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December 2002

Communications-Related Headlines for December 31, 2002

INTERNET
Who Owns the Internet? You and i Do
Web Logs Open Up a New World of Journalism
Supreme Court Intervenes in DVD Dispute

POLICY
Security, Telecom Top Tech Policy Agenda for 2003

TELEPHONY
Requiem for the Pay Phone

INTERNET

WHO OWNS THE INTERNET? YOU AND I DO
Joseph Turow, a professor at the Annenberg School for Communication at the
University of Pennsylvania, has begun a small crusade to de-capitalize
Internet - and, by extension, to acknowledge a deep shift in the way that we
think about the online world. "The capitalization of things seems to place
an inordinate, almost private emphasis on something," he said, turning it
into a Kleenex or a Frigidaire. "The Internet, at least philosophically,
should not be owned by anyone," he said, calling it "part of the neural
universe of life."
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: John Schwartz]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/29/weekinreview/29SCHW.html)
(requires registration)

WEB LOGS OPEN UP A NEW WORLD OF JOURNALISM
The trend of keeping a Web log, a personal online journal posted to an
Internet site, is beginning to have an impact on the way in which news is
covered. According to MSNBC.com executive producer Joan Connell, Web loggers
have helped media outlets identify stories that might have otherwise gone
unnoticed or inadequately covered. A recent example is Sen. Trent Lott's
controversial remarks earlier this month, a story at which "[t]he mainstream
media yawned, rolled their eyes and went on," Connell said. Web loggers
opined on the issue for a full week, however, compelling the media to run
the story.
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Dale Dallabrida, Gannett News Service]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2002-12-30-web-
logs_x.htm)

SUPREME COURT INTERVENES IN DVD DISPUTE
A Supreme Court case involving DVD copyright circumvention is likely to
settle another hot tech law dispute - jurisdiction for Web cases. The DVD
industry is seeking a reversal of a California Supreme Court decision
stating that webmaster Mark Pavlovich, who posted a program that allowed
users to break DVD security codes, could not be sued in their state. The
industry believes that the prevalence of the movie industry in California
makes that state the proper venue. Pavlovich's attorney counters that his
client should not be dragged "into a forum that's halfway across the
country," adding that the decision has implications for anyone doing
business or otherwise having a presence on the Web. The high court's
decision will lend another voice to the international debate on jurisdiction
- a recent decision in Australia that allowed a US company to be sued there
sent shockwaves through the legal and business community.
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2002-12-30-dvd-court_x.htm)

POLICY

SECURITY, TELECOM TOP TECH POLICY AGENDA FOR 2003
The 108th Congress faces a series of tech policy decisions as it prepares to
set to work next month. Foremost among these is the balance between privacy
and national security as the newly formed Department of Homeland Security
explores ways to streamline the federal government's information technology
and gather better citizen information. Congress will also debate digital
copyright issues, with several new bills along with one or two holdovers
from the last session aimed at minimizing consumers' ability to make copies
of digital works. The states plan to ask Congress to pass a mandatory
national Internet sales tax, a request that will almost certainly garner
heavy debate. Finally, legislation to combat identity theft and unsolicited
commercial e-mail is expected.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55618-2002Dec30.html)

TELEPHONY

REQUIEM FOR THE PAY PHONE
Pay phones are disappearing from the American landscape. With the spread of
wireless, the number of pay phones has dwindled from a high of 2.7 million
in the mid-1990s to about 1.9 million now. While pay phones in many
locations actually lose money, they are still profitable in the
lowest-income areas of a city, said Terry Rainey, president of the American
Public Communications Council Inc., an industry group representing
independent pay phone operators around the country. "There are a great
number of people in this country without a phone," Rainey said -- 4 and 5
percent, which is more than the 1 or 2 percent of the U.S. population that
lacks television sets.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Yuki Noguchi]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49017-2002Dec28.html)

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

Communications-Related Headlines for December 30, 2002

INTERNET
Study Tracks Americans' Perceptions of the Internet

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Copyright Concerns Lead the Year's Big Fusses and Flaps

BROADCASTING
Hispanics Driving TV Growth
Voter News Service Is in Danger of Dissolution
Critics Fear Broadcast Flag Would Stomp on Consumer Rights

