The common thread of thought in the religious beliefs of the Indian subcontinent upholds a single Reality (as in absolute monoism) and holds in reverence each of the several manifestation of the Ultimate Reality in the forms of Gods. Bhrama, Vishnu and Shiva are revered as the Supreme Trinity of multitude of manifestations of Divinity. It is said that all that is true, all that is good and all that is beautiful is God (Satyam Shivam Sundaram).
Shiva is referred to as 'the good one' or the 'auspicious one'. Shiva - Rudra is considered to be the destroyer of evil and sorrow. Shiva - Shankara is the doer of good. Shiva is 'tri netra' or three eyed, and is 'neela kantha' - blue necked (having consumed poison to save the world from destruction. Shiva - Nataraja is the Divine Cosmic Dancer. Shiva - Ardhanareeswara is both man and woman.
He is both static and dynamic and is both creator and destroyer. He is the oldest and the youngest, he is the eternal youth as well as the infant. He is the source of fertility in all living beings. He has gentle as well as fierce forms. Shiva is the greatest of renouncers as well as the ideal lover. He destroyes evil and protects good. He bestows prosperity on worshipers although he is austere. He is omnipresent and resides in everyone as pure consciousness.
Shiva is inseparable from Shakti - Parvati the daughter of Himavaan - Haimavati. There is no Shiva without Shakti and no Shakti without Shiva, the two are one - or the absolute state of being - consciousness and bliss.
The five mantras that constitute Shiva's body are Sadyojaata, Vaamadeva, Aghora, Tatpurusha and Eesaana. Eesaana is Shiva not visible to the human eye, Sadyojaata is Shiva realized in his basic reality (as in the element earth, in the sense of smell, in the power of procreation and in the mind). The Vishnudharmottara Purana of the 6th century CE assigns a face and an element to each of the above mantras. (Sadyojaata - earth, Vaamadeva - water, Aghora - fire, Tatpurusha - air and Eesaana - space).
The names of the deified faces with their elements are Mahadeva (earth), Bhairava (fire), Nandi (air), Uma (water) and Sadasiva (space). Panchamukha lingams have been seen from the 2nd century onwards. The Trimurthi Sadasiva image of Shiva in the Elephanta Caves near Mumbai is a portrayal in stone, of the five faces of Shiva. The fourth and the fifth heads are not seen in this image here.
The works of sages Vyasa, Vasishta, Patanjali, the poet Kalidasa, the tamil saint poets Nayanmars - Appar, Sundarar, Sambandar, the poet Manikkavachakar, the mystic tamil siddhas, tantric philosophers, the spiritual leader Adi Sankaracharya and others such as Basavanna and Appayya Deekshitar speak of the attributes of Shiva
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Pak wants excellent relations with India: Gilani
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan wants "excellent relations" with India even as the two countries work to address "core issues" like the Kashmir dispute, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Monday.
On the eve of the resumption of the composite dialogue process between the two countries, Gilani told a news conference in the Egyptian resort of Sharm-el-Sheikh that Pakistan "expects good from India and wants to have very good relations" with its neighbour.
"Pakistan wants to maintain excellent relations with India though "core issues have to be addressed, including Kashmir as its people want the right to self-determination", he was quoted as saying by state-run APP news agency.
The foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan will meet at Islamabad tomorrow to review the fourth round of the composite dialogue held last year.
Their talks will be followed by a meeting between Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Wednesday.
Gilani, who is in Egypt to attend the World Economic Forum on the Middle East, said there was no threat to his coalition government despite the PML-N's decision to withdraw its ministers from the cabinet after failing to achieve the reinstatement of judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf during last year's emergency.
He said he had not accepted the resignations of the PML-N ministers as they would hopefully rejoin the cabinet very soon after the deposed judges are reinstated.
There is also no pressure on the coalition to restore the deposed judges, who would be reinstated as soon as certain modalities are worked out.
Discuss this story with other readers. Click on 'Discuss' link at the top and bottom of the story. To know more about this feature click 'here'.
On the eve of the resumption of the composite dialogue process between the two countries, Gilani told a news conference in the Egyptian resort of Sharm-el-Sheikh that Pakistan "expects good from India and wants to have very good relations" with its neighbour.
