Jasele Oita's Blog A weblog about everything

August 29, 2009

Wikipedia Testing New System To Prevent False Information

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 6:00 am

The online user-edited encyclopedia Wikipedia has taken steps to reduce the amount of false information added to its pages.

Though originally founded as a collaboration of volunteers who could edit content without restriction, repeated vandalism to the site has forced the owning non-profit foundation, Wikimedia, to enact progressively tougher guidelines for users trying to modify existing entries.

The latest attempt now being tested involves designating ‘experienced editors’ who will approve changes before they are added to the public pages of the encyclopedia. Already the German Wikipedia site has a similar system in place.

Currently a few thousand pages on the English Wikipedia site have been locked due to an increased amount of false or offensive editing. Wikimedia hopes that this new process will help to keep pages unlocked while still providing dynamic community-generated content..

Critics of the new policy point out that the definition of an ‘experienced editor’ is not stringent enough to prevent the abuses from occurring. Others object to the new guidelines citing the original goals of Wikipedia- to allow for unrestricted editing of topics by a volunteer community. Still others point out that small edits, for grammar or punctuation, will become harder to perform on less-populated pages negating the benefits of the open-editing process.

A difficult balance must be struck between garnering information from anonymous community sources while also protecting the integrity of the entries on the site. Whether the new guidelines will reduce the amount of false information on the site, or simply provide a small additional hurdle for a malicious editor to jump over, remains to be seen.

August 27, 2009

Yahoo To Overhaul Search Appearance Before Microsoft Deal

Filed under: Internet — admin @ 5:59 am

Continuing the apparent trend of a few very large companies dominating the market share, Yahoo and Microsoft intend to work together on Yahoo’s search engine. Together, the two represent roughly 30% of the search engine market share, impressive if not quite approaching Google’s still-dominant 65%. The deal has sparked the usual collection of rumors, including some analysts’ predictions that Yahoo intends to abandon search engines entirely. Yahoo has staunchly denied any such plans.

Relying on Microsoft’s technology will enable Yahoo to change their focus. Yahoo has always sought to make itself a portal to the Interne, to provide everything its users need on a single page. To that end, their new search engine will feature much more integration with other social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, and YouTube. Yahoo hopes to specialize in searching for people, enabling users to see Facebook messages, Twitter updates and follower lists, and other such details when searching for a specific name. The new material will be available in a sidebar to the left of Yahoo’s new search engine. “Yahoo’s goal is to be the center of people’s lives online,” said Tapan Bhat, senior vice president of integrated consumer experiences.

This deal is generally considered to be a good one for Microsoft, giving them and their Bing engine a needed boost in the public eye. Yahoo, in turn, may be conceding the field of actual search engines to up-and-comers, but they will remain a recognizable brand name and still be able to turn a tidy profit in advertising and referrals.

August 26, 2009

Lego prepares to ramp up production

Filed under: Business Services — admin @ 4:32 pm

Even though construction in the real world remains soft, apparently the amounts of new skyscrapers, castles and Star Wars craft being built by kids remains strong. Lego is one plastic manufacturer that is bucking the trend of cutbacks recently seen in the industry. The company announced that it is planning on boosting capacity at three international plastics injection molding plants.

The company is planning on installing “hundreds of machines” in plants in Denmark, Nyíregyháza, Hungary, and Monterrey, Mexico between now and 2010, said Lego company spokesperson Charlotte Simonsen.

The expansion makes sense as Lego’s profits continue to grow: the company’s pre-tax profits were up 65 percent in the last year. So if your son or daughter (or husband) is a Lego maniac, it looks like it’s time to invest in some wholesale plastic containers to store the loose pieces, since there will be plenty more parts on the shelf in the near future.

August 20, 2009

Sony Unveils Slimmer Sleeker PS3

Filed under: Electronic — admin @ 6:20 am

Sony is poised to reenter the console wars with a new battle strategy. The company unveiled its sleeker, more streamlined version of the PS3. It looks strikingly modern, but the best part is the price. It is a more budget friendly $299. The PS3 slim will be 36 percent smaller, and is said to use 34 percent less energy. This will greatly help the fledgling PlayStation label compete with its much more successful competition: Microsoft’s Xbox 360, and the Nintendo Wii.

Sony has been struggling to keep up ever since it released it’s original version of the PS3 in November 2006. On paper, the console seemed like it was set to take over the market. It was originally offered with either a 20 or 60 GB hard drive, and featured a Blu-ray player. Gamers were itching to purchase Sony’s latest creation, until they saw how much they would be expected to pay. The console’s retail price at launch was $499 for the 20 GB model, and the 60 GB was a staggering $599. What made this all the more unbelievable was the fact that Sony was losing an estimated $250 on each console sold.

The jury is still out on whether the price cut, and the new look, will have what it takes to save the Sony PlayStation from falling into obscurity. Gamers are fickle. Betray them once, and they’ll turn to Microsoft and Nintendo for life. Watch for the Slim 120 GB PS3 to hit stores on September 1, 2009.

August 18, 2009

Tips for car donations in Los Angeles

Filed under: Charity — admin @ 5:04 pm

Some people might think to themselves “I want to donate my car to charity, but I don’t know how to start.” It’s a common refrain, as car donations can seem to be very tricky. There are a lot of different places to choose from, and it can seem like enough to scare off even the most dedicated person.

If you are making a car donation in Los Angeles or anywhere else in the United States, one of the best things you can do is donate your car through an organization such as CharityCarDonation.com, which is specifically designed to maximize the efficiency of a car donation program. We have the experience from taking in thousands of donated cars to be able to make the process run in a smooth and simple manner for both the donor and the charity.

Donating a car through a reputable organization like CharityCarDonation.com is easy and will help out people in need while letting the charities do what they do best – provide vital services and support to your community.

Airforce Going Ahead With Cyber Command

Filed under: Internet — admin @ 6:18 am

Originally proposed by the Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne on November 2, 2006, Air Force Cyber command (AFCYBER) was held in provisional status for two years until late 2008 when plans were put on hold for the October 2008 opening of AFCYBER due to readiness issues. However, that hold is over. On Wednesday, August 19, 2009, AFCYBER was established with a “Numbered Air Force for cyber operations.” Upon the dedication and announcement that a form of AFCYBER would go forward, San Antonio Mayer Julian Castro said that “what Silicon Valley is to software… San Antonio is to cyber.”

Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas is the location for this new body. With AFCYBER dead, a downgraded version of the original proposal is going online, over 400 staffers (including infrastructure and security personnel) will be transferred to Lackland to support this new effort, pending an environmental impact report that was released on August 19, 2009. The new version of the previously suggested AFCYBER will be part of the 24th Air Force.

The primary goal of AFCYBER is to protect the United States Air Force from computer disruptions and from all forms of hacking and cyber disruption in contemporary computer networks. Although Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has noted that he is considering forming a centralized Cyber Command based at Fort Meade, Maryland that will serve all branches of the military in their defense against cyber attacks, no public progress has been made in making this a reality.

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