This week, Facebook launched a new featured called Trusted Contacts in an attempt to discourage account hacking. Unfortunately this additional feature hasn’t necessarily addressed the aspects of their password recovery service that are the most susceptible to hacking.

The goal of the newly added Trusted Contacts is to implement an extra layer of security between strangers and personal data on Facebook; however, it still remains all too simple for savvy users to take advantage of the “Forgot Password” tool. Once a user indicate that they’ve forgotten their Facebook password, the site offers three password reset options: via Google account, email, or phone. Unfortunately this is where the effectiveness of Facebook’s security measures ends.

A user simply has to indicate that they no longer have access to the Google account, email address, or phone associated with their account, and they’ll be prompted to supply a new email address with which to reset the account. Only at this step in the account recovery process does the new Trusted Contacts feature come into play.

If a user cannot recall the answer to their custom security question, they only need to name one of the listed Trusted Contacts to proceed to the next part of the process. This grants access to the full list of Trusted Contacts, meaning that anyone who has reached this screen has the means to obtain the necessary security codes for recovering a Facebook account that may or may not belong to them.

While Facebook works out the kinks and drawbacks to this new security feature, those wary of appointing Trusted Contacts may be better off avoiding the feature entirely for the time being. The password recovery feature prompts users to answer their custom personal security questions only if no Trusted Contacts have yet been listed. This extra layer of security is an additional comfort to many members of Facebook which, despite its popularity, has done little to improve its reputation for questionable account security and privacy control.

As the Internet’s oldest directory, we understand the importance of a fresh product that adapts and rises to the challenges presented in the ever-growing realm of cyberspace. That’s why we’re inviting you to join us in celebrating 19 years of success, and rolling out a brand new product to commemorate the occasion.

The All-New BOTW ProListing
A ProListing is a standard BOTW Directory listing that has been enhanced with featured content. You can now submit ProListings or upgrade an existing listing to ProListing status for less than $20 each month along with your annually-recurring listing fee. This allows you to add up to three sublistings as featured content on your standard BOTW listing. The sublistings appear directly beneath the existing directory listing, giving you the opportunity to highlight key pages of your business website and keep your listings relevant with fresh and eye-catching content. These sublistings can be modified at any time through your BOTW account.

In addition to introducing ProListings to the BOTW Directories, Best of the Web is cutting prices in half, for one day only, as a birthday gift to customers. Join us in celebrating our 19^th year spent as your ultimate source for guidance on the web by taking advantage of our biggest discount of the year!

Today only, submit an annually-recurring BOTW listing for just $74.95, and make it a ProListing for an extra $9.85 per month! Simply enter the promotional code PRO50 when prompted during the submission process to obtain these savings. You can also take advantage of this discount to sponsor a category in the BOTW Directory for only $24.95 per month (after a 30-day free trial for first-time sponsors), and enhance your brick & mortar business listing in the BOTW Local Direcotry with Premium status for only $4.95 per month ($49.95 at the annual rate).

The Online Degree Directory is dedicated to providing the ultimate resource for anyone considering obtaining a college degree – whether online or on campus. Since its inception in April of last year, it has successfully helped college-bound students make informed decisions regarding higher education.

This success has only made our commitment to providing the ultimate college resource grow. In an effort to not only offer all the tools necessary for those planning to enroll in a degree program, but also to support the learning community, Best of the Web now offers scholarship opportunities through the Online Degree Directory.

The launch of the BOTW Scholarship Program allows students to use the Online Degree Directory to find not only important information about higher education, online and traditional colleges, and specific degree programs, but also financial support for the costly venture that is a college education. While a college education grows increasingly expensive, the Online Degree Directory aims to assist those who may be struggling to afford the rising costs of tuition with continuing their education. Scholarship funds can be applied directly to tuition, textbooks, housing, and related college expenses.

Right now any U.S. citizen over the age of 16 intending to enroll or currently enrolled in a college degree program is eligible to apply for the $2,500 scholarship award. Scholarship offers will be updated frequently, so students should check back at the Online Degree Directory regularly to find details about the latest scholarship offers.

Best of the Web’s newest resource, Be Green, is dedicated to providing meaningful guidance to Internet users interested in “going green.” You can get informed about environmental issues such as ecology, alternative energy, technology, transportation, and find ways to embrace a greener lifestyle through educational articles as well as a question & answer forum.

Through Be Green, Best of the Web is committed not only to guiding and educating users about all things environmental, but also to spreading awareness about why such issues are worth considering. Think you’re living as green as can be? Be Green features a 30-question environmental quiz that lets users measure the eco-friendliness of their current lifestyle, providing informative tidbits along the way.

Ultimately Be Green visitors can learn how to make their lifestyles more environmentally friendly and, in turn, lead healthier lives. Whether it’s making your home more energy efficient, or cooking with locally grown organic foods, you can find advice and direction for every step of your journey to a greener and healthier life through Be Green.

Earlier this year, Facebook announced the Open Graph protocol that enables developers to integrate pages into a social graph, allowing users to connect to brands, pages, and friends through social actions. Instead of merely “liking” a page or product, now additional verbs can be found filling the new feeds of Facebook users.

Those connected to Spotify, for instance, will publish stories displaying what they “listen” to through the online radio application, while avid news junkies can share all the articles they’ve “read” on a site. When Facebook launches Open Graph Actions, users will be able to interact with applications, products, and brands in even broader ways.

Facebook users are all too familiar with frequent changes to the popular social platform, but that doesn’t mean they’re immediately accepting of such updates. This is especially true when privacy issues arise, which is the case with the auto-publishing features that Open Graph applications enable.

While users do have the ability to remove any stories published to their Timeline, certain applications (such as Spotify) require Facebook users to grant access for auto-publishing. This is problematic for users who are not constantly monitoring their Timelines and do not want to share all, if any, actions.

On the other hand, however, Open Graph applications and the launch of Actions in particular will have positive implications for brands. Unlike brand pages, users do not have to “like” an application in order to use it or to enable auto-publishing. As a result, brands that are frequently interacted with can easily gain exposure through the new social actions.

Additionally, the Open Graph applications feature related friend activity prior to content, encouraging the sharing and discussion of mutually interesting brands and products. Paired with the action-based mini-news feed visible on the home page (implemented when Timeline was still in Beta) that tracks friend activity, brands have many more opportunities to attract new users through Actions.