"Pakistan wants to maintain excellent relations with India though "core issues have to be addressed, including Kashmir as its people want the right to self-determination", he was quoted as saying by state-run APP news agency.
The foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan will meet at Islamabad tomorrow to review the fourth round of the composite dialogue held last year.
Their talks will be followed by a meeting between Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Wednesday.
Gilani, who is in Egypt to attend the World Economic Forum on the Middle East, said there was no threat to his coalition government despite the PML-N's decision to withdraw its ministers from the cabinet after failing to achieve the reinstatement of judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf during last year's emergency.
He said he had not accepted the resignations of the PML-N ministers as they would hopefully rejoin the cabinet very soon after the deposed judges are reinstated.
There is also no pressure on the coalition to restore the deposed judges, who would be reinstated as soon as certain modalities are worked out.
Discuss this story with other readers. Click on 'Discuss' link at the top and bottom of the story. To know more about this feature click 'here'.
BBC WORLD BUSINESS NEWS
Russia police raid BP Moscow base
Russian security services search the Moscow HQ of oil giant BP - the second time the firm has been targeted.
Supply fears push oil beyond $129 Firms scoop £4bn carrier contract
Oil prices surge past $129 a barrel as concerns about supply grow on Opec's refusal to increase output. The Ministry of Defence is set to sign a £4bn deal to build two aircraft carriers with BAE Systems and VT Group.
Fed loans $75bn to finance firms Japan keeps interest rates level
The US central bank auctions $75bn in loans to finance firms to boost their access to credit. The Bank of Japan votes unanimously to keep interest rates unchanged at 0.5%, as widely expected.
Energy costs hit German factories EU shake-up on farming subsidies
Rising energy costs meant German producer prices were 5.2% higher in April than a year ago, figures show. The EU announces plans to reform its hugely expensive rural payments system, the Common Agricultural Policy.
Food price rises 'to hit UK hard' Energy firms 'restart near quake'
The UK is "more exposed" to food price rises than its peers, adding to recessionary fears, a report suggests. Energy supplies in the Chinese region hit by the earthquake are returning to normal, a key oil firm says.
Agency staff to get equal rights Taylor Wimpey to close 13 offices
Agency workers will be given the same employment rights as permanent staff after 12 weeks under new plans. Building firm Taylor Wimpey plans to close 13 offices in the UK, a move expected to cause 600 redundancies.
Platinum prices 'set to rise 50%' Bharti African talks 'continue'
The price of platinum could increase by 50% in 2008 compared with last year, a poll of analysts says. Indian mobile firm Bharti Telecom is in talks about buying South Africa's MTN, reports say.
Argentine farmers call off strike Battle for fryer company heats up
Farm leaders in Argentina agree to suspend nationwide stoppages and protests over export taxes on food exports. Manitowoc increases its offer for UK kitchen equipment firm Enodis, which supplies machines to McDonald's.
China quake 'costs firms $9.5bn' Chinese whispers fuel BHP shares
The recent earthquake has cost Chinese companies $9.5bn, the country's government says. Shares in the world's largest miner BHP Billiton rise on speculation about investment from China.
Imperial details £4.9bn cash call M&S sees profits increase to £1bn
Imperial Tobacco says it wants to raise £4.9bn through a rights issue to pay for its recent acquisition of Altadis. Marks and Spencer says annual profits rose 4.3% to £1bn but is cautious about the coming year's prospects.
Oil price resumes its record run Oil price 'may hit $200 a barrel'
The oil price rises to a record high, picking up from last week when it set new records every day. The price of oil could soar to $200 a barrel in as little as six months, a report warns as crude passes $123.
Battle over new Bangalore airport Pakistan battles power shortages
A row breaks out over Bangalore's new international airport, as it gets ready to open on 23 May. Pakistan is switching to daylight saving next month to help reduce the effects of power shortages.
Russian security services search the Moscow HQ of oil giant BP - the second time the firm has been targeted.
