January 15, 2007
Bloggers Gain Access to Courtroom
Bloggers will be allowed to cover the criminal trial of former White House staffer Lewis "Scooter" Libby alongside reporters from traditional media outlets.
Libby, Cheney's former chief of staff, has been charged with obstruction of justice and providing the FBI with false statements regarding the leak of the name of a CIA employee whose husband had criticized the Bush administration's use of intelligence in the run-up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
Bloggers will control at least four seats during the high-profile trial. The arrangement is believed to be a first for a high-profile court case, although trade shows and political conventions have issued media passes to bloggers in the past several years.
Two seats will be controlled by members of the nonpartisan Media Blogging Association, a trade group that provides legal advice and promotes increased access for its 1,000 members. Two more seats will be controlled by writers for several liberal- leaning blogs, including Firedoglake, The Huffington Post and DailyKos.
Bloggers likely will file reports from an overflow room that will be set up with wireless Internet service, although like other media outlets they will be prohibited from transmitting video or audio of the trial. Jury selection begins Tuesday.
Bloggers Gain Access to 'Scooter' Libby Trial
Posted by Buzz Webster at 09:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 05, 2006
Survivors of London Bombings Reach Out Online
One year later, survivors of the July 7, 2005 London subway bombings are turning to the Internet for support. Many are reaching out to others via blogs and online forums.
Rachel North, a leader in the effort, said that keeping an online journal of her experiences has been cathartic. North’s blog has approximately 150,000 readers worldwide. A fellow survivor-cum-blogger, Holly Finch writes that she started her blog, Am I Still Me? in an effort to “understand the person I’ve become” in the wake of the bombings. North and Finch received only minor injuries, but witnessed the deaths of 25 passengers on the same Piccadilly line.
Survivors are also taking advantage of the support group King's Cross United named for the tube in which over 100 people were injured. The group has an online forum at Urban 75 London.
Finally, survivors are leading an online call for a comprehensive investigation by the British government into the London bombings. Their online petition currently boasts more than 900 signatures.
Blogs Reveal London Survivors' Pain
Posted by Buzz Webster at 02:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
June 16, 2006
World Cup on the World Wide Web
Thousands of fans have taken a train, plane or automobile to catch a World Cup game. But the rest of us will have to take the information highway. Not surprisingly, millions are turning to the Web to follow the games.
Posted by Buzz Webster at 04:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
February 08, 2006
Islamic Hackers: Rise of the Second Superpower?
In protest of the series of European cartoons mocking the Prophet Muhammad, Islamic hackers defaced almost 1,000 Danish websites.
The twelve cartoons that inspired international protests were published on September 30, 2005 by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. They show the Muslim Prophet Muhammad in a variety of humorous or satirical situations. For example, one shows the Prophet wearing a headdress shaped like a bomb. In another he says paradise is running short of virgins for suicide bombers. Islamic tradition bans depictions of the Prophet or Allah.
In their article "Anti-Cartoon Protests Go Online", the BBC reported that these attacks typically replaced home pages with pro-Islam messages and condemn the publication of the cartoons. The article quotes Roberto Preatoni, founder and administrator of international hack attack monitoring group Zone-H: "We have never seen so many defacements that are politically targeted in such a short time...What is extraordinary for this Danish case is the speed in which the community united."
Harvard Law School professor Dr. James F. Moore wrote a groundbreaking essay entitled "The Second Superpower Rears Its Beautiful Head," in which he argued that the internet could inspire a "second superpower" of international grassroots activism. Dr. Moore wrote optimistically of the second superpower, but the online anti-cartoon protests could illustrate otherwise. A comparable incident occurred this week in the case of the Syrian protesters who burned and looted the Danish and Norwegian embassies in Damascus. Recent news stories have revealed that the protestors were encouraged to organize by the Syrian authorities and received text messages from Islamic study centres spurring them on.
Thanks to The World's Clark Boyd for referring this story to PoliticsOnline.
For more information on the cartoons, see BBC News' "Q&A."
Posted by Buzz Webster at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
January 20, 2006
Washington Post Closes Reader Comments on Blog
The Washington Post stopped accepting reader comments on one of its blogs yesterday. The paper claimed the blog had attracted too many personal attacks, profanity and hate mail.
The majority of the attacks were inspired by writer Deborah Howell's editorial about Jack Abramoff. The New York Times reported today that the incident marks the second time in recent months that a major newspaper has stopped accepting feedback from readers in a web forum. According to Executive Editor Jim Brady, " The article quoted Brady as saying, "Transparency and reasoned debate are crucial parts of the Web culture, and it's a disappointment to us that we have not been able to maintain a civil conversation, especially about issues that people feel strongly (and differently) about...We don't have an obligation to keep every one of those avenues open if we run into problems like we did yesterday."
What do you think? Was the Post right to close the blog down? Where does the right to a free forum stop?
Posted by Buzz Webster at 03:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
December 30, 2005
White House Web Site Revelation
Unbeknownst to George Bush, et al. an outside contractor has been using Internet tracking technologies that may be prohibited to analyze traffic patterns on the White House's Web site.
