In today’s Quick Hits, we talk about overconfident criminals getting caught after boasting about their crimes online, as well as the feasibility of teaching mandatory social media safety classes in elementary schools.

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Overconfident Criminals Caught on Facebook

They say there’s no such thing as the perfect crime, but it’s especially true when the criminals blab about it on Facebook. This article from CBS News discusses how some criminals were caught after boasting about their crimes on Facebook. Quoting the article, “In Kentucky, one man had his probation revoked for breaking rules that required him to stay alcohol free. A prosecutor tells the Courier-Journal newspaper the man posted pictures of himself drinking – and this, after inviting his probation officer to be his friend on Facebook.”

Online Reputation Management and Reputation Scoring

This article in the Austin-American Statesman discusses the social scoring service Klout and how one’s online reputation, equated here with one’s social networking popularity, can help one gain access to certain special events or products. While the article’s main focus is on social scoring rewards, it also discusses how online reputation can negatively impact an individual’s life, such as during a hiring decision.

Old Dominion Professor Trying to Save Internet History

This article from the Washington Post talks about Old Dominion University Computer Science Professor Michael Nelson’s research into Internet history and his studies into how information is saved and permanently archived online. Quoting the article, “Nelson and some colleagues at Old Dominion and the Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a sort of Internet time machine called Memento . When attached to a browser, it enables the user to search for a Web site as it appeared on some past date, if an archived page exists.”

Australian Schools Experiment with Social Media Classes

Some schools in Australia are considering adding social media safety classes to their curriculum to help fight the growing problem of cyberbullying and also to help students better understand the importance of a good online reputation. According to the Telegraph, Australian parents also back this effort: “The country’s main parents association has backed calls for schools to teach students about online etiquette, privacy protection and the long-term consequences of posting embarrassing or offensive content.” The adoption of mandatory social media safety classes has been discussed throughout the world, but it has yet to catch on in a big way. Perhaps Australia will lead the way and show off a model that works.

Hacker Group Anonymous Banned from Google+; Vows to Create New Social Network

The hacker group Anonymous, which has been linked to a number of high profile cyber attacks in recent months, was booted from the new Google social network Google+ for violating the company’s terms of service. In response, Anonymous has vowed to build its own social network called AnonPlus, which will offer “a social network where there is no fear of censorship, of blackout, nor of holding back” according to a statement from the group.