Don't forget to check out http://auda.org.au/domain-news/ for today's edition of the complete domain news, including an RSS feed - already online! Headlines from the 4 October edition of the news include: Microsoft-loving (former) security czar calls for closed internet | Cerf on the future of the Net | How to Trace a DDOS Attack | Short Domain Names Threatened by Proposed Policy on IGO Dispute Resolution Procedure by George Kirikos | Local ?.city? TLDs as an Opportunity for City Portals by Dirk Krischenowski | ph: Domain prices should go down, not up | Griping, with an audience: Malcontents criticize companies online | Cybersquatters Threaten Consumers and Harm Businesses | U.S. urges U.N. patent agency chief to consider quitting | Swim.com sold for US$214,500 And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Internet pipes not ready to burst, researcher says http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/091907-internet-burst.html Mouse click could plunge city into darkness, experts say http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/27/power.at.risk/index.html The Race to Stay Ahead of Internet Demands http://technewsworld.com/story/dH9dc2zaEMWfRC/The-Race-to-Stay-Ahead-of-Internet-Demands.xhtml Another National Internet Threatened: Russia by Milton Mueller http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2007/9/24/3250527.html ICANN after Vint Cerf http://domainesinfo.fr/english/107/icann-after-vint-cerf.php Kiwi may be in running to head the global internet http://stuff.co.nz/4218747a13.html Who will replace Vint Cerf? An Italian, Kiwi or American? http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=2836 APNIC: Apster September edition now avalable http://www.apnic.net/docs/apster/index.html Dot-Name Becomes Cybercrime Haven http://www.wired.com/politics/security/news/2007/09/dot_name .Name Registrar Defends Pay for Whois Policy http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/09/name-registrar-.html Advocates: Time to get .nyc domain name http://www.amny.com/news/local/am-nyc0928,0,5285161.story Every Domainer Is Subsidizing Tasting... Abolish Registration Grace Period by Alex Tajirian http://www.circleid.com/posts/792713_domainer_subsidizing_tasting_grace_period/ Televisions.com sells for US$215,000 In last week's Top Reported Sale http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2007/domainsales09-25-07.htm ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Getting It Right: Protecting American Critical Infrastructure in Cyberspace by Sean M. Condron [Harvard Journal of Law & Technology] ... It may thus be preferable to approach cyber security as a threat to national security rather than as a criminal matter. This change would raise at least three issues. First, it may be necessary to revisit and clarify the government?s current distinction between homeland security and homeland defense as applied to cyberspace. Second, this change requires consideration of the jus ad bellum paradigm that controls a state?s self-defense response against a cyber attack. Finally, the delicate balance between national security interests and civil liberties should be considered in developing a strategy for responding to cyber attacks. This Article presents a framework for addressing these issues. http://jolt.law.harvard.edu/articles/pdf/v20/20HarvJLTech403.pdf Internet domain names and the interaction with intellectual property by Abida Chaudria [sub req'd] Abstract: This is the first in a series of articles looking at the interaction between domain names and intellectual property. This article defines and summarises the various types of domain names, how they are registered, the legal effects of registration, the WHOIS databases and, briefly, the interaction between domain names and intellectual property. Subsequent articles will consider the preferential ?sunrise periods? for registration of certain domains by trade mark owners, the various kinds of disputes that arise in relation to domain names, dispute resolution procedures and legal proceedings for registered trade mark infringement and ?passing off? in the UK. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VB3-4MTD8G5-8&_user=10&_coverDate=12%2F31%2F2007&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=01a8908b0435612faa0a4d1955dff80c The Internet and Global Governance: Principles and Norms for a New Regime by Milton Mueller, John Mathiason & Hans Klein [sub req'd] Abstract: Since the mid-1990s, efforts have been under way to construct an international regime for global Internet governance. Beginning with the formation of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, efforts at regime construction were a main focus of the 2001?2005 UN World Summit on the Information Society. However, little progress was made toward an international agreement. This reflected policymakers' illadvised attempt to shortcut regime construction: they attempted to define regime rules and procedures without first defining underlying principles and norms. This article offers example sets of principles and norms of the type that are missing and that could provide the foundation for an Internet governance regime. The authors conclude that a framework convention would be the appropriate institutional mechanism for advancing regime construction. http://www.atypon-link.com/LRP/doi/abs/10.5555/ggov.2007.13.2.237 Foreword: Internet Governance by Joseph A. Cannataci & Jeanne Pia Mifsud-Bonnici [sub req'd] http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a778586173~db=all The Early Ground Offensives in Internet Governance by Kevin M. Rogers [sub req'd] Abstract: The second stage of the WSIS in Tunisia in November 2005 saw the long-standing debate over who should govern the Internet reach an apparent culmination. The vast majority of parties involved (over 10,000 people from over 170 countries) announced their acquiescence to the final agreement, which allowed ICANN to maintain responsibility for domain name allocation, while introducing a non-binding multi-stakeholder IGF to be set up alongside. However, this current paper will show that the agreement provides limited assistance to the ongoing discussion and resolution on Internet Governance, and furthermore that unless the key players - particularly the USA - alter their stance, the Internet is in danger of fragmentation and gridlock, which is a genuine possibility unless the governance of the Internet moves to an International level away from exclusive US control. The conclusions made in Tunisia are not fully representative and the perception of US control has not been removed. Until this is revisited and altered, the Internet remains in considerable threat of break-up and potential gridlock. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a778585567~db=all ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Internet pipes not ready to burst, researcher says Despite the fact that more people are dishing up video and other bandwidth-saturating content, Internet traffic growth rates are actually slowing down, according to a new Web site at the University of Minnesota. The Minnesota Internet Traffic Studies (MINTS) site, which we first learned about late last year, shows that Internet traffic growth rates have settled in at about 50% to 60% in the U.S. and worldwide as the Internet matures. That's a far cry from the doubling rates every year or even every 100 days that some like WorldCom claimed in the mid-to-late 1990s. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/091907-internet-burst.html http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9039778 National Archives Hosts Internet Pioneers Cerf And Kahn: William G. McGowan Forum to focus on ?the Debate Over Internet Governance? [news release] The National Archives will host the third annual William G. McGowan Forum on Communications, Technology, and Government. Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein will introduce the program and Tom Wheeler, President of the Foundation for the National Archives will moderate ?the debate over Internet governance? with Internet founding fathers Vinton G. Cerf, Chief Internet Evangelist for Google, and Robert E. Kahn, chairman and CEO of the Corporation for National Research Initiatives. http://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2007/nr07-141.html 'Founding Father of the internet' to visit Seoul Vint Cerf, known for his leading role in creating the Internet, will visit Seoul next month to attend an international forum, informed sources said Friday. http://au.biz.yahoo.com/070928/17/1f2d2.html ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - DOMAIN SECURITY ********************** Mouse click could plunge city into darkness, experts say Researchers who launched an experimental cyber attack caused a generator to self-destruct, alarming the government and electrical industry about what might happen if such an attack were carried out on a larger scale, CNN has learned. http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/27/power.at.risk/index.html West is taking fight against terrorism online In the name of counterterrorism, Western countries are moving to erect online security borders with aggressive proposals to block Web sites and to unleash Trojan e-mails containing spyware that would monitor jihadists. Critics warn that the security measures could lead to censorship and privacy invasion, but governments are pressing for legislation aimed at thwarting attacks and walling off Web sites that espouse illegal activities or are "likely to have the effect of facilitating" crime. http://iht.com/articles/2007/09/30/business/net01.php The Race to Stay Ahead of Internet Demands "If the Internet infrastructure is not continually fortified and strengthened, then we run the risk that it will be unable to support the growing and dynamic needs of users, businesses and governments that rely on that infrastructure every day for commerce, communications and operations," said Ken Silva, chief security officer for VeriSign. http://technewsworld.com/story/dH9dc2zaEMWfRC/The-Race-to-Stay-Ahead-of-Internet-Demands.xhtml http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/enterprise/59525.html Another National Internet Threatened: Russia by Milton Mueller First it was China, experimenting with its own special DNS name space and its own Great cyber-Wall to guard what content can and cannot enter the country. Now, Putin's Russia is said to be planning to give it a try. From IGP's extensive network of spies in Moscow (well, ok, it's actually from a two month-old Russian newspaper), we learn that the Security Council of the Russian Federation has declared that Russia will create its own Web, in Cyrillic, "completely independent from the traditional WWW." Several reasons were cited for the creation of an independent network. One was -- surprise -- "information safety and security." The newspaper writes: "Today it is a matter of fact that Russian users are accessing the internet via channels which are in the control of the US government." http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2007/9/24/3250527.html Crime wave: Hijackers swipe Internet domains Like real-world theft, the hijacking of an Internet address can happen quickly and with little warning. New York computer consultant Ronen Inowlocki knows firsthand. In July, a thief took control of the yyy.com address Inowlocki has owned for years. He still is fighting to get it back, and can't access the "yyy.com" e-mail addresses he had used to communicate with clients. Meanwhile, the thief shifted the Internet address to a service in Germany and lists a mailing address in Iceland as his contact info. http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070930/BUSINESS/709300343 Virtually clean: Putting a stop to online infection Hacking used to be done by kids for kicks or bragging rights. Nowadays, it?s big business for organised crime, often out of reach of the law, on the far side of the world. Connect an unprotected personal computer to the internet for more than 15 seconds and it will almost certainly be attacked by a virus or worse. That?s how ruthlessly effective the army of malicious robots, dispatched by criminals to scour the net for vulnerable computers, has become. http://economist.com/daily/columns/techview/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9869417 ********************** - ICANN ********************** ICANN after Vint Cerf Vint Cerf, the chairman of the ICANN board, will step down next month in Los Angeles, at the corporation's annual meeting. We look at how he could be replaced, and by whom. http://domainesinfo.fr/english/107/icann-after-vint-cerf.php Kiwi may be in running to head the global internet Wellington barrister Peter Dengate Thrush, 51, who specialises in internet law, may have the inside running to replace a "father of the internet" , Vint Cerf, as chairman of cyberspace. http://stuff.co.nz/4218747a13.html http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/3/story.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10466900 Who will replace Vint Cerf? An Italian, Kiwi or American? The debate over who is in the running to take over as chair of ICANN is the focus of a story of DomainesInfo and picked up in the New Zealand press. There are three candidates listed: Roberto Gaetano, current vice-chair, Peter Dengate Thrush and Steve Crocker. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=2836 http://domainpulse.com/2007/09/28/who-will-replace-vint-cerf-an-italian-kiwi-or-american/ http://domainnews.com/general/2007092823/who-will-replace-vint-cerf-an-italian-kiwi-or-american/ Have ICANN's directors placed their personal assets on the IRS chopping block? by Karl Auerbach At the August 14 meeting of ICANN's board ICANN's board agreed to cover the expenses of the soon-to-be former Chairman of the Board to attend the IGF meeting in Rio de Janeiro. That former Chairman will have no legal relationship to ICANN; neither a director nor an officer nor an employee. Yet ICANN's voted to give this former chairman the power "to speak on behalf of ICANN". Absent a legally cognizable relationship this power is a non sequitur, an oxymoron. http://cavebear.com/cbblog-archives/000325.html Irish Internet pioneer joins board of ICANN An Irishman, Dennis Jennings, whose strategic decision in the 1980s with the US National Science Foundation led to the creation of the internet as we know it today has been nominated to the Board of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). http://www.siliconrepublic.com/news/news.nv?storyid=single9317 http://www.enn.ie/article/133456.html Reaching out to university students by Patrick Jones In advance of the ICANN Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, ICANN is conducting a number of events with area universities. Yesterday two sessions were conducted with the University of Southern California, a morning session with USC?s Information Sciences Institute and an afternoon session at USC?s Viterbi School of Engineering. Tina Dam was the featured speaker at each session, and she provided a summary of ICANN?s Internationalized Domain Name efforts. Students had an opportunity to learn more about the upcoming IDN .test evaluation plan and ask questions about ICANN?s structure and procedures. http://blog.icann.org/?p=200 ********************** - (cc)TLD NEWS ********************** APNIC: Apster September edition now available The September edition of Apster, the quarterly newsletter for APNIC members and the Internet community, is now available. Topics covered include The Internet in India (feature article), Policy proposals under discussion in the APNIC community, How APNIC policies are developed, History of SANOG (South Asian Network Operators Group), RIPE requests ICANN sign DNS root, IANA update, Responses to IPv4 address space consumption, Analysis of Asian earthquake disruption of submarine cable system and more. http://www.apnic.net/docs/apster/index.html ca: Identifying domain owners spurs debate A debate has been raging within both CIRA and ICANN about just what information should be available using a WHOIS search to see who owns a domain name. Some cite privacy concerns and argue that as little information as possible should be available. Others fear the lack of accountability that may occur should the contents of a WHOIS search be curtailed. http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Business/Columnists/Canton_David/2007/10/01/4540112-sun.html cn: New Domain Names in Chinese [Merkina.com news release] ... The addressing and programming system has remained in western writing to this day, but now the Chinese have announced that they will release a domain name system that uses Chinese characters in late October this year. