The Internet Big Picture

World Internet Users and Population Stats

via World Internet Usage Statistics News and World Population Stats.

The Asia-Pacific region accounted for the highest share of global Internet users at 41 percent, followed by Europe (28 percent share), North America (18 percent share), Latin-America (7 percent share), and the Middle East & Africa (5 percent share).

via Global Internet Audience Surpasses 1 Billion Visitors, According to comScore – comScore, Inc.

We’ve tried to aid with this process at Mashable () through articles such as Should Your Company Have a Social Media Policy? and 10 Must-Haves for Your Social Media Policy. We’ve also published guides like Social Media for Business: The Dos & Don’ts of Sharing.

Social Media Policies from 80+ Organizations.

The site aims to fill a surging demand for cost-saving ideas. According to the company research, searches for the term “printable coupons” are up 50 percent this year compared to the same time in 2008 and up 135 percent compared to 2007. Yahoo’s research finds that the most popular searches for coupons included searches for coupons for major retailers and groceries as well as discounts at the local pizzeria.

via Yahoo Gets in the Coupon Game.

That’s nothing shocking, but it’s part of a sharper focus on the relationships between bloggers and advertisers. Attorneys general and the Federal Trade Commission, which is about to expand its endorsement guidelines to include blogs, are investigating the area, along with the self-regulatory groups.

via Advertising – Notice Those Ads on Blogs? Regulators Do, Too – NYTimes.com.

Men are from Mars. Women are from Venus. And Dell is from the school of marketing hard knocks.

The computer maker recently took the wraps off a new Web site geared toward women called Della, which advertises Dell’s line of Inspiron Mini 10 netbooks.

The site originally featured tech “tips” that recommended calorie counting, finding recipes and watching cooking videos as ways for women to get the most from a laptop.

via What Do Women Want in a Laptop? – Bits Blog – NYTimes.com.

via VentureBeat.

They were the first Patient Voices, a regular series that offers first person accounts of the challenges patients face as they cope with various health issues. Since the original Patient Voices appeared, New York Times producer Karen Barrow has continued to give a voice to a wide range of patient stories, ranging from bipolar disorder and psoriasis to restless legs syndrome and spinal cord injury.

via One Year of Listening to Patients – Well Blog – NYTimes.com.

via Op-Ed Contributor – How the Internet Got Its Rules – NYTimes.com.

via Top 100 Advertisers Shifted $1 Billion To the Web Last Year At The Expense Of TV And Newspapers.