As I write this column, typhoon signal number 4 had been declared by PAGASA over Cagayan, Isabela, and other provinces in the region. It was raining felines and canines in my part of Quezon City, though my home is hundreds of kilometers away from Typhoon Juan’s forecast path.

My thoughts and prayers were with our “kababayans” whose lives, welfare, and very survival were all at stake as Juan, dubbed as the year’s strongest storm (so far) by international weather forecasting agencies, seemed intent on going its predicted trail of destruction.

Please stay safe. Prepare for the storm’s coming. And don’t do anything stupid.

Yahoo!’s Fight vs. Bullies

Yahoo! Introduced the “Generation Safe” anti-cyberbullying program at the Digital Citizenship Summit, an event attended by about 200 people and which also tackled other dangers faced by children on the Web. The program, which will be distributed by iKeepSafe.org, aims to identify and address children at risk.

Lately, there have been media reports of students driven to killing themselves after suffering online attacks by cyberbullies. These high-profile cases have driven educators and technology leaders to work for a safer Internet for children.

Meanwhile, I still believe that bullies, both the off- and online varieties, can only be dealt with effectively by giving them a dose of their own medicine. Their highly insecure bottoms should get the boot.

U.S. Wants It Down Under (Way)

The U.S. government is reportedly looking at Australian Internet security program for inspiration as the Obama administration looks at ways to improve Americans’ online security. The Oz program is designed to allow Internet service providers to inform their customers if their computers are compromised by hackers. ISPs can also limit online access if consumers do not fix their computer security problems.

The federal government is treading carefully as it needs to balance Internet security efforts with protecting Americans’ online privacy and civil liberties. As such, a number of voluntary ways designed to assist private users and small businesses protect themselves online are being considered by the government in partnership with IT leaders.

C++’s Silver Anniversary

October 14, this year, was the 25th anniversary of the “commercial release” of the C++ programming language. Designed and implemented by Bjarne Stroutsrup, an accomplished computer science professor, C++ has become one of the most widely used programming languages worldwide. It is used in various applications including as Internet browsers and in cell phones.

Happy anniversary, C++.

That’s all for the meantime, folks. Join me again next time as we keep on watching IT.