Milestone #9: A Table with a View Thursday, Nov 9 2006

In Chapter 15 of Snyder he takes a closer look into the world of databases. Here, we learn that relationships are a critical part of database design–relationships are key to associating fields of the physical tables.  Snyder defines a relationship as “a correspondence between rows of one table and the rows of another table.  Relationships are part of the metadata of a database, and because they are critical to building the logical database from the physical database, we give them names and characterize their properties.” 

This is a very important concept to grasp.  The ddifference between the logical and physical database is that the logical, or customized tables, exists virtually.  The logical tables are what makes databases user-friendly and allows a person to choose the type of view that best fits his/her needs.  However, there are technical functions that must be considered in order for personalized viewing to work properly, such as eliminating redundancy and providing the database with the most current and accurate data. 

A standard approach to creating the logical database is the join-then-trim stratgy.  Snyder expalins that this standard approach forms a super table by joining several physical tables, then trimmed down to keep only the information in which the user has interest. 

In addition to this strategy, entity-relationship diagrams (ER Diagrams) are used to make database structure and design clear for administrators.  The diagrams use arrows between boxes, which represent entities, and therefore help to make sense of the relationships.  I found the ER Diagrams a very logical and clear way to understand how information is organized and how database design is structured.  The following two examples are taken from the Information Systems department within the Business Administration School at the University of Missouri: 

In example 1, the shapes around the words have Representative meanings:  the rectangle is an entity, the diamond is a description, and the oval is an attribute. 

This chapter, especially understanding the difference between logical and physical databases and ER Diagrams gives us a good sense about design and structure.  After breaking components down and getting to the core, it becomes much clearer and easy to understand the way that databases are created. 

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Milestone #8: Introduction to Database Concepts Wednesday, Nov 1 2006

In Snyder Chapter 14, we are introduced to databases, which make it possible to apply more organization to information and receive more help from the computer than spreadsheets.  It is important to understand metadata, or information describing properties of other information.  This includes the metadata table’s name, attributes’ names, the types of values that each attribute can have, and the primary key.  These concepts are somewhat straightforward, however understanding howto set up metadata for list to create database tables is not so simple.  Snyder clearly explains the structure, content, and five basic operations of databases, and in this blog entry I will also further analyze these functions using other sources.

The main use of a database is to look up information.  For example, at the nonprofit organization that I work at, we use a contacts management database system called FileMaker Pro.  The organization purchased the software, then an in-house IT person tailored the database to the organizaion’s needs.  Being a nonprofit, it is important that employees were able to look up contacts according to their affiliation with organization—so the “techie” inserted categories such as foundation, government, nonprofit, client, university, corporation,etc.  This was extremely helpful when our employees were trying to find someone in the database or enter someone into the system, as well as important for communication purposes (mailing e-letter and news updates).  The categories were also important for importing attendee lists from numerous annual nationwide events.  Without the File Maker Pro database, the amount of information and lists of contacts could not be managed effectively.  It was also extremely helpful to have someone on-site who could adjust the database as needed, because it was a fairly new program, users found glitches or ways to make it better over time. 

On www.filemaker.com, the information on their database is very helpful and explains how the product provides solutions for businesses, education, government, and nonprofits.  For example, according to the site, Filemaker helps nonprofits to:

• Track volunteer data
• Manage mailing lists
• Maintain donor information
• Manage grants and funding
• Create and manage surveys
• Organize volunteer contacts

As you can see, there are numerous uses for just this one program within one sector.  There are a wide range of ways to utilize databases in order to make an organization more effective and efficient. 

There are five operations of databases that Snyder explains in detail: Select, Project, Union, Difference, and Product.  These are needed to create new tables from a database of tables.  The Select operation takes rows from one table to create a new table, Project builds a new table from the columns of an existing table, Union combines the two tables, Difference removes from one table the rows also listed in the second table (the opposite of Union), and Product creates a supertable combining all he fields from both tables.  In addition to the five major operations is the Join operation, which is like Product but doesn’t necessarily produce all pairings.  Join only combines rows given that match on the field, not all pairing of rows. 

Now that I understand a little bit about the basics for creating databases, I cant help but apply the ongoing “security” theme of our class.  How can we secure databases so that unintended users cant get ahold of information? According to an article on http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com, “The secure operation of a database server requires a cooperative effort among IT professionals responsible for the secure operation of the network and servers, and those developing applications that interact with the database server.”  The article, Five tips for secure database development, by Mike Chapple, has a few very helpful suggestions for securing databases:

• Use database views instead of tables. Developers should create applications that interact with views (basically, predefined queries) rather than interact directly with the underlying table. This allows greater control over access to information, both at the row and column level.
• Make use of stored procedures.Developers should store their SQL code on the server and make it available to applications through the use of stored procedures. This limits the range of actions applications may perform on the database and allows for easy, centralized updates if security requirements change in the future.

