From Secrecy News: "The Pentagon has reissued its Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms, featuring over 700 pages of definitions updated through March 2004." (736 pages, PDF)
Press release about the survey from Avaya Inc.:
From Declan McCullagh: "A federal appeals court dismissed a case against an e-mail provider who allegedly violated federal wiretapping laws by reading messages meant for customers, a decision (53 pages, PDF) critics say could make it easier for police to seek permission to tap Net phone calls."
From ZDNet: "A federal court in California has turned down a request to stop SpamCop from keeping tabs on mass e-mailer OptInRealBig, saying the blocklist operator is protected under the Communications Decency Act."
From the press release: "To increase security and improve public confidence in the voting process, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) and the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law (BC) today released a new report providing specific recommendations for elections officials planning to use electronic voting machines in the 2004 elections."
The U.S. General Accounting Office website has undergone a much needed redesign, although the result is, to say the least, restrained (and red, white and blue all over). From the homepage, users may search all reports or legal products, as well as conduct searches by keyword or report number. A link to Current Reports and Testimony (updated daily), is featured prominently, and additional options include searching by Date, Topic, or Agency. Also useful is this link to subscribe to GAO Mailing Lists and the ability to view report abstracts in text, rather than PDF format. The Recent E-Government Scores for Q2 2004 rated the GAO website 67 out of 100...allowing plenty of room for improvement.
"The Associated Press will launch its first Web log at the political conventions in Boston and New York, utilizing Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Walter R. Mears, AP officials announced Monday." [Link]
From the Cmte. on Government Reform, Minority Office
Foreign Lobbyist Database Could Vanish - "Justice Department officials say a huge database that serves as the public's lone window on lobbying activities by foreign governments has been allowed to decay to a point they cannot even make a copy of its contents."
In a 5-4 decision today (Ashcroft v. ACLU), the Supreme Court held that "The Third Circuit was correct to affirm the District Court's ruling that enforcement of COPA (Pub. Law 105-277) should be enjoined because the statute likely violates the First Amendment."
In the July 2004 issue of the ABA Journal (pages 34-35, text not currently available free online), see the article, The New Librarian, focusing on the topic of hourly rates for billable time, which according to a recent informal survey on the Private Law Libraries Special Interest Section Listserv, range from $80 to $200 for "in-depth research."
The New York Times is now providing 28 topical RSS feeds. Examples include Campaign 2004, Circuits, NYTimes.com Home Page, Technology, and Week in Review.
New research by the Pew Internet & American Life Project and the New Millennium Research Project "shows that 27% of Internet users have heard of Voice over Internet Protocol phone calling, and 13% of that population have considered adopting VoIP in the home. This translates into 34 million Americans who have heard of VoIP and 4 million who have considered getting the service at home."
See today's Federal Register: "the U.S. Election Assistance Commission hereby establishes the Technical Guidelines Development Committee...to assist the Executive Director of the Commission in the development of the voluntary voting system guidelines.."
The 2004 Online Customer Respect Study of the Top 100 U. S. Companies ($$) evaluates "corporate performance from an online customer's perspective," according to the aggregate ratings for the following criteria: ease of navigation, quick and thorough responses to inquiries, respecting customer privacy, open and honest policies, values and respecting customer data. The top five companies are: Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Bank of America, and Medco Health Solutions.
PestControl, a PC security company, today launched the Center for Pest Research, offering consumers a range of resources to assist in the effort to combat spyware. The site offers updated spyware analysis, whitepapers, how-to guides to identify, locate and eliminate "pests," and an searchable Alphabetical Index to 21,109 Pest Descriptions."
"The State of the First Amendment survey, released by the First Amendment Center each year, is a reality check on how Americans view their first freedoms of speech, press, assembly, religion and petition. The survey (PDF, 16 pages), conducted annually since 1997 by the Center for Survey Research & Analysis at the University of Connecticut, examines public attitudes toward freedom of speech, press, religion and the rights of assembly and petition." [Link]
From VeriSign's press release today: "VeriSign's Anti-Phishing Solution protects enterprises through a five-tiered solution that helps prevent, detect and respond to attacks, thereby mitigating and eliminating identity theft and email fraud attempts."
From the Campaign for Verifiable Voting: "The eight plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed a motion for a preliminary injunction today to preserve the integrity of the November 2004 elections and restore public trust and confidence in the system by which Maryland voters will help elect the next President of the United States."
H.R. 2929, the Safeguard Against Privacy Invasions Act or Spy Act, was approved by the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 45-4, on June 24.
From the LA Times (reg. req'd), PeopleSoft Lawyer's Weblog Is Fresh Twist in Spin Wars.
Press release from Keynote: News Media Web Sites Vary Dramatically in Speed and Reliability.
