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 November 19 edition of the news include: 4-day UN Internet forum ends with US control of core systems still at issue | No progress toward agreement on broader control over Internet | UN forum examines Internet risks and opportunities | Access key talking point at IGF | Brazil frowns on US control over Internet | At UN meet, worries about US Internet control, free flow of information | ICANN to fast-track internationalized domain names | More than 15,000 applications received for new .Asia domain | Use of .eu domain names up 23% during third quarter | What are the odds you'll land on a typo-squatter site? | What?s In A Name: The State of Typo-Squatting 2007 | Chinese cyber-spies 'greatest threat' to US | Panel: China's Spying Poses Threat to U.S. Tech Secrets And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Cerf sees government control of Internet failing [Reuters] Attempts by governments to create a controlling agency for the Internet are likely to fail, Dr. Vint Cerf, one of the founding fathers of the World Wide Web, said on Wednesday. In an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of a United Nations-led forum on Internet governance in Rio de Janeiro, Cerf, 64, said the fact that the Web is almost entirely privately owned is a major obstacle to such control. http://www.reuters.com/article/reutersEdge/idUSN1420689320071114 http://www.guardian.co.uk/feedarticle?id=7077567 http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/1447669 Brazil Net Forum Takes on Cybercrime [AP] The Internet is a powerful tool for free expression and dissent, but those freedoms have also helped child pornographers, predators, terrorists and other cybercriminals. All this has left computer experts, lawmakers and Internet service providers at the IGF here Wednesday grappling with how to balance these concerns in an increasingly globalized, digital world. http://iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/14/america/LA-GEN-Brazil-Internet-Terrorism.php http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/15/1194766810720.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/11/15/1194766810720.html http://www.thestate.com/technology-wire/story/229777.html U.S. Internet control discussed in Brazil [AP] U.S. control over how Internet addresses are assigned ? and thus how people around the world access e-mail and Web sites ? dominated discussions as a major U.N. conference on the Internet opened here Monday. Although few participants at the Internet Governance Forum attacked the United States directly, most were well aware of the role Americans play over domain name policies, including whether and how to assign suffixes in languages besides English. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071113.wgtinternet1113/BNStory/Technology/ http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2007-11-13-brazil-internet-addresses_N.htm http://www.thestate.com/technology-wire/story/227831.html http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BRAZIL_INTERNET_GOVERNANCE UN conference tackles digital divide [AP] Now that more than 1 billion people use the Internet, international policymakers and computing experts are struggling with how to link the world's other 5 billion to the increasingly crucial network. "Ten years ago, to talk about 1 billion Internet users sounded exaggerated, unthinkable, but now we talk about the next billion,? said Markus Kummer, the official heading a U.N. forum here Tuesday on governing the Internet. ?It is clear sooner or later we will reach that number. It is also clear that next billion will be poorer than the first." http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/11/13/1194766628219.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/13/1194766628219.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/13/AR2007111300493.html http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071113.wgtbrazilconf1113/BNStory/Technology/ ICANN promises a world of domain names ICANN has announced its plans to fast track the development of country-coded top level domains (ccTLDs) and local language scripting at the Internet Governance Forum in Rio de Janeiro yesterday. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/ICANN-promises-a-world-of-domain-names/0,130061791,339283850,00.htm CDT Warns of Risk in Debate on "Critical Internet Resources" Confusion over the concepts of "Internet governance" and "critical Internet resources" threatens to divert attention from key barriers to Internet development and could fuel calls for government intervention that would undermine the Internet's openness, CDT said in paper released today at the IGF in Rio de Janeiro. While the term CIR has become a code name in some circles for the Domain Name System, the CDT paper identifies a broader range of concerns and warns against wholesale change in the structure of ICANN. http://www.cdt.org/dns/ Internet Governance Forum: Test Of A New Global Governance Model by Monika Ermert The debate over whether the IGF should grow beyond its no-decisions, dialogue-only capacity was under consideration from the opening of the meeting here Monday. While a majority of participants from the various stakeholder groups at the meeting agree with the mandate, there are also those who ask for more concrete results and those who want to see a new structure in the management of critical Internet resources. http://ip-watch.org/weblog/index.php?p=822 Brazil Net forum takes on cybercrime The Internet is a powerful tool for free expression, but those freedoms have also helped child pornographers, predators, terrorists and other cybercriminals. All this has left computer experts, lawmakers and Internet service providers at a UN-sponsored conference Wednesday grappling with how to balance these concerns in an increasingly globalized, digital world. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2007-11/15/content_6256394.htm IGF Tuesday update [McClatchy] A wave of illegal content and government efforts to control the Internet are threatening the explosive growth of the Internet, top technology experts told a landmark U.N. Internet Governance Forum on Tuesday. http://media.www.pittnews.com/media/storage/paper879/news/2007/11/15/HealthScience/Briefs-3102084.shtml> Game to teach children Internet safety launched at UN meet in Rio A game designed to teach children how to stay away from sexual predators and other dangers lurking on the Internet was unveiled Wednesday at a UN forum in Rio de Janeiro that addressed cybercrime. The Wild Web Woods uses familiar fairy tales to guide children through a maze of potential dangers, so they can safely reach the magnificent "e-city." http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/11/15/1194766823397.