Tech Bitch

Social networks have grown rapidly in the UK over the last few years and their share of total UK Internet visits more than trebled between November 2005 and October 2007.

As social networks expand their subscriber base, the network effect kicks in and the average time users spend on them increases as their number of friends and contacts increase.

For example, Bebo trebled its market share of UK Internet visits between February 2005 and 2006, and at the same time its average session time increased from 6 minutes, 22 seconds to 21 minutes, 32 seconds (Source: Hitwise). Consequently, social networks now receive one in every five page impressions in the UK - more than any other industry, including search engines and shopping & classifieds.

If any further evidence of social networking’s popularity is required, Christmas Day 2007 was the busiest day ever for social networks in the UK: Facebook was the third most visited Web site in the UK over the Christmas period, pushing eBay into fourth place for the first time since January 2005. But there’s a common misconception by users that these sites are altruistic, created to make the world a more sociable place. It is these people I feel sorry for because they are sitting targets.

If the whole online social networking craze has passed you by, let me take a moment to explain. There are Web sites out there that function much like an online community of Internet users. The most popular sites are MySpace, FaceBook and Bebo. Depending on the Web site in question, many of these online community members share a common interest such as hobbies, religion, or politics. Once you are granted access to a social networking Web site you can begin to socialise. This socialisation may include reading the profile pages of other members and possibly even contacting them.

This is where I start to have a problem. Actually, my problem starts from the outset - why are so-called ‘friends’ using the Internet to communicate? Isn’t that why God gave us the power of speech? Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, users of these sites divulge the most initimate of personal details that are being lapped up by advertisers looking to push products down your thoat while you catch up on the weekend’s gossip, as well as shaddy fraudsters sifting through your profile to extract personal data that can be used to extort money from your bank account.

Since most people access social networking sites from the comfort and privacy of their home or office, they can be lulled into a false sense of anonymity. Additionally, the lack of physical contact on social network site can lower users’ natural defenses, leading individuals into disclosing information they would never think of revealing to a person they just met on a street - or at a party.

Although some of these details may seem harmless, they actually provide rich pickings for criminals. Your date of birth and where you live is enough for someone to set up a credit card in your name. So while most people wouldn’t give this information to a stranger in real life, they will happily post it online where people they don’t know can see it. Of course, the user can make their profile private so only accepted friends can contact them, but there are plenty of users out there that don’t take these necessary safety precations and leave their personal data on show for anyone to see.

As a heavy Internet user you’re probably aware of the dangers of indentity theft, but there’s another dark side to online social networking - advertising. Advertisers are clamoring to engage people on social networking sites in hopes of generating viral brand awareness and affinity. The idea is to look for new opportunities in what’s known as user-generated content. Apparently the possibilities are huge (FaceBook says it’ll be bigger than Google), but the way advertisers are targetting users is worrying. Did you know that there are actually companies paid to sift through blogs/postings to pick out core keywords that can be used to target specific users? So, if you find that you and your friends talk a lot about movies, sport and holidays, be prepared for targetted ads selling cheap flights for snowboarders who like popcorn.

Social network sites are potentially useful business tools (LinkedIn is gowing in popularity), but only if you approach them with an adequate amount of caution and common sense. If you’re thoughful, discreet, skeptical, professional, wary, and check privacy policies, you’ve got nothing to worry about. Or am I just missing the point? My advice is to stay well clear.

Be, the Internet provider everyone wants in their homes, has announced today that over the next four months the network coverage will be increased by 15% of the UK population, providing ADSL2+ broadband to a further 2,000,000 lines.

Be Un Limited, which is wholly-owned by O2 and one of the most innovative and technically-advanced UK broadband networks, will now cover 67% of the UK population.

Between now and June, 400 exchanges will be unbundled bringing the total number to 1245, making this the most widespread ADSL2+ network in the country offering some of the fastest speeds to Net junkies.

“This is the next stage in our development at Be as we believe that reliable high speed broadband takes continual innovation and investment”, said Oli White, Head of Marketing at Be Un Limited.

“These 400 new exchanges will mean that over 67% of the UK population will be able to experience faster speeds with ADSL2+. But it doesn’t stop there; we are already testing new technologies that will enhance not only the network but our speed.”

This is clearly great news for the discerning consumer. Be’s expansion into Northern Ireland and Wales will be particularly well received, as users there often have to rely on carrier pigeon.

Parents, do you have a clue about how your kids are spending their time online? Are they talking to strangers? Do they like their online friends better than their offline friends? Wonder how they compare to kids in the rest of the world?

Symantec, famed for its Norton security software, wanted to know how Internet users and their families spent their time online, so it commissioned Harris Interactive to ask thousands of children and adults across the globe about their online behaviours. Specifically, it surveyed Internet users in the U.S., UK, Australia, Germany, France, Brazil, China and Japan about anything and everything ‘Internet’ (yes, they even asked adults about prOn sites!).

