CLOUD COMPUTING: And how it could help fight global warming

ONE might think of the Internet as some intangible entity that exists somewhere in the clouds and is simply powered by the people that use it. In reality, the energy required to run the Internet and associated hardware and IT infrastructure is on par with the airline industry.

To put it simply, the Internet consists of huge data centres worldwide that host web pages and online content — some of which act as Internet service providers. The reason for the web’s extra large carbon footprint is that each data centre requires power as well as cooling systems in order to function. Furthermore, information technology is the fastest growing industry on Earth, and is becoming a real threat to sustainable development.

The concept of cloud computing, also known as distributed, Internet-based computing, is the idea of decentralising these data centres and sharing the available infrastructure on a global scale. The goal is to have applications and files stored on large, centralised supercomputers or networks. Rather than storing files and programmes on individual PCs, end users are able to store and access their files via the web.

According to www.howstuffworks.com, the concept is very simple: “On your desk, you would have a very low-cost computer with just a processor, a keyboard and a monitor. There would be no hard drive or CD/DVD drive. It would be hooked up to the Internet and would link to a central supercomputer, which would host all of your programs and files.”

Servicing the cloud with Google

In 2007, Google and Apple had a plan to take things forward. Apple was to develop inexpensive consumer computers that were small and portable. This was to leverage the computing power of the vast data centres Google has been building to hold the apps and the data for millions of users.

Unfortunately, development was halted due to different market demands, but Google has made progress since then with its growing library of Google apps. Apps like Google Documents, Spreadsheets and Gmail are all examples of cloud computing that people already make use of.

If we think about it, we do not use an installed programme to check our e-mail. Rather, you log into a web e-mai­l account, such as Gmail or Hotmail remotely. The software and sto­rage for your account doesn’t exist on your computer, but rather on the ser­vice’s computer cloud. We can think of the term cloud simply as a metaphor for the Internet, or a part of it.

How cloud computing works

So, we have cloud computing to thank for storing all our e-mails and spam and there is more than enough web-space to go around. Gmail accounts alone provide users with close to seven-and-a-half gigs of space. I don’t think I have ever exceeded over two percent of my e-mail quota.

Things get a little more exciting with Google Documents and Spreadsheets. Developed in part as a solution to e-mailing documents back and forth, Google Docs allows several people to edit or revise the same document in real-time. This simplifies the remote process by having a single updated document and speeds it up by having Google store the data.

There are, however, privacy implications, as any data stored by Google has the chance of being accessible to anyone on the Internet. As a small safety measure, one is able to access previous versions of a Google document and is notified when others are using it. As with everything concerning the web, one simply has to be wary when publishing anything online.

Cloud computing: Cloudy Business

Cloud computing has huge implications for business in terms of cutting costs. Web-based companies invest millions into their IT departments — a large portion of which is spent on software licences for each computer that uses corporate software.

With cloud computing you would only have to load one application, which would allow employees to log into a web-based service, which hosts all the programs and files required. Remote machines owned by another company, such as Google, for example, would run everything from e-mail to word processing to complex data analysis programs.

"This technology allows for much more efficient computing by centralising storage, memory, processing and bandwidth. In September 2009, an Aberdeen Group study found that disciplined companies achieved on average an 18% reduction in their IT budget from cloud computing.” – www.howstuffworks.com

Of course, all these open-source applications are as good as they are by virtue of the fact that they are free; or at least still free. No doubt more complex apps would demand some sort of fee in order to be used so extensively. I don’t foresee many large web companies hosting the world’s data for nothing, and as much as it makes sense to decentralise the existing infrastructure, monopolies will emerge (or stay in power) that will profit hugely from cloud computing.

The cloud allows sharing of infrastructure and reduces the carbon footprint of IT. The prophecy speaks of creating something that is globally sustainable — providing greater capacity and higher performance at lower costs. This utopia would bring the world together by moving away from indivi­dual silos and data centres and “into the clouds”. Unfortunately, this is not nearly a reality for bandwidth-stricken countries such as South Africa, and will not be as cheap and fair as it should with the existence of Internet monopolies.

