Anyone who lived through the late 1980’s ought to remember Max Headroom, the hyperactive, pseudo-CGI “head in the box” portrayed by actor Matt Frewer. The Max Headroom character was everywhere in those days, from music videos to ads for Coca-Cola and seemingly everything in between. What many people don’t remember, however, is the science fiction program that bared the character’s name. This was not the lovable, wacky Max that called Cinemax and England’s Channel 4 home. This Max exists in a world where the major television networks are in charge. Because of this, such every day items as the off switch and the mute button are deemed to be illegal. Televisions are everywhere, including bathrooms and junk yards. Simply put, no one could ever escape the grip of the mass media, and the people like it that way.

Working within the confines of this odd, “Network-meets-The Matrix” world is Edison Carter (also portrayed by Matt Frewer), ace reporter for the highly-rated Network 23 and the “basis” for Max Headroom. It is his mission to bring his viewers the truth, no matter the situation. In the show’s fourteen episodes, Emerson and company does everything from thwart a sentient supercomputer to blowing the lid off of a dangerous subliminal advertising scheme run by Bill Maher, using nothing more than quick thinking and a heaping helping of brutal honesty. The viewer, both physically in the show and otherwise, are constantly reminded that the world is a better place thanks to people like Emerson Carter and his “computerized” alter ego. As long as there are people fighting for the truth, there really is nothing to worry about.

In many ways, we are approaching this basic existence, only with a different concept serving as our vice. Instead of thriving on a flashing picture, we are addicted to information. I don’t just mean the “TMZ/Perez Hilton” style celebrity gossip columns. I mean anything. Pick your topic — President Obama, professional wrestling, U2 — and I bet there is someone, somewhere talking, tweeting, or blogging about it at this very moment. We need to know about what is going on, and we need to know it now. Take the recent “best of seven” series between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic for example. Five years ago, we would have had to wait two to three days to hear former Laker Shaquille O’Neal talk about his former team. Thanks to Twitter, we heard it minutes after the Lakers cliched the NBA title. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that this kind of “instant feedback” can become addictive.

Now despite what some might be thinking, things really aren’t all that dire. Our world isn’t based upon the idea of two-way television sets or networks that can make commercials so compact that they make people’s heads literally explode. We’re simply talking about the delivery of information, not a re-creation of 1984. It’s human nature to want to know what is going on around us. Exploiting that desire, on the other hand, is something else entirely. It all comes down to priorities. Those who put more effort into their advertising than their content are more likely to alienate their audiences than the people who put their “product” front and center. By ignoring the very thing that got you into this very situation to begin with, the writer/blogger/YouTube “star” is actually sending a message that your fan base’s mouse click means more than their physical presence. Who cares if the content is good nor not? You clicked the link. It’s your loss.

While it might seem like a good idea now, turning your audience into a group of mind-numbed automatons randomly clicking things will not help you become a success in the long run. The trick, if you want to call it that, is to adopt what I like to call the “Edison Carter” approach to content creation and maintenance. It all breaks down to three basic principles:

1. Your users are more than just a group of random mice clicking a white box. They’re people. Your people. Always keep that in mind when developing your content.
2. Stay genuine to your cause.
3. Stay open to the needs and concerns of your user base.

Do this, and the world just might become a better place. If you don’t, well … let’s just say living in an “off switch-free world” is not anyone’s idea of a good time. Be sure to come back tomorrow for part two of our three part series. Until then, this is Brad Fallon signing off for Network 23 the Free Line.

As you might have heard, Firefox isn’t the only browser that uses the Gecko rendering engine. On today’s browser-centric edition of the Showdown, we take a look at four of the strangest Gecko-based browsers available today.

Browser #1: Sea Monkey

Website: http://www.seamonkey-project.org/
Programmer: The SeaMonkey Council
Special Talent: Looking and acting as close to the old Netscape browser as humanly possible.
First Impression: “No sir, I don’t like it.”
Positives: The nostalgia factor is high on this one. Those who long for the days of Netscape Communicator 4 will find a lot to love here. Everything is exactly how you remembered it, from the low resolution icons to the built-in IRC client.
Negatives: Not everyone was a fan of Netscape Communicator 4.
Overall (Out of 10): 4
Final Thought: “Long live the 1990’s.”

