GeekSugar

Illinois Bars Sex Offenders From Social Networks

GeekSugar — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 01:47:02 -0700

On Thursday, Illinois lawmakers signed a law that bans registered sex offenders from using social networks. The law, of course, aims to prevent offenders from victimizing those they might find on a social network such as Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter.

Interestingly, they define social network as "an Internet website containing profile web pages of the members of the website that include the names or nicknames of such members . . . or any other personal or personally identifying information about such members." You know as well as I do how many websites that defines nowadays, with more sites adding a social aspect to keep up with the times.

The powers-that-be appear to be growing more aware of the impact of social networks, and are responding accordingly - see the US Marines' ban. This law, though, has a different purpose entirely: protection of minors. Do you think it will be effective?

The Future Is Here: Avatar Kills Another Avatar, Faces Real Law

GeekSugar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:00:14 -0700

And this is when a videogame obsession becomes a problem: A woman in Japan, who was a fan of the virtual reality game Maple Story, was angry that her virtual husband in the game virtually divorced her, so she killed him. Virtually.

While she's obviously not being charged with murder, she is in hot water for illegally accessing his computer to kill her victim's character, which could be a penalty of five years in prison. Proof that breaking up is always hard to do, even if you have never even met the person.

Source

Text-Walking May Become Illegal in Illinois

GeekSugar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 02:00:22 -0700

Thankfully a majority of you haven't had any walking while texting incidents, and knock-on-wood, I haven't either. Well in Illinois this past January, a bill was introduced that would ban people from using their cell phones while crossing the street.

"This legislation is not laughable. On the surface it's like, 'Oh wow, what is this?' But it's becoming more and more of a common problem with people haplessly crossing an intersection and almost killing themselves."

Says Ken Dunkin, the representative who introduced the bill. Dunkin also mentioned that there have already been two deaths of two New York City pedestrians who were said to have been walking and texting.

The Chicago Tribune notes how the brain's ability to multitask makes text-walking possible, even though it's a delicate balancing act. I honestly don't know what I'd do if California banned texting while walking, because texting most likely consists of emailing too, which I love doing to and from work!

Source

Have You Ever Been Cyber Bullied?

GeekSugar — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:45:31 -0700

As much as I love the Internet, I'm aware of what a dangerous place it can be since it seems that anonymity can bring out the worst in people. An example of this saddening fact is the story of a 13-year-old Missouri girl who committed suicide after being the victim of cyber bullying on MySpace. The case, which is being tried in a California federal court, has prompted Missouri Governor Matt Blunt to sign a bill that makes Internet harassment against the law.

Previously, harassment laws stated communication had to be written (as in snail mail), or over the telephone. But Monday, the new law took effect includes harassment via text, email, and other electronic devices.

I've never experienced virtual harassment myself, but I'm sure it's not uncommon. Have you ever been a victim of cyber bullying?

Source

Geek Tip: Beware of the Dreaded Illegal Download Letter

GeekSugar — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:10:14 -0700

Lifehacker reports that a reader recently got a letter from her ISP provider, warning her that Paramount/Dreamworks was aware of her illegal downloading via BitTorrent. And while they weren't suing her, nor was her internet being cut off, the letter from Cablevision was a warning.

This particular reader had downloaded over 30 movies when she received the letter and has stopped downloading and implored Lifehacker as to what's next.

Many commenters reported getting the letter for downloading copyrighted material and not having been disconnected or sued, and therefore felt it was a mere scare tactic (that worked quite well, I might add). On the other hand, a Sugar co-worker tells me that her friend got a warning letter and has been disconnected ever since (including being black-balled in other locations, too). Whatever your downloading habits, just be aware that this could happen to you, too! Be careful, geeks.

