1. Monthly archive
  2. July 2003

July 2003

Communications-Related Headlines for July 3, 2003

A service of the Benton Foundation (http://www.benton.org)
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MEDIA OWNERSHIP
The Media World According to Powell: FCC Media Ownership Order Released

INTERNET
Welcome to the Grid: Unlimited PC Power at Your Fingertips
Tax Holiday Expiring, Regulators Aspiring on Web
Court Says Telecommuter in Florida Should Not Get N.Y. Unemployment Benefits

PRIVACY
[Commentary] Rethinking Privacy Protection and Big Brother

MEDIA OWNERSHIP
THE MEDIA WORLD ACCORDING TO POWELL: FCC MEDIA OWNERSHIP ORDER RELEASED
The Washington Post reported today on the official release of the FCC's
controversial media ownership rules. Highlighting how subsequent, "Federal
Register" publication of the rules in the next few weeks starts the clock
ticking for all types of court or Congressional contests, the article also
notes the FCC report also includes a historical overview of the 20th-century
media industry representing "Powell's {FCC Chairman} belief that the FCC has
little role in regulating media content." Quoted from the report was the
FCC's contention that the agency did not find it "particularly troubling
that media properties do not always, or even frequently, avail themselves to
others who may hold contrary opinions... Nothing requires them to do so, nor
is it necessarily healthy for public debate to pretend as though all ideas
are of equal value entitled to equal airing..."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1297-2003Jul2.html
The official text of the FCC Report and Media Ownership Order, along with
pro and con statements by FCC Commissioners is at:
http://www.fcc.gov/ownership/documents.html

INTERNET
WELCOME TO THE GRID: UNLIMITED PC POWER AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
The next generation of web technology will go live in two weeks, promising
to be "the biggest development in global communication" since the Internet.
Known as the grid, it will allow users to access the programs, processing
power, and storage capacity of entire computing centers, making the power of
the individual user's machine irrelevant. A small handheld computer, for
instance, would become a supercomputer when connected by mobile phone to the
Internet. Other potential applications of the technology include
e-business, architectural modeling and firefighting. It will take time
before such commercial uses of the grid impact consumers. Currently, the
grid is being developed to advance scientific research, connecting 10
laboratories around the world. The grid will be used to analyze, filter and
share enormous amounts of data produced by the large hadron collider (LHC),
which accelerates protons and smashes them together. Bob Jones, a grid
project manager says of the grid, "It'll be like the web. When you have it
you'll wonder how you ever got by without it."
SOURCE: Guardian Unlimited; AUTHOR: Alok Jha
http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/news/0%2C12597%2C990086%2C00.html

TAX HOLIDAY EXPIRING, REGULATORS ASPIRING ON WEB
Governments are becoming a dominant player in Internet regulation, as
evidenced by recent events in Montreal, Europe and Washington. The Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a private non-profit
tasked with administering the domain name system, held a meeting in Montreal
last week. While all stakeholders were represented, the Governmental
Advisory Committee (GAC) took an active role, questioning why ICANN has not
yet implemented recent policy recommendations dealing with disputes over
country name domains. Starting tomorrow, the European Union (EU) will
require that non-EU firms collect a Value Added Tax (VAT) for digital
products sold into the EU via the Internet. Dozens of US states have been
working on a unified system for collection of sales tax for online
purchases, and Canada will presumably apply the Goods and Services Tax (GST)
to online sales sometime soon. A recent US Supreme Court decision upholding
a law that mandates software filters for publicly funded libraries caught
many observers by surprise. Previously, the court had struck down an
attempt to regulate obscenity on the Internet.
SOURCE: Toronto Star; AUTHOR: Michael Geist
http://www.torontostar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?GXHC_gx_session_id_=d...
71a2e6e0dd2&pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_PrintFriendly&c=Article&cid=1056
924608744&call_pageid=971794782442

