Social Networks Are The New Porn

Since the rise of the internet in the 1990s, pornography has ruled the internet. While difficult to measure accurately, the online pornography industry is estimated to be worth about $1 billion, and counts for about 13% of website visits in America (compared to search engines, which account for 7%). But it appears that new uses are about to overtake pornography in terms of online popularity.
The Economist is reporting that according to Hitwise data, pornography-related web activity is decreasing in America (as a proportion of total visits), as more and more people are opting to participate in social networking sites such as MySpace, Bebo and Facebook. Since the data presented is limited to February, a definitive conclusion is hard to make, but traffic to these social networking sites may have already overtaken traffic to sex-related sites, and if not, will probably do so any day now.

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MySpace Research Study

Fox Interactive Media (FIM) released a series of research findings from a study examining the growth and marketing power of online social networks.Key findings:'

• Social networks have caused a fundamental shift in the way people interact with each other and with media. 70%+ of Americans 15-34 are actively using social networks
• U.S. social networkers chose interacting on sites such as MySpace.com as their favorite activity online or offline, ahead of television viewing and on par with cell phone usage.
• The vast majority of time was spent connecting with family and friends as opposed to meeting new people.

Middio: Music Video Search Engine For YouTube

Middio is a new site, still in private beta, that’s indexing music videos from YouTube and tagging them properly with the artist and song name. The search interface is good; finding a music video for a given artist takes just a moment and there’s none of the non-relevant content you see with YouTube searches. Videos are also embedded in the Middio site.

Middio launches on May 5. Sign up on the home page for email notification.

First dates: Australian singles keep it simple

A recent poll conducted by Australia's largest online dating site, RSVP, ruled dinner and a movie as the most popular first date idea. Coffee and cake at the local cafe and a picnic in the park also proved popular first date choices.
The complete list of top dates is:
1. Dinner and a movie
2. Coffee and cake at a local cafe
3. Picnic in the park
4,5. Candlelit dinner al fresco or meet up and see what you fancy doing (equal fourth place)
6. Twilight cinema
7. Dinner cruise
8. Watching a band at the local pub
9. An ice-cream and walk in the park
10. Pub lunch and a game of pool or going to a theatre/art exhibition (equal 10th place)

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British women seek younger men

LONDON April 16 (UPI) -- A British survey suggests that an increasing number of women over the age of 45 are seeking relationships with younger men.
The survey of 1,200 adults conducted by London-based Parship dating service found that the number of older women seeking younger men rose by 20 percent over the course of one year to nearly one in 10, The Daily Mail reported Monday. Of that number, 3 percent said they are seeking men more than 10 years their junior.

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Avoid Online Dating Scams

A new Article published about the growing number of scam artists preying on members of online dating sites.
The problem has grown to be so widespread...that for 2007, the dating sites are fighting back.... trying to protect their members from the heartbreak of a lifetime.
Others have not been so lucky, according to the group Romance Scams.org.
"We have had people who lost their houses, their cars, their jobs. Because they are so into this person they would do anything."

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The perfect honeymoon - Cuba