Source

Good Idea or Bad Idea? Banning Anonymous Internet Posting

GeekSugar — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 03:00:09 -0700

File this under "Oh, really?!" It seems a Kentucky State Representative, Tim Couch, wants to make anonymous Internet posting illegal. Couch is trying to pass a bill that would require you to register with your full name and address every time you posted anything on the Internet, in order to cut down on online bullying. Um, one word, Mr. Crouch: Hmmm. How exactly are you going to do this? Does this apply to blogs (because I know that Joe Blogger is not going to be pleased with that $500 fine)? And who's to say that everyone posting anonymously is a bully? What about forums in which you would reveal more because you're anonymous?

Of course, I can think of lots of awful Internet bullying situations, but I somehow doubt this could fix that. As I scratch my head, I'll leave it up to you guys to discuss.

Source

GeekSugar’s Submit Your Cool Captures to Win a CanvasPop Print Contest

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:23:17 -0800

GeekSugar’s Submit Your Cool Captures to Win a CanvasPop Print Contest

OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. MAKING A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. The GeekSugar’s Submit Your Cool Captures to Win a CanvasPop Print Contest (the “Contest”) is sponsored by Sugar Publishing, Inc. (owner and operator of geeksugar.com), having an address of 111 Sutter Street, 15th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104 (“Sponsor”).

ELIGIBILITY:
Open only to permanent legal U.S. residents physically residing in the fifty (50) United States of America and the District of Columbia. Employees of Sponsor and its respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, and advertising and promotion agencies and any other entity involved in the development or administration of this Contest, and their immediate family members or household members are not eligible to participate in or win the Contest. All prizes won by minors will be awarded to their parents or legal guardians on their behalf. Winners may be required to sign an Affidavit of Eligibility and complete relevant tax forms as a condition to the delivery of the applicable prize. Void where prohibited by law. All applicable federal, state and local laws apply.

HOW TO ENTER:
No purchase is necessary to participate in the Contest. To enter, you must log into your profile at geeksugar.com or any PopSugar Network site (or register for a profile at http://www.onsugar.com/user/register), then join the Cool Capture group and share your image, the model of camera used to take the photo, and a short description about the image (see also detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups ) between 12:00am PDT on Monday, November 23, 2009 and 11:59pm PST on Sunday, December 6, 2009 (the “Entry Period”). Entries generated by script, macro or other automated means are void. Normal time, toll, connection and usage rates, if any, charged by your Internet service provider will apply. All entries become the property of the Sponsor.
By registering and entering your photo(s), you will be agreeing that your registration and any other information collected in connection with the Contest may be used by Sponsor in accordance with Sugar Publishing, Inc.’s Privacy Policy and may be shared with Sponsor’s affiliated business entities, and that you automatically opt-in to receive email, text messages or other communications from Sponsor. You may subsequently opt-out of the receipt of such email or communications by following the directions in the email, communications or by contacting Sponsor directly.
All registrations must include entrant's valid email address. The email address provided by online entrants will be the identity of the entrant and, if selected for a prize, the identity of the winner. We expressly reserve the right to disqualify any entries that we believe in good faith are generated by an automated program or via scripts. By participating, all entrants agree to abide by these Official Contest Rules.
SELECTION:
GeekSugar editors will select their top ten (10) entries from the photos submitted to the Cool Capture group as described on the entry page between between 12:00am PDT on Monday, November 23, 2009 and 11:59pm PST on Sunday, December 6, 2009 (the “Entry Period”). The top ten (10) entries will then be posted for PopSugar community members to vote on their favorite photo. The photo with the most votes during the voting period will be the winner. In the event of a dispute regarding the identity of the person submitting the entry, the entry will be deemed to be submitted by the person in whose name the e-mail account is registered. The Contest will be conducted under the supervision of the Sponsor. The decisions of the Sponsor are final and binding in all matters relating to this Contest. The winners will be notified by email and/or by private message through the winner’s PopSugar community account; Sponsor reserves the right to determine the method of notification. Winners must claim their prize within three (3) business days after the date of notification of such prize. A Contest winner's failure to respond to the prize notification within the specified three (3) business days will be considered such Contest winner's forfeiture of the prize and an alternate winner may be selected from the pool of eligible entries. If an entrant is found to be ineligible, an alternate winner may also be selected from the pool of eligible entries. Sponsor reserves the right to ship prizes directly to the email and/or mailing address provided by winners during their entry to the Contest. Each entry submitted in response to the Contest and in accordance with the rules will constitute an official entry. All entrants agree to abide by these Official Contest Rules. All entries become the property of the Sponsor.

