If there is one thing that everyone knows about, it’s advertising. No matter where we look, there always seems to be a thirty-second television spot, billboard, or conveniently placed Coke can within eye shot. While that sort of bombardment does have the tendancy to be annoying at points, it could always be worse. We could be living in the media obsessed dystopia of Max Headroom. In the series, advertising is present in three unique, highly diverse ways. On today’s installment of Twenty Minutes into the Future, we will take a look at three techniques and discuss how each are being used in today’s culture.

Technique #1: The Cheviot Method

Championed By: Ben Cheviot (George Coe), founder and president of Network 23.
Thesis: People first, ads second.
Explanation: According to the “Cheviot Method” of advertising, it is imperative to remember that it isn’t robots and/or lemmings watching these ads. It’s people. If “advertiser A” uses their predetermined ad time to insult the viewer, or if they try to do to much, the viewer is less likely to return. If such behavior keeps up over time, the viewer will simply “give up” and simply stop caring about your product or service. By treating people like people, not only do you get the viewer to care about the product, you make hem more willing to investigate other products or services that have your name on it.
In-Show Result: Network 23 is consistently number one in the ratings.
Real-World Example: Anyone who tows the Free Line concept practices this advertising method.

Technique #2: The Grossberg Method

Championed By: Ned Grossberg (the late Charles Rocket), the president of Network 66 and Cheviot’s mortal enemy.
Thesis: People exists to buy things, so they might as well be buying those things from us.
Explanation: When this particular advertising method is employed, the consumer essentially becomes secondary to the items that are being shown on the screen. Although the company involved might see a initial spike in “audience participation,” the numbers will actually be lower overall. To compensate for this, the advertiser/network is forced to employ a variety of gimmicks in order to coerce people into coming back for more. In the show, these gimmicks ranged from ridiculous (”Watch 66 in your sleep! You can do that now!”) to horrifying (one second long “blipverts” that had a nasty habit of making fat people explode) to the downright bizarre (a reality show about the life and times of super genius infants).
In-Show Result: Grossberg is made to look like a fool on a fairly regular basis; network ratings go down sharply.
Real-World Example: Any company labeled as an “evil corporation” has been accused of using this advertising method at least once in their existence.

Technique #3: The Zik Zak Method

Championed By: A fairly mysterious, multi-national corporation called “Zik Zak.” While it is implied that Zik Zak makes everything from furniture to prescription drugs, the company’s main products are soft drinks and fast food.
Thesis: People?! Who cares about people! Buy our stuff and quit complaining!
Explanation: People who employ this kind of advertising structure simply do not care about anyone or anything other than their product. It really doesn’t matter if people get “inconvenienced” or even find themselves in a sticky situation. They still bought the product. The “in-world” example of this tactic is the NeuralStim, a “free bracelet” that caused people to crave cheeseburgers. In the case of our hero, Edison Carter, the bracelet made him nearly die from overspending.
In-Show Result: The “faulty” bracelets cause Zik Zak to nearly go bankrupt.
Real-World Example: In a fictional TV show, it’s called a “NeuralStim.” In the real word, it’s called “malware.”
Special Note: During my research, I ran across three very different organizations that call themselves “Zik Zak.” Please keep in mind that the comments above only apply to the fictional corporation, not to the these real-life entities.

Our Advice: The “Cheviot Method” is the only way to go. As I said a few days ago. These are your people. Never forget that. Your customers (and everyone else, for that matter) will thank you in the long run.

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 noticed, summer is upon us. It’s too nice to stay in our makeshift home offices, it doesn’t necessarily make sense for us to completely abandon our posts. Our solution to this conundrum is simple: mobile applications. On today’s special episode of Showdown, we take our first glances at six programs optimized for our mobile phones. With that said, here we go…
Mobile App #1: Friend View

Website: http://betalabs.nokia.com/betas/view/nokia-friend-view
Programmer: Nokia
Service Provided: Microblogging
First Impression: “My phone says I’m in Finland. Why am I in Finland?”
Notes: Unlike most people, our lovely product tester did not buy her phone from the cell phone company. Her phone is actually an unlocked model, meaning that it isn’t tied to a particular provider. It works perfectly, albeit for one small quirk — it was originally made for the European market. Because of this, her phone regularly defaults to either Berlin, Germany or Helsinki, Finland. Needless to say, this “interesting development” makes installing a program designed for American handsets an “interesting” experience.