Supply fears push oil beyond $129 Firms scoop £4bn carrier contract
Oil prices surge past $129 a barrel as concerns about supply grow on Opec's refusal to increase output. The Ministry of Defence is set to sign a £4bn deal to build two aircraft carriers with BAE Systems and VT Group.
Fed loans $75bn to finance firms Japan keeps interest rates level
The US central bank auctions $75bn in loans to finance firms to boost their access to credit. The Bank of Japan votes unanimously to keep interest rates unchanged at 0.5%, as widely expected.
Energy costs hit German factories EU shake-up on farming subsidies
Rising energy costs meant German producer prices were 5.2% higher in April than a year ago, figures show. The EU announces plans to reform its hugely expensive rural payments system, the Common Agricultural Policy.
Food price rises 'to hit UK hard' Energy firms 'restart near quake'
The UK is "more exposed" to food price rises than its peers, adding to recessionary fears, a report suggests. Energy supplies in the Chinese region hit by the earthquake are returning to normal, a key oil firm says.
Agency staff to get equal rights Taylor Wimpey to close 13 offices
Agency workers will be given the same employment rights as permanent staff after 12 weeks under new plans. Building firm Taylor Wimpey plans to close 13 offices in the UK, a move expected to cause 600 redundancies.
Platinum prices 'set to rise 50%' Bharti African talks 'continue'
The price of platinum could increase by 50% in 2008 compared with last year, a poll of analysts says. Indian mobile firm Bharti Telecom is in talks about buying South Africa's MTN, reports say.
Argentine farmers call off strike Battle for fryer company heats up
Farm leaders in Argentina agree to suspend nationwide stoppages and protests over export taxes on food exports. Manitowoc increases its offer for UK kitchen equipment firm Enodis, which supplies machines to McDonald's.
China quake 'costs firms $9.5bn' Chinese whispers fuel BHP shares
The recent earthquake has cost Chinese companies $9.5bn, the country's government says. Shares in the world's largest miner BHP Billiton rise on speculation about investment from China.
Imperial details £4.9bn cash call M&S sees profits increase to £1bn
Imperial Tobacco says it wants to raise £4.9bn through a rights issue to pay for its recent acquisition of Altadis. Marks and Spencer says annual profits rose 4.3% to £1bn but is cautious about the coming year's prospects.
Oil price resumes its record run Oil price 'may hit $200 a barrel'
The oil price rises to a record high, picking up from last week when it set new records every day. The price of oil could soar to $200 a barrel in as little as six months, a report warns as crude passes $123.
Battle over new Bangalore airport Pakistan battles power shortages
A row breaks out over Bangalore's new international airport, as it gets ready to open on 23 May. Pakistan is switching to daylight saving next month to help reduce the effects of power shortages.
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Cellphones, Cameras, Computers and more.Former AOL Executives Sued in Ad-Revenue Case
By TIM ARANGO
The S.E.C. filed fraud charges against eight former AOL executives over an accounting procedure that caused the company to overstate its advertising revenue by more than $1 billion.
S.E.C. Announcement
Dealbook
A Gamble, but What if He Wins?
By ANDREW ROSS SORKIN
Carl Icahn, the corporate raider turned activist investor, is gambling to bring Microsoft back to the bargaining table and buy Yahoo.
More From DealBook | Times Topics: Microsoft-Yahoo Deal CNBC Video: Microsoft Revives Yahoo Interest Details of Microsoft Offer to Yahoo Google Offers Personal Health Records on the Web
By STEVE LOHR
The Internet search giant joins other companies, all hoping to capitalize on the potential of Internet tools to help consumers manage their own health care.
Times Topics: Google Inc. Netflix to Sell a Device for Instantly Watching Movies on TV Sets
By SAUL HANSELL
Netflix, which will begin marketing the device on Tuesday, will not charge customers beyond their normal subscription fee.
Napster Rolls Out All-MP3 Download Store
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The company is the latest to make the switch to the unrestricted file format, which makes it music tracks compatible with virtually any music player or other device.
Dell’s Finance Chief to Step Down
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dell, the computer maker, said Monday that Donald J. Carty, hired as chief financial officer a year and a half ago to help lead a turnaround, would resign in June.
