Frequent Slashdot Contributor Bennett Haselton writes "Last month Facebook had to submit to some ritualistic lashing when New York Attorney General Cuomo accused them of misrepresenting the site's safety features and exposing minors to sexual predators -- thus making it official that "Facebook is the new MySpace". Facebook did agree to make some concessions, mainly responding faster to abuse reports. But would this make any difference, when anyone who loses their account can sign up for a new one instantly? More generally, when politicians beat up on social networking sites, what changes do they want to see made, and why do they think those changes would accomplish anything?" Hit that link below to continue to read what Bennett has to say...

For the most part, Tuesday offered insights into independent games, and their growing influence in the games industry. Tuesday was also, for at least part of the day, a chance to get caught up on upcoming offerings from Microsoft Game Studios. Though MGS doesn't have a keynote at this year's Game Developer's Conference, representatives from several of the company's first and third party studios were on hand to demonstrate the future of Microsoft gaming. I had the chance to sit in on demos for Mass Effect and Shadowrun. Additionally, Peter Molyneux was there to offer up a very unusual slice of gameplay from Fable 2: an adventurer and his dog. Read on for my impressions of these anticipated titles.

peterwayner writes "If you're jazzed by the communitarian impulses driving Wikis, idea agora, Web 2.0 and other collaborative happenings, you'll be pleased to know that the new book Wikinomics is a great gift for that boss, spouse, or friend who doesn't quite grok it yet. The only logic bomb hidden in this statement is that much of what is wonderful in this book is wonderful because it's a book printed on pulp and written by two and only two authors. That is, the book is good because it's not a wiki." Read the rest of Peter's review.

CNet.com is running an article looking into the fairness of the virtual currency exchange. From the article: "...according to two of the leading experts in the economies of these virtual worlds, getting a fair price in the exchange of real dollars for fantasy coins can be a crapshoot. Turns out it's hard to find reliable data about the dollar/virtual currency exchange rates in a pretend world where there's no Alan Greenspan setting interest rates and scolding everyone about irrational exuberance."

There is nothing better than a Slashdot interview with someone who not only reads and understands Slashdot but can out-troll the trolls. Admittedly, the questions you asked Neal Stephenson were great in their own right, but his answers... Wow! let's just say that this guy shows how it's done.

Warren Ellis, creator of Transmet and countless other excellent comics has answered your questions. Click below fearless reader and face the man responsible for countless graphic novels. And check out Artbomb.net or his blog. And pick up Orbiter, a 100-page sf graphic novel, came out in hardback two weeks ago from DC Vertigo, and hopefully available at a comic shop near you! Enough with the plugs, lets get to the juice:

Alex Moskalyuk writes "Ben Hammersley's Content Syndication with RSS is a step-by-step guide to implementing RSS. This standard is gaining popularity among the Web community, and some of your favorite sites might syndicate their content as RSS feeds. The new O'Reilly publication focuses on many aspects of this standard, and is of primary interest to developers, Web site designers, data architects and anyone interested in distributing their data around the Web." So if you have a steady stream of information for your customers, family, or fans, read on for the rest of Alex's review.

Several Slashdot staff people are major Larry Niven fans, so we feel he needs no introduction. You asked. He answered. Enough said. Read and enjoy.

Frank Krasicki writes "The Adventures of Kavalier & Clay has already won numerous prizes for literature including the Nobel prize for fiction in 2001. As imposing as that may sound, this is an entirely accessible and enjoyable read." It's also set in the world of comics; read on for the rest of Krasicki's review to find out why he considers it an "entirely pleasant and entertaining book." Update: 03/07 16:39 GMT by T : That's Pulitzer prize, not Nobel.

From the earliest screens I've seen from Shrek, I've been anticipating this film. Besides the unique computer animation that brings this film to life, it features Mike Meyers, Eddie Murphy, John Lithgow, and Cameron Diaz (See A Life Less Ordinary for a cool Diaz flick). But can it live up to the month long advertising blitz that has been oozing from every flat surface for the last month? Or will it just be a big pile of crap. Well I was there opening night, and you can read my review, complete with minimal spoilers and bad jokes.

Reviewer Michael Huang contributed this thoughtful review of Robert J. Sawyer's Calculating God, a SF book that explores philosophical and theological ground as well as the frontiers of technology and space travel. Whether or not you have a preconceived answer to the central question the characters grapple with, Calculating God may cause you to consider your arguments in a new light.

Tom Christiansen , perl god, writer, and the guy that once kicked me out of #Perl for asking a question about sockets has written us another excellent feature. This one talks about modern keyboards, and the problem with them. It's an entertaining piece with gratuitous Who references so it's all good by me.

Disney's eerie model of the community of the future -- abandoned for decades in a darkened Tomorrowland tunnel -- might well be the perfect locus for the tragic view of technology.

Thanks to the many geeks and nerds who answered my SOS the other day about how to use Orlando as a way to write about technology and the future. One of the many standout e-mails was from a genuine Disney Imagineer, with whom I had a clandestine and revealing meeting last night on a deserted EPCOT bench. This was only one of several mystical and powerful encounters with pilgrims flocking to the world's new techno-mecca. Next: Disney's Carousel of Progress and the lost model of his dream city of tomorrow.

Red Hat is now worth serious money. Exactly how much changes hour by hour. Check the Red Hat Wealth Monitor for up-to-date information. This page is by no means anti-Red Hat, and it has a bunch of commentary on it that's well worth reading. We also got some excellent comments about the Red Hat IPO from professional investors Jay Roseman and Frederick Berenstein of The Linux Fund, and a perceptive note from "an anonymous insider" (he'd lose his job if we published his name) that may help put Red Hat's IPO in perspective -- and serve as a cautionary tale for other Linux and/or Open Source-related companies that decide to sell stock to the public. (Lots more below.)