• Don’t embed SQL commands in application code. This goes hand-in-hand with the previous step. Developers should neverinclude SQL commands in their applications. This creates a significant vulnerability if malicious users are able to later modify the application.
• Don’t let developers have administrative power over users. Security professionals have long practiced the idea of separation of powers. It’s a good idea to ensure that developers (who often control table structures, stored procedures and the like) are not able to create and/or modify user permissions. This prevents them from succumbing to the temptation of loosening access controls to make a program work “just while we’re testing it.” I’ve seen all too many cases where those “temporary” solutions have remained in place for years. Requiring developers to approach administrators for permission changes limits the likelihood of unnecessary change requests.
• Apply the principle of least privilege. In our last tip, we discussed the importance of only granting users the minimum set of permissions necessary to complete their jobs. This is also true for the administrative accounts used to execute application code. Ensure that these accounts have only the specific permissions they need to execute authorized functions.

Snyder’s introduction coupled with further exploration of database uses and security was very helpful in my understanding of the differences between spreadsheets and databases.  Now, when I am at work using FileMaker Pro, I will better understand how the software is working, as well as more ways to utilize its functions. 

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Digital Nugget #8: Feds Leapfrog RFID Privacy Study Wednesday, Nov 1 2006

After our discussions in class about the U.S. government issuing national ID cards, I was curious to learn more about how far a long it is in the process.  I was so surprised to find out that a member of our class, who is also in the military, already had one of these computer-chipped cards and realized it must just be a matter of time that all citizens will be required to have them as well.  So what is so different about the controversial national ID cards and a driver’s licence? They contain a chip which can hold an abundance of information about an individual–medical history, where they have traveled, criminal record, credit history–basically anything and everything about the person which could be of interest to the government at any given time.

But how safe is it to have all of this information on a computerized chip? And how does the chip work without tracking a person’s every move?  In an article from www.wired.com, Feds Leapfrog RFID Privacy Study, I found that the not only is the progress towards card issuance pretty far along, but so is the fight against it.

“An outside privacy and security advisory committee to the Department of Homeland Security penned a tough report concluding the government should not use chips that can be read remotely in identification documents. But the report remains stuck in draft mode, even as new identification cards with the chips are being announced.”

The chips that can be read remotely are called RFID chips and either have a battery or use the radio waves to send information.  These chips are what are are generally used in tracking inventory or for highway toll payment systems.  So how safe can these chips be when it comes to forgery? According to the draft report from the advisory committee to DHS, not so safe.

“….critics argue that hackers can skim information off the chips and that the chips can be used to track individuals. Hackers have also been able to clone some chips, such as those used for payment cards and building security, as well as passports.

The draft report also concludes that, “RFID appears to offer little benefit when compared to the consequences it brings for privacy and data integrity.”  Although there is good reason for opposing the card, the government has already began issuing them—hence my classmate in the military. 

Responses to the draft report suggest there is not enough factual content and that the reality is that RFID is already here.  In addition, “the State Department announced that it would soon be issuing new cards for visitors to Mexico, Canada and the Bermudas containing a chip that could be read from 20 feet away.  Changes in federal law will require Americans to have either a passport or the new “PASS card” to re-enter the country by air in 2007. Currently a driver’s license will suffice to get an American back inside the country from these neighboring spots, but starting in 2008 that won’t suffice even for quick, cross-border jaunts by car.”

So there you have it, the cards are on their way…whether we like it  or not.  But here is a thought I leave you with, if the government’s argument against this advisory report is that “the cards are already here”, shouldn’t the issue be how to improve them? The article states that, “It’s unclear whether the new cards will have encryption or other measures to prevent skimming or forgery. That decision was left to the State Department, which will produce the card and has thus far remained mum on the privacy issues.”  Is it just me, or should the privacy issues been worked out before they started issuing the cards! Scary thought, (sorry fellow classmate). 

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Milestone #7: Fill-In-The-Blank Computing, Spreadsheet Basics Tuesday, Oct 24 2006

I found this chapter of Snyder to be particularly helpful and very informative.  I was first introduced to spreadsheets in my high-school computer classes, but apparently it is very easy to forget the many functions of fill-in-the-blank computing even if you are using it on a daily basis. 

