March 30, 2007
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Widgets: Huge on the social Web
They're even more than a cottage Internet industry now. But what are they? parents might ask. Widgets are bits of code social networkers can paste into their blogs or social-site profiles, usually to add bits of multimedia interest to them. They seem to have moved well beyond mere page embellishment to having communications and advertising functions for both page owners and advertisers (in different ways).
A recent example is the Indianapolis Colts' official widget, used to promote a 2007 Superbowl tickets contest, constituted of a photo slideshow, Colts news, and links to the latest video in the team's own Web site, according to Mashable.com. It adds that "Bebo was the latest major social network to add widget support." In another post, Mashable shows how big-business widgets have become: The Colts' widget's makers, Clearspring, recently got $5.5 million in backing, "on top of $2 million raised in April 2006." It has plenty of competition, including Widgetbox, Musestorm, SpringWidgets, Pikipimp (offering make-your-own comic strips), and a new one from MyCityMate.com, the mobile city guide site. This widget sounds a little like Jaxtr (see "Mobile socializing"). It lets the profile owner show where he is physically, so page visitors can send messages from the widget to his mobile phone, and other location-specific capabilities.
Some of these third-party companies and their users are getting a little grumpy, though, because MySpace is trying to figure out how both to compete and to keep some of the more business- cannibalizing widgets under control, the New York Times reports. Specifically, the Times indicates, MySpace (which actually spawned and is a key platform for this new industry) is cracking down on widgetry that embeds third-party advertising and shopping carts that enable profile owners to sell goods. Fairly predictably, some widget providers complained to the Times that MySpace is in this way "undercutting the notion that [its users] have complete creative freedom." Meanwhile, MySpace parent Fox Interactive itself is in the biz, with Spring Widget, which helps developers create widgets for computer desktops and social sites.
Then there are mobile widgets. They're just beginning to multiply like rabbits. For examples, see "A practical Internet for your phone" at MIT's Technology Review and the HTLounge blog about phone-widget startup Mobio. Wireless Week reports on Microsoft-backed ZenZui phone browser with widgets. For more on the Web sort, see "Embellishing their pages" and "Grownups embellishing too" in NetFamilyNews.
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Web News Briefs
- 'Think Before You Post' launched
The US Justice Department, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and Ad Council just launched a new phase of their media campaign to raise public awareness about exploitation of online teens, Government Technology magazine reports. The article cites a news study by Cox Communications showing that 61% of 13-to-17-year-olds have a personal profile on social networking sites; half of them "have posted pictures of themselves online"; 20% of them say it is "somewhat safe" or "very safe" to share personal info on a public blog or profile; and 37% say "they're not very concerned or not at all concerned about someone using personal information they've posted online in ways they haven't approved." The "Think Before You Post" videos can be viewed in the Ad Council site, and here's the National Center's press release. Here's coverage from the Muncie (Ind.) Free Press.
- 1 in 6 self-injure
One in six US adolescents are inflicting injury on themselves, according to research by Stony Brook University psychology professor David Klonsky, and the number is rising. Reuters reports that his study "involved interviews with about 40 students who self-injure" and an analysis of 30 years of research on self-inflicted cutting and burning. He found the behavior is "often linked to depression but not suicide" (the latter a fairly common misconception), and it's a coping mechanism. One of his interviewees told Professor Klonsky that cutting distracted her from her emotional anguish (her brother had gone to prison and her father to serve in the US military in Iraq). Klonsky says this has become a major problem in schools in the US, Britain, and Australia. Though the behavior is usually solitary and secretive, like involvement in eating disorders, it can find the wrong kind of reinforcement online - as well as help (see "The social Web's 'Lifeline'"). Meanwhile, parents might also want to read a New York Times report on "the choking game": "Asphyxiation games have been around for many years, [but] a series of locally publicized deaths around the country over the last few years, coupled with a realization that teenagers are seeing the game on Internet sites like YouTube, and playing it in more threatening variations - more often ... alone with a rope - are sparking a vigorous and open discussion in schools and among parents' groups, summer camp administrators and doctors."
- Call to stop cyberbullying
Death threats against prominent blogger Kathy Sierra have set off what looks to be an unprecedented Internet-wide protest against cyberbullying. It's a horrible way to raise awareness, but awareness has long been needed. I unconsciously previewed the news when I wrote "Predators vs. cyberbullies: A reality check" a couple of weeks ago. More recently, "when computer programmer and author Kathy Sierra began blogging about technology, she fully expected to see comments critical of her ideas. What she didn't anticipate were online posts advocating her murder or sexual assault against her," Business Week reports. Hundreds of bloggers have blogged their protests, and tech-education blogger Andy Carvin has called for this Friday to be Stop Cyberbullying Day and created not a new blog but a new social-networking site to mark the day. My thanks to friend, blogger, and tech educator Anne Bubnic for her heads-up on this.
