The concern is so big that in the U.S, they have a launched an addiction recovery program to help sufferers of IAD to better manage their life in a more ‘harmonious’ way. You might think this only concern to those who ‘Google’ everyday. Wrong guys!! Internet-based video games falls into this category. The program known as reSTART is meticulously planned over 45 days and it has already received it’s first patient, a 19 year old who cannot deprive himself of World of Warcraft.

So how do you know if you are an IAD sufferer? reSTART has outlined 9 symptoms by which are qualified for admittance:

Have a strong desire to use the Internet

Decreasing or withdrawal of internet leads to symptoms like malaise, relentlessness, lack of concentration and so on.

Increasing usage of Internet results into satisfaction

Difficulty to stop the usage despite you are aware it’s harmful

Unable to control the duration of time of internet use

Social, recreational and other personal interests decreases

Solace is found in using the Internet so as to flee from the outside pressures

Extent of use is denied to friends, teachers or schoolmates

Everyday routines and social functions (academic, workability) are impaired

The treatment? Well basically it cuts off the web and online gaming and focuses more on social skills. The patients are constantly followed by a recreation coach, a therapist, exercise and yoga instructors and more. Besides each patient have a schedule to follow which includes physical exercises (sports and fitness), chores, vocational training, a 3 hour back to nature period, a regular life quest and of course he/she is given a personal time everyday from 8.30 PM to 10.00 PM after which the lights are out!

Of course, such program does not come cheap!! You’ll have to pay a hefty $14,500 to get admitted. Considering what it offers it’s worth it’s price but it should be the last resort to cure yourself. In many cases Internet addiction is self corrective. It has been proven that heavy Internet users temporary endures this illness as gradually they decrease their time on the computer. The point it’s up to you guys how you use it!

I hope it’s not too late for you. Feel free to voice out your opinions about it!!

This article comes from GeekScribes

Internet Addiction – A Serious Crisis!

21,257 Spam Comments Blocked

What are your current spam count?

A definition of spam from Wikipedia.

Spam is the abuse of electronic messaging systems (including most broadcast media, digital delivery systems) to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately. While the most widely recognized form of spam is e-mail spam, the term is applied to similar abuses in other media: instant messaging spam, Usenet newsgroup spam, Web search engine spam, spam in blogs, wiki spam, online classified ads spam, mobile phone messaging spam, Internet forum spam, junk fax transmissions, social networking spam, and file sharing network spam.

Source: Wikipedia

An example of a Spam Comment as outlined by the SecuriTeam Blog

<strong>malware blocker…</strong>

Your topic %TITLE% was interesting when I found it on %DAY% searching for %KEYWORD%. Thanks, %URL%…

Some Links of Interest:

1. What is Comment Spam
2. Preventing Comment Spam (From Google)
3. How to Stop Comment Spam
4. Comment Spam (Six Apart)

You might also be interested in Protecting yourself against Plagiarism.

Note: This is in no way material to protect yourself against comment spam.

This article comes from GeekScribes

How many spam comments do you get?

I have read before that there was some buzz about the Seacom cable connecting Mauritius in 2009, and will offer even higher speed internet to our small island.

The BBC reports that the Seacom cable has gone live! What does this mean to Mauritius? Higher internet speed soon? Lower costs?

But first things first. Are we even connected to the cable? From the picture, it connects to the SAFE cable that connects to Mauritius. Does that mean we are connected? I haven’t heard any news about this. I’ve looked in the newspapers I have available, and haven’t found anything recently, unless I missed some small article somewhere.

The last I heard about Seacom cable was that it was having some troubles because of the pirates in the region. Nothing on Mauritius getting connected to it so far.

The most relevant article I found was from L’Express, dated 15 January 2009. It does mention that there are 5 submarine cables being laid in our region, and that we will “benefit” from those cables. There’s another article with nearly same content, again from L’Express, for those who want reading material.

For now, we’ll patiently wait for the next speed boost while keeping the price same.

What are your views on this matter? Do you think we’ll see any boost or benefit anytime soon?

This article comes from GeekScribes

Seacom goes live, connects Mauritius?