Data Retention Proven to Change Citizen Behavior 261
G'Quann writes "A new survey shows that data retention laws indeed do influence the behavior of citizens (at least in Germany). 11% had already abstained from using phone, cell phone or e-mail in certain occasions and 52% would not use phone or e-mail for confidential contacts.
This is the perfect argument against the standard 'I have nothing to hide' argumentation. Surveillance is not only bad because someone might discover some embarrassment. It changes people. 11% at least."
Submission + - ubuntu-users.org - Social Network Project Announce (ubuntuforums.org)
AlexanderHanff writes: A new social networking project was announced today for the Ubuntu Community. It has generated a great deal of excitement both in the official Ubuntu forums and on Digg. The plan is to offer the community a service which will give them personal blog and emails within the ubuntu-users.org domain with all the rich features expected from a modern social networking site; including groups (Loco and custom), rss aggregation, voting system for the site's development and features as well as for the Ubuntu operating system and much more. It will be run by the Ubuntu Community users for the Ubuntu Community users on a totally non-profit basis and with an open design as well as mind. Hopefully the synergy it will create will give this huge community a real sense of belonging and a virtual badge they can wear with pride.
Submission + - BBC iPlayer Letter Writing Campaign (paladine.org.uk)
AlexanderHanff writes: "Today I launched a Public Letter Writing Campaign in response to the BBC's decision to limit their new "On Demand" service called iPlayer to Microsoft Windows. Many will think why is this an issue? Well the BBC is funded by a compulsory TV License Fee payable by all British people who own a television. By excluding everyone who does not use Window XP SP2, they have exculded hundreds of thousands of British TV License holders, the same segment of the public provide revenues of 10s of millions (GBP) each year to the BBC through their TV License Fees. The BBC have a public mandate to provide services which give "Value to licence fee payers as individuals, Value to society as a whole through its contribution to the BBC's Public Purposes and Value for money and cost", they have failed in all 3 of these mandates with the iPlayer service. The aim of the campaign is to send more than 10 000 letters to 4 different public bodies to match an official petition which is rapidly approaching 10 000 signatures."