The Reporters Without Borders annual report, The Internet Under Surveillance 2004.
Making Knowledge Management Work on your Intranet, by Shiv Singh:
From the press release by Zoe Lofgren (CA 16): "Representatives Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-16), Bob Goodlatte (R-VA-06), and Lamar Smith (R-TX-21) today introduced bipartisan legislation to address the most egregious activities that are conducted via spyware and make those activities criminal offenses. HR 4661, the Internet Spyware (I-SPY) Prevention Act of 2004, will be referred to the House Judiciary Committee."
From Computer World: "A new Internet attack discovered late yesterday was designed by an infamous group of Russian virus writers to steal credit card and other financial information from Web surfers and send it to Web sites where it can be retrieved by the hackers, security experts warned today."
The text of the Induce Act (S. 2560), and the Statement of Senator Orrin G. Hatch, are via Susan Crawford Blog. Commentary from Declan McCullagh.
Press release from National Security Archive:
New on LLRX.com for June 21, 2004:
OCC Advisory Letter on Electronic Record Keeping, June 21, 2004:
Anti-Spam Technical Alliance Publishes Industry Recommendations To Help Stop Spam:
Press release: Sensitive passenger data from at least eight airlines and airline reservation services were given to contractors working on a computerized screening program, according to new information provided in response to written questions posed to Admiral David Stone, who has been nominated to be the administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
AP reports that an ex-AOL software engineer allegedly stole a list of 92 million customer screen names (online identification/user names) last year, which he then sold, and the information was subsequently used in various spam related mass emailings, in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act.
Blogging With The Boss's Blessing - "More companies are helping employees to speak freely -- and bond with customers."
From the EFF press release: "A broad group of organizations and companies representing diverse sectors of the U.S. economy has come together to form a new organization, the Personal Technology Freedom Coalition. With members ranging from the telephone industry to high-tech firms, libraries, universities and the public-interest sector, the Coalition is committed to repairing recent damage dealt to the Founders' original commitment to balanced copyright protection. Specifically, the Coalition will press for consumer protections in the use of digital music and movies, including working to ensure that consumers can legally use and have access to digital content they have purchased."
From FindLaw:
As an update to previous postings concerning access to CRS reports online, The Thurgood Marshall Law Library, University of Maryland, provides a searchable archive currently comprising 400 CRS reports on 50 topics, from 1993 to present (the most current entry, Sensitive Security Information and Transportation Security: Issues and Congressional Options, 6/9/2004). The site also references the excellent guide on CRS reports by Stephen Young.
Patterns of Global Terrorism 2003
This PCWorld.com article highlights some of the current and emerging applications and standards that can be implemented in an effort to respond to the deluge of spam, as discussed at the recent E-Mail Technology Conference. What caught my eye was this paraphrased statement from Dr. Vinton Cerf: "He gave the example of an exchange that might entail a three-day e-mail chain, but which could be handled in a five-minute phone call."
"Airlines, airports battle over Wi-Fi spectrum oversight." [Link]
Press release: Ask Jeeves Adds New SmartSearch(TM) Features; Upgrades Site with Binoculars(TM) Site Preview Tool: "...According to an independent user study conducted by VeriTest (Competitive Analysis of Ask Jeeves Search Engines), the testing division of Lionbridge, binoculars reduced the number of clicks required to find relevant results by 50-70% per search."
As referenced in an article on the lifespan of writeable CDs and DVDs from today's WSJ, here is the link to NIST Special Publication 500-252, October 2003: Information Technology: Care and Handling of CDs and DVDs — A Guide for Librarians and Archivists, by Fred R. Byers (50 pages, PDF)
From the state of Utah's main website, in the upper right hand corner, visitors now see an icon labeled 24/7 Live Help. This service, not currently offered by any other state, allows users to "Chat live with a Customer Service Representative."
Recent E-Government Scores for Q2 2004, conducted by the independent American Customer Satisfaction Index, ranks 58 sites that agreed to participate in the survey. Recruitment sites received the highest scores, while in the aggregate, sites focused on e-commerce were scored lowest. Websites at the top of the list include: the MedlinePlus main website, the U.S. Dept. of State Careers website, CIA Careers, and the National Women's Health Information Center (NWHIC) main website.
Final Report of the Interagency Committee on Government Information, Submitted to The Office of Management and Budget, June 9, 2004. From the Summary of Recommendations:
As a follow-up to my recent posting, Baltimore Circuit Ct. Institutes WiFi Access, this news from "across the pond" of WiFi hotspots now available at the Royal Courts of Justice (UK).
bill to restore civil liberties under the First Amendment, the Immigration and Nationality Act, and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Sen. Edward M. Kennedy [MA] (introduced 6/16/2004).
