"The OCLC Research DeweyBrowser prototype allows users to search and browse collections of library resources organized by the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC)."
PowerPoint presentations prepared by Lee Nemchek, Larry Eiring, and Ganesh Natarajan, and a 3-page outsourcing bibliography (in Word), from the PLL-sponsored program entitled "Outsourcing: Odious or Out-of-the-Box [Link to all these materials].
From the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property
The topic of e-fax continues to be of interest according to legal listserv postings, so this new PC Magazine article, Internet Faxing Reaches the Mainstream, may be of assistance to those who have yet to settle on a specific application.
The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee held a hearing July 28, on Issues Related to MGM v. Grokster.
White House press release: President Signs Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005
Reading Between the Lines of Used Book Sales.
Related references from the article:
See today's Wall Street Journal free feature, How Media Split Under Pressure In the Leak Probe.
Financial Market Organizations Have Taken Steps to Protect against Electronic Attacks, but Could Take Additional Actions, GAO-05-679R, June 29, 2005.
Excerpt from John Battelle's forthcoming book, The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture.
"This edition is a hypertext interpretation of the CRS text. It links to Supreme Court opinions, the U.S. Code, and the Code of Federal Regulations, as well as enhancing navigation through linked footnotes and tables of contents." [Link]
Press release: "The Department of Commerce's United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has launched a Web site dedicated to small businesses and protecting their intellectual property (IP), both in the U.S. and abroad. Specifically designed to answer common questions of small businesses so they can better identify and address their protection needs, the new online resources are part of a nationwide awareness campaign to help educate small businesses on IP protection." [d.c.]
"Slaw is a co-operative weblog about Canadian legal research and the impact of technology on it. Our audience includes practicing lawyers, legal librarians, legal academics and students — anyone, in short, who uses IT in researching the law. The aim is to share information, offer advice and instruction, and occasionally provoke." [Connie Crosby]
A new article from the 8/15/05 issue of Forbes, Google Isn't Everything, serves as a useful reminder that public libraries throughout the country offer users access to a vast range of online subscription services, absolutely free. While Yahoo is beta testing a service that permits users to locate news, articles and other resources from selected subscription services (viewing the full text requires a fee), your local public library has been providing more comprehensive online access to you for free, for years. In addition, staying current with your college or grad school alumni fees may also reward you with a treasure trove of online access to subscription services that can include Factiva, LexisNexis Academic, CQ Weekly, and HeinOnline as just a few examples. Well worth some research to find out what you are missing.
The U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing on July 27, Old Scams – New Victims: Breaking The Cycle of Victimization.
Whose Work Is It, Anyway? - "The use of 'orphan works' of art and literature, whose creators cannot be identified, puts scholars and artists at odds over changes in copyright law."
Related references:
"The focus of this white paper is to describe the basic workings of a new capability, the Microsoft® Phishing Filter, that will be included in the upcoming release of Internet Explorer 7. The Microsoft Phishing Filter will not only help provide consumers with a dynamic system of warning and protection against potential phishing attacks, but — more important — it will also benefit legitimate ISPs and Web commerce site developers that want to try to ensure that their brands are not being 'spoofed' to propagate scams and that their legitimate outreach to customers is not confusing or misinterpreted by filtering software." [the document is in Word, and available at this Link]
We Are the Web - "The Netscape IPO wasn't really about dot-commerce. At its heart was a new cultural force based on mass collaboration. Blogs, Wikipedia, open source, peer-to-peer - behold the power of the people...In fewer than 4,000 days, we have encoded half a trillion versions of our collective story and put them in front of 1 billion people, or one-sixth of the world's population. That remarkable achievement was not in anyone's 10-year plan..." by Kevin Kelly.
Today's Wall Street Journal featured a front page article ($), Lawyers' Delight: Old Web Material Doesn't Disappear - Wayback Machine and Google Archive Billions of Pages, Including Deleted Ones, which is worth review. It focuses on how old web pages available from the Internet Archive and cached pages from Google can be of particular value in cases involving domain name disputes.
