1. Monthly archive
  2. December 1999

December 1999

Communications-related Headlines for 12/9/99

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Clinton Wants All To Gain Net Access (USA)
Home-PC Sales for Holidays Trail the Summer's Hot Pace (WSJ)

INTERNET
Use Web For More Than Shopping Spree (USA)
An Early Chronicler of the Internet Reflects
on a Decade of Growth (NYT)
Md. to Get Internet Proposals (WP)
Three Words Doctors Dread: You've Got Mail (WSJ)
Microsoft Finally Gets Piece of Web Cell Phones (WSJ)
Litigants Use Law To Stake Their Claim In Cyberspace (NYT)

ECOMMERCE
.com: E-Commerce Closer to Home (WP)
Privacy Advocates See Subliminal Side to Web Ads (WSJ)
Eudora E-Mail Program to Be Offered Free With Ads (WP)
An E-Gift That Keeps Giving And Gets Recipients Involved (USA)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

CLINTON WANTS ALL TO GAIN NET ACCESS
Issue: Digital Divide
President Clinton, civil rights leaders and corporate executives from
high-tech fields will launch a campaign today to close the ''digital
divide.'' The President will announce steps to increase computer access to
low-income Americans, upgrade technology skills of inner-city workers and
create an information bank on ways to bring technology to poor communities.
Joining him will be numerous corporate leaders. The proposals include:
expansion of community technology centers with spending on these centers to
increase from $10 million in 1999 to $32.5 million in 2000; creation of a
Digital Divide Network [by the Benton Foundation and others], an
Internet-based source of information on government and private efforts to
bring technology to poor and rural areas; a presidential tour next spring,
to highlight communities that are using technology to create high-wage
jobs.White House officials say President Clinton will unveil more proposals
in his State of the Union Address this winter. "Closing the digital divide
will be a big focus for us next year," economic adviser Gene Sperling says.
[SOURCE:USA Today (12A), AUTHOR: Owen Ullmann]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/19991209/1732776s.htm)

HOME-PC SALES FOR HOLIDAYS TRAIL THE SUMMER'S HOT PACE
Issue: Ownership
During the summer, PC sales were up 40% over the same period last year and
during last year's holiday season, sales were up 30% over the previous year.
This season, however, PC sales are up just 20% over last year at this time.
Price hikes of $50 on manufacturers' least expensive machines seem to be a
contributing factor along with component shortages. Retailers are stepping
up participation in rebate programs to boost sales.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B8), AUTHOR: Gary McWilliams]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB944691552995259671.htm)

INTERNET

USE WEB FOR MORE THAN SHOPPING SPREE
[OP-Ed] Much of the recent attention given to the Internet by the media has
been focused on the upcoming holiday season and potential revenues from
e-commerce ventures. However, it also is a critical moment to consider how
the digital revolution will affect all aspects of our lives. Baird considers
the use of technology by children today -- "the first generation of Internet
children" -- noting that "little research is being done about the effects of
interactive technology on our children." The Internet may also transform
politics in the near future. "In 2000, the Internet can transform the
democratic process again. Candidates, parties, interest groups and the media
benefit from interactive technology, but it is individual voters who have
the greatest opportunity." Bard also raises her pen to consider disparities
in Internet access. "Households with incomes of $75,000 are 20 times more
likely to have Internet access than those at the lowest income levels. Black
and Hispanic households are just two-fifths as likely to have home Internet
access as white households." Most importantly Bard acknowledges the question
that encompasses us all: "How do we use these new technology-based tools to
change society for the better?"
[SOURCE: USA Today (19A), AUTHOR: Zoo Bard, president of the Marble
Foundation, a private philanthropy focusing on emerging communications
media]
(http://www.usatoday.com/news/comment/ncguest1.htm)

AN EARLY CHRONICLER OF THE INTERNET REFLECTS ON A DECADE OF GROWTH
Issue: Internet
Ed Krol, one of the first chroniclers of the Internet, talked to the New
York Times about the past decade of being online. According to Krol, the
biggest change in the Internet over the past ten years is the "change from
being primarily a collaborative interpersonal tool to an information
service." He is concerned about the quest for profit that seems to be
driving much of the new development on the Internet. "The problem is that in
90 percent of the pages out there the glitz adds nothing to the content and
only serves to slow the delivery down and force the download of all kinds of
plug-in extensions to the browsers." "The sense of community and decorum,"
is what Krol misses most from the earlier days of the Internet. "I guess I
liked a cybervillage and what we have now is cybercity, with all the
problems of the city."
[SOURCE: New York Times (E14), AUTHOR: Stephen C. Miller]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/12/circuits/articles/09krol.html)

MD. TO GET INTERNET PROPOSALS
Issue: Legislation
The Internet Technology Board will propose a package of Internet legislation
and policy today designed to ease the way for electronic commerce, move up
to 80% of Maryland's state agency services online by 2004 and to give
everyone in the state an email address from birth. [Why not earlier?
johndoe( at )womb.net] We want to make sure that Maryland positions itself as a
leader in understanding the Internet's impact on the way we work, learn,
live and play," said Major F. Riddick Jr., chief of staff to Gov. Parris N.
Glendening and chairman of the Internet Technology Board. "We want to
'brand' Maryland as the e-commerce state." The recommendations will be
released at the Maryland Internet Summit which begins today in Baltimore.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E1), AUTHOR: John Schwartz]
(http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-12/09/241l-120999-idx.html)

THREE WORDS DOCTORS DREAD: YOU'VE GOT MAIL
Issue: Health Info Online
Half of Internet users who look up health info on the Web say they'd like to
communicate with their doctor's office via email. But only 11% know their
doctor's email address and just 3% actually email their doctor. Why? Either
doctors don't have email or they are not encouraging its use with patients.
One doctor explains that he doesn't encourage inquiries because "it's all
too easy for someone sitting up at midnight to think up questions and hit
the send button. Then there it is in my mailbox, and what am I going to do
with it?" Fear of being buried in email messages that are time-consuming to
answer -- but do not generate income -- is a major concern. Potential
liability and privacy are also concerns. But it may also be that doctors
just do not want to that accessible to their patients. It's an equalizer,
allowing patients the opportunity to share knowledge or opinions freely --
and perhaps expect too much in return.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B1), AUTHOR: Ann Carrns]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB944696559732753507.htm)

