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general internet news - 12 April
Don't forget to check out http://auda.org.au/domain-news/ for a more recent edition of the complete domain news, including an RSS feed - already online!
And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for regular updates in between postings.
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Sponsored by the Singapore Internet Research Centre
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sci/sirc/
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nz/at: Warning over scam advertising website
http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/4022965a28.html
nz/at: Warning: Fair Guide update form may mislead (news release)
http://www.comcom.govt.nz//MediaCentre/MediaReleases/200607/warningfairguideupdateformmaymisle.aspx
Email monitoring may contravene European laws
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/itmanagement/0,1000000308,39286674,00.htm
Muslim Bloggers and Journalists Speak Out
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,476644,00.html
The blogosphere risks putting off everyone but point-scoring males (comment)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2054132,00.html
Survey: Google draws 64 percent of search queries (Reuters)
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-6175248.html
China seeks to 'limit game hours'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6544759.stm
VoIP 'not ready for mainstream adoption' says Forrester
http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2007/04/11/222972/voip-not-ready-for-mainstream-adoption-says-forrester.htm
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CENSORSHIP
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Thailand steps up pressure on web dissent
A week after it blocked access to YouTube, the Thai government ordered one of the country’s most popular chat sites (pantip.com) to shut its political forum because of postings deemed insulting to the monarch.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article1634838.ece
http://www.siliconvalley.com/news/ci_5627234
cn: Broadcast watchdog in airwaves cleanup drive - State watchdog warns media outlets to steer away from vulgarity
The broadcasting watchdog yesterday urged intensified efforts to expunge vulgarity from the airwaves, setting goals for entertainment programmes and late night talk shows. The latest cleanup drive by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television aims to "promote core socialist values and cultivate a harmonious cultural environment", Xinhua reported yesterday.
http://asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=67438
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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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uk: Web bosses must block pupils' videos mocking teachers, says minister
Website providers have a moral obligation to stop pupils posting offensive school videos that demean their teachers or other children, the education secretary said yesterday. Alan Johnson told teachers that companies had a responsibility to ensure their sites were properly policed to prevent young people putting humiliating clips taken by mobile phone cameras on the internet.
http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,,2054155,00.html
Ban cyber-bullying clips, Johnson to urge websites
Websites such as YouTube and ratemyteachers.com should ban video clips of teachers or pupils who have been the target of cyber-bullying, the education secretary, Alan Johnson, will tell a teaching union conference today.
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/publicservices/story/0,,2053651,00.html
uk: Google urged to join anti cyber-bullying team
Alan Johnson, the education secretary, yesterday urged Google to join his department's task force on cyber-bullying after condemning major internet companies for not living up to their "social responsibility and moral obligation" to curb the online abuse of teachers.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/b2cdcc38-e7c9-11db-8098-000b5df10621.html
Websense extends parental controls to mobile surfing
Websense has unveiled software that allows wireless operators to protect users from malware and protect minors from inappropriate internet content.
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2187545/websense-brings-parental
uk: Wikipedia a force for good? Nonsense, says a co-founder
The founder of the Wikipedia online encyclopaedia criticised the Education Secretary yesterday for suggesting that the website could be a good educational tool for children. Mr Johnson described the internet as “an incredible force for good in education” for teachers and pupils, singling out Wikipedia for praise. ... But Larry Sanger, who helped to found Wikipedia in 2001, said that the site was “broken beyond repair” and no longer reliable.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article1637535.ece
us: Internet filters block porn, but not savvy kids
As a generation of children often more technologically savvy than their parents grows up with the Internet, improved content filters can give parents the ability to block objectionable material. They may be a good option, now that a federal court has overturned Congress's attempt to restrict Internet pornography. Last month, US District Judge Lowell Reed Jr. reversed a 1998 law that called for prison sentences and fines against owners of websites with "harmful" content if they didn't require "effective" age verification to block access by minors. Internet filters offer a better solution, Judge Reed argued, because they are less restrictive and don't violate adults' First Amendment rights.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0411/p13s02-lihc.html
http://www.miamiherald.com/156/story/69570.html
http://www.centredaily.com/218/story/64935.html
us: Parents responsible for Internet use, not law
Concerned parents may have to monitor their children's Internet activities more often. On March 22, a Philadelphia judge ruled the 1998 Child Online Protection Act unconstitutional. Steve Hunt, assistant professor in the School of Communication, explained some of the issues that played into the ruling.