Snyder’s chapter, along with the Gigamaniacs lab, helped me to refresh my skills and increase my knowledge of the different uses, formulas, and concepts of Microsoft Excel.  The more basic functions of Excel, such as identifying cells and formatting cells were not new concepts for me; however, hiding and unhiding entire columns was something I have not previously used.  I find this to be a function that promotes efficieny.  For example if my manager at work asks for a spreadsheet with only names and phone numbers, I could hide the address column so that she could browse the information more quickly.  Learning efficient ways to compile and communicate information is very important in my workplace, and reviewing the functions of Excel was very helpful. 

In addition, the “import” function of the spreadsheet is great.  There is so much information scattered on the Internet, and to be able to import hundreds of lists into one spreadsheet increases both efficiency and effectiveness.  However, as we discussed in class, it is important to be careful of how you use lists of data you find on the internet.  For example, it is not appropriate to send mail to hundreds of people just because their contact information was online. 

Although Snyder provided all the basics needed to understand spreadsheets, I decided to do some research and see what else I could find. What other spreadsheets do people use besides Excel? Well, if you have a Google email account you can use Google Spreadsheets.  I tried the spreadsheet out (for free) and I found it to be very user-friendly.  I also, found an interesting site, www.numsum.com, which allows people to share spreadsheets they have made and post them on this site.  Spreadsheets on the World Cup, learning foreign languages, and how to budget a wedding were all posted for those who have a numsum account.

Lastly, I’ve learned the importance of practicing different computing skills in order to remain fluent.  As I mentioned earlier, I’ve used spreadsheets for a long time but had forgot the features and functions.  Testing your knowledge of spreadsheets can help your IT fluency and increase productivity at work, school, and in your personal life. According to Snyder, you can:

• Create Budgets
• Construct a weekly planner
• Develop pie charts and graphs
• Construct a log of bank transactions
• Perform complicated equations easily

So where can you test your knowledge?  Go to http://www.school-resources.co.uk/FramesForSprdSheetQ2.htm.  I found this website to be very helpful.  It is full of quizzes to test your knowledge of spreadsheets and lets you know what skills you need to improve on as well as your areas of strength.  Spreadsheets are a very valuable tool and I will continue to expand my fluency of how to use and create them at home, work, and school. 

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Digital Nugget #7: Peak at NSA’s Secret Reading List Tuesday, Oct 24 2006

According to a September 27, 2006 article on Wired.com, the government has been required to share four classified National Security Agency (NSA) articles.  Due to the Freedom of Information Act, the NSA’s publications that were specifically written for employees, have been posted online. 

“Stories include an analysis of the TRS-80 Model 1′s password-encryption algorithm, accounts of how Soviet codes were broken, analyses of bad management techniques within the sprawling eavesdropping agency, and an insider’s view of North Korea’s capture of the spy boat U.S.S. Pueblo in 1968.”

In keeping with our on-going discussions in class on privacy for citizens, I found it very interesting to look at it from a reversed point of view and consider the privacy rights of government agencies.  Should the NSA have had to post the articles online? The information within these publications was, at some point in time, very confidential.  Couldn’t a person take the information and apply it to present day situations? For example, the algorithms and encryption codes could be analyzed by an intelligent person who may be able to crack current codes using a pattern of history. 

Additionally, if the Freedom of Information Act required the NSA to share these articles, was it necessary to post them online? Having the documents on hand at the NSA offices is another option that could have been utilized.  I am not so sure that this once highly sensitive information should be available for the whole world to read. 

Webmasters are already getting their hands on the publications.  ”The Memory Hole, a website dedicated to ferreting out and publishing government documents, posted the indexes from Cryptologic Quarterly, Cryptologic Almanac, Cryptologic Spectrum and NSA Technical Journal on Monday.”

However, there are many people suggesting that the NSA wouldn’t put out any information that was “highly secretive”, and I tend to believe that this is the case.  Although the new indexes do offer a good amount of leads and interesting titles, such as “Communication With Extraterrestrial Intelligence” (.pdf) by NSA Technical Journalfounder Lambros D. Callimahos, the liklihood that it contains any sensitive material is very slim. 

“The titles are tantalizing,” he said. “You see them and you want to know more, but whether the reports themselves are equally intriguing or deadly dull or merely historical curiosities is impossible to say,”  said Secrecy News editor Steven Aftergood. 

Senior fellow at The National Security Archive, Jeffrey Richelson,  says he doubts the documents will contain any big secrets.

“There are likely no great news stories in here, especially when you take into account what you are getting compared to what is in the articles before redactions (by NSA FOIA officials),” Richelson said.

