Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Update: ConnectU Inc. v. Facebook Inc.
Thursday, February 14th, 2008Lawyers for Facebook made a number of filings recently in the ConnectU v. Facebook case, one of which was a statement of the undisputed material facts for the court. Since it sums things up well, I’ll take this time to do my best to update our readers.
To put it simply, ConnectU is suing Facebook for copyright infringement, and it has been going on since September of 2004. The claim is that Zuckerberg copied portions of source code written for ConnectU’s “Harvard Connection” website, and then used the copied code to launch TheFacebook.com (remember the ‘the’?). ConnectU also claims that the two sites are “substantively similar.”
Facebook handed over current and previous versions of its code, including pre-launch code, to be assessed by for similarities. ConnectU was granted a 2 month extension to go over the code.
After the two months, ConnectU responded, not with similarities in the code, but instead with claims about similarities in the way the GUI’s of the two websites operate. They also began arguing that regardless, any code created by Zuckerberg belonged to ConnectU because of their employment relationship or partnership.
The similarities in the GUI are alleged to be found in the way users register and create profiles, and how they are able to search through those profiles. No visual similarity is claimed. Here is a chart of their claims of similarities in the profile search features:
Facebook also has the support of testimony from the web design company, iMarc, that helped ConnectU create its site. The most interesting piece of testimony, I think, comes directly from an internal e-mail at iMarc that says “In April Facebook was already hugely popular. 90 percent of the direction we received from ConnectU was ‘Copy Facebook’ and ignore the HarvardConnection spec and design.”
As for the claim the ConnectU automatically owns Zuckerberg’s code.. that’s based on a claim that Zuckerberg orally agreed that any code he every wrote for any social networking site would belong to ConnectU.
From what I can tell, at this point Facebook is hoping that the court will decide that ConnectU doesn’t have a leg to stand on, while ConnectU is going to try to come up with some new facts to support its claim. It isn’t over ’till it’s over.
Please feel free to correct me if I have it wrong.
Facebook Could Find You Free Internet.
Monday, February 11th, 2008
Appscout.com, got to love that name, is reporting that WeFi is planning to launch a Facebook application in the near future. If you don’t know what WeFi does it is quite simple.
WeFi lets you inform your friends that you have found a free internet hot spot. The service allows you to download a tiny application that maps out any free hot spots you find.
WeFi has just launched a beta mobile version, makes sense, and will be launching their Facebook application in the near future. The application will inform all of your Facebook friends when you have found a free wifi spot.
I think this is a natural progression for WeFi and think that application, if done right, will have some real legs. This is a shinning example of how some creative thinking and good programing could find real utilitarian uses for your Facebook network.
When the WeFi Facebook app launches will you install it and tell all your friends where the juicy free wifi spots are?I probably will, sharing free networks with people could be my good deed for the day.
Hackers Could Gain Control of Your Computer Through Facebook
Friday, February 1st, 2008Gregg Keizer, of ComputerWorld, is reporting that a serious security flaw in ActiveX, the Microsoft software that controls social sites like Facebook and Myspace, can be used by hackers to penetrate unsuspecting users’ computers.
The hack itself comes from a similar product that Facebook and Myspace use to upload images from Internet Explorer. These image loading tools are based on a commercial product from a company named Aurigma Inc who stated they were expecting to fix the bug in a few hours.
The actual details of the hack are far more mundane when compared to something you might see in a movie involving a super computer called WOPR, but the emergence of this hack brings some interesting questions to light.
According to the report the bug was patched last November by ActiveX 5.0 but only coming to light today from releases attributed to major security firms. Keep in mind programs like Secret Crush, and one has to begin wondering about security from social networks on another level.
Hackers look for easy targets and lots of them. Sites like Facebook and Myspace offer hackers a target rich environment. Think about the population of Facebook, most are causal computer users, who turn to social networks as a way to relax.
We all know about Phishing and spyware that litter the internet, but if hackers begin to exploit more and more holes in Facebook will its users turn away? If you suddenly began getting viruses from Facebook would you still use the service?
Update:
Shortly after this post I received official word that both Myspace and Facebook were working on the problem.