COURT SAYS TELECOMMUTER IN FLORIDA SHOULD NOT GET N.Y. UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS
In a decision that could damper the fervor over telecommuting, New York's
highest court ruled yesterday that a woman living in Florida but working in
Long Island could not collect unemployment benefits from the state. The
court told Maxine Allen, who had already been denied benefits in Florida,
that because she performed her tasks in New York the state was not obligated
to pay. Allen had been employed by Reuters America in 1996 as a technical
specialist and made an arrangement to work remotely from Orlando in 1997,
when her husband changed jobs. Reuters severed that arrangement in 1999 and
offered Allen a position in New York, which she declined. State Labor
Department officials have not yet weighed in issue.
SOURCE: USA Today; AUTHOR: The Associated Press
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-07-02-telecommuter_x.htm

PRIVACY
[COMMENTARY] RETHINKING PRIVACY PROTECTION AND BIG BROTHER
Security guru Kevin Hanrahan claims that advocates are "making a big
mistake" in assuming that deleting personally identifiable information is
the only way to protect it in light of pending legislation and recent
measures. Instead, he argues, concerned parties should examine existing law,
which requires companies to maintain records on the data they possess and
what they've done with it. Federal laws such as the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act (health care), the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
(credit card issuers) and the Sarbannes-Oxley Act (corporate audits) are
designed to provide individuals with an avenue for ensuring that their
private information or other evidence is not destroyed, thus preventing its
use should an individual file suit. While maintaining the lengthy records
these laws require is an admittedly arduous task, new technologies make the
task much easier.
SOURCE: CNET News; AUTHOR: Kevin Hanrahan
http://news.com.com/2010-1071_3-1023117.html?tag=fd_nc_1

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Communications-Related Headlines for July 2, 2003

A service of the Benton Foundation (http://www.benton.org)
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MEDIA OWNERSHIP
NTIA Surveys Minority-Owned Broadcasters
Canadian Senate Doing One of the Most Ambitious Media Studies in History

RESEARCH
Call for Papers: Social Determinants of Public Policy in the Information Age

EDTECH
Training Keeps Teachers Ahead of Learning Curve

SPAM
Spam Summit Calls For Global Coalition To Fight Junk E-Mail

MEDIA OWNERSHIP
NTIA SURVEYS MINORITY-OWNED BROADCASTERS
The NTIA announced last week its plan to conduct a survey of minority-owned
commercial broadcasters in an attempt to assess their experiences entering
the industry or expanding operations. Assistant Secretary Nancy J. Victory
said the ensuing report, NTIA's ninth since 1990, will cover the period from
July 1, 2001 to June 30, 2002 and will consist of data normally kept by
broadcasters. The survey may be completed via phone or filled out and
delivered by e-mail or fax. NTIA plans a fall release for the report.
SOURCE: National Telecommunications & Information Agency
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/opadhome/mtdpweb/2003survey/webnotice.htm
To view the survey, visit:
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/opadhome/mtdpweb/2003survey/02finalcvr.htm

CANADIAN SENATE DOING ONE OF THE MOST AMBITIOUS MEDIA STUDIES IN HISTORY
In April, Canada launched the Senate Communications Committee to study a
range of media issues, including globalization, technological change,
concentration of ownership, convergence and the media's rights and
responsibilities. The relationship between sustainability and public policy
is also an issue of primary concern. "If you want to have a free press,"
Quebec Sen. Joan Fraser says, "then that free press has to be able to
support itself." Canada may already have the highest media concentration in
a western democracy according to Ian Morrison, spokesman for Friends of
Canadian Broadcasting. All of the things the US FCC was considering earlier
this month, "already exist in Canada," he said. When asked what could be
done in Canada now, Ken Rockburn, media-savvy host of Talk Politics, said,
"To be honest, I can't imagine what they could do. I think that the horse
has left the stable already." Some skeptics doubt the Committee's value,
questioning whether the government would actually act on the results of the
study. "Obviously they'll produce a report," said Peter Stockland, editor
of The Gazette in Montreal. "Will that produce a chain reaction or some kind
of catalytic event? Probably not."
SOURCE: The Hill Times; AUTHOR: Molly Amoli K. Shinhat
http://www.thehilltimes.ca/2003/june/30/shinhat/