Browser #2: Flock

Website: http://flock.com/
Programmer: Flock, Inc.
Special Talent: Social networking
First Impression: “Oooh … Networks!”
Positives: Those who enjoy social media and networking will no doubt love this browser. Links to all of the major social sites, from MySpace and facebook to Flickr and YouTube, have been given its own frame at the side of the screen. Need to update your blog? Send a tweet? Post something new on Digg? Flock allows you to do all of those things and more without even batting an eye.
Negatives: Remove the social media aspect, and all you’re left with is a slightly modded version of Firefox.
Overall (Out of 10): 7
Final Thought: “Flock is the perfect browser for social networking fans.”

Browser #3: Wyzo

Website: http://www.wyzo.com/
Programmer: Radical Software Ltd.
Special Talent: Downloading interactive media of all shapes and sizes.
First Impression: “Are you sure that I just didn’t load Firefox again?”
Positives: Wyzo is designed to make the free exchange of copyrighted intellectual property as painless as possible. Every file — BitTorrent, music files, photographs … the list goes on and on — is downloaded within the confines of the browser instead of in a separate “downloading” box. Not only does this make things a bit easier for the user, it cuts down on the number of open windows. Wyzo also makes good use of CoolIris, a Firefox add-on that specializes in the dissemination of online video. Thanks to CoolIris, getting to sites such as Hulu and Mevio are as easy as pressing a button.
Negatives: Wyzo looks and acts like Firefox a bit too much for our tastes.
Overall (Out of 10): 7
Final Thought: “It’s interesting.”

Browser #4: Kirix Strata

Website: http://www.kirix.com/
Programmer: The Kirix Corporation
Special Talent: Data analysis.
First Impression: “What the heck is this?!”
Positives: Kirix Strata combines the so-called “traditional website experience” with the thrill of spreadsheet creation and cost report analysis. Despite everything, Strata truly is a nice spreadsheet program that many hardcore accountants will no doubt love. It just happens to be attached to a web browser.
Negatives: We seriously doubt that there is a huge market out there for people who wish to read the Drudge Report or CNN and crunch numbers at the same time. Another thing: Unlike the multitude of browsers we’ve reviewed over the past few days, the full version of Kirix Strata costs a mind numbing $249.
Overall (Out of 10): 2
Final Thought: “It costs that much? What were they thinking?”

As you might have heard, there are big changes afoot at MySpace. The first big change occurred Wednesday night, when CEO and co-founder Chris DeWolfe was let go by the bigwigs at MySpace’s parent company, News Corporation. According to the official press release, DeWolfe’s departure was a “mutual decision” and he is leaving of the very best of terms. It is rumored that he will act as a “strategic adviser” for the company and will also serve as a board member for MySpace China. Co-founder Tom Anderson is also vacating his current position, but like DeWolfe, is not leaving the company altogether. While the reasoning behind the move is unknown at this time, many within the industry believe that it is due to the threat known to the world as “Facebook.” It is believed by many that new blood is needed in order to “finish off” the plucky upstart once and for all. As always, we will have more on this story as soon as it becomes available.

MySpace isn’t the only major online organization that is making a few “hard decisions.” After nearly fifteen years in business, Yahoo has announced the closure of web hosting service GeoCities. Although it might not seem like much now, GeoCities was once considered one of the hottest and hippest places to be on the web. So hot, in fact, that Yahoo purchased the service, largely considered the “social network” of its day, for an unheard of (at the time) $2.87 billion. Current users are being asked to transfer their sites to the superior, yet decidedly not free, Yahoo Web Hosting. The actual shutdown date is unknown at this time.

And to finish out the week, it seems as if Plurk, everyone’s favorite extra-optimistic microblogging service, has been banned by the Chinese government. The thing is, no one is exactly sure what the company did to incur the wrath of the “Great Firewall of China.” “We feel terribly bad for the thousands of Chinese plurkers that have been affected by this,” writes Plurk developer Amir Salihefendic on his personal blog. “[We are] in shock that their government can do such a censorship.” The programmer also took some time out his busy schedule to talk about what he calls the “suppression of the freedom of speech.” Writes Salihefendic: “[W]e see freedom of speech as a basic human right. It’s known thought [sic] that other big corporations such as Google, Skype, AOL etc. are censoring for the Chinese government and probably indirectly putting people in jail.” As with the MySpace announcement, we will have more on this story as soon as it becomes available.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has been fined $25,000 by the NBA after using Twitter to complain about league officiating. “Just found out [that I] got fined $25K by [the] NBA,” the always opinionated Cuban wrote/Tweeted Monday. “Nice … [We] can’t say that no one makes money from Twitter now. The NBA does.”