So if the information being posted is basically useless and almost could be considered entertainment reading for the public, why did the NSA have publish them at all? Sometimes I get the feeling that this type situation is more like a PR strategy rather than an Act protecting the rights of American citizens. 

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Milestone #6: Privacy and Digital Security Wednesday, Oct 18 2006

Snyder defines privacy as “the right of people to choose freely under what circumstances and to what extent they will reveal themselves, their attitude, and their behavior to others.” (p.481).  But how do others involved in technology and democracy define the term? I wanted to find out how others might view privacy, as it was very apparent from our class discussions that this is not a simple term to define.

 According to an article by Jerry Berman and Paula Bruening at the Center for Technology and Democracy, “Is Privacy Still Possible in the Twenty-First Century?”, the early definition of privacy by Justice Brandeis in 1898, “the right to be left alone”, no longer suffices in today’s society.  The article goes on to suggest that:

“… when we talk about privacy, we are often talking about personal autonomy as it relates to information about an individual. Privacy entails an individual’s right to control the collection and use of his or her personal information, even after he discloses it to others.”

Today, more than ever, it is very significant to understand how the government, corporations, and individuals define privacy.  In 1980 the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) created a list of “Fair Information Practices”.  Snyder indicates that the principles developed by OECD have become widely accepted as the standard for keeping information private, but at the same time making appropriate information accessible for the government and companies. 

According to CDT’s Guide to Online Privacy( http://www.cdt.org/privacy/guide/basic/oecdguidelines.html), “These guidelines underpin most current international agreements, national laws, and self-regulatory policies. Although the guidelines were voluntary, roughly half of OECD member-nations had already passed or proposed privacy-protecting legislation by 1980. By 1983, 182 American companies claimed to have adopted the guidelines, although very few have ever implemented practices that directly matched the standards.”

No matter how many policies or principles are developed, privacy is still a very difficult right to protect.  I particularly like Snyder’s view on this issue and how he explains that “The main obligation is to understand that in the US, protecting your privacy is your job; the laws are completely inadequate.” 

I found the different ways you can protect your privacy online very helpful.  As Snyder explaines how encryption works, it becomes clear that if an individual really was concerned their privacy was being infringed, he/she can take it upon themselves to take precautionary measures.  However, as we pointed out in class discussion, is it automatically thought that if a person is encrypting information that he/she is “hiding something bad” or “doing something wrong”? 

After reading this chapter and researching different views on privacy, I believe that a person should not have to justify why they desire privacy in regards to their personal information.  This is a right that we should all advocate to protect and enhance. Yes, security is critical, but individual privacy should not be compromised in a democratic nation. 

I will conclude with a quote from the Berman and Bruening article, which puts privacy rights in perspective:

“When individuals provide information to a doctor, a merchant, or a bank, they expect that those professionals or companies will collect the information they need to deliver a service and use it for that sole purpose. Individuals expect that they have the right to object to any further use. Implementation of principles of fair information practices – notice, choice, access, security, and enforcement – is key to preserving this autonomy by ensuring that an individual’s privacy interests in his or her personal information are protected.”

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Digital Nugget #6: MySpace Predator Caught by Code Wednesday, Oct 18 2006

 As I browsed the Wired.com website (which is a very informative and great site) I came across a very important article (http://wired.com/news/technology/0,71948-0.html?tw=wn_story_page_prev2).  “MySpace Predator Caught by Code”, an article written by a man that went undercover to identify sex predators, has significant implications for the advances in technology today. 

 Kevin Poulsen worked directly with the New York Suffolk County Police department to arrest a man by the name of Andrew Lubrano, a registered sex offender with numerous charges who was out of jail and using Myspace to lure young boys. 

“Much of what happens on MySpace unfolds outside public view. The computer crime unit has erected bait profiles registered to fake underage teens, but so far the tactic has netted only one arrest. Proactively scouring MySpace pages is futile: The smarter sexual predators stick to private messages, and diligently prune their public comment boards of any posts from young friends that hint at what’s happening behind the scenes.”

For all of you who use MySpace, you know how private messages sent to other people can not be read by anyone but the intended recipient.  This makes it extremely difficult to catch online predators who seem to have “normal” pages, but are seducing minors privately.  In order to find these predators, Mr. Poulsen made some pretty admirable and courageous moves.  He writes:

“In May, I began an automated search of MySpace’s membership rolls for 385,932 registered sex offenders in 46 states, mined from the Department of Justice’s National Sex Offender Registry website — a gateway to the state-run Megan’s Law websites around the country. I searched on first and last names, limiting results to a five mile radius of the offender’s registered ZIP code.

Wired News will publish the code under an open-source license later this week.

