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Posts with tag online publishers association

Filed under: Finance, Internet, News

Internet users seeking content more than communication

Internet Content
Four years ago people primarily used the internet for communication. Today, the main reason people go online is to look for content. That's according to a new study released by the Online Publishers Association and Nielsen/NetRatings.

Of course, the change didn't happen overnight. There's been a steady increase over the last few years in the amount of time internet users spend online looking for content. Part of the reason for the shift is that a lot of information that was once only available offline is no online. News, sports, weather, and entertainment information is ubiquitous on the web.

And then there's the whole Web 2.0 thing. There's probably no bigger time suck than social networks, news sites, and media sharing sites like YouTube and Flickr. You could make the case that these sites are blurring the lines between communication and content by letting anyone contribute. But there's a substantive difference between e-mail or IM and leaving comments on MySpace or Facebook.

Interestingly, the study suggests that instant messaging is actually reducing the amount of time people spend "communicating" online. That's because it takes a lot less time and energy to send an IM than an e-mail message. Of course, that all depends on the message you're sending. We've all probably gotten sucked into an online chat that's lasted for hours when a quick e-mail would have gotten the same point across in a few hundred words. Or maybe that's just us.
[via Ars Technica]

Featured Time Waster

Forumwarz - a potentially offensive time waster

I pwn UAfter spending the better part of an hour on Forumwarz I still can't decide if it's just sick or if it's kind of fun. It's a bit like a car wreck on the highway. I know I shouldn't be looking but I can't quite turn away.

It's sick, it's twisted, it's the internet on it's worst level and darn it, it's kind of fun. At least for a little while.

Forumwarz is a parody role-playing game that takes place on the internet - or at least the Forumwarz version of it. Your goal is to complete missions that are given to you through a mock up of GoogleTalk called Sentrillion.

Your first "friend" is ShallowEsophagus who begins giving you missions to pwn various forums by being a troll. Depending on the character type you are assigned at start up, you have tools like drooling on the keyboard or bashing your head on the keyboard that you can use to destroy forum threads and eventually, pwn a forum.

Future missions involve buying illegal software from the Russians, pwning more difficult forums and other internet oddness.

Completing missions gives you cash, called Flezz in game, and items that you can pawn or use in other missions. The game is NOT for those easily offended. It's crass, coarse and there are frequent f-bombs in the fake chat sessions.

This is also a game for a more mature audience as it requires you to shop at the Drugs R Fun store to get various concoctions to improve your playing, engage in certain cyber activities to get more Flezz and just generally use a more adult perspective.

If you can get past that, here are the more enjoyable and time-wasting aspects.

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