Don't forget to check out http://www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the archive of the last 3 months of the news. And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Appraising the Success of the IGF by Milton Mueller http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/11/23/3991134.html Regional Address Registries, Governance and Internet Freedom by Brenden Kuerbis http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/11/26/3996099.html AFNIC publish annual report on booming state of .fr domain name industry http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=6611 Nominet Report Shows Worldwide ccTLD Registrations Growing Rapidly http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=6626 Record Breaking .AU Domain Sales http://www.netfleet.com.au/news.php?id=14 ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Appraising the Success of the IGF by Milton Mueller In anticipation of the upcoming Internet Governance Forum in Hyderabad, India the IGP is releasing the paper, Appraising the Success of the Internet Governance Forum. The paper was written by Dr. Jeremy Malcolm, with some editing and additions by the IGP Scientific Committee. IGP does not wholly endorse the positions taken by Malcolm but is publishing the paper because we believe it raises important points about the degree to which the Internet Governance Forum is fulfilling its mission. We'll be debating and discussing the paper on the IGP blog, feel free to chime in. Our goal is to advance discussion of the IGF's performance in order to contribute to the review of the IGF and the possible renewal of its mandate in 2010. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/11/23/3991134.html Regional Address Registries, Governance and Internet Freedom by Brenden Kuerbis Leading up to IGF 2008 in Hyderabad the IGP is releasing a second publication, Regional Address Registries, Governance and Internet Freedom. This paper looks at the Regional Internet Address Registries (RIRs), which are private, nonprofit and transnational governance entities that evolved organically with the growth of the Internet to manage and coordinate Internet Protocol addresses. We argue the RIR?s management of Internet address resources is becoming more contentious and more central to global debates over Internet governance. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/11/26/3996099.html IGP files comments with NTIA on DNSSEC at the root by Brenden Kuerbis IGP submitted comments yesterday to the Department of Commerce regarding the deployment of DNSSEC at the root zone. The Notice of Inquiry raised numerous questions, and put forth six proposed process flows, including ones submitted by ICANN and VeriSign. Just over 35 comments had been submitted by last night, with comments filed by organizations and individuals from the technical community, registries, government contractors involved with DNSSEC deployment, and others. We'll have more analysis on the comments filed later, but my first impression after quickly scanning them is that while there is general agreement that signing the root would obviously be helpful for DNSSEC deployment, it should not be done in haste for a variety of reasons. And numerous parties raised the point that it is critical that any process flow implemented serve the global Internet community, otherwise the presumed benefits of signing will be for naught. Our comments argued that the act of signing the DNS root raises political and economic issues as well as technical ones. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/11/25/3994637.html Cooperative approach continues to meet the challenge of Internet development The Number Resource Organization (NRO) calls upon participants at IGF 2008 next week in Hyderabad to support the collaborative multi-stakeholder approach adopted by the Internet Governance Forum. The NRO encourages all stakeholders to continue working together in the open and cooperative participation model that has proven to be the most dependable method to ensure the success and continued development of the Internet. http://nro.net/news/IGF_Multistakeholder_Statement.html Will the UN Take Over the Internet? McDermott Will & Emery partner Stephen Ryan almost certainly knows more about the Internet than you do. He's the longtime outside counsel for the American Registry of Internet Numbers--essentially the governing body for Internet policy for the U.S., Canada, and more than a dozen Caribbean islands. This week Ryan is in India for the Internet Governance Forum, an annual meeting about the future of the Web. The main topic of conversation this year: Should the United Nations or some other international organization govern the Internet, or should basic policy decisions about who gets IP addresses and the role of government be left to individual nations and regional organizations? http://amlawdaily.typepad.com/amlawdaily/2008/11/will-the-un-tak.html ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** cz: New IPv6 Publication Available CZ.NIC Association, administrator of the top level domain .CZ, has placed the second updated edition of Pavel Satrapa's book IPv6 on its website http://knihy.nic.cz/ipv6/. The publication originated in a unique way ? all those interested in the problems related to this upcoming Internet protocol could, by expressing their comments on individual sections of the book, contribute to its final contents. The book is available for free download at the above mentioned address; however, a printed version of the book may also be ordered. Those connected through IPv4 will be charged CZK 299, while those using IPv6 will be provided with a CZK 50 discount. http://www.nic.cz/page/618/new-ipv6-publication-available/ AFNIC publish annual report on booming state of .fr domain name industry AFNIC have published their annual report on the French domain name industry gaining wide coverage in the French press. Today there are almost 1.3 million .fr names registered, making .fr the 16th largest TLD. The number of registrations is growing rapidly with 300,000 more registrations in 2008, a 36 per cent year-on-year increase which compares favourably to an average of around 20 per cent increase across all TLDs. A large part of this increase can be accredited to a liberalisation in the registration rules for .fr names in 2004. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=6611 http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/11/27/afnic-publish-annual-report-on-booming-state-of-fr-domain-name-industry/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/afnic-publish-annual-report-on-booming-state-of-.fr-domain-name-industry.html AFNIC publishes its French Domain Name Industry Report [news release] For the second year in a row, AFNIC publishes its French Domain Name Industry Report made in collaboration with Telecom & Management Sud-Paris. The 2007 edition of the French domain name industry report brought highlighted the key aspects of this industry. The 2008 edition follows this direction and improves it with new aspects. http://www.afnic.fr/actu/nouvelles/206/afnic-publishes-its-french-domain-name-industry-report.html JPRS Comments in Response to Notice of Inquiry by the U.S. DoC on DNSSEC On 22 November 2008, JPRS submitted its comments responding to the Notice of Inquiry which had been opened on 9 October by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC). http://jprs.co.jp/en/topics/081125.html nl: Quarantine: the story so far On 6 September, SIDN, the .nl registry, introduced a quarantine system for all .nl domain names. Under the system, a cancelled domain name cannot be re-registered by anyone except its old registrant for forty days. This means extra protection for .nl registrants. http://www.sidn.nl/ace.php/c,728,6012,,,,Quarantine_the_story_so_far.html nl: Domain Name Debate 2008 is a success SIDN?s Domain Name Debate 2008, which took place at Zeist Castle on 13 November 2008, was a success. The debate provided an opportunity for the Dutch Internet community to express its views on a number of important policy issues affecting the .nl domain. A range of proposals were examined by forty-five participants, representing ISPs, the KLPD, ISOC, the Consumer Protection Authority, OPTA and the Brein Foundation. http://www.sidn.nl/ace.php/c,728,6010,,,,Domain_Name_Debate_2008_is_a_success.html NZRS replaces .nz name server New Zealand Registry Services (NZRS) is pleased to announce that the authoritative name server for the .nz Domain Name System (DNS) has been replaced. http://nzrs.net.nz/notices/news.shtml#ns_replacement NZ Registry Services searches for new chief executive NZ Registry Services is searching for a new Chief Executive to be responsible for the leadership and management of NZRS. http://nzrs.net.nz/downloads/CE_NZRS_Advert_final.pdf 1,000 .se domains signed .SE (The Internet Infrastructure Foundation), the Internet top-level domain for Sweden, has registered .SE DNSSEC domain number 1,000 - www.sormlandsmusikoteater.se. http://www.iis.se/about/press?id=173 Analysis: ".tel" Domain Name To Become Available Soon There's a new top-level domain name ("TLD") on the block, and broadcasters and other media companies will want to protect URLs that include their call signs, unique slogans and positioning statements or other registered marks or names. http://www.dmwmedia.com/news/2008/11/26/analysis:-%2526quot%3B.tel%2526quot%3B-domain-name-become-available-soon Lorraine Fleck Explains It All... A Technical Explanation of the .TEL Launch As the holidays fast approach, so too does the .tel launch. On December 3rd while eating some variation on Thanksgiving left overs (for those of us in the US) don?t forget to join the fray as .tel begins its roll out. http://www.namesmash.com/?p=172 .travel announces policy for Industry Names now on reserve The Travel Partnership Corporation has approved important new policy changes that will release Industry Names now on reserve as well as add a new sector to the group of eligible travel industry sectors and provide Tralliance with the discretion to refund registrants whose name(s) have been revoked. http://www.travel.travel/index.php/2008/11/19/important-policy-announcement/ Nominet Report Shows Worldwide ccTLD Registrations Growing Rapidly Nominet held their second annual .uk registrar conference at Wembley Stadium last week where they released their Domain Name Industry Report 2008 that highlights some interesting statistics about domain name registrations both in the United Kingdom and throughout the world. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=6626 http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/11/28/nominet-report-shows-worldwide-cctld-registrations-growing-rapidly/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/nominet-report-shows-worldwide-cctld-registrations-growing-rapidly.html ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Cyber-attack on US Defense Department computers raises concerns The 'malware' strike, thought to be from inside Russia, hit combat zone computers and the U.S. Central Command overseeing Iraq and Afghanistan. The attack underscores concerns about computer warfare. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-cyberattack28-2008nov28,0,6441140.story ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** IPv6... the Year NAT-Enforced IPv4 Dam Showed Seepage by Yves Poppe We don't give enough credit to people who will sacrifice themselves trying to plug the IPv4 dam with some NAT-putty. They even dream of a NAT66 filled afterlife. The growing IPv6 traffic trickle was given evidence at the recent RIPE 57 meeting in Dubai in a number of presentations, including a most edifying Google presentation. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20081128_ipv6_nat_enforced_ipv4_dam/ ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Netcraft November 2008 Web Server Survey The November 2008 survey shows worldwide monthly growth of nearly three million websites, with responses now being received from a total of 185,167,897 sites. http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2008/11/19/november_2008_web_server_survey.html RIPE NCC Membership Hits 6,000 On 17 November 2008, the RIPE NCC was joined by its 6,000th member, marking another milestone in the history of the Amsterdam based, not-for-profit organisation. As the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) for Europe, the Middle East and parts of Central Asia, the RIPE NCC provides its members with Internet number resources, such as IPv4 and IPv6 address space and Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs). http://ripe.net/news/6000-members.html Voluntary Collective Licensing of Brand-Sharing Domain Names by Alex Tajirian The essay outlines a