zaterdag 31 oktober 2009

Want to become filthy rich? Learn more about IT!

You’re probably all wondering why we’re writing this blog… Well, initially we wanted to learn more about social websites, because we’re trying to come up with a brilliant million-dollar idea for an internet start-up. Then I suddenly bumped into a very interesting article in the Belgian newspaper De Standaard.


Apparently a study by the market research firm IDC pointed out that Belgian companies and consumers spend about €9 billions on IT (Information Technology), i.e. on computer hardware, software and on corresponding services. These are some of the other mind-blowing facts the article mentions:


- The Belgian government collects €11 billions of tax revenues on IT in 2009.

- 14,000 to 16,000 new jobs are expected in the IT-sector.

- The biggest part of the IT-pie stems from software.


We are definitely going to keep this in mind in our search for an ingenious website!


Source: De Standaard

Liesbeth Derycke

vrijdag 16 oktober 2009

Belgian police remove insulting tweet


Twitter user Koen Delvaux will think twice before he posts another message on his Twitter page. Recently he complained in a tweet about his jeweller Timmermans by calling him a scoundrel and accusing him of lying to his wife. Apparently, his wife's watch battery was broken but the jeweller told her the watch itself was broken and suggested to choose a new one. At home, Mr Delvaux successfully repaired the watch himself by simply placing a new battery. Being very displeased with the service of the jeweller, he promptly posted the insulting tweet.

Coincidentally, Mr Struyven of jewellery Timmermans regularly enters the name of his shop on Google to check its popularity. To his utter astonishment he read the tweet of Mr Delvaux. Mr Struyven is shocked and considers the message to be rubbish. He is afraid his business will get a bad reputation due to this negative publicity. Subsequently, he contacted the police who urged Mr Delvaux to remove the message from his Twitter page. Mr Delvaux obeyed, but he does not regret posting the message. In his opinion he only told the truth. Mr Struyven considers taking further legal action against him.

Communication expert Dirk De Grooff agrees with the police. According to De Grooff freedom of speech needs to be defended, even on the Internet, but there are certain lines you do not cross. Publicly insulting someone is one of them. He also predicts that people will be encouraged by this case to take legal action when they are insulted on the Internet.

Source: Het Nieuwsblad


Marcey Missiaen

zaterdag 10 oktober 2009

Google Wave: the new e-mail?


Google’s engineers have come up with a new app called ‘Google Wave’. Their spokesmen have described it as “what e-mail would look like if it had been invented now instead of 40 years ago”. It allows its users to send their friends virtual messages which they can read, alter and edit.


Moreover, Google Wave enables you to interact with your friends by sending them photos, movies, games, polls, Google Maps and other mini-apps. On top of that, you can put your wave in a website or publish it to a blog.


However, not everyone gets to enjoy this exciting communication tool (for free!). You cannot use Google Wave if you have not been invited by someone else first. Unfortunately, enthusiasts will have to be patient, because Google Wave will not be fully launched until the first half of 2010.


Source: Time

Liesbeth Derycke