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Google is making changes to the way commenting works for its YouTube videos. The aim is to make it easier to engage in discussion without being bogged down by crude abuse. Over the years, Google has repeatedly struggled with commenting on the site, ... particularly on videos that can attract hundreds of thousands or even millions of views. Many customers have complained about sexist, racist, or other offensive comments that add little to the discussion and drown out any attempt at genuine discussion. The last major change was part of an attempt to persuade users to sign up for Google's social ... (view more)

Microsoft is being accused of manipulating comments about the soon-to-be released Xbox One on social media site Reddit. Reddit users (called 'Redditors') can post news articles, reviews, photos, etc., on the site and have the public vote a ... submission "up" or "down" in an effort to rank the post and determine its position on the site's pages. Now, a Redditor using the alias "mistysilver" claims Microsoft representatives have been voting up positive comments about the Xbox One and voting down negative posts about the console, which is expected to be released later this year. Microsoft Employees ... (view more)

Samsung is under investigation for allegedly paying people to post bogus comments online. However, the fake reviews didn't talk up Samsung products but instead attacked devices from rival smartphone manufacturer HTC. News of the alleged dirty tricks ... came from a Taiwanese website that published a document from a marketing firm hired by Samsung. The document lists numerous online discussion forum posts made by people acting on behalf of the marketing firm and, in turn, Samsung. Some of the posts simply praised Samsung products. Others included comparisons between Samsung and HTC smartphones ... (view more)

Microsoft has chosen an unusual way of dealing with critics of its newest version of Internet Explorer (IE). In a new TV commercial, the company openly mocks a stereotypical critique of the new Internet browsing software. The ad involves a fictional ... character named "Eugene Finlon." The TV spot shows Finlon -- who is young, wears a cut-off shirt, and lives in a dark, dank apartment -- visiting sites that praise Internet Explorer. Finlon responds to the praise by leaving comments boldly attacking the browser's quality. (Source: youtube.com ) IE: Only Good for Downloading Other Browsers? For ... (view more)

Facebook is planning to drop a system that allows users to vote on whether or not the social networking site can alter its policies. The company says the site is now too large for such a system to work effectively. Until now, Facebook has been ... tracking comments on posts related to its proposed policy changes. Once there are more than 7,000 "substantive" posts, the proposal automatically goes to a vote of all Facebook users. The voting system began in 2009, when Facebook received complaints about proposed changes to the legal rights it claimed over photos, videos, and other materials its users ... (view more)

A new survey suggests social media users frequently engage in political discussions with their friends online, and although they don't always agree on the subject, their differences rarely prompt a break in the relationship. The study, which ... involved interviews with 2,253 adults, comes from the Pew Internet ... (view more)

Regarding our vote on February 15, 2012 -- I have read approximately 1,000 comments from readers, along with their ballots. I will provide insight with regard to the findings, as well as address some issues. This post is approximately 1,500 words. I ... realize some of you won't want to read all of it and just want the results. So, I would like to begin by saying this: According to the results of the vote, I am pleased to announce that Infopackets will remain online. Moving forward: all users will retain access to everything that they have now and well into the future. This includes free access ... (view more)

With over 30 years in computing experience, I'm often asked my opinion about computer hardware. Questions like, "What can I do to speed up my computer?", or "What type of laptop should I buy?" and things of that nature. Like anyone else, I love a ... good deal. In order to find the best deal possible, sometimes I spend an entire day shopping online to compare prices and features of similar components. Unfortunately, many of the "recommendations" I've read recently appear to be forged for the sake of making a sale, which means there's an awful lot of time wasted wading through ... (view more)