Without the knowledge of the Bush administration, an outside contractor has been using Internet tracking technologies that may be prohibited to analyze usage and traffic patterns on the White House's Web site, an official said Thursday.
The disclosure – the second such revelation in a matter of days – came in response to questions posed by The Associated Press.
The White House Web site uses what's known as a Web bug to anonymously keep track of who's visiting and when. A Web bug is essentially a tiny graphic image - a dot, really - that's virtually invisible. In this case, the bug is pulled from a server maintained by WebTrends and lets the traffic analytic company know that another person has visited a specific page on the site.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/12/30/politics/main1172239.shtml?cmp=EM8705
Posted by Buzz Webster at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
December 28, 2005
Yahoo Kicks Off Cyber Giving Week
At midnight on December 25, Yahoo launched a week-long Cyber giving campaign encouraging donors to find receivers, as well as make year-end, tax-deductible donations.
Yahoo! kicked-off "Cyber Giving Week" on December 25, 2005, in recognition of the significant growth in online charitable donations, as well as the trend of year-end spikes in giving.
In partnership with "Network For Good", the Internet's leading charitable resource, Yahoo! is launching a "Cyber Giving Week" microsite (http://brand.yahoo.com/cybergivingweek2005/) that provides donation links to a variety of charities as well as resources and tools for making decisions about contributions and maximizing annual tax breaks.
Posted by Buzz Webster at 05:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
December 22, 2005
Christmas Shoppers Guided by Politics
Some Partisan groups want Americans to be thinking about politics this year while they're shopping for gifts, and they're using the web to get their message across.
You can find them on both the conservative and the liberal side of the political fence - people who insist that the holiday season is a perfect time for Americans to let their political voices be heard. Indeed, the fact that this time of year is referred to by some as a "holiday" season is one of the issues attracting attention.
The American Family Association has called on Christians across the country to boycott stores that avoid using the word "Christmas" in their advertising. The word "holiday" has been adopted by many businesses, since not everyone in the United States is Christian. But Randy Sharp, of the American Family Association, says it is disingenuous for retailers to pretend that Christmas is not the reason so many people are in their stores.
But conservatives are not the only ones expressing an opinion with their pocketbooks. Liberals, too, are calling on people to - as they say - "shop with a conscience." The website buyblue.org, for example, tells visitors about the political campaigns that various corporations have contributed to, and advocates that people buy only from companies that donate to Democratic - or "blue" - candidates and causes.
http://www.voanews.com/english/AmericanLife/2005-12-21-voa26.cfm
Posted by Buzz Webster at 11:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
December 19, 2005
Daily ePolitics Buzz Brief
Rural Maine Residents, Navajo tribe members and stranded New Yorkers are all turning to the web for help, read today's U.S. Headlines...
Rural Maine Residents to Go High Speed
(New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/19/technology/19maine.html
Wireless Technology and Self-Governance in the Navajo Nation
In the vast spaces of the U.S. Southwest, the Navajo are embracing the Internet to improve social services and protect their culture, according to this Cultural Survival report. Internet connectivity via satellite has allowed local Navajo groups to become less dependent on the central Navajo government and more efficient.
http://209.200.101.189/publications/csq/csq-article.cfm?id=1835
(CNET) In anticipation of the strike, people all week have been posting on Craigslist, either looking for rides in and around
Posted by Buzz Webster at 05:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
November 18, 2005
Red Kettles and Bell Ringers go High-Tech
The familiar red kettles and bell-ringers that appear outside stores during the holidays, will now also be popping up online.
The Salvation Army has launched the first National Online Red Kettle Campaign. Individuals and organizations nationwide can help TheSalvation Army raise funds for those in need by hosting their own "virtual" red kettles on their personal, group or company website.
The Salvation Army Launches Online Red Kettle Campaign
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/11-17-2005/0004218331&EDATE=
Posted by Buzz Webster at 05:23 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)
September 29, 2005
Internet Voting for Displaced New Orleans Residents
With residents displaced and dispersed throught Louisiana and the United States, the city of New Orleans is considering providing Internet-based voting fort its residents in the February mayoral election.
