----------THE WEEKLY POLITICKER----------
The Newswire of Politics on the Internet
A Publication of PoliticsOnline
News, Tools, And Strategies

Phil Noble - Publisher
Laura Hammond - Editor
http://www.PoliticsOnline.com
For the Week Ending September 30, 2005
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POLITICKER STORY OF THE WEEK
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The Great Firewall of China

New Chinese regulations governing Internet news content restrict freelancing bloggers and aim to control the medium that is a growing source of information for the mainland's more than 100 million Web users. David Wolf, head of a Beijing-based media and technology consultancy summarized the impact of the new restrictions, "for current media outlets, this is nothing more than a restating of the rules, this is aimed at bloggers and other individual and ad hoc journalists that are out there and that don't have a licensed organization."

China has a troop of cyber police who patrol the Internet for inappropriate content. Postings that violate Government restrictions are quickly removed and their web site owners are fined up to 30,000 yuans (3,000 euros).

The timely release of Reporters Without Borders’ Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents, offers advice to bloggers who want to protect themselves from censorship. The handbook is available for download in five languages, including Chinese.
http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=542

Related Articles:
China Tightens Its Restrictions for News Media on the Internet
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/26/international/asia/26china.html?th&emc=th

China Sets new Rules on Internet News
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/25/AR2005092500310.html

'Great Firewall': China's Model for a Censored Net
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0925china-internet25.html

China Hits Blogs Where it Hurts
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/09/26/china_bans_blogs/

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POLITICKER HEADLINES
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U.S. NEWS
--The Technorati Candidate
--Law Officials Seek to Shut Down Rita Scams
--Online Fundraising Could Threaten Clinton
--Katrina Spurs Internet Election
--Ghost Writing Blogs: An Oxymoron
--Military Tightens Use of Electronic Media

E-GOVERNMENT NEWS
--Ease of Forging E-Documents Cause For Alarm
--USA Services E-Gov Initiative Seeks to Answer Citizens’ Questions

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
--Branding Uganda Online
--ASEAN to Establish Shared Internet News Portal
--Internet Challenges Moroccan Censors
--Bangladesh seeks Loan for Internet Project
--Internet Causes Political Unrest in the Arab World

HOTSITE:
Pickled Politics

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK
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"Many political experts argue that the growth of online fund-raising – where people can contribute on impulse – undercuts the importance of early money and paves the way for a (dark horse) to overcome the advantages of a frontrunner.”
--Campaigns & Elections
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/9/28/153833.shtml

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STAT OF THE WEEK
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Presidential Politics and Internet Connection Speed

• Eight states had broadband penetration over 35% - all voted for John Kerry in 2004
• Eleven states had broadband penetration at or below 20% - all voted for George Bush in 2004
• Cumulative broadband penetration in states that voted for Kerry was 33% - compared to 25% in states that voted for Bush
http://www.webpronews.com/news/ebusinessnews/wpn-45-20050928PresidentialPoliticsAndBroadband.html

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U.S. NEWS
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The Technorati Candidate
(Tech Central Station) In the Democratic primary for New York City Public Advocate, Andrew Rasiej found out that it was possible to win the blogger vote, and still lose the popular vote. For the two months leading up to the primary election on September 13, Rasiej captured the hearts and minds of bloggers, but on election day received only 5% of the vote.
http://www.techcentralstation.com/092305B.html

Law Officials Seek to Shut Down Rita Scams
(Cape Cod Times) In a spree mirroring the online gold rush that accompanied Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, online speculators are scooping up hundreds of Hurricane Rita-related Web domain names, and Rita-themed Internet auctions have sprung up. The quick proliferation of questionable activities has led the federal government to partner with Internet service providers, computer security companies and anti-spam groups to shut down owners of fraudulent sites.
http://www.capecodonline.com/cctimes/lawofficials24.htm

Online Fundraising Could Threaten Clinton
(News Max) Senator Hillary Clinton is virtually certain to lead other Democrats in fund-raising far ahead of the 2008 presidential primaries, but she might not hold that lead by the time the election rolls around – thanks to the Internet. Traditionally, the candidate who wins the money primary also goes on to receive the party’s nomination, but Online fundraising threatens this.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/9/28/153833.shtml

Katrina Spurs Internet Election
(Techtarget) With residents displaced and dispersed throughout Louisiana and the United States, the city of New Orleans is considering providing Internet-based voting fort its residents in the February mayoral election.
http://searchcio.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid19_gci1129153,00.html