Forbes Best of The Web Directory includes recommendations on more than 3,000 websites and blogs, on topics that include investing, health, e-commerce, management, travel and careers.
The EDRI-gram newsletter reported on the release of the new EU Commission explanatory memorandum on data retention, July 20, 2005 (16 pages, PDF).
Center for Democracy and Technology Analysis of Senate and House PATRIOT Act Reauthorization Bills, July 26, 2005 (6 pages, PDF)
July 25, 2005: The Customer Respect Group Announces Third Quarter 2005 Results of Online Customer Respect Study of Largest Airline, Travel Firms: "Competitive Pressures Seen Driving Overall Improvements; But 38 Percent of Firms Continue to Share Personal Data."
"What is Podscope? Podscope is the first search engine that actually allows you to search for spoken words within any audio or video file. We're starting with podcasts and will be adding all types of multimedia in coming months."
Secrets and Leaks: The Costs and Consequences for National Security, remarks of Rep. Pete Hoekstra at the Heritage Foundation, July 25.
Related references:
From the Univ. of Maryland Center for Public Policy and Private Enterprise, The CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey, by Lawrence A. Gordon, Martin P. Loeb, William Lucyshyn and Robert Richardson, 2005 (26 pages, PDF).
"PLoS Genetics [is] a new open-access journal from the Public Library of Science (PLoS). Led by an internationally recognized editorial board with broad knowledge and expertise, PLoS Genetics is a journal that celebrates the research of the greater genetics and genomics community...PLoS Genetics is unique—publishing outstanding articles that reflect the full breadth and interdisciplinary nature of this research, all free to read and to use in your own research and teaching." [Link]
The New York Times reported that the House version of the Patriot Act reauthorization would require the DOJ to report to Congress on data mining activities.
"Current IT systems deliver too much data and not enough insight, according to a new survey of global executives by the Economist Intelligence Unit." [Link]
Security Guide for Small Business - "This guide helps explain why security is important to your business and outlines steps to better security."
Spyware - Guidance on Mitigating Risks From Spyware FIL-66-2005, July 22, 2005
What is RSS and Why Should I Care?, presented by Marianne Lenox, Staff Training and Development Coordinator, Huntsville Madison County Public Library, July 2005. [Peter Scott]
CNN reports tonight: "Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said...the door is open for "some amendments, some clarifications" in the Patriot Act, citing as an example the so-called "library provision."
The National Sex Offender Public Registry includes data from 21 states and the District of Columbia.
Friday, July 22, 2005 - "At a hearing co-chaired by Rep. Waxman and Senator Byron Dorgan, several former intelligence officials testify about the damage to national security caused by the White House outing of covert CIA official Valerie Plame Wilson."
Aviation Security: Transportation Security Administration Did Not Fully Disclose Uses of Personal Information During Secure Flight Program Testing in Initial Privacy Notes, but Has Recently Taken Steps to More Fully Inform the Public, GAO-05-864R, July 22, 2005.
White House press release, July 22, 2005: "The President intends to appoint Christian Israel, of Virginia, to be Coordinator for International Intellectual Property Enforcement at the Department of Commerce."
On July 20, the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse updated their Chronology of Data Breaches Reported Since the ChoicePoint Incident, which have impacted more than 50 million individuals.
"Case Western Reserve University School of Law is proud to announce the launch of the Institute for Global Security, Law and Policy’s website. The site features a blog providing analysis of critical global security issues as well as links to legal and policy commentary, other blogs, and news summaries across the Internet...The site reflects Case School of Law's commitment that the recently created Institute become the leading resource and research center for issues of global security."
Press release, July 21, 2005: "A new report released today by the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) chronicles a trend of state enactment of meaningful, comprehensive civil justice reform legislation. During the past two years, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio and South Carolina have continued the momentum that began in 2003 with significant civil justice reform successes in Texas."
"Today, the National Women’s Health Information Center (NWHIC) is proud to announce our newly updated home page and web site address (www.WomensHealth.gov). As women's health continues to gain more visibility, we recognized the need to redesign our home page to make it easier and faster for you to navigate—so you can find the health information you’re looking for."
