Internet

The Google Dashboard is a trivial pursuit - with potential. To succeed it needs to take a more holistic view of my data.

Everything has been working just fine for this small business's IT, with e-mail and the Web site managed by a third-party vendor on the vendor's servers. But then the Web site vendor moves e-mail and Web sites to the servers of a large hosting company.

As an enthusiastic Google user, I was immediately interested when I saw the headlines that proclaimed that Google was boosting its users' privacy with its new Dashboard. Well, as often happens, the reality wasn't quite up to the hype.

This week on Security Levity... how China views Web filtering. It should be no surprise that the Chinese government is sensitive about certain forms of speech. We in the West may not like it, but...

When I ask developers "what programming language do you use?", the answer I usually get is a single language.  Most developers define themselves as a Java, C++, Delphi, C#, Visual Basic, PHP, Ruby or Python developer.  Some web developers will say they use JavaScript.  In fact most developers, today, use several programming languages.  Who doesn't also use JavaScript, HTML, XML, WSDL, SQL and other languages (domain specific, procedural, markup, functional, object-oriented, etc.).

The popular Internet voice program Skype is not going open source real soon, but, it is on its way.

This government agency wants a digital photo of an employee in a remote office, and the local administrative assistant dutifully e-mails it. But that's not the way the folks in D.C. want it.

Facebook and MySpace are accused of encouraging game developers to cheat users out of money. Games like Farmville stand accused of employing "unethical" monetization strategies. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers reveal the scams. Not to mention Clean Me...

In today's podcast: IDN ccTLDs; Facebook sues spammer for $700M; and Oracle reassures on Sun software future.

If you think the health care debate is nasty and loud, just wait.

Breaking news from Korea, folks: as expected, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has finally approved the Internationalized Domain Names proposal for country-code top-level domain names. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers W00T for the IDN fast track process. Not to mention another halloween costume...

Google, being investigated by the FCC for whether its blocking of phone calls on Google Voice violates the law, has essentially told the agency that it should be let off the hook because it's cut back on the calls it blocks. That's like saying you're only a little bit pregnant.

Open-source software is quickly making its way into the federal government.

Net netutrality is a case of who you fear most: Evil telecom companies or the evil FCC? Companies are unlikely to behave without the threat of FCC action, but if the FCC acts we may wish that it hadn't.

This manufacturer needs to set up a remote office just to support the management of its inventory with a certain huge retailer. But after DSL is installed there, the staff calls the help desk because they can't reach the Internet.