Check out these resources to learn more about Internet voting proposals in New Orleans. Katrina Spurs Internet Election http://searchcio.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid19_gci1129153,00.html Louisiana to Study Plan for Internet Voting Post-Katrina
http://searchcio.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid19_gci1130226,00.html
Posted by Buzz Webster at 05:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 14, 2005
Daily ePolitics Buzz Brief
Internet Bets Support Gonzalez In Vacant Supreme Court Seat
National:
- E-voting: Paper Trail Versus Transparency (News Forge)
In the heat of major political campaigns and elections, we hear a lot about electronic voting and the fight over their accuracy and trustworthiness. (July 14, 2005)
- Convio's Newest Guide Helps Nonprofits Establish Ecommerce Programs that Generate Revenue and Build Strong Constituent Relationships (Business Wire)
The leading provider of software and services to help nonprofits use the Internet for building strong constituent relationships and driving support--today announced the availability of its new, downloadable guide to help nonprofit organizations engage in ecommerce to not only generate revenue for their organizations but also convert shoppers to donors, advocates, volunteers and more. (July 13, 2005)
- Internet Bets Support Gonzalez In Vacant Supreme Court Seat (All Headline News)
Internet betting sites suggest that U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, will be confirmed as the next justice for the U.S. Supreme Court. (July 13, 2005)
- RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman Unveils The New GOP.com (U.S. Newswire)
Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Ken Mehlman today unveiled the new flagship Web site for the Republican Party, http://www.GOP.com. (July 13, 2005)
International:
In China, Sophisticated Filters Keep the Internet Near Sterile (Kansas.com)
To get an inkling of how China controls and sanitizes the Internet experience, it helps to step into any Internet cafe in Shanghai. (July 14, 2005)
Posted by Buzz Webster at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 12, 2005
Daily ePolitics Buzz Brief
E-voting machines are back in the news as campaigns begin ramping up for November elections.
National
- On Capitol Hill, The Inboxes Are Overflowing (Washington Post)
According to a new study, electronic messages to the House of Representatives doubled to 99 million from 2000 to 2004. In the Senate, the number of e-mails more than tripled to 83 million during the same period. (July 12, 2005)
- ITAA Calls On Senate To Uphold E-Government (ITAA)
The Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) today called on Senate lawmakers to restore e-government funding to several major appropriations bills moving through Congress. (July 12, 2005)
- FEC Hears Bloggers' Bid To Share Media Exemption (Washingtonpost.com)
They go to the political conventions. They cover the White House. Now, some bloggers want the same special protections from campaign finance laws that the mainstream media enjoy. (July 12, 2005)
- Utah Lawmakers Bloggin With Voters (Casper Star Tribune)
Utah lawmakers are using Internet blogs to talk daily with voters about everything from Scout camp and birthdays to state and federal laws. (July 12, 2005)
- In Praise Of E-Voting Machines (Pacific Research)
Last week, the Carter-Baker Commission on Federal Election Reform held hearings in Houston to discuss fixing the nation's voting system. New technologies help make most businesses more effective and efficient, so it only makes sense to upgrade America's ballot box as well. (July 12, 2005)
International
- Roh Adopts E-Mail Politics (Korea Times)
President Roh Moo-hyun’s ``e-mail politics’’ was the main talk of the town last week as he sent several letters to the people through the Internet. While the contents of the letters invited both applause and criticism, the e-mail form itself triggered a controversy. (July 12, 2005)
- A Blogger's Take on Politics (Australian Broadcasting Company)
Michael Bowers talks pictures with blogger Paul Batey about his website 'The Daily Flute'. (July 10, 2005)
Posted by Buzz Webster at 05:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 09, 2005
Bomb Blast Heard Across Internet
Our Deepest Sympathy Goes Out To All Those In London
Thursday's terror attacks on the London mass transit system were not only a sucker-punch to a city which was jumping with Olympic joy 12 hours ago and another stain brought upon the world by radical terrorists, but also an interesting study of the spreading of news via blogs, cellular phone cameras, and other mobile devices used by many during the morning commute bombing.
Unlike previous world shaking events, today's London Bombing was interestingly enough one of the first examples of world news instantly documented by groups of mobile, unassuming and unintentional journalists. With the world wired together by wireless mobility, the BBC and CNN's of the global media received first account footage of the events from cell phones, hand held mobile PC's, and digital cameras. One example of such was the BBC coverage of the bombing aftermath with on-screen phone numbers and contact information for those within the Underground and bus bombing areas to send their photos, emails and text messages.
More
London Response Wiki
London Bombings Also Crash BBC Website
Congestion Disrupts Mobile Networks Amid UK Blasts
Witnesses Post Instant Photos To Capture Drama
Posted by Buzz Webster at 07:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
June 28, 2005
Daily ePolitics Buzz Brief
China now has 100 million internet users and about five sites their allowed to visit.
National
- E-voting Paper-Trail Hopes Hit Roadblock (Computer World)
Calls for the U.S. government to require that electronic voting machines produce voter-verified paper trails ran into opposition from two members of a Senate committee during a hearing on e-voting last week. (June 28, 2005)
- Bloggers Resist Government Oversight (Business Week)
Web log creators are concerned about a Federal Election Commission proposal that would extended some campaign finance rules to the Internet. (June 28, 2005)
- Citizen Journalism Growing (Accuracy In Media)
The growing popularity of blogs and citizen journalism is only increasing as inventive citizens collaborate on news ideas to improve their offerings, buoyed by a fertile environment of low barrier costs and a healthy growth rate for online advertisers. (June 28, 2005)
- Bloggers Fighting Government Regulations (Yahoo)
Bloggers who built their Internet followings with anti-establishment prose are now lobbying the establishment to protect their livelihoods from federal regulations. (June 28, 2005)
- Global-MoveOn.org Launches Campaign To Challenge Industrial Age Mentality (PR Leap)
The western civilization is currently stuck in groupthink mode based on outdated Industrial Age concepts. (June 28, 2005)
International
- China's Internet Users Top 100 Million (Forbes)
China's population of Internet users has surpassed 100 million, the government said Tuesday. (June 28, 2005)
- Comic Relief Backs Make Poverty History With Virtual March On G8 Summit (Brand Republic)
Days before world leaders meet for the G8 summit on July 6, Comic Relief, on behalf of Make Poverty History, will rally support online. (June 28, 2005)
- Iranian Net Censorship Powered By US Technology (New Scientist)
Internet censorship in Iran is amongst the most restrictive and sophisticated in the world, a technical study has revealed. And much of the filtering technology in use was developed by western companies. (June 28, 2005)
Posted by Buzz Webster at 05:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
June 27, 2005
Daily ePolitics Buzz Brief
Feds eye Wi-Fi... What's next?
