Check out http://auda.org.au/domain-news/dn-news for the latest domain news. By close of business Melbourne time on 24 November, a more recent edition of the news should be posted to the auDA web site. The domain name news is supported by auDA. **************** DOMAIN NAMES **************** Study Shows Australians May Pay Too Much for Domain Names (news release) A new study reveals that some Australian registrars charge three times more than others for a single domain name registration. The study not only compares costs but also covers how people choose their registrars. http://prweb.com/releases/2005/11/prweb312596.htm http://domainnamestudy.com/ eu: Study by Names § Work Reveals Small European Trademark Holders could Pose Problem for Major U.S. Brands in .EU (news release) The Sunrise Period for .EU could leave U.S. brands disappointed. Excel.eu could go to a penile prosthesis manufacturer, Powerpoint.eu to a fishing hook manufacturer. Cybersquatters aren?t the problem for a change. http://prweb.com/releases/2005/11/prweb311766.htm World businesses and Internet users seeking non-English domain names Had the Internet been invented in China, you'd need some fluency in Chinese to type Web addresses. But as a U.S. invention, the Internet's lingua franca is English. http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051119/BUSINESS/511190334/ Implementation of Internationalized Top Level Domains As previously announced, IDN workshop will be held during the ICANN Vancouver meeting. Accordingly, ICANN is posting the candidate papers received in response to its earlier call for papers. The papers will be vetted for presentation by a technical panel being appointed by ICANN. http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-17nov05.htm us: Domain names are on the bubble Housing bubbles are a hot topic these days. Some pundits say South Florida is experiencing a bubble that's about to burst, while others remain bullish. Now the debate has reached cyberspace. Last week, an industrious eBay seller listed two domain names he had purchased to capitalize on the bubble craze: HousingBubble.com and HousingBubble.net. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/realestate/sfl-0620bubble,0,3536909.story Verisign on verge of agreement with ICANN ICANN is on the verge of reaching agreement in its long-standing discussion with Verisign. A draft agreement has been reached and exposed for public comment on the parties? websites. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/UNID/F00A43E98B858F25CC2570BC007AC971 us: AIT's .org Domains Go Missing Dozens of .org domains deleted and placed in redemption; AIT requests PIR to immediately restore service to affected customers, while ICANN investigates. http://www.webhosting.info/news/1/aits-.org-domains-go-missing_1117059088.htm Domain registry scammer sent to prison An internet fraudster who ran a series of domain name scams was sentenced to six years in prison by Peterborough Crown Court yesterday after being found guilty of fraudulent trading, attempted blackmail and making threats to kill. http://www.out-law.com/page-6352 http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/79927/british-domain-scammer-jailed-for-six-years.html http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/17/spammer_jailed/ http://www.nominet.org.uk/News/PressReleases/2005PressReleases/InternetScammerPeter...evenOutOfNineCharges.html Canadians carve out their own domain Even though the dot-com boom went bust in 2000, the .com suffix still dominates the Web in Canada -- at least for now. Data from the Whois Source (whois.sc) reports that as of yesterday, nearly 45 million domain names currently active around the world use the .com suffix or "top level domain," while about seven million use .net, and four million use .org. Dot-com remains the heavyweight champion in Canada, too, with more than 1.3 million registrations from this country to date. http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20051117.gtdomainnov17/BNStory/Technology/ auDA signs new Registry Licence Agreement with AusRegistry Future profits from org.au and asn.au sales to fund Australian Internet user organisations http://auda.org.au/news.php?newsid=51 UK "Most Wanted" Domain Name Nicked It's something that should have been done years ago - a Most Wanted website for UK criminals on the run. But the people behind this bold new idea didn't counter on two things. http://www.boostmarketing.com/UK-"Most-Wanted"-Domain-Name-Nicked_s1156.html ********************* WSIS & GOVERNANCE ********************* Essential test for UN net summit Building a global information society that is fair, equitable, and accessible to everyone is a daunting challenge that is going to take years to achieve. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4451950.stm Controversy blights UN net summit A crucial UN summit on expanding net access around the world has ended in Tunis marred by controversy over censorship and who runs the internet. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4450474.stm http://globetechnology.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20051118.gtnetnov18/BNStory/Technology/ UN net summit diary: Day three Indian journalist Amit Jain is in Tunis for the World Summit on the Information Society and is writing about his experiences for the BBC News website. Based in Singapore, he is a correspondent for The Straits Times. