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*** The Ghost and Goblins Halloween Edition ***

E-GOVERNMENT
E-Government in South Africa: Why Are We Waiting?
Helping Hand for UK E-Government

INTERNET
Commentary: The New Road to the White House

EDTECH
Cyber Security for the Digital District

WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY
Commentary: Defending the Net from the UN
No Decision Yet on US Leader for WSIS

IN CASED YOU MISSED IT...
Scientist Debate Solar Flare-Halloween Connection

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Take part in our free virtual conference beginning on Monday!
Over 700 participants from 55 countries registered so far!
November 3-14, 2003
Information and registration: http://www.egov4all.org/

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E-GOVERNMENT

E-GOVERNMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA: WHY ARE WE WAITING?
South Africans have been waiting almost a year for phase one of their
national e-government rollout, in which the government would consolidate
information and existing services, then establish a call center and portal
to allow citizens to access this information. "There is progress, we just
haven't launched yet," explains Jack Shilubane, acting government Chief
Information Officer. Despite administrative delays, Shilubane says the
development work on the project is complete. He attributes the delay to
necessary caution. "Every department has to agree that they offer particular
services," he says. Some municipalities have already launched their enhanced
customer service portals; however, this is not part of the national rollout
and does not fall within the government's definition of e-government. "What
we are doing is integrating all government information on a single portal,"
says Shilubane. "There have been departments, provinces, municipalities that
have been doing e-government projects, and they were started before we
established the gateway. They will ultimately fit into what we are doing."
SOURCE: AllAfrica.com; AUTHOR: Georgina Guedes, Itweb (Johannesburg)
http://allafrica.com/stories/200310300848.html

HELPING HAND FOR UK E-GOVERNMENT
[Commentary] E-government services in the United Kingdom are still a long
way off, so maybe we should be doing it ourselves, argues technology analyst
Bill Thompson. He says e-government initiatives have failed to reach the
promise land, in which departments work together, offering seamlessly
integrated web-based services to citizens. As of now, e-government is a
disparate collection of poorly used services that often fail to meet
people's needs. The Society of IT Managers recently published Better
Connected: Advice to Citizens, a report evaluating government sites in terms
of meeting the needs of users such as providing advice on housing, debt and
health. The report, based on a survey in collaboration with Citizens Advice,
the network of Citizens Advice Bureau, shows that the predicament of
e-government is worst than people think. They tested 10 central government
sites and found that although the sites are filled with information, they
are not well signposted or coordinated with other government sites, so
relevant information is difficult to find. A great website is worthless if
nobody can find it, says Thompson. He points to two successes, though: the
websites VoxPolitics and MYSociety, which are helping transform the
relationship between citizens and state.
SOURCE: BBC News; AUTHOR: Bill Thompson
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3230645.stm

INTERNET

THE NEW ROAD TO THE WHITE HOUSE
[Commentary] When the 2004 campaign account is written, it will include a
word never seen in any account of presidential history: blog, says Lawrence
Lessig, professor at Stanford Law School. Blogs (or Web logs), Lessig
writes, are transforming presidential politics. "The blog may be the first
innovation from the Internet to make a difference in election politics," he
says. For the past 50 years the most efficient tool for engaging the public
has been broadcast media, but in the information age, the blog is changing
the engagement landscape. This space, when done right, is a tool for
building community and inspiring action and dialogue. However, the blog
community must be authentic and members must feel they own their space. "A
managed community works about as well as a managed economy," Lessig
continues. He says the challenge is to build community without the community
feeling been built. The Howard Dean campaign is a prime example of how blogs
can be incessantly effective. (Lessig has even had Dean fill in for him on
his own blog while on vacation.) Dean's campaign manager, Joe Trippi,
adopted a method for campaign development that takes inspiration from the
open source movement. Traditional politics would never allow such a thing,
but Lessig says blogs are changing that.
SOURCE: Wired; AUTHOR: Lawrence Lessig
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.11/view.html?pg=5

EDTECH

CYBER SECURITY FOR THE DIGITAL DISTRICT
Last week at the National School Board Association's Teaching + Learning
Conference, the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) announced a new
national leadership initiative: Cyber Security for the Digital District. The
initiative will provide education technology leaders and policymakers with
strategies and tools that they can use to ensure the privacy of data and the
safe operation of technology within their school districts. CoSN will
develop high-quality, vendor-neutral resources built around the issue of
cyber security. CoSN will explore the topic of cyber security in an upcoming
webcast, free to CoSN members, on November 19. Registration and additional
webcast information can be found at http://www.cosn.org/events/2004.html.
SOURCE: Consortium for School Networking
http://securedistrict.cosn.org/

WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY

DEFENDING THE NET FROM THE U.N.
[Commentary] Freedom to access, read, and publish information is one of the
beauties of the Internet, note the editors of the Christian Science Monitor.
But authoritarian governments could try to justify restricting that freedom
during the UN's upcoming World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). In
December, WSIS will bring together leaders from 185 countries to Geneva to
talk about issues ranging from Internet regulations to Web access for the
poor. If the US is not careful, the editors write, countries like China and
Cuba may try to co-opt the final document and insert language regarding the
right of governments to restrict Internet freedoms. About 60 percent of
participating countries do not have freedom of the press, but do have equal
votes at the meeting. Some governments seek to use national security as an
excuse to filter and censor private media. The US delegation must ensure
that the pre-conference draft of the WSIS document defends basic Internet
freedoms. "The WSIS should uphold Article 19 of the UN Universal Declaration
of Human Rights, which states: 'Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion
and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without
interference and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through
any media and regardless of frontiers,'" the editors write.
SOURCE: The Christian Science Monitor
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/1031/p10s03-comv.html

NO DECISION YET ON U.S. LEADER FOR WSIS
According to the State Department's top telecom official, the Bush
administration has not decided who will lead the US delegation at December's
World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva. Ambassador David Gross,
deputy assistant secretary of state for international communications and
information policy, told industry representatives that the composition of
the US delegation and the US position paper to be presented at WSIS are
still being worked out. At a State Department meeting this Wednesday,
private sector representatives expressed concern that developing countries
might unite on telecom-information technology policy principles at odds with
the Bush administration, potentially leading to a stalemate similar to
September's global trade talks in Cancun, Mexico. Some private sector
parties questioned how US interests would be furthered at the summit. Gross
said he believes WSIS is too important for the United States and industry to
downplay it, even if that means using the conference as a stage to air
differences.
SOURCE: RCR Wireless News; AUTHOR: Jeffrey Silva
http://www.rcrnews.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?newsId=15714

IN CASED YOU MISSED IT...

SCIENTIST DEBATE SOLAR FLARE-HALLOWEEN CONNECTION
Scientists from across the globe gathered in a cornfield at an undisclosed
location in rural Iowa to discuss the potential connection between this
week's massive solar flares and tonight's Halloween celebrations. "We
usually don't get coronal mass ejections (CMEs) on this particular scale at
the end of October," said Dr. David Martensen. "I mean, when was the last
time you saw the aurora borealis on Halloween as far south as Memphis?" One
conference attendee, who only identified himself as "Linus," presented a
lengthy paper on the phenomenon. "Frankly, I'm pretty spooked by the whole
thing," he said following the presentation. "I've been studying
Halloween-related disturbances since the 1960s and I can only attribute this
event to one thing: the reappearance of the Great Pumpkin." Other attendees
were more skeptical. "Great Pumpkin, my foot," snorted one researcher,
appearing at the conference in a vintage Star Wars children's costume with
the words "Darth Vader (tm)" imprinted across the flimsy plastic
breastplate. "It's so obvious the CME was created by a group of homeowners
to discourage children from pulling pranks on houses that don't deliver
enough candy tonight." A final report on the conference is due before the
Thanksgiving holiday, when scientists reconvene to examine the amount of
Internet traffic generated by the exchange of leftover Turkey recipes.
SOURCE: The Benton Headlines Staff -- Happy Halloween, everyone!!!

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E-GOVERNMENT
Govt Website Guidelines Created with Designers, Users in Mind

TELEVISION
Study Links TV Habits to Reading Trouble

INTERNET
Emails, Digital Media Produce Data Mountain
Net's Dark Side Dents UK Broadband

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Survey: US Internet Lagging Behind Other Countries

EDTECH
The Future of Textbooks

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E-Government for All:
Take part in our free virtual conference!
More than 600 participants from 50+ countries registered so far!
November 3-14, 2003
Information and registration: http://www.egov4all.org/

