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general internet news - 20 February
The latest edition of The l.i.n.k. - Issue 18 -
January/February 2003 is now available from
http://www.vocats.com.
http://www.vocats.com/vocats/LeGoueff.nsf/NewsEng/4152785948C74B8DC1256CCB005008B2?OpenDocument
'Nigerian' money scam: What happens when you reply?
Anybody who has ever received the notorious Nigerian Money
Scam will probably have asked themselves the same question
- what would happen if I replied? For those of you
unfamiliar with this email scam, the basic idea is simple.
Somebody purporting to be a Nigerian banker contacts you,
offering a chance to earn some serious money. Often his
bank will be looking after the considerable fortune of a
deceased millionaire - from shipping magnate to former
president. He says he needs a foreign bank account through
which to launder the money - and in return for sending him
your bank details for this purpose, he will give you a
share of the spoils.
http://www.silicon.com/news/500019-500001/1/2928.html
Tunisian internet crackdown
The Tunisian Government is believed to censor the internet
more tightly than any other country in the world, with the
possible exception of China.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2777389.stm
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=2244945
Unis' music monitor bid in court
The Australian music industry on Tuesday stepped up its
action in the Federal Court against the universities of
Sydney, Melbourne and Tasmania over online music piracy,
which it claimed is rife at university campuses across the
country.
http://afr.com/it/2003/02/19/FFXHYS8PACD.html
http://www.zdnet.com.au/newstech/communications/story/0,2000024993,20272193,00.htm
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/02/19/1045330646291.html
And in the USA
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/5205893.htm
No prosecutions under net bet law
EIGHTEEN months into a ban on casino-style internet
gambling, just seven illegal websites have been added to
filtering software lists and there have been no
prosecutions.
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,5997773%5E15342%5E%5Enbv%5E15306-15319,00.html
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
New Carnegie Book Shatters Conventional Wisdom About Impact
of the Internet on Authoritarian Rule
http://www.ceip.org/files/news/1-29_Open_Networks_Press_Release.asp?from=newsnews
Microsoft going after Hotmail spammers
The software giant is using a multi-pronged approach in
rooting out junk mailers, urging new legislation and
cooperating with ISPs.
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t269-s2130689,00.html
Internet penetration in Central and Eastern Europe 17% in
2003, report
Although still trailing those of Western Europe, internet
usage rates in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) continue to
climb steadily, driven by users in the workplace and
schools, according to Internet Usage and E-ommerce in
Central and Eastern Europe, 2001-2006, a new report from
market analysts IDC. The percentage of the population using
the internet at least once a month in the region is
forecast to reach 17 per cent in 2003 and 27 per cent in
2006.
http://www.europemedia.net/shownews.asp?ArticleID=14988
Father of internet spawns 600 million followers
Internet pioneer Vinton Cerf is used to struggling to get
away from conversations. Almost everybody he encounters has
a question for him - and the self-confessed geek turned
celebrity loves to answer them.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3146984
Internet veteran AltaVista sold off
The internet veteran AltaVista has been sold to marketing
firm Overture for $140m.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2778519.stm
BPI meets with ISPs in lastest move against 'piracy'
The British Phonographic Industry's Anti-Piracy Unit took
what it describes as further steps to consolidate
relationships between the music and technology industries
last week, by hosting a meeting between UK internet service
providers (ISPs) and music groups.
http://www.europemedia.net/shownews.asp?ArticleID=14998
Salon May Not Survive Beyond February
Online magazine publisher Salon Media Group Inc. warned
that it may not survive beyond this month if it can't raise
more money to pay its rent and other bills.
http://www.bizreport.com/article.php?art_id=4165&PHPSESSID=5fbdb29e164b191dc67724ccbfd12d92
Web Tobacco Buyers Get Taxed
State tax collectors are getting aggressive about billing
smokers for taxes on online tobacco purchases. New Jersey
asked one cigar buyer to fork over more than 50 percent of
his purchase price in taxes.
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,57657,00.html
ACLU Challenges Wire-Tap Decision
The ACLU wants the Supreme Court to review a decision by a
secret U.S. court that makes it easier for the federal
government to conduct clandestine surveillance in national
security matters.
http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,57725,00.html
Visa, MasterCard accounts hacked
More than five million Visa and MasterCard accounts
throughout the US have been accessed after the computer
system at a third-party processor was hacked into,
according to representatives for the card associations.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/newstech/security/story/0,2000024985,20272196,00.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24525-2003Feb18.html
http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/chi-030218hack,1,6723572.story
Court: NY Can Ban Online Cigarette Sales
Although it's a law that would seem patently difficult to
enforce, a federal appeals court has upheld a New York
State law that prohibits the sale of cigarettes online or
via mail order.
http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article.php/1584331
California considers spam ban
The unwanted, sometimes lurid advertisements unleashed on
computer users — e-mail spam — would be banned under a new
bill in the Legislature.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/la-me-spam18feb18,1,4811638.story
http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-me-spam18feb18001440,1,104460.story
Out of Phone Numbers? Add Digits
North American telephone numbers might grow by two digits
as early as 2005. Old-school telcos blame voiceover IP
services for using up more than their share of 10-digit
combinations.
http://www.wired.com/news/infostructure/0,1377,57571,00.html
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2272526a28,00.html
EFFI: Finland rewrote the Internet censorship law
The Finnish parliament has substantially revised a
controversial law proposal on restrictions to the freedom
of speech. Initially the proposal was seen as a threat to
the free communications in the Internet. It was feared any
publisher or service provider would have had to log
practically all Internet traffic, archive all publications
for up to three months and even monitor discussion groups.
http://www.effi.org/julkaisut/tiedotteet/pressrelease-2003-02-16.html
International Chamber of Commerce: "Finnish companies
oppose law to censor Internet"
http://www.iccwbo.org/home/news_archives/2003/stories/finnish.asp
Bush unveils final cybersecurity plan
The Bush administration signed off Friday on the final
version of the United States' strategy for protecting the
Internet and securing information systems.
http://news.com.com/2100-1001-984697.html
http://www.whitehouse.gov/pcipb/cyberspace_strategy.pdf
No country has seen as much litigation in
telecommunications as India, ninety per cent of which was
avoidable, according to Ernie Newman, vice chairman,
International Telecommunications Users Group. Soon after
taking over as the Minister for Communications, Arun
Shourie expressed apprehension that the numerous lawsuits
would scare away much-needed foreign investment. Shourie
has begun well by attempting an out-of-court solution to
the long-running battle between cellular mobile telecom
operators and basic telecom services providers regarding
the provision of limited mobility in the local loop by the
latter.
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=18610
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=====
David Goldstein
address: 2/4 Dundas Street
COOGEE NSW 2034
AUSTRALIA
email: Goldstein_David@yahoo.com.au
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