*************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Hi all, I?ve introduced an occasional section to the domain news on ?movers and shakers? ? on the movements of people in the domain name industry that could be relevant. So I would like to encourage you to send through anything related to new positions, resignations, promotions and anything that you think could be of interest whether it be in Australia or the wider world. Even new positions you'd like promoted. The first ?mover and shaker? is George Pongas who recently resigned from his position as Chief Operating Officer at Australian Style. See more below. Don't forget to check out http://www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the archive of the last 3 months of the news. And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. Cheers David Update on the Nominet Board fight http://kierenmccarthy.com/2009/01/26/update-on-the-nominet-board-fight/ Cyber-security for people? Or nations? by Milton Mueller http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2009/1/31/4076192.html Kentucky suit has Web world in tizzy http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202427898647 New Zealand to work on ENUM policy [sub req'd] http://www.telecompaper.com/ DOMAINfest auction a wash-out http://kierenmccarthy.com/2009/01/30/domainfest-auction-a-wash-out/ Google gets rough ride at Domainfest - Dangerous degree of arrogance backfires http://kierenmccarthy.com/2009/01/31/google-gets-rough-ride-at-domainfest/ ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Conference on Internet governance An international conference with the title Internet Governance at the Crossroads is in progress in Oslo on 29 and 30 January. Norwegian Research Center for Computers and Law, University of Oslo, and UNINETT Norid AS, both important actors within research and knowledge dissemination on Internet issues in Norway. http://www.norid.no/nytt/pressemelding20090129.en.html ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - MOVERS & SHAKERS ********************** George Pongas resigned from his position as Chief Operating Officer at Australian Style Pty. Ltd. The company owns and operates the domain registrars and hosting service providers Domain Central, Bottle Domains, and Explorer Domains. During his employment at Australian Style, Pongas was instrumental in developing and growing the various company brands and was very active in the domain industry, attending ICANN conferences, various domestic and international industry events, and participating on two auDA panel groups. Pongas said, "After more than 6 years at Australian Style, I feel it is time to explore other opportunities in the domain industry." He went on to say that, "with the imminent arrival of my second child the timing was ideal for this change, and I look forward to new beginnings." ********************** - ICANN ********************** ICANN tries to tackle botnet-friendly fast flux hosting Big botnets like Storm use fast flux hosting to hide its origins and stay active for longer. ICANN is trying to tackle the problem, but registrars are pushing back and arguing that ICANN has no right to determine which domain names are being used for illegal purposes. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/01/icanns-fast-flux-report-open-for-comments-short-on-data.ars Congressional Internet Caucus Event Focuses on ICANN?s Future On Wednesday, January 13, 2009 the Advisory Committee to the Congressional Internet Caucus held its annual ?State of the Net Conference?. This event, attended by hundreds, brings together members of Congress and their staff, regulatory agency personnel, lawyers and lobbyists, public interest groups and think tanks, and others interested in technology policy ? and often serves as a jumping off point for Congressional inquiries and legislative activities for the remainder of the year. ICA has been an Advisory Committee member since 2007. http://www.internetcommerce.org/Congressional+Internet+Caucus+Event+Focuses+on+ICANN%E2%80%99s+Future New gTLDs to be delayed by third DAG? The first version of the Draft Applicant Guidebook published by ICANN late last year has generated such a large volume of comments that ICANN may slow the new gTLD program down by introducing a third DAG. http://domainesinfo.fr/english/248/new-gtlds-to-be-delayed-by-third-dag.php Namesmash Interview: Nick Wood of Com Laude, Part 2 We sat down with Nick Wood of Cum Laude for another round of discussions on the future of the new gTLD roll out and the inspirational quality of resilience amid global economic crisis. http://www.namesmash.com/?p=215 The Dreaded Flux? A lot of my time this week has been taken up by ICANN, the non-profit group that oversees the Internet's addressing system. I've been reviewing and commenting on an initial report from their Fast Flux Hosting Working Group. It's a comprehensive piece of work that has had considerable input from a wide range of stakeholders. http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/stuart_king/2009/02/the-dreaded-flux.html ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** be: Beware of false overdue payment reminders DNS BE has recently been contacted by several .be domain name holders who received a payment reminder from the company NMG (Network Mediagroup) from London. http://www.dns.be/en/home.php?n=430 ch: New terms and new payment options for domain names A new Domain Name Registration Contract is coming into force on 1 March 2009. The most important change: it will only be possible to use new domain names (for a website or e-mail, for example) after payment has been received. Existing domain names are not affected by this change. http://switch.ch/about/news/2009/neue-bedingungen010309.html New letters sent by the "Registro italiano in internet per le imprese": the