DIGITAL DIVIDE
Reminder: Falling Through the Net (NTIA)
Common Ground Elusive as Technology Have-Nots Meet Haves (NYT)
INTERNET
Keeping Kosovo Refugees Connected (WP)
High-Speed Lines Leave Door Ajar for Hackers (NYT)
McCain's Fuzzy Web Pitch (WP)
Yahoo Relaxes Policy for GeoCities Members (CyberTimes)
EDTECH
Grant to Help City Schools Boot Up Computer Skills (ChiTrib)
ARTS
An Attack on the Commercialization of Web Art (CyberTimes)
MERGERS
AT&T Realigns Cable-TV Empire with Cox Deal (WSJ)
MINORITIES
Missing From the Pictures (WP)
FREE SPEECH
Imprisoned Russian Writer Puts the Gulag on Line (NYT)
Hate Speech Undermines Purposes of Free Speech (ChiTrib)
DIGITAL DIVIDE
REMINDER: FALLING THROUGH THE NET
Issue: Access
The U.S. Department of Commerce will release today "Falling Through the Net:
Defining the Digital Divide," the third report by the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration, detailing the technology
and information gap in America. The report shows more Americans than ever
are connected to the nation's information infrastructure but a gap persists
among certain demographic groups. Technology access on a state-by-state basis
will also be presented. The press conference will be available live on the
Internet at (http://www.ntia.doc.gov/fttn.ram) starting at 9am (eastern).
[SOURCE: NTIA]
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/press/fttn063099.htm)
COMMON GROUND ELUSIVE AS TECHNOLOGY HAVE-NOTS MEET HAVES
Issue: Digital Divide
The Internet Society, a non-profit group that coordinates Internet related
projects, held their annual conference, INET 99, at the San Jose Convention
Center in California. This brought together US industry leaders with
participants from developing countries. Companies like Ebay and E*trade pointed
out that U.S. realities are not the same as in countries like Cameroon. In
Cameroon, the average civil servant makes $200 a month and Internet usage is
about $3 an hour. Participants from around the world pointed out many countries
with similar problems including government control of modem and Internet use,
monopolization of telecommunications services, immigration policies which make
it difficult for groups to come to the U.S. to learn important technological
skills, as well as their governments' unwillingness to see the potential of
ecommerce. Before each conference a workshop is held for people from developing
nations, sending them home with additional technical and administrative skills
for running networks. This year there were 143 people from 66 developing
nations.
[SOURCE: New York Times (E8), AUTHOR: Katie Hafner]
(http://nyt.com/)
INTERNET
KEEPING KOSOVO REFUGEES CONNECTED
Issue: International/Internet
The Kosovar Refugee Internet and Technology Assistance Initiative, a
public-private partnership led by the State Department's U.S. Information
Agency (USIA), is providing free Internet and e-mail access to refugees of
the Kosovo conflict. By law, USIA is responsible for providing news to
"captive populations" and Jonathan Spalter, the head of the USIA's
Information Bureau, has been searching for ways to address the refugees'
informational needs. "I learned from one of our diplomats in Macedonia that
whenever he would walk into a camp with his cell phone, refugees would just
run over to him and ask him to use it," Mr. Spalter said. "Driving to work
one day, I realized, My God! What if we were to put in 'Internet centers' at
the camps." USIA expects to spend less than $100,000 on the project. So far,
equipment and services valued at more than $1.5 million have been donated.
"What this does is show that we can get public-private partnerships to work
-- to do things together, and not always get the taxpayer to bear all the
costs," Mr. Spalter said.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A23), AUTHOR: Nathan Abse]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-07/08/124l-070899-idx.html)
HIGH-SPEED LINES LEAVE DOOR AJAR FOR HACKERS
Issue: Security
(Note: I am skipping the sad story about the guy who was hacked and lost every
file on his hard drive.) The new faster Internet connections are making it much
easier for hackers to get to residential computers. Kevin McElearnly, vice
president of network support at Road Runner said residential customers using
high-speed services "are in an environment where they have to realize that
there are security issues." Among other things, once hackers gain entry they
can extract credit card numbers from stored files, read e-mail, copy or erase
files and send e-mail over your name. The problem with high-speed service is
that you can be connected to the net constantly. As McElearnly said, "Your risk
is increased the longer you leave any computer connected." Hackers use probing
software to measure the level of security protection, looking for systems to
attack. Most high-speed service providers have not paid attention to the
security problems, as they are trying to get as many people connected as
possible. There are several ways to fend off the hackers by installing security
software and downloading updates frequently. Another way to fend them off is by
logging on and off frequently. (Advice from me: ask your high-speed service
provider about security measures/software available.)
[SOURCE: New York Times (E1), AUTHOR: Ian Austen]
(http://nyt.com/)
MCCAIN'S FUZZY WEB PITCH
Issue: Internet/Campaign Finance
Senator John McCain's Web site (www.itsyourcountry.com) is misleading viewers.
His site appears to promote campaign finance reform by asking viewers to donate
money to the cause. But it is "actually a high-tech solicitation for
contributions to McCain's Republican presidential campaign." Though there is a
small disclaimer saying the site is paid for by "McCain 2000" the site does not
explicitly say where the money that is being donated is going. McCain spokesman
Howard Opinsky said, "Clearly, our campaign is about reforming the way
government works. But there was supposed to be a distinction