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4449082.stm Five More Years! There Was No "Deal" and WSIS Resolved Nothing by Milton Mueller The basic problem posed by WSIS was the role of national governments and national sovereignty in global Internet governance. That conflict remains completely unresolved by the WSIS document. http://www.circleid.com/posts/no_deal_wsis_resolved_nothing/ The WSIS Deal by Michael Geist There is considerable coverage last week on the last minute WSIS deal struck. The gist of the coverage rightly reports that the U.S. emerged with the compromise they were looking for as the delegates agreed to retain ICANN and the ultimate U.S. control that comes with it (note that there is a lot in the WSIS statement that may ultimately prove important but that is outside the Internet governance issue including the attention paid to cybercrime, spam, data protection, and e-commerce). This outcome begs the questions ? what happened? And, given the obvious global split leading up to Tunis, what changed to facilitate this deal? http://michaelgeist.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1010 The WSIS Stocktaking Report Launched The WSIS Stocktaking Report has been officially launched during WSIS. The report has been prepared on the basis of activities entered to the WSIS Stocktaking Database that by November 2005 contained more then 2500 entries. http://www.itu.int/osg/spu/newslog/The+WSIS+Stocktaking+Report+Launched+.aspx InternetNZ cautiously welcomes WSIS outcome (news release) ?In the end, this is an outcome which New Zealand Internet users should be comfortable with - but the devil is in the detail,? said InternetNZ president Colin Jackson today, responding to news of a deal agreed by governments at the World Summit on the Information Society, currently being held in Tunisia. http://internetnz.net.nz/news/2005-11-17-wsis-outcome.htm EU Pleased With Internet Agreement A world information society summit ended largely the way it began -- with the EU unable to loosen America's grip on the domain-name system that guides internet traffic. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1781769,00.html EU brokers deal on progressive internationalisation of Internet governance at Tunis World Summit A worldwide political agreement providing for further internationalisation of Internet governance, and enhanced intergovernmental cooperation to this end, was brokered at the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis last night. The compromise text agreed was based largely on EU proposals presented in the discussions since June. As a first important element of the agreement, a new international Internet Governance Forum (IGF) will be created to deliberate among governments, the private sector and civil society at large in a multi-stakeholder policy dialogue related to Internet Governance. A first meeting of this Forum will be convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations by the second quarter of 2006 and take place in Greece. The texts agreed in Tunis also include language that will allow for enhanced cooperation among governments, on an equal footing, on public policy issues. Such cooperation should include the development of globally applicable principles on public policy issues associated with the coordination and management of critical Internet resources. This cooperation will make use of relevant international organisations. There was also a consensus in Tunis yesterday that countries should not be involved in decisions regarding another country?s Top Level Domain, thus meeting requests made, in particular, by the EU in the negotiations. http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/05/1433 CENTR on WSIS (news release) CENTR fully shares the view expressed by UN Secteray General Kofi Annan that "Day to day management of the Internet must be left to technical institutions" which should be "shielded from the heat of politics". http://www.centr.org/docs/2005/11/WSISpressreleases.pdf Technology Summit Wraps Up in Tunisia A crucial summit on expanding Internet access around the world ended Friday with a firm promise to narrow the digital divide _ but little in government funding to make it happen. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/18/AR2005111800212.html Keep the Internet Free Delegates from around the world will gather next week in Tunisia for what is known as WSIS. Few people are aware of WSIS's existence, its mission or the purpose of this conference. That is unfortunate, since the principal agenda item calls for a wholesale change in governance of the Internet that could lead to a significant setback for global freedom of information. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/11/AR2005111101408.html US fighting to remain master of its domains WASHINGTON has emerged as the winner in a bitter international struggle for control of the global internet, at least for now. The tense final scenes in the latest round of the two-year web war were played out this week at the World Summit on the Information Society in the Tunisian capital Tunis, a UN talkfest attended by more than 50 heads of government and as many as 15,000 officials. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17289174%255E28737,00.html The bust-up in Tunisia A civil liberties watchdog made headlines three years ago when it named Tunisian President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali a "predator of press freedom." http://news.com.com/The+bust-up+in+Tunisia/2008-1028_3-5961545.html Another U.N. Internet rift develops A brief cessation of hostilities between the United States and its critics on Internet management is raising a new question: Who's in charge next? http://news.com.com/Another+U.N.