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July 27, 2014
16:53
Listeners Pick The Year's Best Music (So Far)
» ‎ NPR Most Emailed: NPR Most Emailed Stories

NPR listeners cast thousands of votes for the year's best music (so far) and kept the race tight. In the end, Animal Collective edged out every other artist in both the Best Album category, and for Best Song. Artists like Grizzly Bear, The Decemberists and Neko Case weren't far behind. One thing was clear: 2009 has been one of the strongest years for new music in recent memory.
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February 28, 2010
23:16
Hands Of An Artist: Daniel French's Lincoln Memorial
» ‎ NPR Most Emailed: NPR Most Emailed Stories

Daniel Chester French's solemn white marble sculpture of Lincoln has presided over history since its 1922 dedication. A new exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., looks at its creation.
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February 08, 2010
17:51
Scottrade Online Leads Top Internet Advertisers by Media Value
» ‎ ClickZ CyberStats

The top 50 Internet advertisers by media value, November 2009, according to Kantar Media.

17:51
Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., dies at 77
» ‎ MSNBC.com: Most Viewed

A spokesman says Democratic Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, a retired Marine Corps officer who became an outspoken critic of the Iraq war, has died. He was 77.
17:51
Haiti awash in Christian aid, evangelism
» ‎ MSNBC.com: Most Viewed

The drama on the sidelines of Haiti's earthquake, in which 10 American missionaries were arrested trying to take children out of the country, was a fiasco waiting to happen. By Kari Huus.
17:51
The best and worst of Super Bowl ads
» ‎ MSNBC.com: Most Viewed

Let the record show that 2010 was the year of older women being viciously tackled in Super Bowl commercials.

17:51
Pitt and Jolie sue Sunday paper
» ‎ BBC News | Most Popular Stories | World Edition

Hollywood couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt sue the News Of The World newspaper over allegations about their relationship.
17:51
Body found on US flight to Japan
» ‎ BBC News | Most Popular Stories | World Edition

Japanese officials try to identify a body found in the landing gear compartment of a flight that arrived in Tokyo from New York.
17:51
Decision time for Ukraine's Tymoshenko
» ‎ BBC News | Most Popular Stories | World Edition

Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko is under pressure to decide whether to contest the claimed victory of rival Viktor Yanukovych in a close-fought presidential election.
17:51
Avatar dethroned at US box office
» ‎ BBC News | Most Popular Stories | World Edition

Romantic drama Dear John knocks sci-fi blockbuster Avatar off the top spot in the North American box office in its opening weekend.
17:51
Day in pictures
» ‎ BBC News | Most Popular Stories | World Edition

Striking images from around the world on 8 February 2010
17:51
Australia seeks skilled migrants
» ‎ BBC News | Most Popular Stories | World Edition

Australia's immigration minister says policy will change to focus on skilled migrants, to support mining and health needs.
17:51
Jackson medic denies manslaughter
» ‎ BBC News | Most Popular Stories | World Edition

Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, denies a charge of involuntary manslaughter over the singer's death.
17:51
Enceladus water story reinforced
» ‎ BBC News | Most Popular Stories | World Edition

The Cassini probe returns yet more data to back up the idea of a sub-surface sea on Saturn's moon Enceladus.
17:51
West eyes 'strong' Iran sanctions
» ‎ BBC News | Most Popular Stories | World Edition

Pressure is building in the West for new international sanctions against Iran, after its announcement it will step up uranium enrichment.
17:51
Sri Lanka election loser arrested
» ‎ BBC News | Most Popular Stories | World Edition

The defeated candidate in Sri Lanka's presidential election, General Sarath Fonseka, is arrested for "military offences".

17:46
Ethics Reaction
» ‎ The Wonkster

The Senate failed to override Gov. David Paterson’s veto of ethics legislation by 9 votes. The tally was 35-26. A list of statements from interested parties follows.

Here is the statement from Sen. Eric Schneiderman:

“Just days after unanimously voting for the most sweeping ethics reform bill in a generation, the Senate Republicans have voted to maintain Albanys status quo. It is extremely disappointing that we are now going back to the negotiating table empty-handed.

“The Republicans voted against requiring greater disclosure from lobbyists and lobbying clients, against creating an investigative body for legislative ethics, against restoring independent commissions for the executive branch and lobbying, against providing greater information regarding legislators outside sources of income, and against empowering the New York State Board of Elections to enforce campaign finance laws and increase the penalties for campaign finance violations.

“On nearly every measure transparency, disclosure, accountability, enforcement our ethics reform bill represented an across-the-board improvement over the status quo. It was supported by NYPIRG, the League of Women Voters and Citizens Union. We all recognize that the bill may not have fixed everything thats wrong with the culture of Albany, but it provided the foundation needed to begin the next round of ethics and campaign finance reforms. Unfortunately, we now have to start from scratch.

“I sponsor a whole host of reform bills that go further including S.6794 and S.6795 but it was a mistake not to lock in the gains from this bill before moving forward. Enacting significant ethics reform is my top legislative priority this year, and we must waste no time before restarting negotiations in order to deliver the reform that New Yorkers deserve.”

Here is the statement from Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos:

Rather than use the Governors veto of an ethics reform bill as an opportunity to publicly negotiate a better, stronger measure, Legislative Democrats tried to ram through an override so a weaker bill they settled for in secret, would be enacted into law.

As new ethics reform proposals are put forward, we should proceed with negotiations in an effort to improve a bill that so many say falls short of the mark. Every newspaper in the state weighed in against overriding the Governors veto and called for negotiations to produce a better bill. Good government groups, such as Common Cause, have had a similar response and the New York City Bar Association has also called for improvements that should be included.

Last week, Governor Paterson reached out to Democrats and Republicans and called for a meeting to negotiate a better ethics bill. As far as I am aware, I am the only legislative leader that accepted his invitation.

No one advocated for this bill to be rushed into law by an override, other than Democrats in the Senate and Assembly. Especially when Governor Paterson has introduced a new ethics reform bill and the original bills sponsor, Senator Schneiderman, says he is also introducing a new ethics reform plan.

Senate Republicans attempted to improve the ethics reform bill by offering three amendments, all of which were rejected by the Senate Democrats.

Throughout the process, Democrats have said the vetoed bill was the best they could do. While that bill was a first step towards reform, we owe it to the people to use this opportunity to do even better.

Here is the statement from Senate Majority Conference Leader John Sampson:

“For the second time in six months, Senate Republicans have killed ethics reform in Albany. They have once again asked New Yorkers to do as I say and forget what I do, while special interests have tightened their stranglehold on Albany. Today, they squeezed the life out of the change New Yorkers have been waiting for.

For forty years special interest money had a stranglehold on our democracy, and taxpayers paid the price with higher taxes, record unemployment, and a long, sad string of broken promises.

New Yorkers have a right to be angry, and todays vote by the Senate Minority is yet another example of how entrenched politicians and the special interests who fund them stand in the way of the hopes and dreams of regular New Yorkers.

The time for change has come. I had hoped todays vote would be the first break in the Albany logjam, but the Senate Minority continued their history of building walls to exclude regular New Yorkers and block reform.