INTERNET

STUDY TRACKS AMERICANS' PERCEPTIONS OF THE INTERNET
According to a study conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life
Project, self-described Internet "non-users" have high expectations of the
information available to them on the Web, especially on topics such as
health care, government, news and shopping. While 64 percent of non-users
assume that they can research at least one of these topics online, 16
percent said that they would turn to the Internet first the next time they
needed health care or government information. John Horrigan, a senior
research specialist at Pew, stated that "[t]he Internet has become such a
go-to tool in America that even non-Internet users think it's an effective
way to get information," adding that nonusers may have either had access in
the past or have someone else in their household who can gain access for
them, clueing them in to what's available on the Web. The study also found
that 97 percent of Internet users shared these expectations.
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2002-12-30-internet-stud
y_x.htm)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

COPYRIGHT CONCERNS LEAD THE YEAR'S BIG FUSSES AND FLAPS
In his FastForward column, The Washington Post's Rob Pegoraro breaks down
the tech breakthroughs and busts of 2002, highlighting the copyright battle
that threatens to plague both consumers and content owners well into the new
year. The author notes the trends in illegal downloading and efforts to stop
such activity, such as designing restrictive consumer hardware, using
existing copyright law and lobbying for new legislation. Pegoraro expects
that content owners will eventually air on the side of economic solutions,
offering high quality, easy-to-use downloads for a small fee.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Rob Pegoraro]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46079-2002Dec27.html)

BROADCASTING

HISPANICS DRIVING TV GROWTH
Both network and cable TV are attempting to capture a rising Hispanic
viewership. Hispanics, it turns out, are driving the overall growth of the
country's television audience Through the use of secondary audio programs
(SAP), which have existed for several years, broadcasters are increasing
exposure to their content in primarily Spanish-speaking households,
particularly in major cities. While some experts doubt the real effect of
these efforts, no study of how often SAP is used has been conducted.
Further, noting that content is as equally important as language, critics
wonder why Hispanic viewers would watch a dubbed English program when they
could switch to Spanish channels such as Univision that offer culturally
relevant programming. Cable networks such as ESPN, who plans to offer a
sports network geared for Hispanic fans, may fare better.
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Mireya Navarro]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/30/business/media/30DEMO.html)
(requires registration)

CRITICS FEAR BROADCAST FLAG WOULD STOMP ON CONSUMER RIGHTS
With the transition to digital television, Hollywood is promoting a
"broadcast flag" to keep consumers from illegally redistributing copyright
works. The flag is essentially a few bits of information transmitted with a
broadcast that would be recognized by devices - whether set-top box, PC card
or handheld computer - that turn the signal into a viewable format. The mark
can restrict copying and redistribution of programming. Critics claim the
flag is the latest attempt to take control from consumers. "This has to do
with controlling the customary, expected uses of law-abiding consumers in
their homes," said Cory Doctorow of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
"When they say 'This keeps honest people honest,' they mean 'This keeps
honest people in chains.'" Additionally, critics worry that building in a
single, government-mandated type of security could stifle innovation,
especially if the approved technology is proprietary and secret.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Matthew Fordahl]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42953-2002Dec27.html)

VOTER NEWS SERVICE IS IN DANGER OF DISSOLUTION
The Associated Press and the major TV news networks may end their
decade-long partnership in the Voter News Service, which generates
statistical models to predict the outcomes of elections. The service
encountered problems in the 2000 presidential election, failing to properly
predict the outcome for the State of Florida. The partners had planned to
upgrade the computer system, but these recent discussions may halt such
efforts. Possible solutions include the networks going their own respective
way to survey voters and predict results. A decision may be made as early as
next week.
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Jim Rutenberg]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/30/business/30VNS.html)
(requires registration)

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

Communications-Related Headlines for December 20, 2002

BROADCASTING
Unions Blast FCC's Studies on Media-Ownership Rules
Companies Reach Agreement on Digital TV

INTERNET
Internet law: The Year in Review
Bush Administration to Propose System for Monitoring Internet

BROADCASTING

UNIONS BLAST FCC'S STUDIES ON MEDIA-OWNERSHIP RULES
Organized labor has come out in support of a critique of the twelve recent
studies commissioned by the FCC regarding potential changes to media
ownership rules. Several unions, including writers' guilds and the AFL-CIO's
Department of Professional Employees, lent sponsorship to a report published
by Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
The report noted that the FCC studies often failed to support their own
claims regarding levels of media saturation and the robustness of
competition. "The write-ups are often different from what they found," said
Baker. "They were to a large extent poorly designed. The data they actually
found showed there was a danger in consolidation." Empirical evidence of the
potential damages of consolidation is necessary for the FCC rules to stand
up under judicial review. The unions also note that media outlets have
failed to adequately cover this issue.
[SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter, AUTHOR: Brooks Boliek]
(http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hollywoodreporter/media/article_display.j
sp?vnu_content_id=1779922)