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CRIME WATCH: Pmb suburb uses the web to protect its community

I WAS just a baby in a cot when my parents experienced their first and only break-in in Eshowe. Things didn’t end well for the intruder, who got a severe beating from my dad with a hockey stick before fleeing from the scene.

After a couple of late-night phone calls, my father and a friend were on the scene. They found the family motorbike wheeled halfway down the road and several household goods concealed in bushes along the street.

The next day the police reported that the intruder was in hospital — firmly clutching onto my mother’s pink purse, which he claimed to be his own. A court case followed and my father dropped all charges after learning of the criminal’s unfortunate background.

One might regard it as a mistake to let any criminal off the hook, but our house has never been targeted by criminals since. Perhaps that can be attributed to word of mouth on the intruder’s part.

The unique thing about living in a small town is the strong community watch that naturally develops. Everyone knows everyone, and most residents feel an inclination to watch out for one another’s safety. This is obviously more difficult in larger cities, but one area in Pietermaritzburg has been getting involved in preventing crime as part of a voluntary, web-based initiative.

The Lincoln Meade Community Watch
Innovative methods to stop neighbourhood crime are part of the mandate adopted by the Lincoln Meade Community Watch, which is known for radically reducing crime in the southern suburbs of Pietermaritzburg. Part of its success is attributed to an interactive website used to record criminal activity and disseminate this information quickly to the neighbourhood and police.

Lincoln Meade Features
The website allows users to register by providing a working e-mail address to ensure they can receive instant alerts daily, weekly or monthly. While the site allows users to set privacy levels, it is recommended that users share all their information so that residents in the same street can create a group list and quickly notify each other in the event of an emergency.

Streets and zones
The community watch area is divided into zones and streets. When members sign up they are assigned accordingly. The community watch then scouts the area looking to recruit zone and street leaders who are in charge of co-ordinating among neighbours. In the event of an incident occurring, one can simply log into the system and locate the closest registered residents and contact them. They in turn can be the eyes and ears until help arrives.

Patrols
Members can also offer their time to patrol the streets and can use the system to log their patrol times as well as locate other patrols nearby. They can either join patrols or invite others to join theirs. The system accrues all patrol hours spent and the watch leaders ensure that all patrol contributions are recognised.

News and events
The site allows for news and events to be added on a regular basis. The three administrators who run the site can (at their discretion) e-mail the news to the database or simply leave it on the website. This has proven useful as some residents do not have Internet access. They do, however, have access to e-mail and can stay informed about the latest happenings. Events are logged and e-mailed in the same way using the online calendar.

Incidents reports
This has proven to be the most popular part of the system. Incident reports allow the administrators to feed crime incidents into the system as they happen. These are e-mailed to every member so that residents can stay informed and alert about any crime occurring around them. This includes descriptions of the incident type, property stolen and suspect descriptions. Photographs of previously convicted suspects can also be attached for future identification.

“It is really fantastic to see how many people actually keep this information with them, says Wayne Janneker, chairman of the community watch. “The watch receives calls every now and then of reports of vehicles or suspects matching the incident description. In turn this information is passed around very quickly with further arrests being made.”

SMS database
Additional functionality of the community watch includes an SMS database containing contact information about all residents and patrol member groups. Should there be an alert, such as a robbery in progress, an SMS is sent to residents warning them to be on the lookout.

Simultaneously an operation centre is established that picks up incoming information and liaises with the SA Police Service. A two-way radio network has also been put in place for patrollers to quickly pass on info while on patrol.

Tracking
For tracking purposes, the system allows for SA Police Service Criminal Administration System (CAS) numbers to be added to incidents so it can later be referenced should there be further information provided.

This assists the SAPS and the watch by linking pieces of information together. A brief synopsis of the latest incidents reported is visible on the homepage.

Suspicious vehicles are also listed on the site. Users are able to download a printer-friendly version of such lists to keep with them in their cars or near their doors. If a vehicle is spotted they can contact relevant members. CAS numbers are also assigned to vehicle reports so that residents can inform the SAPS immediately and ensure a swift response.

“The system’s setup has been a vital link in our chain to combat crime,” says Janneker. "We constantly receive compliments from residents thanking us for continuous feedback" 

Future growth
The system currently allows for advertising so that the watch can raise funds to continue its efforts. Membership now consists of over 200 residents and has been building a strong community of crime stoppers over the last three years.

