My (devastating) Malware Warning Experience

All of my blogs were unaccessible last Saturday through Monday.

A "Danger: Malware Ahead!" message replaced the home pages of textually.org, 3DPrintingBuzz.com and netsurf.ch, courtesy of Google Chrome, followed by Firefox and Safari as they day went on.

Chrome's message on netsurf.ch had a slightly different text with a defamatory claim describing textually.org as "a known malware distributor".

Let me point out that Textually has been covering cell phone usage since 2003 and is NOT a "known malware distributor"!

Within hours all searches in Google for textually.org pages had the mention: "This site may harm your computer".

My wonderful tech person identified a line of code, installed through a back door of MovableType, removed it and updated to the latest version of MT.

The textually website resubmitted to Google Monday night got a quick response. By Tuesday morning all malware signs had been removed, from all browsers and search engines.

The New York Times, the Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle and The Verge had the same thing happen to them in February. In their case it was a malicious code that was installed through an ad network.

It has been my worst experience online in 18 years of publishing.

I have several thoughts:

Though in theory a warning message is welcome to protect viewers from exposure to malware, the fact that the warning message is automated, depicting worst case scenarios (identity theft, financial loss, permanent file deletion) - which may not be the case - can lead to unjustly devastating consequences to website owners, affecting their search engine ranking and more importantly, the loss of viewer confidence.

Google is using it's tremendous power to become the Internet police. And there is nothing we can do about it.

Slow blogging this week from Bangkok

Blogging will be slow this week, visiting Bangkok.

Panda. Will Google's blind faith in the algorithm doom its future?

A really important article by ZDNet, on how Google's biggest challenge may be the declining potency of its search engine.

In recent years, Google searches have become a lot less useful and a lot more frustrating. It has become more difficult to find stuff that you know is out there — even stuff that you’ve searched for (and found) previously. Another example is pages that have posted to the web more recently. They get overpowered in the Google algorithm by older pages that have had time to accumulate more incoming links.

The big problem is SEO — search engine optimization. A whole cottage industry has arisen around helping sites optimize their pages to get ranked as highly as possible in Google. As a result, the sites that land at the top of Google search results have become more about which sites are best optimized rather than which ones have the best and most relevant content.

... Early this year Google dropped some real bombs to get rid of content farms with a series of major updates to its search algorithm. These have been dubbed the “Panda” or “Farmer” or “Panda Farmer” updates (don’t laugh).

The problem is that it took months to do it and a lot of algorithm trial-and-error and there was plenty of collateral damage done in the process. A lot of good stuff was accidentally affected. It’s as if Google looked at its backyard, spotted a bunch of dandelions, and instead of taking hand trimmers and going out and clipping them, Google decided to build a highly-advanced chainsaw to deal with it. The chainsaw eventually got rid of the dandelions but it also whacked some chunks out of the hedges, put some gashes into the ground, and took out part of the back fence.

Read full article.

Related: - Panda DNA: Algorithm Tests on the Google Panda Update

Back online Tuesday

Back online Tuesday, June 28.

Your first Internet moment

A project after my own heart, by Derek Powazek that's aimed at collecting "First Time on the Internet" stories.

It's not exactly what you think. Powazek isn't specifically looking to hear about the first time you ever got online. Instead, he wants the first time you ever "got" the online world ... what it was for, why it mattered, how the world had totally changed.

"Think back to the first time you saw the Internet. Not just saw it, but really got it. That 'oh wow' moment when you realized how important this could be. It doesn't matter if it was last decade or last week. We want that story."

That's the call to action from media maker Derek Powazek's new project, On the Network, a podcast about the Internet. He wants to hear your voice telling that story and you can do it by simply calling this phone number and leaving a message: (415) 483-5628.

[via The Atlantic]

Facebook page links to interesting articles

I'm using my Facebook page to link to articles - mosty technological but not always - that I find so interesting but that are unsuitable to my blogs because they are unrelated to their content on cell phone usage or watching tv online. Search for Emily Turrettini on Facebook and check it out!

Slow blogging this week from Istanbul

Slow blogging this week. I'm visiting Istanbul.

Image from The Atlantic.

Off on vacation, back July 12

Off on vacation, back Monday July 12.

Not everything written up as new is actually new

In the last couple of weeks, three stories have made headlines news in blogs as though they were breaking news. Does it come from young and eager new writers, press releases taken at face value? It only takes a quick search in Google to find out if a story is new or not.

