Advertisers and consumers have long agreed on one thing: There are just too many ads. The clutter makes it increasingly difficult for consumers to enjoy any kind of media and for advertisers to break through with their messages. But help may be on the way--at least online--in the form of a down economy. According to new data from ComScore AdMetrix, the clutter on the Internet may be decreasing. Web surfers are now exposed to 12% fewer display ads than they were a year ago, a trend that is likely to continue as the economic turmoil of recent months takes …

As if getting your identity stolen weren't maddening enough. Forbes.com now reports that thanks to a glut of credit card and Social Security numbers available online, hackers may pay as little as 40 cents to acquire your most precious personal information. The reason? Record hacks like last years breach at Fidelity National Information Services, in which a record 8.5 million identities were stolen, and the earlier hack of Designer Shoe Warehouse (1.4 million identities), have flooded the market, turning underground distribution channels into an overstocked pond. A decade ago, credit card information commanded as much as $30 per …

Following the news from Nielsen that social networking services from MySpace to Twitter are exploding in popularity across the U.S.--indicating that the population is more comfortable than ever interacting digitally with one another and their favorite brands--a report from Gartner VP and distinguished analyst Andrea Di Maio says it's time for the government to seriously consider transitioning some of its services to social network applications. Gartner's report says that government processes such as human services, tax and revenue, healthcare, and education could one day incorporate social networking tools. It cites the ability of social networks to blur departmental boundaries …

While some suggest that social networking applications would be perfect for government agencies--the biggest companies of all--Adweek is pointing out that smaller brands are having much more success marketing themselves on sites like Facebook, whereas larger companies have struggled. One prime example is Bacon Salt, a seasoning product that makes everything taste like bacon. Before the product even existed, its soon-to-be-creator posted a MySpace devoted to his idea, then trolled through the site's data looking for--and e-mailing--anyone who mentioned bacon in their profile. The product went on to sell 600,000 units in 18 months. Aside from having a great …

Let's face it: You don't spend all your time at work working. You occasionally check your personal e-mail, watch that YouTube video forwarded by your sister, maybe send a few winks on Match.com. All of which is fine, even expected. Except that your downtime Web habits are killing your poor IT department. Security specialist FaceTime Communications commissioned a survey of nearly 530 IT managers to discover the impact of such Internet activities on IT departments. About 73% of IT managers reported having had to deal with at least one Internet-related attack at work, with viruses, Trojans, and worms being …

Does it sometimes feel like everyone you know is on Facebook or MySpace, or possibly both? A new study suggests you're not just imagining it. According to Forrester Research, 75% of Internet users now participate in some form of social networking. That number represents a huge spike in social networking -- up 56% over 2007. But adoption rates were not even across activities. For example, Forrester found large growth in participation among those reading blogs and writing product reviews, from 48% to 69%. But only 19% use RSS feeds or tag Internet content, up just 12% from a year …

Odds are you already know someone who is way too serious about his or her virtual life, whether in Second Life or World of Warcraft or some other alternate reality. Well you can now add the Dutch legal system to that group after a court in The Netherlands sentenced two teenagers to community service after stealing virtual items from another child in Runescape. Never mind that the two teens, a 14- and a 15-year-old, had also physically assaulted their victim (in reality). The case dealt explicitly with the theft of the imaginary items in the game, in this case an …

Just months after officially leaving his day-to-day role with Microsoft, Bill Gates has quietly established a new company with high-tech office space, a cryptic name and even its own trademark. Just what it will do is still anyone's guess. According to public documents, the new company is called bgC3 LLC, and is some kind of a think tank. According to a Gates insider, it's not a commercial venture but rather a vehicle to coordinate the software mogul's work on his business and philanthropic endeavors. But Gates himself, who established the company under a different name in March before changing it …