COMPANIES REACH AGREEMENT ON DIGITAL TV
Despite potential opposition from content owners, the cable industry and TV
manufacturers struck an agreement yesterday that, if approved by the FCC,
will provide easier access to digital cable programming. The deal calls for
"digital cable-ready" sets that would allow consumers to plug-and-play
without having to rent a converter box from their cable provider, as is the
current practice. The document also discusses the rights of users to record
shows and movies directly through their TV sets, a notion that has the MPAA
and studios concerned about the potential for piracy.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Mike Musgrove]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14906-2002Dec19.html)

INTERNET

BUSH ADMINISTRATION TO PROPOSE SYSTEM FOR MONITORING INTERNET
A forthcoming report from the White House will propose requiring Internet
service providers (ISPs) to build a centralized monitoring network as part
of the nation's Homeland Security initiative. Entitled "The National
Strategy to Secure Cyberspace," the report is designed to forge public and
private cooperation "to regulate and defend the national computer networks,
not only from everyday hazards like viruses but also from terrorist attack."
No technical specifics are listed in the report. ISPs familiar with the
document worry that the broad monitoring directive may amount to
unauthorized wiretapping and are thus leery of the recommendations, which
still must pass Congressional muster.
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: John Markoff and John Schwartz]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/20/technology/20MONI.html)

INTERNET LAW: THE YEAR IN REVIEW
GigaLaw.com publisher Doug Isenberg compiles a list of legal highlights and
lowlights from the year's Internet news. Among his top stories: the recent
acquittal of ElcomSoft; the Amazon e-commerce patent case, which settled
under undisclosed terms; the several misguided attempts at protecting
children online; ineffectual anti-spam laws at the state level; the struggle
between privacy laws and anti-terrorism measures; and of course, the
Microsoft settlement.
[SOURCE: CNET News, AUTHOR: Doug Isenberg]
(http://news.com.com/2010-1071-978449.html?tag=fd_nc_1)

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

Communications-Related Headlines for December 19, 2002

DIGITAL DIVIDE
States Bypass Rural Internet Obstacles

HEALTH & MEDIA
New EU Guidelines for E-Health Web Sites
Alcohol Ads on TV Find a Young Audience

DIGITAL DIVIDE

STATES BYPASS RURAL INTERNET OBSTACLES
As more US rural residents get online, they are still less likely than their
urban counterparts to have access to high-speed Internet connections.
Barriers such as high cost, low demand, a lack of awareness and
infrastructure, and low return on investment still hinder broadband
deployment in many rural areas. Several state governments have begun to
offer tax incentives, low-interest loans and grants, even allowing local
public-sector entities to enter the broadband business itself, in an attempt
to overcome some of the roadblocks. Virginia, for example, has recently
passed a law that permits local governments to offer telecommunications
services in rural areas where there are no competitive local exchange
carriers. The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners has
reported that Internet use among rural households grew 24 percent on average
annually from 1998 to 2001, and the percentage of Internet users in rural
areas is 53 percent -- almost even with the national average.
[SOURCE: Federal Computer Week, AUTHOR: Dibya Sarkar]
(http://www.fcw.com/geb/articles/2002/1216/web-rural-12-19-02.asp)

HEALTH & MEDIA

NEW EU GUIDELINES FOR E-HEALTH WEB SITES
In response to the rapid growth of e-health services across Europe, the
European Commission has released a new set of quality criteria for Web sites
providing health information to EU citizens. The over-arching principle is
that a health-related Web site must state clearly its target audience and
take care to "ensure that both the style and nature of the information, and
its presentation, are appropriate for the chosen audience". According to the
Commission, national and regional health authorities, relevant professional
associations and private medical Web site owners are now expected to
implement the criteria in a manner "appropriate to their Web site and
consumers."
[SOURCE: Europemedia.net]
(http://www.europemedia.net/shownews.asp?ArticleID=14264)

ALCOHOL ADS ON TV FIND A YOUNG AUDIENCE
Young people see more television commercials for alcoholic beverages than
they do for jeans, sneakers or acne creams, according to a new study from a
health policy group. Although the liquor industry says its television ads
are aimed at those aged 21 and older, a report from the Center on Alcohol
Marketing and Youth at Georgetown University found that teenagers are
receiving a disproportionate share of those messages. Alcohol ads, according
to the study, appeared during 13 of the 15 most popular shows among
teenagers. Of the 208,909 alcohol commercials on television in 2001 studied
by the researchers, they found that nearly a quarter of them were more
likely to be seen by teenagers than by adults, despite the voluntary
guidelines minimizing the number of ads viewed by minors.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: John Schwartz]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/18/business/media/18ADCO.html)