National
- Muni Wi-Fi Aims to Close Digital Divide (Internet News)
Private enterprise broadband providers ignoring the growing digital divide should expect competition from local municipalities. (June 27, 2005)
- Web Site Launches for Reproductive Rights Activists (infozine)
The American Civil Liberties Union launched a Web site, TakeIssueTakeCharge.org, as part of a national grassroots campaign to protect reproductive freedom. (June 27, 2005)
- Congress Tunes In To WiFi (Washington Technology)
For almost a year, the debate over whether Internet access is a paid privilege like telephone service and cable television burbled along in the press and among bloggers and activists. (June 27, 2005)
International
- Exiles Seek to Blog Iran Toward Democracy (TodayOnline)
Iranian activists in Canada are defying strongarm attempts by the Tehran government to control the Internet to demand reforms in their home country during its landmark election campaign. (June 27, 2005)
- Citizen Reporters in the Spotlight (OhMyNews.com)
OhmyNews International Citizen Reporters' Forum 2005 reveals the authors behind the stories. (June 25, 2005)
- Iran Targets Dissent on the Net (BBC)
The web in Iran has emerged as a source of information for voters, who are choosing a new president in a run-off election. (June 24, 2005)
Posted by Buzz Webster at 02:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
June 23, 2005
Daily ePolitics Buzz Brief
Iranian Bloggers Chime In On "Election"
National News
- Pentagon Creating Student Database (Washington Post)
The Defense Department began working yesterday with a private marketing firm to create a database of high school students ages 16 to 18 and all college students to help the military identify potential recruits in a time of dwindling enlistment in some branches. (June 23, 2005)
- NY Lawmakers Agree To Put Local Campaign Records Online (NewsDay)
The money behind local politicians will be revealed online under a legislative agreement announced Wednesday. (June 23, 2005)
International
- Philippines: Cell Phone Ring Tone Taking Aim At Country's President (SF Gate)
Forget Eric Clapton's "Layla." In the Philippines, the hottest ring tone for cellular phones features what may be the voice of the country's most powerful politician, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. (June 23, 2005)
- Iranian Bloggers Were Wrong About The Election (Pacific News Service)
One Iranian blogger looks at his colleagues' failure to predict the strong second-place showing of the conservative hardliner candidate in the first round. (June 23, 2005)
- Iranian Blogger Returns From Exile For Vote (Los Angeles Times)
In a trip financed by his online fans, Hossein Derakhshan, the godfather of the Iranian blogosphere, returned to his native country last week to cover the presidential election after five years of self-imposed exile. (June 23, 2005)
Posted by Buzz Webster at 05:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
June 20, 2005
Daily ePolitics Buzz Brief
MoveOn.org makes perception a reality with new web campaign... and more
National
- A Web Hoax, Transformed (New York Times)
"SAVE NPR and PBS," reads an e-mail petition being circulated by MoveOn.org, a liberal advocacy group. "Really. Check the footnotes if you don't believe us." (June 20, 2005)
- Blogs, Alternative Media a Feast for N.H. News Junkies (Seacost Online)
Alternative Web sites, underground tabloids and online journals or "blogs" are adding a little spice to New Hampshire's media stew _ and news junkies are celebrating the feast. (June 19, 2005)
- VerifiedVoting.org To Brief Senators On Verifiable Elections (Kansas City InfoZine)
On Tuesday, June 21, the Senate Rules Committee is scheduled to hear testimony on publicly verifiable elections from VerifiedVoting.org Founder David Dill. (June 18, 2005)
- Civic Association Announces Online Petition Campaign (Farmingdale Observer)
In an effort to create public awareness and send a strong signal to our elected officials, the Concerned Citizens of the Plainview-Old Bethpage Community, Inc. have announced two Online Petitions they are circulating regarding threats to the environment and quality of life. (June 17, 2005)
- Online Journal Examines Use Of Internet By Anti-Gay Groups (Southern Voice Online)
Anti-gay activists and organizations are using the Internet in sophisticated ways to reach a broader audience with anti-gay rhetoric, according to an article published in an online sexuality research journal. (June 17, 2005)
- City Council's Web Sites Aid Speaker's Quest for Mayor (New York Times)
Last May, when the City Council speaker, Gifford Miller, a Democratic mayoral candidate, wanted to contrast the Bloomberg administration's support for a West Side stadium with the mayor's proposed budget cuts for the city's subways, the Council started up Subwaysnotwestsidestadium.com. (June 17, 2005) - Convio Releases First eCommerce Solution Designed for Unique Needs of Nonprofits (tmcnet.com)
Convio, Inc. -- the leading provider of software and services to help nonprofits use the Internet for building constituent relationships and driving support -- today announced availability of the first ecommerce solution designed specifically to meet the unique needs of nonprofit organizations. (June 17, 2005)
International
- Internet Importance In Iranian Elections (Web Pro News)
Blogs seem to be everywhere anymore, at least on the Internet. What kind of effect do they really have though? They get used to discuss literally everything. But, during the current Iranian election process, blogs have provided something much more fundamental, free speech. (June 20, 2005)
- Website Operator Plans More Cyber Protests Against Arroyo (The Peninsula)
