INTERNET
Free Speech Advocates Laud Decision On Student Web Site (NYT)
Study: Net Users Mirror Nation's Gender Breakdown (Newsbytes)
Billions Have No Need For The Internet, Survey Says (Newsbytes)
In your face! MS open source attacks backfire (WSJ Online)
INTERNET
FREE SPEECH ADVOCATES LAUD DECISION ON STUDENT WEB SITE
Issue: Internet
Civil liberties experts are applauding the decision of County district
attorney Jeanine F. Pirro to forego prosecuting two high school students who
were arrested for making a Web site that contained names, telephone numbers
and alleged sexual exploits of dozens of their female classmates. The site,
which has been shut down, not only commented on the alleged sexual
preferences or activities of more than 30 girls, but also included comments
on their looks, eating habits and their parents' marital problems, according
to the news accounts. The two male students had been charged with aggravated
harassment, which is defined as annoying or harassing communication that is
transmitted directly to an unwilling listener, thus violating her peace and
privacy. But because the Web site did not include direct communication to
the victims, Pirro determined that "there is not sufficient evidence to
support a criminal prosecution."
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Carl S. Kaplan]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/15/technology/15CYBERLAW.html)
STUDY: NET USERS MIRROR NATION'S GENDER BREAKDOWN
Issue: Internet
The ratio of women to men online reflects the gender statistics of the
current American population, according to a Nielsen/NetRatings study. In the
last month, there were 53.33 million women actively using the Internet
compared to 49.83 million men. Women spent an average of nearly 9 hours a
day online, where men spent about 10 and