“Our plan for future growth is to get our neighbouring suburbs on to the same system and to release a mobile version of the website for cellphones,” says Janneker.

— Original article supplied.

Do you have a similar web service in your area?

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WEB SURVEY: MWEB’s Friendship 2.0 survey revealed social networking as the new way to "talk over the garden fence"

ON average, adult social networkers in South Africa are in their 30's, employed full-time, and describe themselves as sociable and outgoing. This is according to findings in new research commissioned by MWEB. The Friendship 2.0 survey was conducted towards the end of last year among local web users aged 16 years and older, busting the myth that social networking is only done by youngsters. It demonstrates how social networking has gone mainstream.

Social Networking Survey: Findings

Facebook remains the dominant social networking platform with a massive 82% using the service. Behind Facebook comes YouTube (32%), then MXit (29%) and Twitter 28%. The majority of people are using these services to communicate real life activities such as sharing personal news, gossiping and making arrangements to meet socially.

Social networking is changing the format of personal networks dramatically. Many people are now making friends and meeting potential partners online. The impact of social networking is also expanding personal networks with the average user claiming to have around 158 friends they regularly interact with.

“Social networks have really become the garden fence of the 21st century, and are used for very much the same purposes as community meeting places. We are at the end of the early adoption phase, which was dominated by young people, and social networking is now a mainstream activity enjoyed and used by all age groups, particularly those in their thirties.” - Carolyn Holgate, General Manager of MWEB Connect

Social Networking Survey: Users in South Africa

The survey revealed that the average age of Facebook users in South Africa is 33; MySpace is 32; Twitter and YouTube come in at 31; and the youngest in the survey is MXit with an average age of 27. These findings dispel perceptions that social networking is for teenagers only.

Social Networking Survey: Multiple presences

Many online South Africans are also taking up multiple presences using a combination of Facebook, Twitter and MXit accounts. To facilitate integration between these multiple platforms, these users link their various accounts to each other enabling visitors to their Facebook pages to view their Twitter updates and click through to their MySpace profile.

On certain social platforms it’s more a matter of viewing than doing. For example, 75% of MySpace users are only ‘viewers’, moving from one profile to the next. Similarly, 72% of Twitter users are ‘lurkers’, reading what others post. This may be because Twitter is still relatively ‘new’ and users do not have the option of accepting people who would like to follow them. Users could also be more concerned about what their followers may think of their comments.

Facebook and LinkedIn are the most balanced, with 60% of their users classed as “viewers”, who just view other people’s pages, and 40% actively posting their own information regularly.

Social Networking Survey: Facebook Chat

The addition of Facebook’s chat facility/instant messenger tool has seen 56% of South African Facebook users ‘chatting’ to their friends on the site. “When we looked at who they are chatting to, friends and family were tops. Clients, partners and suppliers were the lowest, possibly because most Facebook users prefer not to befriend people they deal with professionally.”

Social Networking Survey: Internet connectivity

The way South African’s are accessing the Internet revealed that ADSL is the connection of choice. “Some 48% of the participants are connecting via ADSL, followed very closely by 3G/HSDPA at 42%, and 35% via their cell phones using 3G,” added Holgate.

Social Networking Survey: Online personality types

The survey results categorised respondents into five different online personality types. These personality types, vary from those who are reluctant to use the Internet and do not have an understanding of what can be done online, through to users who are comfortable using the Internet and indulge in potentially “edgy” behaviour, such as using a pseudonym online or using the Internet to find out what a past partner is doing.