Symantec discovered that about half of adult Internet users (52%) around the world report having made friends online, leading to believe that the old adage of ‘don’t talk to strangers’ doesn’t apply when in online worlds. More surprising was that about half of users who made friends online (46%) said they enjoyed those relationships as much or more than friendships made offline. Sad! Other online activities ranking high around the world are dating (23%), using social networking sites (50%), and playing games (72%).

Moms and dads, think you know what your kids are doing online? Consider this … parents in the U.S. think their kids are online two hours a month, but in reality, kids report spending 20 hours a month online! And, 41% of U.S. teens ages 13-17 years old agree that their parent have no idea what they are looking at online.

Kids are actually making friends (35%), social networking (76%), shopping online (35%), getting requests for personal information (42%), and being approached by strangers (16%). On average, only a third (33%) of parents worldwide set parental controls and monitor their children’s online activities.

But more interestingly, more men (26%) globally than woman (19%) report that they have dated online, and about 4 in 10 online adults in all countries report visiting pornographic Web sites (41%), with about one-half of Chinese (51%) and Brazilians (55%) reporting doing the same. Globally, men (58%) are much more likely to visit porn sites than women (18%). You should all be ashamed : )

With mobile broadband sales booming, are home broadband’s days numbered?Based on data from thousands of UK broadband package sales over the past six months, marketing types at Top 10 Broadband are currently tracking a paradigm shift in sales patterns towards mobile broadband and are foreseeing the eventual demise of home broadband.

Top 10 Broadband predicts that mobile broadband as a source of Internet connection will overtake home broadband by as early as 2010 to become the default way to access the Internet in the UK. What a load of toshiba!

Top 10 Broadband says mobile broadband sales have increased by over 50% month on month since adding them to its Web site. Mobile broadband now makes up over 10% of its total broadband sales from 0% only six months ago. Oh, that’s definitive then …

Come on! Even if laptop sales have boomed in recent years, the cost and hassle of mobile broadband means it’s still a long way off for mass market adoption. Even if major mobile broadband providers like Vodafone, T Mobile, 3 and Orange are competing hard, I just can’t see it happening any time soon.

It’s easy, it’s convenient, and you can do it naked. But how many of the UK’s 27 million e-shoppers actually know a secure Web site when they see one? Not a lot as it turns out.

We’re all concerned about the security of data. And I’m not just making it up - a survey conducted by managed hosting company NetBenefit reveals that over 80% of consumers are concerned over the security of their financial data when shopping online. While approximately half of those surveyed said they would be prepared to spend up to £500 online, 70% of shoppers don’t understand the significance of the green browser bar and 20% of those questioned do not understand what the golden security padlock represents.

Secure Web site technology has been in place for some time now and the industry has put standards in place to provide the online shopper with confidence, but in actual fact many shoppers simply do not have a clue. To cut a pretty long a boring story short, look out for the golden padlock in your browser. This will be displayed next to the browser bar and it contains details of the Web site’s security report.

If you have any doubts about the Web site that you are visiting (prOn sites are excused), look for the golden padlock and just right click to find out whether the certificate owner and the Web site match. If the security certificate has an extra level of validation in the shape of an Extended Validation certificate then the browser bar will turn green. It’s a shame the UK’s 62,000-plus Internet traders don’t take our safety concerns more seriously.

The University of Bath has just made learning more accessible for all its students thanks to a ‘revolutionary’ blow-up pub high bandwidth connectivity. Made possible by H2O Networks’ FS Focus System, those students who have no girl/boy friends are actually resident on campus and those attending one of the University’s city centre student residencies and business centres can benefit from the speeds associated with next generation broadband. H2O Networks’ DARC fibre (Derestricted Access Route Connection), which delivers connectivity via its FS Focus System (Fibre Optical Cable Underground Sewer System), is used to deploy the cable through the City’s sewer network.

Keen not to cause too much disruption to the local area while the ultra broadband service was being rolled out to both the campus, students residences and education centres, the University’s IT department was over the moon at having more work that it could provide students with the fastest speeds available, yet still set up its own secure IT and telecoms network in case it all went tits-up.

Kris Shah, network manager, University of Bath commented: “It was important to us to ensure that all students attending the University could benefit from the same technology. Now all students attending the University of Bath regardless of whether they are on or off campus will be able to take advantage of ultra fast broadband access which is both reliable and scaleable for at least the next decade.

The new service now offers the kinds of bandwidth that students will really appreciate when it comes to prOn research and entertainment. According to boffins, the deployment process is at least 80% faster than traditional methods, resulting in operational networks within weeks rather than months. Every city and town has ready-made ducts that can be used without causing disruption - H2O wants to cash in big time…