MICROSOFT FINALLY GETS PIECE OF WEB CELL PHONES
Issue: Wireless
Software giant Microsoft and Sweden's Ericsson have formed a joint venture
to offer cell phones that can surf the Internet. Ericsson is expected to
hold a majority of the Stockholm-based venture and will supply most of the
initial staff of engineers. Previously, Microsoft had been shut out by the
world's four largest mobile-phone manufacturers Finland's Nokia , Ericsson,
Japan's Matsushita and Motorola of the U.S.; they have complained that
Microsoft's Windows CE operating system requires too much processor and
battery power for use in compact phones.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (A3), AUTHORS: Naik, Latour & Delaney ]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB944651174606327597.htm)
See Also:
MICROSOFT AND ERICSSON TO CREATE WIRELESS VENTURE
[SOURCE: New York Times (C2), AUTHOR: Lawrence Fisher]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/12/biztech/articles/09soft.html)
BYTE-ING INTO WIRELESS COMMUNICATION
[SOURCE: USA Today (3B), AUTHOR: Marco R. della Cava]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/19991209/1732723s.htm)

LITIGANTS USE LAW TO STAKE THEIR CLAIM IN CYBERSPACE
Issue: Internet
In the two weeks since President Clinton signed a new law banning
"cybersquatting," -- registering trademark names as Internet addresses in
the hope of selling them at huge profits -- trademark holders have wasted no
time in filing lawsuits to win the rights to domains they consider theirs.
Both supporters and opponents of the law, who feared large companies will
use it to wrestle away addresses from small companies and individuals with
legitimate claims to the names, are eager to see how the cases turn out. "I
argued against the law," said A. Michael Froomkin, a University of Miami law
professor. "But now that we have it, I guess we will all win by getting some
convergence on what the standards are." The Clinton had administration,
fearing that it would undermine attempts by the Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers, or Icann, to establish an arbitration process
for trademark-related disputes.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C2), AUTHOR: Jeri Clausing]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/12/biztech/articles/09net.html)

ECOMMERCE

.COM: E-COMMERCE CLOSER TO HOME
Issue: E-Commerce
Walker predicts that one o the biggest stories of next year will be the push
to get local services online. "We are targeting people who tell us they
prefer the Internet as a lifestyle choice over the yellow pages," said Ajay
Shah, the 23-year-old co-founder of Handshake.com. "Our site will provide
more information than the yellow pages -- pricing, reviews from consumers,
and eventually scheduling information." Venture capitalists are pumping
millions into new ventures that are signing up local providers -- dentists,
housekeepers, plumbers -- into national networks. They believe electronic
scheduling will save local merchants time and money...and will be preferred
by Internet users. Handshake.com, Imandi.com, Fundu.com and EFrenzy.com are
competing to be the one-stop shop for local services.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E1), AUTHOR: Leslie Walker]
(http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-12/09/250l-120999-idx.html)
See Also
DATA BASICS: WEB SPENDING DOUBLES IN A WEEK
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E6)]
(http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-12/09/248l-120999-idx.html)
ONLINE SHOPPING COMES TO WIRELESS
[SOURCE: USA Today (1B), AUTHOR: Shawn Young]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/19991209/1732774s.htm)

PRIVACY ADVOCATES SEE SUBLIMINAL SIDE TO WEB ADS
Issue: Privacy/Advertising
Marketing based on online profiling amounts to subliminal advertising,
privacy advocates are arguing to the Federal Trade Commission. If an
advertiser discerns from the tracking information that a consumer's favorite
color is pink, it could place pink ads on the Web sites to catch the
consumer's attention, an online-marketing expert says. That amounts to
subliminal messaging, privacy advocates say. They say the FTC should "search
its own precedents and discover that it has previously advised against
advertising that is effectively identical to the kind of online profiling
now at issue." Although there isn't any existing law against subliminal
advertising, privacy advocates believe the ads may provide a legal foothold
in their campaign to regulate profiling. The FTC's position is that a
subliminal ad "that causes consumers to unconsciously select certain goods
or services, or to alter their normal behavior, might constitute a deceptive
or unfair practice."
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B10), AUTHOR: Glenn Simpson]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB944691574153659873.htm)
See Also:
INTERNATIONAL GROUP PLANS RULES FOR CONSUMERS ONLINE
[SOURCE: CyberTimes, AUTHOR: Jeri Clausing]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/12/cyber/articles/09consumer.html)

EUDORA E-MAIL PROGRAM TO BE OFFERED FREE WITH ADS
Issue: Advertising
Responding to intense competition from Web-based e-mail services like Yahoo
and Hotmail, Qualcomm will make its popular e-mail program Eudora -- named
after writer Eudora Welty -- available for free if users are willing to see
ads displayed within the program. Customers spend much more time inside one
program than they ever would at any single Web page. "The trend is toward
ad-supported software," said Marissa Gluck, an analyst with Jupiter
Communications in New York briefed by Qualcomm on its strategy. "With e-mail
it's a much more loyal and active user than someone who's just passing
through a Web site."
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E1), AUTHOR: Rob Pegoraro]
(http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-12/09/237l-120999-idx.html)

AN E-GIFT THAT KEEPS GIVING AND GETS RECIPIENTS INVOLVED
Issue: Internet
This holiday season give your friends the gift of giving. A Web start-up is
offers a Charitygift. The process is simple enough: givers visit the site to
specify the amount of the donation, the person in whose name it's to be
made, and billing information. They also must customize a gift card for the
recipient. The cards is then delivered electronically or by postal mail.
When the recipient receives the card, he or she goes to the site (or phone),
gives a code, then chooses a charity to receive the donation. The Web site
has a searchable list of 680,000 IRS-registered non-profit groups. Each
donation made through the site must be for a minimum of $10. Charitygift
says it has applied to the IRS for non-profit status. Charitygift's ensures
privacy as the amount of the gift and the recipient's charity choice remain
confidential.
[SOURCE:USA Today (3D), AUTHOR: Leslie Miller]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/19991209/1732676s.htm)

--------------------------------------------------------------

Communications-related Headlines for 12/9/99

EDTECH
Major Players Going Online With SAT Prep Courses (CyberTimes)
The Learning Network (USA)

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Commerce Secretary Daley Hosts First Digital Divide Summit

INTERNET
'Real Time' TV on Web Under Fire (SJM)
Japan Edges Closer To Affordable Web Access (SJM)
A Pyramid Marketing Ploy Clicks (WP)
Extra, Extra, Download All About It (USA)

HEALTH
It's Not A Perfect World (SJM)