Ghost Writing Blogs: An Oxymoron
A well-known conservative political and religious blogger is offering to ghost write corporate blogs, upsetting the point of blogging--to chronicle the original thoughts, opinions and knowledge of the writer, and to have that writer engage in conversation with readers. While companies and politicians have hired others to write their blogs, this has always been disclosed, until now.
Contributed by Bob Pyke Jr.
http://thelanguageartist.com/services/ghost

Military Tightens Use of Electronic Media
(Boston Globe) Amid allegations that some soldiers snapped close-up photos of corpses in Iraq and posted them on a pornographic site in order to receive free access, the Pentagon has tightened guidelines governing the use of photography, e-mail, Web logs, and other electronic media by US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2005/09/29/military_tightens_use_of_electronic_media/

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E-GOVERNMENT NEWS
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Ease of Forging E-Documents Cause For Alarm
(Chosun) E-government documents and private-sector certificates available online are simple to fake, as confirmed by a South Korean Newspaper. The Chosun witnessed an Internet security firm forge documents of the National Tax Service and the Human Resources Development Service and a university graduation certificate within minutes.
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200509/200509270020.html

USA Services E-Gov Initiative Seeks to Answer Citizens’ Questions
(Federal Computer Week) Federal officials collected comments on proposed rules for agencies' handling of citizens' e-mailed questions. The rules are part of USA Services, one of the Bush administration's e-government initiatives, and are necessary because some agency employees simply do not answer citizen e-mail messages.
http://www.fcw.com/article90903-09-26-05-Print

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
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Branding Uganda Online
Starting this October, millions of television viewers around the world will be shown a different picture of Uganda, away from war, disease, corruption, major criticisms that have seen the country's image abroad take a nosedive in the last few months. Uganda has sealed a $1 million deal with CNN called ‘Brand Uganda’ which will include sponsorship and advertising on the Inside Africa show on CNN, CNN Online and CNN Travel Magazine.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200509250291.html

***QUESTION TO OUR READERS***
Hiring PR firms to campaign and buy ad space to promote a country’s image is not unusual –Following 9/11 Middle Eastern countries rushed to take out advertising space to tackle image problems in the United States-- what is unusual is that Uganda’s campaign includes an online advertising piece. Do you know of any other online country advertising buys? Submit your ideas to editor@politicsonline.com.

ASEAN to Establish Shared Internet News Portal
(New Kerala) The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) will launch a common electronic news portal this month to serve as a bridge connecting people, businesses and governments in the region.
http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=25879

Internet Challenges Moroccan Censors
(The Daily Star) In Morocco, where the regime has severely constrained, controlled or silenced independent print media through direct and indirect censorship, the Internet has become an important instrument for unrestricted flows of information, which in turn is leading to the emergence of a more vibrant public sphere.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=18776

Bangladesh seeks Loan for Internet Project
(Digital Opportunity) The government of Bangladesh is seeking a $25 million soft loan to improve its internet infrastructure with a goal of providing high speed internet service across the country.
http://www.digitalopportunity.org/article/view/119365/1/1138

Internet Causes Political Unrest in the Arab World
(Media Channel) Arab governments appear determined to censor cyber-critics and silence unwelcome online voices. They've jailed bloggers, blocked Web sites and asked Internet cafe owners to spy on their customers. But it's not working. Online forums have been embraced by Islamists and the Arab world's underground. The Internet has turned into a virtual debate hall crammed with lengthy screeds and calls for rebellion.
http://mediachannel.org/blog/node/1183

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HOTSITE OF THE WEEK
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Pickling Politics In Britain

http://www.pickledpolitics.com/

By: Laura Hammond

Addressing the need for the Muslim community to create a new voice, separate from the religious organizations which claim to speak for the majority in Britain, Salman Rushdie has launched Pickled Politics, a blog-based Web site for progressive British Asian voices.

The site’s first post clarifies, “[current perception] suits the self-appointed religious leaders but they neither represent the younger, more progressive generations, nor the women, being typically male dominated organizations. Pickled Politics is here to provide a new range of progressive voices that previously, we feel, were not being represented. We want to change the way Asians are perceived and want to take our own community forward.”
View the Press Release:
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_050910pickle.shtml

Political spin: As the Internet is increasingly being used as a megaphone for marginalized groups; we need to ensure that someone is listening, when groups shout out.

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Want More News? For the rest of what happened on the web this week visit http://www.PoliticsOnline.com
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Laura Hammond compiled this Weekly PoliTicker.
Please send comments to editor@politicsonline.com
http://www.PoliticsOnline.com
News, Tools, And Strategies

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