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/15/1194766823397.html http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view_article.php?article_id=101041 http://www.france24.com/france24Public/en/administration/afp-news.html?id=071115001548.m321qgf9&cat=null UN forum tackles balance between property rights and Internet freedom [UN newsroom] Reconciling the free flow of information with intellectual property law topped the agenda today as the United Nations Internet Governance Forum, which has brought together 1,700 delegates from government, civil society and the private sector this week, continued its discussions in Rio de Janeiro. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=24662 Internet access for the next billion people tops discussions at UN forum [UN newsroom] Participants at the United Nations Internet Governance Forum, which has brought some 1,700 delegates from government, civil society and the private sector to Rio de Janeiro this week, called today for Internet ?access for the next billion? people. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=24646 Internet resources and accessibility spotlighted at UN forum [UN newsroom] Critical Internet resources, access, openness and using the World Wide Web to assist development were among the issues tackled today at the opening in Rio de Janeiro of the second meeting of the United Nations Internet Governance Forum. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=24626 Secretary-General's message to the Internet Governance Forum [delivered by Mr. Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs] Allow me to convey warm greetings to all those gathered for this important Forum, and to thank the Government and people of Brazil for their generous hospitality. The venue of Rio is particularly auspicious, as it was the home of the 1992 Conference on the Environment and Development. Today, in another landmark event, it is the issue of Internet Governance that brings people from all over to Rio. The Internet has become the backbone of our globalized world. For the United Nations, it has become a powerful tool in our mission to promote peace and security, development and human rights, particularly in the flows of information and knowledge that it enables. http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2859 Steps taken to create multilingual internet The ITU, Unesco and internet standards body Icann will collaborate on global efforts to forge universal standards towards building a multilingual cyberspace. The three agencies organised a workshop on the subject at this week's IGF taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2007/11/14/228088/steps-taken-to-create-multilingual-internet.htm http://allafrica.com/stories/200711140330.html http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2007/11/14/228088/steps-taken-to-create-multilingual-internet.htm Partnership to Grow Internet Information in African Nations Increasing awareness about Internet Governance issues and working together on the development and growth of the Internet in Africa are part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers and the African Telecommunications Union (ATU). http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-14nov07.htm Steps Taken for Multilingual Internet ICANN, the ITU, and UNESCO will collaborate on global efforts to forge universal standards towards building a multilingual cyberspace. The three agencies organized a workshop on this subject today during the second IGF taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 12 to 15 November 2007. http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-2-13nov07.htm ICANN CEO Speaks at Opening of Internet Governance Forum Dr Paul Twomey, President and CEO of ICANN, took part in today's opening session of the 2007 Internet Governance Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: "The Internet Governance Forum brings together a diverse group of individuals in the aim of sharing knowledge and experience over and about this one global interoperable Internet," Dr Twomey said. Dr Twomey said the Internet community should be proud of its global accomplishments of over one billion individuals online, trillions of dollars of business annually over a network of millions of computers communicating with one another across the globe, and the ability for individuals to communicate and interact with others unprecedented in human history. http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-12nov07.htm Rio IGF 2008: Amnesty renews its call on governments and companies to make human rights central to internet governance As the IGF meets in Rio de Janeiro this week, Amnesty International said today thatrestrictions on freedom of expression online are increasing globally. Amnesty International believes that numerous allegations of corporate involvement in suppression of human rights necessitates both companies and governments taking their responsibilities more seriously. The organisation is calling on governments to halt prosecution and legislation aimed at limiting freedom of expression online and to release prisoners held on the basis of their online political expression. Amnesty also calls on governments to commit collectively to human rights standards as the essential basis to prevent violations online. http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=17520 http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=3226 Issue of online free expression overshadowed by debate about US control over Internet Reporters Without Borders today appealed to the countries taking party in the four-day IGF that began yesterday in Rio not to allow the issue of online free expression to be eclipsed by the debate about the United States? dominant role in Internet governance. http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=24353 On the Hunt for ?Critical Internet Resources? by Geoff Huston I?m writing this column in November, and that means that it is time for the traveling circus known as the IGF to come down to earth, unpack its tents and sell tickets for its annual song and dance routine. The script for this year?s show has been changed, and after being excluded from the main arena last year at the Athens gig, the headline act of ?Critical Internet Resources? is taking a starring role this year in Rio. Some folk are even saying that it is the single most contentious issue to be scheduled at this year?s IGF show. So what are ?Critical Internet Resources? anyway? If folks are going to spend all this time, energy and carbon emissions traveling to Rio to talk on this topic, then wouldn?t it be helpful to understand what it means in the first place? http://www.circleid.com/posts/critical_internet_resources/ Amnesty calls for internet rights for all Amnesty International is repeating its call for companies and governments to take action to protect human rights online. Ahead of this week's IGF in Rio de Janiero, the pressure group said restrictions on freedom of expression are increasing around the world. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/12/amnesty_calls_online_rights/ Amnesty renews its call on governments and companies As the IGF meets in Rio de Janeiro this week, Amnesty International said today that restrictions on freedom of expression online are increasing globally. http://www.onrec.com/newsstories/19209.asp Free and Open-source Software Hailed in Brazil's Global Internet Forum Internet Governance Forum 2007 Gathered in Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil's Southeast, participants at the United Nations Internet Governance Forum called for Internet "access for the next billion" people. The meeting has brought some 1,700 delegates from government, civil society and the private sector to Rio. http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/8873/54/ Brazil hosts web policy forum This spring, ICANN wanted to run away from the USA. The outfit - the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers - is hired by the U.S. government to help it manage key Internet functions. Now ICANN wants the USA to protect it from ?government minders? in places like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Brazil, China, Myanmar, and North Korea to name just a few of the boogie men they fear. http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/11/13/icann-forum-targets-u-control Movers and shakers call for UK web forum At a recent event backed by .uk registry Nominet, government ministers, MPs and industry stakeholders debated the future of the internet and the creation of a UK IGF to complement the work of the UN?s own body. It was agreed that such a forum would help to stem growing internet crime in the UK and provide an example to the international community of the benefits of taking a partnership approach to governance. http://www.itweek.co.uk/itweek/analysis/2203225/movers-shakers-call-uk-web-3627503 http://www.vnunet.com/itweek/analysis/2203225/movers-shakers-call-uk-web-3627503 US Control of Internet Back on Int'l Agenda [CNSNews.com] A United Nations-sponsored meeting in Rio de Janeiro this week is providing a platform for those who want the United States to cede "control" of the Internet. Developing nations led by China, Brazil, India and others have been calling for years for the U.S. to relinquish its indirect supervision of the Internet's core systems. The campaign came to a head at a major U.N. conference in Tunisia two years ago, but the U.S. managed to fend it off. http://www.crosswalk.com/news/11559330/ World Wants Control of US Built Internet At the Internet Governance Forum in Brazil there is much discussion about the U.S. control over how Internet addresses are assigned and how people around the globe access email and Web sites. http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2007/11/13/world-wants-control-of-us-built-internet Internet forum debates universal access for development Critical Internet resources, access, openness and using the World Wide Web to assist development were among the issues tackled today at the opening in Rio de Janeiro of the second meeting of the United Nations Internet Governance Forum. http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/155135/1/1893 ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** The End User: What's up with 'whois'? Whatis whois and whyis it a problem? This is not completely gibberish: "Whois" is a kind of public database that stores information about who owns what Web site. It has been public since its inception in the 1970s. But many people want to make it private so that the personal data of domain name owners - both ordinary people and corporate entities - is not freely available on the Web. http://iht.com/articles/2007/11/14/business/PTEND15.php ICANN, African Telecommunications Union Partner to Grow Internet in Africa Increasing awareness about Internet Governance issues and working together on the development and growth of the Internet in Africa are part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by ICANN and the African Telecommunications Union (ATU). http://www.govtech.com/gt/185710?topic=117699 Three Years With ICANN by Joi Ito Apologies for the delay in writing the post. I?ve been trying to think about what to say and have just decided that I better write it before my thoughts get old... I joined the ICANN board during the December 2004 ICANN meeting in Cape Town. I served for a three year term and stepped down at this last meeting in Los Angeles and didn?t run for another term. My apologies to all of the ICANN community and the people who helped me learn about and participate in the complex but important process that is ICANN. http://www.circleid.com/posts/three_years_with_icann/ Internet Domain Name Censorship Vote Delayed ... ICANN has stumbled into serious controversy as it threatens to establish policies for systematic censorship of gTLDs, and it left these issues unresolved as it ended the week with a meeting of the Board of Directors on Friday, November 2nd. http://towardfreedom.com/home/content/view/1170/1/ ICANN Opens Public Comments on Revised Proposal from the Czech Arbitration Court (CAC) to Become a UDRP Provider ICANN has received a revised proposal from the Czech Arbitration Court (CAC) to be recognized as one of the official dispute resolution providers under the UDRP. http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-2-12nov07.htm ********************** - (cc)TLD NEWS ********************** More than 15,000 applications received for new .Asia domain Strong interest in the new .Asia domain is building as demonstrated in the total number of applications for a .Asia domain received so far. On the conclusion of the first Sunrise (SR2a) period, 15,334 applications were received. The second phase of Sunrise begins November 13, 2007 and will run through January 15, 2008. http://www.adoimagazine.com/home/index.cfm?ar=2453&sc=37 AsiaDNS Urges Fast Action for the New .ASIA 'Sunrise' Periods to Deter Cybersquatters Trademark holders who have not yet registered domains for the new .ASIA identity are risking the possibility of cybersquatting, advised Frederick Schiwek, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at EuroDNS, parent company of AsiaDNS. http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/071114/new053.html Top 15 Snatched Domain Names (.eu) In total, there are 2 646 346 .eu domain names registered at the time of writing. When the .eu extension was introduced in December 2005, the registry organization EURid built in a two-phased Sunrise period which lasted four months and allowed registered trademark holders to register their domain names to make sure it wasn?t snatched when the registrations really opened up to every EC citizen or