market-driven and value-adding solution to brand use in domain names. The solution relies heavily on the Electronic Frontier Foundation's remedy to music file sharing. I propose its adoption for new registrations and renewals. Brand sharing in domain names is here to stay; desperate attempts to stop it through legal action are ineffective and will do nothing but destroy value. http://www.circleid.com/posts/licensing_of_brand_sharing_domain_names/ ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Country Codes, Led By the Highest ccTLD Sale of the Year, Dominate High End Domain Sales Over the Past Two Weeks We were away covering the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Down Under conference in Australia last week so, in order to bring you fully back up to speed on what has been happening in the aftermarket, our regular weekly report covers two weeks worth of data this time out. Over that period Country Code domains turned in their best showing in the five-year history of the DN Journal domain sales report. The ccTLDs swept 12 of the 20 positions on our new all extension leader board, topping even the .coms. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2008/domainsales12-02-08.htm Penguin Guide to Investing in Domains and Domaining Penguins have a way of making it through even the most adverse conditions. Think the North Pole? not an easy place to survive. The World of Domaining can also be a tough place to thrive. That?s why this guide is called the Penguin Guide to Domaining. Because, just like the Penguins, we are going to learn to survive and thrive in this world. http://www.domaininformer.com/guides/General_Information/articles/081127PenguinGuidetoInvestinginDomainsandDomaining.html Reboot: How Domains Helped Australian Entrepreneur Michael Gilmour Bounce Back Bigger Than Ever After Losing a Fortune Overnight In many ways, Michael Gilmour's journey through life has been the quintessential boom to bust to boom again saga that serial entrepreneurs so closely identify with. After working hard his whole life he was worth millions only to suddenly find himself, due to circumstances beyond his control, flat broke almost overnight. http://dnjournal.com/cover/2008/november.htm Record Breaking .AU Domain Sales When it came to the two live auctions held at TRAFFIC Down Under on the Gold Coast, the .AU domains certainly stole the show. http://www.netfleet.com.au/news.php?id=14 ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Broadband Internet: The Power to Reconfigure Access by William H. Dutton, Sharon E. Gillett, Lee W. McKnight & Malcolm Peltu [OII Working Paper] Abstract: The long-term societal implications of reshaping access for individuals, communities, organisations, nations and regions across the world are of major significance, but are not predetermined by the technology. Instead, they will unfold over time through the complex interplay among the many actors, participating in many arena, who shape these outcomes through a wide range of social, policy and technical choices, some as simple as whether or not to go online. Many of the choices that will shape the future of broadband Internet and its societal implications are highlighted in this paper, which draws on discussions and background position papers at the OII Forum. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1308486 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Vatican warns mobile phones are bad for the soul The Vatican has warned that our obsession with modern technology, such as the internet and mobile phones, is not leaving people enough time for spiritual pursuits. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/3531418/Vatican-warns-mobile-phones-are-bad-for-the-soul.html New, old media good for each other, Huffington says New media and old can clash and crowd each other out, but blogger extraordinaire Arianna Huffington argues in a new book that the two worlds are rapidly joining together to bring out the best in each other. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-36769320081128 http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKTRE4AR3FM20081128 Asian Net users most engaged online Internet users in China aged below 25 spend on average 50 percent of their leisure time online, according to a findings of a new survey. Released Friday, the Digital World, Digital Life study by market research firm TNS showed that the global average for the amount of leisure time spent in cyberspace was nearly 30 percent. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62048804,00.htm InternetNZ welcomes international WIP findings [news release] InternetNZ (Internet New Zealand Inc) welcomes the release of latest data from the World Internet Project (WIP) comparing Internet use in New Zealand with that in thirteen other countries. While New Zealand has the highest penetration of Internet use, our proportion of broadband users is disappointing, with still 35 percent of users using dial-up at home, compared with only 22 percent in the USA and Australia, and 11 percent in the United Kingdom. New Zealand has one of the lowest penetration rates of broadband at home at 65 percent. http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/2008/internetnz-welcomes-international-wip-findings Players Gamble on Honesty, Security of Internet Betting Whenever Todd Witteles signed on to an Internet poker site, the first thing he did was look around for inexperienced players. One day in August 2007, the Las Vegas poker pro thought he had found an easy mark on AbsolutePoker.com. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/29/AR2008112901679.html Online Shopping to Plateau As Slump Hits Cyberspace Nobody was expecting online shopping to be immune from the economic downturn, but most forecasts had been calling for at least a smidgen of growth. Now, even that hope is damped. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122764819199157439.html Internet advertising will be relatively unscathed in the downturn At the beginning of the year Jeff Zucker, the boss of NBC Universal, a big television and film company, told an audience of TV executives that their biggest challenge was to ensure ?that we do not end up trading analogue dollars for digital pennies?. He meant that audiences were moving online faster than advertisers, thus leaving media companies short-changed. Now, near the end of the year, the situation looks even worse, as the recession threatens to turn even the analogue dollars into pennies. Will this hasten the shift towards internet advertising, or will it decline too? http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12684861 Searching the Web for Flu Outbreaks: Editorial Two recent studies have shown the promise of using data from search engines to provide early warning of influenza outbreaks ? and the pitfalls and limitations, as well. Privacy considerations aside, it is a technology that will need refinement if it is to be used by public health officials for early warning duties. http://nytimes.com/2008/11/28/opinion/28fri3.html Google's next step towards domination of the Information Age by Nicholas Pullen, media partner with TressCox Lawyers, Melbourne The recent announcement of a proposed settlement in the class action by US publishers and authors in the copyright case against Google signals an inevitable, but nevertheless worrying, milestone in the collection and storage of the world's information. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/11/28/2432568.htm au: Silver surfers: Govt launches seniors internet cafes The Federal Government has launched a new plan to give older Australians better access to the internet. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/11/27/2431607.htm Kiwis smart net users - survey A major international survey of internet behaviour ranks New Zealand as a leader in its educational use of the web, but low in broadband penetration. http://www.itbrief.co.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3101&Itemid=808 Grandma?s on the Computer Screen: Webcams keeping far-flung families virtually within touch ... Video calling, long anticipated by science fiction, is filtering into everyday use. And two demographic groups not particularly known for being high-tech are among the earliest adopters. In a way that even e-mailed photos never could, the Web cam promises to transcend both distance and the inability of toddlers to hold up their end of a phone conversation. http://nytimes.com/2008/11/27/us/27minicam.html http://iht.com/articles/2008/11/27/america/webcam.php UK Coroner warns of dangers of internet drugs after policewoman overdoses A coroner has warned of the danger of buying medicine over the internet after a policewoman with Multiple Sclerosis died of an accidental overdose of drugs she purchased from a website. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/3533433/Coroner-warns-of-dangers-of-internet-drugs-after-policewoman-overdoses.html Documentary focuses on fighting addictions to porn Sexual addiction robs the people at both ends of their humanity, a documentary from a Christian ministry warns. "We sort of one-dimensionalize people," said Steve Siler , producer of, "Somebody's Daughter: A Journey to Freedom from Pornography." "We think they're just flesh or body parts as opposed to seeing them as human beings." ... "There is a new epidemic, a new disease, that is spreading throughout our country," he said to the First Baptist Church of Longview congregation. "I see marriages being destroyed, people losing their jobs because they are viewing Internet pornography at work." http://www.news-journal.com/news/content/features/stories/2008/11/29/11292008_somebodys_daughter.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Facebook Aims to Extend Its Reach Across the Web Facebook, the Internet?s largest social network, wants to let you take your friends with you as you travel the Web. But having been burned by privacy concerns in the last year, it plans to keep close tabs on those outings. http://nytimes.com/2008/12/01/technology/internet/01facebook.html Forget productivity: more people should join Facebook by David Quach, an economic adviser Concerns about Facebook's negative effect on the economy - especially an economy on the verge of recession - were raised just recently when 13 Virgin Atlantic staff were sacked for criticising the airline online. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/11/27/2431283.htm Citizen journalists told to stop using Twitter to update on Bombay attacks News on the Bombay attacks is breaking fast on Twitter with hundreds of people using the site to update others with first-hand accounts of the carnage. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5245059.ece Maybe Canadians Have More Friends Canadian Internet users are far more likely than Americans to use a social networking Web site, according to September figures released by the research firm comScore. That number is consistent with Canadians? generally heavy use of sophisticated Internet features like online video. http://nytimes.com/2008/12/01/technology/internet/01drill.html Who Needs 'Friends' Like These? Every form of communication, from snail-mail to e-mail, chat and others, is subject to fraud and scams. But social networks like Facebook are subject to new, more dangerous opportunities for fraud. With e-mail and IM spam and Internet scams, the whole social-engineering game is to get you to trust a stranger. But social networks are different. The goal there is to get you to believe the fraudster is a friend whom you already trust. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/154669/.html ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Humble mouse turns 40 and loses its touch The name was never meant to stick. When Doug Engelbart and his team at the Stanford Research Institute in California designed a computer controller encased in a carved-out wooden block, with wheels mounted on the underbelly, one researcher nicknamed it a 'mouse'. 'We thought that when it had escaped out to the world it would have a more dignified name,' Engelbart recalled later. 