Ouch Charlie!" has become the phrase of the moment, as online social networking and sharing has produced two unlikely comedians.

The 'Charlie bit my finger - again!' video was posted on YouTube by a father and has now gone on to log something like 25 million views and a hundred or so spoofs. It's hard to put a finger on why the two originals, a young boy and his younger brother, Charlie, are so funny.

The video shows a young boy holding his younger brother, Charlie. Charlie bites his finger, prompting a funny reaction.

I even had time to laugh at the spoofs, which add to the fun and help underline the impact of the video. I found myself laughing at a few of the mugs but don't quite know why.

The popularity of the video nails down the online social networking and sharing as part of the new wave of the internet. Sites such as Facebook, Friendster.com, Ryze.com, Emode.com and Meetup.com are all the rage right now, with more niche sites to come.

Many of the sites offer free services and a networking forum, either for friends, or for specialised business or interests. The concept revolves around sharing personal information with others.

However, before you go out and invest in one, be cautious. Many analysts are predicting a social networking burnout, and that once the excitement of a community that is always online dies down, people will shift on to the latest fad on the internet.

There are people (like me) who quickly tire of such sites, or simply do not have the time to spend in keeping them updated.

However I believe the social networking sites will continue to grow in importance, and will become transformed into more niche areas, such as by profession or by interest. The general sites already perform valuable functions, such as connecting old school chums, or even people with similar interests in ways never before achieved.

Such sites could also grow in importance for business, which will learn how to use them to improve communications and perhaps even company morale. Now there is a prediction.

While YouTube is not exactly a social networking site, it acts like one, with people sharing their personal videos and commenting on them. Perhaps we can call it a social networking site but with a visual focus.

To have a laugh with Charlie and Harry go to YouTube and do a search for the video. They have earned their 15 minutes of fame, and perhaps longer. Perhaps when they are grown up we'll get a reprise.

I would now like to see someone make a Bermuda version and post it. Let me know if you do!

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As a space junkie who regularly collects photographs of space, Microsoft's Worldwide Telescope is a must visit site. The Worldside Telescope attempts to do for space what Google did for the Earth, though of course I won't be mapping out very soon where I've visited or in what region my friends live.

Microsoft unveiled the service last week. After downloading the software, the site allows people to explore the night sky by using high-resolution images from the world's best land- and space-based telescopes.

For teachers, the site is another tool they can use to further their students understanding of astronomy and the Universe.

It works by stitching together high-resolution images of celestial bodies and displays them in relation to their actual position in the sky. You can also take an online guided tour of the sky with one of the astronomers and educators who have contributed their time to the project.

A neat feature allows users to choose the telescope they want to look through at any particular moment. These include the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory Center, the Spitzer Space Telescope and others.

Microsoft said it is releasing WorldWide Telescope as a service free of charge to the astronomy and education communities.

Go to www.worldwidetelescope.org to see how the Universe is unfolding.

Send any comments to Ahmed at elamin.ahmed@gmail.com