http://media.www.dailyvidette.com/media/storage/paper420/news/2007/04/11/News/Parents.Responsible.For.Internet.Use.Not.Law-2833312.shtml>
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CYBERCRIME, CYBERSECURITY AND PRIVACY
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nz/at: Warning over scam advertising website
The Commerce Commission is warning of an Austrian-based advertising firm that is allegedly tricking businesses into advertising contracts worth thousands of dollars. The commission said a website had been faxing forms to businesses and non-profit organisations asking them to list on their website. Some businesses had the false impression that the listing would be free.
http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/4022965a28.html
nz/at: Warning: Fair Guide update form may mislead (news release)
New Zealanders are being warned about an Austrian company that is sending forms asking organisations to update their listing on the company’s website "Fair Guide." The company targets organisations participating in trade fairs.
http://www.comcom.govt.nz//MediaCentre/MediaReleases/200607/warningfairguideupdateformmaymisle.aspx
Email monitoring may contravene European laws
Concerns are growing over the monitoring by employers of communications, as one worker wins damages from the European Court of Human Rights
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/itmanagement/0,1000000308,39286674,00.htm
us: Grandparents and pornographers
If children are indeed the future of this country, then the nation's highest court will soon decide how much protection our future deserves. After a disturbing decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, the Supreme Court has agreed to review next term whether a child pornography law -- the PROTECT Act of 2003 -- is unconstitutionally overbroad or vague.
http://sbcbaptistpress.org/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=25365
us: Lawsuit Against Date-Bashing Site Fizzles
A Florida-based Web site that invites women to warn others about men they've dated cannot be sued in a Pennsylvania court by an attorney who said its postings falsely claimed he was unfaithful and had sexually transmitted diseases. Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge R. Stanton Wettick Jr. said he had no jurisdiction over the lawsuit Todd Hollis filed last June against DontDateHimGirl.com and its creator. Hollis, of Pittsburgh, claimed Cunningham's site is liable because it solicits negative comments but does not screen them for truthfulness.
http://ecommercetimes.com/story/56818.html
us: Judge tosses date-dissing Web suit over jurisdiction question (AP)
A Florida-based Web site that invites women to warn others about men they've dated cannot be sued in a Pennsylvania court by an attorney who said its postings falsely claimed he was unfaithful and had sexually transmitted diseases. Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge R. Stanton Wettick Jr. said he had no jurisdiction over the lawsuit Todd Hollis filed last June against DontDateHimGirl.com and its creator, Tasha C. Cunningham, 34, of Miami.
http://www.siliconvalley.com/news/ci_5635350
us: Student's MySpace Rant Is Protected Speech, Says Court
The Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled that a student's obscenity-filled MySpace post blasting a school principal is protected free speech. The student, who is identified as "A.B." in court documents, was originally placed on probation by a lower court judge in Indiana after she commented about her body piercings and school policy on a MySpace page created by another student.
http://ecommercetimes.com/story/56814.html
Google Earth focuses on atrocities in Sudan's Darfur region (AP)
Google is using its popular online mapping service to call attention to atrocities in the Darfur region of Sudan. In a project with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, inaugurated Tuesday, the Internet search company has updated its Google Earth service with high resolution satellite images of the region to document destroyed villages, displaced people and refugee camps.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/04/11/1175971139955.html
http://www.siliconvalley.com/news/ci_5635344
us: Utah could face court battle over keyword advertising (AP)
Over Google Inc.'s objections, Utah plans to set up a trademark registry to prevent rival advertisers from capturing the attention of people who type a search query on another company or its products.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/04/12/1175971228425.html
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/K/KEYWORD_LAW
us: Tech companies caught in web of ethics issues
More than 75 tech companies have revealed ethical violations and investigations, or been criticized over the handling of ethical issues, in recent months. It's a public relations nightmare, especially for an industry that portrays itself as innovators making the world a better place. (One of Google's corporate mantras is "Don't Be Evil.")
