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://GoldsteinReport.com/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Long Live the Web: A Call for Continued Open Standards and Neutrality by Tim Berners-Lee http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=long-live-the-web Tim Berners-Lee: Facebook could fragment web http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/nov/22/tim-berners-lee-facebook Public Comment: Proposed Changes to Enhance ICANN's Registrar Accreditation Evaluation Process http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-22nov10-en.htm Public Comment: Interim Paper on Issues and Possible Solutions Inclusion of IDN ccTLD?s in the ccNSO http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-22nov10-en.htm Policy issue summary for ICANN Cartagena meeting http://gibc.biz/2010/11/policy-issue-summary-for-icann-cartagena-meeting/ Governments still want new TLD morality veto http://domainincite.com/governments-still-want-new-tld-morality-veto/ .YOURBRAND domain name applications starting soon http://www.aar.com.au/pubs/ip/foipnov10_01.htm Greater internet security: SWITCH blocks malicious websites http://www.switch.ch/about/news/2010/malware-nov2010.html Cyrillic websites embroiled in legal row http://themoscownews.com/business/20101124/188226687.html Russian Cyrillic Internationalised Domain Rockets Past Half Million http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=12894 Russia?s Cyrillic IDN ccTLD blasts off through the 500K mark in under a week by Jon Lawrence http://www.ausregistry.com/blog/?p=663 ANALYSIS - In cyber warfare, policy lags technology http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-53128520101124 UK Government concentrating on developing cyber "weaponry" http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6AL6BP20101122 IPv6 and Transitional Myths by Geoff Huston http://www.potaroo.net/ispcol/2010-11/myths.html Domain Pulse 2011 Conference Registrations Open http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=12895 au: Turnbull cops his share of criticism http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/turnbull-cops-his-share-of-criticism-20101122-1845o.html Hobart Up For Sale Down Under http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/11/23/hobart-up-for-sale-down-under/ ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Long Live the Web: A Call for Continued Open Standards and Neutrality by Tim Berners-Lee The world wide web went live, on my physical desktop in Geneva, Switzerland, in December 1990. It consisted of one Web site and one browser, which happened to be on the same computer. The simple setup demonstrated a profound concept: that any person could share information with anyone else, anywhere. In this spirit, the Web spread quickly from the grassroots up. Today, at its 20th anniversary, the Web is thoroughly integrated into our daily lives. We take it for granted, expecting it to ?be there? at any instant, like electricity. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=long-live-the-web Tim Berners-Lee: Facebook could fragment web Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networking sites represent "one of several threats" to the future of the world wide web, its founder, Sir Tim Berners-Lee has warned. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/nov/22/tim-berners-lee-facebook uk: Vaizey insists he favours net neutrality ? and agrees with Berners-Lee The communications minister, Ed Vaizey, has insisted to the Guardian that he is in favour of net neutrality, and that his speech on the subject has been misinterpreted. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/nov/22/vaizey-net-neutrality-berners-lee Tim Berners-Lee: Facebook Threatens Web, Beware Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the world wide web, warned that social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Friendster constitute one of "several threats to the Web's universality," arguing that such sites create "closed silos of content" that may threaten the Internet's status as a "single, universal information space." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/22/tim-berners-lee-facebook-threat-_n_786855.html Creator of the Web calls for continued open Web Almost 20 years ago, the World Wide Web went live on the computer of Tim Berners-Lee in Geneva. "The simple setup demonstrated a profound concept: that any person could share information with anyone else, anywhere," he writes. Now Berners-Lee is fighting to keep that setup still in existence. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/blog-post/2010/11/creator_of_the_web_calls_for_c.html Social networking is undermining the web, says web inventor Social networking, net neutrality deals and government monitoring are threatening the very future of the world wide web, the man responsible for creating it has said just days short of its 20th anniversary. http://out-law.com/page-11567 Berners-Lee: Social networks are a 'threat to the web' Founder of the web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, has slammed social networks claiming they are "a threat to the web". http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=3249764& http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9197618/Berners_Lee_Social_networks_are_a_threat_to_the_web_ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/112210-berners-lee-social-networks-are-a.html Internet Founder Calls For Open Standards/Neutrality In a call to arms, Internet founder Tim Berners-Lee urged web users to protect the net from becoming a fragmented territory. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/11/internet-founder-calls-for-ope.php ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Public Comment: Proposed Changes to Enhance ICANN's Registrar Accreditation Evaluation Process The community is invited to provide comments on proposed measures to enhance ICANN's registrar accreditation evaluation process. Specifically, ICANN is seeking public comment on: http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-22nov10-en.htm Public Comment: Interim Paper on Issues and Possible Solutions Inclusion of IDN ccTLD?s in the ccNSO The IDN country code policy development process Working Group 2 (IDN ccPDP WG 2) seeks input from the community on its work to date, on developing recommendations for the inclusion of IDN ccTLD managers in the country code Names Supporting Organization. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-22nov10-en.htm Letter from Peter Dengate Thrush to Heather Dryden, GAC Response to GAC Comments on New gTLDs and DAGv4 http://icann.org/en/correspondence/dengate-thrush-to-dryden-23nov10-en.pdf Letter from Heather Dryden, GAC, to Peter Dengate Thrush Interim GAC Comments Related to New gTLDS http://icann.org/en/correspondence/dryden-to-dengate-thrush-22nov10-en.pdf Policy issue summary for ICANN Cartagena meeting Earlier today the policy staff at ICANN gave a briefing on upcoming policy issues to be discussed at the organisation?s meeting in Cartagena next month. http://gibc.biz/2010/11/policy-issue-summary-for-icann-cartagena-meeting/ Governments still want new TLD morality veto ICANN?s Governmental Advisory Committee still wants to block ?controversial? new TLDs on morality grounds. http://domainincite.com/governments-still-want-new-tld-morality-veto/ IANA and the Automation of the Root Zone Management As an unwavering stalwart of ICANN's obligation to honor its commitments under the bylaws to "operate to the maximum extent feasible in an open and transparent manner" I make it a point to read the minutes of its board and committee meetings in large part because I spent most of my three years on the ICANN Board trying to get these documents timely published. In reviewing the recently published IANA Committee minutes the following item caught my attention. http://www.circleid.com/posts/iana_and_the_automation_of_the_root_zone_management/ .YOURBRAND domain name applications starting soon In brief: As the opening for applications for the new generic TLDs (eg .YOURBRAND) draws closer, Partner Tim Golder, Senior Associate Jesse Gleeson and Law Graduate Nadia Guadagno look at the proposed final version of the Applicant Guidelines recently released by ICANN and recommend that companies start preparing now. http://www.aar.com.au/pubs/ip/foipnov10_01.htm Three registrars face the ICANN chop ICANN has told three registrars they are in breach of their registrar contracts and will lose their accreditation next month unless they rectify the problems. http://domainincite.com/three-registrars-face-the-icann-chop/ ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** Number of domains in .az zone grows The number of domains registered in the national domain area of the upper register of Azerbaijan-.az, continues to grow. http://www.news.az/articles/tech/26809 Why Bangladeshi Domain .bd is important? DOT BD (.bd) is the ccTLD for Bangladesh. It is administered by the Ministry of Post & Telecommunications of Bangladesh by BTTB (Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board). http://open.salon.com/blog/iamnetguru/2010/11/22/why_bangladeshi_domain_bd_is_important Not all Belgian SMEs have registered .be domain name More than 50 percent of Belgian one-man companies and SMEs have not yet registered their .be domain name yet, internet company Combell Group said. To date, slightly more than 1 million.be domain names have been registered. http://www.telecompaper.com/news/not-all-belgian-smes-have-registered-be-domain-name Greater internet security: SWITCH blocks malicious websites SWITCH is stepping up the security measures for the Swiss internet: Swiss websites which spread malicious software and infect the computers of internet users with malware as they surf, will be removed from the web as of Thursday. http://www.switch.ch/about/news/2010/malware-nov2010.html Number of CN domain names drops 50 percent The number of China's CN domain names fell from around 13.7 million to more than 6 million, a 50 percent decline, one year after China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology conducted a complete inventory of registered CN domain names. http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/7206885.html .INFO Joins gTLDs To Increase Price Afilias has advised ICANN they will be increasing the ?Maximum Service Fee? or the fee they charge registries as defined in the .INFO Registry Agreement for domain name registrations to $7.42 as of 1 July 2011. http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/11/24/info-joins-gtlds-to-increase-price/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/info-joins-gtlds-to-increase-fee.html Letter from Steve Heflin, .INFO. to Rod Beckstrom Notice of Fee Increase http://icann.org/en/correspondence/heflin-to-beckstrom-22nov10-en.pdf Q&A: dotMobi CEO Trey Harvin, on the goMobi Website Tool Most websites are not built to properly load on mobile phones. They tend to be slow to load and hard to view, and tend not to offer an efficient experience for on-the go users. http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/112210_QA_dotMobi_CEO_Trey_Harvin_on_the_goMobi_Website_Tool rf: Domain Names Blocked The body overseeing the Cyrillic Internet domain has decided to freeze more than 24,500 web site addresses purchased and put up for auction by registrar Ru-Center, Vedomosti reported Wednesday. http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/domain-names-blocked/424604.html Cyrillic websites embroiled in