While Senate Republicans ran New York into fiscal disaster, Senate Democrats ran to change New York, and we will not allow those who turn their back on ethics reform to stand in the way of the change New Yorkers deserve.”

New York Public Interest Group:

“We applaud those lawmakers who voted in support of ethics reform. Let’s be clear, a vote “no” on the override is a vote against ethics reform.”

17:31
Iran moves closer to nuke warhead capacity (AP)
» ‎ Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

AP - Iran pressed ahead Monday with plans that will increase its ability to make nuclear weapons as it formally informed the U.N. nuclear agency of its intention to enrich uranium to higher levels.
17:30
World's tallest tower closed a month after opening (AP)
» ‎ Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

AP - The world's tallest skyscraper has unexpectedly closed to the public a month after its lavish opening, disappointing tourists headed for the observation deck and casting doubt over plans to welcome its first permanent occupants in the coming weeks.
17:30
Michael Jackson's doctor pleads not guilty (AP)
» ‎ Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

AP - Michael Jackson's personal physician pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter Monday, setting the stage for a sensational celebrity courtroom drama as prosecutors attempt to prove Dr. Conrad Murray caused the pop star's death.
17:30
Obama's health care summit: Just for show? (AP)
» ‎ Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

AP - Could this turn into something more than political theater? President Barack Obama's televised dialogue with Republican lawmakers on health care, promised for later this month, has the makings of an entertaining exchange. But the differences between the basic Democratic and GOP ideas are stark — and the two sides have increasingly hardened their positions in this election year.
17:30
Rep. John Murtha, Iraq war critic, dies at 77 (AP)
» ‎ Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

AP - Rep. John Murtha, the tall, gruff-mannered former Marine who became the de facto voice of veterans on Capitol Hill and later an outspoken and influential critic of the Iraq War, died Monday. He was 77. The Pennsylvania Democrat had been suffering from complications from gallbladder surgery. He died at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Va., with his family at his bedside, the hospital said.

17:22
Girl buried alive for 'befriending boys'
» ‎ NEWS.com.au | Most Popular | Most Popular World Stories

PROSECUTORS in Turkey are seeking life in jail for the father and grandfather of a girl who was buried alive for befriending boys.

Permalink for 'Google_News___Online_campaigning/2010/02/08/Dem_Dam__Candidates_we_won_t_hear_in_primary_debate_tonight___San_Antonio_Current__blog_'

17:18

Dem Dam: Candidates we won't hear in primary debate tonight - San Antonio Current (blog)

» ‎ Google News - Online campaigning

17:03
How Digital Marketing Helped 'Avatar' Break the Box Office
» ‎ MediaShift

Do you remember August 21, 2009?

Moviegoers in more than 100 IMAX 3-D theaters worldwide watched 16 minutes of footage from a new James Cameron movie. That same day, Ubisoft debuted a trailer for a videogame based on the film, and Mattel unveiled action figures inspired by the film's characters. A day earlier, the teaser for the very same film broke a record on Apple.com after beng streamed more than four million times on its first day.

August 21 was celebrated as "Avatar Day." Today, it should be remembered as the dawn of the most comprehensive digital marketing campaign ever developed to support a film. Below are the details of four key components of the campaign, each of which are represented by important characters and creatures within "Avatar."
The Tree of Souls: Social Media

In the film, the Na'vi believe that the Tree of Souls, a place where the souls and voices of their ancestors rest, was the heart of what connected them to each other. This is also a core idea with social networks, which are often built from relationships rooted in our past.

Social networks are frequently tapped for film marketing, and "Avatar" successfully built connections and conversation on Facebook (close to 1.3 million fans), MySpace (close to 800,000 friends) and Twitter (over 25,000 followers). According to Sysomos, a social media analytics firm, "Avatar" was the most talked about film on Twitter in January 2010. Some of those tweets resulted from a "Tweet to Listen" promo that required fans to send a message on Twitter in order to listen to music from the film. "Avatar's" social media strategy also branched out to YouTube (close to 11 million video views), Flickr (over 1 million photo views) and a TypePad blogging community (close to 4,000 members).
The Hometree: Avatar's Website

The immensity and visual richness of the Hometree on Pandora reflects what's been cultivated on the film's official website. Visitors have access to more than the standard fare of trailers, images and background materials. The website offers 14 side-scrolling square boxes that showcase many of the digital initiatives that make this movie stand out. Fans have access to the story, character bios, the music, and wallpaper downloads; but they also have opportunities to contribute content and showcase their interest in the film -- including Pandorapedia, a wiki for all things "Avatar," and the previously discussed blogging community (which includes photo caption contests and timeless topics such as "Why Are Avatar Aliens Blue?").

And just as humans destroyed the Hometree in pursuit of self-interest and wealth, the film's homepage had its own destructive moment in mid-August when fans crashed the site while trying to secure free tickets for "Avatar Day."
The Banshee: The AIR Interactive Trailer
Avatar's interactive trailer soars over previous movie trailers thanks to its integration of social media feeds, and 11 points of interaction that provide viewers with one-click access to each character. (Viewers can simply click on a character in the trailer in order to unlock additional content.) The trailer was built using the Adobe AIR platform, which gives developers flexibility. The result is that fans receive a more exciting experience, similar to that offered by Banshee jumping in the film. The trailer is a moving and frequently refreshed gateway to the film, seemingly alive and fluid the moment it begins. The trailer also includes three options to purchase tickets.

Hallelujah Mountains: Augmented Reality
In the film, the gravity-defying Hallelujah Mountains challenge perceptions, which is also what augmented reality strives to do by presenting an engaging experience that floats in front of the viewer's eyes. Mattel created "Avatar" toys that buyers could activate and "bring to life" through webcams and special product tags, while Coke Zero produced custom cans that opened up the world of Pandora at AVTR.com.

The end result is that "Avatar" is now the biggest box office movie of all time (not adjusted for inflation). The movie has eclipsed $2 billion in total ticket sales, driven largely by 3-D revenues and international interest. Cameron has once again orchestrated a cinematic milestone.

So did the digital initiatives, awareness drivers and glowing online conversation contribute to this historic success?

The goal of any theatrical movie marketing campaign is to get people to head to the theater, plunk down $10 to $15 and grab a seat for two-plus hours. On that front, the entire campaign has been an inredible success. It all started on August 21, 2009, the day that started the campaign and successfully moved millions of people to experience something new and mesmerizingly blue. Since then, moviegoers have felt compelled to tell their friends to see the film.

As millions flocked to theaters and clumsily put on their 3-D glasses, they helped bring a now-famous Na'vi phrase to life: Oel ngati kameie ("I see you").

Nick Mendoza is the director of digital communications at Zeno Group. He advises consumer, entertainment and web companies on digital strategy, distribution and engagement. He dreamstreams and is the film correspondent for MediaShift. Follow him on Twitter @NickMendoza.

This is a summary. Visit our site for the full post ».