“MySpace and Facebook are firmly committed to keeping all users as safe and secure as possible. Recently, the companies were alerted to a vulnerability in Aurigma Imaging Technology’s software that could potentially put certain users with Windows-based systems at risk. Immediately after identifying a solution Facebook, MySpace and Aurigma collaborated to resolve the issue and are working to individually alert users of any additional steps that need to be taken to ensure user security.”
I had no doubt that all parties involved would work quickly to solve this potential problem. It is important to remember, if there is something good out there that people like to use, other people will try to destroy it. I commend all three companies on working together to try to solve this problem quickly and correctly.
Street Race… I would Rather Drive My Yugo
Tuesday, January 29th, 2008
I love a good video game. I love a good social game. When I came across Street Race, nay was hit by Street Race, I was pretty excited. My mind began to fill with simplistic thoughts of social vehicular racing.
Much to my dismay there is no street race in Street Race. In fact, there really isn’t much of a game. After installing the application I was greeted with multiple error messages and instantly informed I had loss two races.
Two races? I had only inputed my name, how odd. Fighting on, that’s what I do, I tried to purchase and ’supe’ up my vehicle. After plowing through more error messages like some blind driver in downtown DC, I was told I could only buy more parts for my tractor (named Jonny Dear) by inviting my friends.
Was that it? Was that the social aspect of this game? I could peddle my friends and subject them to this error ridden game for more parts for my tractor? I mean give me a global score, show me tracks I have won, give me something to boast to my friends about and show them that I am a better driver.
I really wanted this game to be cool. I wanted something I could enjoy playing and prove that I am better than my friends. The problem is that the ‘game section’ of this game is nothing more than randomly clicking buttons to train my tractor and the ’social’ part is just me pimping out my friends for more parts.
My biggest complaint is the ‘gas’ situation in this game. I would have said the game was playable if I could just purchase gas and keep playing, but I can’t. I either have to wait 2 hours or invite some of my friends to play. I have never been one to invite people to games because I dislike being invited to games. I know my friends are pimping me out for some token prize in a game.
I normally don’t say a game was a failure, but I can’t see how this game hit its intended targets. I could be wrong. If you are a big fan of Street Race let me know, perhaps I jumped the gun on this one. The game did have interesting screens to watch while random things were happening.
NES on Facbook… OMG
Monday, January 28th, 2008
I love video games. It is true, I am fast approaching the age where I should be concerned with a family and my future, but I spend way too much time on my PS3 trying to show the world how great I am at Call of Duty 4.
Due to my unnatural love of video games I have found that video game emulators are a wonderful thing. While I was in the Navy I had a laptop with 4 different system emulators that kept me amused for months while at sea.
I currently have an NES emulator running on my Motorola Q that kills countless hours while I am on the subway. I say all of this so you can truly understand the joy I felt when I came across The NES Emulator on Facebook.
The emulator is basically an online version of the Nintendo Entertainment System you can play through your Facebook page. The application also has a scoring system that tells the world how great of an NES player you really are. Recognize!
The emulator system isn’t a great way to play Final Fantasy or any game that you have to save, but it is an awesome time suck (is there such a thing?) when playing Mario or Excite Bike. My current Nintendo rank is Goomba and I am certain I will be some sort of Mushroom King by the end of the day.
Let us hope that someone makes a Genesis Facebook application so I can get my Sonic on.
$50 Million to Facebook Application Development Firm
Monday, January 21st, 2008
PC Pro, a UK based magazine, is reporting this morning that the Facebook application development firm Slide has secured $50 million in backers. The article boasts that this is 10 times the normal investment in ‘web 2.0′ company.
Currently slide has 65 employees and is looking to expand to 100 by the end of the fiscal year. Slide applications rank as some of the top Facebook apps with an estimated 143 million users. Some of their more popular applications are: Slide Show, SuperPoke and Funwall.
Slide is boasting that they have the growing power to enter the league of developers like Adobe, EA, and Intuit. What I find most interesting about this claim is how none of the afore mentioned companies play in the same field. While the three companies all developers of software, each firm develops software for a very particular user.
I guess that is where Slide is really banking on growth. Most development firms focus on creating software that meets the needs of one group of people. Eventually the software firm expands its market and its user base, but essentially they all grow from a single type of client.