E-COMMERCE
EU Economic Ministers Approve Draft Law to Ease E-Commerce (WSJ)

EDTECH

MAJOR PLAYERS GOING ONLINE WITH SAT PREP COURSES
Issue: EdTech
The Kaplan Educational Centers has launched an SAT prep class on the
Internet. For $399, nearly half the price of the regular class, students
receive lectures through video streaming and interactive exercises online.
Instructors promise to respond to student email questions within 24 hours.
The Princeton Review, Kaplan's biggest rival in the world of test
preparation, also has plans to offer online class some time this spring.
"There's no question that anyone that has something to attract parents with
income to their service is looking to the Web to do that," said Anne Wujcik,
managing editor of the Heller Report on Educational Technology Markets. The
rush to bring test preparation online highlights concerns the quality of
online instruction and the way in which such services advantage wealthier
students. "The downside of this entire coaching business is that these
courses are available to kids who have computers, high-speed connections and
$399," said Robert A. Schaeffer, public education director for the National
Center for Fair and Open Testing, "Those who already have had every
advantage in society get another leg up."
[SOURCE: CyberTimes, AUTHOR: Pamela Mendels]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/12/cyber/education/08education.html)

THE LEARNING NETWORK
Issue: EdTech
Like everyone else, schools have headed online, giving parents the ability
to talk with teachers, check on children's schoolwork and find out about
school events. Busy parents like the idea, teachers worry about extra
workload, and kids worry that mom and dad know a little too much about their
school work and play. Schools claim that having an online presence allows
email exchanges in place of teacher-parent conferences, calendars that allow
a teacher to automatically upload assignments into the online organizer of
each student, snow closing notifications, payment for field trips and
lunches, and the viewing of report cards.
[SOURCE: USA Today (1D), AUTHOR: Karen Thomas]
(http://www.usatoday.com/life/dcovwed.htm)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

COMMERCE SECRETARY DALEY HOSTS FIRST DIGITAL DIVIDE SUMMIT
Issue: Digital Divide
On December 9, 1999, the Secretary of Commerce will host a Digital Divide
Summit, which will be broadcast live on the Department of Commerce Web Site,
www.doc.gov. The event will focus on expanding access to information for
underserved populations and areas. Participants from the Federal Government,
technology industry, civil rights and non-profit communities, grassroots
community organizations, and the general public will examine existing public
and private initiatives aimed at closing the technology gap and will discuss
how to expand upon and coordinate these efforts.
[SOURCE: NTIA]
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/press/120799digitaldivide.htm)

INTERNET

'REAL TIME' TV ON WEB UNDER FIRE
Issue: Copyright/ Old Media vs. New Media
ICraveTV.com is a new site that takes television signals out of the air and
broadcasts them over the Internet. The free Canadian service allows
consumers to click on a Web site menu for 17 channels, including ABC, NBC
and CBS and the Canadian CBC. This amounts to a "real-time" broadcast of a
chosen station, just like any television set. The networks whose signals are
retransmitted over the Internet complain the service amounts to stealing.
"Just because it's technically possible doesn't mean you can do that,'' said
Bill Roberts of the North American Broadcasters Association, representing 37
networks and other broadcasters in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Another industry group, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, threatened
legal steps if iCraveTV.com continued redistributing the television signals.
But Craig argues that iCraveTV.com is not so different from other
controversial media innovations of the past 50 years, such as when radio
stations first broadcast records or consumers used audio and
video tapes to record music and television programming. While he has offered
to negotiate copyright fees for the programming involved, Roberts said this
is like "stealing a car and saying afterward you're willing to pay for it."
Craig noted it is "entirely within the law" and said that anyone linking up
to the iCraveTV.com Web site must declare their computer is in Canada, where
he said copyright laws allow the television signals to be retransmitted. But
technically, anyone outside Canada can declare their computer is in Canada.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury, AUTHOR: Tom Cohen (Associated Press)]
(http://www.sjmercury.com/svtech/news/breaking/ap/docs/1163827l.htm)

JAPAN EDGES CLOSER TO AFFORDABLE WEB ACCESS
Issue: Internet
Japan's state-run telecommunications company, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone
(NTT) has reached a breakthrough with Internet access providers over how
much it would charge for use of its phone lines for Asymmetric Digital
Subscriber Line (ADSL) service. Analysts expect the spread of ADSL
technology, already widely used in the U.S and Britain, to force NTT to trim
its high Internet access charges, which is one of the main reasons many of
the Japanese are not on the Web. The service, using ADSL technology, will
allow ISPs and small telephone carriers to launch low-price, high-speed
Internet access service using NTT's conventional copper telephone lines. NTT
has agreed to charge the ISPs 8000 yen ($7.8) a month per subscriber for the
use of NTT phone lines, which is likely to touch off intense competition for
Japan's Web users. Immediately after this announcement, Tokyo Metallic
Communications, a competitor, announced a fixed monthly access fee of 6,300
yen by the end of 1999. Competition will likely intensify next year, with
players including the telecom carrier KDD, Japan Telecom and several
start-up ventures, all using ADSL. Japan's Internet users totaled 17 million
as of March 1999, while web users in the U.S., according to some estimates,
are expected to reach 80 million by the end of the year.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury, AUTHOR: Kiyoshi Takenaka (Reuters)]
(http://www.sjmercury.com/svtech/news/breaking/internet/docs/1164685l.htm)

A PYRAMID MARKETING PLOY CLICKS
Issue: Advertising
Internet users are making money through a new Internet marketing process.
Dozens of companies are paying audiences who are willing to let advertisers
track their Web surfing and send them ads tailored to their habits. These
pay-to-surf companies give surfers a portion of their revenue from selling
ads. Advertisers see the formula as cash payments attracting more "eyeballs"
that let the companies raise ad rates since surfers will respond more
frequently to ads that interest them. Supporters say this approach will
transform online marketing by making it more efficient and personal.
Skeptics, compare the pay-to-surf business model to off-line pyramid
marketing. They point out that advertisers will have difficulty ensuring
people really pay attention to the ads, which flow into a window the users
must keep open on their computer screens. Some surfers block out the ad
window with masking tape while others use software programs that simulate
Internet surfing by automating mouse movements while they are away from
their computers.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A1), AUTHOR: Ariana Eunjung Cha and Leslie Walker]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28670-1999Dec7.html)

