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OPG ENEWS
November 8, 2002
The electronic journal of the Online Policy Group, Inc.
This issue is available online at
http://www.onlinepolicy.org/media/opgenews/opgenews021108.shtml
Action Alerts
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Online Policy Projects
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Taming the WWW: A Provocative Discussion on Internet Filtering
OPG Executive Director Will Doherty organizes panel on Internet blocking at
OpenGov02 conference, California First Amendment Coalition (October 19, 2002)
http://cfac.org/opengov02/programdetail.html
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CyberCenter Open to the Public
The new San Francisco LGBT Community Center has an exciting feature you might
not have heard about. It's the CyberCenter, a computer lab with Internet access,
word processing, and printing capabilities that is free and open to the public.
Currently open on Thursday nights from 6-10 pm, it's located inside the Charles
M. Holmes campus of the Center, at 1800 Market Street. More than a dozen
computers are available and waiting for you to use them!
Go check it out and let us know what you think at
info@onlinepolicy.org
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Help OPG Obtain Funding
In order to serve more under served communities, OPG has begun applying for
foundation funding. If you are currently utilizing OPG's free services, you
can have a direct impact on OPG's chances of receiving a grant! Simply go to
http://www.onlinepolicy.org/about/testimonial.shtml
and check out the testimonials of satisfied clients. Then write your own and
email it to
info@onlinepolicy.org
A few minutes of your time will help us demonstrate the direct impact
of OPG's services.
Online Policy News
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Access
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Making the Web Child-Safe
Seo needs help with her geometry homework. Zara wonders aloud whether a pair of
khakis are appropriate garb for a visit to Western Michigan University.
Dig asks if anyone has ever heard of "Fydor something Russian." Globe
asks if anyone saw "Trigger Happy" on Comedy Central. Zimmy laments her
glitchy copy of a Sims game. New York Times (October 31, 2002)
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/31/technology/circuits/31safe.html?ex=1037076
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Study Tallies Sites Blocked by Google
Google, the popular Internet search engine, has excluded more than 100 Web sites
from the French and German versions of its index under pressure from those
nations' governments, a new study has found. The sites include many devoted to
white supremacist philosophy and Nazism, with names like Jew Watch. Ben
Edelman, who did the research, said "they are mostly pretty terrible pages."
New York Times (October 25, 2002)
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/25/technology/25goog.html
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Harmful to Minors Review
Judith Levine's Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children from Sex
is a must-read for those who seek to understand American attitudes toward sex
education and childhood sexuality and for those interested in how to use the
Internet to reach out to young people who are exploring their sexuality and
seeking sexual health information, despite Internet filtering, University of
Minnesota Press (October 17, 2002)
http://www.onlinepolicy.org/access/harmfultominorsreview.shtml
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Websites Blackout Over Spanish Monitoring Law
Spanish Web site operators have taken their sites offline in protest of
government proposals to regulate online content, The Register (October 14, 2002)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/27589.html
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China Bans Minors From Net Cafes
The Chinese government on Friday issued rules barring minors from going into
Internet cafes, which are hugely popular for video games and web services, and
which state media have said poison the minds of urban youth,
Reuters via CNET News.com (October 11, 2002)
http://news.com.com/2102-1023-961734.html
For a story about a group of hackers' response to the Chinese government's
block of Google searches, New York Times (October 10, 2002), see
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/10/technology/circuits/10hack.html
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Administrative Harassment
In the past weeks, there has been a new wave of threats, shutdown attempts, and
harassment towards the Ché Café by the UCSD administration, Ché Café Collective
(October 7, 2002)
http://checafe.ucsd.edu/corr.html
In response, the American Association of University Professors and nine
other groups have written a letter asking UCSD to abandon its threats of
disciplinary action against the Che Cafe Collective, a move that the
school had claimed was necessary because of the USA Patriot Act, CNET News
(October 8, 2002).
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-961297.html
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Fighting Net Censorship Abroad
Washington lawmakers are considering legislation that would allocate
$100 million to thwart Internet censorship by authoritarian regimes,
contrasted with continuing government-mandated CIPA censorship in U.S. schools,
Wired News (October 3, 2002)
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,55530,00.html
Privacy
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Online Angst
Confidence about privacy remains a major concern for Internet users,
according to the newly issued consumer Internet barometer, CBS News
(October 16, 2002)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/10/16/tech/printable525796.shtml
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A Kiddie GPS for the Masses?