As many sports fans are aware, this isn’t the first time that he has used modern technology to question the competency of the league. During the January 13th meeting between the Mavericks and the Denver Nuggets, he reportedly saw Nuggets shooting guard J.R. Smith elbow opposing small forward Antoine Wright in the head. Feeling that the refs blew the call, the ever present Cuban took it upon himself to personally confront Smith about the incident. He then wrote a sarcastic letter of apology to the player, which was then immediately posted on his blog. The incident earned the Mavericks’ owner a $25,000 fine and a personal condemnation from NBA commissioner David Stern, a noted critic of Cuban’s off-the-court antics.

Needless to say, the situation has gotten people talking. Interestingly, the conversations have more to do with the nature of microblogging and social networking than the so-called “wacky antics” of Mark Cuban. According to some, such as Denver Post columnist and ESPN personality Woody Paige, using modern technology to vent your frustrations is no different than using a telephone to tell a friend about an annoying coworker. “[Social media applications such as Twitter and Facebook] don’t count,” said Paige on the ESPN program Around the Horn. “You’re just trying to have a conversation with somebody. It just doesn’t count.” CNET columnist Chris Matyszczyk tends to agree with Paige, saying that Cuban was merely doing what he does best — speaking his mind to those who will listen. As far as he is concerned, the NBA is trying to “censor him” in order to hide the fact that he is “more intelligent than most of its members.”

Not everyone shares that point of view, however. Many writers, including featured AOL Fanhouse columnist and fellow ESPN personality Jay Mariotti, feel that Cuban has crossed the proverbial line yet again. “It was for public consumption,” said Mariotti. “You can assume that he really didn’t mean it or that he wasn’t sending it to the NBA. But once it’s on Twitter, it’s out there for the masses [to read]. He deserved to be fined.” These sentiments echo those of noted sportscaster Tony Kornheiser, who believes that using social media applications such as Twitter and MySpace to “vent” are essentially no different than writing an op-ed column in a traditional newspaper. According to Kornheiser, the writer is using an established forum to air his or her views. If the writer says something controversial, then he or she should be held responsible. The “newness” of that forum should not be taken into account, as it still a public forum.

And where does Mark Cuban stand on all of this? He blames the media. In a post on his blog, Cuban questions the legality of the original ESPN report, suggesting that the sports giant broke international copyright law by reprinting his Tweets without permission. “I Tweeted to the people who follow me. While I never asked that they not distribute it to other tweeters, I did not give anyone permission to republish my Tweets in a commercial newspaper, magazine or website.” He goes on to ponder the legal ramifications of the “stolen” Tweets and whether or not he should have expected them to remain private in the first place.

All in all, the entire Cuban/Twitter incident clearly illustrates the complexities of web 2.0-based communication. In many ways, these concerns mirror those brought about by the so-called “Napster fiasco” of ten years ago. As with Twitter and MySpace now, Napster was delivering an intellectual product in a way never before seen. When musicians such as Metallica and Dr. Dre questioned the new system, pundits initially focused more on the concept of “intellectual property rights” than on the fact that several million people were pirating copyrighted music. Although it might seem pointless now, it was a conversation that simply had to happen. After all, it was impossible to go after a person for violating “intellectual property rights” when no one knew exactly what those “rights” truly were. We are going through the same exact scenario now, only with hipper, more modern terminology. Once everything is straightened out, stories such as this will be nothing but a blip on the radar screen. In the meantime, however, we here at the Free Line suggest that you watch what you say online. The last thing any of us need to deal with is a $25,000 fine from David Stern.

Sometimes it pays to be original when it comes to creating new content. The treasure trove of unique, different and, in some cases, just plain weird ideas can mean more to a prospective user than the billions of Twiiter clones ever could. On today’s episode of the Free Line, we take a look at three projects that take “thinking differently” to an entirely new level.

