August 2000

POLITICAL DISCOURSE
Delegates Heading Into Cyberspace (NYT)
Surfing Online and on the Air, and Getting an Invigorating Buzz
(NYT)
Lieberman Grilled As L.A. Greets Delegates (WP)
Media: Network Convention Coverage in 2004 (NYT)

TELEVISION
Murdoch Deal Could Revamp New York TV (NYT)

INTERNET
Directv Stays Step Ahead Of Cable (USA)
The Medium Gets The Message (NYT)
A Space Detour for Streaming Internet Traffic (NYT)
New Economy: Internet in Japan is Riding a Wireless Wave (NYT)
Alliance to Send Video-on-Demand on Web (NYT)
Put down your pencils Fla. high school students become USA's
first online class (USA)

PRIVACY
Sound Waves Could Help Ease Consumer Fraud Over the Web (WSJ)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
U.N. Court Rules In Favor Of Telia On Domain Names (WSJ)

JOBS
Some Progress in Phone Strike, But Agreement Proves Elusive (NYT)

TELEPHONE
FCC Releases: Statistics of Communications Common Carriers (FCC)

INTERNATIONAL
Speech: The Africa Development Initiative: One Year
and Counting (FCC)

POLITICAL DISCOURSE

DELEGATES HEADING INTO CYBERSPACE
Issue: Political Discourse
The Democratic Party is making a big show of having the most plugged-in
national convention in history. "We've basically wired the entire city of
Los Angeles," said Naz Nageer, director of technology for the Democratic
National Convention Committee. "It's our 'e-mersion' coverage. We're on the
frontier of something big; we are in the space of the future. We've got
technological diversity here." Delegates will be using computers, Palm
Pilots, digital cameras, wireless beepers and all kinds of other high-tech
gadgets to stay in touch. "It's mainly a demonstration," said Adam Clayton
Powell III, vice president of technology for the Freedom Forum, a nonprofit
foundation. "It becomes a showcase of technology and a way to make the party
look very 21st century. It means we won't have pictures of delegates sitting
in their seats reading the newspapers. The party would rather have them
looking at their Palm Pilots." And the technology will help connect the
party to the delegates: "All this technology is not so much to solicit
opinions of delegates as it is to tell them what to do and what to say,"
said Marion Just, research director at the Joan Shorenstein Center at
Harvard University. "This certainly will help delegates get the message of
the day -- or of the hour -- and provides an opportunity for the convention
to speak with one voice to the media."
[SOURCE: New York Times (A15), AUTHOR: Leslie Wayne]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/politics/camp/081400wh-dem-wired.html)

SURFING ONLINE AND ON THE AIR, AND GETTING AN INVIGORATING BUZZ
Issue: Political Discourse
A quick look at political coverage going into the Democratic convention.
Lyman writes: "the truffle hounds of the networks, cable channels and World
Wide Web sites appeared more invigorated today than they did two weeks ago
on the eve of the Republican gathering in Philadelphia." See what they are
digging up at the URL below.
[SOURCE: New York Times (A15), AUTHOR: Rick Lyman]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/politics/camp/081400wh-dem-surf.html)

LIEBERMAN GRILLED AS L.A. GREETS DELEGATES
Issue: Political Discourse/Media & Society
As President Clinton raised $10 million at a fundraising brunch on Barbra
Streisand's Malibu estate and delegates attended welcoming parties on the
back lots of studios, Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman tried to reach out
to Hollywood by assuring the industry that he would not seek laws enforcing
his views about sex and violence in the media. "I continue to believe,
though I love the movies and the entertainment media, that too much of what
comes out is too full of violence and sex and incivility and it is bad for
our children," Lieberman said on CBS's "Face the Nation." He added, however,
that he has "never really talked about censorship," and has always urged the
entertainment industry to police itself to avoid regulation.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A1), AUTHOR: Mike Allen]
(http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20807-2000Aug13.html)

MEDIA: NETWORK CONVENTION COVERAGE IN 2004
Issue: Political Discourse
"Prime time is a different landscape than it was a decade ago," said Al
Ortiz, executive producer of the "CBS Evening News." "I can't imagine that
four years from now that the networks are going to want to spend millions of
dollars to come to these places and do the same thing. They said this four
years ago, and yet it's a big story that we did cut back on a little bit,
and I think that in four years, there will be a further reduction."
Although, CNN, the Fox News Channel and C-Span might be there for
gavel-to-gavel coverage, Marks suggests people watch the broadcast network
coverage of the Democratic convention -- it may be the last we see of it. In
2004, Ortiz predicts, coverage will be reduced to the acceptance speeches of
the candidates. The parties have considered scaling back the conventions to
a day or two -- the networks may make that decision for them. Andrew Lack,
the president of NBC News, said the networks have merely been responding to
changes in the nature of the conventions and the political process. "The
broadcasting platform serves more as a public service, when the nominee,
say, makes that acceptance speech," he said. "But we don't have much of an
obligation to go through the party's celebration. On the cable platform, you
have a different situation: the 24-hour format is geared toward covering the
news of the day. And they cover the story, no matter what."
[SOURCE: New York Times (C9), AUTHOR: Peter Marks]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/financial/081400cnn-media.html)

TELEVISION

MURDOCH DEAL COULD REVAMP NEW YORK TV
Issue: Television/Ownership
Media analysts and network executives are watching what develops after
Rupert Murdoch's News Corp purchased 10 TV stations from Cris-Craft
Industries for $3.5 billion. News Corp will now have two stations in the two
largest TV markets -- New York and Los Angeles. The UPN (soon to be
Paramount network, owned by Viacom) stations in the two largest markets will
now be owned by a company that owns a rival network. Will Viacom drop
Paramount? Will News Corp receive another newspaper/TV station
cross-ownership waiver in New York? How could Viacom and/or News Corp
program two TV stations in the same market? Michael J. Wolf, who heads the
media department at Booz Allen & Hamilton, said: "There are cross-promotions
that can take place, similar to the way that companies are able to drive
viewers from one cable network to another. The same thing can work in local
television markets." Two stations in the same city can also achieve great
economies of scale, Mr. Wolf said, by combining news operations and
advertising sales staffs. "This would let News Corp. get a bigger piece of
an advertiser's budget," Mr. Wolf said. And it could open up possibilities
in sports, he added, by allowing the News Corporation to place a team's
games on two channels. But News Corp is also now over the national reach
limit for one company and we may see some station swapping: exchanging
stations to set up dualopolies in the largest cities. Stay tuned.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Carter & Fabrikant]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/financial/081400murdoch-media.html)