17:01
Dow closes below 10,000 for first time in 3 months (AP)
» ‎ Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

AP - The Dow Jones industrial average closed below 10,000 for the first time in three months Monday on nagging concerns about debt loads in Europe.

17:00
[Tonight] When Countries Collide Online: Internet Spies, Cyberwar, and Government-sponsored Skullduggery
» ‎ Harvard's Berkman Center

Monday, February 8, 6:00pm
John Chipman Gray Room, Second Floor of Pound Hall, Harvard Law School (Map)
RSVP required for those attending in person via this form
read more

Permalink for 'Google_News___Online_campaigning/2010/02/08/HSW_International__Inc._Announces_10_for_1_Reverse_Stock_Split__Expected_to_be_...___CNNMoney.com__press_release_'

16:56

HSW International, Inc. Announces 10-for-1 Reverse Stock Split, Expected to be ... - CNNMoney.com (press release)

» ‎ Google News - Online campaigning

16:56
Senate Override Fails
» ‎ The Wonkster

The Senate has failed to override Gov. David Paterson’s veto of an ethics reform package. Most Republicans voted against the override. Republican Sen. Tom Libous said that Senate Republicans were left out of initial negotiations of the bill and that Democrats declined to take part in five-way discussions over potential compromise ethics reform legislation.

Sen. Eric Schneiderman who was a main sponsor of the ethics package that Paterson vetoed took exception to that assertion.

There are no five ways. No one told anyone on this side of the room,” said Schneiderman. Then Schneiderman addressed his Republican colleagues. “You were in charge for decades and you never took any of these steps,” he said. “Whenever five ways are called I am there. I’m still waiting for the governor’s call.”

16:53
Consolidated CEPS Laws
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - ict4d - ICTs for Development

Section 80—Duties of Licensing Authority. Section 87of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (Management) Law, 1991 (PNDCL 330) (1) The Licensing Authority established by any enactment shall not register any motor vehicle unless the Customs Entry and other related Customs documents are produced by the applicant. (2) For the purposes of this Section, other related customs documents shall include the Certificate of Payment of Duties. (3) A motor vehicle purchased at a public auction under this Act, shall be issued with only a Certificate of Payment of Duties for purposes of registration of that motor vehicle. (4) Every licensing authority shall within ten days after the end of each month; (a) submit a statement to the Commissioner setting out the number of vehicles which were registered by him during that month, indicating the registration number, engine and chassis numbers, the name and address of the owners; (b) submit to the Commiss

16:45
Doctors: Haitian may have survived 4 weeks in rubble
» ‎ CNN.com - Most Popular

A man pulled alive from the rubble of a building in Haiti's capital may have been trapped since the January 12 quake that leveled much of the city, doctors reported Monday.

16:43
Jackson doctor pleads not guilty to manslaughter (Reuters)
» ‎ Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

Reuters - Michael Jackson's doctor on Monday pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the sudden death of the pop star last year from a lethal cocktail of drugs.

16:23
Shakespeare Troupe Plans Residency in New York in 2011
» ‎ NYT > Most E-Mailed

The Royal Shakespeare Company will hold court in Manhattan for an unprecedented six-week, five-play residency inside the Park Avenue Armory.

16:23
Assembly Override Succesful
» ‎ The Wonkster

The Assembly successfully overrode Gov. David Paterson’s veto of the ethics reform package. A successful override in the Senate seems unlikely.

Here is a statement from Speaker Sheldon Silver and Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb:

“Last week my colleagues in the Assembly and I were greatly disappointed that Governor Paterson vetoed legislation that would have significantly strengthened ethics laws. Today, in a bipartisan vote, our chamber overrode that decision. This legislation, which received overwhelming, bipartisan support in both the Assembly and Senate, would expand public disclosure of outside income for state officials, strengthen oversight of our ethics and campaign finance laws, address reporting of independent expenditures in campaigns and create a truly independent oversight body for each branch of state government.”
16:16
Override in Progress
» ‎ The Wonkster

The Senate is currently considering an override of Gov. David Paterson’s veto of the ethics package. You can watch it here. It seems likely the override will fail in the Senate. Sen. Ruben Diaz just voted no saying, ”

“I believe no tuntil we get a bill that forces lawyers and everyone to declare everything, we will not have everything. So the governor’s right in vetoing this bill.” Senate Republicans seem to be voting against the bill as a block.

16:09
EFF Asks Court to Suppress Evidence Illegally Gathered From Password-Protected Phone
» ‎ Electronic Frontier Foundation

Our cell phones aren't just for calls anymore. They hold our address books, our calendars, our emails, and our grocery lists. They may even include things like a list of questions to ask your doctor, pictures of your girlfriend, or URLs of web sites you've visited. When can police search your phone and look at all this information?

That's the question that EFF is asking a court in California to consider. In People v. Taylor, police in Daly City, California seized a suspect's iPhone during his arrest. Hours later, investigators bypassed the password and searched through the data on the device without a search warrant. After the officers realized that the information was too extensive to write down, they finally obtained a warrant to search the phone.

EFF has urged the court to suppress evidence gathered by police from the suspect's phone during the warrantless search, including contacts, called phone numbers, emails, text messages, Internet search history, and photos. EFF has also asked the judge to quash the warrant that was eventually issued in part based on the information illegally accessed on the phone.

Of course, criminal suspects will have a lot of information on their cell phones that might be of interest to police, and when investigators have enough evidence to get a warrant, they should be able to search these devices. But if the police can search anyone's cell phone at any time, then everyone's privacy is at risk.

The court will hear the motion on February 18 at 9:00 a.m. in Redwood City, California.

16:06
The Borings Are Back! Lawsuit Against Google Revived on Trespassing Theory
» ‎ Citizen Media Law Project -

Of all the crazy things I've seen on the Street View feature of Google Maps, including house fires, medieval sword fights, supposed crimes in progress, people being pulled over (including the occasional Google vehicle speeding violation), I can't say that Aaron and Christine Boring's Pennsylvanian home rates high on my list of interesting vistas.

Nonetheless, I've seen it on multiple websites recently. Actually, I can thank the Borings for my newfound interest in suburban Pennsylvanian architecture and sudden desire to go swimming. See, when the Borings discovered that street-level photographs of their home, backyard, and swimming pool were available online through Street View, they sued Google. I recall seeing the Borings' home back when the case was dismissed in February 2009. Now it's back in the news again, after the Third Circuit revived one out of the five original claims by partially reversing the dismissal.

The original complaint (available at the Smoking Gun), filed in April 2008, alleged that Google committed invasion of privacy and trespass, among a smattering of other torts, when a Street View vehicle drove onto the Boring's private driveway without permission and captured the images for Google Maps. The only claim left after the Third Circuit's decision is the trespass claim.

For a moment, imagine a person is captured on a Google Street View camera while walking on public property. If that person decides to sue Google for invasion of privacy, he or she's got a difficult case ahead because individuals generally lack a legitimate expectation of privacy in their presence in publicly visible locations. In the Borings' case, which took place on private property, the invasion of privacy claim failed at both the district and appellate court levels for two reasons: (1) there were no people visible in the images, and (2) a photograph of the outside of a residential structure wouldn't, in the courts' view, upset a person of ordinary sensibilities, even if it was taken from private property.

