October 31, 2005
Reaching Voters Through Internet Cartoons
Cartoons are helping California voters learn about the issues in the upcoming special elections in a fun way.
The special election has brought about a sudden surge in animated campaign ads. Both camps are using the animated political cartoons to try to reach voters via the Internet. The ads are cheap to make and may provide more bang for the political buck.
Watch some of the animations at the following links:
Posted by Buzz Webster at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
October 28, 2005
Online Activism Hits South Korea in Full Force
A 28-year-old South Korean, whose fight with stomach cancer prompted an unprecedented wave of sympathy and online fundraising, has died. Since his story appeared on OhmyNews on Monday, readers have raised a total collection of 9.3 million won (US$9,000) for the Roh family.
Is Korea's Military Ignoring Recruits' Health?
http://english.ohmynews.com/ArticleView/article_view.asp?menu=A11100&no=255528&rel_no=1&back_url=
Posted by Buzz Webster at 06:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 26, 2005
The Latest Headlines on the Digital Divide
The digital divide is a hot topic. Here are today's headlines...
Tecamac: Mexico's Hope for Bridging the Digital Divide
(Government Technology) A dream of bridging the digital divide is coming true in the countryside outside
http://www.govtech.net/magazine/channel_story.php/97059
UK Ministers 'Failing to Deal with the Digital Divide'
(Financial Times)
The growth in the number of homes connected to the internet has slowed and the government is failing to take seriously the persistent problem of the "digital divide", according to leading charities and pressure groups. John Fisher, chief executive of Citizens Online, a charity devoted to internet access, said: "This is a big problem for government, for business and for individuals. (October 25, 2005)
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/721de9c6-44f4-11da-a5f0-00000e2511c8.html
Commonwealth to Take Action on Digital Divide
(CBC) The gap between the poor and the rich can be bridged by information and communication technologies.That was the consensus among stakeholders at the just concluded meeting on the commonwealth action programme for the digital divide, in
http://www.cbc.bb/content/view/2522/10/
Posted by Buzz Webster at 01:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 24, 2005
Happy Internet Day!
No, this is not the latest Hallmark holiday, instead the country of Spain has initiated Internet Day to promote the use of the Internet to its web-nonchalant citizens.
On 10/25 Spain will celebrate for the first time its Internet Day (http://www.diadeinternet.es/contenidos/). This initiative is trying to promote the use of the Internet in a country where 35 percent of its citizens are surfers, but the rest either find it not interesting or useful enough, or they cite financial reasons for not using it, according to a recent survey.
Many public activities have been organized for the day, such as giving away a total of 5,000 domains, organizing a Web gymkhana, and driving buses with free Internet connections to many locations.
El País has created a special report for the day that includes, for example, a section where readers and famous people explain how the Internet changed their lives. http://www.elpais.es/articulo/elpcibsem/20050929elpciblse_1/Tes/%BFC%F3mo%20ha%20cambiado%20Internet%20mi%20vida%3F
Spain has proposed a World Internet Day, to be discussed at the WSIS summit in Tunisia.
Posted by Buzz Webster at 05:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 20, 2005
Blog Row on Capitol Hill
Today, for the first time, 10 bloggers were invited to meet directly with Republican House Members and blog from the Capitol.
For the first time ever, 10 bloggers were invited to meet directly with House Members and blog from the Capitol. "Members will be stopping in throughout the day to meet with bloggers and discuss the House Republican record of successful economic policies, their commitment to fiscal responsibility, and the details of the historic proposed budget amendment that is expected to reach the floor later this week."
Read the blog reports from Capitol Hill:
Posted by Buzz Webster at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 17, 2005
E-Stonian E-Vote a Success
Despite a low E-Voter turnout, Election officials in Estonia are hailing the first ever E-Vote a success.
Last week, Estonia became the first country in the world to hold an election allowing voters nationwide to cast ballots over the Internet.
Fewer than 10,000 people, or 1 percent of registered voters, participated online in elections for mayors and city councils across the country, but officials hailed the experiment as a success.
Election officials in the country of 1.4 million said they had received no reports of flaws in the online voting system or hacking attempts.
e-Stonia online elections
'E-Stonia' Online Vote Called a Success
http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/10/17estonia.html
ESTONIA: Estonians break ground, vote online
http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-world.asp?parentid=31610
Estonia First Nation To Hold Online Vote
http://www.sci-tech-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=38708
Posted by Buzz Webster at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 13, 2005
Daily ePolitics Buzz Brief: Engaging Citizens
See how citizens around the world are getting involved in Government and Media.