Shares of Bell Canada Drop as a Buyout Deal Unravels
By IAN AUSTEN
The uncertainty of the proposed $51.8 billion leveraged buyout of Bell Canada caused shares of the company to drop 5.6 percent in New York on Monday.
Crunching Data in a Hard-Hitting Sport
By JUDY BATTISTA
Seven years after Chuck Bower and his partners began working on a program that analyzes close calls and player personnel decisions in football, they have yet to find a team willing to try it.
As Expected, N.F.L. Owners Opt Out of Labor Deal A Living-Room Crusade via Blogging
By ROBERT F. WORTH
A New Jersey stay-at-home mother has become an outspoken advocate for a Yemeni journalist, Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani, who is facing execution for sedition.
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Bits: Fast-Twitch Game Makers in Long, Slow Merger Talks Bits: Apple Looking for More Mobile Music Online Search Ads Faring Better Than Expensive Displays Guessing the Online Customer’s Next Want Bits: And the Winner of the Game Console Wars Is…. Bits: Mac Clones Are Back (for Now) Bits: Google or Microsoft? Yahoo Should Pick Both After Forays With ABC and HBO, a Video Blogger Returns to Video Blogging Media Talk: Urban Baby’s Lesson: Don’t Mess With Mom’s Chat Media Talk: Web Game With a Message Debunks H.I.V. Myths Drilling Down: IPhone’s Hold on Users Not Exclusive At Sci Fi Channel, the Universe Is Expanding and the Future Is Now Arthur W. Burks, 92, Dies; Early Computer Theorist
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Tuesday, May 20, 2008
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-- Select a Product Category -- Camcorders Cameras Cellphones Computers Handhelds Home Video Music Peripherals Wi-Fi Personal Tech »
Cellphones, Cameras, Computers and more.Former AOL Executives Sued in Ad-Revenue Case
By TIM ARANGO
The S.E.C. filed fraud charges against eight former AOL executives over an accounting procedure that caused the company to overstate its advertising revenue by more than $1 billion.
S.E.C. Announcement
Dealbook
A Gamble, but What if He Wins?
By ANDREW ROSS SORKIN
Carl Icahn, the corporate raider turned activist investor, is gambling to bring Microsoft back to the bargaining table and buy Yahoo.
More From DealBook | Times Topics: Microsoft-Yahoo Deal CNBC Video: Microsoft Revives Yahoo Interest Details of Microsoft Offer to Yahoo Google Offers Personal Health Records on the Web
By STEVE LOHR
The Internet search giant joins other companies, all hoping to capitalize on the potential of Internet tools to help consumers manage their own health care.
Times Topics: Google Inc. Netflix to Sell a Device for Instantly Watching Movies on TV Sets
By SAUL HANSELL
Netflix, which will begin marketing the device on Tuesday, will not charge customers beyond their normal subscription fee.
Napster Rolls Out All-MP3 Download Store
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The company is the latest to make the switch to the unrestricted file format, which makes it music tracks compatible with virtually any music player or other device.
Dell’s Finance Chief to Step Down
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dell, the computer maker, said Monday that Donald J. Carty, hired as chief financial officer a year and a half ago to help lead a turnaround, would resign in June.
Shares of Bell Canada Drop as a Buyout Deal Unravels
By IAN AUSTEN
The uncertainty of the proposed $51.8 billion leveraged buyout of Bell Canada caused shares of the company to drop 5.6 percent in New York on Monday.
Crunching Data in a Hard-Hitting Sport
By JUDY BATTISTA
Seven years after Chuck Bower and his partners began working on a program that analyzes close calls and player personnel decisions in football, they have yet to find a team willing to try it.
As Expected, N.F.L. Owners Opt Out of Labor Deal A Living-Room Crusade via Blogging
By ROBERT F. WORTH
A New Jersey stay-at-home mother has become an outspoken advocate for a Yemeni journalist, Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani, who is facing execution for sedition.