EXTRA, EXTRA, DOWNLOAD ALL ABOUT IT
Issue: Internet
The Internet is cutting into the profits margins of imported newsstand
businesses. Instead of buying newspapers from around the country at local
newsstands that import them, readers are logging online to visit the
newspapers' Web sites. According to Editor & Publisher magazine, 2,224
newspapers in the US and Canada have Web sites, more than double the number
two years ago. Another 1,500 overseas newspapers are on the Web. Newsstand
owners chalk declining sales up to bookstore chains and the Internet. "Out
of town classifieds have moved to the Internet," one newsstand owner said.
[SOURCE: USA Today (3A), AUTHOR: Fred Bayles]
(http://www.usatoday.com)

HEALTH

IT'S NOT A PERFECT WORLD
Issue: Health/Internet
Questionnaires that help people become aware of their own depression have
now become available on the Internet. Gunn believes that these kinds of
resources highlight the Internet's promise. "A person needs help when they
need it, and let's face it - the Internet is out there 24/7," she notes. It
is essential, says Gunn, that people have the ability to confidentially take
advantage of the personal support and information provided on the Internet.
For this reason, she suggests that work places give their employees a little
"`confidential time` on their computers" each week. "It could help with any
number of other medical conditions, like HIV, as well as other pressing
personal needs."
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Moira Gunn]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/columns/gunn/docs/mg120799.htm)

E-COMMERCE

EU ECONOMIC MINISTERS APPROVE DRAFT LAW TO EASE E-COMMERCE
Issue: E-commerce
A draft e-commerce law that promises to eliminate trade barriers within the
15-nation European Union moved forward a bit with a blessing from EU
economics ministers. The directive on "legal aspects of electronic commerce
in the EU's internal market" aims to establish legal guidelines for every
aspect of electronic services, including online newspapers, databases,
financial services, professional services and entertainment such as
video-on-demand. Most of the law deals with business relationships but parts
apply to consumer issues such as consumer protection, freedom of speech and
advertising directed at consumers. Although it still faces a second reading
in the European Parliament, the directive would put all electronic contracts
on the same legal footing as any other contracts; establish the principle of
mutual recognition of the laws of other EU countries; require online
operators to provide clear information about their identity; limit the
liability of intermediaries in cases where they merely act as a conduit for
illegal content and allow doctors, lawyers and other professionals to
operate online.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Brandon Mitchener]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB944592061873399168.htm)

--------------------------------------------------------------

Communications-related Headlines for 12/3/99

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Some Kids Play Keeps at Apple (Wired)

INTERNET
Software Code Has Power of Law on the Internet, Author Says
(CyberTimes)
Report: Growth of New Web Users Sinks (USA)
Group Asks FTC to Close Email Flaw (USA)
Terminix Lawsuit Aims To Mute A Web Critic (WSJ)

DISABILITIES
Web Site Provides Internet Tools To the Disabled

E-COMMERCE
E-commerce Hopes WTO Won't Construct Trade Barriers (USA)
The Internet Tax Dodge (WP)
AOL To Lure Web Surfers To Sign Up Online (SJM)

ANTITRUST
Justice Dept. Hires Firm To Study Microsoft "Remedies" (WP)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

SOME KIDS PLAY KEEPS AT APPLE
Issue: Digital Divide
Though they had the best of intentions, an equipment giveaway staged by
Apple and Canon highlight the differences between the luck of the rich and
the luck of the poor. More than a dozen celebrity parents and children, plus
several
local schoolchildren gathered at Apple's campus to learn how easy it was to
create
short digital videos. But, at the end of the event, the rich and famous went
home with the demo iMac DVs and digital camcorders equipment -- worth about
$2,400, while the poorer children were obliged to donate theirs to their
schools. "There is some irony there, but I'm not surprised about that," said
Bret Harte Elementary School teacher Bob Griffin, who escorted three
students from one of San Francisco's poorest neighborhoods. "Of all the kids
invited today, these kids are the have-nots of the group," said Griffin.
"They don't have computers at home. Two of the kids' parents don't even have
cars." Still Griffin was grateful for the donation. In attendance were such
luminaries as John Cleese, Sinbad, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gregory Hines, and
the boxer Muhammad Ali. "The donations I usually get are from corporations
trying to get rid of their old computers, so Apple's been pretty generous,"
he said. "The average donation to the school is worth about $20."
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Leander Kahney]
(http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,32792,00.html)

INTERNET

SOFTWARE CODE HAS POWER OF LAW ON THE INTERNET, AUTHOR SAYS
Issue: Internet/Legal Issues
In _Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace_ (Basic Books)
(http://www.code-is-law.org/), Harvard Law School Professor Lawrence Lessig
(http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/lessig.html) sees a potential menace in the
new technology of the Internet, and he issues a wake-up call. "We have been
as welcoming and joyous about the Net as the earthlings were of the aliens
in 'Independence Day'; we have accepted its growth in our lives without
questioning its final effect," Lessig writes. "But at some point we too will
come to see a potential threat. At some point we will see that cyberspace
does not guarantee its own freedom, but instead carries an extraordinary
potential for control. And then we will ask: How should we respond?"
Although the Internet is hospitable, for now, to free and anonymous speech,
that is not its intrinsic nature. Cyberspace is built on software code
instead of legal code (law). At present, cyberspace code incorporates strong
protections for free speech, prevents governments from aggressively
regulating most Internet activity and strikes a good balance between the
rights of authors to protect their works and the rights of readers to make
copies and read anonymously. Cyberspace code is already changing and may
change more drastically, owing to the demands of commercial interests. Soon,
a combination of passwords, filters, cookies, pay-as-you-view downloadable
books and digital IDs tying users' identities to their machines could
transform the Internet into a darker place, where important elements of
privacy and freedom are erased by an emerging architecture of the all-seeing
eye.
[SOURCE: CyberTimes, AUTHOR: Carl Kaplan (kaplanc( at )nytimes.com)]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/12/cyber/cyberlaw/03law.html)