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/techinvestor/industry/2007-04-10-tech-ethics_N.htm
Cyber criminals to increasingly target mobile devices
Cyber criminals will increasingly target smartphone and PDA devices, according to the latest Global Threat Report from security vendor McAfee.
http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2187529/mobile-devices-future-targets
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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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kr: Law revision will give authorities access to phone, Internet data for 1 year
A campaign against a revision of the so-called "telecommunications privacy law" has been getting fiercer. Under the proposed revision bill, it will be possible for the government to monitor mobile phone conversations, e-mail, and Internet messenger services, and telecommunications data and Internet use records will be stored by companies for at least a year.
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/202301.html
us: Bush aides' use of GOP e-mail probed (AP)
Congressional investigators are probing why aides to President Bush used Republican Party-sponsored e-mail accounts to help plan the administration's ouster of eight federal prosecutors.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-04-11-gop-email_N.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/11/AR2007041101559.html
us: Congressional investigators probe why White House aides used GOP-sponsored e-mail accounts (AP)
The White House said Wednesday it had mishandled Republican Party-sponsored e-mail accounts used by nearly two dozen presidential aides, resulting in the loss of an undetermined number of e-mails concerning official White House business.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/04/11/congressional_investigators_probe_why_white_house_aides_used_gop_sponsored_e_mail_accounts/
http://www.wsoctv.com/news/11644601/detail.html
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SPAM
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New Technology Aims to Bore Impatient Spammers
MailChannels of Vancouver, Canada, found that by forcing e-mail programs to wait a few seconds before being allowed to communicate with Internet servers handling the recipients' incoming mail, most spammers give up and move on.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/10/AR2007041000479.html
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INTERNET & NEW TECHNOLOGY USE
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Muslim Bloggers and Journalists Speak Out
Muslim journalists and bloggers across the Arab world are speaking out to promote civil society and women's rights in Islamic societies. But it is a hard struggle at times, with societal pressure and even fines to contend with.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,476644,00.html
The blogosphere risks putting off everyone but point-scoring males (comment)
The revolutionary public space that online debate represents is in danger of becoming stale and claustrophobic: So you're at a public meeting on, say, the war in Iraq and the main speaker has just sat down. Someone in the audience rises to declare the speaker is talking crap, but that's typical of him because he knows nothing and it's a scandal that he's paid for the rubbish he turns out. A second man agrees that the speech was trash, but tells the first man he should crawl back under his stone because he never says anything worth listening to. A third man wonders why the speaker didn't mention Israel, especially given his Zionist-sounding last name.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2054132,00.html
Survey: Google draws 64 percent of search queries (Reuters)
The number of search queries on Google rose to 64.1 percent in March, compared with 63.9 percent in February and 58.3 percent a year ago, according to Hitwise, which bases its report on the surfing habits of 10 million U.S. Web users. A more conservative survey by online measurement firm comScore Networks from February also showed how Google's U.S. market share grew to 48.1 percent in February from a 47.5 percent share in January. On a global basis, comScore estimates Google held a 65.7 percent share of the Web search market.
