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Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Friendster vs Facebook in the Third World

Heard that Friendster is coming up with its Project Neutron, which basically turns the social networking site into a social gaming portal. Sure, as if Facebook isn't enough to cause us all carpal tunnel syndrome courtesy of its mouse click-hungry games. BTW, should I sue Facebook, Inc. for causing me CTS and caffeine overload? I think with this development House Resolution No. 184, which is aimed to regulate use of social networking sites in government agencies, should be passed into law ASAP.

I worked in a government agency for a year and I know for a fact how cyber activity of some public employees gobbles up a lot time and taxpayers' moolah. Government agencies should dissuade their workers from engaging in such activity. Maybe inform them via emails or twits? LOL. You see the irony?

FYI, the Philippines is no.7 in the world with the most number of Facebook users, and no. 1 with the most number of Friendster users, according to online sources. Perhaps the popularity of social and gaming portals, not to mention online dating sites, is due mainly to Filipinos attempting to escape Third World reality.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Dumb and Dumber: FBI's take on WikiLeaks and Wikipedia

I was dumbfounded when I learned of FBI's latest headline-grabbing stint! Yahoo News reported that the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation has "threatened" to criminally prosecute Wikipedia - yes, the user-friendly, ad-free, free-for-all content source on the Net - for displaying the agency's seal. Apparently, the FBI imposes federal restrictions on the use of the image. Wikipedia's display image on its site, according to the legal representatives of the agency, "constitutes manufacturing, selling, or possessing such an insignia". I said "What?!" Didn't the FBI overreact where it shouldn't act at all? IMAO, the agency should delve into the WikiLeaks controversy rather than into something as trivial (and harmless, for crying out loud!) as the use of its seal. Maybe Nike should sue Wikipedia for displaying its swoosh on its pages. And, oh, the CIA too has its official emblem on Wikipedia, and maybe the intelligence agency could also legally threaten the site. LOL.

The WikiLeaks documents and videos, I heard, are bound to imperil the lives of military informants and personnel particularly those serving the US and Australian governments in their peace and counter-terrorism efforts. So the FBI should zoom into the matter, and put into good use the taxpayers' money.