News Byte

With Policy Changes Coming, Facebook Aims to Clarify Privacy Terms

Facebook has launched a stand-alone page dedicated to answering user questions on the site’s ten different policy documents. The page comes in advance of upcoming changes to the social network’s privacy policies, changes the site has made after an audit from the Irish Data Protection Commissioner.

Nice Alert: Our Annual Request for Civility in Comments

In which we comment on our comments.
choose_civility

Obama: Don’t Worry Internet, I Got Your Back on That SOPA Thing

The White House signals that it doesn’t like the controversial SOPA bill. Here’s one writer who’s not the least bit surprised.
Barack Obama Mac Laptop

President Obama’s LinkedIn Town Hall: The Other Silicon Valley Jobs Event

Here’s an idea to get more jobs for the citizens of the U.S.of A.: Fantastic high-speed wireless access!
photo

Exclusive: Skype Employees Were Briefed in Plain English — The Internal Equity Incentive Plan Deck

What did Skype employees know and when did they know it? A lot, if you’re reading this “Equity Incentive Plan” deck, which clearly outlines what happens to “good leaver” and bad leaver” execs.
skype2

Godspeed on That Investing Thing, Yertle–But I Still Have Some Questions for Your Boss, Arianna

Would it surprise you to know that BoomTown doesn’t really care anymore if TechCrunch editor Michael Arrington sidelines as a blogger while he makes investments in tech companies his tech news site covers? Especially after reading his post yesterday that made a good argument about who he is and, frankly, who he has always been. But that does not mean his boss, AOL content head Arianna Huffington, doesn’t have some ‘splainin’ to do.

Will Secretary of State Clinton's "Internet Freedom Agenda" Finally Get Traction?

Yesterday, in a major policy speech in Washington, D.C., Secretary of State Hillary Clinton jumped on the Internet bandwagon again, unveiling a $25 million government investment for entrepreneurs to allow dissidents to thwart “thugs, hackers and censors.” Since that’s about the amount a third-string social photo-sharing site gets while walking down University Avenue in Palo Alto, Calif., from venture capitalists with bags of money to spend, let me just say the money is, well, underwhelming. Clinton’s speech, thankfully, was much better.

Rackspace Is Not for Sale, but Thanks for Asking

Rackspace is one of several companies thought to be likely acquisition targets following the buyouts of Terremark and NaviSite. Ask CEO Lanham Napier about it, and he insists the company is not for sale, but he clearly enjoys being asked.

Facebook Moves Could Disallow Apps From Running Google Ads

Facebook announced this week it will begin enforcing a policy that requires app developers to run advertising from a list of approved providers. The list does not include Google’s AdSense and DoubleClick.

Facebook Sets Mobile Sights on HTML5

FTC Gives Ed Felten Freedom to Tinker