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E-GOVERNMENT

GOVT WEBSITE GUIDELINES CREATED WITH DESIGNERS, USERS IN MIND
After two years of research, the US Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS) has published 187 guidelines for effective Web design and organization
of material. Sanjay Koyani, senior usability engineer for HHS, said the goal
is to help government, academic, commercial and other entities create
websites that are based on user research and not personal opinions. The
guidelines cover such issues as accessibility, home page design, site
navigation, writing, graphics and content organization. The HHS guidelines,
Koyani said, should pay off for agencies that need to post information
quickly. "We've listed all the guidelines in rank of importance," he
explained. "You can look at those and focus on what is important." The
guidelines are timely, as governments experience growing demands from the
public for answers to questions and increasing pressure to hold down
overhead costs. Recent estimates show that there are more than 22,000
governmental websites, providing more than 35 million Web pages. More than
60 percent of Internet users in the United States go to a federal Internet
site each year.
SOURCE: Washington Post; AUTHOR: Stephen Barr
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26915-2003Oct27.html

TELEVISION

STUDY LINKS TV HABITS TO READING TROUBLE
The Kaiser Family Foundation and Children's Digital Media Centers released a
report on the media habits of children ages six and younger. This study,
based on a random telephone survey of 1,065 parents, found that children's
digital media use can have positive and negative affects on learning
processes. The report found that approximately one-third of children 6 and
younger have TVs in their rooms or live in homes where television is on most
or all the time. "In those 'heavy TV households,' 34 percent of children
ages four to six can read, compared with 56 percent in homes where the TV is
on less often," the report said. The numbers suggest that there may be a
connection between media exposure -- namely television, video games, and the
Internet -- and learning to read. Despite these findings, the report says
reading continues to be a regular part of children's lives. "Almost 80
percent of children six and under read or are read to on any given day, but
children spend an average of 49 minutes with books in a day compared with
two hours and 22 minutes in front of a TV or computer," the report added.
SOURCE: Associated Press; AUTHOR: Siobhan McDonough
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/K/KIDS_MEDIA_IMMERSION?SITE=DCT...
ECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Download the report:
http://www.kff.org

INTERNET

EMAILS, DIGITAL MEDIA PRODUCE DATA MOUNTAIN
A study by the School of Information Management and Systems at the
University of California at Berkley reveals that people around the globe
created enough new information to fill 500,000 US Libraries of Congress
during the course of 2002. The five billion gigabytes of new data equals 800
megabytes per person -- comparable to a stack of books 30 feet high. Stored
information increased by 30 percent since the last global study in 1999. The
biggest storage percentile increase was with hard disk drives. The amount of
stored information on these increasingly high-capacity storage media rose by
about 114 percent since the 1999 study. This study also dispels myths about
offices becoming more paperless. The amount of information stored on paper
-- including books, journals, and office documents -- increased by about 40
percent in 2002. "In the 1999 study, we thought film and paper would move
more toward digital formats," says Peter Lyman, UC Berkeley Professor. He
says this has not been the case because as people access electronic
documents, they print them out. However, he says, photography is moving
quickly into the digital age. "Individual photographs are really moving
quickly to digital cameras, or even image-producing telephones," says Lyman.
SOURCE: Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=3713686

NET'S DARK SIDE DENTS UK BROADBAND
The iSociety sector of the Work Foundation has released a report on UK
broadband users. The study says the telecom industry could do more to help
users avoid the "dark side" of the Net. People are fed up with spam, p0rn,
and viruses, and the numbers of broadband users reflects this trend. Despite
the official push for the UK to lead in broadband use, they trail at seventh
in global broadband uptake. The industry also needs to do more to understand
why people use broadband and to be able to support its varying uses.
"Ordinary people are promised that broadband makes the Internet
better...Broadband was at its best when it allowed people to create things
for themselves," says James Crabtree from the Work Foundation. The report
also showed that people like to be creative and socially interact using
broadband, instead of being passive users. People need to see the social and
community benefits broadband can offer, enriching their everyday lives,
according to co-producers of the report, the Broadband Stakeholder Group.
SOURCE: BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3217487.stm

