Posts tagged: security
CyVee’s Concern of Security conflicts with its Account Levels

CyVee cares about security of information by providing security options and regularly reminding its users of setting security issues. This is what I applaud.
However, this concern of security conflicts with its Account levels.
Currently CyVee offers 3 levels of account: Personal, PersonalPlus and Premium. Details can be viewed here
To upgrade to PersonalPlus for free, user needs to complete 100% profile. I have filled in most information about my portfolio and career, and I am very cautious about these fields:
- Birthday in Personal Information
- Email in Contact Information
- Cellphone in Contact Information
I eventually decided to fill in Email field with a little tweak so as only human can get it correctly, and left the other 2 blank. Since I leave 2 fields out, my profile is 60% complete, which means I am not able to upgrade my account to PersonalPlus.
So in order to upgrade the account, one has to violate basic security practice by revealing his/her crucial information.
My suggestions
- Provide built-in email image-generator like that of Facebook
- Make these 3 fields non-required
Thanks,
Tai Tran
CyVee's Concern of Security conflicts with its Account Levels

CyVee cares about security of information by providing security options and regularly reminding its users of setting security issues. This is what I applaud.
However, this concern of security conflicts with its Account levels.
Currently CyVee offers 3 levels of account: Personal, PersonalPlus and Premium. Details can be viewed here
To upgrade to PersonalPlus for free, user needs to complete 100% profile. I have filled in most information about my portfolio and career, and I am very cautious about these fields:
- Birthday in Personal Information
- Email in Contact Information
- Cellphone in Contact Information
I eventually decided to fill in Email field with a little tweak so as only human can get it correctly, and left the other 2 blank. Since I leave 2 fields out, my profile is 60% complete, which means I am not able to upgrade my account to PersonalPlus.
So in order to upgrade the account, one has to violate basic security practice by revealing his/her crucial information.
My suggestions
- Provide built-in email image-generator like that of Facebook
- Make these 3 fields non-required
Thanks,
Tai Tran
How Vietnamese web service providers can win me back
Overall
Why would I want to use a Vietnamese web service
- Connection speed, especially for video streaming
- Local opportunities
What would drive me away
- Security, including revelation of my account information and spam
- Careless design
- Immature communities
Networking
Professional Networking
I’m favoring CyVee because opportunities are real and more closely intact.
LinkedIn is terrific, but opportunities might come at a lower pace.
Social Networking
I’m currently very happy with Facebook.
If faceViet or yobanbe want to get me, they have to provide
- Professional theme
- English interface
- Strong personalization options.
Social News
It’s a pity I prefer utilizing my RSS Reader over social news sites such as Digg. Therefore, no remark just yet.
However, the news sharing platform of CyVee looks nice and could be very useful in promoting company brand like the way Tim of TRG is doing.
Additionally, if Vietnamese service provider can create something like StumbleUpon, it would make a hit and I’ll definitely consider.
Photos Networking
Picasa has everything I need: 1Gb free account, folders, tagging and an uploader.
Is there a local site focusing on photos networking?
Music Networking
I’m enjoying sharing music on imeem. I am more into English songs. I like new age, hard rock and symphony and I’m not sure whether nhacso, Zing mp3 are rich of such genres.
Video Networking
Youtube is absolutely wonderful. I am amazed by its fast connection speed and stability.
Therefore, I don’t have the plan to move to Clip.vn just yet.
Mobile Networking
Has any Vietnamese vendor invest in this area?
Blogging
I am maintaining my different blogs on self-hosted WordPress, Yahoo! 360 and Windows Live Spaces.
If local blogging providers such as ngoisaoblog, blog.com.vn want to attract me, they would have to ensure:
- High SEO compatibility
- High security, including spam protection and splog tracking
- Backup options and standard-compliant import/export functionalities
- Permalinks
Instant Messaging
My clients in the US are using MSN Messenger. Most of my friends are using Yahoo! Messenger. For conference, Skype is just wonderful.
I don’t feel the urge of switching to Zing chat.
Apart from professional emails on my domain, I use a Gmail account to access Google services and a Yahoo! email to make it easier for my friends.
Any company is investing in providing free email service in Vietnam?
Portal
I use my portal for work purpose and netvibes is still number one.
Zing looks very nice, but I’d rather having something customizable.
e-Commerce
I’m not having a real need of C2C e-Commerce, so no comment on this.
Map
A vote for diadiem, simply because I need to find ways in my local areas.
Entertainment
I’d rather go out playing sports than wandering online, so good luck socvui, hihihehe and so on
Conclusion
In conclusion, the 2 local web services that I utilize are CyVee and diadiem
CyVee give me real local opportunities and diadiem is definitely more useful than its Google counterpart.
For others, if they can bring me real values I’m seeking…
Facebook vs Orkut vs Yahoo! Mash vs MySpace, and some other Social Networking sites


73.5 million users and growing fastest
What I like about it
- Mini-Feed is useful in seeing a quick snapshot on the latest happenings within your network without going to several sites to check.
- The ability to supply how you know a person.
- Nice applications. Approximately 10% of Facebook applications I’ve tried are interesting and useful while others are not as good.
I think these can be improved
- Fixed 600 width and non-resizable
- Non-customizable design
- No blogging functionality
- Tight security: profile only viewable by friends. How do you determine if a profile is your friend or not just by looking at the screen name which can be different from the real name?
- One account can only join no more than 200 groups. Unlimited is preferred.
Orkut

24.6 million users
What I like about it
- Simple design, Google philosophy after all
- Extensible width
- Ad-free
I think these can be improved
- Name. Honestly speaking, the Turkish name “Orkut” is very unfamiliar. Just a remark, as the brand name is not supposed to change
- Very few, if any, extensions
Yahoo! Mash

What I like about it
- Wider width
- Larger font
- Allows profiles to be updated by friends
- Mini-feed is also supplied
I think these can be improved
- Check boxes to select friends to add should be provided
- More group levels
- Informal language. I am especially not easy with the word “fugly”
- Profile with non-removable fields such as “What’s most likely playing on my iPod”… Excuse me, can I NOT have an iPod?
MySpace

107 million users. The currently largest site
What I like about it
- Integrated all-in-one solution that includes social networking, blogging, mail, favorites, forum, movies, events, media
I think these can be improved
- Inconsistent design
- Music landing page
- Spam, including spam invitations, protection
- Tons of ads
Other notable networking sites
| Name | Focus | Number of users (in million) | Comments |
| Windows Live Spaces | Blogging | 120 | Really eye-catching glossy design. Powerful blogging support. Try new Microsoft experience! |
| hi5 | General | 50 | An issue: the letter ’5′ creates this word “hị” in Vietnamese. hi5 is still nice anyway |
| bebo | Schools & alumni | 34 | Nice and neat |
| friendster | General | 50 | Friendster is getting old. It needs more innovation. |
| imeem | Media: Music, Video | 16 | Possibly the best media site currently. Nice design and convenient upload process. Support tagging |
| Business | 15 | Very professional for business networking purpose | |
| Last.fm | Music | 15 | Attractive design, especially the logo. However, radio alone is not that fascinating. They could use more of music sharing |
| Xanga | Blogging | 40 | The ad on top is a huge barrier to this site’s design. Usability is a little messy |
Read more
Wikipedia, List of social networking websites
Mashable, Facebook Hammers MySpace on Almost All Key Features
Nerdlifestyle, Media restrictions
My choice
Facebook to keep in touch with international friends and English-speaking communities
Yahoo! Mash. Many young Vietnamese users rely on Yahoo! services
for socially musical networking
How about you?
Share your experience here…
Which site do you like best? What you wish your site had offered?