+Internet+rift+develops/2100-1038_3-5958623.html FAQ: Tunisia summit and Internet governance Thousands of representatives of national governments, corporations and nonprofit organizations began meeting here Wednesday for a summit that was expected to decide the future of Internet management. http://news.com.com/FAQ+Tunisia+summit+and+Internet+governance/2100-1028_3-5956561.html Our man at ICANN keeps internet civil war at bay What if the internet broke down? Imagine if one morning you turned on your computer and the whole thing just didn't work any more - what would happen to companies, stocks, indeed entire industries that have been created in the past decade (including my world of online journalism)? http://theage.com.au/articles/2005/11/19/1132017020359.html Expression Under Repression at WSIS Rebecca MacKinnon and Ethan Zuckerman hosted "Expression Under Repression," a workshop at the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis (for more on that, please check out these blog posts). Rebecca and Ethan are co-founders of Global Voices, a blog that features citizen journalists from around the world. They also maintain a wiki-based index of bridge-bloggers, people who speak and write from one culture for another, and they develop tools, techniques, and teaching materials to help journalists and activists around the world to express themselves through the medium of blogs. http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/home/home?wid=10&func=viewSubmission&sid=855 Open Net Initiative reports on filtering in Tunisia The Open Net Initiative (ONI) has released its report on filtering by the Tunisian government. The report finds that the Tunisian government uses American software to filter political speech it disagrees with, and to limit access to proxies and anonymizers which might allow Tunisian citizens to access political speech or other blocked information. This approach directly conflicts with the supposed goals of the Tunisian government, and with the supposed goals of WSIS. http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/home/home?wid=10&func=viewSubmission&sid=854 WSIS Reinforces the Regional Internet Registries The Number Resource Organization (NRO) is satisfied with the result of the WSIS. It is a positive result that the role of governments inside the area of Internet governance has been clearly defined,and that there is a clear decision for governments not to become involved in the daily operational and technical matters of the Internet.This result,while recognising the importance of full involvement of all stakeholders, allows for the continued successful operation of the Internet and is a successful outcome for the Internet community as a whole. http://nro.net/archive/press-releases/wsis-20051117.html Global Cooperation is Key to the Stability of the Internet, Say Internet Community Organisations at WSIS Many of the Internet community organisations that enable the processes for the development and administration of the Internet will host the ?Internet Pavilion? (stand 1323) at the ?ICT 4 all? exhibition at WSIS. http://nro.net/archive/press-releases/wsis-20051114.html US reaches Net detente with UN The Bush administration and its critics at a United Nations summit in Tunisia have inked a broad agreement on global Internet management that will preclude any dramatic showdown this week. http://zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/US_reaches_Net_detente_with_UN/0,2000061791,39222977,00.htm Agreement on web crime-fighting forum Negotiators have agreed to set up a global forum to discuss online crime, but appeared unlikely to resolve a dispute about control of the Internet ahead of a UN technology summit. http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411419/627653 Internet Repression Casts Pall on Web Summit (news release) As WSIS opens today in Tunis, Tunisia continues to jail individuals for expressing their opinions on the Internet and suppress Web sites critical of the government. The government has detained critical online writers and has blocked Web sites that publish reports of human rights abuses in the country. http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/11/15/mena12011.htm Tunisia: Government repression ?making a mockery? of WSIS (news release) The Tunisian government?s continuing clampdown on human rights defenders and its intolerance of domestic critics threatens to make a mockery of a major UN-sponsored international summit being held in Tunis this week, according to Amnesty International. http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE300232005 Hollow words on human rights at UN Information Society Summit The information revolution, spurred by unprecedented new advances in information and communication technologies, has transformed the way we think, work, socialize and communicate. http://web.amnesty.org/pages/393-141105-feature-eng The 15 enemies of the Internet and other countries to watch Reporters Without Borders marks the WSIS by presenting 15 countries that are ?enemies of the Internet? and pointing to a dozen others whose attitude to it is worrying. http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=15613 ICANN Controversy Is Just the Beginning Opinion: There is a tug of war being waged for control of the Internet, and this week's international skirmish over domain naming is just a sign of the times. http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1888417,00.asp http://www.optusnet.com.au/news/story/abc/20051120/10/tech/1510450.inp World Summit blog: Buses, toilets and fear WSIS Tunis Was there ever a more evil form of transport than a bus? They are so convincing. You can carry a lot of people and they can go wherever you want. Trains and trams are on tracks, cars are too small and cramped. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/17/wsis_blog_four/ WSIS: Secret police, hunger and booze Secret policemen: you miss 'em when they're gone. It seems most people shipped out of Tunis soon after the closing ceremony ended around 7pm. When I got back to my hotel around 10pm, there was only one secret policeman standing guard and he didn't even bother to inspect my badge. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/20/wsis_blog_five/ Who Should Control the Internet? Just You and I: Matthew Lynn Last week, government delegates at a summit in Tunisia gathered to ponder Internet regulation. Right now, a lot of people think the Web is controlled by the U.S. The European Union would like a slice of that action. So, too, would the United Nations. http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000039&refer=columnist_lynn&sid=aU5tmmLkiJpY World Summit on the Information Society Hailed as Resounding Success (news release) http://www.itu.int/wsis/newsroom/press_releases/wsis/2005/18nov.html World Summit on the Information Society Opens in Tunis (news release) http://www.itu.int/wsis/newsroom/press_releases/wsis/2005/16nov.html Agreement brokered at the World Summit on the Information Society (news release) http://www.itu.int/wsis/newsroom/press_releases/wsis/2005/16novpc3.html Civil Society groups reflect on WSIS process As the WSIS summit draws to a close, civil society groups are reflecting on the past but also looking at the road ahead. In a gathering organised by the CRIS Campaign on Friday afternoon, key participants of the civil society processes of the past 4 years proposed ways of keeping up the pressure and making sure that the visions that were developed around the WSIS process will be implemented. The event highlighted a wide variety of projects that will keep civil society actors busy during the upcoming months and years. http://worldsummit2005.de/en/web/835.htm The panel I never attended As the summit had reached its final hours, I intended to select carefully which event I should attend at this afternoon?s last time slot for parallel events. My choice was the panel "IS & sustainable development" which was announced to take place in the room "Sidi Bou Said" at 15:00. http://worldsummit2005.de/en/web/837.htm The WSIS "High Level Panel" The High Level Panel on ICT for Development turned out to be not so "high level" after all. A closer look on the less pretentious parallel events sometimes can be much more worthwhile than just striving for the big titles. An event by the Swedish Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) focused on the same issues and certainly gave more answers. http://worldsummit2005.de/en/web/834.htm "Art and Free Knowledge" event in Tunis When Richard Stallman and Gilberto Gil sing a duet...then we are probably not at the WSIS government plenary but at a summit side-event. "The Third Paradise" is a series of events on art and free knowledge, taking place at an impressive traditional building in the old town of Tunis. On Thursday evening, free software hero Richard Stallman and the Brazilian singer and Minister of Culture Gilberto Gil met each other for a memorable encounter. http://worldsummit2005.de/en/web/833.htm One long month of hunger strike for three basic democratic objectives Freedom of speech and press, Freedom of Association, Freeing political prisoners. This is not asked for much, it is a minimum standard for a working democracy. Is it? Apparently it is too much to ask for in a regime such as Tunisia. What we experience these days is just the tip of the ice berg: Eight opposition leaders were so desperate in their situation to start a hunger strike on 18 October - that?s about 30 days ago - to call for help and international support and attention. The situation is serious. One of the strikers fainted and was brought to hospital last Monday at the very hour, when some German civil society representatives had a chance to visit the scene and speak to the people. http://worldsummit2005.de/en/web/831.htm The citizens summit is dead ? long live the citizens summit! The Tunisian authorities have done all they can to prevent civil society events outside the Kram exhibition centre. But on Wednesday and Thursday, civil society activists finally succeeded in getting the upper hand against state repression. A press conference to announce the cancellation of the Citizens Summit (CSIS) transformed into a major human rights event and was followed on the next day by a rally by oppositional groups. http://worldsummit2005.de/en/web/830.htm Summit Agenda switching to ?ICT and development? With the final Tunis documents surprisingly being adopted in Tuesday night?s session, the so far dominant summit agenda of Internet Governance now suddenly seems to switch again to the development aspects of ICT. As countries make their final statements to the 2-year process, the development agenda regains its urgency. http://worldsummit2005.de/en/web/829.htm "Visions in Process II" released at World Summit A new book brings together assessments by women from around the world who have been involved in various civil society constituencies created during the WSIS process. Their contributions reflect on controversies within the discourses