INTERNET

DIRECTV STAYS STEP AHEAD OF CABLE
Issue: Satellite
Over the next few months, satellites will take the lead in offering
interactive digital TV services and two-way high-speed Internet connections
across the nation. While cable operators work out the kinks in their digital
and two-way services, DirecTV, one of nation's two satellite providers, is
hopping to take advantage of the opportunity to be first in offering
consumers interactive TV and high-speed Internet connections coast to coast.
Many cable companies have begun to transmit digitally, a process that
requires a system upgrade and a new decoder box, and soon plan to offer
two-way services -- including interactive TV, high-speed Internet and phone
connections. But the satellite industry hopes to beat them to the punch.
"Their pipe, where they have it, is a little more robust," say Michael
Smith, CEO of Hughes Electronics, DirecTV's parent company. "But our
advantage is economic. They have to spend billions to catch up to where we
are. We only have to spend a few hundred million to upgrade features"
nationwide. Starting this fall, DirecTV -- in concert with sister company
DirecPC -- will transmit Juno Online's Internet service at 400
kilobits-per-second to subscribers who buy a special 30-inch elliptical
dish. While the service will be much faster than today's conventional 56
kbps and will allow users to wirelessly transmit data so they don't have to
tie up a telephone line, it's still far slower than cable modems or phone
digital subscriber line (DSL) services.
[SOURCE: USAToday (1B), AUTHOR: David Lieberman]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000814/2546262s.htm)

THE MEDIUM GETS THE MESSAGE
Issue:Old vs New Media
America Online, Yahoo and Microsoft's MSN, large Internet portal sites,
dominate Web traffic. But why don't the Internet offerings of the major TV
networks? They have the most experience in drawing large audiences, they
account for two-thirds of the seven hours each day that an average
households spends watching TV and they have an arsenal of other advantages:
lots of money, libraries of programming and the ability to promote their Web
sites with unlimited amounts of advertising on television, which is still
the most persuasive medium. What went wrong? The networks were not good at
keeping visitors after convincing them to visit their Web sites -- the sites
lacked depth and sophistication of features. "The mistake made over and over
again by traditional media companies is that they dabble in new media rather
than doing something strategic to integrate with their core assets," said
Tom Rogers, chief executive of Primedia and former head of NBC's cable
operation and much of its Internet activities. "The game is over, and the
major media companies didn't win it," said Peter Chernin, News Corp.'s
president. "We didn't win. Disney didn't win. AOL and Yahoo did. So we're
going to the next game, which is broadband, and that's wide open."
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Saul Hansel]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/08/biztech/articles/14net.html)

A SPACE DETOUR FOR STREAMING INTERNET TRAFFIC
Issue: Infrastructure
Delivering streaming audio over satellites is one promising technique to
avoid the terrestrial degradation that can ruin a Net Radio stream. The
satellite method involves sending the stream up to a satellite, hopping over
most of the jam ups on the ground and landing the music stream at a network
hub closer to the listener. For example, a stream is sent from Tulsa,
Oklahoma to a satellite. The satellite then feeds the stream back to
terrestrial antennas which will convert the signal back into an Internet
protocol. The converted signal is then distributed through traditional ISP
over conventional cables and telephones to PCs. "We don't care if it's
delivered by satellite, fiber or carrier pigeon; we care about cost," said
Nicholas Butterworth, president and chief executive of the MTVi Group, MTV's
Internet unit. MTVi is also using ground-based distribution services from
companies like Akamai Technologies and Digital Island to improve the
reception of its Internet music and video programs. While satellites have
been used for years by overseas ISPs to connect to the US backbone, use by
domestic ISPs for domestic traffic is a new business model for the Internet
- a model to date that faces both economic and technical challenges. "The
Internet was not designed to do what we're asking it to do -- to distribute
something that looks like TV or sounds like a CD," said Peter B. Desnoes,
iBeam's chief executive. "The way to solve it is to go around the Internet
itself," Desnoes said. "We have built a very complex private network that
includes satellite elements that sends content out to the edge." Bear,
Stearns forecasts a $48 billion market for streaming media by 2010, up from
$1.3 billion today.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C4), AUTHOR: Theresa Foley]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/08/biztech/articles/14bird.html)

NEW ECONOMY: INTERNET IN JAPAN IS RIDING A WIRELESS WAVE
Issue: Wireless
An illustration of the difference between the Internet in Japan and in the
US. Hiroaki Kobayashi is the founder of founder of Tokyo Metallic which
provides high-speed, or broadband, Internet access lines. Tokyo Metallic is
trying to jumpstart DSL in Japan, but unlike the US, where DSL deployment
and subscribership is at nearly 1 million, there are only 1,000 DSL
customers in Japan. The high numbers in the US are motivated partially by
the competition of the regional bell with their local start-up competitors,
CLEC's and partially by business models that have preferenced physical
hookups over wireless options. In Japan, on the other hand, Nippon Telegraph
and Telephone, Tokyo Metallic's main competition, has a competing strategy
for wiring Japan with high-speed fiber optic cables -- but will not do so
until it recovers its earlier investment in ISDN technology. The final and
most formidable obstacle for Tokyo Metallic is the preference for wireless
over physical hookups in Japan. There are between 20-27 million Internet
users in Japan. Of that number, nearly half are connecting to the Internet
wirelessly. Of these wireless customers, 7.5 million are using a service
offered by NTT DoCoMo, NTT's wireless division. For nearly two of three
i-mode users, this wireless link is their only method of access to the
Internet. With a second generation wireless standard on the way, it may be
that a wired link to the Internet will become irrelevant in modern Japan.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C4), AUTHOR: John Markoff]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/08/biztech/articles/14neco.html)

ALLIANCE TO SEND VIDEO-ON-DEMAND ON WEB
Issue: Alliance/Internet
Intertainer and Akamai Technologies will announce today an alliance to
deliver video-on-demand to the computers of consumers with high-speed
Internet connections. The service is currently available in two markets and
will be broadly available by the end of the year, the companies said.
Intertainer's library includes the licensing rights to entertainment
programming from more than 60 media companies, including DreamWorks SKG,
Sony Music, Warner Bros. and Columbia TriStar Television. The material will
not be stored on the user's computer, but instead will be streamed through
the Web. Last month Enron, the Houston-based utility and energy giant,
announced that it too had entered an agreement with Blockbuster to deliver
movies on demand into homes as a digitized video stream. Analyst believe
that while Blockbuster holds brand advantage, Intertainer is the only player
to have introduced a working service. "Blockbuster has all the distribution,
sales and brand you could want, but no service," said Julani Zeribi, an
analyst with Current Analysis. "At the end of the day, their announcement
was, 'We intend to do this, provided everything comes together.' Intertainer
already has a service, and Akamai can do this, right here, right now."
Akamai's service speeds delivery of World Wide Web pages and streaming media
by moving digital content to servers spread around the globe, thus bypassing
bottlenecks in the broad Internet.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C5), AUTHOR: Lawrence Fisher]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/08/biztech/articles/14akam.html)

PUT DOWN YOUR PENCILS; FLA. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS BECOME USA'S FIRST ONLINE
CLASS
Issue: EdTech
Forty-five Florida high school students will be part of the fist American
class ever that will combine the worlds of online academics and the
real-world social setting of a traditional high school. When the Daniel
Jenkins Academy's online project opened Thursday morning, all the students
had
already met their teachers, either via e-mail or phone. The 3-year-old
Florida High School (FHS), a Web-based school that acts as a subcontractor,
providing virtual academics and online teachers, has focused on serving
individual students throughout Florida who want an online alternative to
traditional public high school academics. This year, more than 5,000
students will take some or all of their high school courses by logging on to
FHS. The Jenkins students will have the help of two facilitators, who will
be in the classroom to provide assistants with academics, time management
and technical issues. Florida public schools are among the nation's most
overcrowded, a major concern for Principal Sue Braiman. Her strategy is to
house only students here and give them access to classrooms, teachers and
curricular tools in a virtual environment.
[SOURCE: USAToday (1D), AUTHOR: Karen Thomas]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000814/2546238s.htm)

