Digg vs. Slashdot

Digg vs. Slashdot (or, traffic vs. influence) (kottke.org)

An interesting discussion on the differing effects on Digg vs /. influence. Well thought out and well worded.

Neither is going away anytime soon as each has their audience and methods.




Technorati Tags: Digg, Slashdot

Has an Innocent Company been Hurt?

Thomas Hawk's Digital Connection: PriceRitePhoto Update #24, Has an Innocent Company Been Hurt in My PriceRitePhoto Coverage?

Sometimes the blogosphere has a very negative impact. It is here that one must sit back and think about their impact on others when they have a popular blog.

Journalistic skills may fall short when the resources for fact checking do not exist. In this case, the author relied on a source and it looks like that source does not have accurate information. This has caused irrepairable damage to an innocent company.

However, this also draws attention to the source, the Better Business Bureau (BBB.) Somehow there data may be incorrect. As a source looked upon for reliable and accurate data on businesses, their attention to accuracy must be held to the highest standard. Perhaps they should look into their database and information gathering practices.

Most importantly, however, I think Thomas Hawk needs to be commended for his public apology. One can only hope that this can all be resolved.

However, I expect that this is not the end of this matter. Knowing the U.S. penchant for lawsuits, I see a couple forthcoming from the damaged business owner.

More to come ...


Technorati Tags: Law, Technology, Blogging, Journalism

3 Initiatives to Improve the Patent Mess Announced.

From GROKLAW

Finally, someone is listening. While software patents may never be removed, at least the USPTO looks like it is seeing the light.

More to come ...

Technorati Tags: PatentLaw, SoftwarePatents, Technology, OpenSource

Microsoft and the World's Most Expensive Pizza.

Microsoft and the world's most expensive pizza

This article by Frank van Wensveen says it all, really ...

The cost of of computer hardware has dramatically dropped in the last ten years. This is mainly due to increased demmand and improved and lower manufacturing costs.

One wonders why is it that the cost of Microsoft Products have not done the same. After all the price of the Windows XP operating system is nearly fifty percent (if not more) than the cost of the hardware it is installed on. Yet ten years ago, the operating system was lucky to be five percent of the hardware cost.

What gives?

Shouldn't we, as consumers and corporations, demand pricing more in line with hardware pricing for our software? After all, Microsoft itself charges varying prices around the world for the same product.

It is reprehensible that any company can get away with these kinds of pricing practices. What is worse, is that we have let them do so ...

More to come ...

Technorati Tags: Microsoft, Windows, Windows XP, Evil Empire

Windows WMF Security Flaw -- Dangerous

Update: Microsoft has released an official patch. Uninstall Ilfak's and install Microsoft's if it was not installed via Automatic Updates.

Security Now! Notes for Episode #20

Anyone that runs Windows and uses any web browser is seriously encouraged to install Ilfak Guilfanov’s patch as found on either his blog, or Steve Gibson’s Security Now! Show Notes page. This is a vital patch to be used until Microsoft releases an official patch.

This current exploint is very serious and is being used by malicious websites to download and install all many of Spyware, Adware and other Malware.

Please install this patch ASAP.

[Note: This patch does not work on any versions of Windows prior to Windows 2000. Users of Windows from version 3.1 to Windows Me (including 98, 98se) are vulnerable to this flaw but there has been no announce fix. As these products are no longer supported, it is likley a fix for these version will not be made available by Microsoft. If using these versions of Windows, it is strongly advised not to visit unknown websites. ]