-- Novophone's 'Cell Phone Time Machine' recently reviewed is nothing new, Hulger launched the p*Phone years ago and was universally written up.

-- To be fired by text message was hot news in 2005.

-- Cell phones with chemical sensing capabilities have been in development since 2003.

It 's happened to me too, more than once, to report on something that is not new. Sometimes I've even blogged about it before on textually. With nearly 14'000 posts published since 2003, sometimes I forget. But I think as bloggers we should be more careful.

Make your own Search Story Video in minutes

YouTube's cool new feature is finally being written up on Google Blog Spot.

The "Search Story Video Creator" allows you to make your own "Parisian Love" video, Google's hit commercial shown during the Super Bowl. All you need to do is type in your Google searches, pick some music and — presto! — you've got your very own Search Story to share with your friends or showcase on our YouTube channel.

Here's mine!

Why am I bringing this up again? It's not even related to cell phones and I blogged about it a few days ago. Because I'm hoping to get more views on YouTube. Thanks for clicking!

YouTube's Search Stories Video Creator

Spotted on TechCrunch, the coolest new feature now on YouTube, Search Stories Video Creator. Lets you make your own "Parisian Love" style video, Google's wonderful search commercial that played during the Super Bowl.

Here's mine:

Is permission needed to retweet hot news?

Copyright law doesn't cover facts or ideas... except when they are "hot news." News organizations now want a federal law expanding this court-created right to the entire country, but a pair of professors argue that no one should have to get "permission" to repeat facts about the world. A must read article from arstechnica.

Google out? Not responding

Wow. Major Google outage this morning. No response to google.com. Even Google AdSense ads are not showing up on blog pages. Now Yahoo.com and Twitter are down too.

The Right2Link Campaign

Interesting. The Right2Link Campaign

The future of journalism on the Internet. Did Google just blink?

Three must-read articles published today on the future of journalism in an Internet world.

-- The Federal Trade Commission organized a two-day summit of media barons, editors, and bloggers, all talking about the future of journalism in an Internet world. Turns out, the future looks a lot like parasites. [via arstechnica]

-- Journalism 2009: Desperate Metaphors, Desperate Revenue Models, And The Desperate Need For Better Journalism. Arianna Huffington's speech at the journalism conference in Washington. [via The Huffington Post]

-- Did Google just blink? In a move announced on the Google news blog, publishers will be given a little more control.

Readers arriving via Google will be able to click through to five stories a day on a paid site like that of the Financial Times but if they try a sixth time they will come up against a subscription page. [via the BBC]

Google Adsense Account Disabled Phishing Scam

On Thursday I received an e-mail from Google AdSense saying that my account (dating back to 2004) had been disabled.

Hello,

While going through our records recently, we found that your AdSense
account has posed a significant risk to our AdWords advertisers. Since
keeping your account in our publisher network may financially damage our
advertisers in the future, we’ve decided to disable your account.

Please understand that we consider this a necessary step to protect the
interests of both our advertisers and our other AdSense publishers. We
realize the inconvenience this may cause you, and we thank you in advance
for your understanding and cooperation.

If you have any questions about your account or the actions we’ve taken,
please do not reply to this email. You can find more information by
visiting https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/answer.py?answer=57153.

Sincerely,

The Google AdSense Team

But strangely as I kept logging into my account these last few day, it remained active. So I decided to wait until it was actually disabled to fill out the attachment in the e-mail titled "Invalid Clicks Appeal.html" and I did not click on any of the links.

I was hoping it was a phishing scam, but the e-mail looks so authentic and when you check online to read about other blogger stories, this is the exact wording and procedure that is sent out by Google.

Huge relief this morning. Thank you PC Magazine and Domain Name Wire for reporting that this notice is indeed a scam.

Be careful out there and don't panic if one of your worst fears lands in your inbox, Google Adsense Account Disabled, it may just not be true.

St Petersburg, Moscow

Phone recharging stations at Moscow's Domodedovo airport.

Fans waiting in vain outside the Astoria Hotel in St Petersburg to get a glimpse of Madonna on her way to perform at the central square, August 2. She went out a side entrance earlier.

My son Max's favorite moment outside the gates of the Red Square.

St Petersburg, Moscow.

Back August 8th

Off to St Petersburg and Moscow. Back on Saturday August 8th.

Japanese pig mask for Swine flu

Not related to cell phones - just fun. Spotted on <3Yen, a Japanese pig mask offers protection against the Swine flu. Made by Get- well- soon- masks.