RESEARCH
CALL FOR PAPERS: SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF PUBLIC POLICY IN THE INFORMATION AGE
The Information Society, a journal of the Indiana University School of
Library and Information Science, is preparing a special issue focused on the
underlying social determinants of public policy in the modern age. The issue
is meant to "encourage the development of revised conceptions of the public
interest appropriate to a transformed industrial and political environment."
TIS calls for interdisciplinary papers that will shed light on current
policy developments and consider them in a context relevant for the future.
Manuscripts are due October 1, 2003 and must be prepared in accordance with
TIS guidelines, which can be found at
http://www.slis.indiana.edu/TIS/contributors/authors.html.
SOURCE: The Information Society
http://www.slis.indiana.edu/TIS/contributors/CFP-determinants.html

EDTECH
TRAINING KEEPS TEACHERS AHEAD OF LEARNING CURVE
More than 16,000 educators are in Seattle this week for the 24th annual
National Educational Computing Conference. They are looking for ways to use
technology to make learning more interesting and directly related to real
life. "The question for us is, 'How do you sustain interest in technology
when the students know more than the teacher?'" said Anthony Gnanarajah,
assistant superintendent of the Archdiocese of Seattle schools. "We want to
use technology in a meaningful way. It shouldn't be a sideshow." In tough
economic times, educators are also looking for more affordable alternatives
to computers, said Martha Rolley, a spokeswoman for Palm. Don Knezek, CEO
of the International Society for Technology in Education, which sponsors the
conference said, "As students' use of technology continues to grow ... we
believe that students should have as much access to technology as they have
to a pencil."
SOURCE: The Seattle Times; AUTHOR: Nguyen Huy Vu
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/135144177_necc02m.html

SPAM
SPAM SUMMIT CALLS FOR GLOBAL COALITION TO FIGHT JUNK E-MAIL
At the All Party Parliamentary Internet Group's Spam Summit, government
officials and security firms from the U.K., the European Union, and the
United States called for cross-border cooperation, including legislation, to
stop the spread of unwanted e-mail messages. According to Francois Lavaste
of Brightmail, a spam filtering software maker, spam will soon reach the
50-50 mark, where one out of every two messages is spam. The 50-50
milestone "means spam has become a problem that has to be dealt with, not
just an annoyance, but a security issue that wastes enterprise time and
resources," he said. Many Europeans look to the US for a solution because
it is seen as the breeding ground for much of the world's junk mail. But
unlike the European "opt-in" approach, where mailers must receive prior
approval from recipients before sending e-mail, US legislation usually
involves the laxer "opt-out" approach, where end users must add their name
to a "no spam" list. The California Supreme Court recently dealt a blow to
the anti-spam movement by ruling that a barrage of disparaging messages does
not constitute trespassing.
SOURCE: Internet Week; AUTHOR: Gregg Keizer
http://www.internetwk.com/shared/printableArticle.jhtml?articleID=10817878
To read more about the recent US spam ruling, visit:
http://news.com.com/2100-1028_3-1022279.html

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Communications-Related Headlines for July 1, 2003

A service of the Benton Foundation (http://www.benton.org)
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EDTECH
Rural Alaska Schools Look to Online Courses for NCLB Success

EGOVERNMENT
Are Public Court Records Too Public in Cyberspace?