More Technology News
Bits: Fast-Twitch Game Makers in Long, Slow Merger Talks Bits: Apple Looking for More Mobile Music Online Search Ads Faring Better Than Expensive Displays Guessing the Online Customer’s Next Want Bits: And the Winner of the Game Console Wars Is…. Bits: Mac Clones Are Back (for Now) Bits: Google or Microsoft? Yahoo Should Pick Both After Forays With ABC and HBO, a Video Blogger Returns to Video Blogging Media Talk: Urban Baby’s Lesson: Don’t Mess With Mom’s Chat Media Talk: Web Game With a Message Debunks H.I.V. Myths Drilling Down: IPhone’s Hold on Users Not Exclusive At Sci Fi Channel, the Universe Is Expanding and the Future Is Now Arthur W. Burks, 92, Dies; Early Computer Theorist
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oil spikes on supply concern
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Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Business World U.S. N.Y. / Region Business Technology Science Health Sports Opinion Arts Style Travel Jobs Real Estate Autos Media & Advertising World Business Small Business Your Money DealBook Markets Research Mutual Funds My Portfolio Alerts Publishing Outsider Picked to Head Random House
By MOTOKO RICH 8:50 AM ET
After weeks of speculation, Bertelsmann chose Markus Dohle, the head of its printing unit, to run the division.
Oil Spikes on Supply Concerns
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Stocks Drop as Oil Tops $129 a Barrel
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Investors reacted to record oil prices and a report that raised concerns about inflation’s impact on consumer spending.
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Inflation at the wholesale level slowed last month after a huge increase in March although prices for a number of items from prescription drugs to pasta shot upward.
Home Depot Is Latest to Feel the Slowdown
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Home Depot reported a 66 percent drop in quarterly profit as the housing slowdown hurt sales and it took a charge to close stores and cut back expansion plans.
Target Profit Drops Nearly 8%
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The retailer said profit fell on higher costs and softer-than-expected sales, but the results beat Wall Street estimates.
Senate Leaders Agree on Housing Aid
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Senate leaders reached a deal on housing legislation that might meet Bush administration approval.
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Carl Icahn, the corporate raider turned activist investor, is gambling to bring Microsoft back to the bargaining table and buy Yahoo.
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Business All NYT
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Business World U.S. N.Y. / Region Business Technology Science Health Sports Opinion Arts Style Travel Jobs Real Estate Autos Media & Advertising World Business Small Business Your Money DealBook Markets Research Mutual Funds My Portfolio Alerts Publishing Outsider Picked to Head Random House
By MOTOKO RICH 8:50 AM ET
After weeks of speculation, Bertelsmann chose Markus Dohle, the head of its printing unit, to run the division.
Oil Spikes on Supply Concerns
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 45 minutes ago
The latest surge comes after OPEC’s president was quoted as saying his organization won’t increase its output before its next meeting in September.
Stocks Drop as Oil Tops $129 a Barrel
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 25 minutes ago
Investors reacted to record oil prices and a report that raised concerns about inflation’s impact on consumer spending.
Wholesale Inflation Slowed in April
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 10:57 AM ET
Inflation at the wholesale level slowed last month after a huge increase in March although prices for a number of items from prescription drugs to pasta shot upward.
Home Depot Is Latest to Feel the Slowdown
BYREUTERS 42 minutes ago
Home Depot reported a 66 percent drop in quarterly profit as the housing slowdown hurt sales and it took a charge to close stores and cut back expansion plans.
Target Profit Drops Nearly 8%
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 9:50 AM ET
The retailer said profit fell on higher costs and softer-than-expected sales, but the results beat Wall Street estimates.
Senate Leaders Agree on Housing Aid
By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
Senate leaders reached a deal on housing legislation that might meet Bush administration approval.
Times Topics: Mortgages and the Markets Air Taxis Fly Into Financial Turbulence
By JOE SHARKEY
The development of the air taxi business, built upon the proposal that commercial air service has become increasingly unreliable for business travel, is threatened by the credit crunch.
Times Topics: Air Travel Economic Tide Is Rising for Repo Man
By DAVID STREITFELD
The recreational boating industry has faltered amid the housing slump, leading to a boom in repossessions.