The House (H.R. 3199) and the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to renew provisions of the Patriot Act which sunset by year's end.
Press release: "A majority of U.S. consumers believe that electronic medical records can provide valuable benefits, especially during medical emergencies, and can improve overall medical care, according to the results of a survey released today by Accenture."
Public Awareness of Internet Terms, 7/20/2005: "The average American internet user is not sure what podcasting is, what an RSS feed does, or what the term phishing means." The data memo is 7 pages, PDF.
Driven to distraction by technology: "The typical office worker is interrupted every three minutes by a phone call, e-mail, instant message or other distraction. The problem is that it takes about eight uninterrupted minutes for our brains to get into a really creative state."
Press release from the Progress & Freedom Foundation: "Internet Challenges Regulatory Jurisdictions - Second DACA Working Group Addresses Federal-State Framework. The awkwardly constructed Telecom Act of 1996 has led to unnecessary tension among federal, state and local regulators, but the digital revolution has paved the way for a new framework. So concludes the Federal-State Framework Working Group of The Progress & Freedom Foundation's Digital Age Communications Act (DACA). In a working draft paper and model legislation released today (26 pages, PDF), the Working Group proposes a new charter for federal, state and local cooperation that seeks to maximize the expertise and advantages of each regulatory level while recognizing the inherent interstate, and international, nature of the Internet. The paper is being released for public feedback, and will be presented next week at the National Association of Regulatory Utilities Commissioners (NARUC) summer meeting."
Republicans Uncertain on Rove Resignation Plurality -- Favors Centrist Court Nominee, Released: July 19, 2005.
Hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Reporters' Privilege Legislation: Issues and Implications, Wednesday, July 20, 2005 [Free Flow of Information Act of 2005, S. 1419. See also the House companion bill, H.R. 3323.]
From the U.S. Census Bureau, Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division, the newly released report, Areas with Concentrated Poverty: 1999 - Census 2000 Special Reports (11 pages, PDF)
As posted by by Michael Ravnitzky on The MemoryHole, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's Brief Bank Index - Never-before-published guide to aspects of employment discrimination law.
Press release from the Progress & Freedom Foundation: "Notification Doesn't Benefit Consumers: State and Federal lawmakers should proceed with caution when considering notification legislation addressing the perceived growth of data security breaches, according to a new paper released by The Progress & Freedom Foundation. An Economic Analysis of Notification Requirements for Data Security Breaches (19 pages, PDF), authored by Senior Fellow and VP for Research Thomas Lenard and Adjunct Fellow Paul Rubin, finds the costs of such notifications to businesses and consumers are likely to be substantially higher than the benefits."
Related references:
From the Washington Post (reg. req'd) Plame's Identity Marked As Secret - Memo Central to Probe Of Leak Was Written By State Dept. Analyst: "A classified State Department memorandum central to a federal leak investigation contained information about CIA officer Valerie Plame in a paragraph marked "(S)" for secret, a clear indication that any Bush administration official who read it should have been aware the information was classified, according to current and former government officials."
Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment: A Progress Report on Information Sharing for Homeland Security
Senate Budget Committee: Health Information Technology: The Federal Role and Budget Implications
All the articles listed are available in Part 1 of the July 2005 issue of LLRX.com:
See the Campaign for the Supreme Court postings, which include key early responses to the nomination, as well as links to some of his opinions.
The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) outlines a framework for DHS to secure the use of personally identifiable information purchased from commercial services.
House Judiciary Committee, Democratic Dissenting Views - H.R. 3199, the "USA PATROIT and Terrorism Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2005" (70 pages, PDF)
July 14, 2005 Text of Letter from Reps. Frank and Conyers to CRS's American Law Division Requesting Opinion on the Impeachability of White House Staff.
From WSJ free content, Information Security - Where the Dangers Are: The threats to information security that keep the experts up at night -- and what businesses and consumers can do to protect themselves.