REPORT: GROWTH OF NEW WEB USERS SINKS
ISSUE: Internet Demographics
A controversial new study by Cyber Dialogue says the growth of the nation's
online audience slowed dramatically in the first half of 1999. The
number of US adults online grew at an annualized rate of 13% the first half
of 1999 versus 58% the same period last year, according to the report. Only
3.9 million adults went online for the first time during the first six
months versus 12 million a year ago, according to the report. It estimates
the Web's U.S. adult population at 69 million and projects it will rise to
109 million, or about half of all adults, by 2003. The reason for the
slowdown according to Cyber Dialogue: Most affluent adults are already
online, and low- to moderate-income adults are not being lured into
cyberspace in big numbers. Low-to-moderate income-adults won't jump in until

wide availability of high-speed access makes the Web "resemble television,"
Analyst Tom Miller of Cyber Dialogue says. Miller predicts it will be about
two years before most non-users are tempted by fast access. Several analysts

vehemently dispute Cyber Dialogue's findings. Bruce Judson, author of Hyper
Wars, says low-cost Web devices and the big savings promised by electronic
commerce will attract less-affluent users. International Data says the
online population will grow to 177 million people, including children, by
2003.
[SOURCE: USA Today (1B), AUTHOR: Paul Davidson]
(http://www.usatoday.com/money/mds1.htm)

GROUP ASKS FTC TO CLOSE EMAIL FLAW
ISSUE: Privacy
Advocacy groups are expected to petition the FTC today to order software
makers to fix a security flaw found in most current e-mail programs. Groups
such as Junkbusters, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, the Center
for Media Education, Privacy International, Ralph Nader's Consumer Project
on Technology, the Consumer Federation of America and the Electronic
Frontier Foundation say the flaw allows messages to carry digital ID tags,
known as "cookies," that can be tracked. These cookies may not allow
Internet users to remain anonymous. Privacy experts say users' identities
could be compromised when Web site operators place cookies in files on
visitors computers to keep track of return visitors or when Web sites use
cookies to help them track visitors' movements across their Web sites.
Advertising-service companies, which place banner ads on their sites, also
send Web surfers cookies so they can keep track of which ads users have
seen.
[SOURCE: USA Today (1A), AUTHOR: Will Rodger]
(http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/ctg802.htm)

TERMINIX LAWSUIT AIMS TO MUTE A WEB CRITIC
Issue: Free Speech
Terminix, the nation's largest termite and pest company, has filed a suit
against a California woman, charging her with trademark violations,
deceptive practices and unfair competition. Carla Virga, a secretary in
Yuba City, CA, launch a Web site critical of Terminix after the company
mishandled an inspection of her home. At issue is the way Mrs. Virga is
using the Terminix name in "meta-tags" to attract traffic to her site. "It
is like putting up a set of golden arches on the roadside but when you go
inside, there's no McDonald's," says Stephen Good, a Terminix spokesman.
Mrs. Vigra's defenders argue that the site is not engaging in unfair
competition because it accepts no money or advertising and is not looking
to divert sales. "Terminix could both set a dangerous precedent for other
consumers and insulate itself from effective criticism on the Internet,"
says Paul Levy, an attorney for Public Citizen Litigation Group, which is
representing Mrs. Virga. "It is an extreme case. It could have a chilling
effect."
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B1), AUTHOR: Richard B. Schmitt]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB944174998341805329.htm)

DISABILITIES

WEB SITE PROVIDES INTERNET TOOLS TO THE DISABLED
Issue:
The publisher of a magazine for the disabled unveiled a new Web site and
tools Thursday to make the Internet more accessible to the blind and other
disabled users. To take advantage of some features, We Media's Web site will
require some special equipment -- such as a vibrating mouse that "feels"
boxes and images on the computer screen. The for-profit site
(www.wemedia.com) is affiliated with We magazine. The launch is today,
though some services and tools will not be available for weeks or months.
The site will offer shopping, access to college courses and chat rooms.
Additionally, jobs at accessible workplaces and real estate brokers
specializing in accessible homes will be listed. While several other sites
cater to the disabled, We Media brings together site design with hardware
development. The new mouse will sell for several hundred dollars. We Media
is seeking non-profit partners to buy the tools in bulk and then offer them
for free or at a subsidized price.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Staff Writer]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/tool120399.htm)

E-COMMERCE

E-COMMERCE HOPES WTO WON'T CONSTRUCT TRADE BARRIERS
Issue: E-commerce
Companies at the World Trade Organization meeting hope to chip away a trade
barriers; e-commerce companies hope to keep them from going up. U.S.
Commerce Secretary William Daley said he is confident the global moratorium
on e-commerce customs duties, which began in May 1998, will be extended by
18 months to two years. If extended, the moratorium will prevent countries
will not be able to charge taxes on orders taken over the Internet or on
products that can be transmitted online, such as music and software. U.S.
e-commerce firms fear a backlash because of their dominance of the Internet
and because English is its primary language. The e-commerce industry also
must deal with consumer privacy, crime, insulating children and protecting
intellectual property. If not, governments may move to impose regulations
that would impede online trade.
[SOURCE: USA Today (1B), AUTHOR: Del Jones]
(http://www.usatoday.com/money/mds2.htm)

THE INTERNET TAX DODGE
Issue: Ecommerce
[Op-Ed] "Suppose someone proposed the following retail sales tax: Customers
who buy from a store with more than 10,000 square feet of floor space will
pay a 5 percent tax, but customers who buy from a store with fewer than
10,000 square feet of floor space will pay no tax." The end result would be
that sales in stores with fewer than 10,000 square feet grew more rapidly
than did sales in larger stores, and few people would think this a serious
consideration. Virginia Governor James Gilmore (R) and House Budget
Committee
Chairman John Kasich (R-OH) however do seem to take such a scenario
seriously
if replacing "stores with fewer than 10,000 square feet" with "Internet
commerce" and "stores with more than 10,000 square feet" with "ordinary
retailers." State sales taxes are placed on retail goods sold in stores that

you can walk into, but not on Internet sales, lending to the double-digit
growth rates in Internet sales. Gov Gilmore and Rep Kasich claim that taxing

Internet sales to consumers the same as ordinary retail sales would stifle
Internet growth. "If you were a retailer you might even claim -- if you
could
manage to keep a straight face -- that not taxing Internet sales promotes
economic growth." Most Internet and mail-order sales are either delivered
to or billed to identifiable Zip codes. Technology that makes Internet sales

possible also enables taxation of those sales.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A41), AUTHOR: Henry J. Aaron, senior fellow at the

Brookings Institution]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-12/03/034l-120399-idx.html
)