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-6175248.html
au: Family time is gone with the Windows
Glued to their mobile phones or a computer screen, young people just don't talk to their parents as often as they used to - or that is what their parents think. Those aged between 16 and 20 spend an average of 3.2 hours a day using new technology compared with two hours a day in face-to-face communication with their parents, according to their parents' best estimates.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/04/11/1175971183188.html
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/04/11/1175971146577.html
au: Internet battles for navy recruits
AN innovative online marketing campaign by the Royal Australian Navy using Microsoft's Messenger service has lured enough recruits to fill two battleships. The campaign has also cut the cost of acquisition of each recruit from more than $300 to less than $10.
http://theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21541316-7582,00.html
au: Big boys' new online rivers of gold
The Publishing & Broadcasting empire staked a claim to one in every four of the A$1 billion in advertising revenue dollars that flowed to the internet in 2006. PBL and its online arm Ninemsn, together with part-owned specialist classified players Seek and Carsales.com.au, between them generated 23.6 per cent of the total online advertising market, according to research firm Frost & Sullivan. Telstra's internet arm Sensis was the second-biggest player, followed by Google, each of which attracted about 21 per cent of total revenue.
http://theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21541267-7582,00.html
Internet shopping hurt high street
A surge in internet shopping helped to thin the high street's festive crowds, according to a report released yesterday.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/687582fa-9d2a-11db-8ec6-0000779e2340,dwp_uuid=34c8a8a6-2f7b-11da-8b51-00000e2511c8.html
Forrester Research Ranks The World's Most Innovative Countries (news release)
Finland, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the US are among the countries that rank highest in terms of global innovation capability according to a first-of-its-kind evaluation of 26 nations by Forrester Research, Inc. (Nasdaq: FORR). The resulting ranking demonstrates how governments can implement successful innovation strategies designed for a globally networked knowledge economy.
http://www.forrester.com/ER/Press/Release/0,1769,1123,FF.html
China seeks to 'limit game hours'
The Chinese government is clamping down on what it sees as a growing problem of gaming addiction.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6544759.stm
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/04/10/1175971073157.html
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKT29847420070410
Search Terms for Q1 2007
Clickz lists the most popular search terms, and fastest moving in some cases, for Google, Yahoo, AOL, Ask.com and Lycos for the first quarter, 2007.
http://clickz.com/showPage.html?page=3625537
Facebook goes under the knife (Reuters)
Facebook, which has seen explosive growth relative to rival social networking sites since a membership crisis six months ago, is set to unveil new features on Wednesday that mark its progress from a dating site for college kids into a mainstream network tool.
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6175099.html
us: 'Office' Fans Flock to Edit Wikipedia (AP)
In the NBC series "The Office," the boss Michael Scott turned to Wikipedia for tips on fending off an employee's request for a pay raise. Viewers quickly flocked to the online encyclopedia and added their take to its entry on negotiations. Administrators at Wikipedia had to limit editing of the entry, most recently late Tuesday, placing it in "semi-protection" mode. That meant users couldn't make changes anonymously or from accounts fewer than four days old _ to discourage those drawn to the site specifically because of the broadcast.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/04/12/1175971215142.html
http://www.siliconvalley.com/news/ci_5643587
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OFFICE_WIKIPEDIA
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DIGITAL DIVIDE
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us: African-Americans Facing ‘Digital Dimmer Switch’ in Internet Usage, Senior Citizens Especially Disadvantaged
While the number of African-Americans who frequent the Internet continues to grow, White Web users maintain a good lead amidst the so-called digital divide, according to a recent Pew Internet and American Life Project study. What was once the “digital divide” has evolved into the “digital dimmer switch,” says Pew associate director Susannah Fox, referring to various degrees of Internet access and differences between population segments.
http://blackpressusa.com/news/Article.asp?SID=3&Title=National+News&NewsID=12872
us: Another digital divide: Low-income communties and high-speed wireless
A couple weeks ago I moderated a panel discussion about free wireless Internet access in San Francisco. The audience and panelists included people who work on tech projects for the city, activists from impoverished neighborhoods, and civil liberties wonks. We were there to talk about what to do now that EarthLink has submitted a contract to San Francisco, offering to blanket the region with free wi-fi under certain conditions.
http://sfbayguardian.com/entry.php?entry_id=3344
us: Old media have a chance to prepare, but will they?
The digital divide just got much deeper. This disruptive update comes from a recent conference in Texas that underlined how fast the information environment is changing abroad. For a start, and similar to the way TV became the killer attraction for audiences in the old media world, video is now conquering the web where there is a critical mass of broadband users.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=304363&area=/insight/insight__converse/
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FILE SHARING
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Can stuck torrents beat pirates?
