** Sorry, yesterday we misreported that Matt Drudge works for MSNBC --
actually, he has an one hour weekly show on Fox Cable, a reader writes. **
INTERNET
U.S. Suspends Fee On New Internet Search Site (SJ Merc)
Computing Centers Become The Keeper of Web's Future (NYT)
Tune In Tomorrow For TV On Web (USA Today)
Films Illegally Hit Net, But It's Slow Going (USA Today)
EDTECH
Educator Questions Need For Computers in Classroom (CyberTimes)
MEDIA & SOCIETY
TV Violence Hearing (Senate)
TELEPHONE REGULATION
Court Halts FCC Action on Phone 'Slamming'
INTERNET
U.S. SUSPENDS FEE ON NEW INTERNET SEARCH SITE REUTERS
Issue: Government Information
The U.S. Commerce Department has decided to suspend a controversial fee
attached to the use of a new Government search site. The search engine, found
at (http://www.usgovsearch.com), will allow users to locate documents on
millions of different government Web pages. Unveiled on Monday, the new site
drew quick criticism from both lawmakers and public interest advocates, who
objected to the public being charged to view documents they paid to create. The
service will remain free until at least June 1. In the meantime, the Government
will review the policy issues at stake.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/072579.htm)
COMPUTING CENTERS BECOME THE KEEPER OF WEB'S FUTURE
Issue: Internet Infrastructure
In a special report, the authors look at a trend towards centrally storing
information and computer power -- just the reverse of what we've seen since
personal computers started to proliferate in the 1980s. Large "server farms"
offer economies of scale to corporate clients and are powerful nodes on the
Internet, making information more readily available to individuals. "People
want to own their own information but they don't want to maintain it, and
that is driving the shift toward centralization," said Adele Goldberg, a
member of the team at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in the early 1970s
that created the founding concepts of personal computing. Because of the
Internet, companies are starting to embrace centralized computing again for
the first time in decades. "A real mind shift is under way in corporate
America," Scott Winkler, an analyst at Gartner Group, a research firm, said.
"In a society where knowledge is power, centralized knowledge is centralized
power," said Richard Sobel, a fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and
Society at the Harvard Law School.
[SOURCE: New York Times (A1), AUTHOR: Steve Lohr & John Markoff]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/05/biztech/articles/19net.html)
TUNE IN TOMORROW FOR TV ON WEB
Issue: Broadband
Producers, directors, and other creatives are increasingly working with
digital technology to create programming they hope will be distributed
nationwide as high-speed cable modems and digital subscriber phones become
more accessible. One such creative is film director Randal Kleiser (director
of Grease and Blue Lagoon) who has just created the drama "Royal Standard"
for the new Digital Entertainment Network -- an Internet hub of TV-type
programming. Kleiser says despite the quality of viewing that is not unlike
flipping through a book of stills, he is enthralled with the new way of
distributing imagery. Jupiter Communications estimates that by 2002, 6.8
million homes will have cable modems -- up from 1.2 million this year -- and
half a million homes will have digital phone lines by 2002. Digital
programmers hope to garner an audience early in order to gain "prime
positioning" when high-speed delivery services are controlled by a small
number of companies. American Interactive Media (AIM) will launch "a real
life action hub" called CrimeBeat next month. AIM president Mark Graff says
as more bandwidth becomes available, AIM will have an audience and marketing
in place. The Independent Film Channel, a subsidiary of cable's Bravo
Network, plans to offer digital video movies via a cable modem and also air
the movies on cable TV. Bravo's Joe Cantwell says their target audience is
not being served by analog or digital TV and they hope to be able to do more
for a smaller audience.
[SOURCE: USA Today (D6), AUTHOR: Bruce Haring]
(http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/ctf201.htm)
FILMS ILLEGALLY HIT NET, BUT IT'S SLOW GOING
Issue: Intellectual Property
Over the past few weeks, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has
referred a dozen movie piracy cases to the FBI. With a high powered computer
and the patience to download, major film titles, including The Matrix, Saving
Private Ryan, Antz and Shakespeare in Love are available on the Internet. The
MPAA fears the anonymity of the Internet will make piracy more likely. Internet
piracy is a fairly simple process of using a digital camcorder to record a film
and upload the film onto the Internet. Larry Iser, a Los Angeles lawyer who
deals with intellectual property issues, says the problem is not so widespread.