In the February 2009 dismissal, the district court treated the invasion of privacy claim as two separate claims—intrusion on seclusion and publication of private facts. Like other states, in Pennsylvania, both of these torts can be a difficult to establish because, among other things, a plaintiff needs to show she suffered "mental suffering, shame, or humiliation" that a person of ordinary sensibilities would have suffered in the same instance. Even assuming the facts were exactly as the Borings alleged, the district court found both invasion of privacy claims factually insufficient, noting in particular:

While it is easy to imagine that many whose property appears on Google's virtual maps resent the privacy implications, it is hard to believe that any— other than the most exquisitely sensitive—would suffer shame or humiliation. The plaintiffs have not alleged facts to convince the Court otherwise.

Slip op., at 4. The Third Circuit largely agreed with the district court's analysis and affirmed that "[n]o person of ordinary sensibilities would be shamed, humiliated, or have suffered mentally as a result of a vehicle entering into his or her ungated driveway and photographing the view from there." The panel also pointed out that the Google vehicle only photographed structures and no persons were visible from inside the home, making the photography less intrusive.

On the other hand, the Third Circuit reversed dismissal of the Borings' trespass claim. The district court originally dismissed this portion of the complaint because the Borings did not "allege any facts sufficient to establish they suffered any damages by the alleged trespass." This is a bit more of a procedural goof than a bad legal claim because trespass is an intentional tort and damages are not a required element of the claim, meaning that nominal damages are available regardless of actual harm caused to the property trespassed upon. On this note, the Third Circuit quipped "it may well be that, when it comes to proving damages from the alleged trespass, the Borings are left to collect one dollar and whatever sense of vindication that may bring, but that is for another day."

The revival of the trespass claim may be a welcome result for the Borings, but it's not a serious problem for Street View. As long as Google takes footage from pubic streets, rather than entering onto private property, trespass will provide no help for future disgruntled homeowners.

Combine a popular feature like Street View, which has a plethora of devoted websites and blog posts documenting some of the much odder things visible on camera, a seemingly quiet Pennsylvania couple's plain house, and a surname that might make an eight-year-old (like me) giggle when used in a sentence with "intrusion on seclusion," and you've got a recipe for the Streisand Effect. The Borings presumably filed this suit to stop unwanted publicity of their property; instead, I'm staring at the picture they wanted to get rid of for the fifth time this week.

Interested in an option to get that picture of you commuting to work in a shiny new tin foil hat off Street View? Ask Google. Others have had success using this less flashy method, including the Borings before the suit was filed.

(David O'Brien is an attorney and former CMLP Legal Intern. David received his J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law in 2009.)

15:55
GOP cool to Obama call for two-party health talks (AP)
» ‎ Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

AP - Republicans gave a chilly reception Monday to President Barack Obama's invitation to discuss health care in a bipartisan, televised setting later this month, part of the White House effort to revive the stalled legislation.

15:53
Stocktown Africa teaser
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - ict4d - ICTs for Development

Teaser für ein Afrikavideo einer schwedischen Partnergesellschaft

15:44
Elizabeth Smart kidnapper pleads guilty to trying to abduct cousin
» ‎ CNN.com - Most Popular

A woman convicted in the 2002 kidnapping of Utah teenager Elizabeth Smart pleaded guilty in the attempted kidnapping of Smart's cousin a month later, court officials said Monday.

15:34
Web show producers: Increase user loyalty with live interaction
» ‎ J.D. Lasica

In a tag team interview session, I interviewed Carlos Rodela, CEO of AllofUsAreFamous and co-host of “Rad on the Web.” Rodela hosts many shows on the Mevio network. Mevio streams its shows live through the Justin.tv network which has a live chat built into the page.

I talked with Rodela about the importance of engaging with your audience live during your show. It increases viewer loyalty but viewers can also provide content for your show. Watch Rodela’s interview with me about where my media career all started, “The Baywatch Report.“David Spark helps businesses grow by developing thought leadership through storytelling and covering live events at Spark Media Solutions. He blogs at The Spark Minute and can be heard and seen regularly on ABC Radio, Cranky Geeks with John C. Dvorak, and KQED in San Francisco. See his business profile, contact David, or leave a comment below.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported.

15:33
Music Review: In Halftime Show, the Who Exhibits Flashes of Age and Familiarity
» ‎ NYT > Most E-Mailed

The Who chose a repertory from Pete Townshend’s ambitious late-1960s albums and afterward, music born to be heard in arenas and stadiums.

15:32
Super Bowl is most watched TV show ever (AP)
» ‎ Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

AP - The New Orleans Saints' victory over Indianapolis in the Super Bowl was watched by more than 106 million people, surpassing the 1983 finale of "M-A-S-H" to become the most-watched program in U.S. television history, the Nielsen Co. said Monday.
15:25
Actor Gary Coleman pleads guilty in Utah court (AP)
» ‎ Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

AP - Former child television star Gary Coleman pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor criminal mischief charge related to a domestic violence incident last April.

15:23
Rep. John Murtha dies at 77
» ‎ CNN.com - Most Popular

Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, a longtime fixture on the House subcommittee that oversees Pentagon spending, died after complications from gallbladder surgery, according to his office. He was 77.
15:18
Ripples of Dubai killing spread across region
» ‎ CNN.com - Most Popular

A shadowy figure murdered in his Dubai hotel room by a hit squad that the police say operated with European passports. It sounds like the plot of a John Le Carré spy novel, but this is reality and the hunt is on for the killers of top Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.

15:18
UK's Iraq inquiry turns focus to Bush officials (AP)
» ‎ Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

AP - Britain's inquiry into the Iraq war will seek meetings with former members of the Bush administration after taking evidence from Tony Blair and other key British officials, the panel's chairman said Monday.

15:17
Salt Lake City Journal: Huge Church Project Renews Downtown, and Debate
» ‎ NYT > Most E-Mailed

A $1 billion Mormon church-financed redevelopment project and a wave of recent church purchases in Salt Lake City have put a new focus on the line between culture and economics.

15:14
Snow-weary region expects second wallop
» ‎ CNN.com - Most Popular

The mid-Atlantic region continued digging out Monday from the weekend's record blizzard, but snow-weary residents learned of a new winter storm due in the area on Tuesday.

15:07
Lawyer: Pitt and Jolie sue over split claim (AP)
» ‎ Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

AP - Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have begun legal action against a British tabloid that reported the celebrity couple was going to split, a lawyer acting on their behalf confirmed Monday.

15:01
Mediterranean diet may help prevent dementia, study says
» ‎ CNN.com - Most Popular

Eating a diet rich in healthy fats and limiting dairy and meat could do more than keep your heart healthier. It could also help keep you thinking clearly.

15:00
"Announcing the Global Voices Citizen Media Summit 2010"
» ‎ Harvard's Berkman Center

"Announcing the Global Voices Citizen Media Summit 2010"

14:59
Tel Aviv "savior" accused of enslaving women (AP)
» ‎ Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

AP - The women tattooed his name and portrait on their bodies and gave their children his name — Savior.

