Recent postings on communication issues from Benton.org

November 21, 2003

NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MEDIA REFORM RECORDINGS AVAILABLE
Audio and video recordings of the National Conference on Media Reform are
now available online. The conference, held November 7-9 at the University of
Wisconsin, brought together nearly 2,000 activists, lobbyists, journalists
and educators from across the country. Video offerings include Al Franken's
Saturday night address and a speech by FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein.
There are audio recordings of speeches by Bill Moyers, Ralph Nader, several
members of Congress, as well as many panel sessions on topics such as
alternative media, children and media, media reform, and
organizing/activism.
SOURCE: Media Reform Network
http://www.mediareform.net/conf/recordings.php

November 19, 2003

INTERNET
MICROSOFT NEWS SITE TO CUSTOMISE CONTENT
Microsoft is in the process of testing MSN Newsbot, an online news gathering
tool that will personalize results with 10 minutes of a user starting to
browse for news. It is a potential rival of the popular Google News, which
clusters stories from over 4,000 news sources according to topics, but does
not customize results based on user interests. Microsoft is not revealing
how Newsbot will work, but there are several types of algorithm that could
be used. One type analyzes the choices of other people who have read the
news story and groups articles according to reading patterns of previous
users. The other approach analyzes article text and relates the story to
other articles with similar content. Oren Etzioni, a computer scientist at
the University of Washington, says both approaches deal with the growing
problem of "information overload," which deters users from accessing
information because it is so time consuming to sift through it. What remains
to be seen, he says, is which method provides the best user experience.
SOURCE: New Scientist; AUTHOR: Celeste Biever
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994398
AT&T PATENTS ANTI-ANTISPAM TECHNOLOGY
Critics ponder why AT&T would patent a technology that thwarts antispam
filters. The technology operates as a "system and method for counteracting
message filtering," according to its patent awarded on Nov 4. "Why is AT&T
inventing and patenting a method for e-mail spammers to fight spam-filtering
systems?" questions Greg Aharonian, publisher of the Internet Patent News
Service. "Some legitimate e-mail is being blocked by spam filters, but the
solution is not new techniques to make spam more spammable, but rather
coordination among ISPs and backbones to quickly shut down spammers." The
technology is described as being able to trick filters that compare digital
messages to known pieces of spam by altering each message so that no two are
identical, therefore making duplicate detection schemes unproductive. AT&T
commented that the patent was purely a defense mechanism. "This is an arms
race, and (Bell Labs researcher Robert Hall) tried to stay one step ahead of
the spammers," said Michael Dickman, a spokesman for AT&T Labs. "He
anticipated that spammers would try to change the message to circumvent the
filters." AT&T says it is re-evaluating the patent and has not decided how
it will use the technology.
SOURCE: News.com; AUTHOR: Paul Festa, CNET
http://news.com.com/2100-1032_3-5108918.html

November 18, 2003

COPYRIGHT
KAZAA CALLS ON ITS FANS TO HELP
Sharman Networks, distributor of the Kazaa Media Desktop peer-to-peer
software, will launch a $1 million advertising campaign to mobilize its
supporters. The campaign encourages users of peer-to-peer services to demand
that entertainment companies begin licensing their content to Kazaa, says
Nikki Hemming, chief executive officer of Sharman Networks. Kazaa criticizes
the industry's approach and believe this campaign can offer an alternative
interaction with content users. "It is time to embrace peer-to-peer,"
Hemming said. "We want to raise the awareness of influencers worldwide that
there's a better way to do things, a better way to market and distribute
content, and a better way to engage with fans that doesn't involve suing
them." The campaign takes a counter stance to the RIAA and MPAA position
against P2P software vendors and users, she adds. The campaign will
encourage P2P users to "try and buy" licensed content already available on
Kazaa, and to demand more licensed content. Hemming also argues that
entertainment companies could save 90 percent of their bandwidth costs by
using P2P networks to distribute products. The campaign will be launched
Wednesday in the US, UK and Australia.
SOURCE: Yahoo! News; AUTHOR: Grant Gross, IDG News Service
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1093&ncid=1093&e=3&u=/pcworl
d/20031118/tc_pcworld/113510
ACCESSIBILITY
CNIB LAUNCHES DIGITAL LIBRARY FOR THE BLIND
Last week, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind launched the CNIB
Digital Library, containing more than 10,000 audio, text and Braille titles,
with an option to search and order from a collection of more than 60,000
titles. The library also offers current editions of 40 daily, national and
community newspapers from across Canada, and access to the full-text
versions of thousands of magazines and databases. The library was designed
to work with major adaptive technology products, including screen-reading
programs and Braille keyboards. "For sighted people, technology makes access
to information easier," said CNIB president Jim Sanders. "For people like
myself who are blind, it makes access possible." The site's Children's
Discovery Portal provides visually impaired children access to online games,
books, homework help and online chats with other visually impaired children
from across the country. Microsoft Canada designed the software to manage
the digital library collection and contributed to the library's funding
campaign.
SOURCE: Globe and Mail; AUTHOR: Jack Kapica
http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20031113.gtblindnov13/BNStor
y/Technology/?query=CNIB+launches+digital+library+for+the+blind

