to stop online predators

In past few years, social networking websites have been boomed all over the internet, such as myspace, facebook, xuqa, and etc. And these website has been the online predators' main targets as well. Since lots of young students join these social networking website group, online predators have been lurking around the sites and trying to lure young people. From these online predators, we had to do something to protect our younger brothers, sisters, and kids.

Finally, New Jersey lawmakers are considering a measure to prohibit released sex offenders from using the Internet and to impose new rules for online dating sites. This is definitely a big step towards stopping online predators. I am also against the online dating sites. How can people trust some random person chating online? and meet and date them after?

Released sex offenders caught using the Internet would face up to 18 months in jail and fines of up to $10,000. Sex offenders caught using the Internet to solicit a child would face a mandatory five years in jail. We should absolutely keep the law harsh on the sex offenders online. How can we let our younger brothers, sisters, and kids go online safely with these sex offenders lurking around? We have to set some strict rules and laws to prevent these from happening.

One thing I really like about this new law is that the new measure requires online dating sites to tell New Jersey residents whether they do background checks. All online chatting and social networking sites should have these feature when people first register. The site should check their background information, and register according to that. Internet companies like Yahoo!, AOL, eHarmony and Match.com also are concerned about the online dating rule.

We should move to these direction as soon as possible. We should be able to let our kids go online safely without worrying about anything. When sex offenders are caught, there should be a harsh punishment as well. From these measures, we only can get rid of all the sex offenders on the internet.

Mike


Sources:

Survey: Law weighed to stop online predators
PUBLISHED: March 1, 2007
http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk1JmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3MDg1NjU2JnlyaXJ5N2Y3MTdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5Mg==

Survey: One-third of Net users in U.S. have used wireless connections

It seems like only the wireless industry is expanding nowadays when it comes to the Internet. Lots of companies are working to make everything wireless, even keyboard, mouse, and the Internet. According to this survey, about one-third of Internet users in the U.S. have used a wireless connection to surf the Web or check e-mail, according to a survey released Sunday.

Even at home, I use the wireless internet. Without wires hanging around the room, lots of things are much organized, and I can even move around my laptop to go online, such as in the kitchen, living room, and even in the bathroom. I was expecting this high rate since almost all net-users know how to set up the wireless, and they have been using it in the school, library, and even cafes. The survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project showed that 34 percent of Internet users have gone online through Wi-Fi service or a cell phone network, including 27 percent who have logged on from somewhere other than their home or workplace.

It is said that 19 percent of the Internet users have now a wireless network in their home. Almost every person I know or friends I know have wireless even in their dorms. According to the survey, now, that number has nearly doubled since Jan 2005.

With the fact that now people use more laptops than desktops, expanding wireless connection all over the country was just a matter of time. Also with the cellphones with capabilities to access the Internet have helped a lot on this survey as well.

Mike

Sources:

Survey: One-third of Net users in U.S. have used wireless connections
PUBLISHED: February 26, 2007
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/16785912.htm

Skype petitions FCC for open cellular access

Skype petitioned the Federal Communications Comission earlier this week to force U.S. mobile operators to loosen controls on what kinds of hardware and software can be connected to their networks. It is known as the "Carterfone" rules, which allows consumers to use devices and software of their choice on cell phone networks.

Skype has been the outbreak of what the consumers have been waiting for. For all last year, Skype has been giving all the members free phone calls among U.S. phone lines and other Skype users all over the world. Imagine the life with free phone calls all around the world on the internet. In other words, whoever has the internet connection anywhere in the world can make a phone call with a touch of a button and and a microphone. And now it wants the users who access the Internet via mobile device to be able to use their software and services, too.

This has also helped to spur new innovations, such as the fax machine and Internet modem. In more recent times, the principle has been extended to other communication networks, such as cable modem and DSL. This has also paved way for companies such as Linksys to sell wireless routers. Couple of years ago, Skype has only been a small breakthrough from the people who came up with kazaa, hoping to get the people in the world free phone calls all around the globe. And now, by opening a cellular access, it has helped a lot of other companies also.