'But it didn't.' http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/30/computer-science-it-mouse ********************** SPAM ********************** Spam Finds New Launch Pad [CSO] In the spirit of entrepreneurship, spammers are finding new ways to send out their junk mail just weeks after the shutdown of a major web-hosting firm took many of them off the map. http://www.pcworld.com/article/154664/.html Spam Traffic Varies After Source Shut [Computerworld] Two weeks after a hosting firm's shutdown sent global spam volumes plummeting, some researchers continue to claim that junk mail rates remain dramatically down, while others say spam has already bounced back. http://www.pcworld.com/article/154552/.html Estonian ISP Cuts off Control Servers for Srizbi Botnet [IDG] An Estonian ISP that temporarily hosted the command-and-control servers for the Srizbi botnet, responsible for a large portion of the world's spam, has cut off those servers, according to computer security analysts. http://www.pcworld.com/article/154622/.html http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/269080/ http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9121758 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/112708-estonian-isp-cuts-off-control.html Spam to rise as Srizbi returns [IDG] Security vendors are warning that the zombie computers used to send spam are coming back to life. The experts say spammers are reconnecting with hacked PCs used for sending spam as evidenced by a rising number of spam messages circulating on the Internet in the last few days. http://www.techworld.com/news/index.cfm?NewsID=107717 http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/7E88E2A24387CB4ECC25750E00158D42 ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** Digital divide narrows down in EU Broadband penetration in the European Union (EU) continues to grow and the gap between best and worst performing countries is narrowing, according to a report published by the European Commission on Friday. http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90853/6542902.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Ashdown: Internet is a 'lawless space' Lord Paddy Ashdown has said that terrorism is being facilitated by a lack of oversight of the internet. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39564639,00.htm http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62048786,00.htm EU fights cybercrime with 'remote search' strategy The European Union Council of Ministers has agreed to adopt measures to fight online crime that will include 'cyber-patrols' and remote searches of suspect systems by police. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39565614,00.htm Fight against cyber crime: cyber patrols and Internet investigation teams to reinforce the EU strategy [news release] The Council of ministers of the European Union adopted today the Council's strategy to reinforce the fight against cyber crime. The strategy proposes a series of operational measures, such as cyber patrols, joint investigation teams and remote searches to become part of the fight against cybercrime in the next five years. The strategy also introduces concrete steps for closer cooperation and information exchange between law enforcement authorities and the private sector. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1827 Cyberbully verdict poses question of online identity Is lying about one's identity on the Internet now a crime? The verdict on Wednesday in the MySpace cyberbullying case raised a variety of questions about the terms that users agree to when they log on to Web sites. ... While the Internet?s anonymity was used in this case as a cloak to bully Megan, other users say they have perfectly good reasons to construct false identities online, if only to help protect against the theft of personal information, for example. http://nytimes.com/2008/11/28/us/28internet.html http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081128/BIZ04/811280356 http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008448546_cyberverdict29.html Mom: Verdict shows cyberbullies will be punished [AP] The mother of a girl who committed suicide at age 13 after being subjected to an Internet hoax says a woman's conviction in the case shows that people who bully others online will face consequences. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/28/AR2008112802200.html http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/nov/29/victims-mother-takes-solace-in-conviction/ U.S. woman convicted in MySpace suicide case A federal jury here has handed down what legal experts said was the country's first cyber-bullying verdict, convicting a Missouri woman of three misdemeanor charges of computer fraud for her involvement in creating a phony account on MySpace to trick a teenager who later committed suicide. http://iht.com/articles/2008/11/27/america/myspace.php Mother accused of cyber-bullying faces year in prison and $300,000 fine A woman accused of creating a fictitious persona on MySpace to bully a 13-year-old neighbour who then took her own life, was acquitted yesterday on the most serious charge that she had accessed a computer without authorisation in order to inflict emotional distress. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/27/myspace-usa 'MySpace bully' Lori Drew escapes felony charge over suicide of Megan Meier A mother who helped arranged a cruel internet hoax that apparently drove a 13-year-old girl to suicide has escaped conviction on charges that could have put her in prison for 20 years. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article5246833.ece MySpace suicide case: woman guilty of misdemeanour A woman who was accused of setting up a fake online identity in order to bully an emotionally vulnerable teenage girl has been found guilty of misdemeanour crimes. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/3531746/MySpace-suicide-case-woman-guilty-of-misdemeanour.html Liechtenstein: Protection From Cybercrime Planned Ratification Of The Convention On Cybercrime Progress in information technology offers people a broad spectrum of new possibilities. On the other hand, there is a danger of misuse. A new variant of crime has spread around the world: cybercrime. To protect against it, the Council of Europe has negotiated a new Convention on Cybercrime, which Liechtenstein plans to ratify. http://mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=70492 Bank Of China To Fight Illegal Internet Credit Card Activity The People's Bank of China and the Ministry of Public Security of China jointly held a press conference on their special action to fight crimes involving bank cards. http://www.chinatechnews.com/2008/12/01/8145-bank-of-china-to-fight-illegal-internet-credit-card-activity/ ************************** PRIVACY ************************** ISP's secret opt-in advertising test draws the UK's ire It's no surprise that ISPs are aggressively pursuing new revenue streams, but UK ISP BT may have crossed the line. Two years ago it retained search records and information on some 18,000 users, without informing them first. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081130-isps-secret-opt-in-advertising-test-draws-the-uks-ire.html ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Danish ISP ordered again to block Pirate Bay Danish ISP Sonofon (part of Tele2) has once again been ordered by a Danish court to block the controversial Swedish BitTorrent site The Pirate Bay. The record industry represented by The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) calls it a landmark ruling and says the decision confirms the illegality of Pirate Bay. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/28/danish_isp_ordered_to_block_pirate_bay/ ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Google's Gatekeepers In 2006, Thailand announced it was blocking access to YouTube for anyone with a Thai I.P address, and then identified 20 offensive videos for Google to remove as a condition of unblocking the site. 'If your whole game is to increase market share,' says Lawrence Lessig, speaking of Google, 'it's hard to . . . gather data in ways that don't raise privacy concerns or in ways that might help repressive governments to block controversial content.' http://nytimes.com/2008/11/30/magazine/30google-t.html http://iht.com/articles/2008/11/30/technology/google01.php ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Activists target Aust govt's net censorship plans The political activists who helped free David Hicks and abolish Work Choices have now set their sights on the Government's plan to censor the internet, which is already facing a major backlash and a lack of political support. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/11/27/1227491695981.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/11/27/1227491695981.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/articles/2008/11/27/1227491708952.html http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-pacificislands.asp?parentid=101384 http://www.watoday.com.au/articles/2008/11/27/1227491695981.html GetUp goes after Conroy's net filtering scheme Grass roots web-based advocacy organisation, GetUp, has launched a campaign against the Government's proposed Internet filtering scheme claiming it will slow the Internet by up to 87 percent. http://www.itwire.com/content/view/21942/127/ Children's welfare groups slam net filters Support for the Government's plan to censor the internet has hit rock bottom, with even some children's welfare groups now saying that that the mandatory filters, aimed squarely at protecting kids, are ineffective and a waste of money. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/11/28/1227491813497.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/11/28/1227491813497.html Net porn: Whose rights matter most? by Clive Hamilton, Charles Sturt Professor of Public Ethics at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, ANU "Don't try and tell me what I can and can't do on the internet." This statement by a blogger is typical of the attitude driving the wave of angry resistance to the Federal Government's plan to impose mandatory filtering on Internet Service Providers. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/01/2433845.htm Neutering the net is about repression, not protection IT SEEMS like only yesterday that the country was prosperous and the Labor Party was going to make everyone's internet faster. But now the Federal Government's great broadband gift is floundering in the waves of the financial crisis and Communications Minister Stephen Conroy is pushing ahead with an internet filter that will dramatically slow Australian internet speeds. http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/neutering-the-net-is-about-repression-not-protection-20081129-6nej.html http://www.watoday.com.au/opinion/neutering-the-net-is-about-repression-not-protection-20081129-6nej.html Internet: the final frontier? While governments worldwide push neoliberal policies including ?free? markets, ?free? trade (and lately ?free? trillion dollar pay-outs to prop up businesses), new legislation from the Australian federal government indicates it does not want such freedoms for the population when it comes to what they may view on the internet. http://www.greenleft.org.au/2008/777/40052 au: Net safety campaign crosses digital divide for teens [AAP] TELLING internet-savvy teens that someone claiming to be a kid may be a 40-year-old ''creep'' appears to be the key to teaching online safety. http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,20797,24732435-8362,00.html http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=534240 Aussie content filtering 'frightening', says investigator The principal investigator of the OpenNet Initiative (ONI) has labelled the federal government's proposed mandatory internet filtering scheme "frightening" and typical of non-democratic regimes. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/24CF7899E958039FCC25750E00772E0F A rational banter on filtering Amid the media panic, the doomsayers' cries and the sense of foreboding that has gripped all those who have had some contact with the unwinding censorship debate, we seem to have missed one thing ? rational discussion. Of course, you can't really expect that from the politicians. http://pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;1367801691 Australia?s Net Censorship Sparks Outrage One of the most important Internet stories in Australia right now is that country?s federal government?s plan to start requiring ISP level censorship of the Internet. As part of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd?s AU$125.8 million Cyber-saftey plan. The plan requires that ISPs deliver a ?clean-feed? web service to homes, school, and and public web access points. http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/11/29/australias-net-censorship-sparks-outrage/ The internet. Does it belong to the Australian Government.? Senator Stephen Conroy is the face of Kevin Rudd's campaign to control what Australians can access on the internet. The media is awash with references to Labor's desire to install filters on the internet connections of all Australians. The controversial issue seems to be what is "unwanted content". Senator Conroy, Labor's public face to the proposal, has issued statements including: http://australia.