Author archives

New Data Mining Application Allows Users to Create Extensive, Targeted Online Libraries

Mercury News reported on IBM’s WebFountain Advanced Text Analytic Solutions, which according to this IBM overview, “enables access to multi-terabyte data stores of unstructured and semi-structured data. This includes internet data, weblogs, bulletin boards, enterprise data, legacy data, licensed content, newspapers, magazines and trade journals.” The article states that the application is currently gathering data …

Subjects: E-Commerce, Legal Research, Libraries

New Study On How Websites Cover Election News

From the Project for Excellence in Journalism, this overview of ePolitics 2004: A Study of the Presidential Campaign on the Internet: “The goal [of the study] was to get an early look at what major web sites were offering citizens who were looking for election news and to evaluate how that had evolved from four …

Subjects: Internet

TSA Sought Censorship of Files from Commercial Database

The link to this article from CQ’s Homeland Security subscriber publication, titled TSA Asks Media to Expunge Public Testimony on Airport Security Problems comes via Secrecy News. It states that TSA requested the removal of two pages of unclassified hearing testimony, presented last November, from the online archives of Federal Document Clearing House (FDCH), a …

Subjects: Censorship, Freedom of Information

User Vulnerabilities Linked to Anti-Spyware Programs

The Spyware Warrior blog, referenced in this article is a useful resource for current information on malware, trojan horses, and purported spyware, disguised as anti-spyware. Users beware, and the importance of staying informed is facilitated by the the efforts of reliable advice accompanied by regular updates to track the frequency with which such vulnerabilities are …

Subjects: Privacy

Live Reference At the Heart of Service to the Public

This New York Times article, When a Search Engine Isn’t Enough, Call a Librarian profiles the online and off-line research expertise of public library reference librarians such as Kris Tuckerman in Rockville, Maryland.

Subjects: Libraries

Links to NLRB FOIA Manual

From Michael Ravnitzky, “a link to the substantive portion of the NLRB FOIA Manual, the link to the procedural portion of the NLRB FOIA Manual, and the link to the procedural appendix to the NLRB FOIA Manual.” From the MemoryHole.org, this link to the Uncensored Version of National Labor Relations Board “10(j) Manual”

Subjects: E-Government, Freedom of Information

White House Finally Agrees to Extension for 9/11 Commission

According to a late afternoon report from CNN, White House spokesman Scott McClellan announced that the President has agreed to accept the request of the 9/11 Commission to submit their report after the May 27 deadline. The Commission Chair and Vice Chair issued a press release today stating their intention to issue a “public, unclassified …

Subjects: Freedom of Information

FTC Approves Joint Rules on Fair Credit Reporting Act

From the FTC press release today: “The notice provides a background summary of FACTA and the rulemaking, contains an overview of the public comments received, and includes a section-by-section analysis of the final effective dates rules..” Federal Trade Commission (16 C.F.R. Part 602) and Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (12 C.F.R. Part …

Subjects: E-Government, ID Theft

New Legislation on Domain Name Fraud

Fraudulent Online Identity Sanctions Act (Introduced in House), February 3, 2004: HR 3754, To provide additional civil and criminal remedies for domain name fraud. See this posting on the bill by Susan Crawford, Assistant Professor of Law, Cardozo School of Law, and an article from Reuters, Lawmakers Push Penalties for False Web Records. See also …

Subjects: Congress, Domain Names, ID Theft, Legislation

Washingtonpost.com To Require More Reader Info

The Washington Post announced that through a section-by-section introdution over the next month, readers of washingtonpost.com will have to provide additional information beyond the familiar triad of zip code, age and gender (this information is referred to as “ZAG”). Joining other major national newspapers including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and the Chicago …

Subjects: E-Commerce

New Database Launched on Past and Present U.S. Governors

National Governors Association (NGA) Launches Governors Legacy Project: “NGA launched a user-friendly comprehensive database of all past and present U.S. governors. Called the “Governors Legacy Project,” this service allows users to search for valuable information about governors…users [can] learn more about these state policymakers by searching a variety of question fields – including term of …

Subjects: E-Government

Data Mining and Your Driver’s License

“The SWIPE Toolkit is a collection of web-based tools that sheds light on personal data collection and usage practices in the United States. The tools demonstrate the value of personal information on the open market and enable people to access information encoded on a driver’s license or stored in some of the many commercial data …

Subjects: Privacy

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