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The Internet

Submission + - Muslims and the digital divide (washington.edu)

Submitted by
catherine odonnell
catherine odonnell writes: "Aug. 1, 2007 | Politics and Government
Muslim political parties grow online but digital divide continues to widen
Catherine O'Donnell cath2@u.washington.edu

    World Information Access Report 2007
The WIA Project investigates causes and consequences of the global digital divide.

  Political life in Muslim countries is surprisingly wired, according to researchers at the University of Washington.

In 2000, fewer than 50 political parties from Muslim countries had Web sites. By 2007, there were more than 200 parties represented online, the majority of them secular. The expansion of online politics in the Muslim world outpaces that of the rest of the developing world.

Also in 2000, 40 percent of the world's political parties were online, and 28 percent of parties in developing countries were online, but only 16 percent of parties in Muslim countries were online. Political parties in the Muslim world have quickly caught up, and today 38 percent of the political parties in Muslim and other developing countries are online. These figures likely reflect overall growth of political content in blogs, chat groups and listservs, said Philip Howard, an assistant professor of communication at the University of Washington who with his students prepared the World Information Access Report.

"We only looked for Web sites produced by an official party organization," said Howard.

"It is probably now safe to say that there is a political blogging community in every country, and that in some countries the Internet is the only infrastructure for political debate.

"No dictator has been toppled because of the Internet," Howard added, "but today, no democratic movement can topple a dictator without the Internet."

World Information Access researchers, who review trends in the global digital divide, studied data on political party Web sites from 2000, 2005 and 2007. They covered 212 countries and thousands of political parties — 3,217 parties in 2007 alone.

This boom in online political life in Muslim countries is surprising given the digital divide between rich and poor countries. Wealthier ones have more high-speed broadband service, which means citizens get more information more quickly. In contrast, many citizens in poorer countries continue using dial-up services, which are slower but less expensive.

Other findings from the report:

Many poor governments depend on Web site hosting services in wealthy countries such as Canada and the United States. One-third of all nations maintain some of their government Web sites on servers in the U.S., and one-fourth maintain all of their government Web sites on servers in the U.S.

Three-fourths of national libraries have Web sites but only 54 percent load in the country's national language. For example, Tajikistan's national library offers online access in Russian, but not Tajik. Sixty-nine percent of national libraries load in English but only 20 to 25 percent of the world's people speak English.

Almost every city in the world offers cybercafes or other commercial Internet access, but they cost average people in a developing city twice as much of their daily income as people in a developed city. In wealthiest cities between 2000 and 2005, cost of an hour of Internet access for average people dropped significantly, from 26 percent of daily income to 7 percent. The cost of going online fell as average income rose. In many developing cities, however, cost of going online didn't fall as dramatically, nor did incomes rise as fast. People in those cities spent 40 percent of their daily income to use the Internet in 2000 compared with 14 percent in 2005.

African nations are reforming their telecommunications policies, but surprisingly, the number of Internet hosts in Africa has declined. For several decades, African governments have been encouraged to reform their telecommunications by de-regulating the industry, privatizing telecommunications companies and introducing competition. The number of Internet hosts around the world has grown significantly since 1990, but the portion in Africa has declined because the governments have difficulty creating national infrastructure. In 1990, only 1.6 percent of the world's Internet hosts resided in Africa; by 2005, that number declined to 0.7 percent.
###

For more information, contact Howard at (206) 612-9911 (cell) or (206) 221-6532 or pnhoward@u.washington.edu.

A briefing booklet is available at www.wiareport.org

— - —
RELATED CONTENT FROM UWNEWS.ORG

    Report finds growing inequality across global information society
  March 20, 2006

— - —
MORE UWNEWS.ORG STORIES ABOUT PHILIP HOWARD (pnhoward@u.washington.edu )
  RSS news feed: uwnews.org news releases about Philip Howard

    Muslim political parties grow online but digital divide continues to widen
  Aug. 1, 2007
    Hackers get bum rap for corporate America's digital delinquency
  March 12, 2007
    Report finds growing inequality across global information society
  March 20, 2006
    Think money in politics got 'reformed?' Just try running for Senate in 2006
  Dec. 5, 2005
    State ballot measures draw record amounts of cash
  Nov. 4, 2005
    Who did voters pick on Nov. 2? In some cases, we'll never know
  Dec. 9, 2004
    Major-party candidates work the Web, while many challengers stay offline
  Nov. 18, 2004
    Democrats outgunning GOP in e-mail wars, researchers find
  Oct. 29, 2004"
The Almighty Buck

Submission + - Baseball dubs StubHub to 'resell' tickets (networkworld.com)

Submitted by
coondoggie
coondoggie writes: "Today's announcement that StubHub has become "The Official Ticket Scalper of Major League Baseball" (no, they don't actually use that language) brings nearer the day when the NFL will jump into the scalping business, says a former StubHub seller who's only "former" because the New England Patriots revoked his season tickets ... for selling on StubHub. Sour grapes? Or on the money? http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/18074"
Software

