The proposal of international IT giants to buy 3.91 lakh square feet of office space in Hyderabad has raised hopes of fresh investments into the state,
The proposals of Facebook India online services, Invesco and Accenture have been cleared by the Development Commissioner of IT SEZs. Facebook will set up its office in the Raheja Mindspace special economic zone, and will launch its incubator facility in two months. The Hyderabad office will be the first office of the social networking giant in Asia.
The expansion projects of Accenture and Invesco have also been cleared. Five IT SEZs cleared by the Development Commissioner are expected to create about 5,000 new IT jobs this year.
The IT revolution, which was hitherto limited to Hyderabad city, is slowly making inroads into Tier-II and III cities and towns. L& recently completed an IT SEZ in Vijayawada on 30 acres. More than 2 lakh square feet of space in this SEZ has been purchased by Chennai-based IT companies.
Indemax, Tektracks, Galla IT services and Exranet Software have entered into agreements with the government to set up their centres in Vijayawada.
“Vijayawada is being preferred as an alternative location because of its strategic location and the cost advantage in terms of physical infrastructure and human resources,” said Ms K. Ratnaprabha, principal secretary, IT & Communications department.
Warangal, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati have also received several enquiries in the last two months.
This surge has surprised real estate developers too. Infrastructure providers like Raheja and Divyasree have sold more than 32 lakh square feet of office space mostly to IT companies.
Showing posts with label Facebook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Facebook. Show all posts
Monday, June 28, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
Bangladesh blocks Facebook
Bangladesh has blocked social networking website Facebook over caricatures of Prophet Mohammed and “obnoxious” images of the Muslim-majority country's leaders, an official said on Sunday.
The move came after Pakistan banned access to Facebook, video website YouTube and 1,200 web pages over a row about “blasphemous” content on the Internet.
Facebook was blocked in Bangladesh late on Saturday, the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) said.
The move was ordered as cartoons of the Mohammed on the popular website “hurt the religious sentiments of the country's Muslim population,” said BTRC acting chairman Hasan Mahmud Delwar.
“Some links in the website also contained obnoxious images of our leaders, including the father of the nation, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and the leader of the Opposition.” He said Facebook would be re-opened once Bangladesh had permanently blocked the offending pages.
The country's anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) said it had arrested one man over the images of political leaders. “A special intelligence team arrested him and he has been charged with spreading malice,” senior RAB official Enamul Kabir said.
He said the arrested man used at least six Facebook accounts to post the images, but officials declined to give details of the depictions, which were not immediately showing up on the site on Sunday.
On Friday, thousands of Bangladeshis took to the streets of the capital Dhaka, demanding that the government ban Facebook over what they called “anti-Islamic propaganda.”
The protests were triggered by an “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day” campaign on Facebook, which its anonymous promoters said was in defence of the freedom of expression. Muslims regard all depictions of Islam's founding prophet as blasphemous. “Drawing caricatures of Prophet Mohammed is an attack on Islam and extremely humiliating for Islam,” Dhaka protest organiser A.T.M. Hemayet Uddin told thousands of cheering supporters.
In a counter-demonstration, Dhaka University students held a rally on the campus late on Saturday, urging authorities to lift the Facebook block immediately, according to the Daily Star.
Pakistan has restored access to YouTube, but Facebook and 1,200 web pages remain blocked.
Last year, Bangladesh also blocked YouTube for several days after the website hosted a recording of an angry dispute between Ms. Hasina and Army officers over a deadly military mutiny.
Bangladesh has nearly one million Facebook account holders — a sixth of all Internet users, according to the BTRC. Ms. Hasina and Opposition leader Khaleda Zia have fan pages on Facebook.
The move came after Pakistan banned access to Facebook, video website YouTube and 1,200 web pages over a row about “blasphemous” content on the Internet.
Facebook was blocked in Bangladesh late on Saturday, the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) said.
The move was ordered as cartoons of the Mohammed on the popular website “hurt the religious sentiments of the country's Muslim population,” said BTRC acting chairman Hasan Mahmud Delwar.
“Some links in the website also contained obnoxious images of our leaders, including the father of the nation, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and the leader of the Opposition.” He said Facebook would be re-opened once Bangladesh had permanently blocked the offending pages.
