racoma.com.phJ. Angelo Racoma on technology, economics, writing, problogging, and getting things done

Finally! MySpace now prominently displays warnings not to divulge too much information online. MySpace is the largest social networking site (which also does blogs), and majority of its users are kids and teenagers. And where there are kids, there’s always the danger of online predators–pedophiles, kidnappers, serial killers–on the prowl for their next possible victim. There have actually been murders directly linked to MySpace–the assailant and victim allegedly met thru the service, and were supposed to meet in person.

The new ad campaign warns parents and teens that sexual predators are increasingly using the veil of anonymity provided by online chat rooms, forums and social networking sites to target minors.

A great move, but knowing that kids usually misrepresent their ages (i.e., when signing up, since MySpace has an age minimum), and are usually stubborn when it comes to rules (aren’t we all), this may not be 100% effective as a deterrent to online-related crimes, but we’re getting there. Education is still key to all this. Parents should be aware of what their kids are doing online, and should guide them on the dos and don’ts of communicating online.

[via Yahoo News]

Do check out Funchain, a social-networking-cum-blogging solution created by a Filipino, Jason Banico, formerly of EDSA.com.ph and Yehey.

Erwin Oliva interviews Banico in an article on inq7.net:

To be launched in Indonesia and Malaysia, Funchain (www.funchain.com) was partly inspired by Friendster and blogging, according to Banico in an e-mail interview.

“This idea came from looking at how Friendster (a free online social networking service) took off in the Philippines three years ago. A year earlier, I started blogging. There seemed to be a similar pattern in grassroots community building in those two, so I decided to put them together. This was before Yahoo! 360 or MSN Spaces. Friendster didn’t have a blog then,” Banico said.

Another Filipino offering worth watching!

I’ve been experiencing bad connection speeds with my WiFi provider, Airborne Access, lately. Actually, the connection’s all right. It’s the latency that’s getting to be bad. So imagine the websites you visit do load quickly, but only after your waiting a couple of minutes for the network to respond to your browser’s request.

Maybe it’s just with the specific location I’m connecting from–Figaro cafe along Congressional Avenue, Quezon City.

Is anyone else having speed problems with Airborne Access?

I have some insights posted on WiFi Wireless on cafes’ WiFi-related business models:

I wonder whether WiFi-enabled joints get to recoup their investment in setting up hotspots at all, if their WiFi business model relies heavily on the sale of goods instead of selling the WiFi service itself. For instance, where I come from, most cafés rely on third-party providers for their networking needs, so only a fraction of the revenue from the WiFi service—such as prepaid card sales—actually goes to the café. And since I have an unlimited subscription with the provider, the café doesn’t earn from my access at all, save from what I order from the counter.

Sometimes I wonder if they get to earn at all from their having WiFi hotspots, or if this increase in revenue is only marginal. This is especailly so, with only a small minority of Filipinos having wireless-enabled laptops and gadgetry.

Still, having public WiFi is undeniably cool!

An article at MSNBC cautions parents against social networking sites like MySpace.

It’s free, easy to join, and easy to message its members. Kids chat about everything from school, to sports, to fundraisers for Katrina victims. It all seems like innocent fun, and it can be. But many parents and teens are unaware there are hidden dangers.

Now isn’t this old news? Check out the MySpace monsters (close relatives of the Friendster atrocities) and maybe you’ll get the shivers thinking of what your kids may be doing with their MySpace accounts.

Seriously, as a techie parent, I haven’t been too concerned about my kids posting their info all around the ‘net (especially since Pia is 2.5 and Cate is a year old–too young to surf!). But most parents are likely to be unaware of what dangers may be lurking at the other side of the broadband connection.

So parents, be sure to provide adequate guidance on what your kids can and cannot do on the Web.

And kids, do listen to your parents. No matter how technologically superior you think you are over them, they’re still your parents, and they do love you. Otherwise, they’d have probably whacked you by now, with the nasty stuff you’ve been doing on Friendster, MySpace, or even Yahoo Messenger.