Mobile App #2: Jagag

Website: http://www.jag.ag/homepage.aspx
Programmer: Jag.ag
Service: Website Creation
First Impression: “Quiet. I’m playing.”
Notes: Don’t be fooled by the minimalist website or the awkward looking caricatures of Borat and Kevin Federline — this service is detailed, complex, and very interesting.

Mobile App #3: Mig33

Website: http://mig33.com/
Programmer: Project Goth, Inc.
Service: Skype, photo sharing, and social networking all rolled into one service
First Impression: “I like the cute little robot mascot.”
Notes: At press time, we are still waiting for our authorization code. It should be here shortly … we hope.

Mobile App #4: Treemo

Website: http://www.treemo.com/
Programmer: Treemo Inc.
Service: Media sharing
First Impression: “Why do sites such as this always want to find my friends?”
Notes: Treemo is the poster boy for “mobile social networking.” Everything on the site, from the text message “shortcut” to the available multimedia storage, is made for people on the go. While we don’t know how well Treemo will hold up over time, our curiosity is definitely piqued.

Mobile App #5: SMS GupShup

Website: http://www.smsgupshup.com/
Programmer: Webaroo Technology (India) Private Limited
Service: Microblogging by way of text messaging
First Impression: “Is this that one from India? [Pause] Why do they take for granted that I’m a cricket fan?”
Notes: Although it’s rather unknown in North America, SMS GupShup is hugely popular in India. Will it be hugely popular with the Free Line? We are about to find that very thing out.

Mobile App #6: Zannel

Website: http://www.zannel.com/index.htm
Programmer: Zannel Inc.
Service: Microblogging
Notes: So we meet again, Mr. Bond…

Sometimes, we find the weirdest things sitting in our own attics and/or basements. The same thing goes for us. On today’s episode of Showdown, we take a look at five programs listed in our own wiki. The “selection” process was easy: we just clicked the “random page” button. With that said, here we go…

Service #1: Jimdo

Website: http://www.jimdo.com/
Wiki Link: http://www.freelinereport.com/wiki/Jimdo
Service: Website creation
First Impression:“Wow … that was easy…”
Ease of Use (Out of ten): 10
Positives: Signing up for the service is as easy as humanly possible. All you have to do is request the name you want. After a few minutes and one email later, you have a complete, albeit simple, template waiting for you. From there, the world is truly your oyster. Everything is mapped out, making even the hardest task appear to be simple ones.
Negatives: “Advanced” features such as PHP and Ruby on Rails support cost extra.
Overall (Out of ten): 9; “This is nice … ridiculously nice.”

Service #2: Biographicon

Website: http://www.biographicon.com/
Wiki Link: http://www.freelinereport.com/wiki/Biographicon
Service: Biographical wiki
First Impression: “I get an entire page to describe my boring life. Yay for me!”
Ease of Use: N/A — It’s a wiki. If you have used one, you have used them all.
Positives: Celebrities, politicians, and athletes aren’t the only people who deserve their own wiki page. It’s Wikipedia for “average” people.
Negatives: It’s Wikipedia for “average” people.
Overall: 8; “It’s weird, but in a good way.”

Service #3: Mindomo

Website: http://www.mindomo.com/help/index.htm
Wiki Link: http://www.freelinereport.com/wiki/Mindomo
Service: Mind mapping software
First Impression: “I’m currently staring at a blank screen right now. Why am I on a blank screen?”
Ease of Use: 8
Positives: In many ways, Mindomo is the “Word” of mind mapping software. Everything is neatly organized and designed with the novice user in mind. Unlike most programs of its ilk, Mindomo allows users to add things that aren’t usually found on traditional mind maps such as videos, website links, email attachments, audio files.
Negatives: The true “Mindomo” experience costs money. As it stands, the user can only save seven “private” maps, but create as many “public” maps as they please. While the $6 a month fee won’t exactly break the bank, it’s still more than many other free (read: open source) programs out there.
Overall: 8