14:49
Verizon Blocking 4chan
» ‎ Slashdot - Your Rights Online

An anonymous reader writes "According to 4chan's owner and administrator 'moot,' Verizon has explicitly blocked all traffic on their network from boards.4chan.org, where all of 4chan's boards are located. Moot explains that only traffic to and from port 80 is being dropped and they were able to confirm that it was intentional. 4chan's downtime for Verizon users has been in effect for at least 72 hours since Saturday, February 7."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.

14:47
France agrees to sell Russia advanced warship (AP)
» ‎ Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

AP - France has agreed to sell Russia an advanced amphibious warship and is considering a Russian request for three more, French defense officials said Monday. It would be the first major arms deal between Russia and a NATO member.
14:31
Security chip that does encryption in PCs hacked (AP)
» ‎ Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

AP - Deep inside millions of computers is a digital Fort Knox, a special chip with the locks to highly guarded secrets, including classified government reports and confidential business plans. Now a former U.S. Army computer-security specialist has devised a way to break those locks.

14:17
Download the Vodafone: Journey To Unified Communication White Paper
» ‎ eGovMonitor - UK

This white paper examines the challenges UC presents and suggests proven approaches to address them, based on recent experience of delivering effective communication solutions to large organisations.

14:08
Google Superbowl Ad Explains The Need for Search Privacy
» ‎ Electronic Frontier Foundation

Google's ad during yesterday's Superbowl explained in less than a minute how the story of someone's life can be pieced together from their search queries. Using only the search terms and user's clicks of the search results, Google told the story of a user who seeks love while studying abroad in Paris, finds it, moves to Paris, marries and has a child.

The poignant story, along with Google's suite of search stories, masterfully illustrate how some of the most intimate information in our lives--from planning a trip to political activism--are routinely and vividly expressed in our interactions with Google, and highlights the need for that information to have strong protections.

The Superbowl ad was Google's first foray into national television advertising, and its great that Google used this opportunity to illustrate the importance of search privacy to one of the world's largest audiences. Now that Google has shown how personal its records of user interaction are, it should follow through and protect that information from involuntary disclosure by anonymizing search queries. Microsoft's Bing is anonymizing this information after six months by deleting the entire Internet Protocol ("IP") address associated with your search queries. Google can and should anonymize search queries in the same way after six months or less.

14:06
Canadians get Vancouver Olympics Text Alerts
» ‎ Textually - SMS/Mobile Politics

Text messaging and mobile marketing companyTxT2Look has created a text message alert service and mobile website for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics beginning on February 12.

By sending the text message OLYMPICS to 77788, anyone in Canada can get instant real time alerts sent to their mobile phone. They can then choose to receive alerts for any of three categories including Canadian medals, gold medals for all countries or game by game results for Team Canada men's hockey.

People can also access the alerts by logging onto the mobile website with their phones at www.TxT2Look.com/Olympics. And a third feature of the service, people can text CANADA, GOLD or HOCKEY to 77788 at anytime to receive instant results.

[via Press release]
14:00
Clickatell to Extend Free SMS Services for Relief Efforts in Haiti
» ‎ Textually - SMS/Mobile Politics

Global text messaging company Clickatell has reportedly announced that with its goal to provide relief to earthquake victims in Haiti, it is going to extend its free SMS service to organizations offering aid there.

According to Pieter de Villiers, CEO at Clickatell, people in Haiti are showing tremendous courage and determination and the company is seeing SMS play a significant role in scaling the efforts of the people on the ground and around the world.

Villiers noted that Clickatell invites relief agencies to make use of its SMS Gateway into Haiti and offer such services for the remainder of February as a small contribution on behalf of Clickatell and its staff.

[via TMCNet]

13:57
Tunisia: Censhorship Again and Again!
» ‎ Global Voices - Cyber-Activism

More than ever before, censorship seems to become the rule in Tunisia. The last two weeks in the Tunisian blogosphere witnessed a war launched by Ammar (the nickname given to the Tunisian censorship apparatus), who has been censoring blogs arbitrarily.

Following the censorship of Fatma Arabicca and Sofiene Chourabi's blogs, two other blogs had been censored. One of them is the Free Jailed Tunisian students , seen in the following screen shot:

The second blog blocked is Nocturnal Thoughts . The censorship of the latter created a wave of protests on the Tunisian blogosphere.

Ghodwa Nahrek(Tomorrow I will illegally immigrate) wrote:
عمار قالك ماعادش يحب أفكار ليلية.. يحب على افكار في القايلة
مدونة “أفكار ليلية” متاع خونا و صديقنا طارق الكحلاوي تعرضت اليوم للحجب بعد اكثر من الـ3 سنوات من التدوين المتواصل في المواضيع الهامة و الحساسة . مقصّ الرقابة في تونس ولات عندو دلالات اخرى و تجاوز كونه شكل من اشكال القمع و الحد من حرية التعبير بقدر ماهو وسام للمدوّن و شهادة من الرقيب نفسه في قيمة المدونة و اهمية المواضيع المطروحة فيها.
مبروك للصديق طارق و مرحبا به مجددا في نادي المدونات المحجوبة Ammar said that he doesn’t like Nocturnal Thoughts anymore. He prefers afternoon thoughts. Nocturnal Thoughts, the blog of our friend and brother Tarek Kahlaoui, had been censored after more than three years of continuous blogging about interesting and sensitive subjects. In Tunisia, the scissors of censorship acquired new significance. It is no onger a form of oppression and a limit to freedom of expression as it is a medal for the blogger and a certificate from the censor showing the value of a blog and the importance of the subjects it deals with. Congratulations to our friend Tarek and welcome again in the club of censored blogs.
Matrka(Hammer) blogged saying:
المدونات تصل الجميع والامكانيات تتطور كل يوم
افكار ليلية، مدونة طارق الكحلاوي، مدونة ممتازة تستحق المطالعة والقراءة ويمكن ان يكون الفرد مختلف مع طارق في هذا الموضوع او ذاك، كما يمكن ان يختلف طارق في الرأي مع هذا او ذاك، ولكن حجبها خسارة، بالطبيعة خسارة للناس الي تقرا وتهتم بالقراءة، وحجبها هو عمل متخلف مكانو الطبيعي في بداية القرن العشرين على اكثر تقدير… Blogs connect people and their potential is evolving every day. Nocturnal Thoughts, the blog of Tarek Kahlaoui, is a good blog which deserves reading. Individuals might not be in total agreement with Tarek about one subject or another. Tarek might have a different opinion from a person or another. But the censorship of his blog is a loss. Of course, it is a loss for those who read and are interested in reading, and its censorship is a retarded action and its normal place is in the beginning of the 20th century…
Samsoum blogged under the title Ammar does not like thoughts and thinkers especially those who blog about their nocturnal thoughts saying:
واللَه مانيش مصدَق اللي مدونة طارق الكحلاوي تصنصرت خاطر نسيت اللي عمار مقص ما عندوش لوجيك يمشي بيها في ميدان التصنصير و ممكن كي فطن اللي الموضوع فيه تفكير و كلام صعيب شوية قال مانخوش الريسك و اللي خاف نجي يعني صنصر طوَا و لوَج عي سبب من بعد
الحاصل مرحبا بطارق في نادي المصنصرين و انشالله العمليَة الارهابية متاع عمار تزيد تشجعك بش تزيد تنورنا بافكارك اكثر من قبل و مدونتي مفتوحة طالما عمار موش رادد بالو
والله الواحد يحشم علي روحو كيعرف انو استاذ يكتب في صحف اجنبية و يقري في الاجانب في تاريخ الفن يتم صنصرته في بلاده لأنو تجرَء و فكَر… I can’t believe that the blog of Tarek Kahlaoui had been censored because I forgot that ”Ammar the Scissors“ does not have a logic to follow in the field of censorship. Maybe he discovered that the subject includes thinking and difficult discourse and decided to avoid risks so he decided to censor the blog immediately and to find an argument for this censorship later on.
Welcome Tarek in the club of the censored bloggers and I hope that the terrorist actions of Ammar, will give you courage to enlighten us with your thoughts more than before. And my blog is open to you as long as Ammar did not pay attention to it.
One is really ashamed when he knows that a professor writing in foreign newspapers and teaching the history of art abroad is censored in his own country because he dared to think.