PRIVACY

SOUND WAVES COULD HELP EASE CONSUMER FRAUD OVER THE WEB
Issue: Privacy
An Israeli start-up has created a gadget that uses sound waves to address
some of the biggest issues of e-commerce: fraud, privacy and convenience.
When held and pointed at the computer, the credit-card look alike known as
"Com Dot" -- dot-com in reverse - emits a coded high-pitched sound whose
signal is then picked up by the computer's microphone, and the card emits an
audible chirp to let the user know the transmission is complete. According
to Alan Sege of ComSense Technologies Ltd, the computer uses the Com Dot's
ultrasonic signal to identify the user. "Good morning, Alan," the computer
says in response, and a Web page suddenly appears on the screen. Many
computers already have a built-in microphone and sound board, which are
needed to decipher the card's ultrasonic codes. ComSense hopes to have
credit-card companies install in their cards the computer chip, tiny battery
and speaker needed to make the technology work.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B1), AUTHOR: Jathon Sapsford]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB966206403344321614.htm)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

U.N. COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF TELIA ON DOMAIN NAMES
Issue: Intellectual property
Two Swedes who had registered Internet domain names containing the names of
a Swedish telecommunications company, Telia AB 243, and its branches have
been ordered to give it up by the World Intellectual Property Organization
(WIPO), an agency of the United Nations. The registered names included
teliadata.com,
teliabusiness.com, and teliabroadband.com, each of which had been offered
for sale at US$14,500. Although domain-related quarrels have been around
for a decade now, only recently did the UN start arbitrating on the cases.
WIPO has received more than 1,000 domain-related cases since it started
arbitrating them last year. Domain names aren't only a problem for large
companies that have to deal with individuals who have registered names. The
UN frequently handles cases in which small companies or individuals complain
that their individuals are under threat from large companies that claim to
have the same right to the same names. "We hope the decision will send a
signal to other cybersquatters who think they can take advantage of
registering other companies' names," said a London-based Telia engineer
involved in the case.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (Interactive), AUTHOR: Almar Latour]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB966196246182076316.htm)

JOBS

SOME PROGRESS IN PHONE STRIKE, BUT AGREEMENT PROVES ELUSIVE
Issue: Jobs
The Verizon strike drags on with no quick end in sight. Through the
strike organized labor is trying to get a foothold into fast-growing,
high-tech industries that are changing the economy. Instead of wages and
benefits, the main objectives of the strike involve an effort to secure
concessions for a work force weary of long hours and the concern that
mergers might translate into fewer jobs. The main difference now seems to be
over the movement of work. The unions are seeking to limit the movement of
jobs or tasks by agreeing on a flat percentage of Verizon's work force of
260,000 employees that would be subject to such movement, similar to the
half a percentage point agreed upon with Bell Atlantic after it bought Nynex
in 1997. Verizon wants a more flexible plan.
[SOURCE: New York Times (A19), AUTHOR: Simon Romero]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/financial/081400verizon-talks.html)
See Also:
UNIONS REJECT NEW VERIZON CONTRACT OFFER
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A6), AUTHOR: Kalpana Srinivasan (Associated
Press)]
(http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21004-2000Aug13.html)
VERIZON TOUTS NEW PROPOSAL; STRIKING UNIONS REBUFF OFFER
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (Interactive), AUTHOR: Newswires
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB966230164300125218.htm)

TELEPHONE

FCC RELEASES: STATISTICS OF COMMUNICATIONS COMMON CARRIERS
Issue: Telephone
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released the Statistics of
Communications Common Carriers, marking the 60th anniversary of the
publication. When the first volume, for the year 1939, was published in
1941, it cost The 1939 volume, published in 1941, consisted of 267 pages and
sold for 25 cents. About 18 million telephones were in use at year-end 1939,
and only 36% of the households had telephone service. Now, more than 180
million telephone lines were in use at year-end 1999 and 94.6% of the U.S.
households had telephone service. The electronic version of the publication
is available to the public free of charge. A second notice will be issued
when printed versions can be purchased from the U.S. Government Printing
Office. The 260-page volume contains data on telecommunications costs,
revenues, prices, and usage, and is divided into five sections: general
information on industry structure; financial and operating data relating to
telephone carriers; data on international communications and COMSAT
Corporation; historical financial, economic, and rate tables; and data on
industry trends. The full report is now available for reference in the FCC's
Reference Information Center, Courtyard Level, 445 12th Street S.W. The
publication can be downloaded [file names: 99SOCC.zip, 99SOCC.pdf] from the
FCC-State Link internet site at http://www.fcc.gov/ccb/stats. Copies of the
publication also may be purchased by calling International Transcription
Services, Inc. (ITS) at (202) 857-3800.
[SOURCE: FCC]
(http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/2000/nrcc0042.html)

INTERNATIONAL

SPEECH: THE AFRICA DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE: ONE YEAR AND COUNTING
Issue: Speech
Remarks of William E. Kennard Chairman, Federal Communications
Commission at the AFCOM 2000 Conference
Fair Lakes, Virginia August 1, 2000.
[SOURCE: FCC]
(http://www.fcc.gov/Speeches/Kennard/2000/spwek018.html)

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DIGITAL DIVIDE
Women Surf Past Men On the Internet (WP)

EDTECH
Choosing Quick Hits Over The Card Catalog (NYT)
No Lectures or Teachers, Just Software (NYT)
For the New College B.M.O.C., 'M' Is for 'Machine' (NYT)

INTERNET
Judge Blocks Va. Law on Internet Porn (WP)
The Campaign on the Web (WP)
AOL Is Taking Down MP3 Search Engine (WSJ)

PRIVACY
FBI Refuses to Reveal Data on Carnivore, Tells Congress Documents
Are Classified(WSJ)
'Sensitive' Kaiser E-Mails Go Astray (WP)
Users Get Privacy On Web From Freedom Software (WSJ)
Online Privacy Technologies Workshop (NTIA)

JOBS
Extent of Telephone Strike May Have Surprised Target (NYT)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

WOMEN SURF PAST MEN ON THE INTERNET
Issue: Digital Divide/Gender
Female users of the Internet now outnumber male users
according to a new survey shows by Media Metrix and Jupiter Communications.
The survey is based on a sample group of 55,000 users. In May of 1999 the
total U.S. online population was 45.4 percent female and 54.4 percent male.
In May 2000 the numbers have changed to 50.4 percent female and 49.6 percent
male. The survey accounts for users age 2 and up. Of course, measuring actual
WWW users is difficult, but this survey seems to confirm a trend reflected
in other ISP service subscriptions. Usage by women has grown among all
demographic groups and ages. But the Media Metrix/Jupiter Communications survey
found that among those 24 to 34, when many women are starting families, the
most popular Web sites are Babygear.com, Pampers.com and Ibaby.com. At the
35 to 44 age bracket, women make up relatively large proportions of visitors
to consumer product sites and health sites. Among the 55-and-up set,
genealogy sites are popular.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A1), AUTHOR: Klein and Johnson]
(http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A137-2000Aug9.html)