The code swept in a vast number of false or unverifiable matches. Working part time for several months, I sifted the data and manually compared photographs, ages and other data, until enhanced privacy features MySpace launched in June began frustrating the analysis.

Excluding a handful of obvious fakes, I confirmed 744 sex offenders with MySpace profiles, after an examination of about a third of the data. Of those, 497 are registered for sex crimes against children. In this group, six of them are listed as repeat offenders, though Lubrano’s previous convictions were not in the registry, so this number may be low. At least 243 of the 497 have convictions in 2000 or later.”

 So how did the investigation work? Well, of all the offenders Poulsen found, Lubrano’s rap sheet stood out the most–so a set up was made.  The police sat outside his house and made an arrest going on the proof Poulsen provided.  The problem is that in NY, luring a child online is a misdemeanor unless lured with nude photos.  Therefore, Lubrano will be out of jail in 90 days. 

In addition to working to change this law, the work that Poulsen is doing is very telling of the importance of technology.  Although internet predators are hard to locate, especially on a site like MySpace, people are coming up with programs, processes, codes, and innovative ways to solve problems associated with security. 

“Parry Aftab is the executive director of WiredSafety.org, an online safety nonprofit group that works closely with MySpace. She thinks the MySpace offender search results are a chance to drum home to kids that predators are out there — a reality she says teenagers aren’t easily accepting. The Wired News project also illustrates something MySpace could do to make its community safer, she says: hunting down and banning sex offenders from its site. ‘I don’t think they thought about it. But I think that once we bring it to their attention they will. This is a threshold moment in internet safety.’”

Finally, although congress is aware of the challenges associated with catching online predators, Poulsen suggests that it is Myspace’s responsibility to make the site safer and to ban sex-offenders all together. 

“I still believe MySpace is good for kids. Jacob, the boy Lubrano most flagrantly courted, provides a clear example of the site’s benefits, as well as its flaws. When the teen recently got in trouble with homophobic bullies at his high school, he came home to MySpace, and quickly garnered an outpouring of sympathy and advice from his friends. Any reaction to the incidents of MySpace predation that would rob Jacob and other children of the promise of such self-expression and support is suspect.”

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Milestone #5: More with Online Research Thursday, Oct 5 2006

My group, The Explorers, will be showing a powerpoint presenation in class on better online research methods.  Our Lab will consist of 2 Debates.  The first Debate is on Privacy, and there will be a “for” and “against” team debating “Should citizins expect pre-9/11 IT privacy rights in a post-9/11 world?”.  The second debate is about e-democracy and will argue “Does e-democracy promote or restrain democracy?”.  Each team will have 10-15 minutes to do some online research and come up with some strong arguments supporting their view.  They will have to provide credible sources for all major points made in the debate.  The goal of this lab is to have the students understand the importance of “good” online research, and how finding faulty information online is easy to come by.  We will also be introducing a case study on how to conduct efficient research online, and demonstrate good starting points and solid websites.   Find our powerpoint presentation attached here to learn more about this exercise and presentation!

Online Research:Powerpoint Presentation

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Digital Nugget #5: MSN’s 25 Worst Websites Thursday, Oct 5 2006

The 25 Worst Web Sites

From unforgettable flame-outs to some of the most popular destinations around, no one is safe from our look at the world’s dumbest dot-coms and silliest sites.

Dan Tynan

 

People say hindsight is 20/20. When it comes to the Web, hindsight is more like X-ray vision: In retrospect, it’s easy to see what was wrong with dot coms that tried to make a business out of giving stuff away for free (but making it up later in volume), or to make fun of venture capitalists who handed millions to budding Web titans who had never run a lemonade stand before, let alone an enterprise.

It’s so easy, in fact, we can’t help doing it ourselves. So as venture capitalists scramble to throw money at anything labled Ajax or Web 2.0, and Web publishing becomes so simple that anyone with a working mouse hand can put up a site, we offer our list of the 25 worst Web sites of all time.

Many of our bottom 25 date from the dot-com boom, when no bad idea went unfunded. Some sites were outright scams–at least two of our featured Net entrepreneurs spent some time in the pokey. Others are just examples of bad design, or sites that got a little too careless with users’ information, or tried to demand far too much personal data for too little benefit.

And to prove we’re not afraid to pick on somebody much bigger than us, our pick for the worst Web site may be the hottest cyberspot on the planet right now.