The country's anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) said it had arrested one man over the images of political leaders. “A special intelligence team arrested him and he has been charged with spreading malice,” senior RAB official Enamul Kabir said.
He said the arrested man used at least six Facebook accounts to post the images, but officials declined to give details of the depictions, which were not immediately showing up on the site on Sunday.
On Friday, thousands of Bangladeshis took to the streets of the capital Dhaka, demanding that the government ban Facebook over what they called “anti-Islamic propaganda.”
The protests were triggered by an “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day” campaign on Facebook, which its anonymous promoters said was in defence of the freedom of expression. Muslims regard all depictions of Islam's founding prophet as blasphemous. “Drawing caricatures of Prophet Mohammed is an attack on Islam and extremely humiliating for Islam,” Dhaka protest organiser A.T.M. Hemayet Uddin told thousands of cheering supporters.
In a counter-demonstration, Dhaka University students held a rally on the campus late on Saturday, urging authorities to lift the Facebook block immediately, according to the Daily Star.
Pakistan has restored access to YouTube, but Facebook and 1,200 web pages remain blocked.
Last year, Bangladesh also blocked YouTube for several days after the website hosted a recording of an angry dispute between Ms. Hasina and Army officers over a deadly military mutiny.
Bangladesh has nearly one million Facebook account holders — a sixth of all Internet users, according to the BTRC. Ms. Hasina and Opposition leader Khaleda Zia have fan pages on Facebook.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Facebook overhauls privacy settings
Social networking site Facebook introduced a new set of privacy controls on Wednesday in an attempt to quell criticism that it was lax about protecting users’ personal information.
The new controls are featured in a streamlined privacy panel that allows users much easier management of who can access their information.
“We believe in privacy. We believe in giving people control,” Facebook founder Marc Zuckerberg said at a press conference to announce the overhaul.
“But more and more, people want to share information. As long as they have good control over that, I think that’s where the world is going”.
The new settings feature a single control that limits who can see the content posted by a Facebook user, and allow users to control who sees their list of friends and their personal pages — information that was previously available to all Facebook users.
“We’ve heard that people want a simple way to take control of their information,” Zuckerberg said. “We looked at a video someone posted about how many steps it took to stop sharing their information, and we thought, ‘Yeah, that’s too much.’“
Facebook is making it easier for users to opt out of instant participation on Facebook’s partner sites. Zuckerberg said users can quickly and easily choose a setting that won’t allow their information to be shared with third-party websites. The sharing of content will also apply to Facebook products launched in the future, he said.
Criticism of Facebook has been building since December, when the company introduced new settings that automatically shared more user information unless users took convoluted steps to opt out. In addition to the company’s official policies, several security snafus allowed friends to snoop on users’ Facebook chats and see which partner websites they had been surfing.
The new controls are featured in a streamlined privacy panel that allows users much easier management of who can access their information.
“We believe in privacy. We believe in giving people control,” Facebook founder Marc Zuckerberg said at a press conference to announce the overhaul.
“But more and more, people want to share information. As long as they have good control over that, I think that’s where the world is going”.
The new settings feature a single control that limits who can see the content posted by a Facebook user, and allow users to control who sees their list of friends and their personal pages — information that was previously available to all Facebook users.
“We’ve heard that people want a simple way to take control of their information,” Zuckerberg said. “We looked at a video someone posted about how many steps it took to stop sharing their information, and we thought, ‘Yeah, that’s too much.’“
Facebook is making it easier for users to opt out of instant participation on Facebook’s partner sites. Zuckerberg said users can quickly and easily choose a setting that won’t allow their information to be shared with third-party websites. The sharing of content will also apply to Facebook products launched in the future, he said.
Criticism of Facebook has been building since December, when the company introduced new settings that automatically shared more user information unless users took convoluted steps to opt out. In addition to the company’s official policies, several security snafus allowed friends to snoop on users’ Facebook chats and see which partner websites they had been surfing.
Friday, March 26, 2010
People’s addiction to networking sites on rise: study
People’s addiction to social networking sites is fast on the rise, according to a study which said an increasing number of Facebook and Twitter users check their accounts first thing in the morning while some look at their social media messages even while having sex.
The study conducted by consumer electronics shopping site Retrevo said 53 per cent of people surveyed check their Facebook/Twitter accounts as soon as they get up in the morning, even “before getting out of bed”. Nearly 31 per cent say “this is how I get my morning news“.