EDTECH

CHOOSING QUICK HITS OVER THE CARD CATALOG
Issue: EdTech/Libraries
Many younger students today prefer to do their research online rather than
at the library. They feel more comfortable sorting through hyperlinks than
card catalogs even though libraries are organized and easily navigated. The
trend troubles educators who fear that point-and-click research can lead to
lazy study habits and ineffective searches. "Students have an idea when they
come into the library that everything they need is on the Internet," said
Mary Arnold, president of the Young Adult Library Services Association and a
librarian at the Cuyahoga County Public Library near Cleveland. "That may be
true, but they often don't know how to find it." The University of
Michigan's School of Education developed Artemis to help students do better
Web searches: it included a spell checker and a thesaurus to help poor
spellers [like me] and students who don't know synonyms for the terms they
are searching for. The URL also includes eight hints for better Web searches.
[SOURCE: New York Times (D1), AUTHOR: Lori Leibovich]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/08/circuits/articles/10thin.html)

NO LECTURES OR TEACHERS, JUST SOFTWARE
Issue: EdTech
Dr Roger Schank, director of the Institute for Learning Sciences at
Northwestern University, wants to use technology to overhaul the entire
education system. "The computer is our Trojan mouse," he said. "It allows us
to get our foot in the door to do something radical and difficult." Through
his company, Cognitive Arts, Dr Schank has developed more than 100
software-bases education programs that programs combine the look of
high-tech video games with a Mission Impossible-style narrative. A course in
biology, for instance, might challenge students to stop a worldwide virus
outbreak. The aim is to get students to delve into a course's volumes of
academic information, including hours of videotape of experts in a field
related to the program. "The value of the computer is that it allows kids to
learn by doing," he said. "People don't learn by being talked at. They learn
when they attempt to do something and fail. Learning happens when they try
to figure out why." The goal-based scenarios, Dr Schank believes, get kids
excited. Read some criticism and support for his approach at the URL below.
[SOURCE: New York Times (D6), AUTHOR: Joshua Green]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/08/circuits/articles/10prof.html)

FOR THE NEW COLLEGE B.M.O.C., 'M' IS FOR 'MACHINE'
Issue: EdTech
A look at what equipment is considered essential as kids go off to college.
At the top of the list is the computer which is used to do research, play
music, communicate, turn in assignments, register for classes [ok,not in
this exact order]...
This trifecta of stories lets you know what technology students are using
and how -- and helps you pick out a computer for your college-bound student.
[SOURCE: New York Times (D7), AUTHOR: Lisa Guernsey]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/08/circuits/articles/10dorm.html)
See Also:
PC 101: PITFALLS TO AVOID ON THE WAY TO COLLEGE
[SOURCE: New York Times (D1), AUTHOR: Peter Lewis]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/08/circuits/articles/10pete.html)
THE MODERN STUDENT: BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED
[SOURCE: New York Times (D1), AUTHOR: Katie Hafner]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/08/circuits/articles/10gadg.html)

INTERNET

JUDGE BLOCKS VA. LAW ON INTERNET PORN
Issue: Legal Issues
U.S. District Judge James Michael Jr. repealed a Virginia law passed in
April 1999 that made it illegal to use the Internet to sell, rent or lend
sexually explicit pictures or written narratives to juveniles, ruling that
it violated the First Amendment rights of online users. "The effort by
Virginia to restrict the Internet--making it so it can have only materials
fit for children--is presumptively illegal," said Elliot Mincberg, legal
director for the nonprofit People for the American Way, which filed the
lawsuit along with 16 Internet businesses and others. "There are many
materials that could fall in this vague zone--sex education materials and
art materials that clearly would be proper for adults and might not be
proper for children." David Botkins, a spokesman for the Virginia attorney
general's office, said, "Although we are disappointed in the decision, it is
just one more step in the evolution of Internet law. Laws that apply to the
bricks-and-mortar world are having to be tailored to cyberspace, and with
that comes various legal challenges."
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A1), AUTHOR: Glod and White]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A358-2000Aug9.html)

THE CAMPAIGN ON THE WEB
Issue: Political Discourse
Shortly after Vice President Gore (D-TN) selected Sen Joseph Lieberman
(D-CT) as his running mate, the Internet campaign team discovered that
practically every conceivable Gore-Lieberman combination had already been
snatched up by cyber-squatters seeking to cash in on their domain name
investment. Ben Green, the Internet campaign director, said he has received
solicitations as high as $200,000/month to lease an address. Meanwhile,
David Jackson, a 20-year-old Orthodox Jew at the University of Maryland, had
registered www.gorelieberman.com. When word spread that Lieberman would join
Gore on the ticket, Jackson offered to give away the address for free. So in
Nashville yesterday, there was much rejoicing. "We were just very, very
lucky that the individual who owned it was not a materialistic person but
just a very nice kid," Green said. Many domain investors are not quite so
nice. One particular squatter, Pete Lucas of Bridgewater (NJ), who held at
least five possible Gore-Lieberman addresses, also owns combinations of
George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney. Lucas has suggested that he might use
several "R-rated" addresses related to the name "George W. Bush" that he
owns as leverage to get the Bush campaign to pay for a G-rated Bush-Cheney
address.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A19), AUTHOR: Ben Wjote]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1201-2000Aug9.html)

AOL IS TAKING DOWN MP3 SEARCH ENGINE
Issue: Intellectual Property
AOL said it would take down a controversial search engine that for the past
month has allowed Internet users to locate music files in the popular MP3
file format including pirated versions of songs. The search engine was
developed by AOL's Winamp site and added to the group's home page at
www.winamp.com about a month ago. AOL's aim was to add a search function to
its Winamp site. AOL doesn't store the MP3 files on its own computers,
instead providing hyperlinks to songs on other Web sites. Although the AOL
search engine is hardly the first of its kind, the company's proposed
acquisition of Time Warner added an interesting twist. People familiar with
the matter said AOL decided to take the search engine down after media
inquiries to AOL and Time Warner about the service. Time Warner's Warner
Music group had questioned how AOL could have put the service up and what
impact it could have on Warner Music's relations with artists. Several
Warner Music labels are among the record companies that earlier this year
filed a copyright-infringement suit in federal court in Manhattan against
MP3Board, a Web site that lets users search for MP3s on other sites.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B8), AUTHOR: Nick Wingfield And Martin Peers]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB965864619718115505.htm)

PRIVACY

FBI REFUSES TO REVEAL DATA ON CARNIVORE, TELLS CONGRESS DOCUMENTS ARE
CLASSIFIED
Issue:Privacy
Answering a member of Congress who has introduced a bill to make it harder
for the FBI to use Carnivore-the Internet surveillance system --, the FBI
said in a letter to the House's oversight committee that it is "not
presently in a position" to provide documents he requested. "There remains
substantial public misunderstanding and misinformation about the system,"
wrote John Collingwood, assistant director for public affairs. The FBI also
said some of the documents requested include classified information and
others are the subject of a pending lawsuit seeking their release. Critics
have complained that Carnivore makes it easy to capture e-mail from innocent
citizens using the same Internet provider as those under surveillance. To
reassure critics, the Justice Department may give Carnivore's blueprints to
an academic institution for private analysis. The FBI continue to defend
Carnivore, saying in the letter that "Carnivore is not the evil echelon that
people think it is. There is so much misinformation out there," he said.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B8), AUTHOR: Ted Bridis]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB965861735609205665.htm)