25. Rentmychest.com

Look up the word hunk in any dictionary, and you will not find a picture of a bare-chested Chris Pirillo, the guy behind download sites such as lockergnome.com. But you used to be able to find several such pictures at this site, where the pasty, paunchy Pirillo auctioned off messages, written on his chest with magic marker, for $20 a pop. These days the marker-based messages are gone, replaced by a single background image that I wish I hadn’t seen and a bunch of linked keywords. Believe it or not, the keywords are actually more expensive, starting at $200. Look, Chris may know his downloads, but please, somebody buy this man a gym membership.

24. IKissYou.org

For a brief period in 1999, an accordion-playing Turk named Mahir Cagri was the most famous man on the Net, which really says more about us than it does about this mostly harmless Web destination. His site, which featured personal photos, charmingly fractured English, and the phrase “Welcome to my home page…I Kiss You!!!” became a minor Web sensation, for reasons that are now entirely obscure. Mahir’s legacy lives on in Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Borat” character, who bears more than a passing resemblance to the Turk.

23. InmatesForYou.com

This site helps you find that special someone, even if you have to wait 13 years for her parole to come up.

22. Digital Entertainment Network (den.com)

This DEN of iniquity blew through more than $100 million before it shuttered its doors in January 2002. A sex scandal involving the site’s CEO didn’t help matters.

21. Golden Palace Casino

Web sites used to do just about anything to make headlines, and Golden Palace‘s ad campaigns took that idea just about as far as it could go. From buying the “Holy Toast”–the grilled cheese sandwich that looks like the Virgin Mary–to buying William Shatner’s kidney stone, no promotional gimmick is too cheesy for this online casino.

20. Hotmail.com

In the mid to late nineties, Hotmail was a virtual Switzerland for spammers, who operated with impunity across the free e-mail service. Hotmail account holders were routinely buried in a blizzard of junk–in part because new subscribers were automatically added to a public directory of e-mail addresses, making them easy pickings for spam harvesters. A massive “dictionary attack” on the site’s user base in August 2002 didn’t help matters. Later that year Microsoft finally began implementing serious antispam measures, but by then many subscribers had already had their fill of canned luncheon meat.
19. WebVan

The big daddy of dot bombs, WebVan ripped through $1.2 billion of investment capital before checking out for the final time in July 2001. The costs of building a national network of grocery distribution centers proved too great for the online grocer. It’s a classic example of a great idea without a viable business model. The only reason it’s not higher on our list is that its delivery service was actually pretty good, while it lasted.

18. Beenz.com and Flooz.com (tie)

These ambitious schemes to float a Web-based e-currency both sank like a rock in August 2001. The sites hoped wary Netizens would rather trade credits for goods online than use credit cards, but consumers said No Sale. The biggest difference between the two? Flooz featured Whoopi Goldberg as spokesperson. Her career hasn’t been the same since, either.

17. Boo.com

This symbol of dot-com excess burned through cash so fast you’d think its executives worked for the federal government. The fashion retail site featured a 3D avatar named Miss Boo, but the real stars of Boo were its founders, who spent money like it was going out of style–$120 million in six months on lavish apartments and expensive gifts, as well as a site that was too unwieldy for the largely dial-up world of 2000. Amazingly, Boo.com is scheduled for a comeback later this year under new owners. Be afraid, be very afraid.

16. Microsoft Windows Update

Microsoft could have escaped our notice if we didn’t have to visit this cryptic and difficult-to-use site so often. It’s the only reason to ever use Internet Explorer–and then simply because Microsoft’s update site won’t work with any other browser. But it’s not reason enough.

15. Neuticles.com

Are your pets embarrassed about being neutered? Their four-legged friends need never know, thanks to Neuticles–implants that restore the look if not the function of their recently removed body parts. In an especially nice touch, the site opens with a flash animation of a bouncing ball (naturally). Yes, these cosmetic cojones are no joke; prices start at $73 a pair. Not to be confused with BumperNuts, which provide a similar service for your car.

14. BidForSurgery.com

Sadly, this site is exactly what it says it is. Think Priceline for face-lifts and tummy tucks. No, we are not joking.

13. Whitehouse.com

Not the virtual home of our president–that’s Whitehouse.gov–Whitehouse.com began life during the Clinton era as a site devoted to political discourse. In September 1998 it helped distribute the Starr Report, but by then it had also become the most notoriously named porn site on the Web–featuring, among other things, a White House Intern of the Month. Today the site hosts a white-pages listing.

12. The Dancing Baby

Both strangely amusing and deeply disturbing, the famous dancing toddler boogied its way across the Internet and into the spotlight, appearing on both Ally McBeal and a Blockbuster video commercial during the mid-nineties. There are now dozens of variations on thousands of sites. If you’re looking for the parties responsible for giving birth to this phenomenon, blame its parents at Burning Pixel Productions.

