Communications-related Headlines for 2/13/02

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Battling Bush's Digital Divide (CNET)
Internet Mosaic Continues To Grow (BBC)

INTERNET
Teen Girls Know Their Way Around The Net (USA)
Free Speech E-rased On Va. Virtual Monument (WP)

SECURITY
Research Group Finds Holes in Net Security (USA)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

BATTLING BUSH'S DIGITAL DIVIDE
Issue: Digital Divide
Yesterday, prominent civil rights organizations held an emergency meeting to
combat a Bush administration proposal to eliminate two programs the groups
say are "small but crucial" to reducing the digital divide. The Leadership
Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) and the Benton Foundation convened a host
of civil rights groups to discuss ways to save the Opportunities Program
(TOP), administered by the Department of Commerce, and the Community
Technology Center initiative, administered by the Department of Education.
The programs, which Bush proposed axing as part of the fiscal 2003 budget,
help bring technology to low-income and underserved communities. "After
years of building up successful public investments to expand technology
opportunity, the administration's decision to pull out comes at an
unfortunate time," said Tony Wilhelm, senior director at the Benton
Foundation. Brian Komar, director of strategic affairs for the LCCR said the
"Both programs enjoy tremendous bipartisan support." He said the recent
meeting is "just the beginning of what (could) be a fairly large-scale
campaign."
[SOURCE: CNet, AUTHOR: Rachel Konrad]
(http://news.com.com/2100-1023-834645.html)

INTERNET MOSAIC CONTINUES TO GROW
Issue: Digital Divide
Despite the current global recession, the Internet is continuing to boom,
according to research from analyst firm IDC. Carol Glasheen, Vice president
of IDC's global research organization, says that the Internet is creating a
diverse and vibrant global village. "In effect, instead of the Internet
normalising worldwide variations, it has become a reflection of the many
geographies, cultures, economics and political conditions that exist in the
offline world," she said. Internet users are all ages, all education levels
and all occupations and are not just logging on via PC but from web TVs,
handheld computers and mobile phones. In many countries, however, Internet
users are still likely to be the more affluent than those left offline.
[SOURCE: BBC, AUTHOR:]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1816000/1816388.stm)

INTERNET

TEEN GIRLS KNOW THEIR WAY AROUND THE NET, THEIR PARENTS
Issue: Internet
A survey released by the Girl Scouts of the USA reveals new information
about the behavior of teen girls online. Over half the girls (58%) reported
they were the savviest computer users at home and 18% say they could hack
into a school computer. Most of the respondents reported that they could use
their tech knowledge to get around parental rules, with 86% saying they
secretly chat, 57% can read parent's email and 42% can access porn sites.
Parents who are not as tech savvy as their children are advised to keep
abreast of Internet technologies and their children's online activities.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Karen Thomas]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20020213/3852120s.htm)

FREE SPEECH E-RASED ON VA. VIRTUAL MONUMENT
Issue: Internet
The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression has
proposed a community chalkboard to be erected as a monument to free speech.
A precursor to the actual 60-foot board, a virtual chalkboard has been
created to generate interest in the project. Visitors to the chalkboard can
post in anonymity, erase any or all posted messages or write a new message.
While critics predicted the board would be used to express obscenities and
racist slurs, the real frustration is stemming from seeing messages altered
or obliterated. Advocates of the chalkboard hope the erasures highlight
issues around intolerance for differing opinions and encourage visitors to
become free speech advocates.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Carol Morello]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/regulation/15162-1.html)

SECURITY

RESEARCH GROUP FINDS HOLES IN NET SECURITY
Issue: Security
Sans Research, a government-funded security research firm has found security
holes in Internet products from 200 companies. This threat presents a much
broader challenge than last summer's Code Red virus that caused an estimated
$2.4 billion in damage. Millions of routers and switches that manage
Internet traffic, as well as net-connected devices like printers and
computer servers, could be affected in an Internet attack. The Computer
Emergency Response Team (CERT) has been working closely with large
technology companies including Cisco Systems, Microsoft, and Computer
Associates, to address the security holes and develop patches.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Byron Acohido]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20020213/3852195s.htm)

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