Additional interesting findings include:

• The research revealed that 74% of South Africans going online do so specifically to visit social networking platforms.
• 16% of Facebook users in the survey are on Facebook all day, an additional 58% visit the site once a day or more. This means 74% are accessing Facebook at least once a day.
• The computer desktop remains the most popular way to access Facebook (55%), but 35% are using a combination of their cellphone and computer.
• 62% of Facebook users are updating their status, and 61% are uploading videos or photographs, and searching for someone on the site.
• 16% of participants are using social platforms to promote their business.
• 94% of the participants are using the Internet to access their email followed by 81% using the Internet for work related activities.
• Social networking (74%) rated six on the list of online activities after reading the news (76%), searching for information (76%) and online banking (75%).
• 50% of Facebook users classified themselves as English, 58% are male and 25% have parents on the social platforms.
• 25% of the survey participants have met more friends online than they have in real life.
• 24% have gone on a face-to-face date with someone they have met online.
• 36% have used a pseudonym online.
• 36% have used the Internet to find out what a past partner is doing.
• 37% believe they spend too much time online and need to cut back.
• 49% feel vulnerable to abuse by sharing their personal details online.
• And 21% have experienced a breach of their privacy on the Internet.

TNS Research Surveys conducted the social networking survey with a selection of participants of varying demographics to identify which social networking platforms are popular among South Africans and to probe what they are doing on the various sites. 401 people from TNS Research Surveys’ online panel were interviewed. All respondents in the survey were aged 16 years or older and the data is representative of the South African online population in terms of age, race and gender. The data was weighted to bring age/race/gender into line with AMPS figures.

For more information about this social networking survey, indicative profiles of the five online personality types identified during this survey, and to see how you compare to the average South African using social networking platforms, visit: http://www.mweb.co.za/services/friendship/

- issued on behalf of MWEB

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THE PIRATE BAY: It's web piracy for dummies

IN December 2008, I wrote an article about the mysteries and uncertainties of what is known as the Dark Net or Deep Web. I have since taken a dive into the murky online waters and have been astounded to discover how easy it is to become a web-pirate. It was like jumping into a dark lake fully expecting to sink deep, only to discover that the water barely reached my ankles.

Over the holidays, I heard of a Swedish-run website called The Pirate­ Bay (www.thepiratebay.org). The popular site has mimicked Google by offering an easy-to-use search bar on its homepage. In place of the comforting Google logo is a pirate ship and just below the search bar is a link to a step-by-step guide on how to download movies­, music, games, TV series, applications and more.

The Pirate Bay 2009 homepage

How The Pirate Bay works

Websites such as The Pirate Bay are known as BitTorrent trackers. BitTorrent is a file-sharing protocol whereby computer users are able to upload and download (‘share’) computer software with one another over a network. Each individual is allowed complete anonymity and does not need to register to participate.

However, there is a shared understanding among Pirate Bay users — a sort of pirating etiquette — that an individual should make a certain amount of their own content available for others to download if they wish to download software themselves. But this is not an enforced requirement.

There is no cost involved for those wishing to download content and the website earns its revenue by displaying adverts alongside torrent listings. In an investigation in 2006, Swedish police concluded that The Pirate Bay was generating roughly $150 000 per year from advertisements. This figure is likely to have tripled since.

The Pirate Bay is still primarily funded by advertisements, but users also have the option of donating money towards the pirate cause. There are also Pirate Bay T-shirts available for purchase — which, in effect, spreads pirating awareness.

I’m confident that anyone who might consider themselves as technologically incompetent would be able to engage in such activity. You only need to be able to read, write (search) and click a mouse.

Who's involved in The Pirate Bay

Initially established in November 2003 by Swedish anti-copyright organisation Piratbyrån (The Piracy Bureau) The Pirate Bay has operated as a separate organisation since October 2004. The website is run by Gottfrid Svartholm (aka anakata) and Fredrik Neij (aka TiAMO), who have both been charged with assisting in making copyrighted content available due to their involvement in The Pirate Bay.

The members of The Pirate Bay represent a broad, global spectrum of file sharers and there are currently more than four million registered users. However, because registering is optional and not necessary to download content, the total number of users is likely to be higher than this figure.

The site gets huge influxes of frequent traffic, so much so that the service is often unavailable at certain times. However, the site claims this never lasts for more than a few seconds.

Pirate Bay legal issues

The thing that I find the most astounding about The Pirate Bay is its completely fearless attitude. The creators have faced several lawsuits and have been to court on more than one occasion. Their argument is that no illegal material is stored on The Pirate Bay server. Rather, it operates as a tracker — providing users with the correct paths to find content on other users’ PCs and download directly from them.