CNBC Video: Rising Seas for Boat Repossessions Slide Show: A Voyage to Default Owner of Bill Blass Faces Cash Shortage After Acquisition
By MICHAEL BARBARO
The fast-growing buyout firm that owns Bill Blass, Athlete’s Foot and Maggie Moo’s appeared to be on the verge of financial collapse on Monday.
Court Upholds Tax Exemptions for Municipal Bonds
By LINDA GREENHOUSE
A longstanding practice by many states to tax the interest on out-of-state municipal bonds, but not the interest on their own, is not a case of unfair protectionism, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday.
News Analysis
Reaching Well Beyond the Farm
By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
Few pieces of legislation generate the level of public scorn heaped upon the farm bill, but few pieces of major legislation get such overwhelming bipartisan support.
Rising Food Prices Sharpen a European Debate Google Offers Personal Health Records on the Web
By STEVE LOHR
The Internet search giant joins other companies, all hoping to capitalize on the potential of Internet tools to help consumers manage their own health care.
Times Topics: Google Inc. Former AOL Executives Sued in Ad-Revenue Case
By TIM ARANGO
The S.E.C. filed fraud charges against eight former AOL executives over an accounting procedure that caused the company to overstate its advertising revenue by more than $1 billion.
S.E.C. Announcement Netflix to Sell a Device for Instantly Watching Movies on TV Sets
By SAUL HANSELL
Netflix, which will begin marketing the device on Tuesday, will not charge customers beyond their normal subscription fee.
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Carl Icahn, the corporate raider turned activist investor, is gambling to bring Microsoft back to the bargaining table and buy Yahoo.
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Monday, May 19, 2008
After Google calls Facebook’s bluff, Zuckerberg says “let’s see if there’s a way to make it work” [data portability]
When Google announced its ‘Friend Connect’ product to deliver social networking features to the ‘long tail’ of the Web, the option “to see, invite, and interact with… existing friends” from competing social networks was bound to raise a few eyebrows. Not least from Facebook, whose inclusion was made possible via the site’s public API not through a formal partnership.
The response: Facebook blocks Google access claiming privacy concerns, while the search giant says it’s done nothing wrong as users have to explicitly opt-in by being re-directed to Facebook’s own log-in screen, and can unlink their Google Friend Connect and Facebook accounts at any time.
Facebook’s biggest beef seems to be that, unlike its own ‘Facebook Connect’ feature, users who link their Facebook accounts with Google’s Friend Connect, and therefore potentially hundreds of other sites on the Web (that’s the whole point of Friend Connect), will no longer be able to use Facebook as a central place to toggle which external sites can access some of their data. Instead, Facebook can be used to toggle Google Friend connect access, and then users will need to log-in to Friend Connect to manage access by other sites.
Facebook > Google Friend Connect > Friend Connect supported sites
What has seemed obvious to me all long is that to appease Facebook’s concerns, if taken at face value (no pun intended), Google’s Friend Connect would simply need to be interoperable with Facebook Connect so that users can toggle access by all the different Friends Connect-supported sites, within Facebook’s own privacy controls.
We’ll work with them to figure this out
On that note, Facebook said today that it’s willing to sit down with Google to explore a way forward. Talking at a news conference in Tokyo to launch a local language version of the site, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said: “We want to talk to Google about this and see if there’s a way we can make it work”, reports Macworld UK.
“Part of the issue with Google’s Friend Connect is that when users grant access to Google’s product, Google might share their information with another application, or some part of it, maybe not all of it, without that user knowing. And part of what makes our system work is that people know exactly who they are sharing all their information with,” he said.
While Zuckerberg’s words will give some encouragement to data portability evangelists, they can also be seen as just the latest round posturing between Facebook and Google. Zuckerberg also claimed that Google didn’t give the social networking site a ‘heads up’ that it planned to include them in the launch of Friends Connect, contradicting earlier claims by Google engineering director David Glazer last week.
“They launched that without asking us or talking to us about it first so we had no choice but to follow the rules that we had set forth for any developer on top of our platform and we followed them,” said Zuckerberg. “But Google’s a big player in the space and they make good things and our goal is to work with them to figure this out.”
