Disturbing news a couple of weeks ago. I’ve been expecting this to happen one time or another, and apparently they’ve figured it out. Google–a company whose motto is “do no evil”–has been used for evil purposes. Specifically, suspected terrorists have been found to use Google Earth to plot their schemes. This time, they have the position of some British forces on hand via aerial images.

Terrorists attacking British bases in Basra are using aerial footage displayed by the Google Earth internet tool to pinpoint their attacks, say Army intelligence sources.

Documents seized during raids on the homes of insurgents last week uncovered print-outs from photographs taken from Google.

The satellite photographs show in detail the buildings inside the bases and vulnerable areas such as tented accommodation, lavatory blocks and where lightly armoured Land Rovers are parked.

Written on the back of one set of photographs taken of the Shatt al Arab Hotel, headquarters for the 1,000 men of the Staffordshire Regiment battle group, officers found the camp’s precise longitude and latitude. -The Telegraph

Is it Google’s fault? Not directly. Any media–including new media–can be used for evil purposes. Just like how newspapers, television networks and radio stations can be used by evil regimes for propaganda, the same goes with the web. Evil people can still get to use products and services that everyone else uses, and they use these in their own twisted ways.

However, Google probably slipped up. Before aerial images became popular web destinations for armchair tourists, these were usually limited to engineering teams, mapping companies and reconnaissance/intelligence personnel. High-security government and military installations would also usually require a certain no-fly radius, so they cannot be included in aerial photographs. Of course, satellites could always take pictures of these. Even planes can take photos of no-fly zones (from different angles, though). But no one has gone as far as making these publicly available until Google launched Earth and Maps.

Suddenly, secret encampments found themselves in the public eye. Google should have had some sort of protocol where supposedly classified info was kept that way. And true enough some establishments have been greyed-out on Google Earth and Maps. But not all, apparently.

The British security services are concerned that terrorists will be able to examine in detail sensitive infrastructure such as electricity stations, military basis, and their own headquarters in London.

And yes, even if Google were to take these images down now, those planning to do evil would have already had their hands on the information by now.

Okay, I’ve probably said the word “evil” more than I should, and I’m probably crossing the line on political correctedness, but that’s what I’m here for, right?

Consider yourself warned.

That is, if you’re doing anything that could potentially be against Google’s new AdSense policies. AdSense is known to be the staple of most probloggers and casual bloggers looking into monetizing their sites, and I have personally encountered bloggers whose accounts have been suspended due to violations. Even minor violations can be a cause for suspension (and therefore the prospect of ever getting those hundreds or even thousands of dollars accumulated in your account).

Jensense gives a heads up on the recent changes to the Google AdSense terms of service, and some of these are pretty drastic.

In a nutshell, here’s what’s new.

• Referrals – AdSense now allows for more referrals. Previously, publishers were only allowed four referral products, with one ad unit each. Now publishers can have up to two referral links/buttons for each product. It is speculated more referral products are underway. Google has also disallowed requiring users to submit email addresses in conjunction with AdSense referrals.
• AdSense units with Images – Google has previously announced that it is now taking a firmer stance against placing images beside AdSense ads where the images might be confusing (or too relevant to the ads). It’s now part of the AdSense policies.
• AdSense for Search – Apparently, publishers can now include ad link units on search results pages.
• Domain parking – Reference has been removed, although under parked domains still fall under “no-content” pages, and hence AdSense is disallowed.
• Student essays or papers – AdSense now disallows sites that sell or distribute student essays. This is likely also part of the copyrighted material clause (below).
• Copyrighted material – Google has reworded this clause to refer to a broader sense. In a nutshell, you cannot have ads on a page that is potentially infringing on others’ copyrights.
• Competitive ads and services – This is quite drastic. Publishers can no longer use ads from competing ad services if these resemble AdSense (in color, appearance, font, etc.)

The change considered to be most drastic is the clause about competitive ads and services. Previously, publishers could get away with laying out third-party ads or even direct sponsorships with the same appearance as AdSense ads. Now even the phrase “Ads by (insert name here)” might be misconstrued as copying the “Ads by Google” tagline.

Arguably, a lot still do put up AdSense ads and get away with some violations. Perhaps it’s both difficult for some publishers to keep track of the changing policies (and have to make adjustments accordingly, especially on a large scale), and for the AdSense team to keep track of erring publishers.

Months long I steered away from the iPhone. It was boring. Jobs had to announce one today. And then he was going to conclude with

…one more thing

More →

Together with a design overhaul TIME Magazine started a new concept today : TIME The AG

Get a concise summary of the day’s most important news stories on …

In other words, a link blog. TIME The Ag [the Aggregator] is an element of a much nicer site to spend time on and read. The alignment of the whole online edition (not every part has been overhauled yet) has become much better and the TIME user experience is not that claustrophobic anymore.

More →

Bloggers are always good for any kind of controversy. Even if the controversy needs to be twisted and serve as an attention call. For Wired this time. Once more more conventional media invite bloggers to react and have a round of linkbait.

If bloggers know how to do one thing really well, it’s fight.

It is obviously we have to react. And we won’t put up a fight, no we won’t. Because that would only be what Michael Calore is looking for.

More →

It is surprising to see how much todays blogging culture has changed the way people analyze things. Maybe I immediately have to include the mention that I am 100% pro disclosure and pro critical minds.

But sometimes people’s opinions just hit me. Hit me too hard. We judge differently. We get judged differently.
Because bloggers (try to) preach disclosure, they get judged differently. No matter if they disclose or not.
Companies get judged differently.

Lets take a look at this weeks Microsoft scandal . It has been all over the place already. A typical blogosphere scandal.
More →

Seeing the video of Saddam Hussein’s execution uncut (contains graphic content) I wonder where we have arrived and if the Internet (and the sites hosting this video) really needs to be censored.

Surely the internet houses many illegal activities, but most of them are rather underground.
In the case of Saddam’s hanging video there were other things to consider : the Iraqi government had decided not to broadcast the hanging because of human rights.

Two of the major social news sites (also submitted to Digg) now host the video and … don’t react.

More →

This month has proven how easily bloggers become the victim of the tactics of old media.
While trying to be informative and critical it is very easy to grab all the nice pieces of bait the old media use. There have been several examples of journalists playing with the blogosphere.
Surely there were the more positive ones such as TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year, NY Times embracing social bookmarking and more recently the John Edwards Youtube case. But more traditional media have not hesitated to hit either. The WSJ attack on blogs was the most recently hyped anti-blog story.

And there was quite some truth in it.
More →

Many bloggers have celebrated the election to Person of The Year 2006, each in their own style. But does it really matter? Has the Digital Information highway really changed? Forget it!

This was nothing more than a brilliant piece of marketing by TIME Magazine. ProBlogger Darren Rowse called it linkbaiting, but there is more behind this.

More →

Dearest reader and fellow blogger,

TIME Magazine has elected You person of the Year for your continuous efforts to change people’s mentality by helping them online with your knowledge, to control the Digital Information over the Internet. More →