As a follow-up to my December 12, 2003 posting, E-ZPass Technology, Law Enforcement and Privacy, see this article, A Pass on Privacy, from the Sunday New York Times Magazine: "The computer system to which you have surrendered your payment information also records data about your movements and habits. It can be hacked into." Read on.
The Security Pretext: An Examination of the Growth of Federal Police Agencies, CATO Briefing Paper, by Melanie Scarborough.
New Bush Statement on Rove Conflicts with Executive Order: "Rep. Waxman explains that the President's responsibility under E.O. 12958 to protect national security secrets requires the President to act before Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald completes his criminal investigation and to apply different standards and sanctions."
Information Technology Management: Census Bureau Has Implemented Many Key Practices, but Additional Actions Are Needed GAO-05-661, June 16, 2005. Highlights.
Justia Offers Free Migration Solution for FindLaw's Law Firm Web Site Clients
RSS 2.0 and Atom 1.0, Compared: "People who generate syndication feeds have a choice of feed formats. As of mid-2005, the two most likely candidates will be RSS 2.0 and Atom 1.0. The purpose of this page is to summarize, as clearly and simply as possible, the differences between the RSS 2.0 and Atom 1.0 syndication languages."
Friday, July 15, 2005 -- "A fact sheet (3 pages, PDF) released by Rep. Waxman explains that the nondisclosure agreement signed by Karl Rove prohibited Mr. Rove from confirming the identity of covert CIA agent Valerie Wilson to reporters. Under the nondisclosure agreement and the applicable executive order, even "negligent" disclosures to reporters are grounds for revocation of a security clearance or dismissal." [Link]
Another follow-up to groups voicing opposition to Google's project to digitize major library collections, this time from the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP), which is "the international trade association for not-for-profit publishers and those who work with them." The group's July 11, 2005 "response to Google Print for Libraries digitisation project" (3 pages, PDF) includes the following statements:
President's Information Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC) Report to the President on Computational Science: Ensuring America's Competitiveness (June 2005) (117 pages, PDF).
Related references:
The United Nations Secretary-General today transmitted the Report of the Working Group on Internet Governance (24 pages, PDF) to the President of the Preparatory Committee of the World Summit on the Information Society, Ambassador Janis Karklins, and the WSIS Secretary-General, Mr Yoshio Utsumi.
Press release from the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: A proposed Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rule to allow the use of cell phones on commercial aircraft received bipartisan criticism during a Congressional oversight hearing today...any change to the existing ban on aircraft cell phone use would require the approval of both the FAA and FCC. Although Nick Sabatini, Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety at the Federal Aviation Administration, indicated that the FAA has no intention of lifting its ban on the use of cell phones and other wireless devices, he said the FAA would consider allowing airlines to offer such services on a case-by-case basis if they demonstrate that pico cell, WiFi networks and other new communications technologies do not generate interference with avionics." The press release also includes quotes from statements made by witnesses.
Press release: "Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee released a report this morning that analyzes the proposed Department of Homeland Security reorganization Secretary Michael Chertoff announced yesterday."
Press release: Reps. Waxman, Hold, and Inslee introduce a resolution of inquiry to require the Bush Administration to provide information about who revealed the identity of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson.
Processing Classified Information on Portable Computers in the Department of Justice, Audit Report 05-32, July 2005 (63 pages, PDF)
Press release: "A bipartisan coalition of Senate Commerce Committee leaders today introduced comprehensive legislation (The Identity Theft Protection Act, S.1408) that protects consumers from identity theft. The bill sets national standards for notifying consumers of data breaches, requires businesses to improve their safeguards for sensitive consumer information, gives consumers the right to freeze their credit reports to thwart identity theft, and limits the solicitation of Social Security numbers."
Peer to Patent (PtoP): A Modest Proposal, by Beth Simone Noveck
From the Canadian Globe and Mail, Could Googling become illegal?
