The ‘Skanks in NYC’ blogger whose identity was unmasked by court order plans to sue Google for $US15 million for breaching her privacy.

Google was forced to reveal the blogger’s name after former Vogue Australia covergirl Liskula Cohen claimed statements published on the Google-run blog about her were defamatory.

Cohen confronted and reportedly forgave the blogger, and has decided against going through with a defamation suit. Even though her right to sue the blogger was the whole reason Google was forced to reveal the blogger’s identity in the first place.

And in a new plot twist, the blogger – 29 year old New York fashion student Rosemary Port – is now going after Google.

Port’s lawyer Salvatore Strazzullo said he was prepared to take a case against Google all the way to the US Supreme Court because the company had “breached its fiduciary duty to protect her expectation of anonymity”.

Port has argued Cohen had defamed herself by launching such public legal action, and claimed she had the right to an opinion. She said before the lawsuit and subsequent groundbreaking court order, there had been few hits on the website.

“That was before it became a spectacle. I feel my right to privacy has been violated.”

The issue of Internationalised Domain names is a hot topic among website owners, who will soon have the chance to register the IDN variants of their names before the rest of the public.

Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs) are domain names represented by local language characters. They have the potential to transform the Internet into a global and multilingual tool by enabling Internet users to navigate and communicate online in their preferred script. They also have the potential to make navigating the internet a far more confusing task for everyday users.

Previously, comment has been sought on potential issues associated with the implementation of IDNs in New Zealand. Consultation was also sought on a proposed course of action and on the idea of a sunrise registration period.

Based on submissions received and input from the Internationalised Domain Name working group, a decision has been made to hold a sunrise registration period for IDNs. The sunrise period will allow for current .nz registrants to have a chance to register the IDN variants of their domain names before open registration of IDNs in .nz are offered.

What are your thoughts on how Internationalised Domain Names will affect the New Zealand webspace?

Millions of people user Twitter everyday, and as many businesses are jumping on board to promote and connect for free, the Tweet phenomenon continues to grow.

All that free promotion isn’t flying under the radar of the head honchos at Twitter though, and the powers that be have announced plans begin charging users for premium accounts.

At the moment the popular micro-blogging and social networking site doesn’t charge for its service or run ads. Co-founder Biz Stone says Twitter will not charge users for existing usage habits.

Instead the company will launch a set of premium marketing and promotion services, such as more detailed analytics or deeper CRM services, for which companies using Twitter may be willing to pay. The accounts will also include ID verification so that businesses don’t have to worry about having their brands hijacked by impostors.

One of the most interesting new APIs Twitter is working on are programming languages companies can use to create apps geared specifically toward business customers.

The premium service is expected to bring in US$140 million in revenue next year.

So what do you think? Would you pay for a premium service with Twitter as part of your business development and strategy?

Some of Wellington’s most innovative technology companies and local industry stars are showing their skills at today’s Gadgets, Games and Geeks techfest.

The event offers an exciting opportunity for the public to see both the latest innovations, and catch-up on industry trends, developments and expertise.

Organised by Wellington IT networking association Unlimited Potential, Gadgets, Games and Geeks has established itself as the premier showcase and networking event for Wellington’s IT sector.

Local speakers at today’s event include Andy Satterthwaite – the executive producer of Sidhe, New Zealand’s only games maker with a high international profile. Sidhe’s latest release, Shatter, is one of the highest rated downloadable games for PlayStation.

Gadgets, Games and Geeks will be showcasing the latest gaming technology, software and other technologies and services.

Wellington companies featured include Instinct Entertainment, which has developed the world’s first ‘point and click’ mobile game creator, and Virtual Expos, the first mass market virtual event software to offer the ‘real-world’ feel of a live expo.

Gadgets, Games and Geeks is a free event and will run today from 4.30pm at the  St James Theatre, Courtenay Place.

Google has been forced in court to release the identity of a blogger who has allegedly defamed 39 year old former model Liskula Cohen.

The former Australian Vogue cover girl won a landmark court battle this week to reveal the identity of an anonymous blogger who made defamatory remarks about her in their blog, ‘Skankiest in NYC’.

Referred to as a “skank” and an “old hag” on the blog, Cohen sued search engine giant Google in January in the hope of forcing the company to reveal the identity of the blogger using Google’s Blogger service. While it was shut down in March, the blog was almost entirely devoted to making slanderous comments about Cohen. It contained just five entries, all of which were published on August 21 last year.

“I would have to say the first-place award for ‘Skankiest in NYC’ would have to go to Liskula Gentile Cohen,” the anonymous blogger wrote. “How old is this skank? 40 something? She’s a psychotic, lying, whoring, still going to clubs at her age, skank.”