The data portability land grab
Of course many suspect that this has very little do to with privacy, and instead what we’re seeing is an attempted data portability land grab by Facebook, MySpace and Google, in which users will be given the ability to share their social graphs elsewhere on the Web from where the data originates, so long as the primary source can remain the sole controller of that data — a kind of social control panel for the Web OS. In this scenario, data can never really leave the originating site - not in the strictest sense as that would imply it doesn’t have to remain on the original host’s servers - but, a limited subset of that data can be synced with other sites.
Steve O'Hear is a London-based consultant, educator, and journalist, focussing on the Internet and all aspects of digital technology. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
The response: Facebook blocks Google access claiming privacy concerns, while the search giant says it’s done nothing wrong as users have to explicitly opt-in by being re-directed to Facebook’s own log-in screen, and can unlink their Google Friend Connect and Facebook accounts at any time.
Facebook’s biggest beef seems to be that, unlike its own ‘Facebook Connect’ feature, users who link their Facebook accounts with Google’s Friend Connect, and therefore potentially hundreds of other sites on the Web (that’s the whole point of Friend Connect), will no longer be able to use Facebook as a central place to toggle which external sites can access some of their data. Instead, Facebook can be used to toggle Google Friend connect access, and then users will need to log-in to Friend Connect to manage access by other sites.
Facebook > Google Friend Connect > Friend Connect supported sites
What has seemed obvious to me all long is that to appease Facebook’s concerns, if taken at face value (no pun intended), Google’s Friend Connect would simply need to be interoperable with Facebook Connect so that users can toggle access by all the different Friends Connect-supported sites, within Facebook’s own privacy controls.
We’ll work with them to figure this out
On that note, Facebook said today that it’s willing to sit down with Google to explore a way forward. Talking at a news conference in Tokyo to launch a local language version of the site, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said: “We want to talk to Google about this and see if there’s a way we can make it work”, reports Macworld UK.
“Part of the issue with Google’s Friend Connect is that when users grant access to Google’s product, Google might share their information with another application, or some part of it, maybe not all of it, without that user knowing. And part of what makes our system work is that people know exactly who they are sharing all their information with,” he said.
While Zuckerberg’s words will give some encouragement to data portability evangelists, they can also be seen as just the latest round posturing between Facebook and Google. Zuckerberg also claimed that Google didn’t give the social networking site a ‘heads up’ that it planned to include them in the launch of Friends Connect, contradicting earlier claims by Google engineering director David Glazer last week.
“They launched that without asking us or talking to us about it first so we had no choice but to follow the rules that we had set forth for any developer on top of our platform and we followed them,” said Zuckerberg. “But Google’s a big player in the space and they make good things and our goal is to work with them to figure this out.”
The data portability land grab
Of course many suspect that this has very little do to with privacy, and instead what we’re seeing is an attempted data portability land grab by Facebook, MySpace and Google, in which users will be given the ability to share their social graphs elsewhere on the Web from where the data originates, so long as the primary source can remain the sole controller of that data — a kind of social control panel for the Web OS. In this scenario, data can never really leave the originating site - not in the strictest sense as that would imply it doesn’t have to remain on the original host’s servers - but, a limited subset of that data can be synced with other sites.
Steve O'Hear is a London-based consultant, educator, and journalist, focussing on the Internet and all aspects of digital technology. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
Oil Pushes Past $127 After OPEC Remarks
LONDON (Reuters) - Oil rose back above $127 a barrel on Monday, after OPEC's president said the producer group will not call an early meeting and even at its September gathering was unlikely to boost supply as the world had enough oil.
U.S. light crude for June delivery was up $1.16 at $127.45 a barrel by 8:24 a.m. EDT.
It closed at $126.29 a barrel on Friday after touching a record peak of $127.82 earlier that day after publication of a bullish price forecast from investment bank Goldman Sachs.
London Brent crude was up 67 cents at $125.66 a barrel.
Chakib Khelil, president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, said oil markets were well supplied and blamed high prices on speculation, a weak dollar and geopolitical problems.
"As for OPEC, indications shows that there is no shortage (of supply)," he said in Algiers
Khelil said OPEC would not meet before its next scheduled gathering in September and that this meeting was unlikely to result in an output increase.