SWiK - In the minds of many, “open source” software is a rather difficult field to grasp. To the uninitiated, the stories and write ups could seem as if they were written in a foreign language. Sure, “they” might know what “sudo root” means, but you sure don’t. Luckily for us, there’s SWiK. SWiK is a combination wiki and search engine that is designed to make the world of open computing seem a bit more accessible to the average user. The site features extremely detailed, well-written selections on a variety of common programs and concepts, from Linux and Konqueror to GNU and Richard Stallman. Easy enough for a beginner to use but powerful enough for the seasoned veteran, SWiK is the perfect place to start your journey into the world of free software.

OldVersion.com – Despite the old adage, change isn’t always good. The new software in question might not be working properly on your computer. The programmers might have felt the need to take away your favorite feature option or feature. It just might even not work at all, period. It’s times like this that you wish you can go back to the way things used to be. Now you can, thanks to the folks at OldVersion.com. As the name implies, OldVersion.com is dedicated to the preservation of the freeware programs of yesteryear. Want the original Napster software from the year 2000? They have it. Are you hankering for a copy of Internet Explorer 2 that was written especially for Windows 3.11? They have that too. While many of these programs are pretty much non-functional, they are still fun to check out from time to time. All in all, OldVersion.com is great for anyone who is feeling a bit nostalgic, “saddled” with an older system that is physically unable to run many of today’s applications, or just feels like taking part in an interactive history lesson.

Married By MySpace – In the annals of time, people have taken apart in some strange weddings. There are some who have had their ceremonies held at a midnight showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Others choose to tie the knot while riding their favorite roller coaster. Still others, like legendary Canadian wrestling champion Paul LeDuc, feel it’s best for it all to happen inside the ring. Now its time to add MySpace to that list. In “Married By MySpace,” the new project/reality television show from Fox Media, Disney, and wedding site The Knot, the happy couple agrees to hand their plans over to users of the social network. Everything — the ceremony, the reception, even what the bridal party will wear — will be carefully planned by the MySpace faithful. While it might not be a “classic” wedding, it is something that will be remembered.

Facebook is getting a bit of a face-lift, the social network announced Thursday. The big news this time around involves the “news feed” system of profile updates. Instead of having to wait for an “activity stream” to update the profile list, users will now be able to see both site and status changes as they happen. Users will also be able to update the streams to suit their personal tastes. The new update system is the latest in a series of changes designed to give the company an edge in a rather competitive marketplace. The new changes are expected to go live March 11th.

In other social networking news, MySpace fans now have a credit card to call their own. The specially branded Visa card is the latest in a line of incentive-based card, designed to give users “points” for every dollar they spend. Said points could then be redeemed for a variety of rewards, from movie tickets to music downloads. Not everyone is thrilled with the move, however. Many within the financial sector question the logic of marketing a high-APR credit card to college students, many of whom are already dealing with student loans and other collegiate-related debt. Those in the tech industry also have their doubts, saying that the network officials should be focusing more on containing the runaway freight train that is Facebook than giving a twenty year old a line of credit that he or she may not need. The new MySpace Visa is available now.

Elsewhere, many Twitter users believe that they have found the culprits behind the service’s latest crash … and it’s not who you think it is. As far as these users are concerned, the latest round of problems can be blamed upon two distinct entities — respected journalist and talk show host Barbara Walters and Skittles manufacturer M&M/Mars. The story goes like this: Last Monday, Ms. Walters mentioned Twitter by name on her popular daytime program The View. At the same time, M&M/Mars decided that it would be a good idea to replace Skittles web page with a link to a Twitter Search results page for the keyword “Skittles.” According to the conspiracy theorists, the usage spike caused by fan of both The View and the fruit-flavored candy essentially overloaded the servers, causing them to literally cave under the pressure. Unfortunately, the real-life answer is a bit more mundane. In an email sent to tech site ArsTechnica, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone says the outage was nothing more than a routine server error. “Casual on-air mentions do not affect the site nearly as much as [major global events],” he writes. “[The two incidents had] nothing to do with the site degradation experienced earlier this week.”

Next: It seems as if the so-called “green” movement is trying to get a top-level domain of their very own. Spearheaded by Al Gore and a company called “Dot Eco LLC,” the proposed “.eco” TLD would be billed as the premiere domain for all environmentalists, global warming activists, and everyone else who claims to be Mother Nature’s biggest fan. All proceeds generated from the new TLD would go to a bevy of environmentally-friendly and socially conscious charities. Still, not everyone is on board with the idea of creating the world’s greenest suffix. “I’m [writing off] this .eco top level domain right now,” writes TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington. “Not because it’s global warming/eco related… I just don’t think the world needs another top level domain.”