Online filesharing of movies and music has the Hollywood hotshots hopping mad, but they are fighting back with the help of anti-piracy firms
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,2054391,00.html
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COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS
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Google to open R&D centre in Singapore
Netizens around the world may soon get to use Google products developed in Singapore, with the Internet giant's move to set up a research and development (R&D) centre there.
http://asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=64526
Yahoo, Battling Google, Wins Ad Deal
Viacom's choice could help Yahoo become a more formidable challenger to Google -- Viacom's opponent in a legal squabble over video copyrights.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/10/AR2007041001488.html
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2007-04-10-viacom-yahoo_N.htm
Wikipedia: battleground of the new millennium
Wikipedia, the famed hive mind reference database written by anyone who feels like having a go, has suffered a few military-related hiccups in recent days. Firstly, the page on the US Army went through an editing conflict. It normally starts off conventionally enough, with something along the lines of "the United States Army is one of the armed forces of the United States and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations".
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04/11/trust_nobody_on_the_internet/
There's history and money in obsolete computers (Reuters)
In the first purchase of his collection, Sellam Ismail loaded the trunk of his car with old computers he stumbled upon at a flea market for $5 apiece. Soon he had filled his three-car garage with what others would consider obsolete junk. Years later, his collection of early computers, printers, and related parts is piled high across shelves and in chaotic heaps in a 4,500-square-foot warehouse near Silicon Valley. And it is worth real money.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKN0440353720070411
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,130645-c,systems/article.html
Top 10 Firefox extensions to avoid
Welcome back, Firefox fans! We've helped you get started on your journey to browser perfection with our list of 20 must-have Firefox extensions. But the ability to tweak your browser is a double-edged sword. There are extensions best avoided, including some of the most popular.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9015599
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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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au: Competitors hit back at Telstra's 'misinformation' campaign
Eleven of Telstra's competitors have joined forces to counter what they claim is a concerted campaign of misleading and deceptive information being put out by Telstra.
http://itwire.com.au/content/view/11232/127/
nz: 2.3GHz spectrum auction details available
A new allocation of 2.3GHz spectrum is being added to broadband wireless access services.
http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/4021766a28.html
nz: Government releases Telecom separation plan
The government has released its consultation document on the operational separation of Telecom into three separate business units, making it clear all current and future network assets will be held by the network business unit.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/3732BFDC8BABD4E9CC2572B300770410
au: Telstra broadband plan's byte much worse than its bark
When Andrew Boughton decided last August to upgrade from dial-up to broadband internet, the Rose Bay businessman was told by a Telstra consultant that his needs should be covered by a $30-a-month plan allowing 400 megabytes of downloads. A month later, when Mr Boughton complained because he had been billed for almost $1000, he says no one suggested switching to a more appropriate plan.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/04/11/1175971183197.html
au: Telstra accused of misinforming about broadband services
A group of telecommunications and internet companies have complained to the Government's competition watchdog that Telstra is waging a campaign of misinformation about the state of broadband services in Australia.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10433834
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VoIP
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VoIP 'not ready for mainstream adoption' says Forrester
VoIP technology is not ready for mainstream consumer adoption, says Forrester Research analyst Zayera Khan in a new report which examines VoIP service suppliers including Google, ICQ, Microsoft, Skype, and Yahoo.
http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2007/04/11/222972/voip-not-ready-for-mainstream-adoption-says-forrester.htm
http://itnews.com.au/newsstory.aspx?CIaNID=49540
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Sources include Quicklinks <http://qlinks.net/> and BNA Internet Law News <http://www.bna.com/ilaw/>.
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(c) David Goldstein 2007
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David Goldstein
address: 4/3 Abbott Street
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AUSTRALIA
email: Goldstein_David @yahoo.com.au
phone: +61 418 228 605 (mobile); +61 2 9665 5773 (home)
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