of governments and civil society on issues that lie at the core of the summit?s declared vision of a people-centred, development-oriented, and inclusive Information Society: human rights, development and participation. The publication was released today at the parallel event "Towards a sustainable and inclusive Knowledge Society. How to get there from WSIS?", organized by the Heinrich B?ll Foundation. http://worldsummit2005.de/en/web/828.htm Second WSIS summit officially opened The second WSIS has started. On Wednesday, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and Tunisian President Ben Ali opened what has been named the "summit of solutions". Swiss President Samuel Schmid and civil society representative Shirin Ebadi openly criticized the Tunsian authorities for their repressive acts against local and international civil society. http://worldsummit2005.de/en/web/827.htm Negotiations finished - Summit opened The governmental negotiations have - to the surprise of many observers - now already been finished last night, twelve hours before the summit was opened. Civil society groups have started preparing their own summit statement, which will be presented on Friday. http://www.itu.int/wsis/documents/doc_multi.asp?lang=en&id=2266|0 http://www.itu.int/wsis/documents/doc_multi.asp?lang=en&id=2267|0 Negotiations closer to agreement Consensus on Internet Governance Forum and - almost - ICANN oversight 15 November 2005. The PrepCom negotiations today have led to important steps forward an agreement. While governments are still struggling about the question of who gets political oversight over the technical core of the Internet, there is consensus now on the establishment of an ?Internet Governance Forum?. http://worldsummit2005.de/en/web/825.htm ?Abnormal Circumstances?" Civil Society Organisations cancel events, protesting human rights violations in Tunisia In reaction to the human rights violations yesterday in Tunis, many civil society organisations decided to cancel their long-prepared panels at WSIS today in solidarity with the Tunisian civil society. Yesterday, two private civil society meetings in Tunis have been prevented or hindered by the police. Human rights activists and journalists have been harassed, and websites, including the one of the Citizens Summit on the Information Society (CSIS), have been blocked inside of Tunisia. Statement by the CSIS organizing group: http://worldsummit2005.de/en/web/822.htm Broadcast Media in the Information Society? One day before the start of the WSIS summit, the World Electronic Media Forum has opened its doors. The Forum, which takes place within the summit compound and as an official parallel event, is a two-day conference to highlight the important role of traditional media in the information society. Critical voices, however, will be rare at this mainstream media event. http://worldsummit2005.de/en/web/823.htm Meeting Tunisian civil society ? and Tunisian secret police Participants of a workshop organized by the Heinrich Boell Foundation and the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women have experienced the everyday reality of social-political activism under an authoritarian repressive regime. At least 40-50 plain-clothes police and security agents blocked the entrance of the building where the meeting was to take place, pushed away by-standers, and generated an atmosphere of intimidation. Meanwhile, seven human rights activists are still on hunger strike. http://worldsummit2005.de/en/web/820.htm Tunisian authorities escalate conflict with civil society As the WSIS summit draws closer, the Tunisian authorities are continuing to prevent any civil society events taking place outside the summit compound. This morning, Tunisian police blocked the Goethe Institut where a preparation meeting for the Citizens Summit was to take place. Even the head of the German government delegation was not allowed to access the building. The delegations of the European Union are showing active support to the Citizens Summit. http://worldsummit2005.de/en/web/819.htm US retains control of domain name system The United States will maintain control of the domain name system that guides traffic around the Internet under an agreement adopted at a United Nations technology summit. http://abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200511/s1508523.htm http://go.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=10300504 http://theage.com.au/news/National/Internet-remains-in-independent-hands/2005/11/19/1132017012970.html http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3481952a6026,00.html http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3481952a28,00.html http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1887748,00.asp http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051120/BUSINESS/511200329/ http://www.localtechwire.com/article.cfm?u=12755 http://www.gulf-news.com/Articles/BusinessNF.asp?ArticleID=193059 http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=31&art_id=qw1132142972628B232 http://www.arnnet.com.au/index.php/id;479844609;fp;2;fpid;1 http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1548474,00020020.htm http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1888230,00.asp http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/articles/1993197.html http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,175717,00.html http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=1326664 UN summit examines Internet governance, Global reach WSIS sponsored by the United Nations for expanding Internet access around the world held in Tunisia between 16 to 18 November 2005 ended Friday with resolutions to narrow the digital divide and to increase access to children in the third world. Few committed funding for this ambitious vision. Questions related to continued control of the Internet by US-based private sector non-profit entity ICANN dominated the pre-conference discussions. http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=79&artid=16375 Digital divide a focus at close of Net summit A U.N. summit this week made progress in narrowing the technology gap between rich and poor countries, participants said, despite rich nations' reluctance to contribute to a development fund pushed by African states. http://go.