Few individuals have the computer power to download a feature length film
and the
picture is appears jerky on most home computers. But, as digital distribution
technologies improve, Hollywood expects Internet sites will start making deals
with filmmakers.
[SOURCE: USA Today (D1), AUTHOR: Bruce Haring]
(http://www.usatoday.com/)
EDTECH
EDUCATOR QUESTIONS NEED FOR COMPUTERS IN CLASSROOM
Issue: Education Technology
At an education policy conference Monday in Washington (DC), Gary Chapman,
Director of technology and society research project at the University of
Texas, called President Clinton's computer-in-every-classroom proposal a
"mostly political pledge." Chapman, former executive director of Computer
Professionals for Social Responsibility, argued that high school graduates
should understand how computers work and should have mastered basic skills,
such as word processing, spreadsheet programs, email and Internet. In
addition, they should understand what is rarely taught today -- "how to
behave in cyberspace." But, he says, with school districts strapped for cash
these skills can be taught without a computer room or multimedia lab just as
well. Funds would be better spent on teacher salaries and school repairs,
Chapman said. Linda Roberts, director of the Office of Educational
Technology at the Department of Education, defending President Clinton's
approach by saying that technology cannot be used to its full potential "if
it is located somewhere down the hall." She also noted that $5 million
estimated annual expense on school technology is a small investment in
comparison to the $284 billion education budget. Chapman believes the
government should fund technical support for schools and good education
software, but he criticized federal officials for overselling school
technology. Referring to the graduate students he teaches, Chapman noted it
is rare for him to encounter students who are incompetent with computers,
but it is not so rare to encounter students who can't write or speak well.
"I don't think computers will solve that problem." he said.
[SOURCE: CyberTimes, AUTHOR: Pamela Mendels]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/05/cyber/education/19education.html)
MEDIA & SOCIETY
TV VIOLENCE HEARING
Issue: Media & Society
Senator Hollings (D-SC) introduced a bill, S.876, legislation requiring the
Federal Communications Commission to create a time period when children are
protected from violent programming. URL below provides links to statements
and testimony from May 18th's hearing including: Sen John McCain's (R-AZ)
opening statement (http://www.senate.gov/~commerce/hearings/0518jsm.pdf),
Mr. Robert L. Corn-Revere, Adjunct Professor, Institute of Communications
Law, Columbus School of Law
(http://www.senate.gov/~commerce/hearings/0518cor.pdf), and Mr. James
Hamilton, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Duke University
(http://www.senate.gov/~commerce/hearings/0518ham.pdf).
[SOURCE: US Senate]
(http://www.senate.gov/~commerce/hearings/hearings.htm)
TELEPHONE REGULATION
COURT HALTS FCC ACTION ON PHONE 'SLAMMING'
Issue: Telephone Regulation
Long-distance companies were let off the hook yesterday when a federal court
halted the FCC's moves to impose rules on their 'slamming' practices. The FCC
rules were meant to deter the companies from switching consumers to their
service without authorization, but MCI WorldCom, AT&T, Sprint and others argued
the rules to resolve such issues were too complicated for consumers. Others
said it would be a royal hassle. MCI WorldCom proposed that an independent
third party administrator be in charge of handling the 'slamming'
complaints. FCC Chairman William Kennard retorted: "MCI WorldCom itself has
been engaged in some slamming activity." According to the FCC rules,
consumers could withhold payments to the companies if they believed they
were slammed and the administration of the complaints would then be handled
by the customer's authorized carrier. MCI WorldCom said they hoped the FCC
would work towards finding an independent source of protection for consumers
and not rely on long-distance company regulation.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E1), AUTHOR: Mark Wigfield, Dow Jones News Service]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/)
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