This is in no way useful, but Google has a page where you can watch real-time edits to Google Maps information.

It can be kind intoxicating/relaxing … kind of like watching fish in a tank.

Go make your own Google Maps: Beginning Google Maps Applications with PHP and Ajax: From Novice to Professional

My Top Ten list is naturally pretty subjective, but I’ve been doing this web stuff and using RSS for quite a while now, so I think I’ve developed some insights into what’s good and important out there. I’m sure 100 other equally or better informed people would come up with an entirely different top 10 list. I would be interested in seeing those, so if you put one together, please leave a comment.

If I have a bias, I think it’s toward being broadly entertained and informed from the perspective of a guy who has worked in media his entire life.

1. Digg. There was a time when Digg was only useful if you were a techno-geek. The social bookmarking site has become so much more than that. Oh, the tech stuff is still a big part of Digg, but it’s also a great place now to find just really interesting articles and blog posts, such as a couple of today’s top Diggs, The 30 Strangest Deaths in History and 8 Web Sites that Jumped the Shark. A suggested alternative or addition would be Slashdot.
2. Boing Boing. Long one of the most popular blogs in the world, it consists of a large assortment of posts on cyber culture, trends and oddball topics. Fascinating and entertaining.
3. Lifehack. Tips and tricks on how to live life better, more effectively or more efficiently. An alternative is LifeHacker, but Lifehack tends to be more focused on personal tips.
4. HuffingtonPost. HuffPo has expanded beyond being just a left-leaning political blog to feature a wide assortment of fascinating news and culture posts written by a wide array of pretty smart people.
5. TMZ. Today, being a fully rounded person means knowing a bit about what’s going on in pop culture. TMZ is a rich resource for celebrity gossip and news.
6. New York Times. Man cannot live by gossip and oddities alone. We must have hard news. The NYT probably fits the bill better than any other news source. For all of the newspaper industry woes, and recent turmoil at the Times, the NYT still churns out among the best journalism in the world. There are other sources to consider — most importantly, your home town newspaper.com — but the Times is really required reading.
7. Romenesko. What happens in the journalism world has a tremendous impact on society, politics and business. If any of these things are important to you, you should follow the news as Jim Romenesko aggregates it. A a good addition would be Lost Remote.
8. TreeHugger. Environmental issues are big right now. Even if you’re not a greenie, you should be keeping up with whats going on related to the environment. TreeHugger is a great place to start.
9. Chris Pirillo. Chis is an entertaining, fascinating guy, but more importantly, he cranks out posts and videos on a variety of interesting and useful topics related to computers and the internet. It’s hard not to learn stuff simply by following Chris.
10. YouTube. More specifically, Today’s Favorites. This might be the quickest and simplest way of staying abreast of the torrent of content that churns through YouTube every day. YouTube videos provide both entertainment and the chance to stay abreast of what’s going on in society.

Of course, you can also subscribe to the Back Channel feed and the HowardOwens.com feed.

What’s in your reader?

Recommended reading: We the Media: Grassroots Journalism By the People, For the People

I’m with Brian Schneier — it’s no big deal to leave your wi-fi network open.

To me, it’s basic politeness. Providing internet access to guests is kind of like providing heat and electricity, or a hot cup of tea. But to some observers, it’s both wrong and dangerous…

I get few guests needing wi-fi access, but I’ve been lucky enough to visit friends with open access and I’ve been grateful. Future etiquette books will probably provide an entry on the graciousness of open access.

I remain unconvinced of this (security) threat, though. The RIAA has conducted about 26,000 lawsuits, and there are more than 15 million music downloaders. Mark Mulligan of Jupiter Research said it best: “If you’re a file sharer, you know that the likelihood of you being caught is very similar to that of being hit by an asteroid.”

I’m also unmoved by those who say I’m putting my own data at risk, because hackers might park in front of my house, log on to my open network and eavesdrop on my internet traffic or break into my computers. This is true, but my computers are much more at risk when I use them on wireless networks in airports, coffee shops and other public places. If I configure my computer to be secure regardless of the network it’s on, then it simply doesn’t matter. And if my computer isn’t secure on a public network, securing my own network isn’t going to reduce my risk very much.

I’ve gotta say, though, that I did have a problem when I lived Bakersfield. I suffered serious network slowdowns every evening. I suspected a neighbor of tapping into my network for file sharing. Once I secured my router, the slow downs stopped.

Of course, that was Bakersfield.

(via Boing Boing)

Or you could build a community network: Building Wireless Community Networks

What happens when you violate a site’s terms of service and get banned? You get scobled.

Recommended Reading:  Because Netiquette Matters! Your Comprehensive Reference Guide to E-mail Etiquette and Proper Technology Use