11. Rabies for Kids

Here’s what happens when good intentions meet really bad design. Published by the Viral and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch of the Centers for Disease Control, the Rabies for Kids site is an orgy of graphical offal. You’ll be foaming at the mouth long before you reach the “Activities” section, which features a photo of a dog’s brain being sliced with a scalpel.
10. MyLackey.com

This Seattle-based site offered to walk your dog, pick up your dry cleaning, and do all other manner of scut jobs for a fee. (Isn’t that what kids and younger siblings are for?) The dot com contracted with local service providers for the dirty work, but apparently applied the “lackey” notion to its own employees as well. An infamous memo from cofounder Brendon Barnicle berated the company’s 65 employees for not putting in 11-hour days, making MyLackey a symbol of the dot-com work ethic. Sixteen months after it began, the last lackey still standing closed the doors and shut off the lights.

9. Hamsterdance.com

Quite possibly the most irritating site on earth. Earplugs recommended.

8. BonziBuddy

This animated purple gibbon called itself “your best friend on the Internet,” but many who downloaded this free program weren’t feeling too friendly afterward. Buddy could tell jokes, recite your e-mail, manage your schedule, download files, and more. But the grape ape also tracked users’ surfing habits, hijacked home pages, and installed several of his adware buddies. Depending on your browser settings, merely visiting Bonzi’s Web site or clicking a banner ad could install Buddy on your machine. In 2002 annoyed Netizens had enough of this monkey business and sued Bonzi for deceptive advertising. By 2005 Buddy was history.

7. Pets.com

Who let this dog out? Back in the heady days of 1999 it must have seemed perfectly normal to spend $175 million making a sock puppet famous. But the notion of saving some coin on kibbles and kitty litter never caught on with consumers, and by November 2000 Pets.com had been euthanized–going from IPO to liquidation in just nine months. Before it got sent to the pound, however, the dot com filed suit against Triumph the Comic Insult Dog for allegedly defaming its moth-friendly mascot. Apparently, even sock puppets have feelings.

6. Pixelon.com

More dot con than dot com, this streaming media company boasted of a revolutionary new technology that would deliver high-quality audio and video over the Net. But Pixelon CEO and founder “Michael Fenne” was in reality a grifter named David Kim Stanley, who spent the majority of investors’ money–some $16 million–on a launch party in Las Vegas featuring Tony Bennett, KISS, and The Who. Prior to starting Pixelon, Stanley had pleaded guilty to swindling friends and neighbors out of $1.5 million; he was on the lam and living out of the back of his car when he founded the company. Pixelon’s revolutionary new streaming technology was equally spurious.

5. AllAdvantage

This site had the brilliant idea of paying people 50 cents an hour to surf and watch banner ads all day, plus another 10 cents per hour for every friend they convinced to sign up. All users had to do was install a “Viewbar” that displayed ads and clocked how much time they spent online. Stunningly, the company managed to raise $135 million in venture capital and convince 2 million users to sign up before it folded in February 2001. For some reason, advertisers failed to see any advantage in trying to reach the $4-a-day demographic. Go figure.

4. CD Universe

In December 1999 a Russian hacker named Maxim broke into the music retailer’s site, stole 350,000 credit card numbers, and then demanded $100,000 ransom. When CD Universe refused to pay, Maxim posted 25,000 of the numbers to a Web site. At the time CD Universe was owned by eUniverse, which combined its site and its customer database on an unprotected server. “Basically, they put the candy jar in plain sight and left the cover off,” says current CD Universe owner Chuck Beilman. “It was only a matter of time until someone stole the candy.” CD Universe’s customer database is now separate from the Web site, encrypted, and protected by a firewall.

3. Cartoonnetwok.com

No that’s not a typo; it’s “typosquatting,” where a site owner deliberately registers a misspelling of a popular domain in the hopes of attracting the actual site’s traffic. Cartoonnetwok was one of some 5500 deceptive domains owned by John Zuccarini, d/b/a/ “Cupcake Confidential.” But that wasn’t Zuccarini’s only nasty bit of business. FTC investigators visiting one of his sites found their screens filled with 29 new browser windows for instant credit, online psychics, gambling, and porn sites. When they hit the Back button, another 7 windows opened–a technique known as “mousetrapping.” Worse, many of Zuccarani’s typosquatting sites were aimed at children. In 2003 Zuccarini pleaded guilty to violating the Truth in Domain Names Act and was sentenced to 2.5 years in the federal pen.