organization. http://be.blognation.com/2007/11/13/top-15-snatched-domain-names-eu/ ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Reclaim Your Site From Domain Squatters Otherwise known as ?Cyber Squatting?, domain squatting is the act of registering, trafficking in or using a domain name with the intent to profit from the good name of an organizations trademark, brand or identity. This Wired article outlines some of the common ways in which domain squatters work including Phonetic Misspellings / Keystroke Misspellings; Historic Variations of Your Company Name; Hyphenated URLs and Abbreviations as well as what to do if you have a problem. http://howto.wired.com/wiredhowtos/index.cgi?page_name=reclaim_your_site_from_domain_squatters;action=display;category=Work Microsoft Sues Dentist For Cybersquatting The domains registered by Dr. Saed Said are "identical or confusingly similar" to Microsoft's trademarks, the company claims in court papers. http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=203100004 http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=139115 British Museum Wins Domain Dispute The British Museum has won a dispute involving the domain britishmuseum.com. The Museum, which has been established for over 250 years did not have any issue in proving their rights in the name. What is interesting, however, is that the respondent attempted to claim that the UDRP was a reverse hijack. http://www.isquattedyour.eu/2007/11/13/british-museum-wins-domain-dispute/ ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** Internet Growth Calls for Address Migration With the advent of more dynamic technology gadgets, more hosts are encroaching into the Internet, leading to the fast depletion of Internet protocol addresses commonly known as IP address. It was bound to happen, but not as expected. Who would have thought in the early 1980s that a mobile phone or a camera phone would be connected to the Internet ? How about refrigerators, and motor vehicles? http://bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4286&Itemid=5843 http://allafrica.com/stories/200711130899.html ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** A Run on the (Domain Name) Bank Shockwaves hits the financial world yesterday when an analyst said financial institution Etrade may go bankrupt. This creates a so-called run on the bank, in which people pull their money out of savings and brokerage accounts for fear of losing the money. Deposits and brokerage accounts are insured, but that doesn?t mean people will get their money immediately in case of failure. NetBank, one of the oldest internet banks, recently went belly-up. FDIC-insured accounts were transferred to ING direct. http://domainnamewire.com/2007/11/13/a-run-on-the-domain-name-bank/ VeriSign sheds business units to focus on DNS services VeriSign announced this week they are planning to refocus their business on managing DNS infrastructure and selling SSL security certificates for Web sites. The new strategy will call for divesture of a number of businesses in the company's portfolio, such as communications, billing and commerce. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=3238 VeriSign to Sell Off Firms, Strengthen Va. Operations ... Many of the companies that VeriSign is selling are recent, consumer-focused acquisitions, said W.R. Hambrecht analyst Robert Stimson. He said the effort to focus more on the company's infrastructure business may indicate that VeriSign wants to harness itself to another tech giant soon. "My hunch is they'll end up selling the whole company," Stimson said. "I think they're going to clean it up and partner with a McAfee or a Symantec. Why would they be a stand-alone company when they can use their strong infrastructure business and layer other relevant businesses on top of it?" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/14/AR2007111402273.html VeriSign to divest several lines of business VeriSign plans to refocus its business on its two core activities, managing DNS infrastructure and selling SSL security certificates for Web sites. http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/11/14/VeriSign-to-divest-several-lines-of-business_1.html VeriSign shedding business units to focus on domain name registry [AP] VeriSign Inc. plans to shed a slew of business units to focus on securing online transactions and managing the ".com" and ".net" domain name registry. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071114.wverisign1114/BNStory/Technology/ http://www.thestate.com/technology-wire/story/229364.html ********************** - DOMAINING ********************** Is Your Domain Name Triggering A Red Flag? The audience that makes up the majority of Digg users tends to be very fickle. The slightest whiff of linkbait and they will bury your story into the depths of hell where it will never see the light of day again. They hate SEO and it's no secret. This is the reason why it's so important to make sure that you approach social media sites carefully and thoughtfully. http://searchengineland.com/071113-082825.php Domainer Profile: Stuart Wood: A profile of a virtual (and real world) real estate investor. In an industry of self-promoters, Stuart Wood maintains a low profile. ?I prefer not to toot my own horn,? he claims. You may not have heard of him, nor his hometown of Racine, Wisconsin. But Wood is a big player in the domain name space. http://domainnamewire.com/2007/11/14/domainer-profile-stuart-wood/ SEO For Google - Proven Google SEO Optimization By Submitelite SEO for keywords and content is relatively easy. Choose your keyword. Write content around that keyword. Use an SEO optimizer program to make sure you have done it right. Long gone are the days of writing unrelated content, and then typing "Britney Spears" 100 times at the end of the article. Today's search engine spiders can spot the "Black Hat" SEO techniques a mile away, and your site can be banned for life. http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=42889 ********************** - AFTERMARKET ********************** Sedo Concludes 2nd .mobi Auction Sedo announced on Tuesday it concluded its second .mobi "premium name" online auction on November 7, generating $760,000 for generating mobile content tools like taxi.mobi, dating.mobi, homes.mobi and adult.mobi. http://www.thewhir.com/marketwatch/111407_Sedo_Concludes_2nd_mobi_Auction.cfm Sedo - Second .MOBI Domain Name Auction Another Global Success Sedo concluded its second .mobi "premium name" online auction on November 7, generating $760,000 for the creation of mobile content tools like taxi.mobi, dating.mobi, homes.mobi and adult.mobi. With bidders from 32 countries participating, the auction's most desired names were taxi.mobi (sold for $75,111), dating.mobi ($73,000), homes.mobi ($53,700), motels.mobi ($47,000), hotel.mobi ($46,000), date.mobi ($40,000) and adult.mobi ($30,000). http://uk.webhostdir.com/news/articles/shownews.asp?id=22977 SnapNames Opens Submissions for SnapNames Live Auction SnapNames has opened submissions for its first live auction to be held at DOMAINfest Global in Hollywood, California next January. Both SnapNames and DOMAINfest are operated by Oversee.net. http://domainnamewire.com/2007/11/14/snapnames-opens-submissions-for-snapnames-live-auction/ Innuity sells 'vista.com' web domain for $1.25M Innuity Inc. said it's sold the website domain name, "vista.com," for US$1.25 million. The Redmond software company said the buyer was online graphic design company VistaPrint Limited of Hamilton, Bermuda. http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2007/11/12/daily8.html Vista.com Sells for $1.25M Business card and printing company buys domain from software company. http://domainnamewire.com/2007/11/14/vistacom-sells-for-125m/ FullTilt.com Domain Name to be Auctioned- Poker Traffic Too Much! The domain name FullTilt.com will soon be auctioned off, after FullTilt Solutions, a Pennsylvania-based provider of enterprise product information management software, has finally had enough with all the online poker queries for Full Tilt Poker it regularly receives. http://www.pokerpages.com/poker-news/news/fulltiltcom-domain-name-to-be-auctioned--poker-traffic-too-much-30091.htm ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Roadblocks on the superhighway - the appetite for censorship is spreading Every internet company looking at the Chinese market is being forced to compromise its principles - and the appetite for censorship is spreading: So, after a long campaign against one of the world's most powerful internet companies, the families of two Chinese journalists imprisoned by Beijing's repressive regime can claim a victory ... of sorts. http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/bobbie_johnson/2007/11/roadblocks_on_the_superhighway.html A click away from freedom: Guardian Leader Search for "Tiananmen Square" on Google.com and the first result that comes up is a Wikipedia entry: "Tiananmen Square protests of 1989." Other top results include a BBC story on the "massacre" and references to "bloodshed". Now try the same search at Google.cn, the portal for Chinese users. Back come pages largely of use to tourists. There is a small chance that Chinese surfers only want handy travel hints and have no interest in one of the biggest events in their recent history - but it is more likely that those other pages have been censored. http://www.guardian.co.uk/leaders/story/0,,2210420,00.html China's citizen reporters dodge censors and critics [Reuters] China's muzzled media and burgeoning internet have given citizen reporters an audience and an opportunity, however fleeting, to spread news quicker than government censors can control it. http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/13/2089905.htm http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=184284&version=1&template_id=45&parent_id=25 Baidu's censored answer to Wikipedia ... The story of how Baidu came to dominate the country's online encyclopedia business helps explain its success in search, raises questions about political expediency and plagiarism, and highlights the difficulties facing Western companies in China. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62034439,00.htm Singapore bans Microsoft video game for sex scene [Reuters] Singapore has banned a Microsoft video game that contains a scene showing a human woman and an alien woman kissing and caressing each other, a local newspaper reported Thursday. The Straits Times said Mass Effect--a highly anticipated futuristic space adventure game from Microsoft--was banned by Singapore's Media Development Authority. http://news.zdnet.com/2110-9595_22-6218638.html Yahoo forced to apologise to Chinese dissidents over crackdown on journalists The internet giant Yahoo settled a lawsuit yesterday in relation to allegations that it helped China in a crackdown on two journalists. Yahoo's decision to settle came a week after the company was criticised in Congress, with one congressman accusing the company of being moral pygmies. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/nov/14/news.yahoo Yahoo to pay damages in Chinese dissident case after 'moral pygmy' attack in Congress Yahoo has settled a lawsuit with a Chinese journalist and dissident who were both sent to prison after the company passed on their details to the government. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article2868689.ece Yahoo settles its China lawsuit Yahoo has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought against it on behalf of several Chinese dissidents, according to papers filed in a California court. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7093564.stm Yahoo, imprisoned Chinese journalists settle lawsuit Yahoo Inc. today settled a lawsuit brought against it on behalf of imprisoned Chinese journalist Shi Tao, and pro-democracy writer Wang Xiaoning, according to court documents. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed. Yahoo could not be reached for comment. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9046798 http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKN1360603420071113 Yahoo Settles Suit With Jailed Pro-Democracy Chinese Dissidents Yahoo on Tuesday settled a lawsuit with two Chinese journalists who were jailed after the company provided Chinese authorities with information about their online activities. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The two journalists and a family member sued the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company earlier this year after Yahoo HK gave Chinese authorities e-mails containing pro-democracy literature. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/60291.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Game to teach children Internet safety launched at UN meet in Rio A game designed to teach children how to stay away from sexual predators and other dangers lurking on the Internet was unveiled Wednesday at a UN forum in Rio de Janeiro that addressed cybercrime. The Wild Web Woods uses familiar fairy tales to guide children through a maze of potential dangers, so they can safely reach the magnificent "e-city." http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/11/15/1194766823397.