legal row Cyrillic web domains are set to be frozen amid concerns that many of the .?? sites sold this month have been bought by profiteers. http://themoscownews.com/business/20101124/188226687.html Russia?s Coordination Center freezes some Cyrillic domain names [PRIME-TASS] Russia?s Coordination Center for Top-Level Domain .RU has frozen a number of domain names that were sold at auctions during the few first days of the open registration of domain names in the Cyrillic TLD .rf, the coordination center?s Director Andrei Kolesnikov said, ITAR-TASS reported Wednesday. http://www.prime-tass.com/news/0/{A59FBBA7-7119-4B22-856B-E04DEDC638DC}.uif Gaming scandal hits Russian domain launch The launch of Russia?s .?? ccTLD, widely lauded as a runaway success story, has been tainted by a registrar gaming scandal. http://domainincite.com/gaming-scandal-hits-russian-domain-launch/ Russian Cyrillic Internationalised Domain Rockets Past Half Million It took close to two months for .CO to reach the significant half million active registrations when it became available for general registration following its relaunch in July of this year, but it only took eight days for the Russian Cyrillic domain .?? (.RF ? Russian Federation or ?????????? ????????? in Cyrillic) to pass the same mark. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=12894 http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/11/23/russian-cyrillic-internationalised-domain-rockets-past-half-million/ Russia?s Cyrillic IDN ccTLD blasts off through the 500K mark in under a week by Jon Lawrence Since last Thursday?s launch of Russia?s Cyrillic script IDN ccTLD, registration volumes have smashed all expectations, much like a Soyuz rocket blasting off into space from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. http://www.ausregistry.com/blog/?p=663 ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** ANALYSIS - In cyber warfare, policy lags technology Cyber warfare techniques might be leaping forward and nations ramping up spending on digital defences and new electronic weapons, but the policy frameworks and philosophy for their use lag well behind. http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-53128520101124 UK Government concentrating on developing cyber "weaponry" Britain is devoting more energy to understanding and developing "weaponry" for cyber warfare than any other military area, armed forces chief General David Richards said on Monday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6AL6BP20101122 http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-53086120101122 Report Says Stuxnet Computer Worm Stymied Iran Nuclear Sites Iran's nuclear-fuel production facilities were temporarily suspended this month, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said, in the latest sign of the difficulties Tehran is facing in advancing its atomic work. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704369304575633083063905598.html Stuxnet 'hit' Iran nuclear plans The Stuxnet worm might be partly responsible for delays in Iran's nuclear programme, says a former UN nuclear inspections official. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11809827 Afilias Driving DNSSEC Across TLD Zones TLD operator Afilias is looking to broaden the spread of DNS Security Extensions across its portfolio of online real estate in an effort to secure core Internet architecture. http://www.internetnews.com/security/article.php/3914356/Afilias Driving DNSSEC Across TLD Zones.htm Outlawing Botnets by Susan Brenner The European Commission is apparently considering the promulgation and adoption of a directive that would, at least in part, criminalize botnets. As I understand it, the premise behind adopting such a directive is that since botnets are capable of inflicting "harm" on a large scale, we need to separately criminalize them. I decided to examine the need for and utility of such legislation in this post. http://www.circleid.com/posts/outlawing_botnets/ ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** uk: Boris: ?One Of Our Domain Names Is Missing? A genuine administrative error, or a telling suggestion of hubris at the heart of Boris Johnson?s electoral machine? The crockery is flying at City Hall right now after one of the Mayor?s domain names was left to rot, and subsequently re-registered by another, unknown person. http://londonist.com/2010/11/boris-one-of-our-domain-names-is-missing.php uk: New owner slips into unwitting BoJo's domain Boris Johnson is trying to recover the domain name backboris.com, after the London mayor's people apparently forgot to renew the registration. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/11/19/boris_johnson_loses_campaign_website/ Kentucky Internet Gambling Case Returns to Circuit Court December 6th Here we go again. On December 6th at 9:00am ET, a hearing is scheduled in front of Judge Thomas Wingate in the case involving the seizure and potential forfeiture of 141 internet gambling domain names in Kentucky, including those belonging to PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker. This time, Kentucky attorneys have asked that the 141 sites be split up into several groups. http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kentucky-internet-gambling-case-returns-to-circuit-court-december-6th-16944/ Register.com and Baidu Settle Lawsuit According to a press release published by Marketwire, search engine Baidu and registrar Register.com have agreed to an undisclosed settlement. http://www.domainnamenews.com/registrars/registercom-baidu-settle-lawsuit/8410 ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** IPv6 and Transitional Myths by Geoff Huston I attended the RIPE 61 meeting this month, and, not unexpectedly for a group that has some interest in IP addresses, the topic of IPv4 address exhaustion, and the related topic of the transition of the network to IPv6 has captured a lot of attention throughout the meeting. One session I found particularly interesting was one on the transition to IPv6, where folk related their experiences and perspectives on the forthcoming transition to IPv6. I found the session interesting, as it exposed some commonly held beliefs about the transition to IPv6, so I'd like to share them here, and discuss a little about why I find them somewhat fanciful. http://www.potaroo.net/ispcol/2010-11/myths.html ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Domain Pulse 2011 Conference Registrations Open The eighth Domain Pulse conference is happening in February 2011 and registrations are now open. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=12895 http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/11/23/domain-pulse-2011-conference-registrations-open/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/domain-pulse-2011-conference-registrations-open.html Understanding the Internet's insecure routing infrastructure As an incident that we reported on last week shows, the Internet routing system isn't as secure as we want it to be. But how bad is it really? http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/11/understanding-the-internets-insecure-routing-infrastructure.ars Mandatory Provision of Abuse Contact Information in WHOIS by Udeme Ukutt An industry professional at Abusix is the backbone behind a proposal to improve and create better mitigation of abuse across different global internet networks. Basically, this introduces a mandatory "abuse contact" field for objects in global Whois databases. This provides a more efficient way for abuse reports to reach the correct network contact. Personally - as a Postmaster for a leading, white-label ISP, I applaud this with great happiness for multiple reasons. I also feel people who handle abuse desks, anti-abuse roles, etc. should closely follow this. http://www.circleid.com/posts/mandatory_provision_of_abuse_contact_information_in_whois/ CADNA Commends Chairman Leahy and the Senate Judiciary Committee for Passing the Combating Online Infringements and Counterfeits Act Out of Committee [news release] The Coalition Against Domain Name Abuse (CADNA) applauds the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee for passing the Combating Online Infringements and Counterfeits Act out of committee yesterday. http://www.cadna.org/en/newsroom/press-release/cadna-commends-chairman-leahy au: Turnbull cops his share of criticism "Poor" may not be the most accurate description, of course, but the man was clearly being treated unkindly when Labor ministers queued up yesterday to accuse him of hypocrisy for owning $10 million of shares in Melbourne IT, a company of which his wife is director, sells domain names on the internet and figures the national broadband network will be a wealth creator. http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/turnbull-cops-his-share-of-criticism-20101122-1845o.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/politics/turnbull-cops-his-share-of-criticism-20101122-1845o.html http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/turnbull-cops-his-share-of-criticism-20101122-1845o.html http://www.watoday.com.au/opinion/politics/turnbull-cops-his-share-of-criticism-20101122-1845o.html Q&A with OpenDNS: We're being blocked, FCC should act on net neutrality As the Federal Communications Commission grapples with the timing of a net neutrality vote and Republican lawmakers demand the agency drop it, companies like OpenDNS fear the issue is getting mired in politics. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2010/11/qa_with_opendns_were_being_blo.html ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Hobart Up For Sale Down Under Hobart.com.au is up for grabs through Netfleet in one of the most high profile domain name auctions in the two years since trading in .AU domain names was allowed. http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/11/23/hobart-up-for-sale-down-under/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/hobart-up-for-sale-down-under.html ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Analysing data is the future for journalists, says Tim Berners-Lee Sir Tim Berners-Lee reckons he's glimpsed the future of journalism ? and given he's the person who invented the world wide web, you might not want to bet against him. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/nov/22/data-analysis-tim-berners-lee Wi-Fi Makes Trees Sick, Study Says [IDG] Radiation from Wi-Fi networks is harmful to trees, causing significant variations in growth, as well as bleeding and fissures in the bark, according to a recent study in the Netherlands. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/211219/.html Wi-Fi could be harmful to trees, cause bleeding and bark tears, study says Wi-Fi signals could be responsible for health problems in trees, leading to bark tears, prematurely dead leaves and bleeding, according to a study by Wageningen University in the Netherlands. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/11/wi-fi-might-be-harmful-to-trees-can-cause-bleeding-and-bark-tears-study-says.html For Google, the Browser Does It All When a Google engineer gave top executives computers running the company?s new Chrome operating system, Sergey Brin, Google?s co-founder, tried to hold on to his computer running an older version. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/25/technology/25chrome.html Internet social sites 'encourage wrong spelling' [PA] Internet chatrooms and social networking sites are encouraging children to spell words incorrectly, new research suggests. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/internet-social-sites-encourage-wrong-spelling-2140887.html Chatroulette Gives Rise to a Genre Remember Chatroulette, the Web site that pairs strangers for anonymous video chats? It was all the rage among the Web?s tastemakers early this year. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/22/technology/22roulette.html In Cybertherapy, Avatars Assist With Healing His talk was going just fine until some members of the audience became noticeably restless. A ripple of impatience passed through the several dozen seated listeners, and a few seemed suddenly annoyed; then two men started to talk to each other, ignoring him altogether. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/23/science/23avatar.html au: Teenagers give away personal data online: security firm Half of Australia's teenagers share their personal data with strangers online, new research reveals. Cyber bullying is also on the rise, with one in five teenagers having mean or hurtful information posted about them on social networking sites, according to internet security firm McAfee. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/security/teenagers-give-away-personal-data-online-security-firm-20101122-183ko.html http://www.perthnow.com.au/business/aussie-teens-share-personal-info-online/story-e6frg2rc-1225958759648 Brazilians broadcasting funerals over Internet [AP] A funeral home in Brazil is broadcasting its services live over the Internet, giving some of the millions of Brazilians living abroad the chance to say a final goodbye to their loved ones. http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2010/11/22/brazilians_broadcasting_funerals_over_internet/ ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** The middle men making a killing out of Facebook Whether you are in Silicon Valley or on Wall Street ? or anywhere with a portfolio of shares and some money to spare ? the hottest topic in investment has long been, when will Facebook float on the stock market? But for some rich individuals, and cast of brokers and other middlemen, there is no patience for finding out. They want a piece of Facebook now ? and they're getting it. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/the-middle-men-making-a-killing-out-of-facebook-2143076.html Facebook news feeds beset with malware One fifth of Facebook users are exposed to malware contained in their news feeds, claim security researchers. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11827856 With Facebook Claiming the Word ?Face,? Some Alternatives Facebook is a few steps away from getting a trademark on the word ?face? with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, according to a document discovered by the technology blog TechCrunch, which it wrote about on Tuesday. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/24/with-facebook-claiming-the-word-face-some-alternatives/ Facebook makes people more social - study Contrary to common belief social media websites such as Facebook do not weaken personal ties, they strengthen them in unique ways for different age groups, according to a new study. http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-53110420101123 http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/4379892/Facebook-makes-people-more-social-study Twitter airport 'joke' trial heads to the High Court A man who was convicted and fined for a Twitter message threatening to blow up an airport has said he will take his case to the High Court. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11809185 ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** With Kinect Controller, Hackers Take Liberties When Oliver Kreylos, a computer scientist, heard about the capabilities of Microsoft?s new Kinect gaming device, he couldn?t wait to get his hands on it. ?I dropped everything, rode my bike to the closest game store and bought one,? he said. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/22/technology/22hack.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ A Parents' Guide to Facebook Welcome to our guidebook for parents! It?s designed to help you understand what Facebook is and how to use it safely. With it, you will be better informed and able to communicate with young Facebook users in your life more effectively. That's important because 1) if something goes wrong, we want our children to come to us and 2) as the Internet becomes increasingly social and mobile, a parent?s guidance and support are ever more key to young people?s well-being in social media and technology. http://www.connectsafely.org/Safety-Advice-Articles/facebook-for-parents.html Why won't Google protect children from internet porn? Who can forget the ?disturbing story of the two young brothers from Edlington, South Yorkshire, who, in January this year, were jailed indefinitely for an ?horrific assault on two other boys? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1332842/Why-wont-Google-protect-children-internet-porn.html Swedish banks join fight against child porn Cooperation between Swedish banks and police to stop the purchase of child pornography images over the internet has proved effective, the national banking association announced on Wednesday. http://www.thelocal.se/30398/20101124/ uk: MP calls for pornography 'opt-in' to protect children Internet providers should create an "opt-in" system to prevent children gaining access to pornography, a Conservative MP has said. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11822874 uk: MP wants age verification for net smut A Tory MP has proposed that all UK-based ISPs should implement an opt-in age verification system to gain access to internet porn. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/11/24/isp_age_opt_in_uk/ us: What's Wrong with the Anti-Bullying Bill? In the aftermath of the suicide of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi in September, New Jersey's congressional representatives are working on a national anti-bullying bill. This is understandable and ordinarily the sort of thing for which the representatives might be commended. Except for the substance of the bill, which ensures that it probably won't do much good. The trouble is that the bill appears to closely mirror the existing policies in place at Rutgers, polices that didn't help Clementi. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-luzer/whats-wrong-with-the-anti_b_786275.html au: Teen admits to attacks on federal websites over internet filter Steve Slayo sat glued to his bedroom computer into the early morning hours, stewing over plans by the Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, to impose filters on internet content. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/security/teen-admits-to-attacks-on-federal-websites-over-internet-filter-20101124-187ia.html http://www.theage.com.au/technology/security/teen-admits-to-attacks-on-federal-websites-over-internet-filter-20101124-187ia.html nz: Police concerned over dangerous 'hangman' game A series of self-harming incidents has seen police begin drawing up a risk register of vulnerable teenagers in South Auckland. http://www.3news.co.nz/Police-concerned-over-dangerous-hangman-game/tabid/423/articleID/187647/Default.aspx nz/th: ???.????????? ??????????????????????? "???????" ???????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????? http://www.prachatai.com/journal/2010/11/31998 Weighing the pros and cons of the Internet's effect on kids It is hard to imagine life without the Internet, along with the freedom and possibilities it has opened up. But how much freedom do you allow your kids when he or she is online? http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/life/article/700334--weighing-the-pros-and-cons-of-the-internet-s-effect-on-kids ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** FilmOn gets injunction; Ivi tows "secondary transmission" line In the ongoing struggle between broadcasters and online streaming services, Big Content has earned a temporary win against streaming service FilmOn. A federal judge has ordered FilmOn to cease streaming content from live, over-the-air broadcasts at least until it submits a satisfactory legal brief explaining why the court shouldn't grant the preliminary injunction sought by the four largest US broadcast networks. http://arstechnica.com/media/news/2010/11/filmon-gets-injunction-ivi-tows-secondary-trasmission-line.ars Cheap OZ IPTV Service Ends Up In Court A US Internet Company that has been offering Australians access to live US TV shows such as the Mentalist, Law & Order and Two & a Half Men prior to the shows being aired in Australia is now being sued by several major US networks. http://smarthouse.com.au/Content_And_Downloads/Industry/P4D5Q4E7 ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Mobile Web usage surged in October: Opera Global mobile data traffic surged in October at the fastest rate in seven months, raising the prospect of new orders for the makers of telecoms equipment. http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-53121120101124 Single women banned from carrying cellphones [AFP] A local council in northern India has banned unmarried women from carrying mobile telephones to halt a series of illicit romances between partners from different castes, media reports said. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10690015 http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/india-district-bans-cell-phones-for-unmarried-women-20101124-1873x.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** uk: Computer expert jailed after hacking victims' webcams [Press Association] A computer hacker who took control of his victims' webcams was jailed for 18 months today. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/nov/23/computer-expert-jailed-hacking-webcams Cyberthieves use human money mules for risky work Sitting at a computer somewhere overseas in January 2009, computer hackers went phishing. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/22/AR2010112200855.html Digital vaccine needed to fight botnets The equivalent of a government-backed vaccination scheme is needed to clean up the huge numbers of PCs hijacked by cyber criminals, suggests research. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11811939 ACMA: 30,000 Australian PCs infected every day Australia's communications regulator has reported that there are approximately 25,000 to 30,000 computers compromised by malware every day in Australia. http://www.securecomputing.net.au/News/239580,acma-30000-australian-pcs-infected-every-day.aspx http://www.itnews.com.au/News/239580,acma-30000-australian-pcs-infected-every-day.aspx ANALYSIS - In cyber warfare, policy lags technology Cyber warfare techniques might be leaping forward and nations ramping up spending on digital defences and new electronic weapons, but the policy frameworks and philosophy for their use lag well behind. http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-53128520101124 UK Government concentrating on developing cyber "weaponry" Britain is devoting more energy to understanding and developing "weaponry" for cyber warfare than any other military area, armed forces chief General David Richards said on Monday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6AL6BP20101122 http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-53086120101122 Report Says Stuxnet Computer Worm Stymied Iran Nuclear Sites Iran's nuclear-fuel production facilities were temporarily suspended this month, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said, in the latest sign of the difficulties Tehran is facing in advancing its atomic work. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704369304575633083063905598.html Stuxnet 'hit' Iran nuclear plans The Stuxnet worm might be partly responsible for delays in Iran's nuclear programme, says a former UN nuclear inspections official. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11809827 Outlawing Botnets by Susan Brenner The European Commission is apparently considering the promulgation and adoption of a directive that would, at least in part, criminalize botnets. As I understand it, the premise behind adopting such a directive is that since botnets are capable of inflicting "harm" on a large scale, we need to separately criminalize them. I decided to examine the need for and utility of such legislation in this post. http://www.circleid.com/posts/outlawing_botnets/ ************************** PRIVACY ************************** Shunned Profiling Technology on the Verge of Comeback One of the most potentially intrusive technologies for profiling and targeting Internet users with ads is on the verge of a comeback, two years after an outcry by privacy advocates in the U.S. and Britain appeared to kill it. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704243904575630751094784516.html EU Chews on Web Cookies Europe's effort to regulate online "cookies" is crumbling, exposing how tough it is to curb the practice of tracking Internet users' movements on the Web. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704444304575628610624607130.html us: Report: Commerce Dept Gets Low Mark On Intl Consumer Privacy Protection The Commerce Department's work on consumer privacy protection in the international arena reflect "indifference and neglect," according to a new report released Monday by the World Privacy Forum. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/11/report-commerce-dept-gets-low.php http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20101122_5223.php uk: Commissioner issues first Data Protection Act fines A county council that faxed details of a child sex abuse case to a member of the public is to be fined ?100,000 for breaching the Data Protection Act. Hertfordshire County Council is one of two bodies fined by the Information Commissioner - both have apologised. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11821203 First monetary penalties served for serious data protection breaches [news release] The Information Commissioner today served two organisations with the first monetary penalties for serious breaches of the Data Protection Act. http://www.ico.gov.uk/~/media/documents/pressreleases/2010/first_monetary_penalties_press_release_24112010.ashx Street View goes bizarro in Germany The controversy surrounding Google Street View in Germany has taken a bizarre turn, less than one week after the online mapping service was launched. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/4389000/Street-View-goes-bizarro-in-Germany http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/google-street-view-controversy-takes-a-bizarre-twist-20101125-18814.html ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Iran Nazi website allowed to re-open An Iranian Internet site for devotees of Nazi Germany has been allowed to reopen after being blocked briefly by government censors, a news website reported, raising questions about the official attitude to anti-Semitism. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6AL4B220101122 ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** Long Live the Web: A Call for Continued Open Standards and Neutrality by Tim Berners-Lee The world wide web went live, on my physical desktop in Geneva, Switzerland, in December 1990. It consisted of one Web site and one browser, which happened to be on the same computer. The simple setup demonstrated a profound concept: that any person could share information with anyone else, anywhere. In this spirit, the Web spread quickly from the grassroots up. Today, at its 20th anniversary, the Web is thoroughly integrated into our daily lives. We take it for granted, expecting it to ?be there? at any instant, like electricity. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=long-live-the-web Tim Berners-Lee: Facebook could fragment web Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networking sites represent "one of several threats" to the future of the world wide web, its founder, Sir Tim Berners-Lee has warned. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/nov/22/tim-berners-lee-facebook uk: Vaizey insists he favours net neutrality ? and agrees with Berners-Lee The communications minister, Ed Vaizey, has insisted to the Guardian that he is in favour of net neutrality, and that his speech on the subject has been misinterpreted. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/nov/22/vaizey-net-neutrality-berners-lee Tim Berners-Lee: Facebook Threatens Web, Beware Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the world wide web, warned that social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Friendster constitute one of "several threats to the Web's universality," arguing that such sites create "closed silos of content" that may threaten the Internet's status as a "single, universal information space." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/22/tim-berners-lee-facebook-threat-_n_786855.html Creator of the Web calls for continued open Web Almost 20 years ago, the World Wide Web went live on the computer of Tim Berners-Lee in Geneva. "The simple setup demonstrated a profound concept: that any person could share information with anyone else, anywhere," he writes. Now Berners-Lee is fighting to keep that setup still in existence. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/blog-post/2010/11/creator_of_the_web_calls_for_c.html Social networking is undermining the web, says web inventor Social networking, net neutrality deals and government monitoring are threatening the very future of the world wide web, the man responsible for creating it has said just days short of its 20th anniversary. http://out-law.com/page-11567 Berners-Lee: Social networks are a 'threat to the web' Founder of the web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, has slammed social networks claiming they are "a threat to the web". http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=3249764& http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9197618/Berners_Lee_Social_networks_are_a_threat_to_the_web_ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/112210-berners-lee-social-networks-are-a.html Internet Founder Calls For Open Standards/Neutrality In a call to arms, Internet founder Tim Berners-Lee urged web users to protect the net from becoming a fragmented territory. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/11/internet-founder-calls-for-ope.php Australian government considers GST on internet shopping The Federal Government says it will consider imposing the GST on imported goods worth less than $1,000 to help local retailers compete against online stores. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/24/3074729.htm ACTA treaty could pressure change for Aussie laws: EFA Although the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) will not require any changes to Australian laws, the Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) has expressed concern over potential future pressures on Australian copyright control from other countries. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/369283/acta_treaty_could_pressure_change_aussie_laws_efa/ EU Parliament approves once-secret ACTA copyright treaty After 11 rounds of international negotiations, the final text of the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) has overcome its biggest hurdle yet when it was welcomed as a step in the right direction by the European Parliament, which voted 331-294, with 11 members abstaining, to approve the measure. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/112410-eu-parliament-approves-once-secret-acta.html China prepared to defend administration of Net China will promote the opening up of cyberspace and welcome foreign firms as long as they abide by Chinese laws and respect traditional Chinese culture, said State Council Information Office Minister Wang Chen on Monday. http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/7207453.html uk: Martha Lane Fox urging online government 'revolution' The government's "digital champion" has called for a revolution in the way it deals with the public online. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11815731 Did Google and Verizon scupper net neutrality? Net neutrality is a thorny subject for advocacy groups, internet service providers, carriers, internet companies and of course the government. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/maggieshiels/2010/11/did_google_verizon_scupper_net.html US Privacy Groups Fault Online Health Sites for Sharing User Data With Marketers QualityHealth is a popular health Web site with more than 20 million registered users that offers online medical information and e-mail newsletters on a variety of topics, including diabetes, allergies, asthma and arthritis. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/24/business/24drug.html us: Groups Urge FTC To Probe Online Health Marketing Four public interest groups filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission Tuesday urging the agency to investigate whether those offering online health information and services are engaging in unfair and deceptive advertising practices. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/11/groups-urge-ftc-to-probe-onlin.php ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* News Corp ?bet? on education sector Rupert Murdoch?s $360m investment in a New York education technology company represents a bet on a sector that has yet to go through the digital transformation that other media businesses have seen, executives and analysts said http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f9260e1a-f6b7-11df-b434-00144feab49a,dwp_uuid=9a36c1aa-3016-11da-ba9f-00000e2511c8.html ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Malaysian WiMax operator off to shaky start Newly-launched WiMax operator, YTL Communications (YTL Comms), suffered a series of malicious attacks on its Web servers that lasted over 24 hours after its commercial debut, making it unavailable to customers looking to register as new subscribers. http://www.zdnetasia.com/m-sian-wimax-operator-off-to-shaky-start-62204560.htm ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR ONLINE CHILD PROTECTION ********************************** uk: Probation officers cleared over Jon Venables supervision Only 24-hour surveillance would have stopped James Bulger's killer amassing an extensive collection of child pornography, according to a Ministry of Justice case review published today. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/nov/23/probation-officers-cleared-jon-venables-supervision +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2010 --------- David Goldstein email: goldstein_david§yahoo.com.au web: http://davidgoldstein.tel/ http://goldsteinreport.com/ phone: +61 418 228 605 - mobile; +61 2 9665 5773 - office/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 FlanneryReceived on Wed Nov 24 2010 - 20:17:45 UTC
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