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0709/S00386.htm Ibercom offers Spanish domain names an accent [sub req'd] http://telecom.paper.nl/news/article.aspx?id=185727 EURid hosts registrar lunches this autumn Wednesday's registrar lunch in Rome (Italy) kicked off the series of such events that EURid will be hosting for its registrars throughout Europe this autumn. The registry aims to enhance its services based on the useful input registrars will provide during these meetings. http://eurid.eu/content/view/223/33/lang,en/ Combating Phishing and Spamming Sites by HKDNR - Towards a More Secured Local Internet Community! With the mission to promote the use of Internet in a robust and stable environment for the local Internet community, HKDNR is dedicated to implementing all possible measures to strike .hk domain names that are related to phishing or spamming sites. https://www.hkdnr.hk/hkdnr/20070928/web-content/index.html Montenegro ready to go live The local registry has just put up its new website and hopes to start registering .ME domains in the first quarter of next year. http://domainesinfo.fr/english/108/montenegro-ready-to-go-live.php .my Price and Anjung Internet JARING Update [news release] MYNIC have announced the maximum cap for new registration and renewal fees of .com.my, .net.my, org.my, .gov.my, .edu.my and mil.my will remain at RM80 and RM32 for .name.my in order to encourage .my domain name registrations. http://mynic.net.my/newhp/announcements/mynic-24Sept07.html Dot-Name Becomes Cybercrime Haven The company that controls the .name registry is charging for access to domain registration information, a step that security researchers say frustrates their ability to police the internet and creates a haven for hackers who run internet scams. When security researchers investigate spam and phishing activity on the internet, they rely on special Whois directories, which list the owner of a domain name, their hosting service and their contact information. http://www.wired.com/politics/security/news/2007/09/dot_name .Name Registrar Defends Pay for Whois Policy Security researchers are frustrated that they need to pay money to learn details about domain names ending in .name, as reported in today's Wired News, but the company in charge says the policy doesn't stymie security researchers and protects anonymous internet speech. http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/09/name-registrar-.html http://www.circleid.com/posts/dot_name_domain_whois_access/ Advocates: Time to get .nyc domain name Is it time for the big city to start cornering a piece of the Internet? A growing grassroots movement says yes, and is trying to create a ".nyc" domain name to go alongside the dot coms and dot orgs of the World Wide Web. http://www.amny.com/news/local/am-nyc0928,0,5285161.story .NYC on the Horizon? Group in New York wants a .nyc domain. http://domainnamewire.com/2007/09/29/nyc-on-the-horizon/ Nominet looking for more dispute resolution experts Nominet's Dispute Resolution Service provides alternative dispute resolution for .UK domain names. New experts are being sought to help maintain the quality of this service. http://domainesinfo.fr/english/106/nominet-looking-for-more-dispute-resolution-experts.php ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Whois Directory, a Tool for Brand Defenders, May Be Veiled The Whois directory can be a critical tool for companies to identify and shut down typo squatters, cyber squatters and phishers. The immediate access it grants to a site registrant's information, brand stewards say, can reduce the time it takes to shut down a harmful Web site from days to hours. http://clickz.com/3627161 ca: John Tory, domain-name hijacker? Could the Liberal Party of Ontario have a claim against the Conservatives for "domain-name hijacking?" ... If you go to daltonmcguinty.ca, which you might think would be the personal site of Liberal premier Dalton McGuinty, you see a website that looks virtually identical to the one at dalton.ca (which is Mr. McGuinty's real website): it has a white background with a simple text menu and a black box with short, declarative sentences written in it -- except for the fact that it says the exact opposite of what the text on the real Dalton McGuinty website says (it also has a prominent red stamp that says "Not the real thing"). http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070928.WBingramontelection20070928154905/WBStory/WBingramontelection A new face for small claims courts ... Around the world, there are far better models of systems to resolve disputes. Thousands of domain name disputes have been resolved without the parties traveling anywhere. New York City recently announced that it is implementing a program to resolve sidewalk, school, roadway, city property, and other personal injury cases using the Internet. Disputes with insurance companies in Great Britain are resolved this way. Israel is planning a "paperless court system." http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/09/29/a_new_face_for_small_claims_courts/ ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** CADNA Responds to ICA?s Adoption of a Member Code of Conduct [news release] CADNA welcomes the Internet Commerce Association?s (ICA) recently announced adoption of an eight-point member code of conduct detailing best practices designed to promote fair and ethical business conduct in the domain name industry. On behalf of the Internet community, CADNA also welcomes the potential benefits of the member code of conduct adopted by the ICA, and we are encouraged by the proactive measures their member organizations are taking to combat and deter domain name abuse. http://www.cadna.org/press-release-september-27.html The word farms of the web The growing number of websites that mix and match low-quality articles produced by amateurs in order to generate traffic is causing concern, reports Danny Bradbury from The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/sep/27/guardianweeklytechnologysection.internet NameMedia Selected as "Fast 50" Company By Deloitte & Touche NameMedia has been named to Deloitte's prestigious Technology Fast 50 Program for New England, a ranking of the 50 fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications and life sciences companies in the area by Deloitte & Touche USA LLP, one of the nation's leading professional services organizations. Rankings are based on the percentage revenue growth over five years from 2002-2006. http://namemedia.com/about/releases/09-20-07.html High-tech companies put 'zazzle' into names Ooma, Yoomba, Oodle and Noosh. New Dr. Seuss characters? Hardly. These fanciful-sounding nonsense words are company names. When it comes to choosing a moniker for a high-tech business these days, the quirkier, the better. "We've seen a massive migration toward whimsical names in the last few years," said Jason Baer, director of verbal identity at Interbrand, a New York-based branding consultancy. The trend is particularly noticeable with Internet companies and Web 2.0 businesses, Baer said. http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2007/09/30/name_whimsy_0930.ART_ART_09-30-07_D3_G981K1N.html http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1191126310132200.xml&coll=7 ********************** - DOMAINING ********************** Every Domainer Is Subsidizing Tasting... Abolish Registration Grace Period by Alex Tajirian One issue that a large number of domainers agree on is that domain tasting under the current ICANN-approved policy is bad for the industry. For one thing, a healthy portion of the practice