Keeper of Expired Web Pages Is Sued Because Archive Was Used in Another Suit
At issue is the HHS sponsored website, 4parents.gov, launched March 25, 2005, which is promoted as "part of a new national public education campaign to provide parents with the information, tools and skills they need to help their teens make the healthiest choices." Following are links to documents posted today on the Minority Office website of the Government Reform Committee:
The 3 page press release (PDF), CBS Unveils Changes, Web Strategy. "CBS News will move from a primarily television and radio news-based operation to a 24-hour, on-demand news service, available across many platforms, drawing on the experienced, worldwide, award-winning resources of the Division. The new CBSNews.com will include: an on-demand, 24-hour news network in the digital broadband space; a blog to be called "Public Eye" designed to provide greater openness and transparency into the newsgathering process; a newly-configured homepage including The EyeBox, an on-page video player showcasing the free broadband video of CBSNews.com including over 25,000 clips -- and video yet to be broadcast on the network..."
From the U.S. Public Policy Committee of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Data security & privacy bill part of a crowded Senate agenda (Part 1).
A free feature from today's WSJ: Should Newspapers Sponsor Blogs Written by Reporters?
From the New York Times today, Secrecy Is Lifted in Some Tax Court Trials
From the Christian Science Monitor, Can you be found anywhere, anytime? reviews how GPS, TV and wireless signals can be used to track your location.
Information Security: Department of Homeland Security Needs to Fully Implement Its Security Program GAO-05-700, June 17, 2005. Highlights.
A 16 page PDF Practice Area Research Guide to news, business, industry and market resources from Factiva which will be available on LexisNexis in 2005.
Alert Overview: "The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) has received reports of an email based technique for spreading trojan horse programs. A trojan horse is an attack method by which malicious or harmful code is contained inside apparently harmless files. Once opened, the malicious code can collect unauthorized information that can be exploited for various purposes, or permit computers to be used surreptitiously for other malicious activity. The emails are sent to specific individuals rather than the random distributions associated with a phishing attack or other trojan activity...These attacks appear to target US information for exfiltration. This alert seeks to raise awareness of this kind of attack, highlight the important need for government and critical infrastructure systems owners and operators to take appropriate measures to protect their data, and provide guidance on proper protective measures."
"Notify U.S. is a free, web-based e-mail subscription service that offers U.S. entities (citizens, industries, organizations) an opportunity to review and comment on proposed foreign technical regulations that can affect their businesses and their access to international markets. This service and its associated web site is managed and operated by the National Center for Standards and Certification Information (NCSCI) an organization within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce's (DOC) Technology Administration."
New York Times editorial today, The Dangerous Comfort of Secrecy: "The Bush administration is classifying the documents to be kept from public scrutiny at the rate of 125 a minute. The move toward greater secrecy has nearly doubled the number of documents annually hidden from public view - to well more than 15 million last year, nearly twice the number classified in 2001 - as bureaucrats have invented more amorphous categories like "sensitive security information." At the same time, the declassification of documents required under the Freedom of Information Act has been choked down to a fraction of what it was a decade ago, leaving the government working behind an ever darker, ever denser screen."
"The Anti-Spyware Coalition has released the first draft of the consensus document Spyware Definitions and Supporting Documents for a 30 day public comment period."
Wired reports today that the DOJ, FBI and DHS filed comments (23 pages, PDF) with the FCC seeking authority to require carriers to supply access to passenger in-flight communications "processed to and from broadband enabled communications devices onboard aircraft operating with United States airspace...," that they further require to be recorded by the carriers, once a threat determination has been made.
"Unnecessary Powers: The Patriot Act already gives government too much power to spy on ordinary Americans, but things could get far worse. Congress is considering adding a broad new investigative power, known as the administrative subpoena, that would allow the Federal Bureau of Investigation to gain access to anyone's financial, medical, employment and even library records without approval from a judge and even without the target knowing about it. Members of Congress should block this disturbing provision from becoming law."
Related references:
The Memory Hole has made available an unredacted copy of a report previously recalled from federal depository libraries: 75 Years of IRS Criminal Investigation History, 102 pages, PDF. [thanks Suzanne]
From WSJ free content today, Cooper Email Identifies Rove As a Source
Related references:
Information Technology: Federal Agencies Face Challenges in Implementing Initiatives to Improve Public Health Infrastructure GAO-05-308, June 10, 2005. Highlights.
