Internet

Wikipedia, known as the "free encyclopedia that anyone can edit," allows users to correct false information and further develop informative articles. But, there is a flip side to anonymous edits, and one program is now showing just who's behind some ... of these critical changes. Virgil Griffiths created WikiScanner, a tool that identifies which IP addresses are making Wikipedia edits. WikiScanner has revealed that many top companies have been using Wikipedia to bash rivals while downplaying their own fumbles. Although WikiScanner cannot identify which people are making the edits, it can trace an ... (view more)

And now for a report that is sure to surprise no one but stimulate many: Facebook users expose themselves to identity theft and virus attacks. Wagging their fingers on this one is Sophos, a well-known web security company based in Boston, MA. Sophos ... has even gone so far as to set up their own fake account, in order to develop some interesting insights on the Facebook phenomenon. Although still trailing long-time society site MySpace, Facebook is one of the fastest-growing pages on the 'net. It allows a user to create his or her own mini-site, invite chums to become their online "friends" (it ... (view more)

Yahoo! is facing legal accusations for denying the fact that it provided Chinese authorities with information in order to help them pursue political opponents. According to the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, Yahoo! released private data ... concerning a Chinese journalist, Shi Tao. As a result of Yahoo's tattle, Tao was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment for posting on a website called Democracy Forum. Although Yahoo! denies knowing the charges, reports suggest that before it disclosed knowledge about Tao, Yahoo! officials received a document from the Beijing State Security Bureau. The ... (view more)

Call it inevitable. As Facebook continues to take over the computer screens of bored cubicle dwellers and exhausted college students, the site has become the target of investigation at Oxford university in England. (Source: upi.com ) For those ... familiar with Facebook, it's entirely understandable that the site could be used for investigating one's activities, relationships, or general personality. Many of these details are listed on a user's page, under windows for events, groups, or simple banter between friends. Unfortunately, the administration at Oxford university, according to a few, have ... (view more)

It seems the practice of Internet "flaming", or aggressively attacking another in the digital world, has now quite literally burned a Texas man. According to reports, a Virgina resident was so disgusted with a representation of him as a "nerd" that ... he drove more than 1,300 miles to Waco, Texas (how appropriate) in order to burn down the trailer of the man responsible. The Internet side of this "flaming" episode dates to 2005, when haunted house owner and Texas resident John Anderson, 59, began posting artwork outlining his political views on a Facebook-esque picture-sharing site. Although it' ... (view more)

While she might be considered a late bloomer in technological terms, 75-year-old Sigbritt Lothberg now surfs the Internet at a blistering speed. Lothberg is the owner of a 40 gigabits-per-second, fiber-optic connection on her home computer in her ... native Karlstad City, Sweden. It is believed to be the fastest residential uplink in the world, according to Karlstad City officials. In less than two seconds, Lothberg can download a full-length movie from the comfort of her own home. Her neighbors, like the majority of those who surf the Internet, are likely to be using a connection speed that is ... (view more)

Lately, the same technology that MySpace employs to allow users to share information (blogs, photos, music, and videos) has become popular in the business world. In fact, employees in large companies have been turning to MySpace to connect with ... clients and co-workers. However, a better option for professionals is LinkedIn, the first model for business-oriented networking sites. "Teen" and "young adult" are terms that define the MySpace generation. These youthful users often visit sites like MySpace to find romantic partners, make friends, or waste time. Though older adults and professionals ... (view more)

Although the first official Firefox 3 beta release was tentatively scheduled for late July, the timeline has been pushed back as a result of performance regressions and the need for additional front-end development time. "We are driven by quality, ... not time. We want Firefox 3 to be something that we are all proud of," said Mike Schroepfer, Mozilla's vice president of engineering. "The Firefox front-end has had significantly less development time than the platform and has yet to have the opportunity to innovate on top of infrastructure built for places, password manager, and others. So we'd ... (view more)

Is love brewing between MySpace and eBay? The answer: most likely. MySpace, an online social network, may partner with eBay to enhance its site. How? In the future, auctioneers eBay will provide MySpace with e-commerce features. MySpace founders ... want to offer clients the opportunities and tools to sell their products while socializing, and eBay is a prime candidate for supplying the desired mechanics. However, nothing's set in stone. MySpace has voiced its feelings concerning the partnership, saying "we haven't decided yet, but it would be probably a good bet that someone like eBay could be a ... (view more)

Not long ago, infopackets.com reluctantly reported news that Facebook had decided to allow its website partners to create their own applications. Why worry? Concern that the clean and simple interface would be overrun by countless applications aimed ... at gathering user info for advertising purposes, that's why. Now, less than one month into Facebook's app venture, it looks like our fear may be coming true. (Source: infopackets.com ) Amit Gupta, the host of Wednesday's Facebook Developer Meetup event in New York City, said "I definitely think that people are initially going to run into 'app ... (view more)