And finally: Every great scribe has a bout with writer’s block every now and again. Each one of us has had his or her own way of dealing with it, usually with mixed results. (My method entails pacing around nervously, scaring the cats.) If you’re in the mood for a modern, distinctly “web 2.0″ solution to your problem, we here at the Free Line suggest giving Plinky a once over. Plinky is a new social network that gives you a list of helpful little “conversation starters,” all designed to get your mind up and running on all cylinders. After you finally have your stroke of genius, you can post it directly on their site, sharing your new idea with the world. The service is also compatible with all of the major blogging platforms, making it simple to get that extra dose of inspiration without ever breaking your concentration. Easy to use and extremely helpful, Plinky is an excellent way to get past what ails you. Your readers — and, if you’re like me, your cats — will thank you.

Charging corporate users to use Twitter might not be as ridiculous as once thought. According to Abrams Research, 39.6% of business owners interviewed would willingly pay a monthly fee in order to use the microblogging service. Many within the industry see the poll as proof of Twitter’s emerging presence in the corporate world and a testament to its staying power. On the other end of the spectrum, 41.1% say that gaming/social networking hybrid site ImInLikeWithYou.com is the most likely to shut down in the next year. Bebo, the United Kingdom’s favorite networking site, comes in at a very distant second with 12.4% of the vote.

Sticking with Twitter for a moment, ESPN personality Dan Le Batard has a few interesting thoughts concerning the service’s popularity with athletes. Appearing as a guest host on Pardon the Interruption, the newspaper columnist/talk show host sees “technological advances” such as microblogging and text messaging as a way of eliminating the need for sports writers. “We’re fast approaching the day where [professional athletes] don’t need the media at all… They’re not going to need the Sports Illustrated cover. They can create their own connections with the fans without our help.” Le Batard’s comments echo the sediments of NBA all-star Chris Bosh, who says he uses Twitter to get everything from driving directions to restaurant suggestions. Fellow all-star and all-around media maven Shaquille O’Neal is also a fan of the service, saying he currently has “about” 93,000 followers.

In other news, MySpace Mobile is getting a much needed overhaul. The new site is created to replicate its full-featured brother as closely as possible, allowing the user to “drift” between interfaces with ease. In addition to the site, the company also announced support for both Nokia handsets and Palm webOS, making MySpace the only social network with a free standing app on every major mobile platform. Those close to the company say the moves could not have come at a better time. Mobile use of networks, especially MySpace, is projected to top 50% within a year or two.

Elsewhere, it seems as if the new, improved TV.com is getting noticed. Hulu, a one-time partner, has pulled all of its content from the site. A few months ago, owner CBS has turned the once innocuous site into a high-tech, online video powerhouse. As such, it was only a matter of time that the proverbial battle lines were drawn. Despite the pull out, TV.com users still have access to content from a variety of networks, including Showtime, Sony, and, of course, CBS. Hulu fans who don’t feel like visiting the main site can still catch its content on the Comcast-sponsored Fancast and Sling.com.

And finally: As you might have noticed, the top three or four links on the average Google search result page are now YouTube videos. The underlying reason for this is due to the company’s “Universal Search” initiative, which allows all Google-owned properties to be searched at any given moment. This tells us three things:

1. When choosing between a finely tuned website and a YouTube video, Google search is much more likely to choose the video — fifty times more likely, says Forrester Research.
2. The old days of the “viral video” are gone. Search engines, particularly Google, are the future.
3. At this stage of the game, videos need YouTube. Without it, your video is much less likely to be picked up by the main search engine.

So what can you do? That’s where the YouTube Secret Weapon comes in. The YouTube Secret Weapon is a brand new project that will not only show you how to optimize your videos, but why optimization works the way it does. The end result is a list of highly ranked, notable videos sitting on top of good ol’ Mount Google. It’s an easy system to follow, completely cost effective, and most importantly, it works. Simply put, the YouTube Secret Weapon will help your video-powered masterpiece top the charts, without making your wallet sob uncontrollably.

