Some news sites address "nasty user comments"

Some news sites are taking steps to address "nasty user comments". I've put that in quotes because the article goes on to give an example of a racist rant, which goes beyond nasty.

Whether it's discontinuing anonymous comments or requiring commenters to register with a credit card, there's now a recognition by these sites that the online behavior cloaked by anonymity has its downside. On the other hand, some say anonymity allows people to share information they otherwise wouldn't. If you'd like, you can go over and leave a comment at the article about your point of view.

And what about when journalists are asked to respond to comments or make comments on social media themselves that can get them fired? What, if any, boundaries should be set to control usage of sites like Twitter and Facebook?


Related: Sophomoric speech is free speech too

Opinions are a risky business in the Twitterverse

Taking the me from social media

Internet afterlife of a killer raises questions of free speech

Activist brings attention to homelessness

A CNN story highlights the work of an activist who has been using twitter and the web to show the faces of those he encounters who are currently homeless.

Mark Horvath was homeless himself fourteen years ago, but found himself looking away from those on the street once he got back on his own feet. He decided to change that by using social media to film people he met and tell their stories via social media.



You can find Horvath on Twitter at @Hardly Normal. His web tv station can be found at InvisiblePeople.tv

The Brain Twitter Project

The Brain-Twitter project, started by Adam Wilson, a doctoral student, is based on the idea that paralyzed people can send messages on Twitter by thinking about it, using electrical impulses.

That's right, no keyboards, just a red cap fitted with electrodes that monitor brain activity, hooked up to a computer flashing letters on a screen. Wilson sent the messages by concentrating on the letters he wanted to "type," then focusing on the word "twit" at the bottom of the screen to post the message.

The development could be a lifeline for people with "locked-in syndrome" -- whose brains function normally but who cannot speak or move because of injury or disease.

The video below shows a user wearing a cap, sitting front of a screen, "typing" letters with the method. The alphabet and numbers appear on the screen and in the bottom right corner is the word "Twit" which is used to send the completed message. The video shows the user concentrating on each letter, which is added to the message that appears at the top of the screen.