According to their disclaimer (if one can call it that) “only torrent files are saved at the server. That means no copyrighted and/or illegal material is stored by us. It is therefore not possible to hold the people behind The Pirate Bay responsible for the material that is being spread using the tracker. Any complaints from copyright or lobby organisations will be ridiculed and published on the site”.

This last line really illustrates my point about their fearless attitude. They have received several legal threats via e-mail from companies such as Microsoft and DreamWorks, which have been published on the website along with their cheeky responses for all Pirate Bay users to see. It appears that their trump card is claiming that U.S. infringement laws to not apply in Sweden, and they seem to have Swedish lawyers on their side.

Pirate Bay rebuttal of legal threats

To illustrate, here’s what was written in response to an e-mail by DreamWorks:

“As you may or may not be aware, Sweden is not a state in the United States of America. Sweden is a country in northern Europe. Unless you figured it out by now, U.S. law does not apply here. For your information, no Swedish law is being violated. Please be assured that any further contact with us, regardless of medium, will result in:

a) a suit being filed for harassment; [and]
b) a formal complaint lodged with the bar of your legal counsel, for sending frivolous legal threats.

"It is the opinion of us and our lawyers that you are … morons, and that you should please go sodomise yourself with retractable batons."

This next snippet was part of an e-mailed response to Sega after they threatened to sue The Pirate Bay in 2006:

“Please sue me in Japan instead. I’ve always wanted to visit Tokyo. Also, I’m running out of toilet paper, so please send lots of legal documents to our ISP — preferably printed on soft paper.”

The Pirate Bay shows no signs of slowing down and remains the world’s largest file sharing server to date. I leave you with a snippet from The Pirate Bay’s 2009 Christmas letter to its users.

“We believe that we have changed something. Not just us, but all of us. The Pirate Bay has always been something extra … We wanted it to mean something. And you, our users, have helped us with that. The history of the bay is still being written. It’s way too early for a conclusion."

Shiver me timbers.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

The downloading and distributing of copywrite software IS illegal, despite what websites such as The Pirate Bay might say. The use of such websites is done at your own risk and can lead to a criminal record. Ye have been warned.

Pirate Bay News and Updates:

• The Pirate Bay Moves to .SE Domain To Prevent Domain Seizure
• Pirate Bay Founders’ Prison Sentences Final, Supreme Court Appeal Rejected

** More Cool Websites & Resources **

DEEP NET: The darkness that lies beneath ...

ACCORDING to QI researchers, more than 90% of the Internet is comprised of spam, while less than 1% is pornography. One might have expected there to be far more nooky than Viagra adverts on the Web.

In truth, there is actually very little known about the ever-changing world that is the Web as new discoveries and developments are forever being brought to the table. In fact, it is almost impossible to even predict what the Internet will be like in ten years time, let alone the distant future.

There is, however, one quite interesting dark side of the Internet that has existed for some time, yet which very few people know about. This is something known as the Dark Net or Deep Web.

What is the Deep Web? How did it come about?

Once upon a time (during 1995) in Edinburgh University, an Irish teenager named Ian Clarke produced a thesis for his computer science course proposing a revolutionary new way for people to use the Internet without detection.

He called his project a “Distributed, Decentralised Information Storage and Retrieval System”. The idea was that by downloading Clarke’s unique software (which he intended to distribute for free) anyone could chat online, share files or set up a website with almost complete anonymity.

To cut a long story short, Clarke’s tutors weren­’t too impressed, but this didn’t stop the student from going ahead with his project. He released his software, called Freenet, in 2000. Since then, at least two million copies of Freenet have been downloaded, which is also now readily available on several websites.

Entering the Realm of the Deep Web

After downloading the 10 MB file, installing the software takes barely a couple of minutes and requires minimal computer skills. Then you enter a previously hidden online world where you can find resources such as “The Terrorist’s Handbook: A practical guide to explosives and other things of interest to terrorists”. Freenet is also the portal to accessing pirated­ copies of books, games, movies, music, software, TV series and much more.

What perhaps started as a seemingly innocent project has today become a means for a plethora of online criminal activity. From creating and sharing viruses to accessing and distributing child pornography (all anonymously of course) the Deep Web has created a subculture of Internet users.