PRIVACY
Web Firms Choose Profit Over Privacy

INTERNET
E-religion Offers Online "Satsang"

EDTECH
RURAL ALASKA SCHOOLS LOOK TO ONLINE COURSES FOR NCLB SUCCESS
Alaska Online, a consortium of nine school districts, is launching a series
of online courses to better prepare students for college, meet state
standards and comply with the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which
requires highly qualified teachers. Because of the state's limited school
enrollments and geographic dispersion, teachers have to be generalists and
are not necessarily qualified to teach advanced subjects. Online studies
give students a taste of independent learning, teach computer skills, and
allow students to take courses they might not otherwise be able to take.
There are some drawbacks, however. Steve Atwater, a district
superintendent, said that the hard part is keeping students motivated,
especially those who are not college-bound. The majority of his district is
Native American, and he is concerned that online courses might not match his
students' learning style. They prefer being shown things to reading about
them, and they want to see a local application for the knowledge. Michael
Opp, the project director, expects that students will interact with the
teacher, watch video clips and listen to audio clips as part of the online
learning experience.
SOURCE: eSchool News; AUTHOR: eSchool News staff and wire service reports
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=4503

E-GOVERNMENT
ARE PUBLIC COURT RECORDS TOO PUBLIC IN CYBERSPACE?
First Amendment advocates and policymakers continue to clash over the
accessibility of public records via the Web. The issue now turns to the
courts, but not for litigation - critics point to the courts' policies on
sharing some documents online while restricting others. "If I'm in San Luis
Obispo, I should be able to get [public records] information without driving
five hours to Los Angeles to get to that courthouse," said Kelli Fager, a
First Amendment attorney in California. This is not always the case;
California courts do not offer access to criminal case files, divorce cases,
guardianship cases and mental health files online, even though they are
available on paper at the courthouse. California Chief Justice Ronald
George cites concern for the safety of victims as the primary justification.
In New York, the matter has reached the State Commission on Public Access to
Court Records, where the debate has centered on preventing identity theft as
well as preventing abusive spouses from tracking their fleeing victims. In
other states, such as Colorado, putting court records online is a matter of
money - budget shortfalls have made the issue a low priority.
SOURCE: USA Today; AUTHOR: The Associated Press
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2003-06-30-online-courthouse_x.
htm

PRIVACY
WEB FIRMS CHOOSE PROFIT OVER PRIVACY
Companies claiming to respect the privacy of online consumers have a dubious
track record of keeping such promises. In a recent example, Hooked on
Phonics rented their client list to other marketers despite pledging in
their privacy policy never to sell or rent such information. Such practices
have been overshadowed by the attention paid to p0rrn0graphers and other
unsavory scams, led by the anti-spam efforts of AOL, Microsoft and Yahoo!.
Partnerships between Web vendors and service providers have also led to a
confusing landscape for online shoppers, as the consumer "opt-out" process
often requires visiting partner sites of which the average surfer is
unaware. The Federal Trade Commission has received numerous complaints about
this practice regarding Citigroup, Inc. but has failed to act on them.
Lastly, marketers have turned on its ear the "opt-in" concept championed by
privacy advocates, selling or renting "opt-in lists" consisting of consumers
who failed to opt-out.
SOURCE: The Washington Post; AUTHOR: Jonathan Krim
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54888-2003Jun30.html
*NOTE: A word in the preceding story was intentionally misspelled to avoid
having the message blocked by e-mail filters.*

INTERNET
E-RELIGION OFFERS ONLINE "SATSANG"
Increasingly, major temples and religious or spiritual organizations are
using the Internet to interact with their followers, seek donations and
market their products. For example, a devotee who is unable to attend
festivities at the Jagannath temple in Ahmedabad, India, need only visit
www.swaminarayan.org to participate in the celebration. Other websites
offer courses in Vedanta and Upanishads, live discourse with a guru, and
online mediation and "satsang," or devotional speech and chanting for the
uplifting of a deity. Raja Goel of the Asaram Bapuji ashram, or spiritual
community, says that their website receives numerous e-mails seeking help
and guidance, and it offers telecasts of many of the Bapuji's discourses.
Vipul Vaghela, a volunteer at the BAPS Shahibaug temple in Ahmedabad, says
that the BAPS website does more than give information: "For our 'satsangis'
it has now become a part of their lives. It is interactive. It gives our
devotees a chance to participate in the weekly 'satsang' even if they are
miles away from a Swaminarayan temple," he says.
SOURCE: The Times of India; AUTHOR: Jahnavi Contractor
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/xml/uncomp/articleshow?msid=5...

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