ANTITRUST
Antitrust Deal Is Called Big Victory for Microsoft (NYT)
INTERNET
Internet May Help Spur Return To Civic Activism, Study Says (WSJ)
Dot-Kids, or Dot-Kids R US? (WIRED)
FCC
Will Ownership Rules Be Trashed Behind Our Backs? (MC)
Meeting Of The Consumer/Disability Telecommunications Advisory
Committee (FCC)
ANTITRUST
ANTITRUST DEAL IS CALLED BIG VICTORY FOR MICROSOFT
Issue: Antitrust
After more than three years of litigation, repeated courtroom setbacks and
failed settlement talks, Microsoft is apparently on the verge of emerging
largely successful from its long antitrust battle. Microsoft's tentative
agreement with the Justice Department would not require it to alter the
design or development of its products and would not change its strategy of
aggressively moving into new markets. "It's business as usual for
Microsoft," said David Readerman, an analyst at Thomas Weisel Partners in
San Francisco. The settlement does seek to prohibit Microsoft from bullying
business partners and rivals, and forces it to share some of its tightly
held technical information. The tentative settlement would prohibit
Microsoft from entering into pricing deals and contracts with personal
computer makers that effectively force them to favor Microsoft products over
rival offerings. The settlement would also allow PC makers to remove the
desktop icons that link to Microsoft products like its Internet Explorer
browser, media player and instant messaging software. To be sure,
uncertainties remain for Microsoft. The 18 states that joined the Justice
Department in the suit may bolt from the settlement. The European Commission
has a broad investigation of the big software maker under way, and Brussels
may well prove less malleable than the Bush administration.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Steve Lohr]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/02/technology/02IMPA.html)
(requires registration)
INTERNET
INTERNET MAY HELP SPUR RETURN TO CIVIC ACTIVISM, STUDY SAYS
Issue: Internet
The Internet may help reverse a decades-long decline in civic participation,
particularly among younger adults, according to a new survey. The Pew
Internet & American Life Project (www.pewinternet.org) study released
Wednesday didn't attempt to determine whether such a reversal had taken
place yet. "One of the big concerns that has existed since the mid-1960s is
that young people were withdrawing from civic life," said Lee Rainie, the
project's director. "It was just striking to see this technology that is
enormously popular with young people is a vehicle by which they are engaging
in the community at some level." Overall, 84% of Internet users in the U.S.
have used the Internet to contact or get information from a group.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB1004625077911792480.htm)
(requires subscription)
See:
ONLINE COMMUNITIES: NETWORKS THAT NURTURE LONG-DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS AND
LOCAL TIES
[SOURCE: Pew Internet Project]
(http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report=47)
DOT-KIDS, OR DOT-KIDS R US?
Issue: Internet
House lawmakers are considering having the government establish a
kid-friendly Internet domain since the international body that governs
domain names has refused to create a suffix for child-appropriate content.
The bill originally called for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names
and Numbers (ICANN) to create a dot-kids domain, which would join other
suffixes such as dot-com and dot-org found at the end of Web addresses. But
the measure was amended Thursday to create a dot-kids.us suffix, that would
only be available to Web sites with material deemed appropriate for children
under 13. Participation would be voluntary and the sites would be
continuously monitored. The bill would establish an independent board that
would set criteria for use of dot-kids.us. Rob Courtney, a policy analyst
with the Center for Democracy and Technology, said putting dot-kids under
the dot-us domain is an improvement. But he said his organization is still
concerned about who will be responsible for monitoring, enforcing and
funding the effort and about what standards will be used. The Commerce
Department, which has authority to issue dot-us Web space, has given NeuStar
a contract to manage the space and is concerned that establishing a kid-safe
domain may violate the NeuStar contract.
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Wired Staff]
(http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,48085,00.html)
See Also:
TESTIMONY OF NANCY J. VICTORY ON "DOT KIDS NAME ACT OF 2001"
[SOURCE: NTIA]
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/congress/2001/dotkids_110101.htm)
OWNERSHIP
WILL OWNERSHIP RULES BE TRASHED BEHIND OUR BACKS?
Issue: Ownership
As the FCC is reconsidering media ownership rules (TV, cable, TV-newspaper)
-- the MediaChannel affiliates have published several articles to explain
what's at a stake & created easy tools to file comments and write to
congress.
[SOURCE: Media Channel]
(http://www.mediachannel.org/atissue/ownership)
MEETING OF THE CONSUMER/DISABILITY TELECOMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Issue: FCC
The Consumer/Disability Telecommunications Advisory Committee will hold its
next meeting on November 30, 2001. On November 30, 2000, the Federal
Communications Commission announced the establishment of the Committee. Its
purpose is to make recommendations to the Commission regarding consumer and
disability issues within the jurisdiction of the Commission and to
facilitate the participation of consumers (including people with
disabilities and underserved populations) in proceedings before the
Commission.
[SOURCE: FCC]
(http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Consumer_Information/Public_Notices/2001/da01256
4.html)
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