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/15/1194766823397.html http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view_article.php?article_id=101041 http://www.france24.com/france24Public/en/administration/afp-news.html?id=071115001548.m321qgf9&cat=null The evolution to cybercitizenship by Liz Butterfield Rapid change is a hallmark of the digital world and a good example is the use of mobile phones by young people. Mobile use spread quickly among adolescents, then downward in age to the ?tweens, on to primary school age children and now even to the under-five?s. Other online activities such as multi-player online gaming, social networking and even under-the-radar use of auction sites have now moved to the under 10?s. This change has happened in the space of only a few years. http://www.occ.org.nz/childcomm/resources_links/magazine/(year)/2007/(month)/10 nl: 'Virtual theft' leads to arrest A Dutch teenager has been arrested for allegedly stealing virtual furniture from "rooms" in Habbo Hotel, a 3D social networking website. The 17-year-old is accused of stealing 4,000 euros (?2,840) worth of virtual furniture, bought with real money. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7094764.stm nl: Police arrest teenager over virtual theft Police in the Netherlands have arrested a teenager suspected of stealing virtual objects inside a popular social networking site, it has emerged. The 17-year-old, who has not been named, is alleged to have tricked players of 3D cartoon world Habbo Hotel before removing a number of virtual items they had bought. It is believed to be the first time European officers have arrested someone for stealing virtual property. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/nov/15/socialnetworking.news au: Brawl sparks net violence fears DISTURBING footage of a brutal fight between girls from an Australian school has been posted on video sharing website YouTube, adding to growing fears the internet is being used to glorify violence. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22750660-5005941,00.html au: Massacre web threat Hours after evening news bulletins had reported the recent Jokela school massacre, Jason James Cousins had emulated the 18-year-old Finnish killer by posting a threat on YouTube against his former school, Cambridge Park High, near Penrith. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/13/1194766675218.html uk: Anti-bullying lessons for schools Schools across Northern Ireland are gearing-up to challenge racist, sectarian and cyber bullying. Anti-Bullying Week runs from Monday 19 - Friday 23 November and children of all ages will be taking part. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7094860.stm uk: Pupil mentors will be trained to beat bullying Teenagers are to be trained to counsel their younger schoolmates and offer "conflict resolution" to tackle bullying under a ?3m scheme launched today. http://politics.guardian.co.uk/publicservices/story/0,,2211213,00.html Cyberbullying bedevils Japan [Reuters] For many Japanese children, a cell phone is a social lifeline they can't imagine being without. For high school student Makoto, it became an instrument of mental torture that nearly drove him to suicide. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6218016.html http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9046422&intsrc=news_list Putting the "Self" Back into Self-Regulation by Stephen Balkam In a previous posting, I began to outline what a "new culture of responsibility" would look like in relation to online safety and child protection. I made the case against heavy-handed government regulation and censoring of what kids could and couldn't see. And I pointed out the best thing folks on The Hill could mandate is a national education and awareness campaign backed up by big bucks to reach every parent, teacher and child in the country to both warn and educate about the good and the bad stuff to be found online. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-balkam/putting-the-self-back-i_b_72514.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Hunt for Russia's web criminals A curious game of cat and mouse is being played out on the internet, as high-tech hunters close in on a group of cybercriminals known as the Russian Business Network, or RBN. The chase started a week ago when the RBN - a Russian ISP alleged to be behind much of today's web crime - slipped its internet moorings in the Baltic coastal city of St Petersburg and made for servers in China. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/nov/15/news.crime Russia Casts A Selective Net in Piracy Crackdown The newspaper Novaya Gazeta, one of the last outposts of critical journalism in Russia, suspended publication of its regional edition in the southern city of Samara on Monday after prosecutors opened a criminal case against its editor, alleging that his publication used unlicensed software. The case is part of a larger assault on independent news media, advocacy organizations and political activists, according to government critics. But it is one that is specifically tailored to deflect foreign criticism. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/13/AR2007111302070.html Researchers 'Spy' on Web Attackers Researchers with the Web Application Security Consortium (WASC) are hitting Web attackers and spammers where they live and hide out -- in open Web proxy servers. According to the latest findings by WASC, banner ad/click-fraud and spam ranked as the most common traffic visiting the organization's honeynet of decoy proxy servers for tracking real Web attacks. http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=139142 au: Nigerian police arrest man for Qld online dating scam Police in Nigeria have arrested a 27-year-old man after he allegedly scammed a 60-year-old Queensland woman out of thousands of dollars. http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/14/2091042.htm au: Gold Coast woman stung in internet dating scam Police are warning internet users to be wary of dating site scams, after a Gold Coast woman was conned into sending more than $47,000 overseas to save a man's life. http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/15/2091370.htm ************************** PRIVACY ************************** Do you have any idea who last looked at your data? by Seth Finkelstein China internet cafe A US Congressional hearing concerning Yahoo's involvement with the government of China's jailing of a Chinese journalist has set off another round of examination regarding the dangers of corporate collaboration with governments. Yahoo had identified journalist Shi Tao to the authorities as the owner of an email account, prompting Tom Lantos, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs committee hearing, to tell Yahoo: "While technologically and financially you are giants, morally you are pygmies." http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/nov/15/comment ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** European Commission acts to reduce telecoms regulation by 50% to focus on broadband competition As part of its package of telecom reform proposals presented on 13 November, the European Commission has adopted a new Recommendation on the markets where telecom-specific regulation should