The Biggest Tech Controversies of 2013 (So Far)

1. Mom Gives Son a Christmas iPhone -- With Strings Attached

   Blogger Janell Burley Hofmann gave her son an iPhone for Christmas -- and it came with a contract. Hofmann's rules went viral, prompting a lengthy discussion about good parenting in the digital age.

   Griffin Greenberg felt that the rules of smartphone etiquette should be implied and ingrained. But commenter Ben Mordecai responded that this mom's strategy ensured that both parties were clear about the expectations of technology use.

   

2. Mom Gives Son a Christmas iPhone -- With Strings Attached

   Reader Kristine Constantin argued that Hofmann's son "will have rules and expectations, no matter what he does in life." Kristine said, "There are far worse things in life this boy will endure in his life, that a cellphone contract will be least of his issues."

   

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4. New Bill Could Block Every Twitter Parody We Love

   Could this bill introduced by Arizona legislators mean the end for parody Twitter accounts? Commenters were divided on whether or not first amendment rights did enough to protect Internet users, or if more legal clarity was needed.

   Charlene West cited the recent examples of cyberbullying as proof that such a bill is crucial.

   

5. New Bill Could Block Every Twitter Parody We Love

   Christie Lea Adams felt that the distinction between parody and malice is clear.

   

6. New Bill Could Block Every Twitter Parody We Love

   Many commenters thought such a bill was unnecessary.

   

7. New Bill Could Block Every Twitter Parody We Love

   Alanna Bradley thought a more specific bill was necessary, and also felt that parody accounts would not be subject to allegations of "malicious intent."

   

8. New Bill Could Block Every Twitter Parody We Love

   But Justin Kambic felt that any such bill would violate First Amendment rights.

   

9. LinkedIn's Endorsements Have Become Meaningless

   Mashable Business editor Todd Wasserman wrote in an an op-ed that LinkedIn's endorsements are essentially meaningless.

   Andrea Gils agreed, saying that the rules of common courtesy on LinkedIn are very different from those of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

   

10. LinkedIn's Endorsements Have Become Meaningless

    Sree thought endorsements could offer functionality if they were re-engineered to be more credible.

    

11. LinkedIn's Endorsements Have Become Meaningless

    However, Larry Maslin thought endorsements have the potential to be incredibly useful tools.

    

The apocalypse didn't arrive in 2012, the world kept spinning and we made it to 2013. The top comments of the new year centered on an evaluation of our priorities and a look ahead at what's to come. We're only a week into the new year, but we're already discussing parenting, First Amendment rights and problems arising for LinkedIn.

Will 2013 be the year that every child becomes the owner a smartphone? It was certainly the year that mother and blogger Janell Burley Hofmann decided that her 13-year-old son was ready for an iPhone, but not without a few ground rules. Hofmann gave her son a new phone and an 18 point contract, which quickly went viral online. Some readers though that her rules were extreme; on the opposite end of the spectrum, Hofmann's parenting skills were lauded. What did you think of Hoffman's rules? You can let us know in the comments or by taking this poll.

Could the end of parody Twitter accounts be nigh? Probably not, but a new bill introduced by Arizona legislators wants to outlaw online impersonation. Arizona has already effectively banned trolling, but this bill would go further to prohibit accounts created with "malicious intent." Do you think your favorite parody accounts would be protected by the First Amendment, or does the language of the bill leave parodies open to prosecution?

Finally, Mashable Business editor Todd Wasserman penned an op-ed calling LinkedIn's endorsements feature "meaningless." Most commenters agreed, though there were a few who stood up for LinkedIn's new feature.

2013 is off to many great discussions. We've also already made (and likely broken) a bunch of tech-related resolutions. Check out what other readers are pledging for 2013 by looking at a our Facebook poll. Add your voice to the conversation on Mashable and you could be featured in the top comments next week!

Image courtesy of Flickr, courosa