One of the advantages of having fast, reliable broadband is that it is easy and quick to download your favourite videos and music tracks but the disadvantage is that it’s easier for kids to be looking at things they shouldn’t be.

This has never been more prevalent than in today’s society, with the influx of violence amongst young people.

Reassurance comes today from the operators of social networking website Bebo, who insist they have "strict" terms of use which forbid "inappropriate" and "illegal" postings.

These comments come after police in Scotland questioned more than 180 children about their activities on social networking websites. This comes as a part of a nationwide crackdown on anti social behaviour.

Assistant Chief Constable Derek Penman said: "In many cases the parent or guardian was simply unaware that their child's use of social networking was unacceptable and reactions ranged from shock to disgust.

In some cases sites were accessed in the presence of police officers and immediate access to the internet or the computer was withdrawn."

It is reassuring that action is being taken to make sure children and young people are safe on the internet. I am a true advocate of the potential the internet holds for children in terms of learning and educating as well as entertainment and enjoyment. I think the key to safe surfing lies in educating our children on sensible and responsible use of internet.

If you’re looking for somewhere to get some useful hints on how to protect your children and teenagers online Think You Know is a useful and informative site. The BBC also has a Q&A section that answers some of the questions you may have on the issue.

1. Getting Beta invites for things you don't remember signing up for
"Congratulations! You've been let in early for this Beta Beta First Stage Feedback Trial!" The chances are, if I didn't get accepted within 20 minutes of signing up I've forgotten about why I wanted to try it out so bad. I am that fickle.

2. Dreaming about blogging
Last night, I dreamt about repeatedly trying to change to code for an image. This ranks right up there with dreaming about hoovering and dreaming about waiting for a bus in interest stakes.

3. 3am phone checks
I now routinely wake up at 3am, and it seems as good a time as any to check what people have emailed, twittered and facebooked whilst I've been asleep. Conducive to a good night's sleep? No. Ensures I don't miss anything? Yes.

4. 7am phone checks
The same process gets repeated at 7am, just after I hit snooze for the last time. This time, I also check the weather to ensure I'm not caught in a flip flops/torrential downpour situation.

5. Twittering whilst in a queue
Queues now seem like the ideal opportunity to twitter, which often leads to me getting to the front of the queue too quickly. The good news is, I've yet to invite the person behind me to skip ahead so I can finish my terribly witty 145 character twit. But that day is inevitable.

6. Trying to recruit friends and family
I get terribly frustrated with people who don't spend all their time on the internet. It was the Best. Thing. Ever when the world and his dog got obsessed with Facebook - finally, everyone was on the same (web) page. I just don't understand why my mother has no interest in an RSS reader. Surely her life would benefit from it?

7. Drunk emailing
I used to just have to worry about the drink and dialling. Now? Now I have to check back over the emails I sent after I've been out drinking. In my alcohol haze I've justified it by the fact that emails are free, and I can keep in contact with those in different time zones. On the flip side of that, I'm emailing nonsensical and badly spelt messages to people who are only midway through their day, and inevitably, sober. Bad news.

8. Photo sharing overload
It used to be a case of taking photos, leaving the film to languish in a drawer for 2 years, printing and finally stuffing in an album. Now, I take photos and baulk at the prospect of having to name them all, upload them to three of four different places and then tag them. It's the kind of thing that makes me wish I still had siblings who would perform mind-numbingly boring tasks for £2 a throw.

9. Laptop TV time
I watched The Apprentice three times last week. Why? Well, because each time I sat down I turned on my laptop and got to the end of the programme I realised I'd spent so much time going through my RSS feeds I'd completely missed everything up until 'You're Fired'.

10. Holidaying on the internet
I'm off on holiday in no less than 67 hours, and the world, as it were, is my oyster. So, where am I off to? A tropical beach? An adventure packed trek? Nope, I'm off to San Francisco, the mecca for those with an internet addiction. The highlight of my trip will clearly be blogerati spotting. L-O-S-E-R

Don’t worry Susi, you’re not alone. I think it’s time we started up an internet users anonymous before it all gets too much…

Miro, developed by the Participatory Culture Foundation, is totally free to download and unlike the small screen size found on its competitor’s sites, Miro allows videos to be viewed in high quality, full screen mode. The way Miro stores and manages videos is a highlight of the application, creating a library (similar to itunes) which holds your videos for five days unless you specify for it to be held for longer. This automatic flushing of the videos stops the library from clogging up - this is particularly useful when using the automatic grab function which saves all of the videos from your favourite channels.

