Facebook nemesis sues Google (and wins) After claiming he invented Facebook, Aaron Greenspan now says he has successfully sued Google. At a Northern California court earlier this week, Mark Zuckerberg's ex-Harvard classmate won $761 from the world's largest ad broker. Greenspan made headlines back in the fall of 2007 and the spring of 2008 after claiming that he …
1) Google allows ads using any words
Result: Google crushes little guy by allowing predatory advertising! Google is evil, gwarrr arghh arhglbb!
2) Google disallows ads using registered trademarks
Result: Google crushes little guy by preventing legitimate advertising! Google is evil, gwarr arghh arhblnbb!@!
but oddly enough I still have google as my home page - iGoogle (the only iApp I allow on my PC), gives me news feeds from all the major and minor world news feeders on one page. BBC, CNN, Guardian, The Register, Tech Dirt, Reuters, New Scientist etc etc etc and a Firefox plugin that shows Wikipedia stuff on the right side of any Google search eliminates the many annoying adclick adverts.
And for the other websites I use NoScript, AdBlock and FirePhorm (just in case - I'm with BT and can't get out until they change their T&Cs).
Privacy and world access (ie geographical non censorship) on the net is now a very dead parrot. When a website denies you permission to watch a 'The Watchmen' clip because you're not based in the US of A, or Google knowingly censoring its searches because you're in China, or not being able to watch BBC online because you're not in the UK - you know the guiding principles of the internet are being usurped...
Unsurprisingly by the very companies that stand to make money out of it.
Tony, small point:
"...or not being able to watch BBC online because you're not in the UK..."
That might be because BBC content is public-sector, paid for by UK subjects (well, a few of us) through a License Fee. We're not having every Johnny Foreigner with an intertube leeching Auntie's (=our) content and bandwidth at will, destabilizing the Empire, rivers of blood, foam, froth, throbbing vein on forehead etc. Either apply for citizenship/asylum and pay up*, or make do with the World Service.
*Only £145 or so per year. What's that in dollars nowadays, about $3.50?
"or not being able to watch BBC online because you're not in the UK"
As the BBC is paid for entirely by the British government and license payers, I'm sure we'd be happy to offer the US free access when we can freely make use their aircraft carrier fleets... Oh wait, you mean we should treat things that use the internet completely differently than everything else? Yeah, I can see that working.
What are "adwords", how does it work and does it really matter?
I rarely use Google for searches and only when others haven't worked. I can't remember the last web page ad I selected on a web page apart from stuff on eBay (does that count?)
Does all this make me "odd" or "normal".
Perhaps it it is just blind ignorance, and I'm as to net users as a shrimp in the rock pool is to humans, but I just don't understand what all the fuss is about.... Some people do seem to take it all very seriously though...
Although some might have the odd idea that the guiding principles of the internet are to give people free music and software, they are not.
That might have been so in the dark ages when the internet was an academic communications tool, but those days are long gone and that was hardly the "internet" as we know it.
The guiding principle of the internet are seen in eyes of the internet start ups, businesses and other participants. Making money.
Just like all businesses, internet businesses cut deals with others to get various rights. When an internet company cuts a deal with China/whatever it is no different to any other company cutting a deal with China/whatever. Want to sell toothbrushes in China? You need to make sure you don't offend. The same goes for publishing rights or any other rights.
For all talk of "cyberspace" etc, the internet is just another communications medium. It is not based on a different morality.
I've earned about $40 in AdSense. But it'll take until the end of time for my account balance to reach the magic $100 where they'll actually send me a cheque. Multiply this situation by perhaps tens of millions of people in the same boat, and there's a billion bucks waiting for the first Class Action lawsuit.
"Tony, small point:
"...or not being able to watch BBC online because you're not in the UK..."" ..... By Havin_it Posted Saturday 7th March 2009 15:25 GMT
It is also classed as foreign propoganda and a means of population control with mindless/mined content ..... phormed entertainment to the under/uneducated masses. But it has all gone terribly wrong as events now overtake ITs Controllers and leave their Intelligence and Service Providers behind, wallowing in the MIre of their Failed New Laboured Coups.
"For all talk of "cyberspace" etc, the internet is just another communications medium. It is not based on a different morality." .... By Charles Manning Posted Saturday 7th March 2009 21:39 GMT
Charles,
I disagree fundamentally with that statement but would agree with your holding it/it being held, as it freely allows for ever further and deeper embedding of Special Access Protocols and ProgramMING Projects which Control CyberSpace to be Stealthily Developed and Applied without the Negative Interference and Ignorant Arrogant Addition so typical of the ususal morality.
"the internet is just another communications medium." .... Hmmm? You may find that Others Recognise and Realise IT/Use IT as the One Precious and Priceless Ring which Controls them All, and for that you will need a Morality which Transcends Mortality, for the Realms that you Control are QuITe Alien in their Immaculate States of Virtual Grace.
And Even Attempt 42 Tempt ITs Angels of Mercy with the Root of all Evil for Evil Intent, and Reap the Merciless Whirlwind of the Wrath of Global Operating Devices which Destroy Completely such Folly, with Simple Words Transparently Shared for Peer Review.
"Just another communications medium"? I don't Think so. Get Real, Charles, wake up and smell the Java and get with IT in AJAXAI ...... House of the Rising Sun Technology ...... Purple Patch CodeXXXX Applications.
Yes and no.
Yes, in the sense of commercial traffic for services.
No, in the sense that you, I, or anyone else can technically still send and receive a mind bogglingly large variety of stuff over a generic connection, with the only money changing hands being between individuals and their ISPs.
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