ccTLD .it and the IIT-CNR have absolutely no involvement Once again a great deal of users notices are arriving at the Registry: the users have received some letters from another entity, the so-called ?Registro italiano in Internet per le imprese?, which, through surface-mail mailings, (seemingly to ask the verifications of the data dealing with user activities) proposes a contract to adhere to in order to receive a service after payment. The Institute of informatics and Telematics of the CNR and the ccTLD .it Registry are not in the least involved with this initiative and will prepare again the necessary actions to protect any rights that might have been infringed. http://www.nic.it/en/novita/comunicazioni.html KENIC ?Dashes? Cybersquatting Activities In Kenya KENIC, Kenya?s domain name registry, has implemented a precautionary measure that prohibits the registration of a domain name with a dash or hyphen if a version of the domain name has already been registered without a hyphen. The same applies if a domain name is first registered with a hyphen, the unhyphenated version will be blocked. http://www.namesmash.com/?p=213 Campaign launched for a dotKER Cornish domain name A campaign has been launched to secure a TLD for the Cornish linguistic and cultural community, in an attempt to emulate the successes of the other TLD name campaigns currently being undertaken elsewhere in the United Kingdom. http://eurolang.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3137&Itemid=33&lang=en DotMobi giving away 1 and 2 character domains! A look at DotMobi's method for releasing its 1 and 2 character domain names without charging for them. http://domainesinfo.fr/english/249/dotmobi-giving-away-1-and-2-character-domains.php ng: Domain name: Exploiting opportunities beyond limits With the Nigeria Internet Registration Association commencing automated and commercial services at the beginning of this year, many Nigerians still do not know their strategic roles in the framework. STANLEY OPARA examines the .ng domain name initiative and associated opportunities http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20090201043875 NIC Mexico Announces the Re-Opening of .MX Registrations Network Information Center (NIC) Mexico announced they are planning to re-open top-level .mx registrations after 20 years of restrictions. http://www.domainnamenews.com/cctlds/nic-mexico-announces-the-re-opening-of-mx-registrations/3873 Holland's innovative take on local presence Holland's SIDN, the registry for .NL, has a new system for balancing their local presence requirement with the desire of non-Dutch registrants to get a .NL domain name. http://domainesinfo.fr/english/250/holland-s-innovative-take-on-local-presence.php Dublin.tel Grabbed by Lantec During the sunrise period for .eu domains there was quite a bit of controversy, as a number of high profile names were grabbed by companies that had no legitimate right to them. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20090201_dublintel_grabbed_by_lantec/ Profiles now available in VIP.tel domains Telnic Limited announced that all free trial VIP.tel test domains have now been updated to support Profiles and now contain all of the major elements of the personal functionality available when .tel domains go live. http://telnic.com/downloads/Profiles_in_vip_tel.pdf Online Directories buy Into .tel Domain Opportunity Telnic Limited welcomed strong interest from online directory service providers for .tel domains. http://news.mk.co.kr/newsRead.php?sc=30300015&cm=%EA%B5%AD%EC%A0%9C%EC%82%B0%EC%97%85&year=2009&no=59250 Landrush starts for .Tel registrations Companies that want to register their contact details on the .Tel internet domain, a specialist domain just for such information, have just six weeks left before it is open season, says Hostway, one of the 104 firms handling registrations. http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2009/01/29/234488/landrush-starts-for-.tel-registrations.htm Virtual phone book First came .com. Next were .net, .org, .biz and .mobi. The number of top level domain names (tld), the letters that follow the final dot of any domain name, is likely to grow at a fast pace this year. http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Virtual-phone-book/417918/ Update on the Nominet Board fight One day after the first announcement that angrily refused claims made in a resignation letter by former Nominet director Jim Davies, the .uk registry operator put out a second announcement covering in some detail why it believes Davies? accusations are false and without merit. http://kierenmccarthy.com/2009/01/26/update-on-the-nominet-board-fight/ uk: Independent governance review questionnaire - have your say If you have an interest in the .uk domain name space, then how we are governed is important to you. You could be an Internet Service provider, UK Business trading online, a .uk domain name holder or an Internet user - all of these groups and many more are important stakeholders in the .uk domain name space. It is therefore important that your views on governance are heard. http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/?contentId=6042 uk: PAB elections - call for nominations We are currently calling for nominations for the election of four candidates to our Policy Advisory Body (PAB). Elected candidates will serve from May 2009 for two years. http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/?contentId=5984 ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Cyber-security for people? Or nations? by Milton Mueller The Internet is organized around ?autonomous systems? -- independently managed networks most of which are privately owned or, if public, managed at the agency or department level. The current institutional structure for public governance, on the other hand, is organized around nation-states. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2009/1/31/4076192.html Troubled Ukrainian Host Sidelined A Ukrainian Web hosting provider that, according to published reports, has long served as home base to a prolific and invasive family of malicious software has been taken offline following abuse reports from Security Fix to the company's Internet provider. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/01/troubled_ukrainian_host_sideli.html ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Kentucky suit has Web world in tizzy What if China seized the domain names of U.S. Web sites promoting religions that China bans? Or what if (horrors of horrors!) Nebraska seized and shut down the domain name law.com because its cutting-edge legal content, that state believed, encourages frivolous litigation in violation of state law? http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202427898647 ICA Update / Victory (for now) in Kentucky Michael Collins has moved on from his position as Executive Director of the Internet Commerce Association. ICA counsel Phil Corwin has assumed Michael's position as the ICA's liaison/representative on ICANN's Business Constituency. The ICA's involvement with the Business Constituency has been yielding results for members. Recent efforts have ensured, amongst other things, that an ICANN draft memo critical of Domain monetizationImonetize.com - Make as much as you can was rewritten to express the legitimate benefits of such uses of domains and that concerns about the seemingly fast-tracked gTLD roll-out were discussed and scrutinized among the BC. https://www.internetcommerce.org/Congressional+Internet+Caucus+Event+Focuses+on+ICANN%E2%80%99s+Future us: Philbrick plans appeal over Internet name ruling Dan Philbrick may have lost the first round in his legal battle against Internet giant eNom over using a domain name similar to that of his Dover store, but he's ready to come out swinging in round two. http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090201/GJBUSINESS_01/702019926/-1/FOSBUSINESS in: MNC arms take on cyber squatters The battle against cyber squatters, who illegally register web addresses of known brands, has spilled over into India. The Indian arms of a host of global brands like Mercedes-Benz, Tesco, AT&T and Louis Vuitton have now taken legal recourse against these squatters. Squatters typically hijack domain names with a view to blackmailing well-known corporations or simply to make a fast buck by masquerading as the company?s official web presence. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Infotech/MNC_arms_take_on_cyber_squatters/articleshow/4049856.cms ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Masters of Their Domains? To guard its brand, Verizon Communications built a gargantuan portfolio of 10,000 domain names (such as verizoncentral.com and many other permutations). Last summer, though, company executives began "thinking like cybersquatters," says Sarah Deutsch, associate general counsel for the company. It dropped some names, sold others, and renegotiated renewal fees for the keepers. The company has saved about $1 million to date even as it has unearthed valuable unused domains (verison.com, for example) that it uses to redirect hundreds of thousands of customers to its actual Website. http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/13012957/c_13015052 New Zealand to work on ENUM policy [sub req'd] However, in consultation with internet advocacy group InternetNZ, it was agreed that the project be temporarily suspended due to pressures from other ... http://www.telecompaper.com/ Domain Pigeon helps you find unclaimed URLs There are far too many domain search and purchasing tools, but I haven't found one that does it like Domain Pigeon. The service tracks domains that are still available and puts them in an index that can be searched and sorted in all manner of ways. http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10153299-2.html ARIN XXIV In Dearborn, Michigan Mark your calendars for 21-24 October 2009 and join us in Dearborn, Michigan for ARIN XXIV, sponsored by Merit Network, Inc. and Arbor Networks. http://www.arin.net/announcements/20090126.html Canadian Internet Registration Authority President Appointed to the Country Code Names Supporting Organisation Council for 2009 - 2012 Byron Holland, President and CEO, Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) has been appointed to the ccNSO of ICANN as the North American representative for 2009 - 2012. http://cira.ca/en/media-room/news/238.html Netcraft January 2009 Web Server Survey In the January 2009 survey we received responses from 185,497,213 sites, reflecting an uncharacteristic monthly loss of 1.23 million sites. http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2009/01/16/january_2009_web_server_survey.html vn: Why registering domain names is crucial Unique internet domain names are registered on a first-come, first-served basis. Besides being used to locate an address on the internet, in place of a hard-to-remember numeric serial chain, domain names are a superb marketing tool, a method to telegraph information about the business or service being offered. As a consequence, a domain name is a highly valuable resource for any company. http://english.vietnamnet.vn/tech/2009/02/826538/ ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** DOMAINfest auction a wash-out We first learned that the domain name market was far from stable around eight years ago when the dotcom crash turned a booming market into dust in just a few months. http://kierenmccarthy.com/2009/01/30/domainfest-auction-a-wash-out/ Google gets rough ride at Domainfest - Dangerous degree of arrogance backfires You know it?s bad when you start to feel sorry for the person on stage. Hal