'SENSITIVE' KAISER E-MAILS GO ASTRAY
Issue: Privacy
Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest health insurers, said yesterday that
it accidentally compromised the confidentiality of members who used its Web
site by sending 858 e-mail messages to the wrong Kaiser members last week.
Some the emails contained health information deemed 'sensitive.' Some of the
mis-sent messages contained the full names, home phone numbers and medical
account numbers of the Kaiser members, Kaiser spokeswoman Beverly Hayon
said. In total, 19 Kaiser customers received emails intended for others.
Kaiser officials cited "human error" and a "technological glitch" that
occurred Aug. 2 during a Web site upgrade. The Kaiser member site allows
members to fill prescriptions, make appointments and seek medical advice by
e-mail. Anna-Lisa Silvestre, director of the Web site, said company
officials have attempted to phone each of the members whose e-mails were
misdirected. Last night, 687 members had been reached, she said. "We
apologized to every single person we called," she said. About 250,000
customers nationwide use the "members only" section of Kaiser's Web site,
which requires a personal identification number and account number to enter.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E1), AUTHOR: Bill Brubaker]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64768-2000Aug9.html)

USERS GET PRIVACY ON WEB FROM FREEDOM SOFTWARE
Issue: Privacy
Due to the carelessness with which online merchants and advertisers have
handled the tracking data most users hand over to them, individual privacy
is becoming a pressing matter for many Internet users. Consider the number
of ways Web site owners and advertisers can follow you across the Internet.
Just opening a Web page broadcasts a long number identifying your location
on the Internet. Many sites also immediately assign you one or more
"cookies," small files they write to your hard disk, many containing codes
that identify you in some way. Think about the ways unscrupulous online
merchants and advertisers can put together all that personal data you
provide in Web-based forms, and it becomes clear that the Web knows more
about you than you think. DoubleClick earlier this year ran into a storm of
protest and had to scrap a plan that would have allowed it to sell a record
of the Web pages you have visited to. A variety of companies are now
offering software and related services to plug those privacy gaps, assuming
that users are willing to put up with the additional hassle required to use
them correctly. Companies like Zero-Knowledge Systems lets users establish
alternate identities called "nyms", and then routes all Internet traffic
associated with a given nym through its own "Freedom network," ensuring that
no personally identifying information leaks out to merchants or advertisers.
Using the service isn't cheap: A five-pack of nyms costs $50, and each is
only good for one year.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (Interactive), AUTHOR: David P. Hamilton]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB965858793186890806.htm)

ONLINE PRIVACY TECHNOLOGIES WORKSHOP
Issue: Privacy
NTIA will host a public workshop on September 19 to examine technological
tools and developments that can enhance consumer privacy online. NTIA and
the Internet Education Foundation will simultaneously co-host a Technology
Fair to demonstrate the use and capabilities of a broad array of online
privacy technologies. The workshop and technology fair will be held 9:00
a.m. - 4:00 p.m. on September 19, 2000. The workshop and fair are open to
the public and are free-of-charge. No advanced registration is necessary.
The workshop and technology fair will be located at the U.S. Department of
Commerce Main Auditorium and Lobby, 1401 Constitution Avenue, N.W.,
Washington, DC, 20230 (entrance on 14th Street between Constitution and
Pennsylvania Avenues).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: For further information about the workshop, contact
either Judy Kilpatrick at NTIA, Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution
Avenue, NW, Room 4701, Washington, DC 20230, telephone (202) 482-1866,
facsimile (202) 482-0023, or e-mail privtech( at )ntia.doc.gov; or Wendy Lader at
NTIA, Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room 4725,
Washington, DC 20230, phone (202) 482-1880, facsimile (202) 482-8058, or
e-mail privtech( at )ntia.doc.gov.
For further information about the technology fair, contact Tim Lordan at
Internet Education Foundation, 1634 I Street, NW, Suite 1107, Washington, DC
20006, phone (202) 638-4370, or e- mail tim( at )neted.org
[SOURCE: NTIA]
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/privacy/index.html)

JOBS

EXTENT OF TELEPHONE STRIKE MAY HAVE SURPRISED TARGET
Issue: Jobs
Hopes for a quick resolution to the strike at Verizon are dimming and some
are wondering how the company ever let this happen. It could be management's
focus on the merger with GTE and subsequent campaign to promote the new
company and its name. "I think there probably was a certain amount of
arrogance here on management's part," said Neil Bernstein, a professor of
law at Washington University in St. Louis who also works as a labor
arbitrator. "Telephone companies have generally not been overly concerned
about strikes, mainly because their services are so automated." The company
denies that it underestimated the challenge of reaching a new contract. "No
company ever wants a strike, and we most certainly did everything we could
to prevent one," said Eric Rabe, Verizon's spokesman. "Sometimes it's just
necessary to get eyeball to eyeball on issues." Customers in 12 Eastern
states cannot access directory assistance. And request for repairs have
swelled to 82,000 compared to 36,000 this time last month.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C8), AUTHOR: Simon Romero]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/financial/081000verizon-strike.html)
See Also:
VERIZON, STRIKING UNIONS CONTINUE TALKS, BUT BOTH SIDES SAY SITUATION IS
TENSE
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B10), AUTHOR: Deborah Solomon]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB96585952118455914.htm)

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

(c)Benton Foundation 2000. Redistribution of this email publication -- both
internally and externally -- is encouraged if it includes this message.

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

The Benton Foundation's Communications Policy Program (CPP)
(www.benton.org/cpphome.html) Communications-related Headline
Service is posted Monday through Friday. The Headlines are highlights
of news articles summarized by staff at the Benton Foundation. They
describe articles of interest to the work of the Foundation -- primarily
those covering long term trends and developments in communications,
technology, journalism, public service media, regulation and philanthropy.
While the summaries are factually accurate, their often informal tone does
not represent the tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by
Kevin Taglang (kevint( at )benton.org) and Rachel Anderson (rachel( at )benton.org) --
we welcome your comments.

The Benton Foundation works to realize the social benefits made possible by
the public interest use of communications. Bridging the worlds of
philanthropy, public policy, and community action, Benton seeks to shape the
emerging communications environment and to demonstrate the value of
communications for solving social problems.