SURVEY: U.S. INTERNET LAGGING BEHIND OTHER COUNTRIES
The consumer advisory board of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. has released a
study on Internet use worldwide. The study claims only 10 percent of the
global population are online, with 90 percent of Internet users from
developed countries, a third of them coming from the US. The study also
claims that the digital divide is narrowing in the US, but other countries
suffer from other types of digital divides, including gender and age
divides. There are social reasons for these divides, according to Pat
Moorhead, VP of corporate marketing at AMD. "Bridging the digital divide
requires more than simply offering computers and Internet access.
Technological fixes won't close the divide." Interestingly, the US lags
behind other developed countries in terms of Internet use through mobile
phones and other devices. The board adds there is no single global standard
for measuring Internet usage and growth. The full survey can be found at
http://www.amd.com/us-en/Weblets/0,,7832_8524,00.html.
SOURCE: The Inquirer (UK)
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=12394

EDTECH

THE FUTURE OF TEXTBOOKS
New trends in digital learning and publishing have the potential to
revolutionize higher education. The cost of educational books and supplies
has soared 238 percent over the past two decades, leading some to conclude
that textbooks just aren't working. The University of Phoenix, the nation's
largest accredited university, has become the first higher education company
to control both course content and distribution. Its online platform,
rEsource, weaves together essential course administrative tools, content and
student services. Phoenix breaks down textbooks into modular units that can
be assembled, updated and reassembled. The university's next step is to
launch a "developer portal" through which it will solicit and manage content
from its thousands of faculty members -- or authors anywhere. This will
presumably cost less than content licensed through third parties with
editorial and marketing overhead. Educational publishers also are heeding
the call for more flexible textbook formats, with many textbooks accompanied
by websites and ancillary material on CD-ROMs. Still, industry experts agree
that the shift to a digital curriculum will take years, even decades.
SOURCE: Publishing Trends; AUTHOR: Ann Kirschner
http://www.publishingtrends.com/copy/03/0310/0310phoenix.htm

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INTERNET
Report: Intellectual Freedom in the Information Society,
Libraries and the Internet
Amazon Opens Pages to Perusal
US Government Plans Internet Security Ads

OPEN SOURCE
Denmark Urges Government Support for Open Source
Two Companies at Odds over Internet's Future

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Information and registration: http://www.egov4all.org/

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INTERNET

REPORT: INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM IN THE INFORMATION SOCIETY,
LIBRARIES AND THE INTERNET
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)
has announced the release of the IFLA/FAIFE World Report 2003, entitled
"Intellectual Freedom in the Information Society, Libraries and the
Internet." The report focuses on libraries and the Internet, discussing the
digital divide, filtering and blocking of information, user privacy,
financial barriers, intellectual freedom and codes of ethics. It also
considers the adoption and implementation of the IFLA Internet Manifesto and
the Glasgow Declaration on Libraries, Information Services and Intellectual
Freedom, which express vital principles for a free Internet supported by
strong library and information services. The survey discussed in the report
finds that there is a long way to go before countries, their libraries and
their staff are suitably equipped and properly trained to meet the challenge
of safeguarding their patrons' full participation in the information and
knowledge society.
SOURCE: International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
(IFLA)
http://www.ifla.org/faife/report/intro.htm

AMAZON OPENS PAGES TO PERUSAL
Amazon.com has unveiled its "Search Inside the Book" service. The company
already offers the capacity to search by author, subject or title, as well
as the option to view the opening pages of some books, but this new service
allows the ability to search the text of entire books. Amazon and 160
partner publishers hope to sell more books online by offering this new
service. The company could use this service not just to sell more books, but
also to connect advertisers to consumers. Amazon is making a move to deliver
more relevant information to Web shoppers, says Tim Hickernell, Meta Group
technology analyst. Despite the innovation of this new search service, it
has not escaped challenges. For example, observing copyrights was an
obstacle, but Amazon squeezed its way out of infringement by arguing that it
was supplying images of book pages, not merely the text. Another challenge
is that the service lacks the ability to "personalize" search results, says
Hickernell. In the future, Amazon may offer searches not just for book
excerpts, but for song lyrics and movie dialogue as well.
SOURCE: USA TODAY; AUTHOR: Byron Acohido
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-10-26-amazon_x.htm

U.S. GOVERNMENT PLANS INTERNET SECURITY ADS
The National Cyber Security Alliance and the US Department of Homeland
Security plan to produce a $1.8 million nationwide cyber security
advertising campaign. The campaign is designed to educate home and small
business computer users about the importance of using firewalls and
anti-virus software, as well as defend themselves against online fraud. The
alliance has raised $500,000, but it announced today that the Homeland
Security Department would match those funds up to $650,000. People need to
understand that poor security affects everyone because hackers frequently
take control over poorly secured computers to launch attacks against other
systems, says Richard Clarke, the White House's former cyber security
adviser. The Department of Homeland Security, at best, can attempt to keep
consumers reasonably informed about threats and risks, both online and
offline, says Mike Jacob, former deputy director for information systems
security at the National Security Agency. The campaign is expected to air
next year via television, radio, magazines, newspapers and movie theaters
throughout the country.
SOURCE: Washington Post; AUTHOR: Brian Krebs
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7600-2003Oct23.html

