Three powerful institutions have teemed up against so called “malware “spyware” and “badware”. StopBadware.org aims to be a clearinghouse for information about badware. Organized by Harvard Oxford and Consumer Reports the site is currently collecting user stories and technical reports in an effort to better understand the problems and programs associated with badware. Part of the problem in dealing with badware is that it’s hard to nail down exactly what qualifies as badware. These researchers hope to answer that question based on user input. Eventually the site will include access to this database of user reports about specific applications and behaviors associated with badware. Many listings of spyware have found themselves on the receiving end of a lawsuit from a listed company but hopes are that with the backing of Harvard Law School and actual reports from end users this site will be able to call out any company supporting badware without much fear.

I’m surprised this hasn’t received more coverage in the “geek” press (Digg, Slashdot, etc.) and expect StopBadware.org to become a significant player and information clearinghouse in the anti-badware arena.

On January 27, 2006 Western Union officially stopped sending telegrams. The fact that this was a non-event should tell you something about how important the telegram has become in our society but it wasn’t always that way. For many years the telegram was the only fast way to get a message transmitted over long distances. Indeed telegrams contributed much to our culture during the latter ninteenth and early twentieth centuries.

One of the contributions was the widespread use of code phrases and words to shorten a message. Today this may look something like “LOL” or “ROFL” in an instant message window but long before the invention of instant messaging telegraph companies and customers were abbreviating common messages with codes such as Western Union “92” code or “Wood’s 1864 Telegraphic Numerals”.

For more information on the history of the telegraph I suggest looking at “A Brief History of Telegrams” by the folks at retro-gram.com. You might also enjoy browsing some of the photographs at the British Science and Society Picture Library, which coincidentally has many other interesting historic science photographs, or reading about telegraph workers at the Norwegian Telecom Museum.