What the Internet is all about

If you’ve ever wondered what the Internet is all about, there’s an article in New Scientist entitled “Eight Things You Didn’t Know About The Internet“. It makes highly interesting reading. The article tries to answer the following questions (click each one for a link to the relevant sub-article): Who controls the internet? Could the net… Continue reading What the Internet is all about

Are the Internet’s ‘tubes’ clogging up?

Former Senator Ted Stevens famously described the Internet as ‘a series of tubes‘. Whilst his comments were greeted with a hailstorm of derision, the analogy isn’t always inappropriate: and, according to the Sunday Times, those tubes are getting clogged. Internet users face regular “brownouts” that will freeze their computers as capacity runs out in cyberspace,… Continue reading Are the Internet’s ‘tubes’ clogging up?

Another great Internet resource

The indispensable Al Fin draws our attention to another free online education resource: the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE). They describe their mission as follows: The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE), one of the oldest free-market organizations in the United States, was founded in 1946 by Leonard E. Read to study and advance the freedom… Continue reading Another great Internet resource

Looks like eBay auctions are more difficult in Germany

A report from Germany shows that sellers are having difficulty listing their items in precisely the way they wanted – and it’s having some negative consequences. A German court ruled on Thursday that a man who accidentally sold a Porsche 911 on eBay for €5.50 [US $7.41] will not have to pay the buyer damages… Continue reading Looks like eBay auctions are more difficult in Germany

The World Wide Web turns 20

Yes, this month marks the 20th anniversary of the invention of the World Wide Web, the navigation system and graphical interface sitting on top of the Internet backbone. The creation of the web by British computer software genius Tim Berners-Lee and other scientists at the European particle physics laboratory (CERN) paved the way for the… Continue reading The World Wide Web turns 20

CNN takes you for granted – and then some!

I’m very angry indeed to read about CNN’s cynical, don’t-give-a-damn, slap-in-the-face treatment of customers using its streaming video service. If you’re one of them (as I was, but am no longer), you might want to read this, and spread the word. According to Windows Secrets: Many people who watched live streaming video of the inauguration… Continue reading CNN takes you for granted – and then some!

The Internet and your wallet

There are interesting – and very worrying – developments concerning the Internet abroad, which may well come to the US soon. You should be concerned. First, Facebook has just demonstrated a data-mining technology to make money off the personal details of its members. This isn’t just social networking: it’s a license to print money, as… Continue reading The Internet and your wallet

Forewarned of the frightfuls

Hat-tip to Julie for e-mailing me the link to this story. I’m amused at the news of a public service Web site launched by entrepeneur Jordan Eisenberg. ONE hundred thousand men sick of copping a monthly serve from cranky wives and girlfriends have signed up for an online reminder service that warns when pre-menstrual syndrome… Continue reading Forewarned of the frightfuls