You are a parent with the jitters; you go to RadioShack and buy a casing
for your teen's cell phone that tells you his or her whereabouts at all
times; you simply log on to a website for a map of the phone's location,
Wired News (October 12, 2002)
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,55731,00.html
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FBI Misused Secret Wiretaps, According to Memo
The FBI illegally videotaped suspects, improperly recorded telephone calls and
intercepted e-mails without court permission in more than a dozen secret
terrorism and intelligence investigations, according to an internal memorandum
obtained by a member of Congress, Washington Post (October 10, 2002)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=
&contentId=A3704-2002Oct9¬Found=true
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Privacy Groups Target Amazon Again
Two privacy groups are urging state and federal regulators to force
Amazon.com to live up to its privacy promises. Junkbusters and
the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) argue that the e-tail
giant isn't doing enough to protect the privacy of its customers and must
allow customers to view and delete their personal records,
Reuters via CNETnews.com (October 8, 2002)
http://news.com.com/2102-1017-961136.html
Digital Defamation
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Judge: Disabilities Act Doesn't Cover Web
In the first case of its kind, U.S. District Judge Patricia Seitz said the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies only to physical spaces, such
as restaurants and movie theaters, and not to the Internet, Reuters via
CNETnews.com (October 23, 2002)
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-962761.html
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Why Human Rights Requires Free Software
Human rights is the global currency of modern politics;
whenever the United States attacks a country, diplomatically
or physically, it cites human rights claims; and in a not-so-surprising irony,
the critics of the United States and its allies complain of human rights
violations as well, O'Reilly Network (October 11, 2002)
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/network/2002/10/11/platform.html
Digital Divide
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Software Idea Might Just Be Crazy Enough To Work
Mitch Kapor smiles at the half-serious question:
"Are you crazy to try something like this?"
Kapor, a pioneering developer of personal-computer software,
is definitely not nuts. And it's no surprise to see the founder
of Lotus Development now leading an unorthodox project that could have an
outsized impact. For more than a year, Kapor and his small team have been
working on what they're calling an open-source
"Interpersonal Information Manager,"
San Jose Mercury News, (October 21, 2002)
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/business/columnists/dan_gillmor/4332978.htm
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A Boon For Nonprofits With Software Needs
If these are lean times for corporate information technology purchasers,
what is the situation for nonprofit groups that need new hardware or
software? Surprisingly good, as it turns out, New York Times, (October 21, 2002)
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/21/technology/21DISC.html
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Digital Destinations
An ever-growing series of stories, facts and commentary about the
digital divide in developing countries, BBC News (October 16, 2002)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/sci_tech/2002/digital_destinations/default.stm
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Los Angeles Latino Technology Conference to Present Findings
The findings from a study conducted by the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute,
which looks at the accessibility of computer technology centers in Latino
communities, will be unveiled during a technology conference at the Los
Angeles Convention Center on November 7, 2002,
HispanicBusiness.com (October 14, 2002)
http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?id=7594
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Unions Discover Web as Tool for Organizing
Many Internet sites these days are wearing the union label, Reuters (October 10, 2002)
http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=ATZN5ZXAOFC5GCRBAEOCFFA
?type=internetNews&storyID=1557902
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Africans Embrace Mobiles and the Net
The Internet and mobile phones are catching on in Africa,
according to United Nations experts on the digital divide,
BBC News (October 2, 2002)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2290486.stm
Organizational News
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Boards and Committees
Free Internet Services
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Direct Access Through the Online Policy Group
The Online Policy Group provides donation-based email list
hosting, website hosting, domain registration, and
colocation services directly to individuals and groups who
are underserved, underrepresented, or who face unfair bias,
discrimination, or defamation online. Learn more at
http://www.onlinepolicy.org/services.shtml
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Featured Email List: Lamorinda Peace Group
After having their information and content pulled from a major online
service provider, this East Bay peace group came to OPG. From the list
moderator, Kay James: "We originally began as a book group but soon
became increasingly interested in world politics and environmental issues.
We share information such as newspaper articles from the world press,
critical films being shown (such as documentaries), conferences
(such as the East Bay Sanctuary Movement and Bioneers), discussions
on globalization, genetic engineering and other food and agricultural
issues and letter writing to our representatives in Congress.
The group of women is quite diverse, as are the interests of the group,
but the overriding and cohesive focus is that we are all dedicated to
educating ourselves and those around us to the important political and
environmental issues of our world." OPG email lists available at
http://groups.onlinepolicy.net/cgi-bin/mj_wwwusr?passw=
&user=x12.236.240.98@example.com&func=lists-long
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Featured Website: Prospective Queer Parents
A forum for the exchange of information and a
social gathering space for queer (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, etc.)
people who are interested in childraising and parenting. Meetings of the
organization provide an opportunity for queer people interested in
parenting to encounter new friends and potential parenting partners.
http://www.queerparents.org/
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Featured Domain Name: Leather Leadership Conference
An organization dedicated to strengthening the SM/Leather/Fetish community
through the development of the leadership skills of community members and
fostering a greater sense of connection between and within community groups.