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

Communications-Related Headlines for December 18, 2002

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Computers in Churches, Laundromats May Bridge Digital Divide
W3C Announces Disability Guidelines

E-GOVERNMENT
Bush Signs E-Government Bill

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
U.S. Clears Russian Tech Firm in E-Book Copyright Case

DIGITAL DIVIDE

COMPUTERS IN CHURCHES, LAUNDROMATS MAY BRIDGE DIGITAL DIVIDE
Basic information technology literacy has only a marginal effect on the
ability of underserved groups to capitalize on the economic opportunities
commonly linked with IT expertise. This was the finding of a study led by
Penn State University professor Lynette Kvasny. Entitled "The Challenges of
Redressing the Digital Divide: A Tale of Two Cities," her conclusions are
based on her research of two Georgia cities that implemented technology
initiatives to address the digital divide. Kvasny notes that the most
disadvantaged social groups have such limited regular access to technology
training that they are rarely able to carry those skills with them once the
training is over. The study examined programs implemented in Atlanta and
LaGrange, Georgia.
[SOURCE: EurekaAlert!, AUTHOR: Margaret Hopkins, Penn State University]
(http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2002-12/ps-cic121302.php)

W3C ANNOUNCES DISABILITY GUIDELINES
The culmination of five years of work, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
has finalized guidelines for Web browsers and media players designed to
maximize accessibility for users with disabilities. The User Agent
Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG) are the third in a series of recommendations
under the group's Web Accessibility Initiative. UAAG suggestions include
making commands executable via keyboard or mouse and ensuring that
applications can be used easily with assistive technologies.
[SOURCE: CNET News, AUTHOR: Paul Festa]
(http://news.com.com/2100-1023-978272.html)
W3C Web Accessibility Initiative:
(http://www.w3.org/WAI/)

E-GOVERNMENT

BUSH SIGNS E-GOVERNMENT BILL
President Bush signed the E-Government Act of 2002 into law yesterday,
culminating a legislative effort to simplify the flow of information among
federal agencies and with the general public. The law establishes an Office
of Information within the Office of Management and Budget, which will be run
by a federal CIO responsible for coordinating the government's electronic
information resources. The law also requires online publications such as a
federal telephone directory, a National Library, Web sites for individual
federal courts, a directory of agencies and a site for agency proceedings
and electronic rulemaking. Although the concept of e-government has existed
for quite some time, lobbyists note that the isolated pockets of information
discovered following terrorist attacks in 2001 spurred lawmakers to pass the
bill. Harris Miller, president of the Information Technology Association Of
America, said that the law is indicative of a larger goal: a day when
"e-government means government, and there's no distinction. One day we won't
need to put the 'e' in front of it anymore."
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Paul Festa, CNET News)
(http://www.nytimes.com/cnet/CNET_2100-1023-978297.html)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

U.S. CLEARS RUSSIAN TECH FIRM IN E-BOOK COPYRIGHT CASE
The first case filed under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998
failed to clear its first legal hurdle yesterday as a US District Court in
California acquitted Russian software developer ElcomSoft of charges that
its eBook reader software violated copyright law. The primary question was
not whether the Russian company could be sued under US law but whether or
not the company willfully created the program with the intent to violate
copyrights. Throughout the case, Elcomsoft maintained their intent to allow
users with legitimate copies of eBooks to make backup copies. Several cases
are pending regarding similar claims, including file-swapping software
developers KaZaa and Morpheus.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Ariana Eunjung Cha]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3965-2002Dec17.html)

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

Communications-Related Headlines for December 17, 2002

OWNERSHIP
Minorities and the Media: Little Ownership and Even Less Control

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Philanthropy Meets Technology

INTERNET
Limits Sought on Wireless Internet Access
U.S. Court Says No to Web Libel Lawsuit

OWNERSHIP

MINORITIES AND THE MEDIA: LITTLE OWNERSHIP AND EVEN LESS CONTROL
Media mergers and buyouts of minority-owned outlets have all but crippled
the diversity of voices in the media marketplace. A discouraging report from
the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
demonstrates that in 2001 only 3.8 percent of the country's full-power
commercial TV and radio stations were minority-owned. Business owners site a
lack of capital as critical in their inability to resist buyouts and gain
control of additional outlets. The effects are disastrous, as broadcasters
are forced to alter their cultural content in favor of lighter, syndicated
fare.
[SOURCE: Alternet, AUTHOR: Dana Rawls]
(http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=14751)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