Selected PowerPoint presentations of sessions from the Business & Finance Division, Information Technology Division, Military Librarians Division, and Science-Technology Division, from the SLA 2005 Conference, Toronto, Ontario CANADA, June 5-8, 2005 are available free at via this Link.
Communicating with Congress: How Capitol Hill is Coping with the Surge in Citizen Advocacy; "The Internet and e-mail have made it easier and cheaper than ever before for citizens to communicate with their Members of Congress. In 2004, Congress received 200 million communications, four times more than in 1995 -- the direct result of Internet-based communications. This increased citizen participation in the legislative process has had both positive and negative effects. Nearly 80% of congressional staff surveyed believe that the Internet has made it easier for constituents to become involved in public policy. However, neither the senders nor the receivers of congressional communications have learned how to use the new tools that the Internet has provided truly effectively."
"This report is the first of a four part Communicating with Congress series, which aims to provide information and guidance that will lead to better and more meaningful communications between Members of Congress and those they represent."
In a follow-up to my June 28, 2004 posting, Gov't Cmte. Established to Develop Voluntary Voting System Guidelines, see the following: "Voluntary Voting System Guidelines were developed under the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) Section 202 mandate that the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) update the 2002 Voting System Standards to address increasingly complex voting system technology. They were designed for state and local election officials to help ensure that new voting systems function accurately and reliably. The Guidelines are provided for comment by the public for the next 90 days. All comments will be posted on the EAC website."
"Google SMS (Short Message Service) enables you to send queries as text messages over your mobile phone or device and easily get precise answers to your questions. No links. No web pages. Just text — and the information you're looking for...local business listings...driving directions...movie showtimes and theater locations of movies currently playing near you...weather conditions and 4-day forecasts...the latest stock quotes...quick answers to straightforward questions..."[Link]
Don't Count Them Out - The digital age hasn't supplanted print. It's complemented it, by Heather Smith, The American Lawyer, 07-01-2005
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Final rule, issued June 21, 2005. [Link]
FCC press release: High-Speed Connections to the Internet Increased 34% During 2004 for a Total of 38 Million Lines in Service. The report (25 pages, PDF).
Executive Order 13381--Strengthening Processes Relating to Determining Eligibility for Access to Classified National Security Information Presidential Documents, June 27, 2005.
From EPIC: In a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission, EPIC urged the agency to investigate online data brokers, companies that promise to sell phone calling records, the identities of people who own private mail boxes, and the identities associated with AOL Screen names, Match.com profiles, and Lavalife profiles. The complaint argues that this information cannot be obtained without violating federal law or regulations."
How Can We Ensure the Accuracy of Vote Counts?, Working Paper, July 4, 2005 (18 pages, PDF), by Kathy Dopp, MS Mathematics, University of Utah, President of USCountVotes' National Election Data Archive Project - ElectionArchive.org.
This article, Patents gagged in the name of national security, by Paul Marks, appears in the July 9 issue of New Scientist. The abstract is below, but full text is available fee only.
S. 1350: A bill to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to protect the privacy rights of subscribers to wireless communications services.
From WSJ free content today: Bloggers and Photographers Chronicle Chaos in London
From the Yahoo announcement: "No more searching dozens of sites to find the jobs that you want. We've already collected jobs from the major web sites you know, and also the hard-to find ones you may have been missing." See Yahoo! HotJobs [Online Recruitment Blog]
Press release, July 1, 2005: "Three House members today released a report on the need for strong federal laws to protect consumers from identity theft. The report, Identity Theft and Terrorism, prepared by the House Homeland Security Committee, highlights the security gaps currently existing in consumer database companies and large financial institutions."
Government Technology reports that Suffolk County, New York is blazing an e-government trail with the launch of a subscriber based Virtual County Clerk's Office. The service will allows subscribers to "perform title searches for residential and commercial property, do background searches for employment and credit worthiness, or procure other land property documents..." and receive e-mail alerts on new information added to the clerk's online database.