In a June 18 letter to White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) made the following request concerning the 9/11 Commission report to be released in July:
Mapping the New Internet: "Expert says it will take a new attitude to squash spam, wire your washer, and identify the next IM.
From Darlene Fichter, links to her June 17, 2004 presentation, Weblogs - Opportunities for Special Libraries:
From the June 16, 2004 Federal Register notice:
UPSTO Notice: Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP), Eighth Edition, August 2001, Latest Revision May 2004
From the press release:
Today's markup of H.R. 2929, the Safeguard Against Privacy Invasions Act (SPI), by the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection, produced an amendment, along with unanimous committee approval.
The text of the 400 page report, authored by the Senate Intelligence Committee, has been redacted by as much as 40%.
This article details the procedures related to mandatory e-filing for the United States District Court, Massachusetts, effective October 1.
Freedom of Information Act Guide, May 2004:
U.S. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, hearing June 17, Title: Buyer Beware: The Danger of Purchasing Pharmaceuticals Over The Internet.
From the 9/11 Commission hearing today, the following documents are now available:
Rss Readers is a wiki on RSS services, tools and technology. It is an expansive, informative guide with current updates. [via Darlene Fichter]
Judge Scolds U.S. Officials Over Barring Jet Travelers:
"Secretary of State Kevin Shelley Unveils Historic Paper Audit Trail Standards for E-Voting Machines - First-in-the-Nation Standards Establish Benchmark for Development, Testing of Paper Backups," June 15, 2004 [Link].
Today the Commission released Staff Statement No. 15, Overview of the Enemy, (12 pages, PDF): From page five of the report: "We have no credible evidence that Iraq and al Qaeda cooperated on attacks against the United States."
House Subcommittee on Social Security, Hearing on Enhancing Social Security Number Privacy, Tuesday, June 15, 2004.
From notlong Free Short URL Redirection, this link to a comparison chart and list of attributes of other url shortening services. Very useful, take a look.
Patterns of Global Terrorism 2003, a report released by the Secretary of State on April 29, will undergo revisions to correct inaccurate and incomplete data. The data was compiled by the Terrorist Threat Integration Center.
A Global Push to Protect Information Online
From the FTC press release: "The Federal Trade Commission today told Congress that, at the present time, a National Do Not Email Registry would fail to reduce the amount of spam consumers receive, might increase it, and could not be enforced effectively. In a report (60 pages, PDF) filed in response to a statutory mandate, the FTC also said that anti-spam efforts should focus on creating a robust e-mail authentication system that would prevent spammers from hiding their tracks and thereby evading Internet service providers’ anti-spam filters and law enforcement."
From the June 14, 2004 Federal Register, Personnel Management Office, Final Rule, Federal computer systems; security awareness and training for employees responsible for management or use:
Experimental Listings of Watches, Warnings, and Advisories by State and Territory:
From the press release: "The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has published its 9th edition of How to Use the Federal FOI Act."
History of the internet: Origins of the web: "The world wide web is now a part of our everyday lives, but do you know who first thought of it, and how it became the revolutionary technology it is today."
As Web Registration Spreads, Does It Deliver? The economics of publishing high quality, timely, comprehensive information resources contributes to the collection of user data by online newspapers, with growing speculation that this will lead to the imposition of fees down the road.
"Today washingtonpost.com is posting a copy of the Aug. 1, 2002, memorandum (50 pages, PDF) "Re: Standards of Conduct for Interrogation under 18 U.S.C. 2340-2340A," from the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel for Alberto R. Gonzales, counsel to President Bush." [Link]
Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government's report: E-Rulemaking: Information Technology and Regulation Policy (80 pages, PDF)
Jonathan Franklin is the author of a chapter, last updated March 1, 2004, on International
Intellectual Property Law, published on the American Society of International Law's Guide to Electronic Resources on International Law. [Lyonette Louis-Jacques]
Via TalkLeft, Forget privacy if cell-phone directory becomes a reality:
Commentary: Privacy tradeoffs and the search wars: "...are consumers being asked to give up too much personal information in exchange for more relevant search results?"
PR bloggers push forth the medium
From the Public Patent Foundation press release:
N.Y. company wants Utah's Spyware Control Act blocked.
"The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today released summary statistics of its latest data on the deployment of high-speed connections to the Internet in the United States: High-speed lines connecting homes and businesses to the Internet increased by 20% during the second half of 2003, from 23.5 million to 28.2 million lines, compared to a 18% increase, from 19.9 million to 23.5 million lines, during the first half of 2003. For the full twelve month period ending December 31, 2003, high-speed lines increased by 42%."
From the FCC press release: "The FCC today introduced the third in a series of exhibits on the history of various communications technologies. The new exhibit focuses on the history of the Internet, including the communication technologies used to access the Internet."