PHILANTHROPY MEETS TECHNOLOGY
A group of researchers at Stanford University are doing more than just
generating ideas about how to make technology accessible and relevant in
developing nations -- they're turning their ideas into realities for many
underserved communities around the world. The Digital Vision Fellowship
program, funded by the Reuters Foundation, consists of fellows from a
variety of disciplines who produce small-scale IT solutions that increase
access and mesh with the culture of a particular community. The fellows work
with nonprofits and foundations familiar with the targeted regions in order
to implement the final project. "In general, it's just taking something from
an idea to a proven concept," said Stuart Gannes, the program's director.
"The goal here is not just create a bunch of academic papers that people put
on the shelf."
[SOURCE: The Mercury News, AUTHOR: Dan Lee]
(http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/business/4756888.htm)

INTERNET

LIMITS SOUGHT ON WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS
The rapid success of Wi-Fi networks, seen by many as a driving force behind
the future resurgence of the tech market as well as the deployment of
broadband, is facing a potential roadblock from the federal government. The
Department of Defense worries that the wireless technologies employed by
Wi-Fi networks might interfere with military radar, and is thus seeking
limitation on the technology. Industry officials met with DOD brass last
week in an effort to reach a solution, which may include creative spectrum
sharing to reduce the likelihood that consumer wireless users will crowd out
military frequencies. To date, no degradation in government radar capability
has been reported.
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: John Markoff]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/17/technology/17WIRE.html)

U.S. COURT SAYS NO TO WEB LIBEL LAWSUIT
The US Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit (VA) refused to hear a case in
which a Virginia prison warden had filed a libel suit against two
Connecticut newspapers that had published stories to the Web. The ruling
comes less than a week after Australia's highest court ruled that a US-based
company would have to litigate a claim brought against it by an Australian
businessman in that court. In the 4th Circuit case, the matter in question
was the newspapers' intent "to direct their Web site content... to a
Virginia audience." The court ruled that the Web sites were designed for
residents of Connecticut, as evidenced by the local content. The court only
ruled on the jurisdictional issue of the case and not the merits of the
warden's defamation claim.
[SOURCE: CNET News, AUTHOR: Declan McCullagh]
(http://news.com.com/2100-1023-978069.html)

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

Communications-Related Headlines for December 16, 2002

OWNERSHIP
FCC Asks The Wrong Questions In Media Ownership Studies

INTERNET
Web Calling Roils the Telecom World
Lobbying Pressure Leads U.S. to Speed Approval of Internet Change

SPECTRUM
Chairman Powell and Assistant Secretary Victory Meet to Coordinate
Spectrum Policy

OWNERSHIP

FCC ASKS THE WRONG QUESTIONS IN MEDIA OWNERSHIP STUDIES
As the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) embarks on a review of media
ownership rules, consumer groups charge Commission Chairman Michael Powell
with acting against public opinion and disregarding values by articulated
Congress and embraced by the Supreme Court. Led by The Consumer Federation
of America, several public interest and consumer groups released a statement
of principles and a comprehensive legal and economic analysis of the
increasing problem of concentration in mass media markets. The report
predicts that repeal or significant modification of media ownership rules
will open the floodgates of mergers and acquisitions and will reduce
competition and diversity in the media. Analyzing several previous instances
in which ownership limits were relaxed, the paper concludes that the
industry behaves according to a simple principle "If you let them, they will
merge."
[SOURCE: Consumers Union]
(http://www.consumerfed.org/demodiscoursesum.pdf)

INTERNET

WEB CALLING ROILS THE TELECOM WORLD
While Internet-based calling is still in its early stages, some large
telephone companies are beginning to get concerned. Phone monopolies,
especially in the developing world, are beginning to feeling threatened by
the increasingly common practice of routing International calls over the
Internet at steep discounts. Internet-based calls -- most of which originate
or terminate in poor countries -- account for more than 10 percent of all
international calling traffic today, up from almost nothing five years ago,
according to TeleGeography, a research firm. Analysts predict that the real
disruption to the industry depends on whether large carriers decide to
mothball billions of dollars' worth of traditional switching equipment in
favor of Internet-based technology.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Simon Romero]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/16/technology/16TELE.html)
(requires registration)