“What is it about social media that causes people to spend so much of their precious time trading information with friends, family and even giant corporations? Of course, we already know the answer; it is fun and can be rewarding both socially and financially,” Retrevo’s Director of Community & Content Andrew Eisner said.
The Gadgetology study asked consumers how they felt about being interrupted at various times and occasions for an electronic message. While 33 per cent said they did not mind being interrupted by message updates “during a meeting”, 76 per cent said they can take a break from their meal to check their accounts.
Seventeen per cent said they would read a message on Facebook or Twitter during sex, while 63 per cent said they would check out a message while in the toilet.
Thirty-four per cent of the respondents said they would check their social networking accounts first thing in the morning, before switching on the TV. About 30 per cent of those surveyed said they check or update their Facebook/Twitter accounts whenever they wake up in the night.
People under the age of 25 were more likely to lose sleep keeping an eye on their friends’ posts during the night, the study said. iPhone owners stand out in this study as more involved with social media. They use Facebook and Twitter more often and in more places.
“With over 31 per cent of social media users saying checking Facebook and Twitter first thing in the morning is how they get their morning “news”, could we be witnessing the first signs of social media services beginning to replace ’Good Morning America’ as the source for what’s going on in the world?” the study said.
In more evidence that social media is becoming addictive, 56 per cent of its users said they need to check Facebook at least once a day, while 29 per cent said they can go only a couple of hours without checking their accounts.
Thirty-five per cent said they have to check their accounts at least a few times in a day. The sample size for the survey was over 1000 people across the United States.
According to Facebook, it has more than 400 million active users across the world. Some estimates say Twitter ended 2009 with over 75 million user accounts.
The study conducted by consumer electronics shopping site Retrevo said 53 per cent of people surveyed check their Facebook/Twitter accounts as soon as they get up in the morning, even “before getting out of bed”. Nearly 31 per cent say “this is how I get my morning news“.
“What is it about social media that causes people to spend so much of their precious time trading information with friends, family and even giant corporations? Of course, we already know the answer; it is fun and can be rewarding both socially and financially,” Retrevo’s Director of Community & Content Andrew Eisner said.
The Gadgetology study asked consumers how they felt about being interrupted at various times and occasions for an electronic message. While 33 per cent said they did not mind being interrupted by message updates “during a meeting”, 76 per cent said they can take a break from their meal to check their accounts.
Seventeen per cent said they would read a message on Facebook or Twitter during sex, while 63 per cent said they would check out a message while in the toilet.
Thirty-four per cent of the respondents said they would check their social networking accounts first thing in the morning, before switching on the TV. About 30 per cent of those surveyed said they check or update their Facebook/Twitter accounts whenever they wake up in the night.
People under the age of 25 were more likely to lose sleep keeping an eye on their friends’ posts during the night, the study said. iPhone owners stand out in this study as more involved with social media. They use Facebook and Twitter more often and in more places.
“With over 31 per cent of social media users saying checking Facebook and Twitter first thing in the morning is how they get their morning “news”, could we be witnessing the first signs of social media services beginning to replace ’Good Morning America’ as the source for what’s going on in the world?” the study said.
In more evidence that social media is becoming addictive, 56 per cent of its users said they need to check Facebook at least once a day, while 29 per cent said they can go only a couple of hours without checking their accounts.
Thirty-five per cent said they have to check their accounts at least a few times in a day. The sample size for the survey was over 1000 people across the United States.
According to Facebook, it has more than 400 million active users across the world. Some estimates say Twitter ended 2009 with over 75 million user accounts.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Facebook refuses to install paedophile ‘panic button’
Facebook has refused to install the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (Ceop) centre ‘panic button’ on its page to report suspected paedophiles, but it has vowed to develop its existing system.
The social networking site has been pressured to start the ‘panic button’ on its pages, after Peter Chapman was convicted for the murder of 17-year-old Ashleigh Hall, whom he lured using Facebook, reports The BBC.
Richard Allan, director of policy for Facebook Europe, said the site did not plan to include the button, as it might be effective in principle "for other sites," but not for Facebook.
Nonetheless, the site has agreed to have links to organisations including the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (Ceop) centre on its reporting pages.