Now it seems like the cellphone ages are over. Already consumers with smart phone running Windows Mobile can download the Skype client, even if the operator forbids it. With Skype, people can call other phone lines much cheaper and with much ease.

Mike

Sources:

Skype petitions FCC for open cellular access
PUBLISHED: February 22, 2007
Skype petitions FCC for open cellular access

Korea Deregulates Online Election Campaigning

Regulating Election Campaigns in Cyberspace

The Korean National Election Commission (NEC) announced yesterday that it will revise its election law so that any campaign - related materials about particular candidates can be freely uploaded on the internet both in legal campaign periods and odd times.

Last election in United States, we have had the closest election result in history, and lots of people spoke up on how we should adapt to a new voting system, or come up with the more precise voting way so that more people could get involved in voting. In Florida, there was a flaw in one of the election system, so it brought out much voices in the country. Some people actually suggested in online voting since many people are committed to lots of things online.

People nowadays shop online, pay bills online, and even have their business meeting though online. From the facts, now more than 50 percent of people that own computers at home in United States have internet also. However, about 2 weeks ago, I posted a blog about security technologies on internet. Can we trust online election? and even online election campaigning?

Currently, postings or video clips containing simple ideas about particular candidates or parties are allowed online prior to the campaign period, and those considered to be attempts to influence elections through repeated postings on portal sites could face punishment. However, my question is this? Can they really regulate those attempts influence elections through repeated postings on portal sites? Can they stop the malicious sites that imitate those campaigning sites and try to bring down the candidates?

I believe that things that are very important as voting should be never done online. Professors want hard copies of homeworks for a reason. People trust the newspaper more than online articles for a reason. We just can't trust some stuff online. Especially, something like election could change the whole state of one country. Can we trust the internet sites to do the job for us? to replace the paper voting? However, I believe that online election campaigning is okay as long as campaign associates know the maliciousness of the internet.

An NEC official said, "we made the decision because we believe voters' freedom of expression should be broadly guaranteed and internet campaigns do not cost much." This is true. It will save tons of money for the campaign committee, and some people could be more influenced by the internet ads and campaigns rather than reading from the newspapers. This should be allowable as long as they know the consequences of posting and putting themselves online.


Mike


Sources:

Regulating Election Campaigns in Cyberspace
PUBLISHED: February 14, 2007
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?bicode=050000&biid=2007021452078

RIM, Samsung settle lawsuit over BlackJack

Research in Motion (RIM) and Samsung Electronics have settled a lawsuit in which RIM alleged the South Korean company, Samsung, on its well-known BlackBerry trademark with its competing BlackJack smart phone.

After lots of these same lawsuits for trademarks, I have realized that the well-known rule "first come first served" applies here as well. However, I am not sure how that rule complies in this case, but RIM sued Samsung anyways for infringing its BlackBerry trademark. Clearly, BlackJack is a better version of the smart phone, and both have the name "Black" in it, but I am not sure why RIM sued Samsung for its trademark.

Also I cannot believe that Samsung agreed to limit the use of the BlackJack trademark and the withdrawal of the trademark application for BlackJack. BlackJack is clearly another word than BlackBerry. It is true that they look similar, but Samsung agreeing to these terms is just absurd in my opinion.

I have wanted to get BlackBerry ever since it first came out. Its look was breath-taking, and the fact that it's a smart phone and slim to the bone, just made me want to get this phone as soon as possible. As I was considering the phone, I wasn't even aware of that fact that it could be infringed with BlackBerry. The original lawsuit was that Samsung was "misleading the public into falsely believing that Samsung's goods and services are connected with RIM's business." As one of the cellphone user myself, I was no where close to the fact that BlackJack could be connected to BlackBerry.

At the end of the settlement, Samsung added that "we will continue selling the BlackJack by that name" (of course they should do that) , "and the rest of the terms of the settlement are confidential." Also RIM had said that Samsung's blackJack was very similar with RIM's latest phone BlackBerry Pearl.

