I currently used Rapportive tp make Gmail more social. Today I discovered Etacts which packs even more features in its extension, like detailed statistics on who you communicate with, reminders, ... Have a look! You can find the Google Chrome extension here.

In late 2006, students at a school in Turin, Italy filmed and then uploaded a video to Google Video that showed them bullying an autistic schoolmate. The video was totally reprehensible and we took it down within hours of being notified by the Italian police. We also worked with the local police to help identify the person responsible for uploading it and she was subsequently sentenced to 10 months community service by a court in Turin, as were several other classmates who were also involved. In these rare but unpleasant cases, that's where our involvement would normally end.

But in this instance, a public prosecutor in Milan decided to indict four Google employees —David Drummond, Arvind Desikan, Peter Fleischer and George Reyes (who left the company in 2008). The charges brought against them were criminal defamation and a failure to comply with the Italian privacy code. To be clear, none of the four Googlers charged had anything to do with this video. They did not appear in it, film it, upload it or review it. None of them know the people involved or were even aware of the video's existence until after it was removed.

Nevertheless, a judge in Milan today convicted 3 of the 4 defendants — David Drummond, Peter Fleischer and George Reyes — for failure to comply with the Italian privacy code. All 4 were found not guilty of criminal defamation. In essence this ruling means that employees of hosting platforms like Google Video are criminally responsible for content that users upload. We will appeal this astonishing decision because the Google employees on trial had nothing to do with the video in question. Throughout this long process, they have displayed admirable grace and fortitude. It is outrageous that they have been subjected to a trial at all.

But we are deeply troubled by this conviction for another equally important reason. It attacks the very principles of freedom on which the Internet is built. Common sense dictates that only the person who films and uploads a video to a hosting platform could take the steps necessary to protect the privacy and obtain the consent of the people they are filming. European Union law was drafted specifically to give hosting providers a safe harbor from liability so long as they remove illegal content once they are notified of its existence. The belief, rightly in our opinion, was that a notice and take down regime of this kind would help creativity flourish and support free speech while protecting personal privacy. If that principle is swept aside and sites like Blogger, YouTube and indeed every social network and any community bulletin board, are held responsible for vetting every single piece of content that is uploaded to them — every piece of text, every photo, every file, every video — then the Web as we know it will cease to exist, and many of the economic, social, political and technological benefits it brings could disappear.

These are important points of principle, which is why we and our employees will vigorously appeal this decision.

Posted by Matt Sucherman, VP and Deputy General Counsel - Europe, Middle East and Africa

Filed under: News, Microsoft, Browsers, Humor

Internet Explorer Six, resident of the interwebs for over 8 years, died the morning of March 1, 2010 in Mountain View, California, as a result of a workplace injury sustained at the headquarters of Google, Inc.

So begins the obituary of once-beloved browser that overstayed its welcome on this mortal Web. We've known IE6 was in poor health for some time, but it hasn't exactly died swiftly and with dignity. In fact, I reported just days ago that it was still alive!

While IE6 still clings to corporate IT departments and giving web designers fits, one design firm has decided to send the old, crummy browser out in style, with a proper wake.

The IE6 Funeral will take place March 1st at the offices of Aten Design Group in Denver, Colorado. Why pick March 1st as IE6's date of death? That's when Google cuts off IE6 support in Google Docs and Google Sites, and starts phasing it out in other crucial products. On March 13th, YouTube will stop working in IE6, sadly taking away one of the main wastes of time for corporate employees who are still stuck with the browser.

Is it too early to celebrate, though? As I reported earlier this week, some companies want to ditch IE6, but can't, because it's the only thing that works with old industry-specific software they still rely on. Personally, I think IE6 had its glory days, but now I can't wait to dance on its grave. Too bad I can't make it to Denver next week!