The Internet has always been associated with openness and is often labeled as the ultimate form of freedom; a place where free speech, free access and lack of censorship have prevailed. Yet where do we draw the line when it is simply becoming easier to engage in online criminal activity without been traced?

To put it into better perspective, the Dark Web has grown so fast that it is estimated to be at least 500 times larger than the surface web.

How is the Deep Web different from the Surface Web?

To put it very simply, the web is defined as a collection of hyperlinks that are indexed by search engines. In other words, the pages/content that appear when we do a Google search, is the Internet as we know it, and is called the Surface Web.

The Dark Web, also known as the deep web, invisible web, and dark net, consists of web pages and data that are beyond the reach of search engines. Some of what makes up the Deep Web consists of abandoned, inactive web pages; but the majority of data that lies within have been crafted to deliberately avoid detection in order to remain anonymous.

According to Wikipedia, Michael K. Bergman — who first coined the phrase “deep web”, describes how searching on the Internet today can be compared to dragging a net across the surface of the ocean. A great deal may be caught in the net, but there is a wealth of information that is deep and therefore missed.

In 2001, Bergman published a paper on the Deep Web that is still regularly cited today. “The Deep Web is currently 400 to 550 times larger than the commonly defined World Wide Web,” he wrote.

“The Deep Web is the fastest growing category of new information on the internet … The value of Deep Web content is immeasurable … Internet searches are searching only 0,03% … of the [total web] pages available.” - Bergman

How deep does the dark net go?

No doubt the Internet has changed significantly in the past eight years, yet researchers today have only just begun the plunge to the depths of the Deep Web. The bottom line is that there is simply too much data available for any search engine to index the entire deep web.

Coupled with this issue is the deliberate use of invisible web space by individuals who do not want to be found. This is the origin of groups of criminals who sent out millions of spam e-mails suggesting that you have won the international lottery before quickly disconnecting. No matter what developments are made toward catching such crooks, they will always find new ways to remain hidden.

Craig Labovitz, chief scientist at Arbor Networks - a leading online security firm, was quoted in an article in the Guardian saying, “In 2000 dark and murky address space was a bit of a novelty,” says Labovitz. “This is now an entrenched part of the daily life of the Internet."

"Defunct online companies; technical errors and failures; disputes between Internet service providers; abandoned addresses once used by the U.S. military in the earliest days of the Internet — all these have left the online landscape scattered with derelict or forgotten properties, perfect for illicit exploitation, sometimes for only a few seconds before they are returned to disuse … it just takes a PC and [an Internet] connection." - Labovitz

Is there any light to the darkness?

Surely it was not young Ian Clarke’s vision to create a breeding ground for online criminals, which is sadly the predominant direction that the Deep Web seems to have taken. He merely wanted to offer free software to those seeking anonymous online communication.

There are secretive parts of the Internet that were specifically designed for U.S. secret service field agents and law enforcement officers to surf questionable websites and services without leaving tell-tale tracks. However, these merely seem to be more to the advantage of the crooks been sought after.

Perhaps the domain of the Dark Net would make sense in oppressive regimes such as China­ where the government goes to farcical extremes to censor images that contain large expanses of supposedly naked flesh. It could certainly have a positive impact in countries such as Iran — allowing people to rally support against oppressive governments without fear of being apprehended.

It’s a shuddering thought that due to the immense size and growth of the Deep Web there is virtually no way to stop it. It may not all be bad but there is a large enough criminal aspect to it to warrant concern. Clarke even admits that child pornography exists on Freenet, yet claims that it would be detrimental to try and put a stop to it.

“At Freenet we could establish a virus to destroy any child pornography on Freenet — we could implement that technically. But then whoever has the key [to that filtering software] becomes a target. Suddenly we’d start getting served copyright notices; anything suspect on Freenet, we’d get pressure to shut it down. To modify Freenet would be the end of Freenet.” - Ian Clarke

Perhaps for the meantime it's safest to stick to Google.

Related articles & links:

• The Pirate Bay
• Ian Clarke's blog
• The Freenet project
• The dark side of the Internet

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