Communications-related Headlines for 3/01/02

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Senator Seeks Tech Grants for Minority Colleges (USA)
U.S. Endorses Microsoft Plea Modifications (NYT)

INTERNET
FirstGov Website Redesign is Launched (WP)
What Would Jesus Surf? (WIRED)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Senate Hearings on Digital Copyright (NYT)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

SENATOR SEEKS TECH GRANTS FOR MINORITY COLLEGES
Issue: Digital Divide
According to a 2000 study by the National Association for Equal Opportunity
in Higher Education, 75% of students at historically black colleges do not
own computers, and only one in 32 American Indian colleges have access to
broadband technology. This digital divide is the focus of $250 million in
new grants sought by Senator Max Cleland, D-Ga. At a Senate hearing this
week, William Gray III, president and
chief executive officer of the United Negro College Fund stated, "The
digital divide threatens to deny minority students, our professors and our
institutions the competitive skills they need to overcome the remaining
vestiges imposed by race and economic segregation in America." In Bush's
proposed 2003 budget, $264 million for historically black colleges and $89
million for Hispanic colleges would come from
Department of Education block grants giving schools complete autonomy in
spending the funds. Sen. Cleland's proposed grants would come from the
Commerce Department and require the funds be spent on technology.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/2002/02/28/digital-divide.htm)

U.S. ENDORSES MICROSOFT PLEA MODIFICATIONS
Issue: Digital Divide
In expectation of a new round of court hearings, Microsoft and the Bush
administration announced some modest changes today in the proposed
settlement of the government's antitrust case. The modifications of the
settlement plan represents final maneuvering before a federal district judge
begins separate but related proceedings to consider the deal and a tougher
list of sanctions being sought by nine states that have chosen not to join
in the settlement. The most important change announced in the proposed
consent decree deleted a provision that some dissenting states and Microsoft
rivals said could have been interpreted to permit the company to use
valuable intellectual property rights of computer makers without
compensation. Richard Blumenthal, the attorney general of Connecticut, one
of the dissenting states, said the changes underlined just a few of the
consent decree's broader shortcomings. "They are certainly woefully
inadequate to address the fundamental flaws in the proposed settlement," Mr.
Blumenthal said. "They attest to the strength of our position and the
outpouring of powerful opposition and criticism of the settlement."
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Stephen Labaton]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/01/technology/01SOFT.html)
(requires registration)

INTERNET

WHAT WOULD JESUS SURF?
Issue: Internet
Demonstrating its understanding of communications in the new millennium, the
Vatican set out its "Catholic view of the Internet" on Thursday in an effort
to bring "moral wisdom" to what it considers a "marvelous technological
instrument." In a document called "Ethics in Internet," one of two documents
unveiled Thursday, the Catholic church said the Internet has the potential
to bring much good to the world, but that "harm also can be done by its
improper use." The Vatican's generally positive view of the technology is
only slightly tempered by its wariness of what it considers misuse and by
other areas of concern including the "digital divide," which the church
calls a "form of discrimination." Quoting the Pope, John P. Foley, president
of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, wrote: "As the new
global economy takes shape, the church is concerned 'that the winner in this
process will be humanity as a whole' and not just 'a wealthy elite that
controls science, technology and the planet's resources'; this is to say
that the church desires 'a globalization which will be at the service of the
whole person and of all people.'"
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Farhad Manjoo]
(http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,50757,00.html)

FIRSTGOV WEBSITE REDESIGN IS LAUNCHED
Issue: Internet
On February 27, the Bush administration launched a new version of
FirstGov.gov, the government effort to make government more user-friendly.
In statements made at the official e-launch of the site, Vice President
Cheney said that the redesign is the current administration's effort to
"remedy one of government's oldest problems: the slow, confusing, and often
ineffective ways in which it responds to the public." Driving the redesign
is the mantra: "Three Clicks to Service." Users should not have to click
more than three times to get to the information they want. A new feature of
the new FirstGov is the elimination of agency boundaries. Instead, three
user categories are available: citizens, business and governments. The
Website is also linked to all 50 state government Websites.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Ellen Nakashima]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/govtit/15443-1.html)
See also:
E-GOV STRATEGY REPORT OUTLINES SPECIFIC MILESTONES
[SOURCE: Washington Post]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/govtit/15431-1.html).

INTELLECUAL PROPERTY

SENATE HEARINGS ON DIGITAL COPYRIGHT
Issue: Intellectual Property
In an ongoing discussion concerning copyright protection for digital
material, the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing yesterday. Views from
both the Hollywood industry and the technology and consumer electronics
industry were heard. At the heart of this discussion is the perception that
lack of mainstream entertainment is hindering widespread adoption of digital
television and broadband Internet connections. Representatives from the
entertainment industry argue that there is little incentive for them to
release material unless there are strong anti-piracy measures in place. One
such suggested measure involve embedding a "flag" in every piece of digital
video content. Playback devices would have to recognize the marker in order
to play the material. Manufacturers of playback devices strongly oppose any
government intervention in the design and development process.
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Amy Harmon]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/01/technology/01DIGI.html))

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