The United States government could be getting a bit more “open,” so to speak. An unnamed group of software developers have written an open letter to President Barack Obama, asking him to consider embracing open source technology. In the letter, the group says that those who participate in the open source and FOSS distribution systems “mirror [the values the president] promoted in [his] campaign: hope, change, and openness.” While the idea of going open may be new to the mainstream federal government, it is far from a new idea. Governments and organizations as diverse as the Department of Defense, the state of Massachusetts, and France have experimented with open software, all with varying degrees of success.

In other news, survey firm InsightExpress has uncovered a few interesting tidbits about social networking sites. According to the poll, roughly 71% of users have two or three profiles on a variety of different networks. MySpace is the clear winner in this field, taking in 78% of the user share. Facebook comes in at a respectable second with 71% of the audience, followed by Classmates (22%) and LinkedIn (11%). Users with four or more profiles, however, are a completely different story. Out of these users, 92% say that they frequent Facebook, while only 89% visit MySpace. Industry insiders say the numbers, much like the recent “aging Facebook” story, prove that networking is moving from “teenage fad” to a readily accepted means of communication.

Staying within the world of social media for a moment, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone has a few controversial ideas when it comes to making money off of his service. “We are noticing more companies using Twitter and individuals following them,” said Stone in an interview with British publication Marketing Magazine. “We can identify ways to make this experience even more valuable and charge for commercial accounts.” He also sees the potential of using the popular microblogging service as a tool in both the customer service and marketing industries. Despite the plans, Stone is quick to point out that average users will never be charged to use Twitter.

Elsewhere, it seems as if the Internet radio industry is on the rise. According to a new poll by AccuStream Research, users spent a staggering 6.67 billion hours listening online — a 37.6% increase from 2007. As with years past, do-it-yourself radio pioneers SHOUTcast lead the way, coming in with a 27.6% user share. Feeds derived from a bevy of Clear Channel-owned music stations came in second, bringing in a respectable 16.5% share. “Online music programmers are passionate about radio, and adapting their businesses to an inspired yet challenging marketplace,” research director Paul A. Palumbo told WebProNews. “In 2009 their focus is on running lean, efficient operations, capping international streams while pitching local, regional and national avails.”

And finally, someone new has taken over the reigns of an online music store — you. The People’s Music Store is based around the crazy idea that you know what’s best to listen to. Each file in your own personal store is available in mp3 format, so none of your customers can blame those pesky DRM woes on you. Unfortunately, unless your a fan of the “indie scene” or live in the United Kingdom, the library of available music is less than spectacular right now. None of the major labels have signed off on the plan, and some of the other albums are currently unavailable in North America. That said, the People’s Music Store is still a great way to share your musical tastes with the world, even if your favorite tracks aren’t around at the moment.

Not everyone is a fan of MySpace and Facebook. The social networking sites have been banned by both Apple Stores and the Maryland General Assembly due to the distraction that those sites might cause. In the case of Apple, the ban on MySpace is designed to gently remind the populous that their stores are actual stores, not glorified libraries that happen to sell iPods. Concerning the Maryland General Assembly, the purpose of the ban is to not only cut down on the amount of malware found on government computers, but to force employees to focus on their work. As controversial as the Maryland situation seems, it could always be worse. In October 2007, six bureaucrats in Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture were discovered devoting their entire work days to editing Wikipedia entries covering popular sci-fi series Gundam. The situation became such a political nightmare that ministry official Tsutomu Shimomura had to declare that his office was “not in charge of Gundam.”

Sticking with social networking for a moment, MySpace has figured out a way to make some money off of music videos. Similar to their “Auditude” music system, the new scheme adds a semi-transparent advertisement overlay to the bottom portion of the video. In the first clip fitted with the new ads — “Desolation Row” by My Chemical Romance — viewers are reminded that they can buy the track in both vinyl and digital formats from Amazon. While interesting, the ad plan is nothing new. Video mega-site and potential competitor YouTube unveiled a similar program three weeks ago. Currently available on only two clips, the astounding success of those videos all but guarantee that users will be seeing the overlay ads in their favorite MySpace videos very, very soon.

