Daily Marauder

ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA

Faced with its second mass protest by members in its short life span, Facebook, the enormously popular social networking Web site, is reining in some aspects of Beacon. Within the last 10 days, more than 50,000 Facebook members have signed a petition objecting to the new program, which sends messages to users’ friends about what they are buying on Web sites like Travelocity.com, TheKnot.com and Fandango. The members want to be able to opt out of the program completely with one click, but Facebook won’t let them. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/30/technology/30face.html?_r=1&oref=slogin11/30)

It was only a matter of time before Facebook responded. In September of last year, users similarly revolted when Facebook launched the News Feed. I applaud Facebook for bringing new features and functionalities to their site. There is no love lost there. This simple change makes me much happier and shows that Facebook is more malleable to their users’ concerns than just about every other corporation in the corporate American wasteland.

Facebook is filing legal motions to force 02138 magazine to remove lawsuit documents from its Web site concerning Connect U’s legal battle with Facebook. These documents which include Zuckerberg’s application to Harvard, his e-mail to Harvard’s Administrative Board, testimony, and Facebook cash flow from 2005, are all available for the moment online here.

NBC Universal began offering prime time shows through online video subscription service Netflix, offering previously aired episodes of Heroes for streaming the day after they premiere on air. The deal makes the DVD online rental giant the exclusive SVOD outlet for the show, after G4 and Mojo picked up its off-net syndication rights. Past seasons of 30 Rock, Friday Night Lights and The Office will also be available on the service.

So let me get this straight. I can stream episodes from season 2 of Heroes on nbc.com for free, stream for free on Hulu.com, now stream for free on Netflix.com, download on NBC direct for free, or watch an episode for $1.99 on Amazon Unbox? [sigh] The only difference between watching for free and watching for $$ is whether or not advertising is inserted into the episode. With so many different places to watch NBC content, it seems more and more blatant that I can’t watch on Apple’s iTunes. NBC’s current online distribution model seems to put the power in the viewer’s choice. Offer every possible online viewing option and see how the chips fall. In essence, we have a major broadcast network allowing viewers to decide how they want to watch. Let’s see if others decide to follow.

The “next big thing on the Internet” is disconnecting, according to Arianna Huffington, co-founder and editor in chief of The Huffington Post. “Everybody’s so overloaded,” she says. Our “inner lives” are failing to be nourished in the digital age. “We are incredibly sleep deprived.” (http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=71870 11/30

Time spent watching traditional television will continue to rise, while a major audience for Internet video could take many years to develop, according to new data from consultancy Bain & Co. Internet video sites will confront “capacity constraints.” Plus, “the technology isn’t quite there.” (http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSGOR96992320071129 11/29)

Amazon.com is launching in public beta a question-and-answer Web site that lets users share knowledge with each other, and offers rewards to those who consistently provide quality information. The concept behind the new Askville.com is to have users respond to each other’s questions. (http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml;?articleID=204301262 11/29)

U.S. domain-name registrar Go Daddy, known for its racy ads, plans to advertise during the 2008 Super Bowl. However, the Fox network has already shot down two proposed commercials, deeming them “in poor taste.” Go Daddy says it still plans to buy “at least one” game spot. (http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/1128biz-godaddy1128.html 11/28)

2007 Go Daddy SuperBowl Ad

Comcast Chief Technology Officer Tony Werner says the company will have a Docsis 3.0 framework ready in 20% of its national service area by the close of next year. The 3.0 infrastructure can offer Internet users download speeds of 100 Mbps or greater. (Light Reading 11/29)