AOL TO LURE WEB SURFERS TO SIGN UP ONLINE
Issue: Ecommerce
Becoming the first online service provider to adopt an affiliate marketing
program, America Online said it will pay Web site operators $15 each time
someone signs up by clicking a link to AOL posted on the site. This new
marketing strategy is a sign of the growing rivalry between Internet
service providers. "It's a lot more competitive. We've already got all the
early adopters now so everyone is going after the masses," said Chris
Atkins, director of product marketing at rival MindSpring Enterprises.
These days it is not uncommon for ISPs to spend $150 to $200 in marketing
costs to acquire each new customer. While AOL is the first online service
provider to adopt an affiliate marketing program, the scheme is already
popular among online merchants. "Affiliate marketing is just booming. It's
ideal from the marketer's standpoint because they only pay something when
there is an action they feel it's worth paying for," said Forrester
Research analyst Jim Nail. "The major business objective right now is
growing their customer base."
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Deborah Kong]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/indepth/docs/aol120399.htm)

ANTITRUST

JUSTICE DEPT HIRES FIRM TO STUDY MICROSOFT "REMEDIES"
ISSUE: Antitrust
The Justice Department has retained Greenhill & Co. of New York, an
investment advisory firm, for assistance in analyzing the financial impact
of
antitrust sanctions it may recommend against Microsoft. The firm is
headed by Robert F. Greenhill, who has served as president of Morgan Stanley

& Co. and chairman of Smith Barney Inc. Legal specialists say the
department's hiring of Greenhill suggests a strong desire to push for a
"structural" remedy such as a breakup. The Justice Department said in a
statement that Greenhill would assist the government in studying the "full
range" of remedies in the case. The sanctions the Justice Department is
considering include limits on the company's behavior, a corporate breakup
and a requirement that Microsoft share the software code that makes up its
dominant Windows operating system for personal computers. A Justice
Department official said that no decision has yet been made on remedies and
that the hiring of Greenhill "does not indicate what we're likely to
recommend in court or elsewhere."
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E3), AUTHOR: Rajiv Chandrasekaran]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/feed/a11316-1999dec3.htm)

--------------------------------------------------------------
...and we're outta here. Have a great weekend.

Communications-related Headlines for 12/2/99

INTERNET
Online Retailers Could Reap Large Sales Gains This Season (WSJ)
Satellites May Clear Logjams on Net (NYT)
High-speed Net Links Go Wireless With Cisco (USA)
Webcams Focus On Day Care (NYT)
New Version of InterNIC Website to be Launched December 1 (NTIA)

TELEPHONY
U S West Will No Longer Bill Enhanced Services for Firms (WSJ)
AT&T Rides Ad Blitz to N.Y. Local Turf (WP)

DISABILITIES
Building a Second Curb Cut (FCC)

POLICYMAKERS
Meet the Rohde (NTIA)
Technological Advisory Council to Hold Third Meting (FCC)

INTERNET

ONLINE RETAILERS COULD REAP LARGE SALES GAINS THIS SEASON
Issue: E-commerce
Christmas shoppers are expected to spend anywhere from $4 billion to $9
billion buying gifts on the Internet this season -- easily doubling last
year's results. But since last year, the number of online retailers' goods
has exploded. "I think we're going to find some losers" this holiday season,
said Seema Williams, an analyst at research firm Forrester Research.
Williams' believes that the numbers will be high but "it's not going to be
enough to support every single dot-com." She says the lesser known companies
will lose out. Cameron Meierhoefer, an analyst at PC Data, surveyed online
shoppers last week and discovered that "Consumers are faced with the tough
problem of choosing between a large selection of products that are
reasonably priced. The challenge is on the retailer side." Some people
believe that the holiday season is make or break for dot.com companies but
Williams said e-commerce spending will rise to $184 billion in 2004 -- so
there is time to establish an identity.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Christopher Grimes]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB944084139245783127.htm)

SATELLITES MAY CLEAR LOGJAMS ON NET
Issue: Satellites
A look at how satellites can be used to turn the Internet into a video
distribution system. Sending similar Internet files at once is called
multicasting. Doug Humphrey, president of SkyCache, based in Laurel (MD),
said, "A multicast is just a fake broadcast. It's not as good. The one thing
that satellites do better than anything is broadcast. It goes up once and
comes down on every square inch of the country." Companies like SkyCache,
IPPlanet and iBeam send video to local offices of Internet service providers
know as points of presence (POPs), relieving traffic strain on the fiber
backbones of the Internet. Sending 1,000 copies of a music video to viewers
over the fiber backbone would cost about $67, said Tom Gillis, vice
president for marketing at iBeam, but iBeam would be able to deliver the
copies for about one-third of that price using satellites. He also promises
that his system will insert customized advertisements into each stream,
producing even more revenue. "Satellite is the ultimate broadcast medium,"
Gillis said. "We can deliver to thousands if not millions of users at a
fixed cost."
[SOURCE: New York Times (D17), AUTHOR: Peter Wayner]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/12/circuits/articles/02next.html)

HIGH-SPEED NET LINKS GO WIRELESS WITH CISCO
Issue: Broadband/Wireless
On Wednesday, Cisco systems revealed more details about its plans for a
wireless broadband technology that could provide an alternative to DLS and
cable modems. The system, which requires a rooftop dish, a router and a
modem card will be available for consumers for about $500 in about a year.
Cisco claims that their product is a vast improvement over current wireless
technologies that require line-of-sight transmission, which can be easily
blocked by buildings or hills. While Cisco predicts that its wireless
technology will become the standard for the broadband wireless industry, it
faces strong competition from the wireless giants.
[SOURCE: USAToday (B1), AUTHOR: Deborah Solomon]
(http://www.usatoday.com)

WEBCAMS FOCUS ON DAY CARE
Issue: Children & Technology
Now, some parents have the ability to keep an eye on their children, even
when they are working and their kids are in daycare. More and more day
care centers are installing Webcams in their classrooms, allowing parents
to access video pictures of their kids with from their computers. Sharon
Lynn Kagan, a senior associate at the Yale Bush Center, a public policy
institute that studies child care issues, said: "I believe the movement
toward this kind of surveillance is indicative about parental concerns
about safety and quality of child care centers in America." While parents
may initially check in on the day care center to ensure that the providers
are doing their jobs, many parents report they have come to use the Webcam
systems to feel closer to their children when they can be physically with
them. "As a parent, you always have a longing to see your children," said
Lynn Hudak, who logs on to a service called ParentWatch to catch a glimpse
of her 3-year-old daughter at the Kiddie Academy.
[SOURCE: New York Times (), AUTHOR: Bonnie Rothman Morris]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/12/circuits/articles/02chil.html)