LOBBYING PRESSURE LEADS U.S. TO SPEED APPROVAL OF INTERNET CHANGE
In the past year, several organizations have attempted to use national
security to push policies through the federal government. The technology
sector is not immune to this trend. In October of this year, Verisign
lobbied the Department of Commerce to move one of the 13 Internet "root
servers," which manage global Web traffic, in the interest of national
security. DOC approved the request after just two days, providing evidence
that companies are able to wield enormous policy power using homeland
protection as a justification. Tech experts and senior government officials
said the change merely corrected a design flaw, shrugging off suggestions
that DOC was swayed by the security argument. Watchdog organizations
disagree.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2002-12-16-net-lobby_x.htm)

SPECTRUM

CHAIRMAN POWELL AND ASSISTANT SECRETARY VICTORY MEET TO PLAN AND COORDINATE
SPECTRUM POLICY
FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell and Assistant Secretary of Commerce for
Communications and Information Nancy J. Victory met last Tuesday to
coordinate the efforts of the Commission and DOC's National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to improve U.S.
spectrum policy. The meeting came as a result of requests from industry
leaders and spectrum users at NTIA's Spectrum Summit last spring. Among the
agenda items were: the current process for coordinating use of the spectrum;
maximizing spectrum use while reducing interference to existing users and
new entrants; emerging technologies that may address various concerns; and
alternative licensing regimes and the success of the unlicensed model. The
two agencies plan to meet again next summer.
[SOURCE: US Dept. of Commerce]
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/press/2002/spectrumleadership_12102002.htm
)

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

Communications-Related Headlines for December 13, 2002

COPYRIGHT
Jury Deliberating Software Copyright Case

JOURNALISM
Weblogs: The New News?

INTERNET
The Aging Net (commentary)

TELEVISION
Next-Gen TV Needs Network Bucks

COPYRIGHT

JURY DELIBERATING SOFTWARE COPYRIGHT CASE
A federal jury has begun deliberating the fate of Elcomsoft Co. Ltd, a
Russian software company accused of violating the Digital Millennium
Copyright Act (DMCA). Elcomsoft is being prosecuting for developing software
that allows users to crack the security of Adobe System's e-book publishing
software. Users of the software could then edit, copy or re-distribute the
e-book's materials. The software, legal in Russia, was also made available
in the United States, which prohibits the distribution of software that
allows users to circumvent digital content security measures. The case
gained attention last year when Elcomsoft employee Dmitry Sklyarov was
arrested at a Las Vegas conference and spent several weeks in jail. US
authorities eventually released Sklyarov in exchange for testimony against
the company. If convicted, Elcomsoft could face fines of more than $2
million.
[SOURCE: Yahoo! News, AUTHOR: Bob Porterfield, Associated Press]
(http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=528&ncid=528&e=1&u=/ap/20021213/
ap_on_hi_te/russian_programmer)

JOURNALISM

WEBLOGS: THE NEW NEWS?
Law professor Glenn Reynolds is part of a new breed of media pundit.
Independent of corporate media and answering to no one, publishers of Web
logs, or blogs, have spread faster than wildfire over the last year or so.
These independent commentators, or bloggers, publish online diaries on
whatever subject interests them; in the case of Reynolds, he's written on
subjects ranging from terror attacks in Indonesia to popular music. Bloggers
don't receive an online audience as large as commercial media outlets --
Reynolds' audience of 35,000 readers a day is considered very successful in
the blogger community -- but they've gained a loyal following that continues
to grow. Mainstream media outlets such as MSNBC are jumping aboard the
blogwagon, creating blogs of their own in the hope of keeping
independent-minded readers from bolting to more maverick reading sources.
San Francisco blog expert Rebecca Blood calls the phenomenon a "vox populi,"
but warns that the partisan nature of many blogs may lead to a class of
readers who shelter themselves from serious political debate. "People no
longer want to hear -- they want to talk to people who agree with them," she
said.
[SOURCE: NZoom.com, AUTHOR: Agence France-Presse]
(http://technology.nzoom.com/technology_detail/0,1608,151445-113-117,00.html
)