13:41
No lights? Send SMS complaint
» ‎ Textually - SMS/Mobile Politics

Power supply company BSES Yamuna has launched a new service for East New Delhi residents: Consumers can just send an SMS for complaints regarding a supply outage or voltage fluctuations. And they will get feedback as soon as possible. The Times of India reports.

... The move comes at a time when the regulator is strongly contemplating making the discoms' call centres toll-free. Many consumers complained they were stuck on the phone for long durations to make any kind of complaints, and along with power supply problems, they often end up with hefty phone bills too. Another common complaint is that sometimes no one answers at the call centre.

Read full article. Image from the BBC.

13:39
IT trends in local public services 2009/10: Stretched to breaking point
» ‎ eGovMonitor - UK

IT Trends 2008/09 predicted that by 2010 public services would be stretched to breaking point as demand continued to increase and capacity declined. John Serle, IT Trends Editor discusses the latest report

13:22
What Can Virtual Goods Teach Us About Paying for News?
» ‎ MediaShift Idea Lab

Why will people spend $1 to send you a virtual beer on Facebook, but not to read a news story online?

On the surface, it defies logic. I think most people would agree that whatever economic value news and information has, it's greater than a virtual piece of clothing, or something that gives your avatar a special power in a gaming environment, or that gives you elevated status on a social network. But in terms of consumers' actions, the exact opposite is true.

I've been thinking a lot about this issue because the market for virtual goods has exploded. People are expected to spend $1.6 billion on virtual goods this year in the U.S. alone. The emergence of this market, I think, is one of the most important business trends on the web. In Silicon Valley, it's reshaping assumptions about online business models. As the focus on ad-driven models loses favor, the virtual goods market is generating a lot of interest.
Lessons for the News Business?
Does the rise of the virtual goods economy have any lessons for the business of news and information? I think so, but I'm not sure exactly what they are. And that's why I'm writing this post. I want to share some of my thinking about virtual goods and news. I'm throwing it out there in hopes of sparking a discussion, or catching the eye of some entrepreneurs (or future News Challenge applicants?) who might take this a step further.

The phenomenon of virtual goods confounded and fascinated me for a long time. I couldn't get past the absurdity of spending money on such trivial things. And part of me was in denial that so many people were doing it.

My thinking began to shift when I visited the folks at Second Life last fall. It's a company that had been written off by many, but which is in fact still growing and is profitable. Rather than rely on advertising, the "in-world" economy revolves around the buying and selling of virtual goods. This revenue stream has continued to grow and enabled Linden Lab, which created Second Life, to do just fine during the economic downturn.

Consider, also, the success of Zynga, the social gaming company that created mega-hits Farmville and Mafia Wars for the Facebook platform and other social networks. From nowhere, Zynga has grown to 750 employees in just 2.5 years, and has 300 job openings. That means it's almost as large as Facebook, which has 1,100 employees. One of Zynga's prime sources of revenue is virtual goods.

Or check out this interview that TechCrunch's Michael Arrington did with the founder of Slide, Max Levchin. In this chat, Levchin explained how Slide, which makes many of the most popular widgets on Facebook, has moved from an ad-based business model to one built around virtual goods:

Levchin discusses the "shift from advertising to virtual goods" and reveals that most of Slide's revenues now come from sales of virtual goods, whereas it was the reverse a year ago. Slide makes some of the most popular apps on Facebook and other social networks, and the fact that it is no longer focussed on advertising says a lot about the prospects for social ads.
The True Value of Virtual Goods
The person who helped me begin to get my head around this was Susan Wu, a virtual goods pioneer and former venture capitalist who has started an online gaming company called Ohai. Here's what she understood early on about the value of virtual goods: In the real world, we have all sorts of intangible interactions, from shaking hands to smiling to offering blessings. The value of virtual goods is not about the object, but rather its ability to express an emotion or feeling in a way that has value.

"Sending someone a virtual beer is not about the beer," Wu told me. "It's a way to show, 'I have an affection for you.' It's the same reason people have bought bouquets or other ostentatious gifts -- to demonstrate a feeling."

She pointed me to a post, "Virtual Goods: The Next Big Business Model," she wrote for TechCrunch outlining her vision of virtual goods. That was published in 2007. It's a good starting point if you want to dig into this topic.
Applying it to News
I've been trying to apply this framework to news. I think it provides an interesting, and different way, of thinking about where the true value lies: Not in the thing itself, but in something adjacent to the thing, some feeling you have about it, or something you can do with it in terms of expressing yourself.

Is there a feeling or emotion or something around consuming or sharing news that possibly has some value that can be captured and expressed?

Are there virtual goods that news organizations could create that would entice people to spend some money?

And are there models in social gaming that provide structural lessons for news organizations of all shapes and sizes that would demonstrate better and more powerful ways to harness the power of social networks?

I think the answer to all of these questions is, "Yes." But that said, I don't really know. It's still a considered hunch at this point.

I do think this convinces me that, in terms of business models on the web, we are still in early days. There's been a lot written here, and elsewhere, that the search for business models is futile. I would agree that there is no single revenue stream that will ever replace the classified, ad-based model. I think most news organizations that are sustainable will have to be built on a vast array of revenue streams.

I'm wondering if virtual goods is one of them. What do you think? Do virtual goods have anything to teach us about the economic value of news and information?

13:21
Questions, Questions Everywhere!
» ‎ Politics Online Blog (also see their Netpulse e-newletter)

The past two weeks have been exciting ones for all you government transparency wonks in the US.

