Charlie Foxtrot

JURIST - Jones: The Charlie Foxtrot at Guantanamo: "There is a phrase military people use to convey the fact that something is just totally screwed up. That phrase is “Charlie Foxtrot” and it has nothing whatsoever to do with ballroom dance. Expressing its exact etymology while maintaining proper decorum is difficult, but here is a good explanation. Charlie Foxtrot is the long version of the initials “C.F.” The “C” stands for the word “Cluster”, while the “F” stands for . . . well, the F stands for the F word."

Yahoo! Avatars

Yahoo! Avatars onto your desktop via a Yahoo Widget.

Wack.

Seems like there should be widgets to put the avatar anywheres, but, this is a start.

Looks like you can give other Avatars Makeovers, too.

Facebook Fatigue

Facebook: "the latest flurry of trendy and “me too” 2.0 applications. Surprisingly it is also the catalyst for Social Network Overload (SNO) or Fatigue (SNF) amongst those within the echo chamber, with some going so far as declaring Facebook Bankruptcy."

SNO is certainly catchier, as in SNOooo ...

Surprised that someone hasn't run with "Facecrime".

Going.com Lands $5 million

Going.com Lands $5 million: "Event based social network Going.com has taken an additional $5 million in funding, in a round led by the sites original investors General Catalyst Partners and Highland Capital Partners."

Socialize and Buy Event Tickets: "promoters that would like to push an event and sell tickets at the same time can do so on Going. It takes Going in the direction of becoming a one-stop shop, for promoters and end users."

All that, and a Facebook App too!

Eh, There's no there there. Few events. Horrible navigation. Poor search. I log in every few weeks pulled via the facebook app to update the feed. I can't see them making a go of it.

Ashnod @ Going

Six Apart to support Palm Foleo

Six Apart to support Palm Foleo: "Six Apart is working with Palm, Inc. to give Palm Foleo mobile companion customers access to Six Apart’s wide range of blogging services"

Nice! Shame that it's $500 with bluetooth only. That's one expensive keyboard ...

Think I'll continue to lust after the Nokia 770 keyboardless wonder ...

Networks Try 'Twittering'

Networks Try 'Twittering': "ABC Family, the Walt Disney-owned network has launched a promotion around 'Greek,' a new comedy-drama about fraternity and sorority life. Twitter allows consumers to follow the show via text updates and behind-the-scene tidbits from the show's cast and writers.

The title character in the new NBC show 'Chuck,' about a computer geek who becomes a secret agent, will twitter to fans of the show. The campaign launches next Monday and NBC hopes Twitter will send users to other platforms like MySpace, where Chuck will also have a profile."

Angry mob gathers outside SF datacenter

Angry mob gathers outside SF datacenter: "There's a reason most datacenters are located in distant office parks: It's harder for angry customers to line up at your door."

It was fun following along on twitter, esp. LaughingSquid and SixApart

Facebook

Finally took the Facebook pill ... slow to find stuff, but, pretty much once the pill has bloomed.

ashnod @ Facebook

Keen Zombie App!

Facebook in 40 Years

Facebook is the new AOL: "Eventually, someone will come along and turn Facebook inside-out, so that instead of custom applications running on a platform in a walled garden, applications run on the internet, out in the open, and people can tie their social network into it if they want, with privacy controls, access levels, and alter-egos galore."

Google’s goal: to organise your daily life

Google’s goal: to organise your daily life: "Google’s ambition to maximise the personal information it holds on users is so great that the search engine envisages a day when it can tell people what jobs to take and how they might spend their days off."

Ah, Total Information Awareness is so benevolent ...

Make your own gadget

Make your own gadget

Haven't seen many of these out in the wild. Seems like a fine idea, though.

George Orwell, Big Brother is watching your house

George Orwell, Big Brother is watching your house: "The Big Brother nightmare of George Orwell's 1984 has become a reality - in the shadow of the author's former London home.

On the wall outside his former residence - flat number 27B - where Orwell lived until his death in 1950, an historical plaque commemorates the anti-authoritarian author. And within 200 yards of the flat, there are 32 CCTV cameras, scanning every move."

The New Upcoming

The New Upcoming: "The new release of Upcoming is finally out the door. ... Another big change is our switch to Yahoo! IDs. Following closely on the heels of Flickr and Bix, we've finally abandoned our legacy sign-in system for Yahoo's own login system."

Eeep! Not sure that the redesigned front page is an improvement. Really short pages of your or friends events. Lots of just headlines is much easier to scan. Guess I'll have to live with the rss feeds instead of the interface. The category pages are much better by being short and showing number of friends going.

Google’s Personalized Search Features

Google’s Personalized Search Features: "Google’s new recommendations features will allow you to add a new tab to your start page, name it “recommendations” and you’ll get some nifty search results based on your search history."

You have to let the GooglePlex Id your search history ...

Al Jazeera English Launches on YouTube

Al Jazeera English Launches on YouTube: "Unable to land deals with any American networks, Al Jazeera English is launching a YouTube channel."

Finally! Silly to launch the channel without being able to get it to a primary audience.

Dodgeball Left for Dead: Twitter Victorious

Dodgeball Left for Dead: Twitter Victorious: "Dodgeball, the text-message based social networking service, seems to have been left for dead."

Funny, Dodgeball's been on my signup list for so long that everyone's gone web only. Ah, well, guess it's time for the shiney new Twitter account.

ashnod @ twitter

Fake bloggers soon to be ‘named and shamed’-News-Politics-TimesOnline

Fake bloggers soon to be ‘named and shamed’-News-Politics-TimesOnline: "Hotels, restaurants and online shops that post glowing reviews about themselves under false identities could face criminal prosecution under new rules that come into force next year."

"From December 31, when the change becomes law in the UK, they can be named and shamed by trading standards or taken to court."

I love me some Sock Puppet.

Funeral home in Second Life

Infocult: Information, Culture, Policy, Education: Funeral home in Second Life: "Death in Second Life: a funeral home has opened up. Actually a combination funeral home and crematorium, with urns."

Ah, just need a live video feed of the funeral into second life. Guess there are already a couple of funeral homes that webcast ...

A Taxonomy of Social Networks?

GigaOM � A Taxonomy of Social Networks?: "Earlier this week, Om called social networks a feature. It’s a good point, though, one that seems all too obvious to someone like me who’s covered way too many social networks and often ends up bored before making it through yet another registration form."

Heh. Yet Another Profile could be our middle name. Abandon this!

55% Of People Regularly or Always Fake Their Web Identity

55% Of People Regularly or Always Fake Their Web Identity: "After 511 votes so far, an astonishing 55% of respondents say they regularly or always use fake Web identities."

And this surprises them, how?

GetaFirstLife.com

GetaFirstLife.com: "Moreover, Linden Lab objects to any implication that it would employ lawyers incapable of distinguishing such obvious parody. Indeed, any competent attorney is well aware that the outcome of sending a cease-and-desist letter regarding a parody is only to draw more attention to such parody, and to invite public scorn and ridicule of the humor-impaired legal counsel. Linden Lab is well-known for having strict hiring standards, including a requirement for having a sense of humor, from which our lawyers receive no exception."

Hah! That's the spirit! Lawyers weilding humor.