The December 2009 data from comScore (SCOR) were released Tuesday, and the results for the social media sector are nothing short of staggering. Fifty-four percent (112 million) of the 205 million-strong U.S. internet-user population are on Facebook, with 27% (57 million) still using News Corp.'s (NWS) MySpace. But according to data from both comScore and Experian Hitwise (EXPN), the most active users were on Tagged, MyYearbook and Orkut. And Facebook users were more active than those on MySpace.

There's no doubt that plenty is happening in the social media space, but there are some facts that just might surprise you, either because of the speed of change or the discovery of players that may not have occurred to you.

How are readers finding the news? Well, increasingly, the answer is Facebook. The social networking site, which boasts well over 350 million registered users, is now the fourth largest referral source of traffic to online news destinations. Almost a year ago, only 0.5% of traffic to news and media sites came from Facebook. Today, that level is 3.5%, according to data from Web analytics firm Experian Hitwise.

Only Google (GOOG), Yahoo! (YHOO) and MSN (MSFT) send more traffic to news sites. Google News, a subset of the search engine giant, failed to keep pace with Facebook, despite the fact that it exists specifically to send Internet users to media outlets. Only 1.39% of referrals came from this source.

You will soon be able to stop everyone from using your good credit name, even if you have not yet had the misfortune of dealing with the mess created by a stolen identity. That's because by November 1 all three credit bureaus will allow you to "freeze" your credit report, which means no one can access your report until you give them permission.

It's not only a good idea to prevent identity theft, it's also a way to make you think before opening up a new credit account. If you're having trouble getting control of your impulses and want to get them under control, think seriously about freezing your credit accounts.

Before the change, only people who could prove they were an actual victim of identity theft were able to freeze their credit account. Seniors in certain states, where it was mandated by state law, could also freeze their accounts.

In true blogger fashion, I'm walking into a Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) to drop some pseudo-science over the WiFi last night, when I'm drawn to a busy ad on the side of a phone booth. A mess of white folks (hey, some of us check for that sort of thing) are spread around a park, picnicking and sunbathing, playing Frisbee -- you know, doing park-y stuff.

One gentleman, alone on his blanket, is framed by some cubic bubbles (or perhaps he's about to be jumped by a gang of marshmallows). The ad copy instructs, "MARKETING DOLLARS ARE TOO EXPENSIVE TO WASTE ON EVERYONE." No revelation that, but sure, it's a lesson that bears repeating.

So who's the advertiser? Experian Group (LSE: EXPN).

Experian has moved aggressively into the net space over the past few years. Some of its acquisitions include PriceGrabber and LowerMyBills.com.

Now the company is shelling out $240 million for Hitwise, which provides measurement services for Internet sites. Hitwise has been around for about ten years and has roughly 1,200 clients (the count increased by 40% in the past two years). Examples include eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY), Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) and MTV.

Over the past year, Hitwise's revenues surged 50% to $40 million. And by now being part of a larger organization, the company should pick up even more customers.

The deal should also provide a valuation benchmark for comScore, which recently filed to go public. Last year, the firm posted $66.3 million in revenues and $10.9 million in cash flow from operations. It's customers include Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT), Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), and Yahoo Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO).

You can check out the IPO filing at the SEC website.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including the Complete M&A Handbook and the EDGAR-Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements.

When it comes to predictive data analysis and reporting, Fair Isaac (NYSE:FIC) is the stand out leader in that field. Fair Isaac offers statistics-based predictive tools for the consumer credit industry. You know their talents well. Predictive statistical analysis is the type of methodology used to collar you with your credit score. Fair Issac credit score analysis algorithms are utilized by the three big name credit reporting bureaus, Experian, Trans Union and Equifax. Basic FICO scoring systems have been in use since 1970. The current Fair Isaac credit scoring system has been in use since 1981. In addition to credit risk analysis, Fair Isaac also markets solutions for insurance applicant risk assessment, other financial risk predictors and data management solutions as well.

What might make Fair Isaac a good investment? Well, one thing is for sure. If the company is going to run into trouble they should be the first ones to know. I'll just give you some historical background on the company to enlighten you but I'll have to stop there because frankly when it comes to analyzing analytical analysis, I'd rather be sorting laundry or something exciting like that.