A website operator in the Philippines said yesterday the site will continue a cyber-campaign against President Gloria Arroyo to force her to break her silence on allegations that she rigged last year’s polls. (June 20, 2005)
- Hackers Deface Beijing’s Security Website (Financial Times)
Chinese hackers have defaced the website of a police-run security company that is leading a new effort to strengthen the Communist government's control over the internet. (June 20, 2005)
- Vote-4-Me, The Leading Online Democratic Social Network, Announces The Launch Of Its Charities Polling Service (SourceWire)
Vote-4-Me (www.Vote-4-Me.com), an evolution in e-democracy, today launches a new feature of its innovative online politics and market research game service, aimed at helping charities raise ongoing regular contributions from supporters. (June 20, 2005)
- Internet In Service Of Ethnic Peace In Kosovo (The Peninsula)
Kosovo Albanian journalists and their colleagues from Serbia have decided to use the Internet to gain what politics has failed to obtain: Easing of ethnic tensions still widely present in the province since the end of the 1998-99 war. (June 19, 2005)
- US Steps Up Its War On Terror Online (Asharq Alawsat)
The US Department of State is embarking on a media offensive to counter the false information carried out by three Islamic websites it accuses of waging a misleading campaign against US interests. (June 19, 2005)
Posted by Buzz Webster at 05:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
June 16, 2005
Daily ePolitics Buzz Brief
Online giviing is up - highlighted by Howard Dean and Tsunami relief...more
National
- E-charity Sees An Increase In Online Giving (USA Today)
Online donations to the USA's biggest charities surged 63% last year from 2003, a new study says, as the tsunami relief effort and Howard Dean's presidential campaign underscored the value of Internet fundraising. (June 16, 2005)
- The Blogfather (AlertNet)
Jerome Armstrong of the political blog MyDD discusses how the Internet has changed -- and how it's changing Democratic politics. (June 16, 2005)
- Corporate vs. Community Internet (AlertNet)
The gap is growing between those who have access to information technology, and those who don't. Now the battle to close the digital divide has spilled onto another front -- the fight for free municipal broadband services. (June 15, 2005)
International
- Internet Reshaping Middle East Politics, Starting With Iran (Marketing Vox)
Why place hundreds of thousands of troops, not to mention civilians, into harm's way and spend hundreds of billions of dollars to wage a war when the growth of the internet is already redefining and reshaping Middle East political processes? (June 16, 2005)
- Estonia Eager To Lead World In E-voting (Baltic Times)
Parliament’s constitutional committee has introduced amendments to a bill that would put Estonia on the forefront of online elections, making the Baltic state the first country in the world where voters wouldn’t have to leave home to cast their election ballots. (June 16, 2005)
- Staring Down The Digital Divide (OhMyNews.com)
Bloggers are the haves in the new new economy, but there are plenty of have-nots as well, and none of us can afford to forget them. (June 16, 2005)
- JAPAN: Government Eyes Policing Of Internet (Asia Times)
The government may go after what it regards as harmful information on the Internet following last week's bombing of a Yamaguchi Prefecture classroom by a youth who claimed he learned how to make explosives from a Web site, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said Tuesday. (June 16, 2005)
- Hoaxers ruin Net fund-raising event (Chennai Online News Service)
A fund-raising event involving India's batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and Australia's Shane Warne during the tsunami appeal match between the MCC and an International XI at the Lord's has been cancelled because of Internet hoaxers, organisers said here today. (June 15, 2005)
Posted by Buzz Webster at 05:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
June 14, 2005
Daily ePolitics Buzz Brief
Microsoft might learn something about censorship from reading EFF's new legal guide released today...more
National
- New Legal Guide For Bloggers (Government Technology)
Yesterday, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) released a document that informs bloggers of their legal rights. (June 14, 2005)
- EFF: Legal Guide For Bloggers (EFF)
Whether you're a newly minted blogger or a relative old-timer, you've been seeing more and more stories pop up every day about bloggers getting in trouble for what they post. (June 14, 2005)
- Internet Boom Alters Political Process In Iran (USA Today)
Internet usage is growing faster in Iran than anywhere in the Muslim Middle East, according to a recent Stanford University study. (June 14, 2005)
- American Rights At Work To Launch E-advocacy Campaign (Common Dreams)
In an effort to raise awareness about the firing crisis, American Rights at Work released a short Flash video today, titled "10,000 Workers," as the centerpiece of a new e-advocacy campaign designed to build support for labor law reform. (June 14, 2005)
- National Website Launches 'No Gays Left Behind' Campaign (Out In America)
When a gynecologist refused to perform a physical examination on a client in rural Georgia because of her sexual orientation, "we knew something must be done," said Diversity Builder President Debbie Stanton. (June 14, 2005)
International
- Microsoft Under Fire For Censoring China Blogs (Reuters)
Microsoft Corp.'s new MSN China Internet venture is censoring words such as "freedom," "democracy" and "human rights" on its free online journals, Microsoft said on Tuesday, putting itself in the middle of a major Web controversy. (June 14, 2005)
Posted by Buzz Webster at 05:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Aristocratic Right Wing Blogosphere Stagnating?