involves trademark use that not only is illegal but also destroys value. Of course, particular segments of the domain name ecosystem can suffer value destruction because of tasting that doesn?t infringe trademarks. But most criticism is directed, and rightly so, at tasting that raises trademark issues. http://www.circleid.com/posts/792713_domainer_subsidizing_tasting_grace_period/ The Web's local mogul The two Web multimillionaires had never crossed paths, but when Russell C. Horowitz and Frank Schilling finally met to talk business three years ago, the summit began in style - sipping soft drinks poolside at the Four Seasons Las Vegas and chatting about private jets. Horowitz, a ponytailed 38-year-old at the time, had made his fortune as the founder of a bubble-era darling called Go2Net, which he sold for $1.6 billion. Schilling, whose regular attire is designer surfwear, made his mint in secrecy as a domain-name investor working out of an ocean-front condo in the Caymans. Horowitz owned a share of a Citation X, the fastest personal aircraft in the sky. Schilling, who pulls in $20 million a year from his domain business, coveted one for himself. "At the time," he says, "I was planeless." http://money.cnn.com/2007/09/27/technology/marchex.biz2/ Network Solutions Announces Premium Resale Domain Service for .com and .net Domain Name Registration [news release] Network Solutions now makes it possible to acquire premium domains that are currently registered by another registrant and available for purchase. Premium Resale Domain Service allows a buyer to securely purchase domains at a fixed price so there is no long negotiation process between the buyer and seller. http://vocuspr.vocus.com/VocusPR30/Newsroom/Query.aspx?SiteName=NetworkSolutions&Entity=PRAsset&SF_PRAsset_PRAssetID_EQ=209344&XSL=PressRelease&Cache=True&Merge= Network Solutions Presents Search Engine Optimization Seminar at ECMTA/PeSA Fall Summit 2007 [news release] Network Solutions is partnering with ECMTA and PeSA to present a Search Engine Optimization Seminar on October 3, 2007 in San Francisco, California. This seminar will educate small business owners on the importance of SEO and how it benefits their online business. http://vocuspr.vocus.com/VocusPR30/Newsroom/Query.aspx?SiteName=NetworkSolutions&Entity=PRAsset&SF_PRAsset_PRAssetID_EQ=209033&XSL=PressRelease&Cache=True&Merge= Moniker.com Enters New Strategic Partnership with NameMedia to Expand Premium Domain Names Inventory [news release] Moniker.com announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with NameMedia to provide premium domains for purchase at Moniker's MarketPlace, a full-service online domain transaction platform. http://domainpulse.com/2007/09/28/monikercom-enters-new-strategic-partnership-with-namemedia-to-expand-premium-domain-names-inventory/ ********************** - DOMAIN SALES ********************** Kashmir up for sale, virtually While India and Pakistan have been fighting over Kashmir for decades, they seem to be apathetic when it comes to owning the domain name in cyberspace. http://www.business-standard.com/economy/storypage.php?leftnm=3&subLeft=1&chklogin=N&autono=299682&tab=r http://www.rediff.com/money/2007/sep/29com.htm Televisions.com sells for US$215,000 In last week's Top Reported Sale Two Las Vegas men, seller Tom Carr and buyer Nathan Allen got together to exchange Televisions.com for $215,000 in the top domain sale reported last week. Second was Cadilac.com for $68,000. Hot.tv was equal third selling for $35,000. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2007/domainsales09-25-07.htm ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Catching up in broadband: What will it take? Can governments elevate their broadband performance rankings? This paper aims to identify the factors that are significant in driving broadband penetration. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/34/34/39360525.pdf Silencing The Blogosphere: A First Amendment Caution To Legislators Considering Using Blogs To Communicate Directly With Constituents by Wes Sullenger [Richmond Journal of Law & Technology] This article considers the First Amendment implications of employing this technological growth in the political arena. Analyzing the initial experiments with direct democracy in colonial America provides a framework to explain the effect the Internet could have on the democratic system. Direct democracy started with the town meeting style of government in New England. A brief examination of the Founders? reaction to that system, however, shows they created a representative democracy as a buffer to direct citizen control. This article will then consider the modern calls for direct democracy, including a discussion of the nature of direct democracy and modern experiments in direct democracy. This article also analyzes the societal changes forged by the Internet, as well as the belief by some that these changes justify a contemporary transformation to a direct democracy. Lastly, the evolution of the political system, in an effort to adapt to the development of the Internet, must be evaluated in order to complete the roadmap for the discussion. This examination includes a discussion of the contemporary formation of blogs and the effect of their invasion into America?s democratic system. http://law.richmond.edu/jolt/v13i4/article15.pdf Stumbling Forward into the Connected Future by Jim Miller [Miramontes Computing] Christmas came a little early in the Miller household this year, and we got some new toys. In particular, a DirecTV HD digital video recorder (DVR), a Panasonic plasma HD television, a TomTom GPS navigator, and an Apple iPhone. This has been techno overload, even for someone like me. In addition, it gives me, as an interaction designer, lots of opportunities to whine about these devices? interfaces?what they got right, and (of course) what they got wrong. But, for now, I?ll focus my recent experiences with them on the larger question about what?s happening as the Internet grows beyond its initial bounds of things we would all recognize as computers and into the broader world of consumer products. http://www.computer.org/portal/site/dsonline/menuitem.9ed3d9924aeb0dcd82ccc6716bbe36ec/index.jsp?&pName=dso_level1&path=dsonline/2007/10&file=w5int.xml Virtual Child Pornography - A United States Update by Susan Hanley Kosse [Tolley?s Communication Law Journal] Abstract: This article summarizes United States' legislation up to 2004 which sought to regulate child pornography. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1015139 The Internet and Online Political Communities in Singapore by Carol Soon & Randolph Kluver [sub req'd] Abstract: The emergence and the widespread adoption of the Internet have brought about many dramatic changes on different levels. Due to its inherent characteristics, the Internet has become an engine of political mobilization and participation, and has led to the proliferation of online communities. Few studies examine how political groups use the Internet to build communities and forge alliances in cyberspace, and this study attempts to bridge this gap. Registered political parties and political expression groups in Singapore were selected for this study. Through hyperlink analysis, the study shows that reciprocity and similarity, two main characteristics observed in online communities, were found in the groupings formed by these political groups. Interestingly, most of the online affiliations that exist among these groups reflect those offline. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a780859942~db=all ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Burma: Hundreds may be dead, as junta tries to keep brutality unseen Yesterday [Friday], authorities shut Burma's only internet server and blocked all text and picture messaging on mobiles, in an effort to stem the violent images leaving the country, including pictures of a Japanese photographer shot in front of the Sule Pagoda. Though foreign journalists are banned, the regime ordered soldiers to go door-to-door at some hotels looking for foreigners. http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article3010196.ece Internet access restored briefly in Myanmar [Reuters] Internet access was restored briefly in military-ruled Myanmar on Saturday, a day after a Web blackout believed to have been imposed to stop reports and pictures of a major crackdown reaching the outside world. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKBKK28455820070929 Bloggers who risked all to reveal the junta?s brutal crackdown in Burma Internet geeks share a common style, and Ko Latt and his four friends would not be out of place in cyber caf?s across the world. They have the skinny arms and the long hair, the dark T-shirts and the jokey nicknames. But few such figures have ever taken the risks that they have in the past few weeks, or achieved so much in a noble and dangerous cause. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article2563937.ece Myanmar appears to cut public Internet access [Reuters] Myanmar's generals appeared to have cut public Internet access on Friday to prevent more videos, photographs and information getting out about their crackdown on the biggest protests against military rule in nearly 20 years. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKBKK30431520070928 http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/BKK304315.htm http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070928.wmyanint0928/BNStory/International/ Myanmar's main Internet link not working: official [AFP] After two days of unrest in Yangon's streets, Myanmar's main link to the Internet has stopped working, according to a telecom official who blamed the problem on a damaged cable http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/09/28/1190486558170.html 'Internet cut' as Burma troops move into monasteries [AP] Burmese troops occupied key Buddhist monasteries today to confine monks who have spearheaded anti-government protests. http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article3008095.ece Internet access 'cut off' in attempt to silence Burma Burma's military regime is suspected of cutting public internet access today to prevent news and images of its violent repression of pro-democracy protests leaking out. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article2549404.ece Myanmar Blackout ... Even before the Myanmar government?s most recent dismantling of the country?s Internet access, a Web connection was hardly easy to come by. Less than one percent of individuals have home access, according to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency?s World Factbook. Burmese who do subscribe to Internet service must reach it through a state-sponsored Intranet, which monitors e-mails, according to a study conducted by the Open Net Initiative. Cyber-cafes in Rangoon and Mandalay can only connect to a heavily edited version of the Web. Free e-mail sites, including Google's Gmail, are inaccessible. And shop owners are required by law to capture frequent screenshots of sites citizens visit and to send those images to companies that review them on behalf of the government. http://www.forbes.com/technology/2007/09/28/internet-burma-speech-tech-cx_ag_0928myanmar.html Internet Blackout in Myanmar Stalls Reports, Oversight The loss of Internet access in Myanmar has slowed the tide of photos and videos shared with the rest of the world but people outside of the troubled country continue to use new media sites and other technologies to protest military activity in the Southeast Asia country. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,137863-c,currentevents/article.html Expert: World misunderstands China's Web controls [Reuters] The Internet in China is not as restricted as sometimes believed in the West, with most controls actually coming from sites practicing self-censorship, an academic who studies the Chinese Web said on Thursday. But the government has also effectively stopped online dissent, defying expectations that the Communist Party would never survive broadband, said Rebecca MacKinnon, assistant professor of new media at Hong Kong University's Journalism and Media Studies Centre. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKPEK9306120070927 http://www.news.com/2100-1028_3-6210299.html http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10466487 http://networks.silicon.com/webwatch/0,39024667,39168584,00.htm Why China shut down 18,401 websites: A fresh censorship wave is linked to next month's Party Congress. The Chinese authorities are in the midst of an unusually harsh crackdown on the Internet, closing tens of thousands of websites that had allowed visitors to post their opinions, according to bloggers and Internet monitors in China. http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0925/p01s06-woap.html us: Verizon Reverses Itself on Abortion Messages Saying it had the right to block ?controversial or unsavory? text messages, Verizon Wireless last week rejected a request from Naral Pro-Choice America, the abortion rights group, to make Verizon?s mobile network available for a text-message program. ... The dispute over the Naral messages was a skirmish in the larger battle over the question of ?net neutrality? ? whether carriers or Internet service providers should have a voice in the content they provide to customers. http://nytimes.com/2007/09/27/business/27cnd-verizon.html http://iht.com/articles/2007/09/28/technology/28verizon.php Burmese junta tightens media screw As Burmese soldiers fire bullets and tear gas to disperse anti-government protests in Rangoon, the military rulers have taken the offensive in the battle to control the flow of information in the country. Websites and internet blogs posting information and photographs of the government's action have been blocked. Telephone lines and mobile phone signals to monasteries, opposition politicians and student leaders have been cut. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7016238.stm au: Internet latest battle ground for smoking ads Tobacco advertising is banned from radio and television but health experts say that has not stopped cigarettes from being marketed to kids and they warn the internet is being used to promote smoking to teenagers. http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/28/2046752.htm ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ uk: IWF intelligence leads to rescue and arrest [news release] IWF intelligence lead to rescue of three prepubescent children being sexually abused and their abuser being sentenced to 60 years in prison. On February 26, 2006, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) provided intelligence to Cybertipline, its sister Hotline in the US, regarding a website which appeared to be hosted in the US and contained images of children being sexually abused. http://iwf.org.uk/media/news.208.htm INHOPE Members? Collaboration Leads to Arrest [news release] The CyberTipline received a report from the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), the United Kingdom-based hotline for reporting illegal content on the Internet, on February 26, 2006, regarding a Web site reportedly featuring sexually abusive images of children. http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=376 au: The Legalities Of Cyber-Bullying Probed By Study A research team led by Queensland University of Technology wants to help stop today's school cyber bullies from becoming tomorrow's boardroom bullies. The three-year study into cyber bullying is one of 13 QUT projects awarded a total of $3.19 million by the Australian Research Council in its latest funding round of Linkage Project grants. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/83861.php au: Cowardly acts of the cyberbully A new breed of bully appears to be emerging, hiding behind the relatively safe confines of technology. The finding comes from an anonymous survey of 518 girls aged 11 to 15 years old by the Queensland University of Technology. It found that 70 per cent of cyber bullies did not indulge in face-to-face bullying. http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,20797,22492519-3102,00.html NZ animated dolphin teaches preschoolers cyber-safety In our increasingly wired and interconnected world, children as young as three are learning not only how to surf the net, but how to connect using devices such as mobile phones, digital cameras, games consoles and toys. So how do parents ensure this is safe when many do not understand these devices themselves? http://m-net.net.nz/1954/latest-news/latest-news/nz-animated-dolphin-teaches-preschoolers-cyber-sa.php nz: Website used by teens to get drugs Nelson teenagers are using the social networking Internet site Bebo to find drug dealers and offer sexual favours in exchange for alcohol and drugs, police say. http://stuff.co.nz/4218173a11.html ph: Caution: Porn on the Internet This week the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect had its annual meeting in Manila with the Philippine General Hospital-Child Protection Unit as overall host. There were almost 700 delegates from Asia, Europe and the USA for workshops, papers and video presentations. http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/sept/28/yehey/opinion/20070928opi6.html us: Rockefeller seeking child protection in use of Internet Angered by what he has labeled as crude and violent content, Sen. Jay Rockefeller has been a strong critic of television programming on grounds it is saturated with too much sex and violence, and the effect on American children is detrimental. Now, he?s turning to another medium for congressional action ? the Internet. http://www.register-herald.com/local/local_story_271212152.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** us: A Prosecution Tests the Definition of Obscenity Sometime early next year, Karen Fletcher, a 56-year-old recluse living on disability payments, will go on trial in federal court here on obscenity charges for writings distributed on the Internet to about two dozen subscribers. In an era when pornography has exploded on the Web almost beyond measure, Ms. Fletcher is one of only a handful of people to have been singled out for prosecution on obscenity charges by the Bush administration. She faces six felony counts for operating a Web site called Red Rose, which featured detailed fictional accounts of the molesting, torture and sometimes gruesome murders of children under the age of 10, mostly girls. http://nytimes.com/2007/09/28/us/28obscene.html Mouse click could plunge city into darkness, experts say Researchers who launched an experimental cyber attack caused a generator to self-destruct, alarming the government and electrical industry about what might happen if such an attack were carried out on a larger scale, CNN has learned. http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/27/power.at.risk/index.html German security laws - Times of terror: Trying to cope with future threats but burdened by the past ... What Mr Jung and Mr Sch?uble are really trying to do, their critics fear, is to replace Germany's ?legal state? with a ?preventive state?. Mr Sch?uble, the supposed ringleader, sees the distinction between foreign and domestic security as false and is given to provocative suggestions (perhaps known terrorists should be targeted for assassination, he mused recently). His security wish-list includes such controversial proposals as letting the security services install spy software on suspects' computers. Although Mr Hartmann supports on-line snooping, he worries that ?step by step Germany could become an only security-oriented state.? http://economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9867246 German court overturns eBay shopper's conviction [Reuters] A German court on Friday overturned the conviction of a man who was found guilty of purchasing stolen goods over eBay, in a case which may have hurt the online auctioneer's business in its top market after the United States. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL289661020070928 http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-6210864.html http://www.news.com/2100-1014_3-6210864.html us: Microsoft, others protest Google's DoubleClick deal [IDG] Google Inc.'s proposed merger with online advertising server DoubleClick Inc. would create a giant that would control a huge portion of online advertising and hurt the Internet, opponents of the deal told U.S. lawmakers today. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9039539 Google-DoubleClick Deal Gets Chilly Reception on Capitol Hill Google and Microsoft squared off as usual Thursday, but this time instead of the competitive battlefield, they met on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are weighing the question of whether Google's purchase of DoubleClick will create an unfair online advertising monopoly. Representatives of both companies testified before a subcommittee of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary -- which reviews antitrust cases -- examining the deal and its implications for consumers, both in terms of antimonopoly laws and potential risks to consumer privacy. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/Y66t85I4pEmGI6/Google-DoubleClick-Deal-Gets-Chilly-Reception-on-Capitol-Hill.xhtml Are privacy, competition at stake? [AP] The chairman of a Senate antitrust panel yesterday said Google Inc.'s proposed $3.1 billion acquisition of the online advertising firm DoubleClick Inc. "warrants close examination" by federal regulators. At the same time, Microsoft Corp., which sought to acquire DoubleClick but lost out to Google, argued that the deal should be blocked because it is bad for competition and consumer privacy. http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2007/09/28/are_privacy_competition_at_stake/ US Senate Searches Google On Thursday, U.S. senators asked the question that's rattled the online ad industry for months: Is Google becoming too powerful? Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.) led a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee to explore whether the proposed acquisition by Google of the online display ad broker DoubleClick will stifle competition in the explosively growing Web advertising market and pose a threat to consumer privacy. The hearing, which may influence the Federal Trade Commission's decision on whether to block the deal, gave rise to a sharp debate among representatives of Google, Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) and third-party agencies lining up on either side of the growing schism. http://www.forbes.com/technology/2007/09/27/google-doubleclick-antitrust-tech-internet-cx_ag_0927techgoogle.html us: Judge rejects restrictive Internet law U.S. Senior District Judge Walter H. Rice struck down a state law Monday that restricts the dissemination of sexually oriented material over the Internet. The law specifically targeted material that would be illegal for children, but not adults. The lawsuit was filed in 2002 by numerous organizations representing booksellers, book publishers, music and video retailers and newspapers. http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/09/25/ddn092607ruling.html us: N.J. Judge Hears Challenge to Online Gambling Restrictions [AP] An association of online gambling groups is challenging a federal law that seeks to choke off electronic payments from gamblers to Internet companies operating in other countries. http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1190797378380 Cybercriminals shrinking botnets to foil detection Cybercriminals are downsizing their botnets to try and trick software security companies. Criminally-controlled botnets are typically controlled remotely with their creators usually trying to build the largest possible network of compromised computers, which are then rented out to gangs for as little as US$100 for a couple of hours. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/security/0,39044215,62032788,00.htm ************************** PRIVACY ************************** Anonymity & the Net [reg req'd] Question this right of Net anonymity and you risk an unmitigated thrashing (anonymously, of course). So maybe we are asking for trouble when we dare to say that Internet anonymity is out of control. Today the Net still protects the abused and the disenfranchised, people who go online for help because they can do so in secret. But it also shields creeps, criminals and pedophiles. It emboldens the mean-spirited and offers them a huge audience for spewing hatred and libel. Caustic cowards are free to one-up one another in invective and vitriol--haters who would tone it down if they had to identify themselves. http://members.forbes.com/forbes/2007/1015/074.html Google looking at privacy protections for users [Reuters] Google told U.S. Senate lawmakers on Thursday the company is pursuing new technologies to protect the privacy of Internet users as it seeks to acquire advertising company DoubleClick Inc. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKWBT00764520070927 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=137&objectid=10466450 ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** us: Senators OK triple fines for ignoring Net child porn A bill just approved by a U.S. Senate committee would slap steeper fines on Internet service providers that fail to alert authorities when they obtain knowledge of child pornography on their servers. http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9787515-7.html CoE: Meeting of the Steering Committee on the Media and New Communication Services (CDMC) (12 to 15 June 2007) During its last meeting, the Council of Europe body entrusted with developing standards on freedom of expression, media and new communication services finalised draft texts on protecting and promoting investigative journalism, freedom of expression and information in times of crisis and in the new information and communications environment, and on media coverage of election campaigns. These texts will be examined by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in the coming weeks. http://www.coe.int/t/e/human_rights/media/1_Intergovernmental_Co-operation/CDMC/CDMC(2007)009_en.asp#TopOfPage eu: Consumer guarantee law may extend to software under EU plans Buying software or other digital goods as a consumer does not entitle an individual to the same rights under EU law that he or she enjoys when buying tangible products. But that could change following a Resolution of the European Parliament on Thursday. http://out-law.com/page-8458 eu: CALL FOR TENDERS: Assessment of the economic and social impact of the public domain in the information society The envisaged purpose of the assessment is to analyse the economic and social impact of the public domain and to gauge its potential to contribute for the benefit of the citizens and the economy. More specifically its objective is to have a first and general overview of what is the situation in Europe with regard to public domain material and to assess the economic and social potential of the accessibility to this material. http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/digital_libraries/index_en.htm eu: CONFERENCE: on RFID: The next step to the Internet of Things RFID is perceived as the trigger of a new phase of development of the Information Society, often referred to as the "Internet of Things" in which the net potentially interlinks any of our daily surrounding objects to other identifiers, context data and business processes. It is expected that the impact on several value chains will be considerable and a multitude of new applications will emerge. This Conference is to present real implementation cases in different sectors, as well as cutting edge innovation and research on RFID. Also, critical issues that are related to a wider dissemination of the technology, such as Privacy and Security and the Governance of the Internet of Things, will be addressed and debated. http://rfid-outlook.pt/ NZ police let public write laws New Zealanders have been given the chance to write their own laws, with a new online tool launched by police. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7015024.stm Brazil's minister of culture calls for free digital society Free culture advocate and Brazilian Minister Gilberto Gil said that digital technology offers a rare opportunity to bring knowledge to under-privileged people around the world and to include them in the political process. http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9786370-7.html Malaysian defamation laws must keep up Legal experts are urging Malaysia to take a cue from countries such as United States and Britain, and amend its defamation laws to keep pace with the Internet revolution. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62032776,00.htm Canadian Court Opens Up eBay Data to Tax Agency A Canadian court has ruled that tax collectors can demand and review data from eBay to see how much money individual sellers make on the online auction site. http://nytimes.com/2007/10/01/technology/01ebay.html CONFERENCE: VII World Congress of Computer Law The VII World Congress of Computer Law will be held in San Juan de Puerto Rico, between December 3rd and 7th of 2007. http://www.alfa-redi.com/viicongress/ ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Monasteries enter the internet age [Reuters] A monk's life is still a simple one of prayer and austerity, yet many monasteries have moved online for business, communication and even headhunting purposes. Brother Luke Armour of the Abbey of Gethsemani in central Kentucky says the Trappist houses in the United States are communicating more effectively than ever before. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKN0923261120070927 http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/28/2045952.htm Most Taiwanese Internet users easily give up other media, according to poll Almost half of Taiwan's adults surfed the Internet on a daily basis in 2007, up from three in ten in 2006, according to a new study published yesterday. ... For the whole of Taiwan, media exposure rates were 95 percent for television, 75 percent for newspapers and 70 percent for the Internet. http://chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/2007/09/27/124243/Most-Internet.htm http://asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-eastasia.asp?parentid=78786 Internet killing off art of telling jokes [Reuters] The Internet is killing off the art of telling jokes and now the average Briton only remembers and recycles the same two jokes, a new survey showed on Friday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL2779608320070928 Clicks and links will bring all the walls tumbling down The New York Times has just abandoned its two-year effort to charge for content online, taking down TimesSelect, the pay wall around its columnists and much of its archives. So content is now and forever free. That isn't because people won't pay for content - some did. It's because there is a new economy of content online that isn't built on scarcity and control but instead relies on the idea that content must be public and permanent to realise its value in the wider conversation. http://media.guardian.co.uk/mediaguardian/story/0,,2175369,00.html comScore Releases Top Japanese Web Rankings for August [news release] In August, nearly 54 million people in Japan age 15 or older went online from either home or work locations, averaging 19 hours online during the month. Yahoo! Sites remained the top-ranked property in Japan with more than 41 million visitors, drawing almost the same number of visitors as July. Google Sites ranked second with 30.8 million visitors, while Microsoft Sites ranked third with 29.7 million visitors. http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=1769 ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Revealing Identities Second Life is a place where you go to live out fantasies. The virtual world lets you pick your body shape, eye color, age and gender. But now Second Life wants to know the real you. In August, it began testing technology that verifies people's identity and age. "Trust is the foundation of any community," blogged marketing chief Robin Harper. "And one cornerstone of trust is identity. You've got to know something about the person you are dealing with before you can trust them." http://www.forbes.com/2007/09/27/news-corp-symantec-tech-cz_vb_0927anonymity.html ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Apple iPhone warning proves true An Apple software update is disabling iPhones that have been unlocked by owners who wanted to choose which mobile network to use. Earlier this week Apple said a planned update would leave the device "permanently inoperable". http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7017660.stm Altered iPhones Freeze Up Since the iPhone hit the market in June, tech-savvy owners of the phone have been busy messing with its insides, figuring out how to add unauthorized software and even ?unlock? it for use on networks other than AT&T?s. http://nytimes.com/2007/09/29/technology/29iphone.html Navigating to Nowhere on the iPhone In less than two weeks, people downloaded 80,000 copies of the Navizon location software for the iPhone. It's now useless after Apple's phone software upgrade. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/09/28/navigating-to-nowhere-on-the-iphone/ ********************** SPAM ********************** NZ junk war rages on despite spam act While some email marketeers were last week labelling the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act a failure, ISPs and a major security specialist have a very different take on New Zealand's spam situation. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10467032 Number of malicious e-mails bearing bad links balloons tenfold The percentage of threats arriving in e-mails that rely on links to malicious sites -- rather than arriving as file attachments -- has ballooned tenfold since the first quarter of the year, a security company said today. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9039459 MessageLabs Intelligence: Virus and Phishing Levels Sky-rocket in September [news release] MessageLabs announced the results of its MessageLabs Intelligence Report for September and 3rd quarter of 2007. The new data reveals that virus and phishing levels have significantly increased, reaching levels not seen since early 2006. In addition, MessageLabs exposes a second wave of highly targeted C-level and senior management email attacks with increased sophistication and outreach. http://www.messagelabs.co.uk/resources/press/4927 ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** A PC for peasant farmers? China targets digital divide. Reporter Peter Ford says the goal of putting a computer into tens-of-millions of Chinese households is a grand goal, but not such a far-fetched one. http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0928/p01s04-woap.html Broadband Connectivity: Intel's Big Goal in India Developing countries -- virgin markets without the historical load of copper landlines -- are the perfect places for experimenting. That's why Craig Barrett, chairman of Intel, has added India to the list of more than 250 trials and commercial deployments in more than 12 countries worldwide, where he's running pilot WiMAX projects in schools and hospitals. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/c2nQnkCbRUAPQp/Broadband-Connectivity-Intels-Big-Goal-in-India.xhtml ********************** FILE SHARING ********************** Music downloads for personal use remain legal in Switzerland One of the most important points of the new Copyright Act is that downloads of works of art from the Internet for personal use remain legal (PDF file) without restriction. At the same time the law upholds the legal principle whereby technical means such as access and copy-protection measures must not be circumvented. http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/96732 ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* Stand up for Tila, an unlikely web warrior Both a Playboy model and a Tory MP have shown the need for uncensored public spaces on the web ... Then, earlier this year, [Tila Tequila and MySpace] fell out briefly. The site's owners asked her to remove a link that let visitors buy songs from a rival music service instead of MySpace's approved partner. To idealists who hoped the net would be the common land of the 21st century, the confrontation was ominous. Cynics had predicted that big businesses would one day dominate the new medium, but didn't understand how the supremacy would be achieved. http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2180165,00.html Dell Jumps on Green Horse to Lead Carbon-Neutral Charge Hoping to burnish its image as an eco-friendly company, Dell said Thursday it would strive to become the first carbon-neutral maker of personal computers and other technology gear. Dell plans to become carbon neutral in 2008, a year earlier than it had previously forecast, it said. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/Ak16YRslzuf7Yk/Dell-Jumps-on-Green-Horse-to-Lead-Carbon-Neutral-Charge.xhtml Green IT strategies stifled by inertia Nearly half of IT executives ? 42 percent ? admit their company does not monitor IT-related energy spending. http://hardware.silicon.com/servers/0,39024647,39168579,00.htm http://news.zdnet.co.uk/itmanagement/0,1000000308,39289704,00.htm Recycling batteries and phones for free The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation helps organisations recycle rechargeable batteries and old mobile phones free of charge http://news.zdnet.co.uk/hardware/0,1000000091,39289719,00.htm Fees are cut for access to Financial Times online The Financial Times, preparing for a fierce battle with The Wall Street Journal over business readers and online advertising revenue, will give casual readers free access to its Web site this month, according to executives at The Financial Times. http://iht.com/articles/2007/10/01/business/paper01web.php http://www.ft.com/cms/s/4733dd3e-6f76-11dc-b66c-0000779fd2ac.html Microsoft steps up battle with Google Microsoft is to open a new front in its battle with Google on Monday as it takes the first cautious step towards extending its widely used Office software to the internet. The move is a response to a rival set of online applications developed by Google to handle things such as word processing and spreadsheets. Though they do not yet represent a complete alternative for Office customers, Google?s applications could pose a long-term threat to one of Microsoft?s more profitable businesses, according to analysts. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c0dee3e8-6f7d-11dc-b66c-0000779fd2ac.html ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Fibre investment is a priority [news release] InternetNZ commends the draft report released by The New Zealand Institute "Defining a Broadband Aspiration: How much does broadband matter and what does New Zealand need??. http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/mediareleases/fibrereportsupport ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** au: Teacher's aid on child porn charges A 60-year-old man working as a teacher's aide and a computer technician has appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court charged with possessing a large amount of child pornography. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/articles/2007/09/28/1190486515525.html http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22496840-5001028,00.html au: Grooming underage girl for sex 'a lapse in judgement' A United States sailor who has pleaded guilty to using the internet to groom an underage girl for sex has told a Sydney court he did not try to meet her. http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/28/2046793.htm +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Sources include Quicklinks <http://qlinks.net/> and BNA Internet Law News <http://www.bna.com/ilaw/>. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2007 --------- David Goldstein address: 4/3 Abbott Street COOGEE NSW 2034 AUSTRALIA email: Goldstein_David §yahoo.com.au phone: +61 418 228 605 (mobile); +61 2 9665 5773 (home) "Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim Flannery Sick of deleting your inbox? Yahoo!7 Mail has free unlimited storage. http://au.docs.yahoo.com/mail/unlimitedstorage.htmlReceived on Thu Oct 04 2007 - 07:48:31 UTC
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