Jim Gamble, head of Ceop, wants the button to be on the front page of every profile page, “so that children are reassured and empowered, so are their parents, and offenders are deterred. That's the key.”
Websites such as Bebo are already using the ‘panic button’. Facebook said it was "deeply saddened by the tragic death" of Hall.
The social networking site has been pressured to start the ‘panic button’ on its pages, after Peter Chapman was convicted for the murder of 17-year-old Ashleigh Hall, whom he lured using Facebook, reports The BBC.
Richard Allan, director of policy for Facebook Europe, said the site did not plan to include the button, as it might be effective in principle "for other sites," but not for Facebook.
Nonetheless, the site has agreed to have links to organisations including the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (Ceop) centre on its reporting pages.
Jim Gamble, head of Ceop, wants the button to be on the front page of every profile page, “so that children are reassured and empowered, so are their parents, and offenders are deterred. That's the key.”
Websites such as Bebo are already using the ‘panic button’. Facebook said it was "deeply saddened by the tragic death" of Hall.
New password-stealing virus targets Facebook
Hackers have flooded the Internet with virus-tainted spam that targets Facebook's estimated 400 million users in an effort to steal banking passwords and gather other sensitive information.
The emails tell recipients that the passwords on their Facebook accounts have been reset, urging them to click on an attachment to obtain new login credentials, according to anti-virus software maker McAfee Inc.
If the attachment is opened, it downloads several types of malicious software, including a program that steals passwords, McAfee said on Wednesday.
Hackers have long targeted Facebook users, sending them tainted messages via the social networking company's own internal email system. With this new attack, they are using regular Internet email to spread their malicious software.
A Facebook spokesman said the company could not comment on the specific case, but pointed to a status update the company posted on its web site earlier on Wednesday warning users about the spoofed email and advising users to delete the email and to warn their friends.
McAfee estimates that hackers sent out tens of millions of spam across Europe, the United States and Asia since the campaign began on Tuesday.
Dave Marcus, McAfee's director of malware research and communications, said that he expects the hackers will succeed in infecting millions of computers.
"With Facebook as your lure, you potentially have 400 million people that can click on the attachment. If you get 10 percent success, that's 40 million," he said.
The email's subject line says "Facebook password reset confirmation customer support," according to Marcus.
The emails tell recipients that the passwords on their Facebook accounts have been reset, urging them to click on an attachment to obtain new login credentials, according to anti-virus software maker McAfee Inc.
If the attachment is opened, it downloads several types of malicious software, including a program that steals passwords, McAfee said on Wednesday.
Hackers have long targeted Facebook users, sending them tainted messages via the social networking company's own internal email system. With this new attack, they are using regular Internet email to spread their malicious software.
A Facebook spokesman said the company could not comment on the specific case, but pointed to a status update the company posted on its web site earlier on Wednesday warning users about the spoofed email and advising users to delete the email and to warn their friends.
McAfee estimates that hackers sent out tens of millions of spam across Europe, the United States and Asia since the campaign began on Tuesday.
Dave Marcus, McAfee's director of malware research and communications, said that he expects the hackers will succeed in infecting millions of computers.
"With Facebook as your lure, you potentially have 400 million people that can click on the attachment. If you get 10 percent success, that's 40 million," he said.
The email's subject line says "Facebook password reset confirmation customer support," according to Marcus.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
'Facebook beats Google for visitors '
Social-networking star Facebook surpassed Google to become the most visited website in the United States for the first time last week, industry analysts showed.
Facebook's homepage finished the week ending March 13 as the most visited site in the country, according to industry tracker Hitwise.
The "important milestone," as described by Hitwise director of research Heather Dougherty, came as Facebook enjoyed a massive 185 per cent increase in visits in the same period, compared to the same week in 2009.
By comparison, visits to search engine home Google.com increased only nine per cent in the same time -- although the tracker does not include Google property sites such as the popular Gmail email service, YouTube and Google Maps.
Taken together, Facebook.com and Google.com amounted to 14 per cent of the entire US Internet visits last week, Dougherty said.
Google has been positioning challenges in recent months to Facebook and the micro-blogging site Twitter by adding the social-networking feature Buzz to its Gmail service.
In what could signal an escalating battle between Facebook and Google, the leading social-networking service celebrated its sixth birthday earlier this year with changes including a new message inbox that echoes Gmail's format.
