On the Net ... with UPI

REGISTER.COM SCORES AGAINST 'DOMAIN SLAMMING'

Register.com, a domain registration company, has won a major victory against a competitor it said was using deceptive marketing techniques to snatch customers, InternetNews.com reported. The term "domain slamming," in which Internet service providers persuade subscribers to transfer their service without realizing they are doing so, is borrowed from an illegal tactic used by phone carriers to trick customers into changing their service provider. In its suit, Register.com charged the Canadian company, Domain Registry of America, was actively trying to deceive customers into thinking the company was their registrar and it was connected to Register.com. New York's southern district court has forbidden Internet Domain Registry from doing just that. The larger issue at play here, Internet.com reported, is how customer information is acquired and how it is used. Registrars are required to sell domain-name owners' information -- including the owner's name, street and e-mail address, and phone number -- to competitors for marketing purposes. Although companies are banned from using the information to Spam competitors' customers, or deluge them with unwanted e-mail messages, many companies do it anyway.

WEB FURTHER ENTANGLED IN EVERYDAY LIFE

Experienced users turn first to the Internet for important information, according to a new study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Twice as many Internet users said they go online first to find information about government programs or service vs. telephoning and the vote was split evenly over whether they would use the Internet or talk to a medical professional for a medical question. Moreover, a substantial number of non-Net users -- 40 percent -- agreed with the 80 percent of Internet users who said they expect to find reliable news, healthcare information, e-commerce and government information online. "In the past year or so, the Internet has turned into America's 'go-to' tool," said senior research specialist John Horrigan. "Americans prefer logging on agency Web sites to dealing with government personnel. They expect they'll find the news they need. Many say it makes a difference in their shopping and, most surprising of all, many find it more useful than their doctors when they begin researching health issues."

REPORT: OF HACKERS, AND MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

In an atmosphere of increasing awareness of cyber-security needs, one question is not often asked: Why don't hackers hack more? A report by wirednews.com concludes the reason is the powers of good (cyber-geeks routing out the gaps in Internet security) are prevailing over evil (the hackers). Of the major attacks reported in 2002, few had any real impact on most computer users, wirednews.com says. This is due to the diligence of Internet security folk, who work in an industry where money is made with the increase of reported security threats -- an impetus more compelling than that of hackers, industry insiders said. "Of all the people with the know-how to write malicious software that successfully exploits Windows desktop software, the vast majority are too busy and basically (too) decent to waste their time on this type of anti-social 'intellectual' exercise," SecurityFocus columnist George Smith told wirednews.com.

2002 ONLINE HOLIDAY SALES TOP 2001

E-commerce remained robust this holiday season, despite an overall economic dip. Online consumer sales for the week before Christmas grew 19 percent vs. the same time last year, according to Internet marketing research firm comScore Networks. The total: $1.9 billion for the week ending Dec. 20, 2002. Computer hardware sales, apparel and accessories, and consumer electronics were the three top selling categories in terms of dollars. However, in terms of the growth, home and garden, furniture and appliances, and toys were the strongest categories -- increasing 78 percent, 75 percent and 61 percent, respectively. ComScore culled the data by monitoring the surfing and purchasing behavior of 1.5 million consumers at more than 50,000 e-commerce sites, the company said.

(Got a tip for UPI's On the Net? E-mail it to sciencedesk@upi.com)