OPEN SOURCE

DENMARK URGES GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR OPEN SOURCE
A report released by the Danish Board of Technology is stirring up
controversy by suggesting that public sector support for open source
software and standards may be necessary to ensure real competition in the
software market. The board was particularly critical of closed, proprietary
standards such as Microsoft's Word format, arguing they go against the
principles of e-government by requiring citizens to use particular software
and reinforcing monopolies. The board recommended that the Danish government
take an active role in promoting an open, XML-based alternative for file
formats; however, it recognized that this would be an uphill battle. The
report said that open source could also help make public sector software
procurement more cost-effective by introducing real competition. The board
urged the government to take action, dismissing the lukewarm approach of
other European countries: "It is... not sufficient for us in Denmark to
follow Britain and Germany, for example, in merely recommending that open
source should be 'considered.' A more active decision must be taken in those
areas where there is a de facto monopoly."
SOURCE: ZDNet UK; AUTHOR: Matthew Broersma
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/linuxunix/0,39020390,39117341,00.htm

TWO COMPANIES AT ODDS OVER THE INTERNET'S FUTURE
The future of the Internet is fueling a debate between IBM and Microsoft.
IBM is the leading corporate backer of the open source Linux operating
system, a direct challenge to Microsoft. In the past, the two companies have
cooperated to reach software standards and Web service agreements, but have
struggled to agree on anything else. Adding to the current debate is the
ambiguity about the evolution of Internet technology. Microsoft's vision
attempts to recreate the personal computer revolution by focusing on
individuals and technology tools. IBM's vision focuses on the computing
evolution from the perspective of business interest, which uses evolving
technologies to streamline business processes and seize new markets. IBM's
Internet strategy involves services and computing sold on demand, while
Microsoft wishes to make computing more seamless for the individual.
Microsoft says IBM is trying to exploit companies by persuading them to hand
over computing chores. The Internet will soon be programmable like software
Microsoft argues. If this happens, on-demand computing will be unnecessary
because the Internet will be able to solve complex computing problems that
would have been otherwise outsourced to companies like IBM.
SOURCE: New York Times; AUTHOR: Steve Lohr
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/27/technology/27neco.html

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E-GOVERNMENT
Study: Fed Sites Lack Accessibility
Students Fight E-Vote Firm

TELEVISION
Wisconsin Public Access Channel in Jeopardy

21ST CENTURY SKILLS
Council Meets to Discuss International ICT Standards

INTERNET
Senate Votes 97-0 to Restrict Email Ads

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Take part in our upcoming virtual conference!
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E-GOVERNMENT

STUDY: FED SITES LACK ACCESSIBILITY
At a National Press Club event in Washington DC hosted by the Benton
Foundation and the NYS Forum, Professor Darrell West of Brown University's
Taubman Center for Public Policy presented his findings from his annual
survey of government website accessibility and readability. Despite progress
being made on some websites, most government websites still fail to comply
with the basic WC3 standards for website accessibility for the disabled.
Additionally, the majority of government websites are written for people who
read at the 12th grade level, despite the fact that half of all Americans
read at the 8th grade level or less. "Government officials should recognize
equity and accessibility as important principles of government, principles
that adhere in the physical and virtual worlds," West said. "People who are
poor, disabled, not highly literate or non-English speakers are entitled to
an equal opportunity to access essential information and services to improve
their lives." John Kemp, former chairman of the American Association of
People with Disabilities, added that the lack of compliance with
accessibility guidelines a "fundamental violation of civil rights." Kemp
continued, "This is our right to participate as citizens.... We welcome and
respect inclusion, and we are a far, far cry from that point."
SOURCE: Federal Computer Week; AUTHOR: Randall Edwards
http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2003/1020/web-web-10-22-03.asp
Download the report:
http://www.benton.org/publibrary/egov/access2003.html (accessible version)
http://www.benton.org/publibrary/egov/access2003.doc (MS Word)