Bailey must have wondered what the hell happened. Coming to DOMAINfest Hollywood as the man in charge of AdSense for Domains, Hal was here to tell the assembled masses that Google was going to allow them to make money while sitting on their arses. http://kierenmccarthy.com/2009/01/31/google-gets-rough-ride-at-domainfest/ 203 domains; four worth more than $1 million The big event at domaining conferences is the auction - almost like an online cattle show - where proud owners get to show off their biggest beasts and wait in silent anticipation for the huge pay-off. http://kierenmccarthy.com/2009/01/29/203-domains-four-worth-more-than-1-million/ Here at DOMAINfest, Hollywood Today I?m at DOMAINfest in Hollywood. It?s the last day of a two-day conference all about the domaining side of the domain name industry - the sale and resale of domain names and associated websites. http://kierenmccarthy.com/2009/01/29/here-at-domainfest-hollywood/ Light Action in the First Full Week of Domain Sales for 2009 After two consecutive weeks that were shortened by major holidays (Christmas and New Year's) the domain aftermarket has logged its first full week of 2009. Ironically, while sales held up surprisingly well over the holiday season, a lot of buyers seem to have gone on vacation this past week while everyone else was returning to work. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2009/01-20-09.htm The Lowdown on DOMAINfest Global Conference The 2009 DOMAINfest Global Conference in Hollywood, California closed last night with a spectacular party at the world famous Playboy Mansion that helped draw hundreds of people to a fundraising charity auction to benefit Autism Speaks. While people representing several organizations attended the star-studded private event, the DOMAINfest contingent was by far the largest. Show organizer Oversee.net's DomainSponsor unit has long been famous for unforgettable conference parties and last night they delivered a one-of-a-kind experience that set an entirely new standard that will be difficult if not impossible to top. http://dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2009/dailyposts/01-30-09.htm DOMAINfest Global Premium Live Auction Results We have just finished liveblogging the DOMAINfest Global Premium Live Auction where over $600,000 worth of domains were sold with sales ranging in value from IncredibleBargains.com for $500 to Wife.com for $100,000. http://www.domainnamenews.com/domain-auction/domainfest-global-premium-live-auction-results/3864 DOLLARS.COM Auction Bringing in the Euros in Sedo Auction Dollars.com is currently the domain name on the Sedo auction list that is poised to be a big sale with there currently being only being one bid of ?302,500. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=7191 http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/01/31/dollarscom-auction-bringing-in-the-euros-in-sedo-auction/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/dollars.com-auction-bringing-in-the-euros-in-sedo-auction.html Fly.com Appreciates 20% in 10 Years The big domain name news today is the sale of Fly.com for $1.8 million to Travelzoo (NASDAQ: TZOO). That?s a big number, especially in today?s economy. But it?s not a great return for the seller. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/01/30/flycom-appreciates-20-in-10-years/ Why the Live Domain Auction Bombed (and Why I?m Not Surprised) Yesterday?s DOMAINfest Global live domain name auction wasn?t pretty. With under $700,000 in domains sold, it may have set a low point for a general Moniker live domain auction. The mood in the room was somber as domain after domain was passed. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/01/30/why-the-live-domain-auction-bombed-and-why-im-not-surprised/ FIVE PREMIUM .TRAVEL DOMAIN NAMES SOLD AT LIVE AUCTION AT DOMAINFEST GLOBAL Five premium .travel names sold yesterday at DOMAINfest in Los Angeles. Names such as Europe.travel, city.travel, free.travel, fly.travel, and information.travel brought in thousands of dollars each. http://www.travel.travel/index.php/2009/01/30/13009-five-premium-travel-domain-names-sold-at-live-auction-at-domainfest-global/ ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** New Symbol of Elite Access: E-Mail to the Chief Anthony Lake served as one of Barack Obama?s principal counselors on foreign affairs during the campaign and exchanged e-mail messages with him regularly. But now that Mr. Obama is president, Mr. Lake no longer has his e-mail address. http://nytimes.com/2009/02/01/us/politics/01obama.html Social networks grab 10% of UK internet traffic The successes of Facebook and YouTube, along with similar sites, meant that Social networks accounted for 1 in every 10 UK internet visits during Christmas week 2008. Facebook traffic reached a new high on Christmas Day 2008, when Britain's most popular social-networking site accounted for 1 in every 22 UK internet visits, according to web analyst Hitwise. With a market share of 4.65 percent, Facebook's traffic was up 69 percent on Christmas Day 2007, and it was the second most visited website after Google UK (8.63 percent). http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=110105 http://www.pcworld.com/article/158696/.html Hal Varian, Google?s chief economist, on how the Web challenges managers Google?s chief economist says executives in wired organizations need a sharper understanding of how technology empowers innovation. http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Strategy/Innovation/Hal_Varian_on_how_the_Web_challenges_managers_2286 Google Error Sends Warning Worldwide Google?s Internet search service malfunctioned for nearly 55 minutes Saturday morning, upending users around the world with search results that carried false safety warnings and Web links that did not work. http://nytimes.com/2009/02/01/technology/internet/01google.html Google blacklists entire internet Google placed the internet on a blacklist today after a mistake caused every site in the search engine's result pages to be marked as potentially harmful and dangerous. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jan/31/google-blacklist-internet Google: This Internet May Harm Your Computer A glitch in a computer security program embedded deeply into Google's search engine briefly prevented users of the popular search engine from visiting any Web sites turned up in search results this morning. Instead, Google users were redirected to page that warned: "This site may harm your computer." http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/01/google_this_internet_will_harm.html Human error at Google sends the wrong message Google said that for nearly an hour on Saturday, users got an erroneous message when they did searches on many sites, saying, "This site may harm your computer." http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-37767320090201 http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE50U2KL20090131 Google 'error' lists all websites as harmful [AFP] The search engine Google sparked online confusion on Saturday when a glitch in its security program temporarily warned users that websites from all search results were potentially harmful. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/02/01/1233423020423.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/02/01/1233423020423.html au: Internet, mobiles on rise IT is a common fixture in homes across Australia, but the humble landline is facing extinction. As Australian families look for ways to save money, many are ditching their fixed telephone lines in favour of mobile phones and internet calling. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24988630-662,00.html In China, a Grass-Roots Rebellion When Tang Xiaozhao first saw a copy of the pro-democracy petition in her e-mail inbox, she silently acknowledged she agreed with everything in it but didn't want to get involved. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/28/AR2009012803886.html Internet boom in DIY abortion pills in Northern Ireland Concern that women in Northern Ireland may misuse an online termination costing only ?60, putting their health at risk http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/feb/01/diy-abortion-pills-northern-ireland He two-timed me on Facebook. But our divorce will be for real Georgina Hobbs-Meyer discovered her husband had had cyber sex. Now she has two warnings for users of social networking sites: your whole life can be exposed - and don't get dumped online http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/jan/31/facebook-sex-divorce ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Facebook finds way to profit from 150m members' private data Facebook is planning to exploit the vast amount of personal information it holds on its 150m members by creating one of the world's largest market research databases. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/4413483/Networking-site-cashes-in-on-friends.html Facebook friends, until I delete you A person could go mad trying to pinpoint the moment he lost a friend. So seldom does that friend make his feelings clear by sending out an e-mail alert. http://iht.com/articles/2009/01/29/style/29facebook.php Mobile Social Networking Driving Growth of the Mobile Internet in Europe, According to comScore [news release] comScore reports that social networking is drawing new users into the mobile Web. In November, 34 percent of mobile phone owners in Western Europe who visited social networking sites accessed social media exclusive of all other mobile Web content. With 12.1 million users in Western Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K.), mobile social networking is a rapidly-expanding category that grew 152 percent from November 2007 to November 2008. http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2708 ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ au: Labor's 'deafening silence' as web censorship trials delayed One of the largest ISPs signed up to participate in Labor's ambitious internet censorship trials has said its application has been met with "deafening silence" from the Government, raising questions over the workability of the proposed scheme and the effectiveness of the trials. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/01/30/1232818711139.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/01/30/1232818711139.html au: Filter trial agreements imminent The next few days will see the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy sign agreements with some of the ISPs who submitted applications to be a part of the ISP-level objectionable content filtering trial. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Filter-trial-agreements-imminent/0,130061791,339294639,00.htm au: Opinion: Have money, will pay for clean feed Netspace may think that a survey that asks leading, obvious questions about Internet filtering contributes to discussion and debate but all it did was feed the Federal Government ammunition. http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=95023 au: When MySpace ends in tears AUSTRALIAN teachers are failing to effectively intervene in school cyber bullying, with "significant progress" needed to help bring them up to speed with interactive internet tools. http://tenterfield.yourguide.com.au/news/national/national/general/when-myspace-ends-in-tears/1421371.aspx http://www.watoday.com.au/national/when-myspace-ends-in-tears-20090201-7ukd.html au: Holiday computers fire up back-to-school bullies SUMMER holidays no longer provide a break from classroom bullying. About one in five children has been terrorised during the break, a leading