Service #4: WorldWide Telescope

Website: http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/Home.aspx
Wiki Link: http://www.freelinereport.com/wiki/Microsoft_World_Wide_Telescope
Service: Interstellar map
First Impression: “I’m looking at Uranus!”
Ease of Use: 8 (If you enjoy astronomy); 6 (for everybody else)
Positives: Simple enough for a bored student in science class to use but sophisticated enough for the most hardcore amateur astromoner, the WorldWide Telescope makes virtual stargazing fun … if you’re a fan of the heavens, that is.
Negatives: A program such as this is definitely not for everybody.
Overall: 7

Service #5: Goosh

Website: http://www.goosh.org/
Wiki Link: http://www.freelinereport.com/wiki/Goosh
Service: Unofficial Google command line
First Impression: “What the heck is this?! Why does Google have a command line?”
Ease of Use: 9 (If you like command lines); 2 (if you don’t)
Positives: Goosh does everything the regular Google search does — straight web earch, Gmail, YouTube, etc. — only from the command line. It’s also much, much faster than the traditional engine.
Negatives: There are those out there who sob uncontrollably at the sight of a command line. If this is you, we highly advise you to stay far, far away from this service.
Overall: 9 (command line lovers); -9 (command line haters)

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?”

Every now and again, we here at the Free Line like to take a walk on the weird side. On today’s special edition of the Showdown, we take a look at four social media sites that take being odd to dizzying new heights.

Service #1: Rasba

Website: http://www.rasba.com/
Service Type: Social networking/shopping
Mainstream Equivalent: Brando
First Impression: “What is all of this? This is weird…”
Weirdness Factor (Out of 5): 5
Why It’s Weird: Rasba is an odd combination of a social network and online marketplace. Once you finally venture into the heart of the site, you slowly realize that the “store” has more in common with famed oddment reseller Brando than it does with Amazon.com. Pillows that look like cassette tapes, necklaces made out of vintage typewriter keys, watches that tell time by gauges instead of numbers … all this and more is available on Rasba.
Positives: Everything about this site, from the concept to the setup to the physical merchandise, is interesting.
Negatives: The prices are insane. Seriously … some of these things will make your wallet sob uncontrollably.
Overall (Out of 10): 7

Service #2: StoryMash

Website: http://storymash.com/
Service Type: Social writing
Mainstream Equivalent: N/A
First Impression: “So let me get this straight — I can take over somebody’s crappy story? Why would I want to do that?”
Weirdness Factor: 5
Why It’s Weird: StoryMash is an online literary version of spreading a rumor in a high school English class. For every one person who sticks to the original “spirit” of the story, there are three who take the general concept and run with it. The result is a piece of fiction that doesn’t even remotely resemble what you started out with.
Positives: “Writing by committee” is a rather intriguing concept.
Negatives: You run the risk of having your story “ruined” by a bad writer. The more who get involved, the higher that risk gets.
Overall: 7

Service #3: Gather

Website: http://www.gather.com/
Service Type: Social networking
Mainstream Equivalent: MySpace, Facebook, etc.
First Impression: “It’s the online equivalent to a stately ‘wine and cheese’ party that pays you for sticking around”
Weirdness Factor: 3
Why It’s Weird: Gather is designed to be the “antidote” to teen-centric networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook. Instead of bombarding users with flashy graphics and poorly designed user spaces, Gather offers users a relaxed atmosphere designed for adults. Gather is also unique in the sense that it “pays” users to be active. After spending a predesignated amount of time on the site, loyal users are rewarded with a bevy of “Gather Points.” These points can be put towards a variety of items, from gift cards to free cups of coffee. This not only insures a robust conversation, it gives users a physical reason to come back.
Positives: It’s nice to see something that is geared towards adults.
Negatives: The general tone of the site can be a bit off-putting to some.
Overall: 7

Service #4: ZiiTrend

Website: http://www.ziitrend.com/
Service Type: Social soothsaying
Mainstream Equivalent: N/A
First Impression: “I’m not exactly sure what I’m looking at.”
Weirdness Factor: 5
Why It’s Weird: ZiiTrends is based around the concept that online polls can accurately predict the future.
Positives: If you ever have wondered how complete strangers felt about robotic nurses in Canada or the breed of the president’s dog, then this site is for you.
Negatives: Playing “armchair psychic” is definitely not for everyone.
Overall: N/A, as we’re not exactly sure how to go about rating something like this.