STUDENTS FIGHT E-VOTE FIRM
Students at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvanian launched an "electronic
civil disobedience" campaign against e-vote machine maker Diebold Election
Systems. The students are protesting efforts by Diebold to prevent them and
other website owners from linking to some 15,000 internal company memos that
reveal the company was aware of its e-voting flaws, but sold the faulty
systems to states anyway. "These documents indicate the potential for
widespread election fraud in the U.S. or wherever else Diebold voting
machines are being used," says Will Doherty, media relations director for
the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Memos from 2001 reveal programming and
security flaws. For example, memos discuss crucial security flaws that would
allow the count of votes to be altered with no record of a security
intrusion. Other memos indicated that patches were installed after the
systems were already certified and delivered to states. Deibold has been
sending out cease-and-desist letters to force websites and ISP's to remove
the memos in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The
company is using DMCA to conceal flaws that directly affect the validity of
election results. This is a threat to our democracy, says Luke Smith, a
Swarthmore sophomore.
SOURCE: Wired; AUTHOR: Kim Zetter
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,60927-2,00.html

TELEVISION

WISCONSIN PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNEL IN JEOPARDY
The city council of Madison, Wisconsin is considering a budget proposal that
would eliminate funding for the city's public access television station. For
the last 25 years, WYOU has served as Madison's sole local outlet for
community-produced programming. WYOU provides residents with technical
training and access to broadcasting technologies to produce their own local
programming. "WYOU strives to reach all members of the community by
broadening its involvement with locally based organizations. Staff and
volunteers coordinate event programming with social service organizations,
community centers, schools, music festivals, and an emerging local
filmmaking scene," the station said in a statement. "WYOU believes that
these efforts will lead to stronger and stronger local programming, boosting
the public power of the station, and leading to a cycle of growth the city
of Madison can point to as a beacon of community creativity and
involvement."
SOURCE: WYOU Television
http://www.msn.fullfeed.com/~wyou/

21ST CENTURY SKILLS

COUNCIL MEETS TO DISCUSS INTERNATIONAL ICT LITERACY STANDARDS
The Global Digital Literacy Council's bi-annual summit met in
Stratford-Upon-Avon in the UK to address issues that influence and drive the
development of information and communications technology (ICT) literacy
standards. The purpose of the summit is to create an international forum for
stakeholders to collaborate, shape and define emerging vendor-independent
global Internet and computer literacy standards. Delegates from the
Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Japan and Asia Pacific, discussed
educational, economic and social issues impacting the development and
adoption of digital literacy standards worldwide. "As the divide separating
basic individual skills and ICT skill requirements in society widens,
digital literacy initiatives are racing to the forefront of academic,
political and corporate agendas," the council said in a statement. The
summit produced an eight-month review of input from experts, who examined
the current Internet and Computing Core Certification standards. The council
also came to agreement on the comprehensive set of skills and knowledge
necessary for basic information and communications technology competence.
The Digital Literacy Council will continue to meet bi-annually to discuss
technical and social changes affecting digital literacy standards in
education and the workforce.
SOURCE: Global Digital Literacy Council
http://www.gdlcouncil.org/gdlc_pr.html

INTERNET

SENATE VOTES 97-0 TO RESTRICT EMAIL ADS
Yesterday, the US Senate approved the nation's first federal anti-spam
legislation 97 to 0 after reaching a compromise to propose the Federal
Communications Commission develop a no-spam registry similar to the
do-not-call-list for telemarketers. Senators Conrad Burns (R-MT) and Ron
Wyden (D-OR) sponsored the bill, which targets unsavory senders of
unsolicited commercial email by prohibiting messages that peddle financial
scams, fraudulent body-enhancement products and p0rn0graphy. It also draws
on amendments that would criminalize techniques used by spammers to thwart
detection by disguising identities, masking locations of computer's used to
send spam and automating spam attacks. The bill does not mandate the no-spam
registry, but directs the FCC to develop a registry system within six months
and to document technical hurdles. Marketing, retailing and Internet-access
companies argue the bill should be written carefully to avoid exclusion of
legitimate email. But anti-spam and consumer groups argue that the bill has
too many loopholes that could enable so called legitimate email to bombard
consumers. The Burns-Wyden bill would preempt all state anti-spam
legislation, some of which include tougher policies.
SOURCE: Washington Post; AUTHOR: Jonathan Krim
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3243-2003Oct22.html

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