By utilizing the Facebook user base, Slide is able to successfully market to a much larger segment of the computer using population. I don’t know if this market is worth $50 million, but it is interesting to see how VC’s and the market are treating app developers who focus on the Facebook platform.
Do you think an application development firm is worth $50 million. If so why? If not, why not?
Facebook Hording User Data, Even After User Cancels Account
Friday, January 18th, 2008The British Crown is taking a closer look at the way Facebook stores user data. In a report that come across the BBC wires today, Chris Vallance claims that the the UK may be seeking legal action against Facebook unless it finds a better way to manage user data.
The problem arises from what happens after a Facebook user deletes his or her profile. We all know that we give Facebook a disgusting amount of personal data, but we all believed that if you deleted your profile that your data was deleted off the Facebook servers. It isn’t that by deleting your account you fail to remove your information, the problem comes from the information your friends profiles have collected about you.
Facebook has made an official statement regarding the matter stating that privacy is the foremost of Facebook’s concern and that currently all of Facebook’s policies comply with UK law. Facebook reminds users that they have to manually log into a Facebook account and “delete all profile content”
I am lucky, I have very few friends, as for people who have hundreds maybe thousands of friends this task would be near impossible. Privacy is always an issue with social networking and Facebook is treading on thin ice when it comes to this issue. Presently the Information Commissioner’s Office of the UK believes the entire process of deleting user data is too difficult for the standard Facebook user. If Facebook fails to meet the requirements of the ICO some stern legal action could take place.
How many of you out there feel that Facebook is miss handles your personal information? Are any of you scared that the wrong people may have access to your data after you think it has been deleted? Let me know.
See What I Am Doing Right Now.
Monday, January 14th, 2008I like to take pictures. If you view my Flickr account you will see I have around five thousand saved online and I will upload more today I am sure. So when I happened across a program called Zannel for Facebook I was pleasantly surprised. The long and short of it is this. Zannel lets me take a picture with my cell phone, and using a text message or email upload it to my Facebook page. The concept isn’t revolutionary, but the application is very easy to use.
Zannel also creates a page on their website that saves all your pictures for you. This second feature isn’t all that great for me since I have a pro Flickr account, but if you need a place to store your photos from your cell online, Zannel is just as good as any of the services out there.
The real beauty of Zannel is that it lets me tag my photos when they go on my Facebook page. I can create a clever message, my mom says I am clever, and upload a photo with ease. If Zannel could somehow combine this with my twitter account I would love this application for ever.
All and all Zannel is a useful application. If you don’t have a Blackberry or Smartphone with some fancy third party application and you want to send instant photos to your Facebook page I think Zannel is a great choice… Just make sure you have unlimited text and picture messaging.
Who is a Public Figure?
Friday, January 11th, 2008I just finished reading a short story posted in the United Press International coming out if Cincinnati about three teens who were suspended from school. The long and short of it is this: three students created a Facebook profile of a teacher. Then then listed that teacher as a ‘pedophile’.
This is a pretty simple case of defamation right? The teens posted a false statement about a teacher with the intent to cause malice, open and shut case. Not necessarily, the students and parents claimed it was a ‘free speech’ exercise that took place outside of school. This defense is nonsense.
Free speech does not cover defamation. Defamation, slander and liable, are some tricky questions when it comes to free speech, but most agree that private figures receive sweeping protection from defamation simply because they are private figures.
The real reason the students haven’t received a real punishment, they were suspended from school for 10 days, is because they used a picture of the teacher they found online. The line between private figure and public figure had been crossed, once the teacher had placed his photo online, for all intent and purposes of the law he had become a public figure. Proving defamation against a public figure is incredibly time consuming and very expensive.
I am interested to hear if any of you have opinions on this story. Do any of you think that posting a photo online, creating a Facebook page, or blogging makes you a public figure? According to the law it does, do you agree?
Can we gag Facebook?
Friday, January 4th, 2008The Toronto Star just published an article focusing on a police injunction and a gag order. The sum of the article is that traditional media had been issued a gag order, a legal decree silencing the media for a short period of time based on investigations integrity, revolving around the death of a young girl named Stefanie Rengel, but several Facebook pages were published releasing the girl’s name.
If you want to read the rest of this article please visit The Social Times.
