| OK hands up everyone who has heard of the | | | | should be aware of how they and other |
| phrase Web 2.0? Everyone, good, means that we | | | | applications like them work. |
| are all paying attention then. Unless you have | | | | As I switch on and log into my Facebook account |
| either juts arrived on Planet Earth from the Planet | | | | (yes I have one) I can't help but notice the |
| Zanussi or have been sheltering under a rock for | | | | growing number of cute and cuddly wee |
| the past couple of years then you would have | | | | applications that keep cropping up when people |
| been hard pressed not to have heard of the | | | | sent me items. Now this is all very nice and it |
| phrase Web 2.0? | | | | does indeed keep you all warm and fuzzy inside |
| It was supposed to be the panacea to all Internet | | | | to know that people care but there is a more |
| ills and the ultimate answer to all marketers' | | | | insidious side to all of this. Every time you try and |
| dreams. It was also supposed to make our daily | | | | open a "hatching egg" or a growing plant" you are |
| lives and the way we interact with each other | | | | asked to download and open an application to run |
| online so much more complete and intuitive. | | | | these gifts. Hidden behind the scenes in some of |
| Well if we are honest the jury is still out on most | | | | these applications are bots and crawlers who are |
| of these issues as yes good old Web 2.0 and its | | | | unleashed onto your hard drive, email in box or |
| sites do tick some of the boxes but as in all good | | | | wherever they can go to "mine" personal data |
| things when it comes to mankind, why do we | | | | and store this data. Yes folks you have just been |
| never quit when we are ahead? | | | | the victim in some cases of the first stages of |
| By this I mean that there are some cracking sites | | | | Identity Theft. In the worst cases your hard drive |
| out there with some extremely useful features | | | | may be infected and you are on the slippery |
| and functions but as in all cases, sooner or later | | | | slope to your data being harvested and the hard |
| along come a bunch of folks who proceed to | | | | drive roasted and fried. |
| screw it up for everyone else. | | | | Not a nice picture is it and one that the folks |
| Hands up those who know anything about | | | | behind Facebook (and others) are less likely to |
| Facebook? | | | | portray? The trouble is that a lot of these |
| Good, lots of you and this is good as it means | | | | applications are third party applications that are |
| that the PR people behind Facebook have been | | | | not hosted on Facebook's own servers and as |
| doing their job so bonuses all round, we can all | | | | such Facebook and its personnel have no control |
| afford to stand up properly for a change! | | | | over what is going on by and large. |
| Hands up all of you who understand properly the | | | | Welcome to the hidden dark side of Web 2.0, |
| way that all of those nice cute little applications on | | | | where it is all too easy to submerge yourself into |
| Facebook work when all your mates keep sending | | | | a collective consciousness and forget about how |
| you cute and cuddly little virtual friends and | | | | you may be exposing yourself to hidden theft. |
| flowers, exploding eggs, plants whatever? | | | | Now if you are the victim of this type of Internet |
| Hmnnnn. Not quite as many as who answered in | | | | Mugging and yes you have suffered data loss as |
| the affirmative the first time round. Not so good, | | | | a result. What are you going to do now? |
| as there are a number of reasons why you | | | | |