The LLC hosts annual conferences where attendees may share their knowledge
and experience with one another, fostering a greater sense of unity and
understanding within the community as a whole.
http://www.leatherleadership.org
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Featured Colocation Client: Plugged In
A nonprofit community technology center in East Palo Alto that
provides the opportunity for people to learn, create, produce and
express using technology.
http://www.pluggedin.org/
Volunteer / Intern
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Thank you to all volunteers and interns! We couldn't do what we do without you.
OPG needs volunteers and interns for many projects!
Consider how you can apply your talents to developing
universal Internet access without discrimination or defamation.
OPG particularly needs volunteers for the following projects:
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Translations
If you are bilingual, especially in English and Spanish,
please help us in our continuing effort to make materials
available in other languages. Although Spanish translations are
our first priority, we would welcome translators for other languages as well.
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Website Editors
We particularly need website editors interested in updating the
OPG website on a regular basis (you don't even have to know HTML).
To volunteer for these positions or to get more information on our other
volunteer opportunities, check out
http://www.onlinepolicy.org/volintern.shtml
If you are a volunteer or intern and would like to be added
to the page, please email site@onlinepolicy.org with your
name, email address, brief bio, date started internship or
volunteering and (optionally) a picture (in png, jpg, or gif
format).
Volunteer of the Month
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Alex Chaffee
This month we recognize Alex Chaffee, extreme programming guru,
who inspired a group of software developers to pair-program the
code and tests for the Online Community Forum software project,
now codenamed "Calliope." The project will provide more secure
message boards, photo exchange, and many other online community
features without commercial advertising or smarmy privacy policies.
Java programmers, especially those interested in extreme programming
in the San Francisco Bay Area, can join Alex on the project by filling
out the volunteer form at
https://www.onlinepolicy.org/services/opg-volunteer-apply.shtml
See more about Alex at
http://www.purpletech.com/alex/index.jsp
Donate
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Equipment Wishlist
Wanted Working or Broken: San Francisco Bay Area
donations of computers or computer parts, any kind.
At the moment we especially need RAM computer memory, all types and sizes.
OPG is constantly putting computers together to give away to nonprofit groups
and for research purposes - any and all computer donations are appreciated!
http://onlinepolicy.org/donate/donateequipgoods.shtml
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Turn Up The Heat
As OPG grows and provides services to more and more individuals and communities,
we also need increasing financial support to make these services possible.
You may have noticed the thermometer on OPG's donation page, which tracks our
monthly goals and turns up the heat with every donation and gift.
Every gift you give makes a difference, so keep up the good work!
Make a donation and watch the thermometer go up at
http://www.onlinepolicy.org/joindonate.shtml
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Thanks!
Thanks to inspired donations, OPG has achieved more than 200% of our
fundraising goals for October 2002. This came out to $4,160.
As of today, November 8th, we have reached 36% of November goals of $3,000.
Check out our newly regularly updated summary of OPG financial goals and results at
http://www.onlinepolicy.org/about/financeperformancegoals.shtml
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Make a Monthly Contribution to OPG
If you're looking for a high-impact way to contribute,
consider making a monthly recurring donation to OPG using PayPal.
Giving even a small amount every month will make a huge difference over
the course of a year. It's an easy way to contribute much-needed resources
to the Online Policy Group.
Start your monthly donations today at
http://www.onlinepolicy.org/joindonate.shtml#creditcard
Editorial Policy
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Submissions
OPG ENEWS accepts submissions of news stories, action
alerts, and other materials. Brief submissions may appear in
their entirety in OPG ENEWS, while longer pieces may appear
as a link to a page on the OPG website. To submit a story,
simply email it to opgenews@onlinepolicy.org
Subscribe / Unsubscribe
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To subscribe or unsubscribe to OPG ENEWS, please become a
member of the Online Policy Group. It's so easy! Just send
an email to:
opg-member-{location}-subscribe@lists.onlinepolicy.org
where {location} is intl for outside the United States, us
for United States and sfbay for the San Francisco Bay Area.
For example, if you live in New York City, send an email to:
opg-member-us-subscribe@lists.onlinepolicy.org
About OPG:
The Online Policy Group (OPG) is a nonprofit organization
dedicated to online policy research, outreach, and action on
issues such as access, privacy, and digital defamation. The
organization fulfills its motto of "One Internet With Equal
Access for All" through projects such as donation-based email
list hosting, website hosting, domain registrations, and
colocation services. OPG focuses on Internet participants'
civil liberties and human rights, like access, privacy,
safety, and serving schools, libraries, disabled, elderly,
youth, women, and sexual, gender, and ethnic minorities.
Find out more at http://www.onlinepolicy.org
OPG ENEWS, ISSN 1533-6387
Copyright (c) 2001-2002, Online Policy Group, Inc.
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