Top 5 Myths about Facebook

Ok, so you just joined the biggest social networking on the internet and you keep hearing these weird rumors. Well, this is the internet of course and people make up rumors for a living. Here are the top five that you’re probably gonna hear the most about facebook to watch out for.

#5: Facebook is Going to Charge You for the Service.
I thought this one was pretty humorous when I first read it. Personally, I feel sorry for the few who believed it. Do you know what would happen if Facebook started charging for their service? They would drop to the bottom of the pit. Myspace and Twitter would laugh in their face and take Facebook’s spot right at the top because people aren’t going to pay for a service that is free on other sites right? Right. But, the stats show that if Facebook charged as little as 5 dollars a month to only 5 percent of their users, they could average hundreds of millions of dollars just through membership fees alone.
#4: Facebook’s Founder Stole It?
Facebook’s founder, Mark Zucherberg was once hired and worked for Harvard by coding some things on a site called HarvardConnection which was designed to connect Harvard students with eachother. The students of Harvard claim he quit so he could work on his own site with the same idea as Harvardconnection. However, Zucherberg says he was inspired by Facemash, he previous site that allowed you to compare pictures with other people, that led him to Facebook.
#3: Facebook is for Sale!
You can try, but you won’t buy. Go ahead and give him a price. 1 billion?.. No, Yahoo! already tried that price and was declined. 15 billion? No, Microsoft tried that too a year later and was also declined. People have lowered the prices over time and it’s around 4 billion. I don’t actually know why there is a price since he says selling Facebook is “ not the core focus” of the company at this time. We focus on connecting people through the internet.
#2: Facebook Got Your Tongue?
Ever thought that Facebook could give you cancer? I didn’t either until psychologist Aric Sigman reported that social networking has made it so much easier to communicate that it will distort our social skills in the real world. He states that this could especially target younger people that grew up with the internet, because Facebook has made communication to be possible while keeping yourself isolated and so fast-paced that it could affect our body genes and hormones in face-to-face conversations. Cancer isn’t the only thing, Sigman als0 states that the health risks could be as far as heart attacks, strokes, and cancer as well. But note, that this was a “myth” and a group of students at Cambridge University thought exactly opposite and said it connects you socially closer with family and friends.
#1: Smile!.. Facebook is Going to Sell that Picture
The last and number one myth about Facebook is the company selling you images and using them for commercial purpose after your account has been deleted. At least that’s what the company’s TOS (terms of service) said in a recent update on it. Well actually it didn’t, there was some confusion and it got too out of hand that Facebook’s founder had to address the issue on the company’s blog. He states that after a user deletes his or her account, the content may still be there on other user’s pages. However, Facebook needs a license for sharing those images with of Facebook users, but only in a way that is not protected by your privacy settings. Zuckerburg claims that they do not plan on selling any images posted by members of the site and they are working on changing the wording of the TOS.
So there are your top 5 myths about Facebook that most users panic over. If you have any questions or if you have another myth you would like to share with us please email us at Roanecountyblog@gmail.com or rhamby@roanecountyblog.com. Thank you, and please be sure to comment and share your thoughts.

Choosing the Right HDTV for you

Now, you have the money and you’re dying to upgrade your “tube” tv to a new slick Flat Panel. So you go to the store and you want to fall to your knees in fright because you see a WHOLE WALL of Flat Panels from 20 inches to 80 and you don’t even know the difference between a plasma and a LCD. Instead of feeling “dated” and “tech illiterate” by going up to the electronic’s employee and crying “HELP”, use these helpful facts about Flat Panels.
Plasma
Let’s start with the plasma, your plasma is probably going to be your living room tv since the size ranges from 40″ to 65″. It works in dimly lit rooms from the fact that it displays deep blacks and bright colors. It’s more of your tv if you like to watch sports or play video games. It’s also useful for movies at night because of all of the above and it’s good for wide viewing angles.
LCD
Next, you have your LCD tv’s, they go from 5 inches in the palm of your hand to 65 inches on your wall. They are great in well lit rooms and they’re more energy efficient than plasma’s per square inch. They are very popular and have a higher resolution than the plasma as well.
LCD LEDs
Last, there are your LCD LED’s, they’re the new generation of LCDs basically. They’re actually similar to the plasmas because they display bright colors and deep blacks too. They range from 32″ to 60″ so this could also be your living room or master bedroom tv.
Now that you know the ropes of the flat panel HDTV it’s your turn to step up to the plate and decide which one you want. Do you want to go green and get the LCD for close to the same price as a plasma? Or, Do you want your entertainment time for College football season and Halo 3 multiplayer with friends on a nice, big, plasma on your wall? Your Choice.

Radar Guns V.S. GPS

Has technology beat the police at their own game? Back in 2007, Califonia teenager, Shaun Malone, was accused of driving 62 mph in a 45 mph zone in the city of Petaluma. Well that’s what the officer’s radar gun said when he pulled him over and gave him a ticket for speeding. However, the kid’s GPS says otherwise. His parents contested the ticket and said the GPS he had in the car was saying that he was driving at the legal speed limit when he was stopped.
So the case is still being handled in court and it could possibly affect the way officers use Radar devices. The Petaluma police department is still backing up radar accuracy by putting 15,000 dollars towards this case. We will know the final decision in a few weeks when the case closes but it’s all a question of GPS or Radar’s accuracy today. What do you think?