JOBS
Fear of Unions Has Companies Keeping Quiet (NYT)

SECURITY
Netscape Web-Browser Software Has Possible Opening for Hackers (WSJ)

ADVERTISING
Advertising: Spending, Led By Internet, Forecast to Reach
$249 Billion in 2004 (NYT)

CULTURE
How Culture Molds Habits Of Thought (NYT)

INTERNATIONAL
Vetoing Press Freedom in Iran (NYT)
A Look Just Over the Horizon (CyberTimes)

JOBS

FEAR OF UNIONS HAS COMPANIES KEEPING QUIET
Issue: Jobs
What do the largest communications companies think about unions? "No
comment," is the reply Schiesel received when he asked AT&T, Sprint, Bell
South and WorldCom about the Verizon strike. The unspoken secret in the
industry is that the carriers that still have union employees basically wish
they did not. And newer companies that don't have unionized employees will
do anything to keep them away. "All else being equal, would it make our life
easier if there were no union? Of course," said an executive at a large
communications carrier, on condition of anonymity. "But we do, so we just
have to deal with it, and it's very delicate." Companies fear the
Communications Workers of America, but Verizon is willing to put up with a
strike to try to keep its wireless and Internet operations union free. On
condition of anonymity, one Wall Street analyst said yesterday that if
Verizon's wireless operation were completely unionized, it could cost the
unit $300 million in additional annual expense. That money probably means a
lot more to Verizon's workers than it does to the company; some analysts are
expecting that same wireless unit to generate $5.5 billion or more of cash
flow this year. So in the overall financial scheme, unionization may not be
that big a deal. But there are other factors that matter. "If you're
unionized," said John M. Bensche, a wireless communications analyst for
Lehman Brothers, "you have less flexibility in terms of hiring and firing
people. And when you're growing this fast and want to shift resources around
in a company, that can matter. For example, you might see a company move an
entire collections department over to customer activation at Christmas time
because it's really busy. And you might have to ask whether they could do
that if they were unionized."
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Seth Schiesel]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/financial/080800verizon-impact.html)
See Also:
PICKET LINES SWELL AND TELEPHONE DISRUPTIONS SPREAD IN STRIKE
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Simon Romero]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/financial/080800verizon-strike.html)
TELEPHONE CABLES ARE TARGETS OF VANDALS
[SOURCE: New York Times (C9), AUTHOR: Elissa Gootman]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/financial/080800verizon-vandals.html)

SECURITY

NETSCAPE WEB-BROWSER SOFTWARE HAS POSSIBLE OPENING FOR HACKERS
Issue: Security
A flaw in Netscape Internet browser software could let hackers view and
retrieve files on a computer or office network after someone merely opens
an e-mail or visits a Web site. A
22-year-old programmer who published details over the weekend on his Web
site discovered the vulnerability. The vulnerability, according to computer
experts, could be quite severe as it affects the millions of consumers using
Netscape's browser. A spokesman for AOL, which owns Netscape, said engineers
were evaluating the perceived problem and will fix it once they can
reproduce it. Customers can protect themselves for now by turning off
Netscape's ability to run Java programs, AOL spokesman Andrew Weinstein said.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (A24), AUTHOR: Ted Bridis]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB965685374996521765.htm)

ADVERTISING

ADVERTISING: SPENDING, LED BY INTERNET, FORECAST TO REACH $249 BILLION IN 2004
Issue: Advertising
Veronis Suhler, a investment banking firm, predicts in its annual forecast
that total advertising spending will continue to rise to $249.1 billion in
2004. Ad spending rose 9.1% last year to $165 billion. According to the
report, this growth "will be driven largely by Internet advertising, which
exploded 140.6 percent, to $4.6 billion in 1999 and is forecast to increase
at a 39.5 percent compound annual growth rate, more than quadrupling to
$24.4 billion by 2004." Should Veronis Suhler's predictions pan out, by
2004, Internet advertising will exceed consumer magazine advertising, which
is projected to reach $16.4 billion; network television advertising,
estimated at $19.4 billion; and cable television advertising, a projected
$21 billion. It should then be close to radio advertising, projected to
climb to $26.6 billion. Daily newspapers are still expected to generate the
highest advertising income, an estimated $63.2 billion in 2004.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C8), AUTHOR: Jane Levere]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/financial/columns/080800internet-adcol.html)

CULTURE

HOW CULTURE MOLDS HABITS OF THOUGHT
Issue: Culture
Scholars who have long studied cultural differences between the East and
West generally accepted that the same basic processes underlie human
thought, even if different cultures tend to think about different things.
Recent research at University of Michigan, however, has cast this view into
doubt. In studies comparing European Americans to East Asians, Dr. Richard
Nisbett and his colleagues have found that people from these different
cultural background may actually process information differently. "We used
to think that everybody uses categories in the same way, that logic plays
the same kind of role for everyone in the understanding of everyday life,
that memory, perception, rule application and so on are the same," Dr.
Nisbett said. "But we're now arguing that cognitive processes themselves are
just far more malleable than mainstream psychology assumed." The researchers
found that Easterners appear to think more "holistically," paying greater
attention to context and relationship, while Westerners are more "analytic"
in their thinking, tending to rely more heavily on formal logic.
[SOURCE: New York Times (D1), AUTHOR: Erica Goode]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/science/health/080800hth-behavior-c
ulture.html)

INTERNATIONAL

VETOING PRESS FREEDOM IN IRAN
Issue: International/Journalism
[Editorial] Hopes for reform of the theocratic controls of the Iranian
government were once again dashed on Sunday when Iran's supreme religious
leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei forbade Parliament to revise a restrictive
press law. By thwarting the elected parliament on such a fundamental
democratic ideal, the Ayatollah invites more radical challenges to clerical
rule in the future. Riding a high from election victories in February,
Iranian reformers deliberately chose press freedom as an issue to test their
strength within Iran's political system. The reformers wanted to amend a law
to restrict the power of judges to close newspapers while making it easier
for journalists to move from already closed newspapers. Newspapers are more
than a little symbolic in this effort: historically, Iranian newspapers have
exposed official links to violence and corruption and embarrassed prominent
conservatives. One story revealed the role of the intelligence
ministry in a string of murders of dissenting intellectuals two years ago.
The author, Akbar Ganji, and other journalists have been jailed for their
work and the government has closed more than 20 reform newspapers. With the
large majority of Iranians voting for reform, the populace can only be upset
and angry at a government that refuses to respect its will.
[SOURCE: New York Times (A28), AUTHOR: NYT Editorial Staff]
(http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/editorial/08tue3.html)

A LOOK JUST OVER THE HORIZON
Issue: International
After more than 100 articles, the New York Times on the Web has decided to
discontinue Giussani's EuroBytes column. Writing about technology, Giussani
says, is really writing about people and companies, about their social
roles, the networks they're part of, the culture they inherit and how they
change it, their ideas and experiences, and the difference they try to make.
Giussani reveals a not-very-secret journalistic secret: every reporter or
columnist has, in the back of his mind, a list of companies, people, issues,
in short "subjects" that he (or she) would like to write about. He lists the
ten European Internet companies he'd like to cover if he was still writing
this column.
[SOURCE: CyberTimes, AUTHOR: Bruno Giussani (giussani( at )nytimes.com)]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/08/cyber/eurobytes/08eurobytes.html)

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

(c)Benton Foundation 2000. Redistribution of this email publication -- both
internally and externally -- is encouraged if it includes this message.

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

The Benton Foundation works to realize the social benefits made possible by
the public interest use of communications. Bridging the worlds of
philanthropy, public policy, and community action, Benton seeks to shape the
emerging communications environment and to demonstrate the value of
communications for solving social problems.