As a follow-up to my June 5 posting, Advocacy Group Publishes Legal Guide for Blogger, today EFF announced the addition of a labor law section to its guide.
A press release on the new Pew Internet and American Life Project Report released this afternoon: "Spyware and the threat of unwanted programs being secretly loaded onto computers are becoming serious threats online. Nine out of ten internet users say they have adjusted their online behavior out of fear of falling victim to software intrusions. Unfortunately, many internet users' fears are grounded in experience - 43% of internet users, or about 59 million American adults, say they have had spyware or adware on their home computer. Although most do not know the source of their woes, 68% of home internet users, or about 93 million American adults, have experienced at least one computer problem in the past year that are consistent with problems caused by spyware or viruses."
Available free, this listing (13 pages, PDF) of the Global 500 ranks each company for both 2005 and 2004, indicating country, market value and prices as of March 31, 2005. GE, ExxonMobil and Microsoft occupy positions 1, 2, and 3 respectively, and maintain these positions in the June 30 update, which notes the dramatic rise of Google's rank (couldn't resist) from 279 to 95.
This New York Times article discusses the growing interest in, and testing of, delivering adverts to consumers via RSS feeds, which may in some measure be an inevitable result of the hype the technology has been receiving from both the blogging and MSM communities. Despite a strong current of opposition in some quarters to using RSS as an e-commerce channel, this may be an unstoppable wave.
From the Washington Post (reg. req'd), Openness Law May Get Muscle - A Diverse Coalition Pushes for Freedom of Information Act Compliance.
From laggard to leader? How the legal sector is finally embracing KM
Judith C. Russell, Superintendent of Documents, today posted that "GPO's Digitization Specification 3.0 is being distributed for review and comment. This specification (available in PDF) , will be used to support GPO's plan to convert legacy U.S. government documents into preservation masters that will subsequently be used to creative derivative "access" files that support user requirements."
Press release from the Identity Theft Assistance Center (ITAC): Financial Services Companies Partner With Federal Trade Commission to Provide Identity Theft Data to Law Enforcement: Identity Theft Assistance Center Achieves Key Objective.
From the FTC: The US SAFE WEB Act - Protecting Consumers from Spam, Spyware, and Fraud, released July 1, 2005
This June 30 commentary from the Economist offers perspective on the promises and pitfalls of the new national ID card, anticipated to be in the hands of citizens in three years time. A new, comprehensive national database will provide a plethora of personal data on citizens, but details about program costs, time to implement, and privacy issues remain at issue.
See this WSJ article, available free to non-subscribers, which provides an annotated list of recommended websites, free and fee, that will be of interest to lawyers and legal professionals looking to make a change.
As a follow-up to my April 2, 2005 posting, Significant Rise in Classification of Gov't Docs Focus of New Reports, this July 3, 2005 New York Times article, Increase in the Number of Documents Classified by the Government, reports on growing concerns within the government, by advocacy groups and the media, about the rapid rise in the classification of government documents. In 2004, 15.6 million documents were classified, a rate double that of 2001.
Press release: Topix.net, the Internet's largest resource for online news with over 300,000 news channels, announced today that it has expanded its product offering to include a new dedicated news channel for Canada and local news for over 4,200 Canadian cities and towns - the first in a series of initiatives to bring local news channels to international Internet users...Local Canadian news channels on Topix.net will provide users with access to news and information about where they live, work or travel from over 500 Canadian sources, and over 10,000 sources overall. Topix.net's unique technology allows the site to target news headlines down to the postal code level for over 4,200 local Canadian communities."
The pros and cons of e-tailers using blogs are reviewed in this New York Time article today.
Press release from the British Library: According to Lynne Brindley, Chief Executive of the British Library, "...by the year 2020, 40% of UK research monographs will be available in electronic format only, while a further 50% will be produced in both print and digital. A mere 10% of new titles will be available in print alone by 2020." The press release further states, "In 2003 the Library lobbied Parliament for legal deposit to be extended to electronic materials, including websites, and the Library now collects e-materials from a variety of sources to ensure that global research is rapidly available to UK researchers."