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 April 24 edition of the news include: ICANN GNSO Votes to Kill Domain Tasting | Where do the Swiss live who have registered the most domain names? | Campaigning for the launch of .eng | Hackers jack thousands of sites, including UN domains | Study finds hackers can exploit misspellings | Red Bull wins redbullsucks.com from energy drink rival | Microsoft sues over brand in Dutch programme curbing kids on Internet | US court says IP addresses are private And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** FCC Net Neutrality Hearing Draws Diverse Views [IDG] http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/144791/fcc_net_neutrality_hearing_draws_diverse_views.html Net neutrality debate spreads to Europe by Milton Mueller http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/4/17/3645347.html AT&T: Internet to hit full capacity by 2010 http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-6237715.html Despite guidelines, assigning Net domain names is tricky [AP] http://news.theage.com.au/despite-guidelines-assigning-net-domain-names-is-tricky/20080418-26zn.html A Journey Through Time (20 years of .at / 10 years of nic.at) http://www.nic.at/en/uebernic/current_issues/nicat_news/news_view/period/1208660667///article/81/eine-zeitreise-20-jahre-at-10-jahre-nicat/ Back in the USSR: Soviet Internet domain name resists death [AP] http://iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/18/europe/EU-FEA-GEN-Russia-Soviet-Union-Online.php Experts split on "cyberterrorism" threat http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL1692021220080418 Storm clouds looming for Internet, experts say http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/041708-futurenet.html ISPs' Error Page Ads Let Hackers Hijack Entire Web, Researcher Discloses http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/04/isps-error-page.html IWF Seeks Registries Involvement to Tackle Child Abuse http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/04/17/iwf-seeks-registries-involvement-to-tackle-child-abuse/ Domain Name Sales Boom During Real Estate Bust http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/ebusiness/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207400716 ComScore Stands By Google Research http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/04/18/google-comscore-internet-tech-cx_wt_0418comscore.html T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Goes Down Under http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/04/17/traffic-goes-down-under/ ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Pondering the Politics of Private Procedures: The Case of ICANN by Jay P Kesan & Andres A Gallo Abstract: The creation of ICANN was sought by the United States government to promote international cooperation in the governance of the Internet based on a bottom-up system in which government intervention was limited, if not eliminated. However, as the Internet has become a global phenomenon this initiative has faced increasing opposition from the international community. As we have shown in this work, the evolution of ICANN reveals how it slowly departed from its mere technical role into a more political one, in which all groups and constituencies try to impose their preferences. During the reform movement initiated from inside ICANN, different constituencies tried to exploit the situation by gaining power positions in the new structure. The political strength of different groups and constituencies reversed some of the initial reforms and produced a totally new structure. Reform attempts from inside ICANN were challenged by the international community. These efforts concentrated on changing the main structure of ICANN into a multilateral organization controlled by international governments and removing the direct control of ICANN from the United States government. In the end, even though the proposals seem to look for different structures to regulate domain names and numbers on the Internet, they represent a political struggle between opposite points of view. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1120489 Who Should Govern Public International Computer Networks by Henrik Stakeman Spang-Hanssen [Nordic Journal of International Law] Abstract: This article first notes that increasingly public international law impinges on private international law (conflict of law) and that the Internet is a web of networks of computers around the world. Its use exploded when English Berners-Lee from CERN in Switzerland offered the HTTP protocol to the world as an open source (- as is the case with the IP/TCP protocol). This public international computer network has no central computer. Therefore with good reason, it can be argued that the Internet shall be governed by the international society. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1119244 ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** FCC Net Neutrality Hearing Draws Diverse Views [IDG] Copyrights, Internet investment, consumer choice in entertainment and even freedom of religion are all at stake in the debate over network neutrality, speakers said Thursday during a U.S. Federal Communications Commission hearing at Stanford University. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/144791/fcc_net_neutrality_hearing_draws_diverse_views.html Net neutrality debate spreads to Europe by Milton Mueller Thursday I spoke in Brussels at a well-attended seminar on "Net Neutrality and the [EU] Reform Proposals for the Electronic Communications Sector." The event had a number of sponsors, including two Belgian Universities (Namur and Leuven) the ISP Association of Belgium and some consultancies. It appears that the neutrality norm for internet governance is becoming widely discussed in Europe and is influencing the European Commission's implementation of its sectoral reform efforts. Indeed there is a Principle proposed in Article 8 that end users should be able to access and distribute content and use the applications of their choice. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/4/17/3645347.html AT&T: Internet to hit full capacity by 2010 U.S. telecommunications giant AT&T has claimed that, without investment, the Internet's current network architecture will reach the limits of its capacity by 2010. Speaking at a Westminster eForum on Web 2.0 this week in London, Jim Cicconi, vice president of legislative affairs for AT&T, warned that the current systems that constitute the Internet will not be able to cope with the increasing amounts of video and user-generated content being uploaded. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-6237715.html ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Despite guidelines, assigning Net domain names is tricky [AP] Argentina's Web sites end in ".ar," while Germany gets ".de" _ for Deutschland, as the country is known in German. Then there's ".aq" for Antarctica, a land with more penguins than computers. About 250 country-code domain names exist for various nations or territories around the world, used as suffixes in the Internet addresses crucial for computers to find Web sites and route e-mail. Outside the United States, these suffixes are often preferred over the global ".com" as a source of national pride. But deciding who gets to have one _ or keep one _ can be tricky. http://news.theage.com.au/despite-guidelines-assigning-net-domain-names-is-tricky/20080418-26zn.html http://news.smh.com.au/despite-guidelines-assigning-net-domain-names-is-tricky/20080418-26zn.html http://www.thestate.com/technology-wire/story/379947.html ICANN Nomination Period Closes for 2008 Nom Com This is an update on the 2008 ICANN Nominating Committee (Nom Com). On 15 April 2008, the nomination period closed to be considered for one of the six open leadership positions. The Nom Com received 78 Statements of Interest from candidates worldwide during an open nomination period that ran from 15 December 2007 to 15 April 2008. 13 candidates are female, 65 are male. http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-18apr08.htm ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** A Journey Through Time (20 years of .at / 10 years of nic.at) To mark the jubilee (20 years of .at / 10 years of nic.at) nic.at has made a publication, which delivers an insight into the origin and emergance of the .at-zone. Take part on a journey through time from the official registration of the top-level-domain .at in the year 1988, over the foundation of the austrian registry nic.at in 1998, to the fast development in the last 10 years. The nic.at Journey Through Time is available for free as a PDF-download. http://www.nic.at/en/uebernic/current_issues/nicat_news/news_view/period/1208660667///article/81/eine-zeitreise-20-jahre-at-10-jahre-nicat/ Implementation of CIRA?s new .CA WHOIS Policy Further to our earlier post regarding changes to CIRA?s WHOIS Policy, the change in policy is scheduled to take effect June 10, 2008. http://www.trademarkblog.ca/implementation-of-ciras-new-ca-whois-policy/ DotCoop Board Approves New Policies [news release] On 31 March, 2008, the dotCoop Board of Managers approved two new policies to define broad support by dotCoop for pricing and domain use to encourage domain registration in the .coop domain. http://www.nic.coop/news/display.asp?id=123 de: 10th ENUM Day of DENIC on 18 April 2008 in Frankfurt am Main [news release] On 18 April 2008 DENIC will host the 10th ENUM Day. The event takes places in the Le Meridien hotel in Frankfurt, Wiesenh?ttenplatz 28-38. On the agenda are looks beyond German borders on the development of ENUM in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands as well as the application of this technology in IP Multimedia Subsystems (IMS) which facilitates the access to all kinds of communication services from different networks. http://www.denic.de/en/denic/news/news_83.html Eurid: New anycast name servers increase .eu zone robustness [news release] EURid, the European registry for .eu, is pleased to announce that the stability and robustness of the .eu zone have recently been further improved by the addition of three new .eu name servers operated by the company NeuStar. Support for the new IPv6 standard for IP addresses has been introduced to .eu as well. http://www.eurid.eu/en/content/new-anycast-name-servers-increase-eu-zone-robustness IE Domain Registry Breaks 100 Thousand Today is a historical day for the IE namespace, as it has finally breached the one hundred thousand domain barrier. http://blog.blacknight.com/ie_domain_registry_breaks_100.html Change in dot-ir (.ir) registration fees As of 21 May 2008 new rates will apply to IRNIC registration and transfer services. http://www.nic.ir/Terms_and_Conditions_ir,_Appendix_3_Registration_Fee ccTLD .it Registry Communication Campaign A call for entrusting the communication campaign of the ccTLD.it Registry - for the spread of the Internet culture through the promotion of .it domains - has been published. http://www.nic.it/en/novita/comunicazioni.html Back in the USSR: Soviet Internet domain name resists death [AP] The Soviet Union may be in the dustbin of history, but there's one place the socialist utopia lives on: cyberspace. Sixteen years after the superpower's collapse, Web sites ending in the Soviet ".su" domain name have been rising ? registrations increased 45 percent this year alone. Bloggers, entrepreneurs and die-hard communists are all part of a small but growing online community resisting repeated efforts to extinguish the online Soviet outpost. http://iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/18/europe/EU-FEA-GEN-Russia-Soviet-Union-Online.php http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D904OVO80.htm http://www.thestate.com/technology-wire/story/379946.html Soviet Union .SU Rises in Popularity The Soviet Union may have collapsed some 16 years ago, but you would never guess it from the rising popularity of its country-code domain name. http://www.thewhir.com/marketwatch/041808_Soviet_Union_SU_Rises_in_Popularity.cfm Turkey's Internet Users Estimated Around 25 Million; One Million Domain Names The number of Internet users in Turkey is estimated around 25 million with an estimated 2.5 million personal computers in Turkey and near one million Turkish domain names in the country and abroad a telecommunications official said on Thursday. http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=226861&s=&i=&t=Turkey's_Internet_Users_Estimated_Around_25_Million uk: Nominet: Voting starts in non-executive director election [news release] We are pleased to announce that voting papers for our non-executive director election have been posted or emailed to members. http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/?contentId=4998 ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Experts split on "cyberterrorism" threat International experts called on Wednesday for greater cooperation to fight threats to computer networks but they differed on the definition of cyberterrorism, with a top British security official describing it as a "myth". http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL1692021220080418 Storm clouds looming for Internet, experts say While no one predicted a Mad Max-style apocalyptic catastrophe, experts at FutureNet this week nonetheless said that Internet architecture will face stiff challenges over the next few years that could put significant strain on the Web's effectiveness. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/041708-futurenet.html http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/04/17/Storm-clouds-looming-for-Internet-experts-say_1.html NeuStar Provides Operational Expertise to Department of Homeland Security's "Cyber Storm II" [news release] NeuStar announced that it participated in Cyber Storm II, the largest ever multinational online security exercise, which was organized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). As a provider of managed DNS and directory services to the global communications and Internet industry, NeuStar was among a select group of companies invited by DHS to help the government plan and conduct Cyber Storm II. http://neustar.biz/pressroom/announcements/press_release.cfm?press_id=1475 ISP typo pimping exposes users to fraudulent web pages ToorCon Comcast, Verizon and at least 70 other internet service providers are putting their customers at serious risk in their quest to make money from mistyped web addresses, security researcher Dan Kaminsky says. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/20/kaminsky_demo_at_toorcon/ ISPs' Error Page Ads Let Hackers Hijack Entire Web, Researcher Discloses Seeking to make money from mistyped website names, some of the United States' largest ISPs instead created a massive security hole that allowed hackers to use web addresses owned by eBay, PayPal, Google and Yahoo, and virtually any other large site. http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/04/isps-error-page.html CNN cyberattack called off [IDG] A planned cyberattack against CNN's Web site fizzled out Saturday as the group backing the event called it off. "Our original plan for 19 April has been canceled because too many people are aware of it and the situation is chaotic," wrote a group called "Revenge of the Flame," according to a translation posted on the Dark Visitor Blog. "At an unspecified date in the near future, we will launch the attack." http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9079100 http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,144809-c,hackers/article.html ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** University of Texas Goes After Domain Name The University of Texas System (my alma mater) has filed an arbitration under UDRP to obtain the domain name UniversityofTexas.com. The arbitration was filed with National Arbitration Forum on April 11. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/04/17/university-of-texas-goes-after-domain-name/ ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** Greylisting and IPv6 by Patrick Vande Walle Greylisting is a technology deployed on mail servers that has proved to be effective against spam. I use it here. However, I have yet to find a greylisting daemon for Postfix that works well with IPv6. This morning again, a message from an IPv6 SMTP host came in and the greylisting daemon did not know what to do, until I white listed the host in question. http://patrick.vande-walle.eu/internet/spam/greylisting-and-ipv6/ ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** ITC makes Vint Cerf an Honorary Freeman Vint Cerf, considered by many to be the 'father of the internet', has been made an Honorary Freeman by the Information Technologists' Company (ITC). The ITC also awarded Cerf the 'Freedom of the Information Technologists' Company'. http://www.channelweb.co.uk/vnunet/news/2214665/itc-makes-vint-cerf-honorary-freeman http://www.itweek.co.uk/vnunet/news/2214665/itc-makes-vint-cerf-honorary-freeman IWF Seeks Registries Involvement to Tackle Child Abuse The Internet Watch Foundation, the UK-based body whose main role is as a hotline for reporting child pornography in the UK, this week released their 2007 Annual Report <http://iwf.org.uk/corporate/page.188.htm> that includes information on the scale of publicly available child abuse websites known to the IWF. The IWF said whilst it is very rare to trace these websites to the UK, the IWF has identified a core of 2755 websites hosted abroad during 2007; this total number has remained relatively static for three years and represents a concrete target which can be tackled through international partnerships. As part of its report, the IWF made a number of recommendations on how to deal with this problem, one of which was an international effort by domain name registries and relevant authorities to de-register domains associated with child sexual abuse. http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/04/17/iwf-seeks-registries-involvement-to-tackle-child-abuse/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/iwf-seeks-registries-involvement-to-tackle-child-abuse.html S. 2661 is a Fox in Sheep?s Clothing? Why Call it an Anti-Phishing Bill When It Is Also A Trademark Bill? Chuck Kisselburg at the ICANNblog makes a good point about he so-called Anti-Phishing Bill, Senate Bill 2661. While the bill is not close to becoming a law at this juncture, Chuck correctly notes that "the bill feels like a fox in sheep?s clothing as the bill?s name suggests a bill against anti-phishing. Instead the bill not only discusses anti-phishing but seems to be based around the use, or misuse of domain names." http://tcattorney.typepad.com/anticybersquatting_consum/2008/04/s-2661-is-a-fox.html Survey: GoDaddy, Moniker Still Top Domain Registrars ... The Third Annual Domain Name Wire Survey asked respondents ?Which registrar do you think is best overall?. GoDaddy was selected 52% of the time, showing growing popularity compared to previous years. In 2006 GoDaddy was first with 28% and in 2007 it was also first with 28%. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/04/17/survey-godaddy-moniker-still-top-domain-registrars/ ARIN XXI Meeting Report Now Available From 6-9 April, the ARIN community took part in the ARIN XXI Public Policy and Members Meeting, held in Denver. The report of that meeting, which includes presentations, summary notes, and transcripts of the entire meeting, is now available on the ARIN website at: http://www.arin.net/meetings/minutes/ARIN_XXI/ http://www.arin.net/announcements/20080418.html Netcraft April 2008 Web Server Survey In the April 2008 survey we received responses from 165,719,150 sites. Most of this month's growth of 3.1 million sites is seen in the US, with Google's Blogger service alone adding 1.1 million extra sites. http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2008/04/14/april_2008_web_server_survey.html Deutsche Telekom ends ENUM test project [sub req'd] http://telecom.paper.nl/news/article.aspx?id=211771 ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Domain Name Sales Boom During Real Estate Bust The $10 million sale of Fund.com during the first quarter of the year helped spark $38,029,543 in domain sales ... and high interest in generic domain names. The real estate market may be languishing, but Web properties -- domain names -- are booming. http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/ebusiness/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207400716 ComScore Stands By Google Research A day after Google reported blockbuster earnings, comScore said Friday that its advertising-click data estimates for the Internet giant are accurate even though the companies' figures are wildly divergent. http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/04/18/google-comscore-internet-tech-cx_wt_0418comscore.html Comscore: The Google fallout Google?s first quarter earnings call didn?t have much in the way of theatrics, but a serious brush back pitch was delivered to Comscore. What should we make of Google CEO Eric Schmidt essentially throwing Comscore under the bus? http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=8530 Survey: Sedo Top Domain Name Parking Service Sedo is the top choice for parking domain names, according to a survey of 841 domain name industry participants. 