Facebook boasts some 400 million users while Gmail had 176 million unique visitors in December, according to tracking firm comScore.
Facebook's homepage finished the week ending March 13 as the most visited site in the country, according to industry tracker Hitwise.
The "important milestone," as described by Hitwise director of research Heather Dougherty, came as Facebook enjoyed a massive 185 per cent increase in visits in the same period, compared to the same week in 2009.
By comparison, visits to search engine home Google.com increased only nine per cent in the same time -- although the tracker does not include Google property sites such as the popular Gmail email service, YouTube and Google Maps.
Taken together, Facebook.com and Google.com amounted to 14 per cent of the entire US Internet visits last week, Dougherty said.
Google has been positioning challenges in recent months to Facebook and the micro-blogging site Twitter by adding the social-networking feature Buzz to its Gmail service.
In what could signal an escalating battle between Facebook and Google, the leading social-networking service celebrated its sixth birthday earlier this year with changes including a new message inbox that echoes Gmail's format.
Facebook boasts some 400 million users while Gmail had 176 million unique visitors in December, according to tracking firm comScore.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Social networking platforms could be vulnerable to virus attacks
Internet security experts increasingly see social networking websites as a target for malicious attacks.
Attacks in the future will be technically sophisticated and users of web 2.0 applications such as Facebook and MySpace in particular could come increasingly into the sights of online criminals, according to officials at the anti-virus software maker G Data in Bochum, Germany.
“The collaborative network will be targeted for misuse through the spread of malicious software and sophisticated spam attacks,” the company said.
Germany’s federal office for security in information technology sees the same dangers and warns users of social networking sites against careless handling of their personal data. Authorities advise users, for example, to inform themselves about the general business conditions and the data protection designations of the sites.
Beyond that it’s also important to be selective about contact requests. For example, when a person tries continually to make unsolicited contact with someone, the incidents should be reported to the provider.
Attacks in the future will be technically sophisticated and users of web 2.0 applications such as Facebook and MySpace in particular could come increasingly into the sights of online criminals, according to officials at the anti-virus software maker G Data in Bochum, Germany.
“The collaborative network will be targeted for misuse through the spread of malicious software and sophisticated spam attacks,” the company said.
Germany’s federal office for security in information technology sees the same dangers and warns users of social networking sites against careless handling of their personal data. Authorities advise users, for example, to inform themselves about the general business conditions and the data protection designations of the sites.
Beyond that it’s also important to be selective about contact requests. For example, when a person tries continually to make unsolicited contact with someone, the incidents should be reported to the provider.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Twitter, Facebook users vulnerable to cyber crimes
An alarming rise in attacks by cyber criminals has exposed users of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to risks of identity theft, spam and malware infiltration in the last one year, a study says.
According to the survey by global IT security and data protection firm Sophos, criminals have increasingly focused attacks on users of social networking sites in last 12 months with an explosion in reports of spam and malware.
About 57 per cent of users have been spammed via social networking sites, a rise of 70.6 per cent from last year, while 36 per cent received malware via them, a rise of 69.8 per cent, it said.
“Computer users are spending more time on social networks, sharing sensitive and valuable personal information and hackers have sniffed out where the money is to be made,” Sophos senior technology consultant Graham Cluley said.
“A dramatic rise in attacks last year tells us that social networks and their millions of users have to do more to protect themselves from organised cybercrime or risk falling prey to identity theft schemes, scams and malware attacks.”
Sophos surveyed over 500 firms and found that 72 per cent are concerned that employee behaviour on social networking sites exposes their businesses to danger and puts corporate infrastructure and sensitive data at risk.
When asked, which social network they believed posed the biggest security risk, 60 per cent respondents named Facebook, followed by MySpace (18 per cent), Twitter( 17 per cent) and LinkedIn (four per cent).
“We shouldn’t forget that Facebook is by far the largest social network — and you’ll find more bad apples in the biggest orchard,” Mr. Cluley said.
The truth is that the security team at Facebook works hard to counter threats on their site — it’s just that policing 350 million users can’t be an easy job for anyone, Mr. Cluley added.
The “Social Security” survey is a part of Sophos’ 2010 Security Threat Report, which explores current and emerging computer security trends.
The report reveals that criminals identify potential victims on social networks and then attack them, both at home and at work.