Chris Bowers at MyDD has written an interesting article on the political blogosphere.
Bowers makes an interesting point based on blogads traffic rankings –
That the liberal blogosphere is beginning to pull away from the conservative blogopshere in terms of audience size. He claims this is can be traced to the fact that there are no community sites among the top twenty-four conservative blogs.
UPDATE
However, it’s as if the folks at RedState were reading Bowers’ mind… or at least his blog post. Matt Lewis says:
True, Democrats get a lot of press for their use of technology. But Republicans use technology to win elections. It occurs to me that this phenomenon has to do with the fundamental differences between Republicans and Democrats (in short, our worldview is different).
Here's my theory: Democrats view technology as a game. They like to put a lot of effort into blogging and hope to be able to, "create an internet community." Republicans (who by nature are outcome-based and serious) tend to use technology (like micro-targeting) to identify, persuade, and turn-out voters on Election Day.
Posted by Buzz Webster at 05:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
June 13, 2005
Daily ePolitics Buzz Brief
Today's news is all about how the Internet is a medium of democracy...
National
- Digital Divide Narrows (Kansas City Star)
As Connie Crumble worked her way through a room full of computers, she came upon Ja’River Dunlap. (June 13, 2005) - Wikis Find Role In Community Governance (FCW)
Ohio State University philosophy lecturer Larry Sanger envisions a democracy in which citizens will improve policy decisions by making their ideas known through public Web pages that they can modify. (June 13, 2005) - An End To 'Everybody's Press'? (Tech Central Station)
TCS Editor Nick Schulz interviewed FEC Commissioner Brad Smith about regulation of speech on the Internet and what it might mean for blogs, websites and the future of technology and politics. (June 13, 2005) - Florida's New Political Blog Wars (St. Petersburg Times)
At Florida Politics (flapolitics.blogspot.com) last week they debated whether Florida Democrats should focus on improving their showing in big counties or rural counties. (June 12, 2005) - Women Should Embrace The Blogosphere (TownHall.com)
No discussion of women bloggers would be complete without some gross generalizations and politically incorrect observations -- both of which I plan to include here. (June 10, 2005)
International
- Microsoft Bans 'Democracy' For China Web Users (MSN)
Microsoft's new Chinese internet portal has banned the words "democracy" and "freedom" from parts of its website in an apparent effort to avoid offending Beijing's political censors. (June 13, 2005) - Over 2 Mln Texts Send Live 8 Into Record Books (Reuters)
Music fans broke a world record when they sent more than 2 million text messages to try to get tickets for next month's Live 8 concert in London, the Guinness Book of Records said Monday. (June 13, 2005) - Political Web Sites Offer Lebanese Open Platform to Express Views (Daily Star)
Thanks to a new wave of political Web sites and discussion groups, with the click of a mouse, Lebanese are discovering new avenues to express their views and displeasure with their leaders. (June 11, 2005) - Iran Election Candidate Supports Satellite/Internet Censoring (Iran Focus)
Iran’s former paramilitary police chief and presidential hopeful said in an interview with a state-run daily that he supported Internet censorship and state control over satellite channels. (June 11, 2005)
Posted by Buzz Webster at 05:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
June 10, 2005
Rocking The Blogosphere For Poverty
Bloggers are dropping partisanships to eliminate poverty
Political bloggers from both ends of the spectrum connected Monday for a giant, hour-plus conference call/love-in with Sir Bob Geldof to talk about the former Boomtown Rat's Live 8 campaign and concerts to hook industrialized countries into helping Africa.
Led by Joe Trippi and John Hinderacker - over 40 bloggers from the right and left joined together, as Geldof impressed bloggers on both sides with his knowledge and commitment to persuading industrialized countries to help Africa. The first call to action for bloggers was to start a conversation about Live 8 and the G8 summit. Other online events will take place over the next few weeks, but have yet to be disclosed.
