Research from comScore has concluded that Indonesia is the planet's most Twitter-addicted nation. According to the data, 20.8 percent of Indonesians online visited Twitter during June 2010, with the country scoring the highest percentage rate of Twitter usage amongst of any nation's online population.

Indonesian isn't the only Asian nation recognized as strong, from the continent Japan (5th with a 16.8% reach), Philippines (6th with a 14.8% reach), Singapore (9th with a 13.3%), South Korea (16th with a 9.3% reach), India (18th with a 8.0% reach) and Malaysia (19th with a 7.7% reach).

But...

It is important to consider a number of factors which may have influenced the results of this research before analyzing its significance.

- As is often the case with comScore research, websites visits from public computers - such as Internet cafes or access from mobile phones or PDAs - are not included in the data. This compromises the overall validity of the data as many of the newest internet-enabled people in developing markets like Asia and South America access through the mobile web, which has more than 300 million users in China, for example, though of course Twitter is blocked there. That said, many mobile Twitter users are likely to have logged into the site using fixed-line internet connections.

- The data includes traffic number to twitter.com alone and does not count usage of third party sites and applications. With many preferring to access Twitter through third parties, traffic to Twitter's website does not reflect overall usage. However, assuming the data measures unique users, it seems likely a large proportion of Twitter users would visit the official site at least once in a month, therefore registering them in comScore's data. So while this factor affects the data, it is likely to be less of a factor than not included public internet access.

- The report does not cover every country in the world, instead focusing on the 41 which are currently tracked by comScore. While it is unlikely any of the markets that lie off the comScore radar can rival many of the top ranked countries, it should be remembered that its data is from a restricted list of countries, though this does include the world's most prominent digital markets.

It’s been rumored that archenemies MySpace and Facebook have turned friendly in recent months, discussing the possibility that MySpace users might actually be able to sign into the social network using Facebook Connect.

Now, a more detailed report from the blog Inside Facebook says that this will become reality “in the first part of 2010.” According to their sources, MySpace is thinking along the same lines as Yahoo, who earlier this week announced major Facebook integration across many of its services. That thinking could essentially be summarized with the old proverb: If you can’t beat them, join them.

For MySpace’s purposes, that hypothetically would mean users accessing the site with their Facebook credentials, and then sharing back the increasing amount of exclusive entertainment type content that the site has been acquiring to their Facebook friends. In turn, MySpace gets more traffic that it can sell to advertisers, but ultimately cedes the race to be the Web’s social identity provider.

That space is seemingly a war that will be waged between Facebook and Google. The latter just launched integration with Twitter earlier this week, that allows users to sign into Google Friend Connect — its Facebook Connect rival — with Twitter. Maybe social identity ultimately won’t be that complicated after all.

Article from: www.Mashable.com

Be on the lookout for a current spate of phishing tactics spreading on Facebook via the chat feature.

The attack employs similar methods to those used by past scams, using hijacked user accounts to send chat messages with a generic message and a link to a familiar-looking Facebook phishing page. Of course, if you actually click the link and enter your details on the fake Facebook login page, the hackers steal your e-mail and password and direct you on to the real Facebook.

Once your account has been compromised, hackers use it to perpetuate the scam by spamming your friends in chat. Automated bots handle the heavy lifting of pestering your contacts. At least one of the messages comes in the format “ROFL this you?!” with a phishing link, but this particular vulnerability may take other forms, so be sure to use caution when receiving any remotely suspicious chat messages from your Facebook contacts.

Facebook typically aggressively pursues phishing scams like this one, so hopefully it won’t be plaguing users for too much longer. Until then, please use caution when using chat. Have you spotted any variants of this scam?

Article from: www.Mashable.com

Youniverse.com Launched in UK to Discover Users' VisualDNA™ Using Picture-Based PersonalityTest.

Youniverse, the social discovery website where users can define their VisualDNA, enabling them to learn more about themselves and connect with like-minded people that share their aspirations and personality, has re-launched with a new-look user interface. Much more than a standard PersonalityTest, Youniverse utilises images to help its users on the way to self discovery.

The concept of VisualDNA brings emotions and sophisticated matching to the web. Users build their VisualDNA on Youniverse by responding to a insightful, fun, image-based Personality Quiz, that profile each user's interests, aspirations and motivations.

Unlike other social networks based around the concept of connecting with current and past social contacts, Youniverse is based around the theme of discovery, enabling users to find people, places, experiences and products that they will like, based on their VisualDNA.

Youniverse's image-based quizzes cover topics that include personality, careers planning, travel, mind, art, movies and the Love Test. Following completion of each quiz, an in-depth, personal analysis is produced. Users can then compare their results to others' and find people that match them.

The VisualDNA concept is highly social, offering a means for individuals to better understand themselves and others, in order to facilitate both relevant, new friendships and also to strengthen existing relationships through a heightened understanding of shared attitudes, emotions and values.

Rodrigo Dauster of Youniverse explains "The VisualDNA concept uses images to enable the feelings and motivation of users to be discovered. By responding to a series of carefully selected, open statements, emotional responses are triggered in each user and the results are then used to produce their very own VisualDNA. We believe by understanding more about you and others on the site, users can unlock the door to new experiences and friendships, that they would never have discovered otherwise."

Youniverse is a social discovery website which defines its users' VisualDNA, enabling them to learn more about themselves and their friends.

The concept of VisualDNA brings emotions and sophisticated matching to the web. Users build their VisualDNA on Youniverse by responding to insightful, fun, image-based questionnaires, profiling each user's interests, aspirations, motivations and personality based on their selections.

Youniverse was named by the BBC as 'one of the best sites on the web' (BBC Click Online / Webscape-r, 11th July 2008)

The site was launched in the UK in 2008 has more than 3 million global users - over 15 million people have experienced one or more VisualDNA questionnaires since the concept was launched by parent company Imagini in 2006.

Imagini is the parent company of Youniverse and developed the VisualDNA technology. The company was founded in 2006 and has recently secured $13.5m in funding.