child-behaviour expert says. http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21498,24989553-948,00.html nz: Filter to prevent access to child porn sites The Department of Internal Affairs is setting up a filter system that will allow internet service providers to stop people accessing child pornography. But there are concerns that the power to censor browsing could be abused. http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/stories/2009/01/29/12459903de33 How to Keep Kids Safe Online Last week, a bunch of high-powered researchers issued a much-anticipated report on children's Internet safety. The Harvard University-led Internet Safety Technical Task Force concluded that technology ranging from age verification to filtering won't necessarily help make the Internet more safe for our darling tots. The results, while true, don't do much to allay most parents concerns. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123238632055894993.html ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** New EU battle over copyright rules in sight The European Commission will reopen the 'Pandora's box' of online copyright protection with a new legislative initiative on e-commerce, after attempts to filter Web traffic failed during negotiations over the telecoms package. http://euractiv.com/en/infosociety/new-eu-battle-copyright-rules-sight/article-178993 Eircom agrees to pull plug on Internet pirates In a settlement with four major record companies, Eircom, the Irish Internet service provider, has agreed to disconnect users who download music illegally from the Web. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE50S45B20090129 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-37731620090129 http://iht.com/articles/2009/01/29/technology/eircom.4-419048.php Irish ISP agrees to disconnect repeat P2P users "Three strikes" rules have come to Ireland in a sudden and unexpected way, as the country's largest ISP settles a court case brought by the music industry and agrees to take action on file-swappers. Repeat offenders will be disconnected from the 'Net. http://arstechnica.com/telecom/news/2009/01/irish-isp-agrees-to-disconnect-repeat-p2p-users.ars UK law will force ISPs to pass file-sharing data to record labels The Government will create legislation forcing internet service providers (ISPs) to gather information on customers engaged in illegal file-sharing, and forcing them to contact repeat offenders warning them that their behaviour is against the law. http://out-law.com/page-9750 ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Local Police Want Right to Jam Wireless Signals As President Obama's motorcade rolled down Pennsylvania Avenue on Inauguration Day, federal authorities deployed a closely held law enforcement tool: equipment that can jam cellphones and other wireless devices to foil remote-controlled bombs, sources said. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/31/AR2009013101548.html T-Mobile Confirms G1 Successors Fans of the T-Mobile G1 are in luck, as an executive has confirmed that the fourth-largest U.S. wireless carrier will launch successors later this year. http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal_tech/smartphones/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=213000114 Philippines sent most SMS messages A total of 6.37 billion text messages were sent through their messaging systems across Asia Pacific over the 2008/2009 Christmas and New Year period. http://mis-asia.com/news/articles/philippines-sent-most-sms-messages http://www.pcworld.com/article/158700/.html ********************** SPAM ********************** Valentine's spam starts to heat up Security experts are warning of a rising number of Valentine's Day spam messages and malware attacks. Symantec and the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-Cert) issued advisories to users after a number of malicious spam messages were found to be using Valentine's Day themes as a lure. http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2235415/valentine-spam-starts-heat http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=95212 http://www.infomaticsonline.co.uk/vnunet/news/2235415/valentine-spam-starts-heat ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Cyber-security for people? Or nations? by Milton Mueller The Internet is organized around ?autonomous systems? -- independently managed networks most of which are privately owned or, if public, managed at the agency or department level. The current institutional structure for public governance, on the other hand, is organized around nation-states. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2009/1/31/4076192.html Study: Cybercrime cost firms $1 trillion globally Data theft and breaches from cybercrime may have cost businesses as much as $1 trillion globally in lost intellectual property and expenditures for repairing the damage last year, according to a new study from McAfee. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10152246-83.html http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62050463,00.htm Cybercrime threat rising sharply The threat of cybercrime is rising sharply, experts have warned at the World Economic Forum in Davos. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/davos/7862549.stm Google dismisses click fraud report [IDG] Google is taking issue with a report that says click fraud hit a record high in the fourth quarter. http://computerworld.com.au/article/274826/ http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/9B04363DCF03E682CC25754D006A06BF http://mis-asia.com/news/articles/google-dismisses-click-fraud-report UK ban on possession of extreme images comes into force It has become illegal in most of the UK to own extreme pornographic images. A new law came into force making it a criminal offence to possess the images in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. A similar law is proposed in Scotland. http://out-law.com/page-9748 Data scams have kicked into high gear as markets tumble Cybercriminals have launched a massive new wave of Internet-based schemes to steal personal data and carry out financial scams in an effort to take advantage of the fear and confusion created by tumbling financial markets, security specialists say. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/computersecurity/2009-01-28-hackers-data-scams_N.htm A Field Day for Financial Cyber-Scammers When rumors swirled in late September that regulators had brokered a deal for Citigroup to buy Wachovia, cybercriminals capitalized on the chaos. An estimated 5,000 Wachovia customers received a fraudulent e-mail instructing them to update their accounts in anticipation of the merger. Many gave the hackers Social Security numbers and other sensitive financial information. Wachovia posted an alert within 24 hours, and Wells Fargo (WFC) emerged as the buyer a few days later. But the damage had been done. "It's us against these criminals," says Matt Wadley, a spokesman for Wachovia, which is helping those duped by the fraud. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_06/b4118056753194.htm nz: Anti-piracy tactic to annoy 'a bit' Microsoft will launch an anti-piracy initiative in New Zealand tomorrow, in an effort to flush out counterfeit Microsoft software. http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4835058a28.html ************************** PRIVACY ************************** Industry giants to weigh in on US privacy laws [IDG] A group of U.S. companies, led by technology giants Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and eBay, is set to outline recommendations for new U.S. federal data-privacy legislation that could make life easier for consumers and lead to a standard federal breach-notification law. http://computerworld.com.au/article/275034/ http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/275034/ ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** Technology stimulus plans: Paved with good intentions Is ?broadband for all? a recipe for recovery, or a boondoggle? http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13022193 Why Clay Shirky should take over the writing of the Digital Britain report I'm still reeling from having to read the word porridge of the interim report on Digital Britain, handed down yesterday by (Lord) Stephen Carter. What a mish-mash of quangos, incomplete thinking, and bars set so low you can walk over them. 2 megabit per second connections for all by 2012? When people in South Korean cities today think things are bad if their speed drops to 30Mbps? A "rights agency" funded by content providers and ISPs (ie, in the end, us) that will come together to dream up a way to "enable technical copyright-support solutions that work for both consumers and content creators"? http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jan/30/shirky-carter-digital-britain Britain's digital future unveiled: broadband for all and a crackdown on internet pirates Internet users who illegally share copyrighted material such as music and films face prosecution under government proposals which will require service providers to spy on surfers. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jan/30/digital-britain-report-stephen-carter Editorial: Broadband - A universal right It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the decisions to be taken as a result of Lord Carter's report on Digital Britain, an interim version of which was published yesterday. Britain is in an unprecedented recession and there is an urgent need to generate new jobs to fill the gap caused by the collapse of financial services. Our best chance is to exploit the digital revolution, not only because it is a vital ingredient of economic growth but because Britain has a competitive advantage - generating content for it. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/30/broadband-technology-digital-britain Digital Britain will benefit all, but who will foot the bill? Faster internet access for everyone does not come cheap - and the whole industry may have to chip in, write Richard Wray and James Robinson http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/feb/01/mediabusiness Mixed reaction to Digital Britain plans Reaction to the publication of Lord Carter's interim report on Digital Britain has been swift. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7858946.stm Digital Britain: Lord Carter vows to force ISPs to crack down on web piracy The communications minister, Lord Carter, has pledged to deliver broadband to every home in the UK by 2012 and intends to introduce legislation to force internet service providers to crack down on web piracy. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jan/29/digital-britain-lord-carter-broadband Digital Britain: Government criticised over commitment to 2Mbps broadband Opposition parties branded today's interim Digital Britain report as disappointing, arguing that it had made few substantive decisions and had not matched the prime minister's claim that digital investment was as important to the 21st century as building roads and electricity in the 19th century. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jan/29/digital-britain-broadband-opposition-reaction Every UK home to get broadband internet connection Every home from Oxford to the Orkneys will be entitled to broadband internet conneciton under proposals announced by ministers today. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article5611425.ece Welcome to the brave new world of broadband for all ? and Big Brother Mum?s mobile is playing 3-D TV to keep the kids entertained in the back seat, because the car has broken down on the way to grandma?s country cottage. Dad?s flat screen tablet is offering to download clips that show him how to get his car moving, so they can avoid a lengthy wait for the AA. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article5615129.ece Broadband for every household by 2011 A new era in which the entire population of Britain will be connected to broadband internet within three years has been unveiled by the Government. But the vision emerged amid growing concerns that Britain is falling behind other parts of the world in the battle to lead the way in digital technology. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/online/broadband-for-every-household-by-2011-1520404.html Broadband 'in every home by 2012' All UK homes should have access to broadband and faster download speeds by 2012, the government has said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7858498.stm British government seeks to expand broadband and crack down on piracy The British government outlined plans Thursday to bring broadband to every home in Britain by 2012, and proposed new ways to support the music industry and other media businesses by cracking down on online piracy. http://iht.com/articles/2009/01/29/technology/digital.4-419038.php http://nytimes.com/2009/01/30/technology/30digital.html Nouvelle-Z?lande : une riposte gradu?e sans proc?s ni preuve Comme dans d?autres pays, la Nouvelle-Z?lande a ?t? charm?e par les sir?nes alarmistes de l?industrie de la Culture pour adapter sa l?gislation aux univers num?riques. Toutefois, malgr? les critiques adress?es contre le projet, le gouvernement refuse de reporter l?application du texte controvers?. http://www.pcinpact.com/actu/news/48763-nouvelle-zelande-riposte-graduee-riaa.htm ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Broadband stimulus: Not so fast There is much talk about subsidies for high-speed broadband, but other causes are more deserving http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13024563 US Telecoms Say Web Funding For Unserved Falls Short The funding that Congress is likely to set aside for build-outs of high-speed Internet in its economic-stimulus package falls short of what service providers say is required to reach rural and unserved areas, based on initial cost estimates by several companies. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123326956344630723.html Broadband link to U.S. jobs exaggerated: experts A co-author of a widely cited forecast that nearly 300,000 U.S. jobs would be created for every percentage point rise in high-speed Internet use said on Friday these and similar estimates are "a gross overestimate." http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKTRE50T6IP20090130 The Commission proposes ?5b new investment in energy and Internet broadband infrastructure in 2009-2010, in support of the EU recovery plan [news release] As part of the ongoing implementation of the EU recovery plan endorsed by the European Council in December 2008, the European Commission has today presented proposals to invest in key energy and Internet broadband infrastructure projects. These will deliver a much needed stimulus to the EU economy in the short term, while at the same time targeting strategic goals such as energy security. All Member States will benefit from the package of measures. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/142 Commission earmarks ?1bn for investment in broadband ? Frequently Asked Questions The European Commission aims to achieve 100 % high-speed internet coverage for all citizens by 2010 as part of the European Economic Recovery Plan (IP/08/1771, MEMO/08/735). ? 1 billion has been earmarked today to help rural areas get online, bring new jobs and help businesses grow. On average, 93 % of Europeans can enjoy a high speed online connection but in some countries broadband covers less than half of the rural population (see the table in the annex). Broadband internet connection is expected to create 1 million jobs and boost the EU's economy by ?850 billion between 2006 and 2015. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/35 Rural Europe may get US$1.29B for broadband The European Commission has proposed a billion-euro boost for rural broadband across the continent, in a bid to create jobs and stimulate the economy. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39605998,00.htm http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/communications/0,39044192,62050457,00.htm Verizon Could Get $1.6 Billion in Senate Stimulus Plan Four words buried in a provision to help subsidize high-speed Internet service contained in the latest Senate version of the economic stimulus legislation could mean hundreds of millions of dollars a year in tax credits for Verizon Communications, according to telecommunications analysts. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/senate-looks-to-stimulate-verizon/ ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** au: NSW policeman facing child porn charges A former New South Wales police officer will front court again next month, after being charged with 29 child pornography offences. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/01/30/2478375.htm au: No jail for child porn charges A former Queensland Police Service civilian employee escaped actual custody after he pleaded guilty yesterday to possessing a video and 532 child exploitation images. http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2009/jan/30/no-jail-child-porn-charges/ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2009 --------- 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 Stay connected to the people that matter most with a smarter inbox. Take a look http://au.docs.yahoo.com/mail/smarterinboxReceived on Sun Feb 01 2009 - 18:47:14 UTC
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