LIVE 8 is part of a day of action across the world which kick-starts The Long Walk to Justice that calls on the leaders of the world’s richest countries to act when they meet in Gleneagles on 6th-9th July.
Live 8:
An Aging Rocker Impresses an Aging Blogger
Saving Africa
Live 8 Blogs with Bob!
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June 07, 2005
Daily ePolitics Buzz Brief
Online fundraising is no longer a secret, but it's still under used... more
National
Nine Out Of 10 Nonprofits Say Internet Is Critical Fundraising Tool (tmcnet.com)
Ninety percent (90.3 percent) of nonprofits say the Internet is a critical tool in running their organizations. Yet only about one in three (34.6 percent) say they are actively raising money online today. (June 7, 2005)
Any Crowd Will Do For Schundler (NorthJersey.com)
Schundler's campaign Web site had been displaying a digitally altered photo a Howard Dean rally last year in Falls Church, Va. (June 7, 2005)
International
WSIS Host Tunisia Guilty Of Denying Access To Information By Filtering Internet (All Africa)
Tunisia has one of the poorest records in allowing freedom of expression and has repeatedly been criticised for denying access to information on the internet. (June 7, 2005)
The Bloggers Have All The Best News (Guardian)
In America, the first major study of web diaries reveals that they are shaping the political landscape like never before, but what of their British counterparts? (June 7, 2005)
Freed Chinese Dissident Vows To Resume Tiananmen Web Site (Radio Free)
Chinese cyber-dissident Huang Qi, just freed after serving a five-year jail term for subversion, says he wants to resume his Web site dedicated to the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. (June 7, 2005)
Visit PoliticsOnline for the full story and more news articles.
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June 06, 2005
Daily ePolitics Buzz Brief
Bloggers still hot and bothered over FEC rule making...and more
National
Groups Weigh In On Web Politicking (Washington Post) A raft of lawmakers, campaign finance watchdog groups, election lawyers and bloggers urged the Federal Election Commission on Friday to exempt the vast majority of -- if not all -- individual political activists on the Internet from new regulations. (June 6, 2005)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/04/AR2005060401042.html
Online Activists Use Ohio Election As Testing Ground (Cleveland Plain Dealer) Though he does not live in
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/111797250872650.xml&coll=2
E-Gov
E-government As Economic Stimulant (PSTM.net) Countries need to make progress with e-government in order to improve their business environment and create new opportunities for the private sector, says a senior executive at IBM. (June 6, 2005)
http://www.pstm.net/article/index.php?articleid=631
RNC Submits Comments On FEC's Proposed Rulemaking (RNC) The RNC today submitted comments to the Federal Election Commission regarding the Commission's Notice Of Proposed Rulemaking on Internet Communications. (June 3, 2005)
http://www.gop.com/News/Read.aspx?ID=5515
International
Blog Muscle In Europe (Forbes) For a 50-year-old, Europe seemed in reasonably good health, if maybe a little flabby, until it was hit by the equivalent of a double heart attack this week as citizens of
http://www.forbes.com/columnists/2005/06/03/cx_sm_0606mcgookin.html
Singapore Speaks Out On The Net (The Standard) The events leading up to Shanmugam Murugesu's execution in Singapore had enough excitement, anguish and cries of injustice for a fast-paced novel, or at the very least an interesting news story. (June 6, 2005)
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/Focus/GF06Dh01.html
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June 03, 2005
Daily ePolitics Buzz Brief
Blogger - The FEC bell tolls for thee... and more.
National
- Internet Builds New Communities, Connecting Americans (AZcentral)
Technology, coupled with the rising number of families who have school-aged children and retirees who have leisure time, is raising hopes that more Americans are again investing "social capital." (June 3, 2005) - Free Speech For Bloggers (Washington Times)
Here's our advice to the Federal Election Commission regarding Internet regulations: Tread lightly. (June 3, 2005) - Blogs Face Possible FEC Regulation (Fox News)
The Federal Election Commission is considering whether to require political bloggers to disclose whether they are receiving funds from a political campaign, the latest step in a larger debate over whether political activity on the Internet should be regulated by the government. (June 3, 2005) - Digital Divide Has Not Disappeared (News.com)
If you read only the big picture statistics, you might be fooled into believing that the digital divide has indeed been bridged. (June 3, 2005) - Rush Begins Podcasts (MarketWire)
Just in time for Father's Day, Rush Limbaugh's subscription-based fan club is offering the talk show host's programs as MP3 downloads. (June 3, 2005)
International
- China Regulates Online Game Content (Xinhuanet.com)
China was to release a set of new rules to vet the content of online games as part of a campaign to combat their harmful influences on the young, State media said. (June 3, 2005)
Posted by Buzz Webster at 05:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
June 02, 2005
Daily ePolitics Buzz Brief
Online Democratic activists seem to be everywhere these days...
