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Social networking sites like Facebook and YouTube have informed the government that inflammatory contents uploaded on their pages originated from Pakistan.

"The initial response from international social networking sites indicates that such contents have been hosted from outside the country and to a large extent from a neighbouring country (Pakistan)," Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DEIT) said in a statement.

The response of these websites came after the government ordered ban of more than 250 pages charging that morphed images and videos were uploaded displaying alleged atrocities on Muslims. The government also said that these led to the fear psychosis among the people of the North-East and their mass exodus from different parts of the country.

However, one of the intermediary sites has conveyed to the DEIT that uploaders of the inflammatory and hateful contents were outside the jurisdiction of the country, "thereby implying that they are not obliged to take any constructive step to deal with it".

The DEIT said most of the contents were taken from events "unrelated to the incident occurred in Assam. Hosting of such morphed image and video led to a lot of inciting comments from users on the blogs...and circulation of hate SMSes".

"The DEIT has been working with international social networking sites on this issue. However, a lot more and quicker action is expected from them to address such a sensitive issue which concern restoring peace, harmony, public order and national security," the statement said.

It said proxy servers and virtual private network services which hide the user identity appear to have been used for uploading the content. The agencies are continuously monitoring hosting of such inflammatory and harmful content.

Copyright 2012 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.

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Inflammatory content uploaded from Pak: Networking sites

Pinterest, the latest in social networking Priyanka Joshi / Mumbai Aug 20, 2012, 00:31 IST

If you thought social media was only about posting on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and, perhaps, YouTube, then get ready for Pinterest, which is being billed as the hottest new social hangout on the digital platform. In fact, according to AppAppeal data, Pinterest is the 40th most popular site in India based on a combination of average daily visitors and pageviews. As many as 7.2 per cent of the Pinterest users come from India and they generate 6.6 per cent of the pageviews on Pinterest.

At its heart, Pinterest is a picture sharing platform where individuals take images, called Pins, and place them on customised boards on any topic, ranging from food, humor, animals, and so on. These images are shared with followers and friends, giving them the option to repin, like, or comment. In simple words, Pinterest users get to share interesting images with others on nearly any topic or category.

Until recently, Pinterest was only available on the web and through the iPhone app, but the social-bookmarking service has now rolled out Android and iPad apps, too.

Understanding Pinterest Browsing Pinterest for the first time can be overwhelming. Take time to go through a few of the pages and it becomes clear why it has become such a rage.

Like Twitter, you can follow anyone, even if they arent following you back. Users can follow other Pinners that share their interests and style, creating a homepage that is directly populated with specific content. Once the user has an idea of what interests he wants to show on his page, the next step is to populate their boards with Pins. A Pin is an image added on Pinterest, which can be of virtually anything. There are a number of different ways to attach a Pin to a board, including uploading an image or repining from another users board. The user can also upload Pins through Pinterests Pin It button, a browser bookmark that grabs an image from virtually any website.

Repins are the re-tweets in Pinterest world, which is technically sharing an image pinned by someone you follow or have found on Pinterest by adding it to one of your own boards. Just as you re-tweet someones tweet on Twitter or share a status update on Facebook.

Why use Pinterest? When Twitter launched, many did not understand the value of an unstructured stream of 140 characters. Pinterest might seem like a picture sharing site, but it is social media with only the need to curate images you like or want to show to your friends. Theres no denying that we all love to see and share images, far more than words. In fact, images and videos are the most shared content on Facebook. Its a great visual platform for both professionals and individuals who want to showcase their work or creativity. For instance, a home business owner who would like to spread the word about the business, can do by posting interesting pictures.

So, those who have been sitting on the fence about Pinterest, now is the time to jump in and start pinning.

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Pinterest, the latest in social networking

Janata Dal-United chief Sharad Yadav on Saturday advocated temporary ban on social networking sites to check rumour mongering in view of exodus of people hailing from the northeast from various parts of the country.

Talking to reporters in New Delhi [ Images ], he also hit out at the central government's "inept handling" of the situation arising out of the ethnic violence in Assam.

"Why has the government not asked these social networking sites to disclose the names of those who first uploaded such inflammatory messages... These sites should themselves come forward to help the country track down these anti-social and anti-national forces... If they don't volunteer, the government should temporarily suspend these operations in national interest," he said.