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1487:the-internet-does-it-belong-to-the-australian-government&catid=72:australian-news&Itemid=29 au: Net filters debated by experts at cyberlaw forum One catchphrase was repeated over and over throughout the Internet Filtering and Censorship Forum yesterday: ?The internet sees censorship as damage and routes around it.? But Alana Maurushat, UNSW Law researcher and international malware expert, was quick to disagree. http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=89981 au: Doing as we're told WE give up our freedoms so easily in Australia ? maybe because everything comes to us relatively easily. But whatever the reason, we accept the nannying of all levels of government without a qualm, it seems. http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2008/11/29/25235_about_town.html Online Casinos Target of Australian Blacklist Internet Filter The government is proposing a system that will block such material as child pornography and online casinos from computers throughout the country. http://www.onlinecasinoadvisory.com/casino-news/online/austraila-filters-online-casinos-by-blacklist-42361.htm nz: Net filtering: the pitfalls Internet filtering systems are all very well, but they?re no substitute for individual responsibility ? particularly on the part of parents. That?s the view of InternetNZ Executive Director Keith Davidson, as ISPs here consider moving towards filtering. http://www.netguide.co.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=809&Itemid=16 UN: Internet pornography poses challenges to governments [news release] The use of the internet to spread child pornography and to find victims for the sex trade pose new challenges for governments, the head of UNICEF said at a global conference on child sexual exploitation. "Parents and children must prepare themselves better for the risks of the internet," Ann Veneman, UNICEF executive director, said Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=6645 http://earthtimes.org/articles/show/243529,un-internet-pornography-poses-challenges-to-governments.html BRAZIL: War Against Child Pornography on the Internet [IPS] The Brazilian government has announced the creation of a web site to centralise the reception of complaints about child pornography on the Internet, as a further step towards fighting the phenomenon which is growing globally, alongside child trafficking and sex tourism. http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=44906 Weak enforcement hurting child sex abuse fight [Reuters] Weak enforcement and impunity are blunting the effects of stricter laws against sexual exploitation of children through human trafficking, Internet pornography and other abuses, the head of the U.N. children's fund said on Wednesday. http://thestar.com.my/news/nastory.asp?file=/2008/11/27/worldupdates/2008-11-27T052500Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_-367229-1&sec=Worldupdates Fight against cyber crime: cyber patrols and Internet investigation teams to reinforce the EU strategy. [news release] The Council of ministers of the European Union adopted today the European Commission's strategy to reinforce the fight against cyber crime. The strategy proposes a series of operational measures, such as cyber patrols, joint investigation teams and remote searches to become part of the fight against cybercrime in the next five years. The strategy also introduces concrete steps for closer cooperation and information exchange between law enforcement authorities and the private sector. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1827 Global shame as children tell of 'sexploitation' It is to the world's shame that hundreds of youngsters - including many from the Asia-Pacific - are meeting in Brazil this week to talk to governments and activists about the global sexual exploitation of boys and girls for profit. While it is a very good thing that children have been invited to the third World Congress Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents, it is also a reflection of the failure of countries worldwide to do more to protect children from the worst forms of abuse. In many ways, the internet and technology are increasing the risks for children. http://www.bangkokpost.com/281108_News/28Nov2008_news22.php Can a computer virus leave you with kiddie porn? Could your computer become a hacker's storage vault for child porn, unbeknownst to you? Some say it can happen, and has. http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/plainfieldsun/news/1299241,6_1_NA28_VIRUS_S1.article us: Protect your kids from Internet predators A six-week undercover investigation ends with nine local arrests for child pornography. The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force showed off the names and faces of those who are behind bars. While most are accused of possessing child porn, one is accused of making it. http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=9418191 ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* Microsoft in $20bn Yahoo search deal Microsoft is in talks to acquire Yahoo's online search business for $20 billion. The proposal forms the centrepiece of a complex transaction that would see Microsoft support a new management team to take control of Yahoo. But there is no intention of Microsoft tabling another takeover bid for the web giant. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article5258258.ece Blog calls Microsoft-Yahoo deal "total fiction" A report in the Sunday Times that Microsoft Inc is in talks with Yahoo Inc to buy the U.S. internet company's online search business for $20 billion (13 million pounds) is "total fiction," according to a key executive cited by an influential U.S. blog. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE4AT1B820081130 ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Broadband: Gap between best and worst performing countries in Europe narrowing [news release] Broadband penetration in Europe continues to grow, from 18.2% in July 2007 to up to 21.7% in July 2008, according to a report published today by the European Commission. The report also shows the gap between EU countries narrowing, from 28.4 percentage points in July 2007 to 27.7 this July. With 17 million fixed broadband lines laid in a year, today's figures show high-speed internet in the EU is more widespread and faster, while mobile broadband is starting to take off, with 6.9% penetration. Three quarters of broadband lines in the EU have download speeds of 2 millions of bits per second (Mbps) and above, a speed that supports TV over the Internet, for example. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1831 Telecoms Council: Commission sees improved Council position on the EU Telecoms Reform as good basis for negotiations with the European Parliament [news release] Following the Telecoms Council's deliberations this morning, Viviane Reding, the EU Telecoms Commissioner, commented on the Council's results for the EU Telecoms Reform as follows: "There was a constructive crisis this morning at the Council meeting, as several delegations felt that the Council text agreed so far was not ambitious enough. I applaud Secretary of State Luc Chatel for having resolved this crisis with skill and a pro-European intention. The new text now agreed by Ministers is an improvement compared with the initial text of this morning, even though I continue to believe that Europe's telecoms sector requires better rules than those now on the table here. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/08/744 Forum: Can NZ avoid Australia's broadband nightmare? New Zealand is a bit of a latecomer to the idea of a partially government-funded broadband rollout, at least compared with Australia. However, looking at the debacle emerging over there, we have a great shot at doing it better and faster. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/E4F920D8D704398ACC257511006DB122 Telstra vows to outdo NZ Australia could leapfrog New Zealand if its government takes up Telstra's offer to build a fibre-to- the-cabinet network that would provide higher speeds and at least as wide coverage as a similar broadband network being built here by Telecom. http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4778481a28.html au: Govt won't budge on broadband process THE federal Government has rejected suggestions it is being bullied by Telstra to accept a non-compliant bid to build the national broadband network. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24715560-5013040,00.html The broadband circus rolls on... Earlier this week, my colleague James Hutchinson wrote in his blog entry that Wednesday, the final day for bids for Australia's national broadband network, was just another day in the circus that is the NBN. Predictably, that circus shows no signs of slowing down. http://pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;151597871 France to intervene in broadband coverage France will shortly call on telecoms operators to offer broadband services across all its territory for a maximum of ?35 euros (?29.3) a month, a government minister said on Thursday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE4AQ6M820081127 ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** European Council waters down deal on telecoms package After a fierce debate, EU telecoms ministers reached agreement yesterday (27 November) on a review of rules governing electronic communications, scrapping many "ambitious" proposals made by the European Commission. http://euractiv.com/en/infosociety/council-waters-deal-telecoms-package/article-177584 EU Telecoms Ministers Back Watered-down Legal Reforms [IDG] Plans to reform Europe's legal landscape for the telecoms industry remain on track, after nearly being derailed at a tense meeting of government ministers Thursday. http://www.pcworld.com/article/154635/.html Europe backs mobile roaming cap European telecoms chiefs have backed plans to make it cheaper to access data while on a mobile phone abroad. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7754072.stm Europe to Cap Prices for Roaming Text Messages and Data [IDG] European telecommunications ministers gave their backing on Thursday to a plan to cap retail prices for sending SMS (Short Message Service) text messages and browsing the Internet using mobile phones while abroad. http://www.pcworld.com/article/154624/.html http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/11/27/Europe_to_cap_prices_for_roaming_text_messages_and_data-IDGNS_1.html EU governments to widen cap on mobile roaming costs European Union governments are set on Thursday to cap prices of roamed mobile phone texts and data downloading along with other measures to spur a wider range of cheaper services for customers. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKTRE4AQ02520081127 Nokia to cease sales in Japan Nokia, the world's biggest mobile phone maker, said on Thursday it will stop selling mobile phones in Japan except for its luxury Vertu brand after struggling to expand its presence. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKTRE4AQ1K620081127 Advertising on mobile phones finally seems to be getting through Marketers have often claimed that mobile advertising is taking off. But this time they could be right, recession or not. Global numbers are hard to come by, but a leading mobile-advertising firm, AdMob, says the number of advertisements it has delivered worldwide has tripled, to 4.5 billion, in the past 12 months. Why? Because many of the obstacles that have held mobile advertising back are going away. http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12685528 ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** uk: Paedophile had 200,000 sex pictures A paedophile who amassed more than 200,000 computer images and thousands of videos of children being sexually abused was sent to jail indefinitely yesterday. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/paedophile-had-200000-sex-pictures-1040250.html uk: Child-sex leader jailed indefinitely A former management consultant who helped to set up a paedophile network that distributed images of child abuse around the world was jailed indefinitely by Stafford Crown Court, with a minimum of 12? years. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article5254323.ece +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2008 --------- 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) "Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim Flannery Start your day with Yahoo!7 and win a Sony Bravia TV. Enter now http://au.docs.yahoo.com/homepageset/?p1=other&p2=au&p3=taglineReceived on Sun Nov 30 2008 - 19:21:12 UTC
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