The Wired article is disturbing for those of you who are members. For the rest of us, it’s merely confirmation.

There are four popular browsers that hold the majority of the web browser market: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Opera. Apple’s Safari, the standard browser on Macs, is less common but showing up on more systems due to its bundling with iTunes.

The problem with PCs is that you can switch to another browser, but you will still need Internet Explorer on your system. Some sites will require it and although there are ways to remove it, it’s not easy.

Internet Explorer 8
Good: Faster than 7, more standardized, more secure.
Bad: Slower than others and still a sitting duck for hackers.
This browser is touted as being faster and safer than previous versions. This holds up pretty well, but other than its launch speed, it’s still a mixed bag. Update to 8 if you haven’t for the supposed security benefits.

Firefox 3
Good: Add-ons can be a godsend, themes are useful and its known for its security.
Bad: Can suck up RAM with multiple tabs, slower to launch, add-ons can weigh it down.
My daily browser of choice. Fast enough for daily tasks and more customizable than any other browser. It’s also become quite stable after some earlier glitches.

Google Chrome
Good: Really fast, clean interface and safe.
Bad: Not easy to tweak, pages don’t always render as they should and Google can be creepy.
I think Chrome is a great tool. I just wish that Google’s information usage wasn’t suspect.

Opera 9
Good: Unique features, safe, and well supported.
Bad: Slow on launch and certain functions, page rendering sometimes off.
This is a geek favorite. I use it on my smartphone. Its competition is catching up though, especially Firefox.

Facebook’s disturbing changes to their terms of service has prompted a legal backlash. Numerous articles have been written about how Facebook has an almost unrestricted right to use anything you put on their site…even after you’ve asked them to remove your account.

The problem is that this isn’t a new issue. In such a public forum, how can you be ensure the security of company data? It provides a decentralized forum and who’s to say what your employees are saying? Does it meet the criteria of the company? Are there privacy or HR concerns? It didn’t take long for PR folks and salespeople to figure out that it was a useful networking tool, but few companies have a solid policy in place that lets their people know what is acceptable fodder for posting. Most, like old guard conglomerates, simply blocked the sites altogether. Others, like this law firm, just seem confused.

The main concern is that Facebook and its ilk dictate what happens to your information, not you. And, given the large amount of information that ends up on the site, it’s a growing challenge for your company to better understand exactly what your goals and liabilities are. Maybe you’re not scared off by the privacy issues and the benefits outweigh the concerns. Either way, I’d suggest that you get the right people together and spell out what your employees should know.

The fact that even Facebook is confused doesn’t help matters.

UPDATE:
Facebook’s newest plan is to let the users offer some input, now that temporarily reverted to their original terms of service. Now if they could just clear up the CIA conspiracy thing…

UPDATE UPDATE (12/9/2009):
Facebook has made some more changes to their security settings. We think it best to review them. PC World has a good intro.