In other news, web mail mainstay Hotmail has received a few upgrades. Aside from various speed, design, and storage space improvements, the Hotmail team seems to have the wonders of web 2.0 and mobile technology on their collective minds. Users can now follow the social exploits of those in their address book without leaving their inbox, add “interactive features” such as maps and news clips to their messages, and sync up their accounts with their mobile device with ease thanks to expanded POP3 support. Many within the industry feel the new tools will help the Microsoft service further separate itself from the likes of Google and Yahoo, each of which have experimented with their own slate of “social mail” features in the past few months. The new, improved, and decidedly more social Hotmail is available now for all users.

Elsewhere: As longtime fans of the Free Line are aware of, there are quite literally dozens of text editors and word processors out there. You can go “for profit” (Word, Word Perfect) or you can go completely free and open (OpenOffice.org, AbiWord); stripped down (Notepad, Emacs) or extra fancy (Lotus Symphony, Adobe InCopy); proprietary (AppleWorks, KWord) or web-based (Google Docs, Zoho Writer). If all of those don’t float your boat, you can always go new. In this case, the “new” that I speak of is Shutterborg, an online app with a few interesting tricks up its sleeve. In addition to the standard slate of features, Shutterborg lets you fully edit a website without saving it (and the 97 billion associated files that goes with it) first. The result is a simple writing experience that is, at the same time, almost completely hassle free. While it isn’t necessarily big on other features in this stage of the game — files can only be saved in HTML format, for example — there is definitely enough there to have it listed among the elite. Shutterborg is available now for all users.

And finally: Shutterborg isn’t the only online application willing to take some chances. Aviary, the folks behind the Photoshop-esque Phoenix image editor, has unleashed Raven, a graphics program with a distinct vector twist. Widely regarded as a difficult medium to work in, vector graphics have largely been ignored by the the open source and online crowds. Despite its intuitive interface and attractive price tag, don’t expect the program to be a proverbial walk in the park. Vectors are a pain, free software or not. That said, the program does its best to make the process as pain-free as possible. All in all, Raven is perfect for anyone who wants to give vectors a shot, but isn’t willing to spend $600 on Adobe Illustrator to do so.

Given the questionable state of the economy, it’s only natural for businesses to “cut back” on unneeded services and whatnot to save a little money. Even a powerhouse like Google is running into a few “issues” that they need to take care of. The online megastar has announced the discontinuation of several services, including Google Video, Google Catalog Search, and a few invite-only beta tests. In many cases, the now defunct services were considered to be “relics,” a specialist in a field already dominated by another Google service. As with all Google related shutdowns, the teams involved are giving users a few weeks to “finish up” before pulling the plug for good.

In other news, Adobe has put a stop to the practice of in-PDF advertising. Originally designed to add contextual ads to an otherwise ad-free environment, this Adobe/Yahoo co-production wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire. Sources close to Adobe say that the service was scrapped due to a combination of economical and practical matters. Advertisements will no longer be accepted after today, but will continue to run until March 31st. Adobe suggests reloading any affected file after the March 31st cutoff date, as the advertising framework could cause some files to malfunction slightly.

Despite what the previous two articles might have inferred, not everyone is in the process of cutting back. The folks over at Wikipedia have purchased more servers and storage solutions in preparation for the 2009 calendar. “Video file sizes are quickly reaching the dozens and hundreds of megabytes, and the proliferation of high-megapixel cameras means even small photos can take up a few megabytes,” Wikimedia CTO Brion Vibber told tech blog Network World. “The amount of storage actually being used is about 5 [terabytes], but that will grow quickly.” The move comes weeks after the organization’s year-end charity drive, which netted the self-described “non-profit charity” $6 million in much needed funds. According to reports, the new servers will support the site’s fast growing “multimedia” section, which features everything from classical compositions to sports highlights to public-domain documentaries.

Next, WordPress is the king of the blogging services, according to Royal Pingdom. In a poll of the web’s 100 most popular bloggers, 27 say that WordPress is the blogging platform of choice. Despite being the top platform, WordPress only comes in second in the “services” category. That award goes to Typepad, which clocks in with sixteen users. Other services and platforms making the cut include Blogsmith (sixteen users), Movable Type (twelve users), and Gawker (eight users).

And to finish out the week, MySpace is thinking about joining the world of webmail. According to a few “informants” close to the situation, the social networking giant will give every one of their 125 million users a free @myspace.com email address to go along with their accounts. By working things in this fashion, MySpace will instantly become the third largest provider of webmail, behind Yahoo and Hotmail. At press time, MySpace is neither confirming nor denying the report.