INTERNET

THE AGING NET
(Commentary) "Designing digital content for America's youth seems hot and
sexy; getting predominantly young designers to develop content for seniors
is like pulling teeth," says Henry Jenkins, director of the Comparative
Media Studies Program at MIT. Jenkins and his colleagues at MIT designed a
program in which students developed content with senior citizens at a local
SeniorNet technology center. Many students who initially signed up
eventually dropped it, "undoubtedly spooked by the idea of spending time
reflecting on what life was like after 65." As the Baby Boom generation
ages, there will be a dramatic increase in the number of senior citizens in
the US, from 35 million today to 54 million by the year 2020. Jenkins
argues that developers must take the growing senior population more
seriously when it comes to creating relevant content on the Internet.
Seniors face many challenges online, he writes; in the case of his father,
because he resides in an older neighborhood, the phone and cable companies
have yet to deploy broadband locally. And despite the development of Web
accessibility guidelines, too many sites employ miniscule fonts and require
detailed manipulation of a mouse, making them a challenge for seniors with
visual and motor skill impairments.
[SOURCE: Technology Review, AUTHOR: Henry Jenkins]
(http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/wo_jenkins121102.asp)

TELEVISION
NEXT-GEN TV NEEDS NETWORK BUCKS
Now in its fifth year, the American Film Institute's Enhanced TV Workshop
has partnered TV producers, network programmers and "technology mentors" to
develop enhanced, interactive TV programming. Coming up with creative ideas,
however, has been less of a challenge than convincing media execs that these
interactive applications make a worthwhile investment. "Things are happening
right now [in interactive television], but the deployment isn't there," said
Timothy Shey of Proteus, Inc., who serves as one of the workshop's tech
mentors. TV programs have employed limited interactivity by synchronizing
broadcasts with Internet-based content, but more robust enhanced TV
applications would generally require the deployment of set-top boxes or
other middleware. The workshop has come up with a set of proposals,
including an "Interactive Thursday" concept for the network TV Land, but
participants acknowledge they face an uphill battle, since network execs
won't consider their ideas without knowing how the concepts will make money
or enhance their programmatic brands. "The people at high-enough levels to
give the green light or invest something [in interactive projects] are not
buying in enough yet," said AFI's Anna Marie Piersimoni.
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Dustin Goot]
(http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,56716,00.html)

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Communications-Related Headlines for December 12, 2002

WIRELESS
Indian Villagers Pedal Wireless
So Many Nodes, So Little Security

INTERNET
Economics of Kid-Friendly Domain Questioned

JOURNALISM
News Channels Losing Battle for Young Viewers

WIRELESS

INDIAN VILLAGERS PEDAL WIRELESS
This month, 5,000 young men on bicycles will carry mobile phones equipped
with CDMA Wireless Local Loop into 5,000 West Bengal villages, bringing
telephone services to village doorsteps for the first time. The initiative
is orgainized by Grameen Sanchar Seva Organization (GRASSO), which strives
to use information and communications technologies to strengthen the
distribution network of agricultural produce. Soumitra Shankar Das, GRASSO's
working chairman said that many of the villages "lack even their own
transport to carry produce to markets, so digital connectivity is like half
a circle." To complete the rest of the circle, GRASSO will help villagers
become owners of telephone booths, Internet kiosks and vehicles that will
carry the produce. "The idea is to build three networks -- phones, Internet
and transport -- each sustaining the other," said Das.
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Anuradha Kumar]
(http://www.wired.com/news/wireless/0,1382,56663,00.html)

SO MANY NODES, SO LITTLE SECURITY
A recent survey of Wi-Fi networks in New York revealed not only the extent
of Wi-Fi adoption -- covering more than 14,000 business and personal
networks -- but also the apparent laxity of users when it comes to Wi-Fi's
built-in security. Marcos R. Lara, the survey's researcher, found that
nearly 70 percent of the networks did not employ security measures,
potentially exposing every word and digit transmitted, while allowing others
to piggyback on their Internet service. Mr. Lara's survey, described at
www.publicinternetproject.org, also found a stark dividing line between
Manhattan's haves and have-nots: 92 percent of network nodes were below 96th
Street. Mapping can have other benefits, as Andy Carvin of the Benton
Foundation noted that even technology advocates involved at the street level
do not always know the exact picture of usage. "Activists in the digital
divide community realize the power of mapping because it helps us fill in
the blanks of what's happening where," Mr. Carvin said.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Glenn Fleishman]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/12/technology/circuits/12spot.html)
(requires registration)

INTERNET

ECONOMICS OF KID-FRIENDLY DOMAIN QUESTIONED
Now that President Bush has signed the Dot-Kids Implementation and
Efficiency Act into law, some are questioning whether the new kids-only
domain can attract enough tenants to make it a worthwhile place for parents
to send their children. The authors of the law envisioned the new "kids.us"
domain as a sanctuary where children could explore the Internet without
being exposed to its dangers. Elliot Noss, president of Canadian address
seller Tucows Inc., charges that kids.us has "absolutely zero" probability
of achieving that ubiquity and is nothing more than "an exercise in making
politicians who don't understand the medium feel good."
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: David McGuire]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44122-2002Dec12.html)