The Louisiana State Senate began a pilot program through which citizens can communicate their positions on issues facing the state using an online system called Share Your Opinions, launched on May 31. Senator Michael J. "Mike" Michot's website is the testbed for this project, which currently allows users to vote for or against a small group of bills currently awaiting action, to which links are also provided for the bills' respective legislative history and status.
"In court papers (16 pages, pdf) filed June 9, EPIC is seeking the expedited release of records from the Transportation Security Administration and Federal Bureau of Investigation detailing the agencies' efforts to obtain passenger information from major commercial airlines. A document (pdf) obtained by EPIC earlier this year led to the revelation that the FBI collected a year's worth of passenger information from numerous airlines after 9/11."
The Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) is now providing 22 RSS feeds for its developer centers. [therssweblog]
Just released: the 2004 Computer Science Institute (CSI), FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey (PDF, the results of which are summarized in this press release. Conducted annually for the past nine years, the survey noted a significant decrease in DoS attacks as reported by 494 computer security practitioners from corporate, government, academic, medical and financial institutions. However, "cybercrime continues to be a significant threat to American organizations."
AmericanPresident.org is hosted by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, "the nation’s leading research institute for the study of the American presidency." The site provides documentation, bios, and links to resources on: Domestic Policy, Economic Policy, Legislative Affairs, National Security, Presidential Politics, Administration of the Government, and Administration of the White House. This site was last updated today. [via Hot Links]
The Wall Street Journal posted, free to non-subscribers, the PDF text (49 pages) of a controversial DoD memo, stamped DRAFT, and titled Working Group Report on Detainee Interrogations in the Global War on Terrorism: Assessment of Legal, Historical, Policy, and Operational Considerations, 6 March 2003.
From Newsweek, this link to an article, "A Defense Dept. memo provides a legal roadmap for prisoner interrogation," which in turn provides readers with access to the aforementioned memo, with this version comprising 42 pages of the total 56 pages (PDF).
File Sharing: Selected Universities Report Taking Action to Reduce Copyright Infringement. GAO-04-503, May 28. Highlights.
Extreme Searching & Other Goodies, presentation at SLA Conference today by Gary Price.
From the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, this news of a 2nd Circuit decision (33 pages, PDF) released on June 8, that in part concluded: "We hold that the public and press enjoy a qualified First Amendment right of access to docket sheets. We also hold that the defendant court administrators have the authority to grant access to those docket sheets if the documents were sealed solely in accordance with administrative orders."
From this EFF press release:
The June 2004 issue of The American Lawyer includes an AmLaw Tech Library Survey: Books, Bytes and Budgets. Subtitled, "Caught between paper and PCs, librarians struggle to speed services and corral costs."
From Eyebeam R&D (the group that brought you FundRace 2004), this plain vanilla but nevertheless very useful chart of links to statistical information from dozens of government, foundation, commercial and academic websites. Resources range from reports on crime and terrorism to law firm rankings, CEO compensation and national election studies.
Law firm CIO David Erwin discusses his firm's successful implementation of an online helpdesk application.
From the National Transportation Library, this link to search the digital collection by key words or browse by topic. In addition, this link to the Transportation Libraries Catalog (TransCat), the "OCLC catalog of transportation-related books and other materials held in government, university and other transportation libraries." [Managing Information]
From Micah U. Buchdahl, Internet Marketing Attorney (IMA), the following links:
From Dr. Stuart Shulman, Drake University, via Mary Alice Baish:
For resources on medical privacy issues, try the Medical Privacy Coalition. See also my pervious postings on HIPAA.
TSA Begins Second Phase of Rail Security Experiment:
Via Law.com, news that Hildebrandt International announced a joint venture to provide outsourced "professional support services" to American law firms.
City to delete its old e-mail: "After 90 days, messages will be gone from system; Public-records questions raised; Workers will have to find and save official material."
On June 6, "the Verified Voting Foundation...released a comparison analysis of the federal legislation that would require voter-verified paper ballots (VVPBs) on any electronic voting machines used in U.S. elections." [Link]
News reports today that Thomson Corp. is seeking a buyer for its Media Group, comprising 54 business publications, including American Banker, The Bond Buyer and Investment Dealers’ Digest. The company is continuing a transition to a focus on "electronic information businesses."
The Changing Face of E-Mail: Speakers at the recent INBOX conference discussed a wide range of applications/solutions to address the information overload that has become an intrinsic part of enterprise email use.
From News.com, this article explains the increased appearance of pop-up ads that appear to be circumventing already installed blocking applications.
Who Got the Message? There's a Way to Know:
According to the Guardian Unlimited, global publisher Reed Elsevier will now permit academic authors whose work is to appear in subscription journals to additionally publish text versions on the Web. This decision would potentially allow free access to tens of thousands of articles that otherwise would require fee-based subscriptions.