take place. The original 2003 version of this Recommendation listed 18 retail and wholesale markets where the Commission considers that specific ex ante regulation is required by national telecoms regulators to deal with competition problems. To reflect the progress made in the past years in most EU Member States in terms of competition and consumer choice, the Commission concluded that in principle there is no need for regulators to intervene in half of these markets. At the same time, this move will allow regulation to better focus on the main bottlenecks in the telecoms sector. http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1678&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en EU Proposes New Powers To Split Up Telecom Operators [Reuters] The European Commission proposed on Tuesday giving national telecoms regulators major new powers to split dominant operators in a shake-up of European telecoms rules immediately opposed by Germany and incumbents. The EU executive also wants to be allowed to override national regulators' decisions and to create an EU telecoms watchdog. It says the controversial measures are needed to boost competition in broadband and wireless services. http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=202806069 The future of telecom regulation in Europe The European Commission has adopted a raft of proposals that will see Europe's telecommunications infrastructure dramatically shaken up. At the heart of the proposals, which represent the biggest change in telecommunications regulation in five years, is the Commission's desire to see the European telecommunications market made into a more level playing field. The existing framework was set in place by the Commission in 2002. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-6218484.html Berners-Lee urges vendors to keep mobile Internet open Tim Berners-Lee, the man who has been called the father of the World Wide Web, today appealed to an audience of wireless service providers and application developers to keep the mobile Internet as open as the wired Web has become. In a speech at the Mobile Internet World conference, Berners-Lee, director of the World Wide Web Consortium, urged mobile network operators and other vendors to adhere to as-yet-unconceived mobile Web standards instead of taking proprietary approaches. He also said that hardware, software and content should be as universally available to users on the mobile Web as it is on the wired one. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9046899 UK Wants Net Companies to Fight Terror British Prime Minister Gordon Brown wants Internet companies to help stifle online terrorist propaganda, he told lawmakers Wednesday, as officials say they plan to meet leading service providers to find ways of putting a lid on extremist content. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/15/1194766807502.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/11/15/1194766807502.html Google fails to win EU approval for DoubleClick deal Competition authorities at the European Commission refused Tuesday to approve Google's $3.1 billion purchase of DoubleClick, the Internet advertising company, and ordered an in-depth review amid opposition from rivals, publishers and consumer groups. The commission, which rules on antitrust issues for the 27 countries in the European Union, said the merger raised competition concerns and required a more thorough review of its impact on the Internet advertising business. http://iht.com/articles/2007/11/13/technology/google.php EU will investigate Google deal European Union regulators have launched an in-depth investigation into Google's $3.1bn (?1.5bn) takeover of online advertising firm DoubleClick. The EU Commission said its initial probe had shown the deal would raise competition concerns. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7093379.stm http://www.ft.com/cms/s/7259e9ca-9219-11dc-8981-0000779fd2ac.html http://out-law.com/page-8637 us: FCC Chief Pitches Plan to Relax Media Ownership Rules Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin has indicated his support for loosening restrictions on media ownership. Specifically, Martin is seeking to modify a rule that prohibits a company from owning a newspaper, television station and radio station all in the same market. Caught in the middle is a pending deal to take Tribune Co. private through a sale to investor Sam Zell. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/60305.html au: Fast web link vow to every school KEVIN RUDD has spun his education revolution into a broadband revolution, promising to spend $1 billion providing a computer with high-speed internet access for every student in years 9 to 12 if Labor wins power. In a bid to reinforce his credentials as a future-thinking leader, the Labor leader declared a Labor government would transform every school into a "digital school" of the 21st century. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/14/1194766770452.html ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** uk: Fears over online banking checks Complicated security checks could be undermining confidence in online banking, warn experts. Security extras such as number fobs, card readers and password checks might make consumers more wary of net bank websites, they fear. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7091206.stm You may hate them, but mobile ads are coming Mobile advertising is still in its infancy, and already it's despised by some users of wireless devices. Nonetheless, it seems destined to become a major factor in the growth of the mobile Internet. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9046803 When the game never ends Gaming can be harmful, especially for boys. Candida Crew reports on a Dutch clinic that is trying to steer young people back to a more balanced life. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/14/1194766770325.html Shifting traditions: internet rivalling TV in media consumption stakes [news release] 57% of Europeans now regularly access the internet each week according to research announced today by the European Interactive Advertising Association (EIAA). That equates to 169 million people now frequently online across the ten European markets surveyed in the study. For the first time ever, 16-24 year olds are now accessing the internet more frequently than they are watching TV ? 82% of this younger demographic use the internet between 5 and 7 days each week while only 77% watch TV as regularly (a decrease of 5% since last year). 