JOURNALISM

NEWS CHANNELS LOSING BATTLE FOR YOUNG VIEWERS
A little over a year since the September 11 attacks, young viewers ages
18-34 have already drifted away from the TV news. But according to a report
in Mediaweek, older viewers are increasingly drawn to news. In fact, the
number of viewers ages 55+ watching both network and cable news has
increased. While some news executives are concerned about the discrepancy,
others say it's nothing new. Though a news-viewer drop-off was expected
eventually after 9/11, writer John Consoli says he found that younger
viewers have turned away from news at a much higher rate than older viewers.
Experts say that younger people are often drawn to the news by a specific
story and leave once the story dies down. [SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Peter
Johnson]
(http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/mediamix/2002-12-10-media-mix_x.htm)

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Communications-Related Headlines for December 11, 2002

INTERNET
Study: Web Filters Block Health Information
South Africa's Absa Scraps Last Free Internet Access

EDTECH
First Virtual Elementary School in Canada Opens

NONPROFITS
Mapping and Community Organizing in Philadelphia

INTERNET

STUDY: WEB FILTERS BLOCK HEALTH INFORMATION
A study by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation reports that Internet
filtering software, used primarily on public computers to block adult
content, shuts out educational materials as well. Results indicate that
while filters block access to nearly 90 percent of online pornography at the
lowest setting, the highest security setting also blocks roughly 25 percent
of educational information covering subjects such as tobacco use, sexual
health and depression. The study also notes that the higher settings only
marginally restrict access to additional pornographic sites. Legislation
regarding the online protection of children has met with difficulty in the
federal court system when weighed against First Amendment rights. This study
fuels a debate that has reached the Supreme Court regarding the Children's
Internet Protection Act (CIPA), which ties federal E-Rate funding for public
schools and libraries to the use of filtering software.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Ellen Edwards]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37370-2002Dec10.html)

SOUTH AFRICA'S ABSA SCRAPS LAST FREE INTERNET ACCESS
Absa Bank has announced that it will cancel its free Internet service and
move to a subscription-based service. "After providing the free Internet
access service for over two years, the changing Internet environment has
forced Absa to move towards offering the paid-for subscription based service
only," the bank said in an email to account holders. Dave Donkin of Absa
says the low proposed subscription price -- approximately USD$4.39 per month
-- is a break-even proposition designed to keep the service as affordable as
possible while still sustaining the business model. Donkin estimates that
the bank gave some 56,000 South Africans access to the Internet for the
first time, most of whom could not have afforded it otherwise.
[SOURCE: AllAfrica.com, AUTHOR: Tracy Burrows, ITWeb]
(http://allafrica.com/stories/200212090653.html)

EDTECH

FIRST VIRTUAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN CANADA OPENS
Canada's first fully virtual elementary school started classes on Monday.
LinkonLearning.com, certified as a private school in Ontario, charges $400
for a year of classes and serves as an alternative for children who have
trouble sitting still in a traditional classroom. With features such as
flashy graphics, an automated teacher's voice and a virtual library, the
school offers much-needed curricula to home-schooling families. Critics
note, however, that the business side of e-learning may have an effect on
the overall educational quality of the content.
[SOURCE: National Post, AUTHOR: Heather Sokoloff]
(http://www.nationalpost.com/home/story.html?id=3C5E244D-C7D1-485A-BEE6-5496
880D0FCF)

NONPROFITS

MAPPING AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZING IN PHILADELPHIA
The Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporation (PACDC)
distributed Compaq iPAQ Pocket PCs to its member Community Development
Corporations (CDCs) to assist them in creating neighborhood inventories of
their service areas by standardizing data collection and establishing a
baseline for measuring neighborhood change over time. According to PACDC's
report, the exercise "has provided CDCs with valuable knowledge in their
strategic planning, community outreach efforts and development of policy
initiatives." The handhelds were used by CDCs to collect information on
urban land vacancies and allowed volunteers with little computer experience
to survey community members to establish buy-in for their projects, among
other endeavors.
[SOURCE: Community Technology Review, AUTHOR: Eric F. Hoffman]
(http://www.comtechreview.org/article_body_fw02.asp?article_ID=129)

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