NEW VERSION OF INTERNIC WEBSITE TO BE LAUNCHED DECEMBER 1
Issue: Internet
A new version of the InterNIC website will be launched on December 1, at
www.internic.net. The new site will provide the public with information
regarding domain name registration and a directory of domain name registrars
accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
(ICANN) that are currently taking registrations in the .com, .net and .org
domains.
[SOURCE: NTIA]
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/press/internicpr113099.htm)

TELEPHONY

U S WEST WILL NO LONGER BILL ENHANCED SERVICES FOR FIRMS
Issue: Cramming
Yesterday, US West announced new policies as the company said it will no
longer bill for enhanced services, such as the Internet, caller
identification and paging. The company said the measure is aimed at
preventing "cramming," a practice where customers are charged on their phone
bills for services or products they don't want. Internet service and other
companies have relied on the Baby Bells for billing services and described
the move as anticompetitive. Aaron Smith, U S West's director of information
and billing services, said, "It's not a competitive issue. It's a
customer-service issue." The Federal Communications Commission deregulated
billing services years ago and the Bells haven't been required to provide
billing services for other companies. But this is not a good move for
customers who generally prefer one monthly bill. Cramming has increased
because of consolidated bills. FCC Deputy Telecommunications Chief Robert
Atkinson stated at an FCC round table on the issue Tuesday, "If phone
companies aren't interested in billing for ancillary services, perhaps
another company will step forward and make a business out of it."
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Kathy Chen]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB944089110306278160.htm)

AT&T RIDES AD BLITZ TO N.Y. LOCAL TURF
Issue: Competition/Advertising
This weekend AT&T will begin advertising for local phone service in New York
on radio and television. Since the Federal Communications Commission will
probably decide before Christmas whether or not Bell Atlantic can begin to
offer long distance services, the competition is getting into full gear. MCI
Worldcom claims about 200,000 local customers in NY and AT&T only has
50,000. AT&T and other companies still say the FCC should not approve Bell
Atlantic's request to offer long distance as they do not process customers
orders to change service quickly enough, customers sometimes have to wait
several days or weeks. Bell Atlantic said that AT&T beginning advertising
for local service in NY is a clear indication that there is local
competition there.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, (E3), AUTHOR: Peter S. Goodman]
(http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/feed/a6156-1999dec2.htm)
See Also:
AT&T TAPS BACK INTO RESIDENTIAL PHONE MARKET
[SOURCE: USAToday (B1), AUTHOR: Deborah Solomon]
(http://www.usatoday.com)

DISABILITIES

BUILDING A SECOND CURB CUT
Issue: Disabilities
Chairman Kennard's Remarks for United Nations International Day of Disabled
Persons: Twenty, 30 years ago, some of you began talking a lot more about
disability rights. You began knocking on doors, writing articles, making
phone calls, doing the little things that put the movement on its tracks.
You took an issue once thought marginal by the public and placed it at the
fore of the national agenda. You altered attitudes and opened people's minds
to an issue unknown to many. You helped win passage of the Americans with
Disabilities Act and enshrine into law the notion of disability rights. You
achieved access to the nation's public institutions and private buildings
for 54 million Americans with disabilities. And you inspired passage of
Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act--the ADA for the Information Age.
What I like about Section 255 is that it recognizes the importance of
technology to this country's future. The law is based on the idea that in
the next century technology is becoming fundamental to everything we do. It
acknowledges that information technology accounts for nearly a quarter of
the economy and that technology is changing the way Americans work and shop
and interact with friends and family. And it says that all Americans must
have access to these critical work tools and products: access to the phone
network, the basic services that run over it, and to the equipment that
connects to it.
[SOURCE: FCC]
(http://www.fcc.gov/Speeches/Kennard/spwek942.html)

POLICYMAKERS

MEET THE ROHDE
Issue: NTIA
Members of the Press are invited to meet with Gregory L. Rohde, Assistant
Secretary for Communications and Information and Administrator of NTIA.
Rohde's appointment to the Commerce Department post was confirmed by the
Senate on November 10. He was sworn in by Commerce Secretary William M.
Daley on November 22. The purpose of the meeting is to introduce Assistant
Secretary Rohde to the media and to discuss his role as Administrator of
NTIA. Thursday, December 2, 1999 at 11:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. At the U.S.
Department of Commerce Room 4898 (Greg Rohde's Office)
Call (202) 482-7002 for more info.
[SOURCE: NTIA]
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/press/rohde113099.htm)

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVISORY COUNCIL TO HOLD THIRD MEETING
Issue: FCC
From the Public Notice: The FCC's Technological Advisory Council, a Federal
Advisory Committee comprised of a broad array of well-known technologists
and chaired by Dr. Robert Lucky, Corporate Vice President, Telcordia, will
hold its third meeting Monday, December 13, 1999 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00
p.m. in the Commission's meeting room at 445 12th St. S.W., Washington, D.C.
Members of the general public may attend the meeting. The Federal
Communications Commission will attempt to accommodate as many persons as
possible. However, admittance will be limited to the seating available.
There will be no public oral participation, but the public may submit
written comments before the meeting. For further information, contact Kent
Nilsson at 202-418-0845 voice, 202-418-2989 tty, 202-418-1918 fax,
knilsson( at )fcc.gov. RealAudio access to the meeting and other information
about the Technological Advisory Council may be obtained through the
Commission's TAC web site (http://www.fcc.gov/oet/tac/)
[SOURCE: FCC]
(http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Engineering_Technology/Public_Notices/1999/pnet9
027.html)

--------------------------------------------------------------

Communications-related Headlines for 12/1/99

EDTECH
Internet Access Spreads to More Classrooms, Survey Finds (CyberTimes)

CABLE
U.S. Seeks to Restore Law Limiting Sex Channels on Cable (NYT)
Justices Hear Arguments On Cable Smut Restrictions (WP)

INTERNET
Have Laptop, Will Upload for Dinner (NYT)
Beware Comparison Web Sites (USA)

TELEPHONY
Telenor, Telia Launch Bid For Irish Telecom Firm Esat (WSJ)
Common Carrier Bureau Grants Five States Authority To
Implement Measures To Conserve Telephone Numbers (FCC)