The Great Linux Experiment just keeps on keeping on. In today’s post, we will attempt to describe what it’s like to compile a program from scratch. So follow along with us as we try to get the new “Epiphany with WebKit” browser running in Fedora 10.

Before actually installing the browser, Angela has to install the WebKit rendering engine first. While that might seem easy, it’s not. She first has to load a rather large file directly from Terminal (the command line) before even attempting to put it all together. Since unpacking the thing is taking a bit longer than initially expected, we have the following:

The folks at MTV seem to have modern social media on their collective minds. The former music video station/trendsetter is planning to use the likes of Twitter and Facebook to create a “flagship show” in the style of the now defunct Total Request Live. Like with the previously mentioned CNN program Rick Sanchez Direct, the show will be based around host Alexa Chung’s interactions with viewers that inhabit the various services. The fans will also have an opportunity to submit their own videos to the show. Expect the as-yet unnamed program to debut sometime this summer.

Twitter and Facebook aren’t the only Internet sensations that are currently being eyeballed by MTV. The bigwigs at the network are in talks with controversial ex-WWE World Champion/notorious free spirit Jeff Hardy for a reality show based upon his life. According to those close to the situation, the show will actually be a “big budget” version of The Hardy Show, the surprisingly popular web program starring Jeff, his brother Matt, and mutual friend Shannon Moore. (Like Jeff, both Matt and Moore are full time professional wrestlers.) An air date for the program is unknown at this time.

…And we are back! Unfortunately, the file is still unpacking. While we definitely appreciate the “completeness” of the package, we are beginning to wonder if all of these individual bits are truly necessary. We understand why we would need files labeled as “kernel” or “browser.” The “OS X Tiger” files, on the other hand … now that is a real head scratcher. Needless to say, I think we’re in this for the proverbial “long haul.” In the meantime…

As many of you are quite well aware of, piracy is alive and well on the Internet. While there are those out there who are okay with the practice, most within the industry aren’t exactly thrilled that it’s still happening. Independent game programming house The ACE Team have crafted their own special way to deter the practice: engaging the user in polite, civil dialog. Each copy of their new game, Zeno Crush, has a message attached asking the user if they would consider buying the game sometime in the near future. “We cannot do anything to stop piracy of the game (and honestly don’t intend to do so) but if you are downloading because you wish to try before you buy, I would ask that you purchase the game (and support the independent game development scene) if you enjoy it,” writes the programming team. While it is still a bit too early to see if the rambling, yet genuinely heartfelt, note has affected sales, early word seems positive. Many ardent BitTorrent users claim that they are now planning to actually buy the game, thanks solely to the letter. As always, we will have more on this story as it becomes available.

…And we’re back yet again. Before anyone asks, yes. The file is still unpacking itself. Because of this, the planned install will have to be posted tomorrow. Don’t worry; it will be worth it. Until tomorrow, we bid you all a fond adieu from the land of penguins and GNUs.

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.

Throughout the year-plus run of the Free Line, wonderful viewers and readers such as yourself have left little notes of wisdom at the bottom of our posts. While all of these comments have been read and discussed, none of them have really received a proper response. This ends now. On today’s award winning episode, we take a dip into our “comments” section to see what you, the reader, has to say.

Web2.0Confused writes:

“There has been increasing interest in http://a.nnotate.com/ http://www.showdocument.com and http://www.bubbl.us, could you recommend a similar, more ‘classier’ version of this programme? I feel they looks rather childish etc for global businesses.”

That we can. For traditional meetings, we suggest looking into Scriblink. Like GoToMeeting and Zapproved, it makes meeting online a completely painless proposition. Unlike those, however, it’s free. 2Collab is also a nice little “sharing” service, but it’s more geared to academic research than inter-office communication. If you’re looking for something a bit more “inventive” however, it would be in your best interest to check out Adobe Buzzword. For those unaware, Buzzword is an online word processor that allows other users to critique, edit, and touch up your work. It’s not exactly pretty to look at, but then again, it doesn’t have to be. Simply put, Buzzword gets the proverbial job done, and that’s all that matters.