Citizen Participation in the United States
Online Forum Gives Civil Servants a Voice
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=32499&dcn=e_gvet
Media Dips Toes in Citizen Journalism
http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=93328&ran=143806
Citizen Participation Around the World
The Swiss Perspective on Politics Revealed Online
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=106&sid=6156776&cKey=1129117850000
BBC Ponders Role of User-Generated News
http://mediachannel.org/blog/node/1334
Posted by Buzz Webster at 09:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 11, 2005
Earthquake Help Blog
The folks who brought us the Tsunami and Katrina help blogs have remobilized to aid in the South Asian Earthquake.
News and information about resources, aid, donations and volunteer efforts after the South Asia Earthquake of October 8th, 2005.
http://quakehelp.blogspot.com/
Posted by Buzz Webster at 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 10, 2005
Governor Schwarzenegger's Campaign Website Questioned
Governor Schwarzenegger's campaign Website posted a form asking for stories about inferior teachers, inciting mixed reactions from Californians.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s campaign posted a form on its website asking Californians for stories about bad teachers. The form was abruptly removed when a reporter inquired about it.
Posted on the Website www.joinarnold.com, the form asked: “Have a story about a teacher who just might not be cut out for the job, yet nothing can be done because of tenure? Please tell us. We’d like to share the stories of Californian’s like you.”
Reaction to the call have been mixed. Some defend it while others claim that this is yet another example of why they will stay at home on election day.
Governor's Campaign Drops Calls for Stories on Bad Teachers
Posted by Buzz Webster at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 07, 2005
Al Qaeda Posts Help Wanted Ad Online
Al Qaeda is seeking, "a video producer and editor of statements, footage and international media coverage about militants in Iraq, the Palestinian territories, Chechnya and other conflict zones where militants are active." Salary commensurates with experience. Inquire within.
Al Qaeda has posted an online classified seeking employees. The advertisement was spotted by London-based Arabic publication Asharq al-Awsat which notes that al-Qaeda-linked web presence the Global Islamic Media Front promises to "follow up with members interested in joining and contact them via email". Read on...
Are you a Bored Web Techie? Join al-Qaeda
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/10/07/al_qaeda_techies/
Al Qaeda Puts Job Ads on Internet
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=internetNews&storyID=2005-10-06T130733Z_01_HAR647217_RTRIDST_0_OUKIN-UK-QAEDA-JOBS.XML
Al-Qaeda Posts "Help Wanted" Ad on the Internet
http://www.financialmirror.com/more_news.php?id=2108
Posted by Buzz Webster at 01:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 05, 2005
Daily ePolitics Buzz Brief
Here are today's E-Government headlines from around the world.
The Latest E-Government Headlines in the United States
Redesigned New York State Web Portal
http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=96861
Chertoff Plans DHS Alerts Pilot
http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=96863
The Latest E-Government Headlines from Around the World
An E-City in South Korea?
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/05/technology/techspecial/05oconnell.html?th&emc=th
Chinese Government Website Opens on Trial Basis
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-10/01/content_3573601.htm
British E-Government: Better than Ireland, But Still not Good Enough
http://www.publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=3760
Posted by Buzz Webster at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 03, 2005
Daily ePolitics Buzz Brief
The European Union is challenging United States Internet control hegemony...
EU Shocks with Proposed Internet Controls
(New York Times) The European decision to back the rest of the world in demanding the creation of a new international body to govern the Internet clearly caught the Americans off balance and left them largely isolated at talks designed to come up with a new way of regulating the digital traffic of the 21st century. (September 30, 2005)
http://www.nytimes.com/iht/2005/09/30/business/IHT-30net.html
EU Deal Threatens End to US Dominance of Internet
(The Register) The United States and countries around the world are stunned by the European Union's announcement of a policy ending the US-dominated Internet control. the Proposal calls for a "new co-operation model" that would not only oversee public policy matters but also create procedures for changing the internet's "root zone file", managers of country domains (such as .uk or .de), create a new arbitration service for the internet, and produce rules to cover the domain name system (DNS). (September 30, 2005)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/09/30/eu_deal_wsis/
US Remains Stubborn Over Internet Control
(The Inquirer) The US has refusted to hand over control of the main computers that control the Internet to the UN. Ambassador David Gross, the US coordinator for international communications and information policy at the State Department said that the US will not allow the UN to take over the management of the net, and that he was "deeply disappointed" with the European Union. (September 29, 2005)
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=26573
Posted by Buzz Webster at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