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=10335761 Internet still all about U.S. and English But for how long? Delegates to a summit take steps toward letting an international body have more of a say http://www.sltrib.com/ci_3234739 Preserving the essence of the net Technology commentator Bill Thompson wonders whether the choice of Tunisia to host the UN net summit was designed to make a wider point. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4448564.stm The internet and political will by Bill Thompson I?ve been at WSIS for the past four days, but with no time to write anything much, though I did do eight separate interviews for bits of the BBC and made two programmes with the Go Digital team, so I wasn?t just sitting around. Others - like Kieren and Alastair helped make it all bearable, and Jo was a complete star, filing vast amounts of copy under deadline. http://p2pnet.net/story/7049 Cuba, Iran lash out at Internet freedom Cuba, Iran and African governments lashed out at the U.S. government this week, charging that the Internet permits too much free speech and that the way it is managed must be reformed immediately. http://news.com.com/Cuba,+Iran+lash+out+at+Internet+freedom/2100-1028_3-5960298.html The spoilers and the web "The situation can certainly be criticised but the proposed remedies seem much worse," said the Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontieres, not exactly the first organisation that you would expect to rally to the US government's position. "If there was ever a time to invoke the maxim If it ain't broke, don't fix it, this is it," said Joseph A Morris, a Chicago-based lawyer who watched Internet law evolve from a ringside seat as a senior official at the US Justice Department. Both were alarmed by the changes that are being considered in Tunis. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_opinion?id=117354031 Three Issues Hotly Debated To Bridge Digital Divide The just-concluded second phase of WSIS that brought together political, business and NGOs, saw three main issues hotly debated to bridge the digital divide between the rich and poor countries. http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news_lite.php?id=166113 WSIS Ends On Mixed Note WSIS concluded Friday night with claims of success by the United Nations, governments and the private sector, but civil society refused to wholeheartedly embrace its outcome. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511200112.html Negotiations At Summit Eases Internet Tension Negotiators at the just-concluded second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunisia defused a confrontation between the United States and countries, which accuse the super power of controlling the Internet. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511200143.html PanAfrica: Activists Give a Crash Course in Overcoming Electronic Hurdles Domestic concerns of political stability, societal values and national security provided the core debate at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) that concluded in Tunis Friday. The debate over who would govern the Internet pitted countries fighting for preserving "communal morals" against those attempting to protect "freedom of expression". That debate goes on, but it has become ... http://allafrica.com/stories/200511200113.html Civil Society Joins in Celebrations, After All Though failing to get its alternative Citizen's Summit off the ground, and being disappointed by certain decisions at the World Summit on the Information Society and at repression by the Tunisian government, civil society groups joined officials and businessmen Friday in celebrating the outcome of the meeting, perhaps the last United Nations Summit for years to come. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511200111.html WSIS 'Missing Gender' The gender caucus has observed with disappointment that WSIS documents do not pay enough attention to gender issues. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511180169.html WSIS Delegates Recount ICT Success Stories Several African delegations at WSIS in Tunis, have been outlining steps taken toward using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for development in their respective countries. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511180168.html WSIS Should Bring Hope to Rural Areas, Says Obasanjo President Olusegun Obasanjo says the WSIS should usher in hope to rural communities. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511180058.html 30 Ugandans to Attend Wsis Summit In Kampala, 30 Ugandans among them government officials, business people from the private sector, civil society organisations and the academia will be going to the Tunisian capital for the summit. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511180708.html Big Business Shine At Information Society Summit Heads of state issue eloquent policy statements at the gold-domed compound of the 176-nation summit. Vocal civil society groups and the best of academia are engaged in debates. They have the words, but the real action lies at a glittering pavilion, where the latest goods, gadget and systems are exhibited by the likes of Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, Nokia and many others. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511180041.html 'Internet Must Be a Public Facility' Civil society will now have a formal role to play in Internet governance through the newly set up Internet Governance Forum, even if the views of the forum will not be binding. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511180586.html More Internet, Less Poverty? Building a bridge across the digital divide might not be the smooth path to poverty reduction that many people believe. As many as 17,000 people from around the world are attending this United Nations conference targeted at closing the now famous divide, the gap in access to the Internet and other information age tools (and skills) between rich and poor countries, and even within nations. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170732.html 'Western States Abuse Internet' ZIMBABWE is concerned that information communication technology (ICT) continues to be used negatively - mainly by developed countries - to undermine national sovereignty, social and cultural values, President Mugabe said here yesterday. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170735.html Governments Sidelined By Civil Society At WSIS? World leaders and high-level government representatives are taking a backseat to business leaders and civil society representatives at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) which will wrap up here Friday. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170733.html tn: Country's Human Rights Record On the Spotlight Again With a solidarity visit to a group of Tunisian hunger strikers, non governmental organisations Thursday continued their efforts to highlight Tunisia's human rights record. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170731.html No New Oversight for Internet Management, Summit Agrees The United States and 170 other countries reached agreement on future management of the Internet on the eve of the United Nations-sponsored WSIS in Tunis, Tunisia, November 16-18. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170118.html US Maintains Role in Internet Governance Following a summit agreement inviting the United Nations Secretary General to convene a new forum to foster multi-stakeholder policy dialogue on internet governance, the United States government yesterday insisted it had not given up its role in the governance of the internet. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170838.html No Winners, No Losers - ICANN Boss If anyone thought they had come out victorious in a debate on internet governance, it was not the President and Chief Executive Officer for the ICANN, Paul Twomey. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170836.html South Africa: Decisions Should Be Inclusive, Says Mbeki President Thabo Mbeki says decisions to be taken at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) must be inclusive and reflect earlier resolutions to build a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented information society. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170622.html Diogo Wants Concrete Results On Information Technologies Mozambican Prime Minister Luisa Diogo said in Tunis on Wednesday, at the opening of the World Summit on the Information Society, that the meeting and its participants should commit themselves seriously to helping developing countries, such as Mozambique, to have more access to the information necessary for their development. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170615.html NGOs Disappointed With Declaration on Internet Governance Civil society groups have reacted with disappointment at the decision to leave control of the Internet in the hands of the United States. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170550.html A Little Could Go a Long Way for Technological Education Two African leaders launched a public appeal Wednesday for support to a global fund for community-based communication projects. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170544.html Kagame Back From Tunis President Paul Kagame has returned from the Second WSIS in the Tunisian Capital, Tunis.On his return Kagame said that government had distributed computers to most schools in the country and extended fibre optic connections to all provinces. He also disclosed that Rwanda was focusing http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170774.html Internet Organisations Welcome Internet Governance Forum Seven global internet organizations exhibiting their work at the Kram Palexpo Tunis, as part of WSIS have welcomed the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) proposed at the Summit. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511180707.html WSIS By Numbers The figure includes delegations attending plenary and parallel events as well as various exhibitors at the ICT 4 all Exhibition. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511180585.html Tunisia: Free Expression Protest Tunisia, which is currently hosting the WSIS, is one of the most advanced African countries in provision of information infrastructure. But it also systematically represses internal dissent and blocks access to websites critical of the government. As the summit opened this week, Tunisian human rights activists were on hunger strike and international activists were protesting the government's refusal to allow freedom of expression. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511180869.html Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Development Gateway Launch Arabic Language Portal on Development (news release) Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) and the Development Gateway Foundation today unveiled plans for a new Arabic language web portal on development. The portal, a preview of which was presented at the World Summit on the Information Society, aims to address the existing shortage of development information for the Arab World. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170703.html Media Enemies to Share UN Spotlight At least two enemies of media freedom will share the spotlight at this week's United Nations meeting dedicated to making the information age accessible to all the world's people. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170549.html UN Summit to Serve the People? Now that the world's powers have agreed to stop squabbling over control of the Internet (for now), will the more than 10,000 people here for this week's United Nations forum focus on creating an information society for all people? http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170548.html Divisions Open Up Ahead of WSIS Summit Last-minute negotiations are seeking to narrow the wide divisions that have emerged on governance of the Internet and the 'digital divide' between nations. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170547.html Civil Society Finds Poor Welcome at WSIS Summit in Tunis A day ahead of the official opening of WSIS here, civil society representatives are said to be "stressed and frightened" by an escalation of intimidation by the Tunisian authorities. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170546.html Summit Starts in Tunisia, Controversial Consensus Maintains Internet Status Quo WSIS kicked off Wednesday with a compromise document approved unanimously after several months of fruitless negotiations. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170545.html Civil Society Vows to Make Best of Consolation Prize It was not what they had set out to accomplish, but civil society groups gathered here to discuss Internet governance and development, are vowing to make the best of the deal that was struck. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170543.html U.S. Fights to Remain the Ultimate Webmaster International efforts to break down the digital barriers facing the world's poor will backfire if governments fail to work out their differences on the issue of internet governance, diplomatic observers here say. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170542.html The NCA & National Development The frequency spectrum is a "natural resource" like gold ore, crude oil, uranium ore and other unrefined resources found in the wild - including wild animals. The frequency spectrum ranges from the infra red frequencies through radio frequencies to high energy ones like x-rays or gamma rays. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170335.html Head of State Calls for Rise, Consolidation of New Knowledge Society Angolan head of State Jos? Eduardo dos Santos on Wednesday in Tunis appealed to his fellow countrymen to "dare and be determined" to create in the country the conditions leading to the emergence and consolidation of a new era of the Society of Knowledge. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170282.html Last Chance at WSIS to Bridge Digital Divide Opportunity now beckons on Nigeria and Africa, a continent leaving at the outskirt of digital revolution to change it fortunes. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170231.html World Summit Agrees On Status Quo for Internet Governance WSIS has reached an agreement on future governance of the Internet, turning back proposals to establish some form of international body to oversee and regulate the Internet. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170115.html Tunisia Urged to End to Human Rights Violations - WSIS Women's organisations, individuals and networks gathered in Tunis for Phase II of WSIS denounce blatant violations of human rights, freedom of expression, access to information and freedom of assembly by the Tunisian government. http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170839.html UN debut for $100 laptop for poor A $100 laptop for children across the world makes its debut at the UN internet summit in Tunis. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4445060.stm http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,69615,00.html http://allafrica.com/stories/200511170454.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Sources include Quicklinks <http://qlinks.net/> and BNA Internet Law News <http://www.bna.com/ilaw/>. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2005 David Goldstein address: 4/3 Abbott Street COOGEE NSW 2034 AUSTRALIA email: Goldstein_David §yahoo.com.au phone: +61 418 228 605 - mobile; +61 2 9665 5773 - home ____________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Messenger 7.0: Free worldwide PC to PC calls http://au.messenger.yahoo.comReceived on Wed Nov 23 2005 - 11:47:39 UTC
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