16-24 year olds also spend 10% more time surfing the internet than sat in front of the television and almost half (48%) claim their TV consumption has dropped off as a direct result of the internet. http://eiaa.net/news/eiaa-articles-details.asp?lang=1&id=154 Europeans Choose Internet Over TV [AP] Almost six out of 10 West Europeans now regularly access the Internet and, for the first time, young people are more likely to go online for most days of the week than turn on the television, according to a new survey. http://www.cio-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=56678 http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/11/13/europe.online.ap/index.html http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/60289.html http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2891&iArticleId=4128343 Brazil hoping to expand broadband access to entire country in 3 years Brazil hopes to expand broadband Internet access to nearly all corners of Latin America's largest country in the next three years, Brazil's communications minister said. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/15/1194766802956.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/11/15/1194766802956.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** uk: Broadcasters woo 'lost generation' in deal with social networking site Bebo The UK's biggest social networking site yesterday announced partnerships with a string of broadcasters, including the BBC, Channel 4, Sky, ITN and CBS, in a move hailed as one of the most significant yet in marrying old and new media. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/nov/14/bebo.digitalmedia uk: Bosses crack down on internet socialising For anyone with a case of mild Facebook addiction, finding the time to squeeze a little work in between messing around online has become one of the great challenges of the 21st-century office. So if you are taking a quiet moment at work to read this online, steal a glance over your shoulder now: an investigation by the Guardian has found that employers are taking an increasingly draconian line on workplace time-wasters. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/nov/12/news.facebook Bebo forges ties with major media players Bebo Inc., the No. 3 social network website, is trying to catch up to market leaders MySpace and Facebook Inc. by allowing major media companies to add music and videos to its site for free and keeping any ad revenue they generate. http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-bebo14nov14,1,718556.story ********************** SPAM ********************** The Evolution of Spam, Part 1: New Tricks It's not a comforting thought, but while you're sleeping peacefully, your PC may be hard at work acting as a spam server See the HP Proliant DL380 G5 Server with Systems Insight Manager ? Click here. or peer-to-peer node, providing processing power to a malware network See the HP StorageWorks All-in-One Storage System. Click here. engaging in any of a variety of criminal activities online. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/The-Evolution-of-Spam-Part-1-New-Tricks-60282.html ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** us: Hip-Hopping the Digital Divide When entertainment entrepreneurs Russell Simmons and Navarrow Wright first developed an online destination for hip-hop music and culture eight years ago, the World Wide Web wasn't ready. White North Americans were logging on in record numbers, but the African American and Latino communities that birthed the hip-hop genre in the 1970s, by and large, were not. There was a so-called digital divide separating urban youth, many of them nonwhite, from their wealthier, often white, counterparts. Hip-hop was on the wrong side of that divide. Until now. New numbers from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, scheduled for release Nov. 14, show the gap is closing as more black, Hispanic, and inner-city youth are not only logging on, but doing so via high-speed connections. http://businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2007/tc20071112_770340.htm Bridging the Digital Divide in Algeria Algerian minister of posts and telecommunications Mr Boujemaa Haichour has reaffirmed Algerira's commitment to the work that needs to be done to bridge the digital divide. Haichour was speaking during the meeting of the Solidarity Fund in Geneva to discuss the fund?s role in developing countries, notably Africa. http://allafrica.com/stories/200711130272.html http://hana.ru.ac.za/article.cfm?articleID=1756 ********************** FILE SHARING ********************** Prince: The artist who formerly liked the Internet Once considered a pioneer in online music distribution, the musician has since turned testy about fan sites and file-sharing networks. What happened? ... But Prince, one of America's most successful recording artists for three decades, seems to have had a dramatic change of heart. Within the next few days, he is expected to cap an aggressive two-month legal campaign to protect his copyright by suing The Pirate Bay, a popular BitTorrent tracking site best known for helping people find unauthorized copies of music and movies. As reported Friday by CNET News.com, Prince plans to sue The Pirate Bay in three countries for encouraging copyright violations--the United States, France, and Sweden, where the Pirate Bay is based. http://www.news.com/2100-1030_3-6218288.html http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6218288.html http://nytimes.com/cnet/CNET_2100-1030_3-6218288.html au: Simpsons Movie pirate fined A young man who filmed The Simpsons Movie on his mobile phone camera has been fined $1000. Jose Duarte, 23, had "the sophistication of a dead fish", when it came to uploading the footage on to the internet, his lawyer, Ken Stewart, told the Downing Centre Local Court. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/13/1194766654004.html ********************** VoIP ********************** us: House passes bill to streamline VoIP 911 service [IDG] The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill designed to streamline VoIP providers' connections to emergency dialing 911 networks. The House late on Tuesday passed the 911 Modernization and Public Safety Act, which requires VoIP providers to offer enhanced 911, or E911, service, which pinpoints the caller's location. http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/11/14/House-passes-bill-to-streamline-voip-911_1.html ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** uk: Langham freed from prison after appeal Chris Langham, the award-winning comedy actor imprisoned for downloading graphic images of child abuse, walked free from jail yesterday after being granted a four-month reduction in his sentence. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2211147,00.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 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 Make the switch to the world's best email. Get the new Yahoo!7 Mail now. http://au.yahoo.com/worldsbestmail/viagra/index.htmlReceived on Mon Nov 19 2007 - 18:29:17 UTC
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