He noted that the freedom of expression cannot be allowed to destroy the very foundation of the country's freedom itself.

"The violence in Assam and its fallout in other parts of the country leading to the exodus, has completely exposed the inept handling of the situation. If the state government ignored all warnings and signals and mishandled the situation in the first place, the central government failed to foresee the hidden hand behind these riots and the worsening situation," Yadav said, adding he was shocked to see the "helplessness" of this "incompetent" government.

"It even failed to visualise the magnitude of the problem in the first place and devise a proper plan to take firm action against anti-social and anti-national elements, who used the social networking sites to spread canards," he said.

Yadav said the government's order to ban bulk SMSes won't suffice and demanded to know who are the people spreading rumours through the social networking sites.

"Why has the government not tracked down those elements, who used the bulk SMSes to spread these rumours," he said.

Copyright 2012 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.

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JD-U chief for temporary ban on social networking sites

WINNIPEG -- Explicit social networking chats that caught the attention of Facebook staff have led to sex assault and Internet luring charges against a Winnipeg man suspected of preying on a girl about half his age.

It's potentially the first time for Winnipeg police that charges have stemmed from concerns flagged first by Facebook, police said, and a case that's considered "unique," according to a local social media lawyer.

Police allege the suspect, aged 25, met and started communicating with a 13-year-old girl on the social networking site in mid-July. The messages turned sexual and were noticed by Facebook.

"Red flags were going up for them left, right and centre," Const. Jason Michalyshen said.

Police couldn't say exactly how Facebook caught on, or what the pair were chatting about.

"It was described as inappropriate activity," Michalyshen said. "There were conversations that could easily be described as explicit."

At some point, the pair arranged to meet and a sexual assault occurred, police said.

Facebook contacted Winnipeg police near the end of July and passed along the information. Detectives got on the case and on Wednesday, police arrested the man.

The case is not one commonly seen in Winnipeg.

"It's a unique case from a legal perspective," said Brian Bowman, a lawyer who specializes in social media.

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Facebook reports sex assault of Winnipeg teen

Newswise DENVER Many have argued the Marxist theories of a classless society died with the collapse of the Soviet Union and a faltering Cuba, but a University of Dayton study has found a place where such approaches may have a shot of survivalFacebook, and other social networking sites.

University of Dayton sociologist and criminologist Art Jipson discovered in his most recent research that the homeless, along with everyone else, are turning to social media and that social media sites are turning into places where all people are truly equal.

Jipson, an associate sociology professor, will present his findings at the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association.

People think of Facebook as this billion-dollar entity with stock offerings that sells gobs of advertising, Jipson said. But, on Facebook, the least of our brothers, as it says in the Bible, have equal access to all of Facebooks offerings and establish a sense of belonging that is based on more than possessions.

In a sense, its a very Catholic way of looking at how we interact with one another. Catholic social teaching expresses a concern about a communal, social nature where we are called to reach out and build relationships of love and justice.

Through his interviews, Jipson found that the homeless use social media not only to build support networks, but to solve practical issues such as where to find their next meal, where to find safe and warm places to sleep, and where to find various social services.

Why cant I be on Facebook?, asked one subject in the study. I have as much right to that as anyone else. Just because I am homeless does not mean that I dont care about this stuff, you know? My family is on Facebook. My friends are on Facebook. People who care about me are on Facebook.

Jipson found that for some members of the homeless community, social media can be a refuge, a place to interact without being judged. Another interviewee said, No one on the net cares if I didnt get a shower yesterday or smell some. They dont judge me, you know? I feel accepted. I am accepted.

Jipson also found it interesting that on social networking sites, some of which are driven by advertising dollars based on likes, clicks, comments, and status updates, even the least commercially attractive users are just as equal as the most affluent users. Everyone is afforded the same services and benefits of using social media.

Our posts become the commercial property of corporations that will do everything possible to generate revenue in the form of value for the company and stockholders rather than for the users, Jipson said. But, for homeless users of social mediawhich is a growing populationthe value is for the online community itself, which is very egalitarian.

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Homeless People Find Equality, Acceptance on Social Networking Sites