"All in all, there is little indication that we are on the verge of a major price breakdown," said Edward Meir, analyst at broker MF Global.
He said a production increase from Saudi Arabia, revealed on Friday, was only "token" in terms of extra production.
Saudi Arabia has boosted oil output by 300,000 barrels per day to meet demand and compensate for other producers' lower output, Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said on Friday.
U.S. President George W. Bush said on Saturday he was pleased with the Saudi move, but it was not enough to solve problems in the top energy consumer the United States.
OPEC COMMENTS
But comments OPEC oil ministers on Monday all highlighted that global oil supplies are enough to cope with demand.
Qatar oil minister Abdullah al-Attiyah also said there was no need to boost oil supplies to global markets. "The market doesn't need more oil," he said, pointing to a cut in forecast oil demand growth by the International Energy Agency.
"There is more oil in the market than consumers want," said Iraqi oil minister Hussain al-Shahristani.
Iraq aims to boost total oil exports to 2.3 million barrels per day from 2.0 million bpd by the end of the year, he said.
Oil prices have risen six-fold since 2002 and doubled since last year as rising demand from China and other developing nations stretched spare production capacity, adding pressure on the U.S. economy already hard hit by a housing slump.
Diesel has taken centre stage in the world energy crunch as tight power supplies in China, South Africa, Chile, Argentina and parts of the Middle East triggered a boom in demand for middle distillates for electric generators, lending support to oil prices.
Chinese demand for imported diesel is expected to rise even further in June after last week's earthquake disrupted gas supplies to major cities and as companies built stockpiles ahead of the summer Olympics.
Broker Lehman Brothers warned that record-breaking commodities prices that were drawing in hundreds of billions of dollars in new investments threaten to create an asset bubble.
U.S. light crude for June delivery was up $1.16 at $127.45 a barrel by 8:24 a.m. EDT.
It closed at $126.29 a barrel on Friday after touching a record peak of $127.82 earlier that day after publication of a bullish price forecast from investment bank Goldman Sachs.
London Brent crude was up 67 cents at $125.66 a barrel.
Chakib Khelil, president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, said oil markets were well supplied and blamed high prices on speculation, a weak dollar and geopolitical problems.
"As for OPEC, indications shows that there is no shortage (of supply)," he said in Algiers
Khelil said OPEC would not meet before its next scheduled gathering in September and that this meeting was unlikely to result in an output increase.
"All in all, there is little indication that we are on the verge of a major price breakdown," said Edward Meir, analyst at broker MF Global.
He said a production increase from Saudi Arabia, revealed on Friday, was only "token" in terms of extra production.
Saudi Arabia has boosted oil output by 300,000 barrels per day to meet demand and compensate for other producers' lower output, Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said on Friday.
U.S. President George W. Bush said on Saturday he was pleased with the Saudi move, but it was not enough to solve problems in the top energy consumer the United States.
OPEC COMMENTS
But comments OPEC oil ministers on Monday all highlighted that global oil supplies are enough to cope with demand.
Qatar oil minister Abdullah al-Attiyah also said there was no need to boost oil supplies to global markets. "The market doesn't need more oil," he said, pointing to a cut in forecast oil demand growth by the International Energy Agency.
"There is more oil in the market than consumers want," said Iraqi oil minister Hussain al-Shahristani.
Iraq aims to boost total oil exports to 2.3 million barrels per day from 2.0 million bpd by the end of the year, he said.
Oil prices have risen six-fold since 2002 and doubled since last year as rising demand from China and other developing nations stretched spare production capacity, adding pressure on the U.S. economy already hard hit by a housing slump.
Diesel has taken centre stage in the world energy crunch as tight power supplies in China, South Africa, Chile, Argentina and parts of the Middle East triggered a boom in demand for middle distillates for electric generators, lending support to oil prices.
Chinese demand for imported diesel is expected to rise even further in June after last week's earthquake disrupted gas supplies to major cities and as companies built stockpiles ahead of the summer Olympics.
Broker Lehman Brothers warned that record-breaking commodities prices that were drawing in hundreds of billions of dollars in new investments threaten to create an asset bubble.
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