Permalink for 'Google_News___Online_campaigning/2010/02/08/Foreign_Policy__Why_The_Net_Shouldn_t_Get_The_Nobel___NPR'

13:18

Foreign Policy: Why The Net Shouldn't Get The Nobel - NPR

» ‎ Google News - Online campaigning

13:17
Canada at 150: Rising to the challenge / Les 150 ans du Canada : relever le défi » Blog Archive » Your idea: Has e-democracy’s time arrived?
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - e-democracy

Canada at 150: Rising to the challenge / Les 150 ans du Canada : relever le défi » Blog Archive » Your idea: Has e-democracy’s time arrived?

13:16
New on EveryBlock: commercial real estate listings
» ‎ The EveryBlock Blog

We've added a new type of information to the EveryBlock cities: commercial real estate listings.

Now, you'll get notified whenever there's a commercial real estate listing near you. It's an interesting way to keep an eye on what changes are happening in your neighborhood. (Here's an example of how it looks on a San Francisco block page.)

The data comes from Rofo, a search engine for office space listings.

13:03
Statement By Robert Greenstein, Executive Director, On The President's 2011 Budget Proposal
» ‎ eGovMonitor - UK

The President’s budget reflects both the short-term priority of boosting the economy and creating jobs and the longer-term priority of bringing deficits under control while meeting important national needs.
13:01
Scrap the CAA to revive democracy
» ‎ eGovMonitor - UK

Scrapping the inspection and the target culture in local government would improve performance and would save money in the process says the Director of Policy, Localis as he explores their latest report ‘For Good Measure’.

Permalink for 'Google_News___Online_campaigning/2010/02/08/Verizon_temporarily_blocks_some_4chan_sites___CNET'

13:00

Verizon temporarily blocks some 4chan sites - CNET

» ‎ Google News - Online campaigning

12:59
USA:Aims To Generate Economic Opportunity Through Innovation And Postsecondary Education
» ‎ eGovMonitor - UK

Keynote speaker, Dr. Jill Biden Re-imagining Community Colleges in the 21st Century, with remarks by Brian Pusser and Keith Bird Models of Postsecondary Success for Low -Income Adults and Youth, with a panel that includes Harry Holzer, Demetra S. Nightingale, Gail Mellow Community College and Apprenticeship as Collaborative Routes to Rewarding Careers, with panel that includes Robert I. Lerman and Susan Schurman
12:55
USA: Bitter Pill, Better Formula
» ‎ eGovMonitor - UK

Federal policymakers and education officials, aware of the potential ferocity of a “formula fight,” tread with care when it comes to revising the way Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Schools Act distributes funds. But the formulas driving Title I-A grants require a major overhaul because, in short, they favor wealthy states and enormous school districts. Many schools serving high concentrations of poor students are being shortchanged.

12:55
Twitcause - Team Up with Experience Project to Twitter for Charities
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - nptech - Non-Profit Technology

Help Charities on Twitcause with Experience Project by voting for your favorite cause. Support non profit charities on Twitter via Twitcause

12:52
US President Obama Outlines A Series Of New Small Business Proposals
» ‎ eGovMonitor - UK

WASHINGTON – Today in Lanham, Maryland, President Obama proposed the expansion of two critical Small Business Administration (SBA) lending programs, aimed at allowing small businesses to refinance and increasing limits for working capital. These are both legislative proposals designed to help small businesses through what continues to be a difficult period in credit markets.

12:46
Toyota pulls ads from US TV network: report (AFP)
» ‎ Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

AFP - Toyota dealers in five southeastern US states have pulled their ads from local ABC television affiliates over complaints about coverage of the automaker's recalls, the network said Monday.

12:46
Shut Off Google? C'mon, Mark Cuban
» ‎ E-Media Tidbits

I can understand why Mark Cuban said newspapers should keep "blood-sucking vampires" like Google from indexing their content. But his argument falls short in a few key ways, I believe.

Cuban said newspapers have to understand that there is real value in what they do best, which is to "go out and find news and create good content." "Aggregators and search engines think there is no value to that," the Internet entrepreneur, HDNet co-founder and owner of the Dallas Maverick basketball team said at the OnMedia conference in New York last week. "They think there's an unending supply of necks."

If publications shut off their sites to the Google spiders, Cuban said, people who can't find that content via Google search or Google News might simply type "Forbes.com" or "NYTimes.com" in their Web browsers. He implied that if the great news brands refuse to be indexed without compensation, aggregators eventually would have to pay them to get their material.

One problem with Cuban's argument, though: There is a nearly unending supply of "necks," to use his analogy, for aggregators and search engines. Even if newspapers close off their sites to Google, their content will be found elsewhere, on other sites that pick it up under fair use.

True, there are great news brands that people may find even if they're not in search results. But there are also many growing brands that are pure Web plays and have learned how to make a profit while using aggregators to their advantage. They have structured their businesses for the Web. If other news outlets remove themselves from search, those Web-native companies will use the opportunity to capture more of the traffic.

Cuban said that once a newspaper removes itself from search and aggregation, "The worst thing that can happen is you turn 'em back on" and resume indexing. But in my experience, once you turn off a spigot of traffic in digital media, it takes time -- often much more time than it took to lose the traffic -- to restore the previous level.

He also said that people who come from search and from aggregators don't "convert" to sales, likening the situation to a restaurant where a lot of people walk in and out but nobody sits down and buys a meal. But is the answer to move the restaurant to a back street with less foot traffic?

Or should those restaurants find a way to entice those passers by to sit down and buy a drink or dessert, maybe even a meal? Or if that doesn't work, to give away a little food and entice them to pay for something else that will make their visit more enjoyable and make them want to come back and buy again?

In digital media, unlike in a restaurant, the incremental cost of serving one more customer is essentially zero. If you can convert even a fraction of those visitors, you can help support the business.

Rather than block Google's access, newspapers need to use that traffic to create multiple revenue streams that incrementally add up to profit. They need not just exclusive content that people will pay for, not just ad spots that squeeze out as much value as possible, but also other revenue streams -- whether apps or events or, yes, going from Web to print. They will have to constantly adjust price points and subscription mixes, as The Wall Street Journal has done and continues to do.

I asked Cuban after his speech what he thinks of such a model, which some call "freemium," in which you give away your content to, say, 95 percent of visitors and have the loyal 5 percent cover costs through subscriptions and other revenue streams. In such a business, you would want to attract as many potential customers as possible; the more visitors, the larger the fraction who will pay.

Cuban told me that it doesn't work -- and seemed to peg his answer on advertising. "The only time it really works is if you just happen to hit a vein, and you just happen to be the hot content," Cuban said. "But more often than not, particularly on the Web, you might be hot for awhile, and the advertising might be hot for awhile, but then someone else can come in and do it a little bit cheaper, and itll be a little bit harder."

Well, that's business, Mark, whether you're selling media or cars. You have to differentiate your product and your brand, and create at least the perception that you offer something different and valuable. It may not be easy, and it's certainly not an easy adjustment for news organizations that came to rely on wire services mixed in with ads. But it's hard to see another way.

There may be one set of tools that will help Cuban's cause. Social media like Twitter, Facebook and others are starting to challenge Google as recommendation engines. As more traffic comes to news sites via social media and less through search, it is possible that publications online can balance what they'd lose by not being in Google against what they would gain by being in social media.