48% of those surveyed picked Sedo as the best domain name parking program. Last year Sedo was the winner as well but only garnered 32% of the vote. In the 2006 survey Sedo only pulled in 19%. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/04/18/survey-sedo-top-domain-name-parking-service/ T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Goes Down Under Professional domain name owners from around the globe will attend the first Australian domain conference, ?T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Down Under? later this year. Domain companies Fabulous.com (Dark Blue Sea Ltd) and T.R.A.F.F.I.C. have partnered to host the premiere event scheduled for November 18th - 20th, 2008, to be held at the Sheraton Mirage Resort, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/04/17/traffic-goes-down-under/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/t.r.a.f.f.i.c.-goes-to-australia.html Britain for Sale at Internet World The domain name Britain.co.uk is one of a number of showcase domain names for sale at the Internet World show in Earls Court at the end of April. Over 2,000 generic, descriptive domain names are available at the show, including Maps.co.uk, Mum.co.uk, Dad.co.uk, SearchEngine.co.uk and TechnicalSupport.co.uk. http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/04/17/britain-for-sale-at-internet-world/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/britain-for-sale-at-internet-world.html When Monetizing ISP Traffic Goes Horribly Wrong In seeking to further monetize Web site traffic on their networks, a number of major Internet service providers may be inadvertently exposing their customers to a greater risk of online attack from identity thieves, according to research released today. http://blog.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2008/04/when_monetizing_isp_traffic_go.html Domain Roundtable Auction Preview for Monday, April 21. Domain Roundtable?s live domain name auction kicks off tomorrow at 11 a.m. PDT. Last year?s Domain Roundtable auction introduced a new wave of technology into live auctions by broadcasting live and accepting bids over the internet. It was also deemed successful with over $3 million in domains sold. (There were a couple hitches, however, including an auction that lasted way too long.) http://domainnamewire.com/2008/04/20/domain-roundtable-auction-preview-for-monday-april-21/ How-to-make-money-from-domains conference comes to Australia ASX-listed domain company Dark Blue Sea Ltd and the World Association of Domain Name Developers are to host the first domain conference outside the US, Traffic Down Under on the Gold Coast in November 2008. http://www.itwire.com/content/view/17718/53/ SkiResorts.com Takes Lift to Top of the Domain Sales Chart After $850,000 Deal Moniker.com closed the $850,000 sale of SkiResorts.com this week, a deal that ranks as the fourth highest sale reported so far in 2008. Moniker handled the sale for Rick Latona who sold two other domains that landed on our Top 20 chart through his own site, RickLatona.com. One of those, StCatharines.com, completed the top ten after going for $19,000. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2008/domainsales04-15-08.htm Name's Bond.Com - And It Could Be Yours If you have ever fancied having a piece of James Bond-style action, now is your chance - the web domain name Bond.com has been put up for sale. http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,91221-1313181,00.html Bond.com domain name goes for $1 million The web address Bond.com has been put up for auction today, for a reserve price of US$1million. http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/IT-networks-and-communications-blog/2008/04/bondcom-domain-name-goes-for-1-million.html IPL sells website rights for $50m Canadian company Live Current Media is to develop the official website for the Indian Premier League in a $50m (?25.2m) deal that will see the formation of a Getty Images-style picture and video syndication service. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/apr/17/digitalmedia.sportsrights Live Current Media bowls for Indian cricket fans on the web Add together a hot domain name, exclusive rights to popular content, and a big emerging market, and you may have a hit on your hands. That?s Live Current Media?s plan: It owns Cricket.com, and it has just inked a deal to license photos and videos of Indian cricket matches from the Indian Premier League and Indian cricket?s governing body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India. http://venturebeat.com/2008/04/17/live-current-media-bowls-for-indian-cricket-fans-on-the-web/ Live Current (Communicate.com) Signs $50 Million Cricket Deal Live Current, an internet company that owns premium domain names such as Cricket.com, Boxing.com, Brazil.com, and Perfume.com, has inked a ten year $50 million deal with DLF Indian Premier League, a cricket organization. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/04/17/live-current-communicatecom-signs-50-million-cricket-deal/ Domain Age and Search Engine Positioning For quite some time, search engines have ranked websites based on the relevancy of keywords, the number of incoming links, and the rank of the pages sending the links. Microsoft has recently applied for a new patent that will add another factor into the mix: the age of the domains that are offering the links. http://www.domainnamenews.com/search-engines/domain-age-and-search-engine-positioning/1522 Microsoft Plays Both Sides Of The Ad Game Ten weeks after Microsoft first launched its $45 billion bid for Yahoo!, the software giant is still slowly tightening its net around the struggling Internet portal. But as Microsoft bargains for the fate of Yahoo!, it's still being haunted by the ghost of its last major acquisition: the $6 billion buyout of online advertising firm aQuantive nearly a year ago. http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/04/15/microsoft-aquantive-avenuea-tech-intel-cx_ag_0416microsoft.html Google Defies the Economy and Shows Profit Surge The American economy may be weakening, but Google said once again that the slowdown has not affected its business. Easing concerns that its growth would stall, the Internet search giant on Thursday reported better-than-expected financial results for the first three months of the year, igniting a huge rally in its shares. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/18/technology/18google.html Google?s ad business withstands slowdown A wave of relief washed over Wall Street as Google revealed that its search engine advertising business had stood up better than expected in the face of the US economic slowdown and its own system improvements. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/a57d3e80-0cba-11dd-86df-0000779fd2ac.html ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** CEO Online Postings: Leveraging the Internet's Communications Potential While Managing the Message to Maintain Corporate Governance Interests in Information Security, Reputation and Compliance by Margo E K Reder Abstract: For approximately eight years, Whole Foods Market, Inc. CEO John Mackey posted messages to Yahoo! Financial's online message board devoted to discussion of Whole Foods. Rather than using his real name, Mr. Mackey like many posters to chat room, created an online alter ego and posted his comments under a pseudonym. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1118602 The Perils of Mandatory Parental Controls and Restrictive Defaults by Adam Thierer [Progress & Freedom Foundation Progress on Point Paper] Abstract: Government regulation mandating restrictive parental control defaults for media devices would likely have unintended consequences and would not achieve the goal of better protecting children from objectionable content, whereas increased consumer education efforts would be more effective in helping parents control their child's media consumption. Restrictive defaults on parental control tools are not already widely in place in the market since there may not be a large demand for such restrictive tools where many parents already monitor their child's media consumption through household rules or self-monitoring. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1120324 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Who Owns Sports Coverage? ... Tension over sports blogging is one of the strains between sports franchises, leagues and reporters to have emerged during the digital age. The dispute has grown lately between the press and organized sports over issues like how reporters cover teams, who owns the rights to photographs, audio and video that journalists gather at sports events, and whether someone who writes only blogs should be given access to the locker room. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/21/business/media/21bloggers.html Struggling to Evade the E-Mail Tsunami Email has become the bane of some people?s professional lives. Michael Arrington, the founder of TechCrunch, a blog covering new Internet companies, last month stared balefully at his inbox, with 2,433 unread e-mail messages, not counting 721 messages awaiting his attention in Facebook. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/technology/20digi.html More than 250 million Europeans regularly use Internet, says Commission's ICT Progress Report [news release] More than half of Europeans are now regular Internet users, 80% of them have broadband connections and 60% of public services in the EU are fully available online. Two thirds of schools and half of doctors make use of fast Internet connections, thanks to strong broadband growth in Europe. These are the findings of a Commission report on the results achieved so far with i2010, the EU's digital-led strategy for growth and jobs. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/605&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en Europe embracing speedy fat pipes More than a quarter of a billion Europeans regularly use the internet with around 80 per cent of those people being hooked up to broadband connections. Around three-quarters (77 per cent) of businesses in Europe are now using high speed broadband, according to the European Commission's latest i2010 progress report. This compares to 62 per cent in 2005. http://networks.silicon.com/broadband/0,39024661,39190811,00.htm 40 percent of Europeans never use the Internet Europe is home to some of the most Internet-savvy nations in the world: the Netherlands, Denmark and Finland. http://news.smh.com.au/eu-40-percent-of-europeans-never-use-the-internet/20080419-276f.html http://news.theage.com.au/eu-40-percent-of-europeans-never-use-the-internet/20080419-276f.html UK internet sales hit record ?13bn in first quarter Internet sales have hit an all-time high in the UK as price-conscious shoppers shun the high street in lieu of bargain-hunting online. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/internet-sales-hit-record-16313bn-in-first-quarter-812751.html Young Canadian surfers know Internet rules: Poll Most kids know how to stay safe on the Internet, a recent survey found, but many are putting themselves at risk anyway. Almost 2,250 people participated in the online survey conducted by Kids Help Phone. More than half of the respondents were aged 14 or younger and nearly 70% were female. http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/MediaNews/2008/04/19/5339361-sun.html Turkey's Internet Users Estimated Around 25 Million The number of Internet users in Turkey is estimated around 25 million, a telecommunications official said on Thursday. http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=226861 Google tweaked search 450 times in 2007 Google is typically tight-lipped about it the inner workings of its search business, but there are a few nuggets worth looking at in a Popular Mechanics interview with Udi Manber, the Google vice president who oversees search quality. Among them: Google rejiggered its search algorithm 450 times last year. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/software/0,39044164,62040358,00.htm 'Porn pastor' brings Jesus to Exxxotica It was business as usual at the porn convention. A loudest-orgasm competition blared over the loudspeakers; a cowgirl engaged in a fierce battle with a mechanical bull; a paunchy man craned his neck to catch the exposed backside of a scantily clad star. And then there was Jesus. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/502624.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Danish PM jogs with Facebook fans Denmark's Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen has gone jogging with about 100 people he met through the social networking website Facebook. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7355434.stm How Google Has Screwed Up the MySpace Deal Lots of smart people are trying to figure out how to monetize social networks. It's no easy feat: Even if millions of people log on to Facebook twice a day, they aren't there to buy sneakers, they're there to connect with friends. http://blog.wired.com/business/2008/04/how-google-scre.html Friends Indeed? As We Click With More Pals Online, The Idea of Friendship Multiplies Shadee Malaklou has lots of friends. A whole lot -- 1,295, according to her latest Facebook count. But whom exactly can she count on? Malaklou, 22, acknowledges that if she ran into some of her "friends" on the street, she might not remember their names. When she went to Duke, where "I was quote unquote popular," social life was so competitive that sometimes invitations were based only on online determinations of how hot a person was, and whether her "friends" were cool. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/18/AR2008041800736.html A Widget's Worth Developers of add-on software widgets for Facebook have had little trouble drawing huge audiences for their applications, which allow social network users to gather and share all sorts of information, photos, and videos. But generating a profit from this success has proven more of a challenge. http://businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2008/tc20080417_960083.htm ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** The iPhone in Europe: Lost in Translation When Apple's iPhone first went on sale in Europe six months ago, hopes were high that the device would be just as big a hit there as it had been in the U.S. But analysts are now raising concerns that the iPhone may not translate as well overseas, with sales sluggish in Europe because of the device's high price and strong competition from Nokia and others. "Our research indicates that European shipments to date have been far below [expectations]," says analyst Richard Windsor of Nomura Securities. http://businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_17/b4081000500950.htm iPhone sellers braced for hit on unsold handsets O2 and T-Mobile are said to have over-ordered and will have to shoulder significant writedowns to clear shelves http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/telecoms/article3770932.ece Bypassing Carriers for Mobile Content Tonya Carter used to buy cell-phone ringtones from her mobile service provider, Verizon Wireless. But lately she's found a way to bypass her carrier and download them straight from the Web. Carter, a 33-year-old Houston resident, pays about $10 a month for a service called Thumbplay, which gives her access not only to ringtones but to a gamut of games and graphics. http://businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2008/tc20080414_287344.htm ********************** SPAM ********************** Californian bill toughening anti-spam law in works A bill to strengthen California's anti-spam law is working its way through the state Legislature and could go into effect as early as next year. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/18/BU9C107D30.DTL Infosecurity 2008 - Spam techniques reach new levels of sophistication According to the Radicati Group, spam accounted for 75 per cent of worldwide e-mail traffic in 2007, with this figure expected to rise to 82 per cent by 2011. Even with low response rates and better spam detection technology, spam continues to be on the rise because unethical marketers and cybercriminals alike acknowledge it as the cheapest method to reach the widest possible audience for lucrative financial gain. http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2008/04/17/230339/infosecurity-2008-spam-techniques-reach-new-levels-of.htm ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** ICTs in Africa: Digital Divide to Digital Opportunity The contribution that communications play in the development process has been clearly demonstrated. Improving access to ICTs has significant socio-economic implications which is why improved connectivity to close the gap between the haves and have-nots is such an important step towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals. ICTs and their contribution to areas such as distance learning, telemedicine, and e-governance result in healthier, more literate populations better positioned to actively participate and advance national economies. ITU is committed to transforming the digital divide into a digital opportunity for all. http://www.itu.int/newsroom/features/ict_africa.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** EU to punish incitement to terrorism on Internet EU states agreed on Friday on tight laws against incitement to terrorism in order to clamp down on militant groups' use of the Internet. EU justice and interior ministers also agreed in Luxembourg on an action plan to try to stop groups getting explosives. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKL1889698320080418 EU to criminalise Internet-based incitement to terrorism [AFP] EU justice ministers on Friday agreed to criminalise incitement of acts of terrorism, including using the Internet for recruiting purposes. http://news.smh.com.au/eu-to-criminalise-internetbased-incitement-to-terrorism/20080419-276n.html http://news.theage.com.au/eu-to-criminalise-internetbased-incitement-to-terrorism/20080419-276n.html au: ACCC calls for eBay submissions Is eBay Australia's PayPal-only stance anti-competitive? The Australian Competition and Consumer Comission (ACCC) wants to know what you think. Members of the public can submit their comments to the regulator but have to do so by May 2. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23559242-15306,00.html Combating Cyber Crime Menace in Nigeria As the global concern for cyber crime is upbeat, the need for cyber security in the country against the backdrop of the identification of Nigeria as the weakest link in the battle against such crime is the thrust of this discourse. http://allafrica.com/stories/200804170519.html Israeli Court rules employees have right to electronic privacy The Nazareth District Labor Court has determined, in a landmark ruling, that an employer may not access his employees' e-mail boxes without their explicit consent. Overturning a previous ruling by the Tel Aviv District Labor Court, Judge Chaim Armon said that an employer could not take such action on the basis of "implied consent" by the employee. The judge also ruled that an employer did not have the right to go through his employees' recycle bins. http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000333413&fid=942 Italian Cyberstalking Case Reveals Internet Loopholes [IDG] The Internet is becoming a powerful forum for the airing of lovers' grievances, and the trend, underscored by high-profile breakups around the world, is stoking debate about Internet privacy and legal issues. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,144818-c,internet/article.html http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9079098 French websites liable for story in RSS reader A French court has punished web publishers because of snippets of text that appeared on their sites via an RSS reader. It is believed to be the first time that a website operator has been held responsible for content delivered by a third party's RSS feed. http://out-law.com/page-9058 Paypal to block 'unsafe browsers' Web payment firm Paypal has said it will block "unsafe browsers" from using its service as part of wider anti-phishing efforts. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7354539.stm PayPal to Block Users With Old Browsers PayPal plans to take the dramatic step of locking out people using older versions of Web browsers in order to stem phishing attacks. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,144813-c,internet/article.html ************************** PRIVACY ************************** UK advertising-tech fight shows complexity of privacy battle [AP] As Phorm Inc. built a system that watches consumers' Web surfing in order to deliver targeted advertising, CEO Kent Ertugrul believed the British company was doing everything possible to respect, and actually enhance, Internet privacy. http://www.thestate.com/technology-wire/story/378992.html Privacy becoming more elusive for Americans Individuals might treasure their personal data like Social Security and credit-card numbers, but identity thieves can buy them cheap and in bulk online. Credit-card numbers can now go for as little as 40 cents each. A matching name, Social Security number, address, and date of birth cost just $2.00, according to security experts. http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0418/p03s08-usgn.html Tough cookies for Web surfers seeking privacy For consumers trying to protect their privacy on the Internet, it's a Catch-22.0. Advertisers often track Web surfers' activities so they can deliver targeted ads. One of the best ways to avoid this is to install a tiny piece of software that lets computer users opt out of the practice. But the trouble is that the digital stop sign is often wiped out by other programs designed to protect people's privacy and security. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-privacy19apr19,0,1207305.story ********************** FILE SHARING ********************** The Napster bloodbath damaged music more than Lennon's murder: Andrew Keen on New Media How is the digital revolution changing the way in which music fans own their music and identify with musicians? To what extent is the internet rewriting the history of rock 'n' roll? http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/comment/andrew-keen-on-new-media-812400.html Study: LimeWire remains top P2P software; uTorrent fast-rising No. 2 LimeWire, a grizzled veteran of the peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing scene, remains the most popular software for exchanging music, video and software ? much of it pirated ? through the Internet, according to a study released Wednesday. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9078418 Nokia Australia to launch music store Nokia's online music store will finally go live in Australia on April 22 after several delays. It will offer tracks for $1.70, albums for $17, and live streaming to subscribers who pay $10 a month. There is no cap on the streaming. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23554790-5013040,00.html ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Mosley seeks French ban on orgy video World motorsport chief Max Mosley has filed legal action in Paris to prevent a video showing him in what has been described as a Nazi-style orgy with prostitutes being accessed via the Internet in France. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKL1788045020080417 Reports: Wi-Fi users to be monitored in Russia Business travellers to Russia might want to keep their laptops and iPhones well-concealed - not from muggers,necessarily, but from the country's recently formed regulatory super-agency, Rossvyazokhrankultura (short for the Russian Mass Media, Communications and Cultural Protection Service). http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/04/18/Wi-Fi-users-to-be-monitored-in-Russia_1.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ IWF Annual Report highlights persistent core of child sexual abuse websites [news release] The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) Annual Report, published today (17 April 2008), reveals new intelligence regarding the scale of publicly available child sexual abuse websites known to the IWF. Whilst it is very rare to trace these websites to the UK, the IWF has identified a core of 2755 websites hosted abroad during 2007; this total number has remained relatively static for three years and represents a concrete target which can be tackled through international partnerships. http://iwf.org.uk/media/news.229.htm au: Parent group pushes to stop cyber-bullying The Queensland Council of Parents and Citizens Associations says cyber-bullying is becoming an increasing problem in schools. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/19/2221561.htm au: Parents angry at violent school bully game Parenting and education experts have savaged the release of a controversial new video game based on schoolyard bullying, which features animated blood and violence, sexual themes, crude language, and alcohol and tobacco use. Bully: Scholarship Edition, packaged in Britain as Canis Canem Edit, Latin for "dog eat dog" pits schoolchildren at a fictitious boarding school against one another in a violent struggle for control of the campus. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/04/17/1208025350669.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/04/17/1208025350669.html YouTube Technology Helps Google Police Porn Google has adapted an existing program in a bid to track files containing child pornography. The software, which was originally created by the search engine to block copyrighted videos from being posted on its YouTube site, is now being used by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to identify and remove files containing child sex abuse. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/144588/youtube_technology_helps_google_police_porn.html ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** The internet and politics: Semi-connected - British politics is missing out on the potential of new media Even the least fogeyish of politicians have been flummoxed by the internet. Tony Blair, champion of all things modern, paid no end of lip service to the potential of new media as prime minister but was comically technophobic himself. Still, the internet plays a role in huge areas of British public life: party politics, punditry and government itself. But web aficionados lament a yawning gap with America, and with the most go-ahead corners of Europe. http://www.economist.com/world/britain/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11053170 NZ Court beckons for ISPs to define new copyright law ISPs will have to push cases through the courts to define what new copyright laws mean in practice, says lawyer Michael Cavanaugh of patent law firm Baldwins. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/31D9BFD0DC10A9E4CC257430002E6D05 ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* The Yahoo! Deal: GooHoo's Dangerous Liaisons Yahoo! appears to be pushing its luck. On April 10, the struggling Internet portal said it was testing a partnership to allow Google to host a small percentage of its search advertisements for two weeks. On Thursday, a week later, it inched further toward a long-term deal with Google because the companies are pleased with the initial results of the experiment, according to The Wall Street Journal. http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/04/17/microsoft-yahoo-google-tech-ebiz-cx_ag_0417yhoo.html The State of the Google: First-quarter revenues strong; economic apocalypse averted. In late February, an Internet analytics firm claimed that slightly fewer people were clicking on Google ads. Investors and analysts saw this as a sign of the end times?that perhaps even Google wasn't immune to the nation's mega-recession. Slate contributor Henry Blodget called it a "Google Disaster"; the company's previously unsinkable stock took a nose dive. But as I wrote last month, all of this teeth-gnashing was based on sketchy data. ComScore's numbers are merely an estimate, and its methodologies are opaque?a savvy investor should never use an ambiguous Web traffic report to forecast a company's growth or decline. Today's report on Google's first-quarter earnings would be the more telling announcement. Has the company really succumbed to the recession, or has it remained a mistake-proof colossus? http://www.slate.com/id/2189373/ Google profit rises 31 percent, beating Wall St. forecast Google said Thursday that its net income for the first three months of the year rose 31 percent on revenue growth of 42 percent from a year ago, topping estimates from Wall Street analysts. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/technology/17cnd-google.html http://iht.com/articles/2008/04/17/technology/17cndgoogle.php Google's clicks defy slowdown Google has defied predictions of doom by delivering a 31% surge in quarterly profits, appearing to vindicate its claim people will not stop searching the web while in a recession. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/apr/18/google Google clears Wall Street profit estimate Google topped pessimistic Wall Street profit expectations Thursday, reporting a net income increase of 31 percent to $1.31 billion for its most recent quarter. http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9920424-7.html Yahoo, Microsoft, and the tailwind from Google With Google blowing past Wall Street's numbers for the quarter Thursday, expectations may rise for Yahoo, which reports its first-quarter results next week. http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9921680-7.html On the Internet, It?s All About ?My? It's not you, it?s me. Actually, on the Internet, it?s ?my.? The Web is awash in sites that begin with that most personal of pronouns, and not simply MySpace. A few quick clicks will connect you to MyCoke, My IBM, My Subaru, MyAOL ? even MyClick, a mobile-phone marketing company. Collectively, they amount to a new world of Web sites designed to imply a one-on-one connection with a corporation or large business. Last month, as part of a nationwide effort to reinvent itself, Starbucks started My Starbucks Idea to solicit consumer feedback on its stores, products and image problems. If the ?70s were dubbed the Me Decade, this era could well be the My Decade. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/fashion/20website.html ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Australian National broadband network undermined Details about Australia's telecommunications infrastructure, crucial for bidders pitching for the $4.7 billion national broadband contract, are not available from the Government - more than a week after the request for proposals (RFP) for the bid. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23572294-15306,00.html ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** US politicos want free wireless broadband on unused airwaves A Silicon Valley Democrat in the U.S. Congress is proposing a new auction of unused radio spectrum, but with some ambitious strings attached: The winner would have to offer a free, wireless broadband network that reaches 95 percent of the American population within a decade. http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9922319-7.html eBay ponders Skype bail out eBay is considering flogging off Skype, the VoIP provider it paid $2.6bn for in 2005. The auction house has already written off $1.4bn relating to the purchase. It has failed to integrate the technology into its core auction business, and although Skype continues to pick up users, it is still struggling to find a way to make much cash out of them. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/18/ebay_may_sell_skype/ Era of in-flight mobile phone use begins in Europe Heading home from a business trip to Vienna last week, Fran?ois Germain, a regional manager for BP in France, was using his mobile phone to check in with an assistant back at the head office in Paris. http://iht.com/articles/2008/04/18/business/cell.php http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/19/technology/19cell.html ********************** VoIP ********************** Skype to sell unlimited international calls for $9.95/month Skype, the Internet calling subsidiary of eBay Inc., is introducing its first plan for unlimited calls to overseas phones on Monday. The plan will allow unlimited calls to land-line phones in 34 countries for $9.95 (euro6.31) per month, said Don Albert, vice president and general manager for Skype North America. http://news.smh.com.au/skype-to-sell-unlimited-international-calls-for-995month/20080421-27hx.html http://news.theage.com.au/skype-to-sell-unlimited-international-calls-for-995month/20080421-27hx.html ACMA reveals VoIP regulation facelift ACMA has announced that it will be adopting a new regulatory framework to govern VoIP in Australia. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/ACMA-reveals-VoIP-regulation-facelift/0,130061791,339288259,00.htm +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2008 --------- 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 Get the name you always wanted with the new y7mail email address. www.yahoo7.com.au/y7mailReceived on Thu Apr 24 2008 - 12:16:09 UTC
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