Internet topics
What is a browser?
Anyone who has been reading this blog knows that I keep saying that the average person knows very little (and often cares less) about how anything on a PC works. Nothing could confirm this position more convincingly than a series of street interviews made by Google where random people were asked, “What is a browser?” [...]
The browser that won’t die
When Microsoft was king of the browser world, it paid little attention to the notion of standards for the HTML and CSS coding that is the basis for Web pages. Microsoft thought that by imposing its own way of doing things it could lock users into a closed Microsoft-only system. Consequently, Internet Explorer 6 (IE6) [...]
FTC and disclosure for bloggers
One of the faults of much that appears on the Internet is that it isn’t clear when the author might have a conflict of interest. I posted about this recently and I am glad to see that the FTC is finally asking for some disclosure. eWeek reports:
The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) issued new guidelines Oct. [...]
Browser statistics
Every now and then it’s interesting to look at the usage statistics for the different browsers. To be sure, there is no unique way to measure which browsers people are using and vested interests can always find a metric that suits their purposes. Hence, the conflicting reports you find. However, one widely used set of [...]
Is the Internet rotting our brains?
More than one observer has bemoaned the effect that the Internet is having on how we think. But Salon has interviewed linguistics expert Dennis Baron who answers the question above with an emphatic “no”. The Salon article begins:
By now the arguments are familiar: Facebook is ruining our social relationships; Google is making us dumber; texting [...]
Is Web security hopeless?
As I read the constant stream of reports about scams and malware on the Internet, I am reminded of a post at TechCrunchIT called The Almost Hopeless Challenge Of Web Security. Nik Cubrilovic wrote:
Today we are trusting the web with our most personal and important data, from private photos and social graphs to finances and [...]
The governance of ICANN
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is the nonprofit group that manages the Internet domain name system. Originally under American government control, its governance is gradually being internationalized. It’s a little known but important body and I have been following its transformation as the Internet has become truly worldwide.
On September 30, a [...]
How to check if an external site is down
Sometimes when you try to open a Web page, nothing happens or you get an error message. The problem could be on your end but very often it’s trouble at the the Web site. So how can you tell? Assuming you haven’t lost Internet service entirely, you can try down for everyone or just me. [...]
The Internet Archive
I’ve previously mentioned the Wayback Machine, an archive of old Web pages. An even more comprehensive digital collection is being constructed at the Internet Archive. The site is described:
The Internet Archive, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is building a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Like a paper library, we provide [...]
The Google Chrome browser
There are quite a few free Internet browsers available but the majority of home PC users stick with Internet Explorer (IE) since it is already there in Windows. Downloading and installing a browser like Firefox is a simple and straightforward process but even that small hurdle keeps average users as prisoners of IE. In fact, [...]
Etiquette on the Internet
Some readers may remember when Emily Post had a widely read newspaper column where she reigned as the the arbitrator of etiquette and good taste. Now Jenna Wortham at the New York Times is taking on a similar role for questions about etiquette on the Internet in a new column called Internet Protocol:
Its primary [...]