Sophos believes that many Web 2.0 sites are concentrating too much on growing their market share at the expense of properly defending their existing users from Internet threats.
According to the survey by global IT security and data protection firm Sophos, criminals have increasingly focused attacks on users of social networking sites in last 12 months with an explosion in reports of spam and malware.
About 57 per cent of users have been spammed via social networking sites, a rise of 70.6 per cent from last year, while 36 per cent received malware via them, a rise of 69.8 per cent, it said.
“Computer users are spending more time on social networks, sharing sensitive and valuable personal information and hackers have sniffed out where the money is to be made,” Sophos senior technology consultant Graham Cluley said.
“A dramatic rise in attacks last year tells us that social networks and their millions of users have to do more to protect themselves from organised cybercrime or risk falling prey to identity theft schemes, scams and malware attacks.”
Sophos surveyed over 500 firms and found that 72 per cent are concerned that employee behaviour on social networking sites exposes their businesses to danger and puts corporate infrastructure and sensitive data at risk.
When asked, which social network they believed posed the biggest security risk, 60 per cent respondents named Facebook, followed by MySpace (18 per cent), Twitter( 17 per cent) and LinkedIn (four per cent).
“We shouldn’t forget that Facebook is by far the largest social network — and you’ll find more bad apples in the biggest orchard,” Mr. Cluley said.
The truth is that the security team at Facebook works hard to counter threats on their site — it’s just that policing 350 million users can’t be an easy job for anyone, Mr. Cluley added.
The “Social Security” survey is a part of Sophos’ 2010 Security Threat Report, which explores current and emerging computer security trends.
The report reveals that criminals identify potential victims on social networks and then attack them, both at home and at work.
Sophos believes that many Web 2.0 sites are concentrating too much on growing their market share at the expense of properly defending their existing users from Internet threats.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tweet or leave a scrap
Is e-mail, perceived as archaic and prone to spams, on its way out as net users prefer social media? Sangeetha Devi Dundoo reports
Barely a day after the release of 3 Idiots, the positive reviews were out. Only a few of them were from reviewers in the print/audio-visual and new media, analysing the pros and cons of being Rancho. Quite a bit of word-of-mouth publicity came from tweets, status messages on messengers, and scraps on Orkut and Facebook. Without much ado, thousands of Gtalk and MSN Messenger users changed their status message to ‘Aal izz well with 3 Idiots'; ‘3 Idiots is a joy ride' or simply ‘Aal izz well'. Within no time, web users had also taken the quiz, ‘Find out which 3 Idiots character are you?', and posted the result for their friends to see.
Quick communication through social networking sites has replaced the need to e-mail for many, forcing web analysts to think if e-mails would become extinct in a few years..
This may sound far fetched, but sample this: Several studies in the West predict the decline and eventual extinction of e-mails in the next decade. E-mails are considered antiquated, prone to spams and fit for the older age group.
K. Amrita, pursuing her masters in computer science, cringes at the thought of using e-mails. “I use mails only to send out resumes and other official reasons. If I have to mail someone, I put it off till a later day. I prefer Twitter, chats and Facebook to keep it simpler, faster and reach out to all my friends in a few seconds.
I don't have to think of sourcing the right e-mail id and right way of addressing the recipient,” she says. E-mail, which edged out snail mail for sheer convenience and faster communication, is beginning to be perceived as complex. Diyanat Ali, IT manager, Geodesic Ltd, sticks to e-mails for official communication and whenever attachments need to be sent. At other times, he favours social sites. “Social media channels reduce the complexity of e-mails. The messages are short and you reach more people,” he reasons. While he feels that the usage of e-mails will decline in the next decade, he doesn't see it becoming obsolete. “Social media will not kill email just like VOIP didn't kill the telephone,” he argues.
Preference of social media over e-mails changes according to the age group and the nature of communication.
You may tweet or have status messages announcing your verdict on 3 Idiots but for official or personal communication, you still turn to good old e-mails. Then, there are still those who prefer one-to-one communication that e-mail facilitates. Gayathri Santosh, a homemaker in her early 30s, discovered the joy of connecting with her school and college buddies through Facebook but is wary of the privacy it ensures. “It's fun to upload photographs, receive and send instant comments and get to know what your friends are up to. Yet, I think e-mails ensure some privacy. You cannot make all your conversations public,” she says.