Some of the features available on Miro include: access to the Miro guide (a directory of channels which you can subscribe to); online video search; your local video library; new content which has completed downloading but which you haven’t yet watched; and a view of what’s currently being downloaded. You can also subscribe to your favourite ‘channels’ (Channels are Miro’s name for RSS feeds) allowing new videos to automatically be downloaded into your account and you can also make playlists of your favourite clips.

Steve O'Hear, editor of last100 has some useful tips on using Miro and a review of the application on his blog, which any new Miro user should check out.

A blog on the Hermes Project website has made a suggestion that this is because of the rapid expansion of LLU (local loop unbundling) networks into less highly populated areas. The BBC website has quoted Ed Richards, the chief executive of Ofcom as saying: "Our report highlights a closing of the geographical digital divide in the UK. Rural households are today as well connected to broadband as their urban neighbours".

According to the report the English spend more time on the internet than in any of the UK’s other nations, spending an average of 12.4 hours on the internet, and 77 per cent of their time online is used to send email, instant messages and network. The report also included many other interesting technology trends which are developing in the UK.

Here are a few highlights:

1. There has been a rapid growth in mobile technology - you only have to glance around on trains these days to see most people tapping away on their laptops using the free wireless connection which is now readily available.
2. A fifth of our households now rely solely on a mobile phone, and in Greater Manchester almost a third (28%) of homes use a mobile and have no fixed line telephone.
3. 3G phones are now becoming the most popular types of mobiles.
4. Dundee is the city with the highest levels of 3G phone use, with almost a third of people using one.
5. One in five UK adults have surfed the web on the move, with the highest use occurring in London and Birmingham. In Devon and Cornwall, where 3G phone coverage is pretty sparse, just 7% of people have used the mobile internet.
6. 30% of the nation are using the internet to catch up on missed television with services like BBC iplayer

In the very basic sense, all you need to make a live broadcast or a podcast is an audio file and an Internet connection (fast broadband is also a major plus) - but downloading additional software offers more flexibility and sound quality. I came across some very good websites offering radio and podcast services, and once you choose which software to use there is also an abundance of information on the web about the process of setting up an online radio station, and it really does seem quite simple.

Live365.com offers free, high-capacity streaming and MP3 netcasting, alongside a great help and information package if you purchase the software. That’s the catch – it’s not free. However, if you are serious about your station/Podcasting , it is a worthwhile investment as it the worlds largest online radio network and you get a lot for your money.

However, if it’s free software you’re looking for, Gcast.com offers simple downloadable software that doesn’t overcomplicate things and confuse the user with audio jargon. Gcast automatically generates an RSS feed for your broadcast, offers a useful playlist facility and allows your audio to be embedded your (or anyone else’s if they wish!) website. Other free websites worth looking into are Peercast.org and Shoutcast.com, both offering similar services. And if you’re really serious about your sound, download the free editing package ‘Audacity’ to tweak your recording before going live.

Happy Broadcasting!

When this new service is launched its members will be able to share their information with Yahoo, Twitter, eBay and Photobucket.

Up until now social networks like Facebook, MySpace and Bebo have locked us all into their own specific site and made sure the content we created and saved was properly guarded and unreachable by the other sites to stop us all from hopping from one site to another which is why Facebook has got such a massive user base. It's also the reason we have to keep completing form after form for each different site inputting the same information which can be very tedious. This new service will hopefully remove a lot of that.

Interestingly, MySpace's Boss Chris DeWolfe has confirmed he is happy to work with Facebook - which would be a huge leap forward. MySpace has stressed that users will have the control over what information they share and who they share it with.  

I see this as an ongoing trend with the other sites quickly following suit because quite frankly they will have to or they will be quickly ditched by us (the users) for newer, cooler sites and tools.

It's no coincidence that this has been announced quite soon after Myspace's user figures appeared to be waning. So if these social networks genuinely want to survive they must bring down their guarding walls and share our information.

One thing is for sure, if this information is safe and secure this will be great news for all of us as we should be able to say goodbye to the wasted hours spent on the internet filling out pointless forms answering the same boring questions.

The new changes are reported to be rolled out on the site across the coming weeks.