Samsung to Open Mobile App Store

Samsung will unveil a new mobile applications storefront for Symbian and Windows Mobile devices during this month's Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona. The virtual storefront (an extension of the Samsung Mobile Innovator developer program first announced last year) will offer consumers over-the-air application browsing, purchasing, downloading and installation.

According to Samsung, the store--initially limited to the U.K. market--will offer about 1,100 applications at launch.

[via Fiercemobile Content]

Farewell to Roland Piquepaille, 62, Smart Mobs blogger

I just learned from Howard Rheingold in a post on Smart Mobs that well known and respected technology blogger Roland Piquepaille passed away on Monday, following a stomach virus that led to complications.

Roland, 62, was one of our (ZDNet's) most passionate bloggers and his ability to explain complex science well was something to behold. Roland spent most of his career in software, mainly for high performance computing and visualization companies, working for example for Cray Research and Silicon Graphics. He left the corporate world in 2001 after 33 years and jumped into blogging.

Roland Piquepaille blogged for Smart Mobs on Sundays, ZDNet and on his own blog called Roland Piquepaille's Technology Trends. He will be sorely missed.

A dream come true

Last night Martin Luther King's dream came true. I am so proud of America and so proud to be an American. And so proud of our new President of the United States - who opened a window in hour hearts and fills us with hope for a better future.

I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

Thank you David Plouffe for all your updates and hard work. Get some rest!

Picture from The New York Times.

New York

Blogging may slow down until this weekend. In New York for a couple of days.

Latest headlines from around the web on Watching TV Online

Latest headlines from around the web on WatchingTVOnline.net:

-- Google receives a visit from the queen

-- Acne, ADHD sufferers most likely to watch tv online!

-- Apple Ups Number Of Prime-Time HD TV Shows On iTunes

-- Vint Cerf endorses Barack Obama

-- NBC Viewership Getting Boost From Web Video, VOD, Mobile Play

-- Third 2008 Presidential Debate (Full Video)

-- Playboy shedding DVDs in favor of online

-- YouTube to McCain: No special treatment for DMCA takedowns

French newspaper raises health risk for Mac Pro users

UPDATE from CNetApple says no evidence of Mac Pro benzene emissions. The Mac Pro might smell funny, but Apple says there's no evidence that smell is harmful.

This is not related to cell phones, but it's so disturbing, and as a MacPro user like many of my readers, I'm publishing it here. It's from an article published in ZDNet

YESTERDAY, Well respected French newspaperLibération (English translation) has reported that Mac Pro owners run the risk of getting diseases as dangerous as leukemia (blood cancer) simply by using their computer.

The newspaper was warned by a national agency scientist that he smell (already detected by many Mac Pro users on Apple forums) is actually toxic, composed of several toxins, including benzene.

Apple has not yet responded. A search on Google News on the subject suggests Apple had better respond fast. The story is spreading like wild fire.

Other Headlines From Textually Blogs

Latest headlines from around the Web:

WatchingTVOnline.net

-- Mad Men Illustrated

-- Finland College. 'YouTube' gunman kills 10 in shooting spree

-- Study: Series TV showing more gays, lesbians

Picturephoning.com

-- 9 Megapixel Module for Cameraphones Launched

-- Chinavasion Projector Phone

-- CBS Turns iPhones Into Newsgathering Devices

Ringtonia.com

-- Grooves in musical road sing tune

-- Large Hadron Collider Rap Ringtone A Big Hit

Back online Sunday

Thursday is a Geneva holiday. Off for a few days. Back on Sunday.

Other Headlines From Textually Blog

Latest headlines from around the Web:

WatchingTVOnline.net

-- Flight attendants on in-flight porn usage

-- YouTube Video Booth Lets Voters "Geek Out"

-- Livestation releases online TV Mac player

Picturephoning.com

-- MTV broadcasting live from the National Democratic Convention

Ringtonia.com

-- Lost Trailers Found Via Text

On vacation until August 19

Off to Indonesia. Back August 19.

Other Headlines From Textually Blogs

Latest headlines from around the Web:

Picturephoning.com

-- RFID Pill Monitors Body Temperature at Walking Race

WatchingTVonline.net

-- 20% of Primetime Television Now Watched Online

-- Fembot stars in TV commercial

-- MPAA planning site to offer legit movie links

Ringtonia.com

-- Slydial Takes You Straight To Voice Mail, Bypassing Ringtones