Cohen believed the posts to be defamatory, but was forced to take action against Google in order to unmask the blogger’s identity before she could take further legal action.

Before Judge Madden’s ruling a Google spokeswoman said, “We sympathise with anyone who may be the victim of cyber bullying. We also take great care to respect privacy concerns and will only provide information about a user in response to a subpoena or other court order”.

On Monday Judge Madden ruled that Cohen was entitled to sue the blogger for defamation and in an unprecedented move he ordered Google to provide the blogger’s name. Judge Madden also rejected the claims by the blogger’s lawyer Anne Salisbury that the comments were mere opinion and that only factual assertions could be considered libellous.

Cohen’s lawyer Steven Wagner hoped the decision would send a message that the internet was “not a free-for-all”.

“The law protects freedom of speech, including anonymous speech, but it doesn’t protect defamation, and people should not think that they can defame others on the Internet or on blogs by hiding behind a screen name.”

The yet-to-be-named blogger’s lawyer warned the ruling could open the floodgates for anyone who has been the subject of a nasty comment online to take legal action.

So what’s new on NZS.com this week? Well, if you’re interested in advertising your website or business on social networking sites such as Facebook, read about the benefits and pitfalls in our latest Website Resource, Targeted Ads on Social Networks.

The latest featured sites showcasing New Zealand businesses include designer streetwear from 21 Grams, medical insurance brokers Medical Direct, Neuservice plumbing, and sexual health supplement providers Herbal Ignite.

Recent businesses to claim their websites and make the most of their Site Profile by adding contact details, links and marketing descriptions include Brightspark Consulting and Perfect Venue.

To claim your own website and add your business details visit the Website Resources section.

I’ve become obsessed with Professional Flossie this week, having stumbled upon the new Flossie channel after spotting a Twitter tip from editor Tee Twyford.

There’s been a shift in online communities and e-zines over the past couple of years, and websites and their spin-offs solely dedicated to professional women are on the rise. And they’re not the boring business related websites of yester-year. These online communities are for young, smart women who can run their own companies while donning fabulous designer heels.

Inspiring and engaging, while still maintaining an air of style, ProfessionalFlossie.com is designed to act as a one-stop-shop for female targeted career, business, personal development and money advice. Throwing in information on technology and trends, executive style, and interviews with real-life professional women for good measure, Professional Flossie incorporates hand-picked feeds of content from the Professional Flossie family to ensure fresh content daily.

Websites such as Australian Women Online, Career Mums, Entrepreneur-ette and savings guide offer some great advice and inspiration for business minded women, but my favourite site from the Professional Flossie family so far has got to be Snobs.

What can I say? The title speaks to me…

Snobs (an acronym for Social Network for Opportunistic Businesswomen) is an online magazine, social network, and resource for news, information and advice. With a fun 50’s style inspired twist, it’s a website that doesn’t take itself too seriously while still dishing out great advice.

As Professional Flossie editor Tee Twyford writes, you’ve only got one moment of coffee inhalation, so don’t waste it trawling the web or reading bad articles. These no-fluff, no bore, no ball-breakers websites are just what professional women everywhere have been looking for.

If you’re interested in buying or selling real estate in New Zealand you’ll need to get in touch with good real estate agents to help secure the best deal.

Whether you are interested in rural real estate for a taste of country living or a property closer to town to cut down your daily commute, doing your homework and finding an agent you trust can play a huge role in helping you find the perfect new home.

Real estate in New Zealand is a hot commodity, with many overseas buyers opting move to New Zealand for a change of pace and lifestyle. For buyers this can mean an increase in competition, but for sellers it can mean greater opportunities and the ability to reach a global real estate market with help from a reputable company.

Professional real estate agents can also help you make the transition, and their expert advice can make selling your own home easier in the current real estate market. Speak to your agent for expert tips on getting your residential real estate property sale-ready.

If you want to hold on to your current property but you are interested in renting it out, real estate agents can also give you the best advice on property management.

As promised late last month, here are the browser statistics for NZS.com over the month of July 2009.

The key trends that we’re seeing in this months NZ browser statistics;

• FireFox is now above 20%
• Chrome has risen above 3%
• IE8 has overtaken IE6

As above, one thing to note behind the Internet Explorer statistics is that in July ‘09  IE8 has stormed past IE6. Within the IE statistics the percentages are; IE7 49%, IE8 29% and IE6 still at 22%.

So, while IE7 is still the dominant browser being used on NZS.com it looks like IE8 could be set to take over the mantle of #1 browser before the end of 2009. The demise of IE6 has not sped up at all over 2009 so it looks like the browser is still set to be around for some time yet, much to the dismay of most web developers.

This data is taken from Google Analytics on NZS.com over the month of July 2009 . You can see more information on the number of visitors the data is sourced from on the NZS.com Statistics page.