EDTECH

INTERNET ACCESS SPREADS TO MORE CLASSROOMS, SURVEY FINDS
Issue: EdTech
Today, 90% of American schools report having Internet access, up from just
32% three years ago, a recent study found. "Technology in Education 1999,"
Market Data Retrieval's annual look at computers in the schools, also
indicated that the country has yet to reach the Department of Education's
goal of one modern computer for every five students in America's public
schools. Currently the ratio is one for every 10 students. The study also
revealed that there is a still a disturbing trend of slower deployment of
technology in schools with high poverty rates and a high percentage of
minority students. For example, 94 percent of schools in the wealthiest
communities have Internet access, while only 84 percent of the schools in
the poorest areas do. "Citizens should be able to expect a decent public
education," B. Keith Fulton, director of technology programs and policy at
the National Urban League. "To the extent that schools are not providing
students with meaningful connectivity, they are failing their mandate to
provide a good public education."
[SOURCE: CyberTimes, AUTHOR: Pamela Mendels]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/yr/mo/cyber/education/01education.html)

CABLE

U.S. SEEKS TO RESTORE LAW LIMITING SEX CHANNELS ON CABLE
Issue: Cable/Content
Yesterday, the Clinton administration went before the Supreme Court to
defend a recent federal law intended to shield households that do not
subscribe to sexually explicit cable television channels from receiving
unwanted and incompletely scrambled signals during hours when children
might be watching. Last year, a special three-judge federal court struck
down that law on First Amendment grounds because it requires any cable
system that does not have the technology to scramble those unwanted signals
completely to limit their sexually oriented programming to hours when
children were least likely to watch. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said the
government was acting as "kind of a super parent" rather than leaving it to
parents who are concerned about the problem to order blocking devices for
their home television sets. A parallel provision of that law requires cable
systems to make these devices available without charge upon request from
the customer. A brief filed by organizations representing booksellers, the
movie industry, the recording industry and others said that because "the
once discrete worlds of print and electronic media are discrete no longer,"
the Supreme Court should stop trying to calibrate different First Amendment
standards for different media. It was noted in the court briefs that as
cable systems switch from analog to digital equipment, the problem is
expected to disappear. Justices questioned parents ability to order and
install the free channel blocking device.
[SOURCE: New York Times, (A19) AUTHOR: Linda Greenhouse]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/politics/scotus/articles/120199sex-cable-tv.
html)
See Also:
JUSTICES HEAR ARGUMENTS ON CABLE SMUT RESTRICTIONS
Issue: Cable/Content
Playboy Entertainment describes a federal law designed to block sexually
explicit cable programs from child viewers as "regulatory overkill" before
the Supreme Court. The government contends however that without the law,
graphic adult programming could be glimpsed by anyone, especially children,
"merely with the flip of a dial." The case involves cable channels whose
signals "bleed" into the homes of nonsubscribers. As part of the
wide-ranging 1996 telecommunications law, Congress required cable operators
offering sexually explicit content to "fully scramble" their signals or to
show such programming only between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. However, a special
district court in Delaware said the provision violated the First
Amendment's free speech guarantee, noting that the law requires complete
scrambling even to households without children. The Supreme Court justices
expressed doubts about whether "lockboxes" are a viable alternative. The
justices set out to distinguish what sort of "sexually explicit"
programming is restricted under the law and whether it is too broadly defined.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A4), AUTHOR: Joan Biskupic]
(http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-12/01/081l-120199-idx.html)

INTERNET

HAVE LAPTOP, WILL UPLOAD FOR DINNER
Issue: Internet/ Employment
The Internet has enabled job seekers to not just look for work from the
comfort of their own homes, but to get paid with out ever having to leave
their front doors. Sites like www.eLance.com, Monster.com and FlexMind.com
help pair up independent contractors with employers who are looking to
outsource work. In these times of low unemployment many employers are eager
to gain access to a new pool of freelancers without having to pay for
office space or fringe benefits. Some sites charge employers 20 percent of
whatever they are paying to the freelancer, but others are free for both
companies and perspective employees.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: David Leonhardt]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/yr/mo/biztech/articles/01elan.html)

BEWARE COMPARISON WEB SITES
Issue: E-commerce
Comparison shopping sites on the Internet may not always be offering
information that is objective. Many of these sites only search those online
stores that pay to be in their listing. Other comparison shopping sites
search various sites but give preferential placement to those sites that
pay to be listed. Consumers should know that the results they receive are
not exhaustive, Consumer Reports' Ellen Braitman says. Cnet, America
Online, and Disney's Go Network list findings only from those companies
that pay to be in the search. MySimon.com searches 2,000 sites but puts the
listings returned from its paying partners first.
[SOURCE:USA Today (1B), AUTHOR: Deborah Solomon]
(http://www.usatoday.com)

TELEPHONY

TELENOR, TELIA LAUNCH BID FOR IRISH TELECOM FIRM ESAT
Issue: Merger
Today, telecommunications firms Telenor of Norway and Telia of Sweden,
which are in the process of merging, launched an unsolicited bid valued at
$1.59 billion to buy Irish telecom operator Esat Telecom Group. A few
months ago, Telia and Telenor announced they would merge to create a
company with a market value of as much as $30 billion, propelling the tiny
local players to a medium-range player in Europe's telecom landscape. Esat
offers telecommunications and Internet services in the Irish market and
also owns 49.5% in Irish cellular operator Esat Digiphone, in which
Telia/Telenor also owns 49.5%.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal Interactive, AUTHOR: Dow Jones Newswires]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB944040346351027885.htm)

COMMON CARRIER BUREAU GRANTS FIVE STATES AUTHORITY TO IMPLEMENT MEASURES TO
CONSERVE TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Issue: Telephony
The Common Carrier Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
today released five orders granting the utility commissions in Connecticut,
New Hampshire, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin interim authority to engage in
various telephone number conservation procedures to help ease the cost and
inconvenience associated with area code changes. Under the
Telecommunications Act of 1996, the FCC may delegate to state commissions
all or any portion of its jurisdiction over numbering administration.
Efforts are underway to develop nationwide solutions to address the problem
of telephone number depletion, so the FCC grants only interim authority at
this time to the state commissions to institute many of the measures
requested in their petitions. The forthcoming decisions in the Numbering
Resource Optimization proceeding, which will establish national guidelines,
standards and procedures for numbering resource optimization, will be the
ultimate authority with respect to this issue. Action by the Common Carrier
Bureau November 30, 1999 by Orders (DA 99-2633, DA 99-2634, DA 99-2635, DA
99-2636, DA 99-2637). Yog R. Varma, Deputy Chief, Common Carrier Bureau.
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission Common Carrier Bureau]
(http://www.fcc.gov)

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