Online meet-ups and break-ups!

Whatever you think of Valentine's day, you have to admit it has become a marketing bonanza for sellers of chocolates, roses and assorted gifts; not to mention the sold out restaurants and entertainment outlets.

Like everything else in our lives, online communication has also been put to use, or even abuse, and hundreds of websites attempt to cash in on the occasion by selling the aforementioned items, or charging for 'valentine introductions', particularly social networks and matchmaking services.

Arabic sites have got in on the act, with Maktoob launching a valentine promotion every year, online matrimony services like Bint Al Halal or Qiran highlighting the occasion, in spite of the fact that they have a somewhat Islamic character to them and there's very little about Valentine that is Islamic!

There are, of course, Arabic valentine cards which will have been flying around the web throughout last week into mailboxes of young Arabians, especially in the Gulf among nationals who still face difficulties in communicating outside the virtual world.

But here's the most interesting development: text and voice chatting to meet, date and even breakup.Technology provides such a convenience for those who don't have the courage or access to speak face to face. Online is aided by mobile in this new era of digital relationships.

Relationships can begin and end online, with exchange of usually fake photos and images. One of the hottest topics of female-targeted sites and forums is the growing adoption of online to end relationships.

As you would expect, it's one of the hot mail-bashing topics. What's new about that? Men and women usually end a relationship by phone, so why is sending a text message or email so different!

An October survey commissioned by Samsung Telecommunications America reported that about 11 percent of Americans say breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend via text message is okay.

The study goes on to say that psychologists are concerned that avoiding confrontation may not be a good idea for the person delivering the message or for the receiver. The ability to face up to things is an integral part of maturing.

People grow when they face tricky or uncomfortable situations. It also shows a lack of respect for the other party, which can be quite damaging to that person's perception of his/her self image.

Technology is also used in the post-relationship phase, to seek revenge! Teenagers in the US are reporting that instant messaging and texting is used to harass ex-boyfriends and girlfriends and even worse things happen; such as the upload of embarrassing pictures, videos and messages on social networking sites and blogs!

So, there are now 'breakup help sites' to get you through the tough times, and ensure you don't go crazy! This is al becoming too silly, but it's part of the digital landscape we live in. Don't be surprised if your children or younger siblings are already 'e-valentining'. Soon, they'll be e-breaking up too!

zanasser@gmail.com

The realities facing Vista

Now that the dust has settled, following the mania of last week's launch of Windows Vista, it's worth looking at some immediate and long term issues facing Microsoft's latest operating system.

For a start, it's quite expensive and does not address the main driving force propelling Linux and open source: the fact they are free. So, expect Linux to gain even more ground in the future, seeing as the same environment that existed along with Windows XP shall continue with Windows Vista. It is surprising that Microsoft have chosen to allow this.

On the one hand, it seems like they're making a business decision to milk the market. If everyone's going to buy it, why give it away for free. After all, if at some point in the future Linux does gain a more threatening position, that’s when Microsoft will resort to giving away its operating system.

In the meantime, it continues to be the money-grabbing, unpopular market leader.What would have been so difficult about giving away a cut-down free version of the home edition of Vista? I wonder!

Onto the next sobering fact, security or rather lack of. To begin with Windows Vista needs to first get 'made-for-Vista' updates by the anti-virus vendors. This week researchers have revealed that there is virtually no virus protection on Vista because Microsoft's Live One Care built-in anti virus solution is still lacking in features while the likes of Symantec and McAfee are yet to introduce Vista specific anti-virus updates.

Even when that gets sorted out, Vista may end up being no safer than XP. Simply, no leading operating system will ever be immune to the relentless attacks of hackers, phishers and virus writers. When you’re the biggest operating system, you’re also the biggest target.

Then, there’s the issue of users taking their time before upgrading to Vista. In spite of the massive publicity, and the wait for several years, it’s expected that only around 20 percent of current XP users will actually be early adopters of Vista- meaning if we are meant to live in a Vista world, that won’t happen for a couple of years. Maybe that’s a good thing, allowing Microsoft to sort out the security and functionality issues with the usual patches and updates, or a new revised version of the operating system every year.

The reality of the situation is this: Vista is not the answer to every problem we’ve experienced with XP, and Microsoft’s position today in 2007 is not the same as it was when XP launched back in 2001.

Today’s world has serious competitors in both operating systems and applications domains. Even the unlikeliest competitor, like Google, is now providing free web-based applications that challenge Microsoft Office, through a web platform that just needs a Firefox browser sitting on a Linux or Apple Mac operating system. It’s the anti-Microsoft collaborative and the pieces are now complete.

You sense that Vista can’t reverse that trend. Instead, Microsoft needs to play by the new rules, but will it?

zanasser@gmail.com