Other projects at Benton include:
Connect for Kids (www.connectforkids.org)
Debate America (www.debateamerica.org)
Oneworld US (www.oneworld.net)
Open Studio: The Arts Online (www.openstudio.org)
Sound Partners for Community Health (www.soundpartners.org)

DIGITAL DIVIDE
The Availability of High-Speed and Advanced Telecommunications
Services (FCC)
FCC Cites a Higher-Speed Digital Divide (WP)

WORKFORCE
Verizon Faces East Coast Strike If Contract Negotiations Falter
(USA)

PRIVACY
Privacy Plan Likely to Kick Off Debate (NYT)
Quicker Review Vowed for Net Wiretap System (WP)

WIRELESS
Wireless Innovations in Communications Initiative (NTIA)
The State of the Wireless Industry (FCC)
Sprint PCS Launches Voice-Activated Service

BROADCASTING
For Indians, Talk Radio Renews a Tradition (WP)

INTERNATIONAL
Microsoft Faces European Antitrust Case (USA)
Speech: European American Business Council (NTIA)

SPECTRUM
Consumer Federation Opposes NextWave Bailout (CFA)

NEWSLETTER
Forum Connection (CRF)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

THE AVAILABILITY OF HIGH-SPEED AND ADVANCED
TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES
Issue: Universal Service
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a report concluding
that advanced telecommunications capability is being deployed in a
reasonable and timely fashion overall, although the Commission identified
certain groups of consumers that are particularly vulnerable to not
receiving service in a timely fashion. This is the Commission's second
inquiry, as required by Congress, into whether "advanced telecommunications
capability" is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely
fashion. Advanced telecommunications capability is the availability of
high-speed, switched, broadband telecommunications that enables users to
originate and receive high-quality voice, data, graphics, and video using
any technology. The Commission identified the following groups as being
particularly vulnerable of not having access to advanced services if
deployment is left to market forces alone: 1) rural Americans, particularly
those outside of population centers; 2) inner city consumers; 3) low-income
consumers; 4) minority consumers; and 5) tribal areas. The data in the
report is based largely on the first systematic, nationwide "Broadband
Survey" of subscription to high-speed and advanced services, begun by the
Commission earlier this year. The Commission's nationwide "Broadband Survey"
required any facilities-based company that provided 250 or more broadband
service lines (or wireless channels) in a given state to report basic
information about their service offerings and customers. Much more at URL
below.
[SOURCE: FCC]
(http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/2000/nrcc0040.html)

FCC CITES A HIGHER SPEED DIGITAL DIVIDE
Issue: Digital Divide
An FCC report released yesterday contends that rural, inner-city and tribal
areas lag behind in high-speed Internet connections in spite of the fact
that more Americans than ever have access to broadband. Broadband
telecommunications services allow high-speed transmission of voice, data,
graphics and video over the Internet. The report further posits that
availability of broadband is concentrated in affluent urban and suburban
areas, which some experts say underscores a developing "digital divide"
along lines of income and race. The report found that areas where there is
little high-speed access tend to be those with high concentrations of
minorities, low-income residents such as inner cities, and Native American
tribal areas. FCC Chairman, William Kennard and some independent experts say
that the trends are an outgrowth of natural market phenomena, as service
providers first introduce technologies to areas they believe will be most
profitable. However, Kennard said that government policy should encourage
equal access of the sort that exists with telephone service, which is
available in almost all markets, regardless of income or population density.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E3), AUTHOR: Neil Irwin]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33100-2000Aug3.html)
See Also
ACCESS TO HIGH-SPEED TELECOM SERVICE IS MIXED IN THE U.S., FCC STUDY SHOWS
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B2), AUTHOR: Jerry Guidera]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB96534850176189390.htm)

WORKFORCE

VERIZON FACES EAST COAST STRIKE IF CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS FALTER
Issue: Employment
Nearly 85,000 workers at Verizon Communications, formerly Bell Atlantic and
GTE, say they will strike Sunday if they do not manage to reach an agreement
in contract negotiations. The local phone giant and the Communications
Workers of America remain at odds on a variety of issues including
subcontracting to non-union firms, forced overtime and working conditions
for customer service workers. One of the most contentious issues is union
access to jobs in the fast-growing and largely non-union wireless division.
There have been few major labor disputes in the telecommunications industry.
Bell Atlantic workers struck for two days in 1998 and for four months in
1989.
[SOURCE: USAToday B9), AUTHOR: Shawn Young]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000804/2521591s.htm)

PRIVACY

PRIVACY PLAN LIKELY TO KICK OFF DEBATE
Issue: Privacy
By announcing a plan to provide cable-borne email and wireless mobile phone
messages the same safeguards against government snooping that now apply to
telephone calls, the Clinton administration has threatened to weaken the
existing privacy protections currently applied to cable. John Podesta,
President Clinton's chief of staff, announced the plan intended to harmonize
the nation's patchwork of privacy rules while extending the protections to
email. But, privacy advocates are concerned about a rollback of cable
protections mentioned in Podesta's speech that will weaken the protections
many believe already apply to Internet communications over cable modems and
networks. The administration has often used telephone wiretaps and the
process needed to obtain and implement wiretaps as the proper model for
Internet and e-mail privacy protection. But, the laws governing the cable
television industry, the Cable Act of 1984 and the related sections of the
Telecommunications Act of 1996 have stronger privacy protections for cable
subscribers than the current telephone wiretap protections. Specifically,
the Cable Act would require "clear and convincing evidence" to secure a
court-ordered wiretap, while the telephone tap requires only "probable
cause." "The question here is whether to harmonize up or down," said Marc
Rotenberg, director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. "This is
the first time the government is arguing that a privacy law currently in
place is too strong and needs to be lowered." The FCC has not issued a
ruling on whether the Cable Act applies to cable-based Internet activities -
it is scheduled to address the issue in the fall.
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/08/cyber/cyberlaw/04law.html
(SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Carl S. Kaplan]

QUICKER REVIEW VOWED FOR NET WIRETAP SYSTEM
Issue: Privacy
Attorney General Janet Reno said yesterday that the Justice Department's
review of Carnivore, the FBI's controversial Internet wiretap system, is
moving too slowly and vowed to take immediate action to speed things up. She
also said that she the FBI alone to oversee the review. Instead, the
attorney general said a panel of outside experts will be chosen jointly by
Justice Department and FBI officials for the review. Reno has asked the
Justice Department to work with the FBI in selecting an "independent entity"
to review Carnivore's source code and then to report back to her. "I don't
know that I can satisfy all the privacy advocates, but I want to try to do
everything I can," Reno said. Reno declined to comment on a federal court
ruling Wednesday directing the Justice Department to quickly review a formal
request from the Electronic Privacy Information Center for data about
Carnivore and its potential uses.
[SOURCE: Washington Post A27, AUTHOR: David A. Vise]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34253-2000Aug3.html)

WIRELESS

WIRELESS INNOVATIONS IN COMMUNICATIONS INITIATIVE
Issue: Wireless
The Wireless Innovations in Communications Initiative (WICI) Committee will
hold a meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 8, to hear representatives from the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) make a presentation on telecommunications
technologies that support FEMA's all-hazards mission. ITS America (in
conjunction with the Department of Transportation) and COMCare Alliance will
make presentations on public safety and the integration of emergency systems
in the transportation arena.
[SOURCE: NTIA]
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/wici/advisory080800.htm)