PRIZES:
At the end of the Entry Period, there will be one (1) Grand Prize winner who will be awarded the grand prize of up to one (1) CanvasPop print of their choice, including all prints less then or equal in value to the 36x54,1.5” gallery wrap print (retail value: $329). Decisions of the Sponsor are final and binding with respect to all matters related to the Contest. All prizes will be awarded. In no event shall the Sponsor be obligated to award more prizes than the number of prizes stated in these Official Contest Rules. All prizes won by minors will be awarded to their parents or legal guardians on their behalf. Winners shall be responsible and liable for all federal, state and local taxes on the value of their prize. To receive a complete list of winners or a copy of the Official Contest Rules, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Prize Fulfillment, Sugar Inc., 111 Sutter Street, 15th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104. Specify winner's list or rules on your request.
Please allow 6-8 weeks for prize delivery.

SELECTION:
The winning entry will be determjned by user voting after a selection of 10 final entries is made by our editors. In the event of a dispute regarding the identity of the person submitting the entry, the entry will be deemed to be submitted by the person in whose name the e-mail account is registered. The Contest will be conducted under the supervision of the Sponsor. The decisions of the Sponsor are final and binding in all matters relating to this Contest. The winners will be notified by email and/or by private message through the winner’s teamsugar.com account; Sponsor reserves the right to determine the method of notification. Winners must claim their prize within three (3) business days after the date of notification of such prize. A Contest winner's failure to respond to the prize notification within the specified three (3) business days will be considered such Contest winner's forfeiture of the prize and an alternate winner may be selected based on the final user vote ranking. If an entrant is found to be ineligible, an alternate winner may also be selected based on the final user vote ranking. Sponsor reserves the right to ship prizes directly to the email and/or mailing address provided by winners during their entry to the Contest. Each entry submitted in response to the Contest and in accordance with the rules will constitute an official entry. One entry per person. Duplicate entries will be void. All entrants agree to abide by these Official Contest Rules. All entries become the property of the Sponsor.

GENERAL CONDITIONS AND RELEASES:
An entrant or winner may be disqualified from the Contest if he or she fails to comply with each provision of these Official Contest Rules, as determined in the sole discretion of the Sponsor. Participation in the Contest is at entrant’s own risk. Sponsor shall not be liable for 1) failed, returned or misdirected notifications based on inaccurate information provided by the winner on the contest entry form, 2) entries and responses to winner notifications which are lost, late, incomplete, illegible, unintelligible, postage-due, misdirected, damaged or otherwise not received by the intended recipient in whole or in part or for computer or technical error of any kind, 3) any electronic miscommunications or failures, technical hardware or software failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions which may limit an entrant's ability to participate in the Contest, 4) any technical malfunctions of the telephone network, computer on-line system, computer equipment, software, program malfunctions or other failures, delayed computer transactions or network connections that are human, mechanical or technical in nature, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to entrant's or any other person's computer related to or resulting from downloading any part of this Contest or 5) any warranty of fitness or merchantability of any prize or the function or operation thereof, which shall be the sole responsibility of the manufacturer of the prize. Sponsor does not make any, and hereby disclaim any and all, representations or warranties of any kind regarding any prize. Unless prohibited by applicable law, your entry constitutes your permission to use your name, photograph, likeness, voice, address (city and state) and testimonials in all media, in perpetuity, in any manner Sponsor deems appropriate for publicity purposes without any further compensation to such entrant. By entering or accepting a prize in the Contest, winners agree to be bound by these Official Contest Rules and to conform to all federal, state and local laws and regulations. When applicable, the winner (or, if the winner is a minor, the winner's parent or legal guardian) may be required to execute and return to Sponsor within ten (10) business days an Affidavit of Eligibility and a Liability and Publicity Release to be eligible for the prize or an alternate winner will be selected. Winner may be required to furnish proof of identity, address and birth date in order to receive a prize.
By entering, an entrant agrees to release and hold harmless Sponsor and its respective parents, subsidiaries and affiliated entities, directors, officers, employees, attorneys, agents, and representatives from any damage, injury, death, loss, claim, action, demand, or other liability (collectively, “Claims”) that may arise from their acceptance, possession and/or use of any prize or their participation in this promotion, or from any misuse or malfunction of any prize awarded, regardless of whether such Claims, or knowledge of the facts constituting such Claims, exist at the time of entry or arise at any time thereafter. Any person attempting to defraud or in any way tamper with this Contest will be ineligible for prizes and may be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Sponsor reserves the right to modify these Official Contest Rules in any way or at any time. Sponsor reserves the right, in their sole discretion, to cancel or suspend this Contest should viruses, bugs or other causes beyond their control corrupt the administration, security or proper play of the Contest. In the event of cancellation or suspension, Sugar shall promptly post a notice on the Contest entry page to such effect. This Contest shall be governed by California law. By participating in this contest, entrants agree that California courts shall have jurisdiction over any dispute or litigation arising from or relating to this Contest and that venue shall be only in San Francisco, California.

