links for 2009-05-26

"The newspaper is understood to have acted after she made further allegations concerning the motivation of the newspaper's proprietors, Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay. Withers, the lawyers acting for the Barclay brothers, are understood to have instructed the takedown, invoking the acceptable user policy used by internet service providers to protect themselves against libel action provoked by comments on websites they host". Hang on, I thought as the fourth estate we were the champions of free speech, transparency and accountability?

The safer the seat, the higer the expenses claims? "Using this methodology again there is a clear increase in the likelihood of an MP being implicated in the expenses scandal the safer their seat. It is in fact a fairly steady progression until it leaps up in the top quartile. Using this data, an MP is more than 3 times more likely to have been implicated in this scandal if their seat is in the top quartile as compared with the bottom quartile." [via my MP, Lynne Featherstone, one of The Telegraph's saints]

Another article singing the praises of mainstream old-fashioned journalism over the MPs Expenses scandal that fails to mention 'lone gunman' Heather Brooke.

"It’s yet another day as an MP when my only option to say what I think needs saying is the web. No wonder so many people are fed up with Parliament, and think it offers such bad value for money."

"A House of Commons committee looking at sex trafficking has been told that the ban on sex ads imposed by Newsquest on its local papers last July has cost it over £200,000 in one region alone". You can see why others still take them.

"Your Croydon, Croydon Council’s free community paper, doesn’t much rate a journalist from another London publication, the Evening Standard, judging by a tweet send out yesterday."

"Nokia Ovi Store was soft-launched in Australia this weekend to allow the team, sweat pour off the proverbial forehead, to check everything was ready for launch. And it is. We're live. And the mobile industry is changed for good. Finally you can deploy an application, easily, for Nokia customers."

"Power to the people! Sites like Digg, Reddit, Propeller and Mixx have become popular social news sites due to the community driven aspect that fuels them. Traditionally these news sites offer 'digital democracy' that entices users because they themselves are able to determine what is (and isn't) news. However, a different form of social news not only exists, but flourishes: 'editorial social news'."

"The number of online adults who have used online classified ads has more than doubled in the past four years. Almost half (49%) of internet users say they have ever used online classified sites, compared with 22% of online adults who had done so in 2005". Docuticker points to an interesting set of figures from Pew Internet.

"In America in the 1950s, the music industry had the Payola scandal where DJs were paid by record companies to play certain records. Now, we have Blogola. It’s inevitable that companies would start paying bloggers to write glowing reviews about their products. But is it wrong?"

Without the name of 'Lawrence Miles' attached to it, this would be a prime example of a bitter ex-fanboy blog from a forum troll.

"People working in media, publishing and entertainment sectors are the heaviest drinkers, according to the Department of Health...[and] IT support workers drink an average of 34 units a week". So basically, if you work in the tech bits of the media your liver is screwed...

"Please note: this is a demo for local children to express their support for the EMD – adults will only be tolerated if accompanied by a child!". It seems that the Paedofinder General is alive, well, and issuing instructions in advance in E17.