- Online video stars
Winners of the first-annual YouTube awards included videos of "Chicago band OK Go dancing across treadmills," a Sydney man hugging strangers in the street, and "an animated video about a kiwi bird trying to fly," Reuters reports. Categories included "Most Adorable," "Best Commentary," and Most Inspirational," and "Best Comedy," and Reuters lists the winner in each.
- 'Distributed friendship'
Ninety percent of British youth have access to a computer at home, and more than 60% of UK 13-to17-year-olds have profiles on social-networking sites, The Telegraph reports in its thorough, thoughtful article, "Can u speak teenager?" Like the New York magazine piece I linked to last week, this one reflects some interesting analysis occurring about how all this online socializing is affecting growing up now - and how it compares to the way we grew up. For example, we maybe had a few really close friends with whom we shared "everything." The average teen now has 75 friends rather than 5, London School of Economics Prof. Sonia Livingston told The Telegraph. Today's youth are connected to a whole community of peers. Closeness, intimacy, the sharing of secrets is distributed rather than individual and private. This gives new meaning to "strength in numbers." And there is a "culture of openness" now that Dr. Arthur Cassidy, a psychologist at the Belfast Institute, told The Telegraph can be "particularly therapeutic for teenage boys."
- From 'Second Life' to Spore
Some 18,000 file-sharers have been sued by the recording industry trade association (RIAA) so far, about 1,000 of them university students, the Associated Press reports. The RIAA offers the students settlements that can cost them as much as $3,000. It "sent letters offering discounted settlements to 400 computer users at 13 universities in late February," with 116 settlements having been reached so far. The RIAA sent another such batch of letters out this week. The letters can be scary, so it's no surprise students settle. "A letter to one Ohio University student told her that she distributed 787 audio files, putting her total minimum potential liability at more than $590,000."
- File-sharing students' settlements
Some 18,000 file-sharers have been sued by the recording industry trade association (RIAA) so far, about 1,000 of them university students, the Associated Press reports. The RIAA offers the students settlements that can cost them as much as $3,000. It "sent letters offering discounted settlements to 400 computer users at 13 universities in late February," with 116 settlements having been reached so far. The RIAA sent another such batch of letters out this week. The letters can be scary, so it's no surprise students settle. "A letter to one Ohio University student told her that she distributed 787 audio files, putting her total minimum potential liability at more than $590,000."
- Cyberbullying findings
Cross-gender peer pressure and Web video are not a good mix, this Reuters report indicates. Cyberbullies are pressuring "friends" to strip in front of Webcams so the bullies can share the video online. A research team at the University of Toronto held focus groups with 47 students in grades 5-12 to look into online behavior like this. "The images are even more likely to be passed on if the couple breaks up," their research found. It also confirmed what other studies have that: that victims refuse to tell an adult about the abuse because they fear parents will shut down their Internet access, and because it's "pointless to tell parents" when the bully can't be identified (s/he usually can be, but kids don't know this). The full study will be released in June, Reuters says.
- Multitasking's limits: Studies
It appears critical thinking is needed where multitasking's concerned. Don't just yield indiscriminately to technology's "tug," the New York Times report suggests - manage your technology! The Times says experts in multiple studies advise that we "check email messages once an hour, at most. Listening to soothing background music while studying may improve concentration. But other distractions -- most songs with lyrics, instant messaging, television shows -- hamper performance. Driving while talking on a cellphone, even with a hands-free headset, is a bad idea." There's still a lot we don't know, though. Because we've only had all these multitasking-enabling digital devices a short time, the research has only just begun.
- Parochial school bans MySpace
Students at St. Hugo of the Hills Catholic school in the Detroit area have to take down their MySpace comments and profiles or risk suspension, the Detroit News reports. "The school plans to use its computer-savvy staff members to monitor the site for student activity." The News quotes a mother of St. Hugo students as saying she unequivocally agrees. It quotes a professor as saying the policy may give parents a false sense of security. I'd say so, if the policy only concerns a single social-networking site among the thousands out there (Ning.com alone says it hosts 33,000 individuals' social-networking sites). The last parochial school banning of this kind I've heard was that of Pope John XXIII Regional High School in Sparta, N.J. in 2005 (see this 10/05 item).
- Texting-while-driving ban?
Washington State is considering a ban on driving while texting, and "at least three other" states are too, CBS NEWS reports. Washington's House of Representatives voted yes on the ban, following, "among other things, a December pileup that shut down a Seattle highway for more than an hour. Police blame a driver who was using his BlackBerry."
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That does it for this week. Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Anne Collier, Editor
Net Family News