November 11, 2003

WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY
FINALISTS FOR WORLD SUMMIT AWARDS PUBLISHED
Organizers of the World Summit Award, an international competition
celebrating creative digital content products from around the world, have
published the awards finalists on their website. Over 800 products from more
than 130 countries were nominated for the award, which were reviewed by an
international jury in Dubai last month. For each of the eight categories
(e-learning, e-culture, e-government, e-entertainment, e-science, e-health,
e-business and e-inclusion), jurors selected five finalists, totaling 40
projects in all. The finalists will be showcased at a special event at the
World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva. Among the projects
selected: the Splendid Chinese Culture portal (http://chiculture.net),
Tropical America (http://www.tropicalamerica.com), Public Library of Science
(http://www.plos.org), Romania's e-government portal
(http://www.e-guvernare.ro), Living Heritage
(http://www.livingheritage.org.nz), WougNet (http://www.wougnet.org) and
Time to Market (http://www.manobi.net). Additionally, other nominees will be
selected to participate in a showcase in which digital content is organized
by geographic region.
SOURCE: World Summit Award
http://www.europrix.org/wsis-award/nominees/index.htm

November 10, 2003

INTERNET
MIDDLE EAST DISSIDENTS USE THE INTERNET TO TAKE ACTION
W. Sean McLaughlin examines how dissidents in the Middle East use the
Internet as a tool to take action in the face of state-imposed constraints
on Internet access. "Non-state actors have revisionist goals and the
Internet offers advantages for accomplishing these political objectives,"
says McLaughlin. State officials seek to oppose Internet-based dissidence by
limiting Internet infrastructure or imposing censorship constraints.
McLaughlin develops a model for Internet-based dissidence and then applies
it to different case studies: The Muslim Brotherhood in both Jordan and
Egypt, and the Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia. These groups have been
highly effective in using the Internet to conduct their dissidence, despite
state-imposed constraints on their activities. McLaughlin argues that
successful use of dissent in the Middle East could have important
implications for the political landscape of the region.
SOURCE: First Monday; AUTHOR: W. Sean McLaughlin
http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue8_11/mclaughlin/index.html
21ST CENTURY SKILLS
NEPAD UNVEILS COMPUTER LITERACY PLAN FOR AFRICA
In Kenya, computer literacy will be required for all students completing
secondary school by 2008. The NEPAD initiative, which eventually will serve
the entire African continent, would require sufficiently trained teachers in
information and communication technology (ICT) in all African schools.
George Saitoti, Kenya's Education Minister, says the government plans to
conduct an ICT in-service training for 43,000 teachers over the course of
the initiative. The program will make schools ICT proficient, starting at
the secondary level by 2008, then the primary school level by 2012. The goal
is to make 2,500 primary and secondary schools "ICT-ready" annually.
Twenty-two strategic institutions have been linked to a network through the
Kenya Education Network (KENET), a partnership between the governments of
Kenya and the United States. Kenya is one of the 18 countries that have
already signed up for the first phase of this ICT literacy initiative.
SOURCE: The Nation (Nairobi)
http://allafrica.com/stories/200311050066.html

November 6, 2003

E-GOVERNMENT
MOST COUNTRIES' WEB SITES ARE IGNORED
Most nations have their own official websites, but only 20 percent of people
with Internet access ever use them, according to a United Nations report
released Tuesday. In 2003, 173 of the UN's 191 member states had websites,
while 18 countries, many in Africa, do not, the report added. "Only a very
few governments have opted to use e-government applications for
transactional services or networking, and even fewer use it to support
genuine participation of citizens in politics," the report states. In
another ranking, Great Britain beat the US in terms of "e-participation" --
government willingness to interact and dialogue with citizens over the
Internet. Report author Mark Stevenson highlights a particular initiative in
the former Soviet Union: "Estonia, for example, has a site called 'Today I
Decide' at which people can propose, amend and vote on policy issues," he
said. "Officials then are required to consider those proposals." The report
also says women and the poor have less access to the Internet, while
security and privacy issues discourage use. "Some governments use Internet
services to cut red tape, but we see the Internet as advancing and
consolidating transparency and democracy," says Jose Antonio Ocampo, the UN
undersecretary-general for economic and social affairs.
SOURCE: Associated Press; AUTHOR: Mark Stevenson
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/UN_E_GOVERNMENT