THE STATE OF THE WIRELESS INDUSTRY
Issue: Wireless
The Federal Communications Commission has adopted its Fifth Annual Report on
the state of competition in the commercial mobile radio services (CMRS)
marketplace. The Fifth Report concludes that during the past year consumers
have continued to benefit from the effects of increased competition in the
wireless industry. Increased competition has resulted in lower prices and a
wider array of wireless service offerings.
[SOURCE: FCC]
(http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Wireless/News_Releases/2000/nrwl0026.html)

SPRINT PCS LAUNCHES VOICE-ACTIVATED SERVICE
Issue:
Sprint PCS has become the first wireless carrier to offer nationwide
voice-activated dialing. According to the company, customers can now say a
number, person or place they would like to reach and be immediately
connected from wireless phones using Sprint's service. Users will be able to
manage their call preferences on a personal Web page hosted by Sprint PCS
that can hold up to 500 entries, with as many as five phone numbers for each
contact in the caller's database instead of typing numbers into their
cell-phone keypad. Once the user saves the database online, he can start the
service simply by pressing the star key and then the "talk" button on a
Sprint PCS keypad. Sprint hopes that voice dialing on the company's unified
network may "stimulate usage" of cell phones because it allows callers to
access several numbers for each contact. "It's a bit of a hassle if you
don't have a number readily available," said John Garcia, Sprint PCS's
senior vice president of sales and distribution. "People just don't make the
call." Sprint says that the capabilities of speech-recognition with the
Internet are inevitable, setting a tone of further improvement in this
field.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (Interactive), AUTHOR: Sharon Cleary]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB965338228477594473.htm)

BROADCASTING

FOR INDIANS, TALK RADIO RENEWS A TRADITION
Issue: Broadcasting
A radio show called "Native America Calling" is an effort to expand the
ancient Indian tradition of the talking circle, in which people communicate
as equals. After five years on the air, "Native America Calling" is the
Nation's longest-running talk show that focuses on American Indian issues.
Simulated on 36 radio stations and the Web, the show attracts about 125,000
listeners each week according to the show's distributor, American Indian
Radio on Satellite. "We come from a very strong oral tradition. We need to
keep with that strength," said Bernadette Chato, who produces a weekly
health show for "Native America Calling" from Anchorage. "So many Indian
traditions have been pushed aside with the tribal governments." Chato says
that the talk show has created a forum for Indians to speak out on issues
that are not addressed on or off the reservations.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A4), AUTHOR Andres YBarra (Associated Press)]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32974-2000Aug3.html)

INTERNATIONAL

MICROSOFT FACES EUROPEAN ANTITRUST CASE GIANT CHARGED WITH USING WINDOWS'
DOMINANCE TO MUSCLE IN ON SERVERS
Issue: Antitrust
On the heels of a U.S. judge's order in June that would break Microsoft into
smaller companies and impose temporary curbs on its conduct, the European
Commission has charged the software giant with using its clout in personal
computer software to help it expand into the exploding server software
market. "If the U.S. case stumbles, the European case becomes a vital
fallback," says William Kovacic of George Washington University Law School.
The EC case is based on a 1998 complaint by Sun Microsystems, which alleged
that Microsoft refused to share technical information that would enable
Sun's servers to work with Microsoft's Windows operating systems. While
according Kovacic, European courts "tend to be more suspicious of dominant
firms, and the rules they apply are tougher," the EC virtually never splits
up companies as has been ordered the U.S. court. The case is likely to drag
on for two to three years.
[SOURCE: USAToday (9B), AUTHOR: Paul Davidson]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000804/2521590s.htm)
See Also
EU OPENS ANTITRUST INVESTIGATION OVER MICROSOFT'S SERVER SOFTWARE
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (Interactive), AUTHOR: Dow Jones Newswires]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB965300938452163340.htm)

SPEECH: EUROPEAN AMERICAN BUSINESS COUNCIL
Issue: Digital Divide
Yesterday, in a speech to the European American Business Council, NTIA
director Gregory L. Rhode outlined America's digital divide problem,
addressed its solutions and reiterated the fact that digital divide is much
more than a domestic problem. Rhode stated, "Statistics show that Internet
penetration is happening unevenly around the world, unevenly even throughout
Europe. According to statistics from May, there are about 108 million
Internet users in Europe, for a penetration rate of 34%. That figure varies
from 65.2% in Sweden to 45.6% in the U.K., 31.6% in France and 11.4% in
Portugal. Worldwide, we see even greater disparities. According to the
Computer Industry Almanac report from last November, there were 57.5
Internet users per 1,000 people on a worldwide average. That ranged from a
high of 492 Internet users per 1,000 people in North America, to 7.88 users
per 1,000 people in the Middle East and Africa. This is the global Digital
Divide. President Clinton and the other leaders dedicated themselves to help
remedy the situation. There will be a Digital Opportunity Task Force to help
coordinate government efforts. The Overseas Private Investment Corporation
will have a new $200 million line of credit for e-commerce and Digital
Divide projects. The private sector, including America Online and Cisco,
will contribute as well through new projects. As we saw in Okinawa, the U.S.
Administration is dedicated to closing the digital divide worldwide. With
the same dedication of effort that we in the U.S. are applying to move from
Digital Divide to Digital Inclusion, we expect that other countries will do
the same. The result will be a better system for all of us." [SOURCE: NTIA]
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/speeches/2000/eabc80300.htm)

SPECTRUM

CONSUMER FEDERATION OPPOSES NEXTWAVE BAILOUT
Issue: Spectrum
From Press Release: The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) today urged
Congress to reject efforts by a bankrupt cellular telephone company to keep
spectrum licenses for which it could not pay. NextWave Personal
Communications has launched a high-profile campaign to persuade Congress to
overturn a court decision allowing the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) to reauction licenses originally granted to the bankrupt company for
$4.7 billion. Those licenses are now estimated to be worth between $8 and
$12 billion. "The airwaves are controlled by the public, not by companies
like NextWave that are temporarily allowed to use this spectrum," said
Travis Plunkett, CFA's legislative director. "A spectrum license isn't a
piece of property that NextWave owns and the FCC isn't a mere creditor. In
attempting to quickly
redistribute licenses that NextWave couldn't pay for, the FCC is fostering
telecommunications access, competition and diversity, while ensuring that
taxpayers are compensated for a limited public resource."
[SOURCE: Consumer Federation of America]
(http://www.consumerfed.org/airwave.pdf)

NEWSLETTER

FORUM CONNECTION
CRF's monthly newsletter covers these issues in August: TV Content and the
Law; Media Content: It's Impact on Youth; Minority Media Ownership: The
Struggle Continues; Communications Access for the Disabled; Supreme Court
Declines to Hear Phone Privacy Case; George W. Bush's Record on Issues of
Importance to the Civil Rights Forum; Senate Explores Using Low Power
Television to Deliver High Speed Internet Access to Rural Areas.
[SOURCE: Civil Rights Forum on Communications Policy]
(http://www.civilrightsforum.org/connectionaugust2000.html)

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