Social networking may finally come of age as something truly beneficial. University of Maryland researchers Ben Shneiderman and Jennifer Preece outlined a proposal last week for the development of a socially networked 911 center that could serve as a “community response grid” in the event of a flood, heat wave or other emergency. Shneiderman was inspired to create an online 911 center after searching for resources online last year and finding no way for citizens to report emergency situations online. During Hurricane Katrina, he said, online communication might have enabled people to find more ways to get out of the … Continue reading →

Online communities can be a great place to share information and make new friends. But, like all other areas of internet subculture, there are unwritten rules that make their usage more enjoyable and beneficial for everyone, and others that will keep you safe. WWW Means WORLD WIDE WEB Message boards and other online communities (like here at families.com) often feel like safe, self contained communities of friends you know. Forget that thought. A public message board is available to anyone. They are archived by search engines and external sites like the Wayback Machine making them available long after the original … Continue reading →

These days, everyone is wired. Unfortunately, just because Great Aunt Mary learned how to send email and surf the web, doesn’t mean she picked up the basics of netiquette along the way. What’s netiquette, you ask? Netiquette is the unofficial rules defining proper behavior on the internet–whether sending mail, posting in online communities and message boards, or chatting. For the purpose of this blog, we’ll tackle the basics of email etiquette. We’ll cover more tomorrow. TYPING IN ALL CAPS IS CONSIDERED SHOUTING Most people don’t appreciate being shouted at. Always use lower case unless you’re trying to show emphasis. Forwards … Continue reading →

I’ve always been a little bit amused by the idea that geek girls are somewhat of a rare breed. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact I was learning to code BASIC before I knew how to wear make-up. Or, maybe it’s compensation for the glazed “I don’t understand” look you’d see from me in front of something domestic like a sewing machine. Martha Stewart, I’m not (but then, I’ve never done jail time either). Either way, the idea that science and technology are not the forte of the feminine set is decidedly foreign to me, despite that … Continue reading →

Bloggers are changing the world. Once upon a time the big media outlets – television and newspapers – were the ones who owned all the information. Noam Chomsky, U.S. media and foreign policy critic, remarked, “the media serve the interests of state and corporate power, which are closely interlinked, framing their reporting and analysis in a manner supportive of established privilege and limited debate and discussion accordingly.” It is this interlinking relationship between traditional media and the powers-that-be that brings questions of murky motivations behind your “fair and balanced” TV news. Blogging has leveled the playing field. Anyone with a … Continue reading →