Seal Gets Prepped For California's Hands-Free Cellphone Law

GeekSugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:45:11 -0700

On July 1, California's new state law that requires drivers to use hands-free technology like headsets and bluetooth-enabled devices will take full effect. The Policy Institute of California is predicting that this new law will save around 300 lives a year (a 7 percent decline in fatal car accidents), considering the drop other states have noticed since enforcing the law.

The penalty if you get caught talking with your phone to your ear? It's only $20 for first-time offenders and you won't lose points against your driving record. Regardless, the cops issuing tickets are going to be swamped for the first six months till people finally realize they're going to need a hands-free device. I suggest going geek chic with the Jawbone Headset. Hey, at least Seal is playing it safe while maintaining his techno-chic flair with his shiny Bentley, shiny shades, and shiny Bluetooth earpiece!

Source

Is It Fair to Sue Wikipedia For Removal of Information?

GeekSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:33:32 -0800

I just came across an article about a German convicted murderer who is suing Wikipedia to have his name removed from the entry of the actor he is accused of killing. Because of its community edits and contributions, Wikipedia is a fascinating place. Because it's a US company, facts on Wikipedia are protected by the First Amendment right to free speech. In Germany, however, a privacy law seeks to protect the name of a person from unwanted publicity.

I'm inclined to say if it's fact, it's fair game on Wikipedia. What do you think? Should people be able to sue for the removal of information on Wikipedia?

Facebook Status Message Proves Teen's Innocence

GeekSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:43:52 -0800

While some may consider frivolous Facebook status updates annoying, there's definitely one New York City teen who probably doesn't agree. He was recently arrested and charged with robbery, but charges were dropped once he was able to prove his alibi - via a Facebook status message. The teen claimed he was miles from the scene of the crime as it happened, but no one could corroborate the story. . .until his lawyer mentioned the Facebook status update, posted at the time of the robbery.

The district attorney subpoenaed Facebook to verify the computer's location at the time of the status update. When his IP address was revealed proving he was indeed miles away, the charges were dropped. With the increasing popularity of sharing (and oversharing) on social networking sites, I imagine we'll be hearing more and more stories like this. According to the article:

"'This is the first case that I’m aware of in which a Facebook update has been used as alibi evidence,' said John G. Browning, a lawyer in Dallas who studies social networking and the law. 'We are going to see more of that because of how prevalent social networking has become.'"

To keep reading my thoughts about this story, just read more.

So, add "proof of innocence" to the list of things Facebook can do for you. Though I can't help but be reminded of this story from a few months ago, when a Facebook poke landed a woman in jail. And how many times have we heard of a cheating spouse or partner getting busted via Facebook? It's about time someone's Facebook use proves their innocence!