Submission + - Bad file naming (piksels.com)

Submitted by
dizzybastard
dizzybastard writes: "logo.jpg
logoEDITED.jpg
logoEDITED_pink.jpg
logoEDITED_pink2.jpg
etc...
etc...
logoedited_pink2b_real_final2b.jpg

We've all been there before, why does no one do anything about it?"
Microsoft

Submission + - Mac users' Internet experience to remain seamless 2

Submitted by thefickler
thefickler writes: Mac users will continue to see the Internet as it was intended, thanks to the renewal of a font licensing agreement between Microsoft and Apple. At TypeCon2007 Microsoft and Apple announced they have renewed their font licensing agreement, giving Apple users ongoing use of the latest versions of Microsoft Windows core fonts.

Back in 1996 Microsoft started the "Core fonts for the Web" initiative. The idea of this initiative was to create a a standard pack of fonts that would be present on all or most computers, allowing web pages to be displayed consistently on different computers. While the project was terminated in 2002, some of the fonts defined as core fonts for the web have gone on to become known as "web safe fonts", and are therefore widely used by Internet developers.
Biotech

Submission + - Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone Growing

Submitted by Bayoudegradeable
Bayoudegradeable writes: What are some of the costs of increased ethanol production? The Times Picayune in New Orleans is reporting on the massive, and growing Dead Zone that forms each summer in the Gulf of Mexico. Farm runoff, fertilizers and the such are the direct cause and the increased corn production to fuel the ethanol craze is making things worse. Sounds like more bad news for an area still struggling to rebound from Katrina.
The Internet

Submission + - Wikipedia admins run mad with power again?

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: It seems "Lou Proctor" wanted to fix a category on an article for convicted child murderer Craig Roger Gregerson and even provided a reference for why he changed it. How does Wikipedia react? By labeling the new user a "sockpuppet" of a banned user based on the flimsiest evidence this side of a kangaroo court. After multiple requests for unblock by the user, it's boiled down to "you are a sockpuppet because a few users think you are, and you can not defend yourself". With admins on Wikipedia becoming more of a hindrance than a help to the project, one must wonder if the entire process needs a serious review.
Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft shareholders paid for upside surprise

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: According to Carl Howe at Seeking Alpha, "Microsoft achieved record breaking earnings during the Vista launch quarter by taking money out of its assets, not through amazing sales of Vista and Office."

The article says, "Microsoft's own numbers tell us the way it is making more and more each quarter is partly funded by making each share worth less and less in assets. At the very least, this fact that Microsoft is dipping into its assets to pay for its record earnings makes me question just how successful those Vista and Office launches really were. Judging from the reaction of Microsoft's stock price after those record earnings — and the fact that it remains lower than it was three months ago before the Vista launch — that fact hasn't been lost on Wall Street either."
Announcements

Submission + - Circuit City Honors America's Firefighters

Submitted by
Matt Navitsky
Matt Navitsky writes: "Hello,

My name is Matt Navitsky and I'm getting in touch with Slashdot on behalf of Circuit City's firedog services. The "firedog Across America" contest was launched by Circuit City this past winter to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to America's firefighters. Now we need help selecting the $100,000 grand prize winner. On top of that, every vote cast will result in a $1 donation to the voter's chosen firehouse. We'd be thrilled if you could let Slashdot readers know about the contest so they can help raise money for America's fire safety professionals.

Over 5,000 essays were submitted to www.firedog.com between December 6, 2006 and March 31, 2007, describing the ways in which these everyday heroes go above and beyond the call of duty. From helping communities recover after tragedies, to touching the hearts of those in need, these stories are truly inspiring. Circuit City recently visited the finalists and created a video story for each to help bring the essays to life. Videos for all finalists can be viewed here: http://web.firedog.com/acrossamerica/vote.aspx.

Now that the ten finalists have been selected, we need everyone's help deciding who the grand prize winner will be. Each of the ten finalist firehouses will receive $20,000 for much-needed equipment and the corresponding essay writer will receive a home "techover" worth $10,000, courtesy of Circuit City's firedog(SM) services team.

And as a firedog Across America finalist, these ten firehouses are now eligible to win additional funding during this final stage of the campaign when America votes for a $100,000 grand prize winner. Until May 13, Americans can visit www.firedog.com to view all ten firehouse finalists' stories (also pasted below this email) and vote for their favorite. Each vote will result in a donation of $1 to the voter's chosen firehouse. At the culmination of the voting stage, the firehouse with the most votes will win the grand prize. The winner will be announced the week of May 14, 2007.

Circuit City developed firedog across America to kick off its new service, firedog, a one-stop shop for consumers' technology needs: www.firedog.com. Circuit City's firedog technicians install, optimize, repair, and make technology purchases simple so consumers don't have to waste time with piles of manuals and tricky cables.