Vaneeta Bhattacharyya, who facilitates body-centric workshops, chooses from mails and chats according to the nature of the communication and feels, “E-mails may take some more effort but that's where the willingness to make that effort comes in. You don't always seek instant gratification (like in social media).”
Barely a day after the release of 3 Idiots, the positive reviews were out. Only a few of them were from reviewers in the print/audio-visual and new media, analysing the pros and cons of being Rancho. Quite a bit of word-of-mouth publicity came from tweets, status messages on messengers, and scraps on Orkut and Facebook. Without much ado, thousands of Gtalk and MSN Messenger users changed their status message to ‘Aal izz well with 3 Idiots'; ‘3 Idiots is a joy ride' or simply ‘Aal izz well'. Within no time, web users had also taken the quiz, ‘Find out which 3 Idiots character are you?', and posted the result for their friends to see.
Quick communication through social networking sites has replaced the need to e-mail for many, forcing web analysts to think if e-mails would become extinct in a few years..
This may sound far fetched, but sample this: Several studies in the West predict the decline and eventual extinction of e-mails in the next decade. E-mails are considered antiquated, prone to spams and fit for the older age group.
K. Amrita, pursuing her masters in computer science, cringes at the thought of using e-mails. “I use mails only to send out resumes and other official reasons. If I have to mail someone, I put it off till a later day. I prefer Twitter, chats and Facebook to keep it simpler, faster and reach out to all my friends in a few seconds.
I don't have to think of sourcing the right e-mail id and right way of addressing the recipient,” she says. E-mail, which edged out snail mail for sheer convenience and faster communication, is beginning to be perceived as complex. Diyanat Ali, IT manager, Geodesic Ltd, sticks to e-mails for official communication and whenever attachments need to be sent. At other times, he favours social sites. “Social media channels reduce the complexity of e-mails. The messages are short and you reach more people,” he reasons. While he feels that the usage of e-mails will decline in the next decade, he doesn't see it becoming obsolete. “Social media will not kill email just like VOIP didn't kill the telephone,” he argues.
Preference of social media over e-mails changes according to the age group and the nature of communication.
You may tweet or have status messages announcing your verdict on 3 Idiots but for official or personal communication, you still turn to good old e-mails. Then, there are still those who prefer one-to-one communication that e-mail facilitates. Gayathri Santosh, a homemaker in her early 30s, discovered the joy of connecting with her school and college buddies through Facebook but is wary of the privacy it ensures. “It's fun to upload photographs, receive and send instant comments and get to know what your friends are up to. Yet, I think e-mails ensure some privacy. You cannot make all your conversations public,” she says.
Vaneeta Bhattacharyya, who facilitates body-centric workshops, chooses from mails and chats according to the nature of the communication and feels, “E-mails may take some more effort but that's where the willingness to make that effort comes in. You don't always seek instant gratification (like in social media).”
Sunday, January 24, 2010
'Human brain can’t handle more than 150 Facebook friends'
No matter how many friends you have on social networking websites like ‘Facebook’ or ‘Orkut’, the human brain is capable of handling up to a maximum of 150 pals only, a new study has claimed.
Researchers at Oxford University have found that while popular social networking sites allow people to maintain more relationships, the number of meaningful friendships is more or less the same as it has been throughout history.
The researchers, led by led by Robin Dunbar, have developed a theory known as “Dunbar’s number” in the nineties which claimed that the size of our neocortex — the part of the brain used for conscious thought and language — limits us to managing social circles of around 150 friends.
They derived the limit from studying social groupings in a variety of societies — from neolithic villages to modern office environments, and found people tended to self-organise in groups of 150 as social cohesion begins to deteriorate as groups become larger, The Sunday Times reported.
The researchers are now studying the social networking websites to see if the Facebook effect has stretched the size of social groupings. Preliminary results suggest it has not.
“The interesting thing is that you can have 1,500 friends but when you actually look at traffic on sites, you see people maintain the same inner circle of around 150 people that we observe in the real world. People obviously like the kudos of having hundreds of friends but the reality is that they’re unlikely to be bigger than anyone else’s. There is a big sex difference though, girls are much better at maintaining relationships just by talking to each other. Boys need to do physical stuff together,” Mr. Dunbar said.