National
- Stumping In Cyberspace (Hispanic Business)
Plus Three might be just another company had it not been for good timing and Mr. Proaño's decision to keep in touch with a former colleague who happened to be working for the DNC on a technology project. (June 2, 2005) - Feingold Campaign: Calls On "Netroots" To Help Reform Patriot Act (WisDems)
U.S. Senator Russ Feingold's Progressive Patriots Fund launched a new website today, www.progressivepatriotsfund.com, with a call for citizen co-sponsors of his efforts to protect our freedoms and reform the USA PATRIOT Act. (June 2, 2005) - RNCC Sends Nervous Memo Over DeLay ... (Common Cause)
Apparently the folks at the National Republican Congressional Committee are taking note the of 2,400 MoveOn PAC volunteers effort to deliver 470,000 petitions to 195 GOP House members today in their district offices calling for Tom DeLay to be fired. (June 2, 2005)
International
- Hansard Society Slams Parliament's Website (Silicon)
Parliament has an outdated and unhelpful website that is in desperate need of updating, according to a pro-democracy organisation. (June 2, 2005) - More Money For Broadband 'Divide' (BBC)
Extra cash to bridge the "digital divide" between areas of Wales with broadband and those without has been approved by the European Commission. (June 2, 2005) - Bloggers Take On European Elites (BBC)
Mr Chouard did not much care for the EU Constitution, but instead of simply voicing his upset to his neighbours, he wrote an essay and set up a blog to explain why he was voting 'Non'. (June 2, 2005)
Posted by Buzz Webster at 05:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
May 31, 2005
Daily ePolitics Buzz Brief
Iranian bloggers focal point of elections... and more
National
- FEC Treads Into Sticky Web Of Political Blogs (Chicago Tribune)
Web loggers, who pride themselves on freewheeling political activism, might face new federal rules on candidate endorsements, online fundraising and political ads, though bloggers who don't take money from political groups would not be affected. (May 31, 2005) - French Blogger Is EU Cause Celebre (MarketWire)
A high school teacher from Marseille has become famous across France and the blogosphere thanks to his one-person campaign against approval of the European Union constitution. (May 31, 2005) - Jeff Jarvis, On The Inside Blogging Out (Washington Post)
Jeff Jarvis, a former critic for People and TV Guide and a founding editor of Entertainment Weekly, has moved from writing for millions to blogging for thousands, slinging opinions on subjects ranging from the war on terror to car stereos. (May 31, 2005) - MoveOn.org's Anti-Catholic Paranoia (FrontPagemag.com)
Democrats lost the evangelical vote decades ago. As the last election showed, they are now in danger of permanently losing Catholics. (May 31, 2005) - The Gang Of 14, Blogged Down In The Middle (Washington Post)
It was the perfect storm for the blogosphere, an issue on which both right-wingers and left-wingers could rise up in rare unison and smite the craven offenders. (May 31, 2005) - AmericanBlog.Org Announces FREE National 50 State Blog Infrastructure (MarketWire)
The New Generation of Blogging. Bloggers, newbie writers and information seekers can now go to one site, AmericanBlog.org for information around the country, and enter the USA of blogging. (May 31, 2005)
International
- Iran Crushes Blog Spring (Wired)
Hossein Derakhshan is on tour. In the past few years, he has become the public face of Iran's beleaguered bloggers, more than a dozen of whom have been arrested for their politics. (May 31, 2005) - Hackers Attack Bali Ban Website (Boarder Mail)
Hackers have forced the partial shutdown of a website urging Australians to boycott Bali because of Schapelle Corbys conviction on drug smuggling charges (May 31, 2005) - Cambodia's Ex-king Has Computer, Will Blog (Canada.com)
Sihanouk has been a giant on the Asian political scene for 50 years. (May 31, 2005) - Bloggers Of Iran (Yahoo)
Did you know that on the eve of the Iranian presidential election, that country--with 70 percent of its population under 30--has 75,000 bloggers? (May 31, 2005)
Posted by Buzz Webster at 05:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
May 27, 2005
Ex-President Launches Website
Detained Philippine president Joseph Estrada is using the web to tell his side of the story as he awaits trial on corruption charges.
The website gives the 68-year old former president an outlet to proclaim his innocence while he remains under house arrest at his vacation villa outside Manila. If convicted on the corruption charges, Mr. Estrada could face the death penalty.
The site, www.erap.ph, contains reports on his graft case, charging that it is politically motivated, as well as an archive of statements put out by his political supporters. It also contains an e-mail address where readers can "ask the president" various questions.
Estrada, whose nickname is Erap, is being held under house arrest at his sprawling vacation house outside Manila while being tried on charges of plundering an 80-million dollar fortune during his 30 months in office.
Philippines' Estrada Takes Campaign To Cyberspace
http://www.reut ers.com/newsArticle.jhtml? type=worldNews&storyID=8572563
Detained Ex-President Estrada Launches Website To Give His Side
http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/hl/hl102122. htm
Estrada Launches Website To Air Side
http://news.inq7.net/top/in dex.php?index=1&story_id=37899
Posted by Buzz Webster at 05:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
May 25, 2005
Islamist Web Site Indicates Top Insurgent Is Badly Wounded
An Internet site used by the group Al