As part of the December launch, Circuit City and firedog also presented $100,000 donations to both the FDNY Foundation, which supports New York City Fire Department initiatives, and the National Law Enforcement and Firefighters Children's Foundation for its efforts in helping children of law enforcement and firefighting personnel. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and New York City Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta were on hand to receive the donations.

Again, we wanted to share information about the firedog Across America contest with Slashdot in hopes that you'd let your readers know about it and help us honor and generate donations for America's fire safety community. I've included the list of ten finalist firehouses below. Please let me know if you decide to encourage your readers to vote for their favorite at www.firedog.com or if I can provide you with further information.

If you do decide to share the contest with your readers, visit our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/circuitcityfiredog where you'll find the ten finalist videos available for embedding. There is also a banner available for your use. If you'd like me to send it, please let me know.

Best,

Matt

Matt Navitsky
Fleishman-Hillard
On behalf of firedog
202-659-5897

firedog Across America Finalists:

Chesapeake Fire Station #15 — Chesapeake, VA
A Virginia fire station guides troubled youths on the road to self-discovery with a unique outdoor adventure program that teaches important life skills, including coping, problem solving, trust, teamwork and communication.

Chickahominy Volunteer Fire Department Station 10 — Ashland, VA
A young man with Down syndrome sees his lifelong dream come true when a Virginia firehouse asks him to join its squad.

Contra Costa County Engine 83 — Antioch, CA
California firefighters risk their own safety to assist a local police officer shot in the line of duty, comforting the injured officer in his final moments of life even while the gunman is still at large.

Dover Fire & Rescue — Dover, NH
A New Hampshire firehouse exemplifies brotherhood when it reaches to support a squad member's family after he's deployed to Iraq with the National Guard.

Keeseville Volunteer Fire Department — Keeseville, NY
Despite limited financial resources, a local rescue squad leads a ten-day search to recover the body of a missing rafter lost on New York's Au Sable River long after federal, state and county rescue agencies had given up hope.

Newportville Fire Company No.1 — Levittown, PA
A firehouse brings joy to a local 4-year-old with terminal brain cancer by naming him Honorary Fire Chief, inspiring the squad and winning the affection of the entire Pennsylvania community.

Reminderville Fire Department — Reminderville, OH
An entire Ohio firehouse walks in the American Cancer Society's 24-hour-long Relay for Life and shocks bystanders by running — in full gear — the final 30 minutes of the course.

Rockaway Point Fire Department — Breezy Point, NY
New York station demonstrates unyielding commitment to public service with contributions to the 9-11 recovery efforts and annual participation in the "Wounded Warriors" event, which hosts injured Iraq War veterans from Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

San Diego Rural Fire Station #76 — El Cajon, CA
A firefighter turns his Harbison Canyon home into a temporary firehouse when Firestorm 2003 destroys everything in its path including his squad's station and equipment.

West Jackson County Volunteer Fire Department — Biloxi, MS
Concerned citizens-turned-firefighters lead a grassroots effort to bring fire safety to a small Mississippi town and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina become an integral part of the disaster recovery process."
Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft's new validation policy

Submitted by
fishyfool
fishyfool writes: "Microsoft has started a new policy of authenticating the Windows operating system. Previously when a user has installed Windows they had to activate the OS with Microsoft online or by phone. One could understand why Microsoft put the activation process into place, with all the pirating that was taking place with early verisons of Windows. Now Microsoft has taken authentication of the Microsoft Validation to a whole new level. Starting now, they will be checking your operating system every month. mypcpros.com"
Security

Submission + - Hard drive snafu has NBA star suing, fuming

Submitted by
coondoggie
coondoggie writes: "All basketball player Bruce Bowen wanted was his hard drive fixed. What he got apparently is an invasion of privacy and a big mess. The Smoking Gun Website says the San Antonio Spurs forward hired a Texas company to fix but instead the repair company removed the machine's hard drive and sold the item — which contained confidential personal and financial information — to another customer. Bowen is now seeking over $2 million in damages from Computer Nerdz, the San Antonio company used to repair his Gateway computer. http://www.networkworld.com/community3/?q=node/147 53"
Encryption

Submission + - Phone taps in Italy boosts cellular encryption

Submitted by
morpheus83
morpheus83 writes: "A number of Italian politicians, businessmen, soccer players and coaches, showgirls and actors nailed due to their negligent use of the mobile phone as they have had their personal conversations recorded by official or nubile detectives and then leaked to the press. This has fueled a rush for cellular encryption which works like this — phones on both sides of the voice conversation have a software preloaded which once activated through a personal key code scrambles or encryptes the user's voice. The data is then send through a normal GSM cellphone network, received by the listener's phone and then decrypted back into decipherable language, all of which causes a slight delay."

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