I believe that RiM was just scared of the fact that Samsung's BlackJack could sweep the market since Apple's iPhone's coming out also in few months. I guess Samsung had learned its lesson, and we should all learn as well. When coming up with the new product, try to stay far away as possible when it comes to name, look, and even what it can do (?).

Mike

Sources:

RIM, Samsung settle lawsuit over BlackJack
PUBLISHED: February 8, 2007
http://news.com.com/2100-1041_3-6157520.html

Technology's biggest challenge is keeping data secure

Gates says technology's biggest challenge is keeping data secure

Over the summer of 2006, I have been an intern at the PRIMS Lab in UMass. I have researched about computer security over the networks and through the RFID cards with a graduate student and a professor. I have realized there are much fields about the security than I realized. There were so much things to learn about the security and data mining, and the world live in is just fully of security breaches and people who are trying to hack into other systems or steal other people's identities.

In San Francisco, Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates said that keeping information secure in this age of laptop-lugging workers is the tech industry's most formidable challenge. Everyday programmers build the bigger and bigger fortress walls - to protect the corporate secrete data. In that conference, Gates repeated that Windows Vista, which was launched last month, was the most secure operating system in the company's history.

I have learned, through doing that internship, nothing is secure and safe. People are constantly trying to break the security, and also other people are trying to keep those people from getting into the system. Gates knows and told in the conference that there is no software out there which is immune to attacks from the third-party software.

As more technologies advance in the world, technologies in breaking the security will also advance as well. Advancing technologies is not making the software comfortable to use for the users nor making everything work, but now it became to keep everything secure and safe. As we learned in the lecture today, there are not much laws about computer security. I have applied to different computer science graduate schools, and this is why I want to pursue my
goals in researching about data mining and security in the web.


Mike Ro




Sources:

Gates says technology's biggest challenge is keeping data secure
POSTED: Tue, Feb. 06, 2007
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/internet/01/17/china.internet.addicts.reut/index.html

2 Million teens addicted on Web in China

My cousin in Korea had called me on the internet couple of months ago. He told me that he has gotten a free account on the internet-calling website and were able to call me free from the internet. Yes, my cousin's only 11 years old. My aunt also tells me that he is on the computer most of the day, and he constantly updates his blog and his website almost everyday.

Then, I came across this article on CNN. It is said that in China, of 18.3 million teen Internet users, more than 2 million were addicts of the Internet; most addicts are male, between 15 and 20 years old; and many addicted teens need "urgent help."

There are lots of addictions in the world. Lots of teens in the world are addicted to video games, computer games, drugs, and alcohol, and some DO need some urgent help. Gao blamed a lack of diversions at schools, forcing addicts into often illegal Internet cafes and exposing them to crime and violence. Also last week, it is showed that China had seen a 68 percent rise in juvenile crime in five years and that figure was going to rise. Pirated DVDs, including violent and adult material, are available on every street corner and computer and online gaming has said to explode in China in recent years.

So how is the government going to handle this matter?
They aim to issue a raft of regulations aimed at curbing excessive game-playing at Internet cafes and heavily fining owners that admit minors. I'm not sure if that's going to fix or even do anything to fix this matter. I once heard from one of my computer science professor that over 60 percent of people who control the cyberspace are teens aged from 10 to 20 who sit in their basement, playing with computers all day.

Even if the government regulate the rules on the internet, kids are always going to find a way to get around the rules. Therefore, I believe that we need to put the parental control on all the computers. How can the parents let their children play with computers all day long? I'm a computer science major, and I am not saying that playing with computers are bad and time-wasting. However, when exposed to computer in early ages, it could be a dangerous habit. Only way to stop this is for us talk to the parents of these children, and have them to regulate their children better.

I do believe this is a big matter. Would you want your kids to wander around the street corners and let them talk to whoever they want? Would you want your kids to be exposed to all the violent images and videos? However, this is not kind of matter that we can fix by talking to the children. I'd say that parents have to talk to children themselves and control their children well.

Mikey Ro




Sources:

China: 2 million teens hooked on Web
POSTED: 12:05 p.m. EST, January 17, 2007
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/internet/01/17/china.internet.addicts.reut/index.html