In response to our piece about the popularity of Twitter and Digg, George Zlatin writes:

“Interesting that Twitter is becoming more popular than Digg. It seems like all the social media sites are fads. They all die down after a while. Interestingly enough, Google is still around…and more popular then ever.”

Apples and oranges. Google, like all traditional search engines, is extremely passive. To the average user, it appears to be nothing more than a dozen links on a page. That sort of thing has been around for over fifteen years now, and is not showing any signs of slowing down. Twitter, and to a lesser extent, Digg, are most definitely “active” services. They thrive on human interaction. As with all things of that nature, people are bound to get bored and stop paying attention. The key is to evolve with the times. As you probably realize, this is easier said than done. Just ask the folks at Yahoo. (The once popular Yahoo Chat service has definitely seen better days, for example.) Whether Biz Stone at Twitter and Kevin Rose at Digg can avoid those pitfalls and maintain an interesting, long lasting service remains to be seen.

In response to our Firefox Fest ‘08 article, Anonymous writes:

“I tried to get Niche Watch Tool as well as Personas, but both said they were for older versions, not 3.0.1.”

No problem. Just do the following:

1. type “about:config” into the address bar. Ignore the warning message, as you won’t be doing much editing.
2. Right click. When the menu appears, select “New,” then click on “Boolean.”
3. Type (or paste) “extensions.checkCompatibility” into the text box and press okay.
4. If the default value of your new addition is “true,” double click on it. It must be set as “false.”
5. Repeat steps two through four, replacing “extensions.checkCompatibility” with “extensions.checkUpdateSecurity.”
6. Restart Firefox.

That’s all there is to it. It’s completely safe, and works almost every time.

Microsoft has decided to step up their advertising game in an unique and interesting way. According to those close to the situation, the new marketing blitz involves immersing the client into the world of Microsoft for exactly one day. During that day, the client will have its image broadcast on a wide variety of platforms, including websites, mobile devices, and Xbox Live. Redmond’s first client is the Discovery Channel, who plans to use the service to hype the season premiere of its popular documentary series/reality show/fishing expedition Deadliest Catch. “The Deadliest Catch campaign demonstrates how we are making it easier for customers to buy and integrate multiplatform digital campaigns,” Microsoft Advertising vice president Keith Lorizio told WebProNews. “[A]dvertisers [can now] reach a targetable [sic], premium online audience where they consume digital content most – PC, mobile and TV screens.” The new Deadliest Catch campaign is up and running now on most Microsoft-related entertainment and advertising sites and services.

In other news, Qik is about to enter the mobile phone service provider business … in a way. The popular online streaming service is teaming up with Irish telecommunications firm Cubic Telecom to release QikRoam, a specially made SIM card designed for use across the globe. For those of you out there who are unfamiliar with the world of mobile devices, a SIM card is a specialized device inserted into phones and other devices that contains the users “vitals,” — mobile carrier, phone service and data plan. By replacing their normal cards with QikRoam, users are now free to literally “film the world” without having to worry about the excessive roaming charges that international travel tends to bring. Access to local cell networks are also included in the service, making calls to home a much less painful proposition. While it isn’t exactly “free,” QikRoam is the perfect travel companion for any world traveler. It also shows what a small little startup can do when they dare to think outside of the proverbial box. QikRoam is available now for all phones that support SIM card technology.

And finally, it seems as if the NBA and the Italian Football Union aren’t the only major sporting organizations to question the use of social media. In our latest go-around, the NCAA has threatened the North Carolina State University athletics programs with sanctions if they do not force a student to remove his Facebook group dedicated to recruiting a highly-ranked high school basketball player. According to the NCAA, the “John Wall PLEASE Come to NC State” Facebook group could be misconstrued by Wall and his family as a school-sponsored plea for his services. Such pleas are considered to be recruiting violations by the NCAA and are strictly prohibited. The student in question maintains that the page was more about school spirit than about underhanded recruiting, and is quick to point out that Wall-based groups are rather common. Neither Facebook nor John Wall have yet to comment publicly on the situation.