DIGITAL DIVIDE
Alabama Promotes Jobs Web Site Where Few People Use Computers
Houston May Change Library Internet Access
PRIVACY
A Tech Tool for Future Tyrants? (Commentary)
INTERNET
China Has World's Tightest Internet Censorship, Study Finds
DIGITAL DIVIDE
ALABAMA PROMOTES JOBS WEB SITE WHERE FEW PEOPLE USE COMPUTERS
In Alabama's Black Belt, the state's poorest region and where few people
have computers, the state employment agency has erected billboards
encouraging job-seekers to surf its Web site for openings and training. But
in an area where few households have Internet access and libraries have only
one computer, some locals were puzzled that the agency's billboards didn't
even provide a phone number as an alternative source of information for job
seekers. Doug Dyer, chief of the Labor Market Information Division of the
Industrial Relations Department, said the department's intent was to provide
assistance to people in areas where there are no employment centers. While
the agency realized that few residents in this region have computers or home
Internet access, Dyer hoped that they could take advantage of public access
to the Internet.
[SOURCE: Birmingham News, AUTHOR: Patricia Dedrick]
(http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standar
d.xsl?/base/news/1038564927212170.xml)
HOUSTON MAY CHANGE LIBRARY INTERNET ACCESS
Houston residents face a threat to their free public Internet access as
their city council considers terminating the contract for the software that
allows it. The council isn't just looking to cut corners, however -- the
move comes in response to allegations that the bidding process for the
SimDesk software was tainted. "We have been able to uncover the e-mails that
showed... that the whole bidding process was simply a foregone conclusion,"
said city councilman Bruce Tatro. If the council terminates the contract,
Tatro says the city should replace it with another program. Still, some
60,000 residents take advantage of the free access, and advocacy groups fear
that the cancellation of the contract will cause too much disruption,
especially for children who use the library for homework and research. "We
encourage them to vote for the people, vote for our future, vote to close
the digital divide," said Vincent Watkins of Christians For Good Government,
which has rallied in support of free library Internet access.
[SOURCE: KPRC Channel 2, Houston]
(http://www.click2houston.com/hou/news/stories/news-181554620021202-161225.h
tml)
PRIVACY
PERSPECTIVE: A TECH TOOL FOR FUTURE TYRANTS?
[Commentary] "Yes, we are under a new threat of terrorism, and we must take
steps to protect ourselves," says Tom Giovanetti of the Institute for Policy
Innovation. "But, in defending America, we should not betray our founding
principles and turn America into the founders' worst nightmare." And by
continuing with the Total Information Awareness project (TIA), which
proposes to unify government and commercial databases for intelligence
gathering, our federal government is doing just that, he argues. Giovanetti
notes the historical abuses of power and information that stem from
inappropriate or unintended uses of private information, such as tax records
and Social Security numbers. "To those who say it will be impossible to use
the database to violate the privacy of citizens, well, it's just a matter of
who is sitting at the console," he states. "Your privacy policy is only as
good as your most disgruntled employee with access to your database." He
also discusses the irony in conservative organizations lauding the TIA when
privacy and government mistrust are traditionally conservative notions.
[SOURCE: CNET News, AUTHOR: Tom Giovanetti]
(http://news.com.com/2010-1071-975908.html?tag=fd_nc_1)
INTERNET
CHINA HAS WORLD'S TIGHTEST INTERNET CENSORSHIP, STUDY FINDS
Researchers at Harvard Law School have found that China's Internet
censorship laws are the most extensive and restrictive in the world. Beyond
simply denying access to popular news, religious and entertainment sites,
the Beijing government often punishes users attempting to view blocked
information by making it more difficult for them to access the Web at all.
The research confirms that significant state control of the Internet is in
fact possible; in fact, the common backbone of the Internet makes such
communication easier to restrict than telephones, faxes or paper mail.
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Joseph Kahn]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/04/international/asia/04CHIN.html)
Read the study:
(http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/filtering/china)
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