November 4, 2003

E-GOVERNMENT
AUSSIES DO IT RIGHT: E-VOTING
The United States could take a lesson from Australia when it comes to
electronic voting machines. The Aussies addressed security concerns by
making e-voting software completely open to public scrutiny. Though designed
by a private company, the system was based on specifications set by
independent election officials, who posted the code on the Internet for the
public to review. The reaction was positive, and a few people wrote in to
report bugs. Additionally, the electoral commission hired an independent
verification and validation company to audit the code. Australia's
Electronic Voting and Counting System (eVACS) runs on Linux, the popular
open-source operating system available on the Internet. In order to keep
expenses down, eVACS does not provide a voter-verifiable receipt. However,
Matt Quinn, lead engineer on the project, thinks that all e-voting systems
should offer a receipt. The issues of voter-verifiable receipts and secret
voting systems could be resolved in the United States by a bill introduced
in the House of Representatives last May. The bill would force
voting-machine makers nationwide to provide receipts and make the source
code for voting machines open to the public.
SOURCE: Wired; AUTHOR: Kim Zetter
http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,61045,00.html
CITY SEEKS HELP COLORING THE HOWARD ST. BRIDGE
Through a poll on the Baltimore, Maryland city government website, Mayor
Martin O'Malley is asking citizens to settle an artistic dispute. At issue
is the color that the city will paint the 1,000-foot long Howard Street
Bridge, one of Baltimore's most visible structures. The bridge is the last
to be painted as part of the "Gateway of Color to Baltimore" project, whose
color scheme was devised by artist Stan Edmister. Mayor O'Malley does not
like was he calls the "God-awful" color scheme of rust brown, green and blue
with a splash of yellow. He prefers a Kelly green arch. Fred Lazarus IV,
president of the Maryland Institute and an authority on urban landscapes,
said, "Stan understands how all the colors hold up and the relationships
among the bridges. The mayor doesn't really understand how the color palette
relates to structure and function." O'Malley will abide by the results of
the Internet poll, located at www.Baltimorecity.gov.
SOURCE: Baltimore Sun; AUTHOR: Jamie Stiehm
http://www.sunspot.net/news/local/bal-md.bridge29oct29,1,6275429.story

November 3, 2003

SEXING UP E-GOVERNMENT
[Commentary] The UK may be able to learn from successful e-government
efforts in countries such as the United States and Singapore, writes Alfred
Hermida of the BBC. Santa Clara County, California, revamped its website and
now receives more than a million page views per day. The new site seamlessly
offers services from 50 different county departments in a one-stop shop. "We
looked at what people needed when something happened in their lives," said
Satish Ajmani, the county's chief information officer, "like getting married
or being involved in a car accident." "You absolutely have to think about
the customer and what the customer wants," added Liz Gorgue, the county's
self-declared e-government evangelist. In Singapore, the government hired
marketing experts to sell the benefits of e-government to the public. "That
is so far ahead from what we've seen here [in the UK]," said Coenraad van
der Poel of EzGov Europe. The Santa Clara experience suggests the need for a
culture change in government. "You need a strategy for e-democracy," said
Mr. Ajmani. "You need to get the public involved in decision-making. This
takes a very long time for elected people to be comfortable with."
SOURCE: BBC News; AUTHOR: Alfred Hermida
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3228703.stm
BBC OFFERS POWER TO THE PEOPLE
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has launched iCan, an activism
website that incorporates social networking, content publishing and
campaign-organization tools to encourage civic involvement. The BBC said its
main goal for the site is to fight voter apathy, though at 75 percent voter
turnout, the UK far surpasses US election turnouts. So far, not much is
happening on the site, which is focused on local politics, with starter
issues such as maternity rights, street cleaning and bicycle lanes. But some
Brits categorize those concerns under "minutiae." Within a week of iCan's
launch, links to a spoof page called iCan't began popping up in blogs.
Richard Kirkcaldy, creator of the iCan't page, doubts the BBC's ability, as
a government-owned entity, to objectively manage the site's issues. Some
citizens wonder what will happen when national campaigns get started and how
the BBC will handle potentially divisive campaigns, such as those against
the war in Iraq.
SOURCE: Wired AUTHOR: Kari L. Dean
http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,60994,00.html
iCan website:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ican/

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Communications-Related Headlines are compiled, summarized and edited by Rachel Anderson (rachel@benton.org), Andy Carvin (andy@benton.org) and Charles Meisch (charlie@benton.org) of the Benton Foundation -- we welcome your feedback. Based in Washington DC, the Benton Foundation's mission is to
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