2. CyberRebate

The phrase “the check’s in the mail” took on new meaning with this dot com. CyberRebate offered to refund 100 percent of what you paid for electronic goods, provided you a) paid up to 10 times their normal retail value, and b) let CyberRebate hold onto your money for at least 10 weeks. The site banked on people simply forgetting to apply for the refund. Unfortunately for CyberRebate, not enough of them did. The company filed for bankruptcy in May 2001 owing $60 million in refunds. Aggrieved customers had to settle for roughly 9 cents on the dollar.

1. MySpace.com

Yes, we know. With more than 90 million users, MySpace is now more popular than Elvis, “American Idol,” and ice cream. But the Web’s most visited destination is also its most poorly designed and counterproductive.

The ease with which anyone of any age can create a page, upload photos, share deeply personal details of their lives, and make new “friends” quickly turned MySpace into a one-stop shopping mall for online predators. That in turn has made the site an easy target for politicians who pander for votes by playing on parental fears. In an era when the basic tenets of the Net are under attack by both Ma Bell and Uncle Sam, MySpace is a headache we don’t need.

But let’s put all that aside for a moment. Graphically, many MySpace pages look like a teenager’s bedroom after a tornado–a swirl of clashing backgrounds, boxes stacked inside other boxes, massive photos, and sonic disturbance. Try loading a few of those pages at once and watch what happens to your CPU. Watch out for spyware, too, since it turns out that MySpace has become a popular distribution vector for drive-by downloads and other exploits. And in a place where “U are soooooooo hot!!!” passes for wit, MySpace isn’t doing much to elevate the level of social discourse.

In response to a public backlash and some well-publicized lawsuits, MySpace has begun modifying its policies–for example, limiting adults’ ability to contact minors. That’s hardly enough. Requiring some kind of authentication from MySpacers–or their parents–to validate their ages and identities would go a long way toward scaring off the creeps and making the site a kinder, gentler social network.

Is MySpace totally bad? Not at all. Are we old farts? Yeah, probably. But the Web’s most popular site needs a serious security reboot. And probably a makeover. Until then, MySpace won’t ever be OurSpace.

My Thoughts:  I thought this Article was very appropriate considering all of our class dicussions about credibility and websites.  Now since it is easier than ever to create websites (all you really need to know is a little HTML!), there are alot of bad ones out there.  However, I dont 100% agree with the above list of 25 worst sites.  Hotmail and Myspace are the two sites I visit the most!  I think the person here who is hating on Myspace is probably just annoyed that their child loves it, or that even the people they work with are addicted to it…..sorry buddy, but jump on the bandwagon!  I did agree with some of the other sites though, for example, finding the “right” inmate for you.  I laughed for about 5 minutes when I saw this dating site.  Or the Whitehouse site…hahaha good one! No, but really, they make some good points here.  During the Dot com reveloution, tons of websites were put up, and are still there. Plus alot of people have alot of time on their hands and can come up with some pretty ridiculous stuff.  So watch which sites you visit, verify crediblity, and keep using Myspace!

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Milestone #4: Googol, One followed by One Hundred Zeros Thursday, Sep 28 2006

When reading Snyder’s chapter on how Search Engines work, I couldn’t help my eyes from immedietly reading about how the name Google came about.  So the American mathematician, Edward Kasner, had a nine-year old nephew who named the number 10^100 (that is 1 to the 100th power, or one with one hundred zeros following) googol.  I wonder, is this little boy, Milton Sirotta, a billionaire now?  I know he can’t be 9 yrs old anymore, so did he wise up and try to get paid off this deal????

 Anyhow, on to more important things.  In addition to little Milton, I had no idea there were such things as crawlers, which when visiting a web page it identifies links to other web pages on that page.  Then, it figures out if you have visited those sites before, and if not, it makes a note on its “to-do” list.  It records keywords in an index and associates the words entered.  So what company mastered this?  You guessed it, Google of course.

 In addition to Crawlers, there are many other elements involved to making a successful search engine.  Query processors, page ranking, and limitations are all used to make search engines more effective and accurate.  So that is how they work, but more importantly for us average day people…is how can we conduct an efficient search? Snyder recommends the following:

1. Be clear about what sort of page you seek

2. Think about what type of organization might publish the page

3. List terms that are likely to appear on the pages on the pages you are looking for

4. Assess the results

5. Consider a two-pass straegy (a search within the broader search)

Lastly, and somthing I find extremely important, here are 5 ways to check the validity of sites:

1. Physical existance-street adress, phone number, etc.

2. Expertise-references, citations, credentials

3. Clarity-organized, easy to use

4. Currency-recently updated

5. Professionalism-grammer, spelling, links that work

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