But in my analyses, I have been surprised to find that traffic from social media is not necessarily more engaged or more valuable than what comes in from search. So while I would advocate aggressively building audience from social media, I wouldn't stake everything on that approach without proof that it would make up for what I'd lose by not being linked by aggregators or search.

12:44
US President Obama's Weekly Address:Opening Doors For Small Business
» ‎ eGovMonitor - UK

Reiterating once again his commitment to small business as the engine of our economy, the President urges Congress to move forward immediately on steps to help them expand and create jobs. These proposals include using $30 billion in TARP funds to create a new Small Business Lending Fund to provide capital to community banks to increase lending to small businesses, offering a new tax credit for over one million small businesses that hire new workers or raise wages, and providing targeted support for the most innovative small businesses with the potential to export new goods and products.
12:39
White Houses Announces The Opening Of Two New Groups To Open Government
» ‎ eGovMonitor - UK

In accordance with the Open Government Directive, two working groups have been established to help develop specific actions to implement the principles of transparency, participation, and collaboration set forth in the President’s Memorandum of January 21, 2009.
12:35
US State Line:Government Feels The Pressure Of The Weilding Budget
» ‎ eGovMonitor - UK

Even for governors sounding the alarm about unbalanced budgets, the act of getting their states back in the black is easier said than done.

12:32
Hollywood Fusion: Gov 2.0 Camp LA
» ‎ Personal Democracy Forum

My trip to Gov 2.0 Camp LA commenced with a comedy of errors: lost luggage, a flooded hotel room and flooded streets due to the rains. After a night of little sleep, I arrived at the BlankSpaces co-working location to the company of like-minded people from diverse professional backgrounds but all joining the search for using technology and innovation to improve government. In camp style, we each used the 3 word model to describe why we were there. I thought the focus really centered around engaging new paradigms since people from government, major corporations, start-ups, film industry and media were all together to learn and share ideas.

While there was no shortage of technical expertise present, most of the concepts discussed spoke to a high level of education and interest in the Gov 2.0 space, with sessions ranging from how to properly define gov 2.0 to specific tactics to use in social media within government. The biggest takeaways from the event: focus on people, build replicable solutions, and engage in expansive, multi-pronged outreach and public awareness campaigns.

read more

12:18
Businesses must encourage youth to become entrepreneurs
» ‎ eGovMonitor - UK

It is about allowing all young people the opportunity to make the most of their existing skills, gain experience, build confidence and create a better future for themselves.Business and education can work together to create a cycle of economic prosperity.

12:14
Publius Project
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - ict4d - ICTs for Development

Publius Project

12:09
Critics Worry About Shanghai Expo's Legacy
» ‎ NPR Most Emailed: NPR Most Emailed Stories

China's largest city is preparing to host the 2010 World Expo, a world's fair expected to draw 70 million visitors. But critics say construction of the exposition and the face-lift to neighborhoods is bringing environmental concerns and altering the character of the city. Some voices of dissent are being muzzled.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us

12:01
For Students at Risk, Early College Proves a Draw
» ‎ NYT > Most E-Mailed

Early-college schools, once for the affluent and overachieving, are serving more low-income students.

12:01
Are you fit for London 2012?
» ‎ eGovMonitor - UK

With fewer than 1,000 days to the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, public sector organisations should be asking themselves if they are prepared for the world’s largest sporting event. Mark Quartermaine from BT discusses.

12:00
How to flirt: lessons for women
» ‎ guardian.co.uk: Most viewed
After a recent surge of male 'pick-up schools', one has now started for women. Helen Croydon hones her seduction skills in the busy bars of central London
Five of us sit huddled round a notebook and a bottle of pink cava in a quiet corner of a busy bar in Leicester Square, central London. It is 6pm on a Friday and it is starting to fill with men and women in office attire.
"So who are you targeting, Helen?" Gulp.
"Erm, well, I haven't looked around yet."
I am immediately chastised. Concentrating on immediate company and not looking over shoulders to scan rooms is, in flirting school, a D minus.
Sue Ostler, a flirt coach and the author of four relationship manuals, has started a weekly learn-on-the-job flirting tour of the heaving bars of London's West End.
During our briefing, we are warned of our male rivals who operate in the same territory. The so-called Pick-Up Artists crawl Friday night bars in small tuition groups with a guide to talk them through pulling tactics. The phenomenon caught on in the UK after the success of Neil Strauss's memoir, The Game.
"You can smell them when you enter a bar," Ostler says. "They home in on anyone without a male by their side and come up with cringeworthy lines. We won't do that. We are focusing on our personalities and developing a sense of warmth and likeability."
Tonight, we are told, is not about getting a date, but about practising. It doesn't matter who we approach or if they are our type. We just need guinea pigs on whom to test Ostler's theory, which she is now explaining over a second glass of fizz.
Apparently, it's all about exuding a lively, approachable vibe. "It's Friday night, look like you're having fun!" we are told. Sitting down is not allowed, as that "puts us out of reach". We have to smile a lot and look confident, yet relaxed. We should take in our surroundings in case we want them to be conversation openers. Is there a jukebox? Is anyone drinking a cocktail that we can comment on? We should never embark on a night out without an accessory that could invite someone to open a conversation - a hat or a striking necklace, for instance.
Most importantly, we need to make plenty of eye contact: "We instinctively look away when our eyes lock with a stranger. Tonight you are going to hold it for five seconds, smile, maybe even wink, and see what happens," Ostler instructs. I am absolutely terrified.
At crowded bar number one, Ostler unleashes us into the crowd: "Go!" She follows behind to observe our amateur tactics.
Instead of staring straight ahead, as I would usually, I smile at a man to my left. Disastrously, the crowds prevent me from continuing forward, so I am stuck awkwardly next to him and don't know where to look. My smile worked, though, because he opens a conversation. I lean back, away from his vodka breath.
"No!" growls Ostler in my ear. "You need to lean inwards. Think friendly, warm, welcoming persona." I obediently endure three minutes of his slurring. It's practice, remember.
In the next - thankfully quieter - location, I select a clean-cut business type as my practice piece. He is deep in conversation, so I walk straight past. How can I infiltrate that?
Ostler is unimpressed: "You should have made a detour to walk past him. Why did you walk around that other guy? You could have tapped him on the shoulder, smiled and said excuse me and gently squeezed past. Go back."
I protest on the grounds that he has obviously seen us conspiring. But I am forced. Despite my flirting being under duress, it works again. On my return journey, the clean-cut suit stops his conversation and asks: "Are you looking for your friends?" Cue a conversation.
Ostler has a formula for the conversation stage: A-E-I-O-U. A is for ask lots of questions. E is for ears to listen, rather than talk. I is for the essence of 'I' - making sure your personality oozes out. O is for Oh my God - showing some animation and a human side. U is for you - the person you are talking to - making them the focus of conversation.
The theory behind girl flirt school is very different to the equivalent male camp. Groups such as puatraining.com, which teach wannabe Romeos on the ground in real bar settings, draw their technique from that described in Strauss's book. The core skill seems to be sickly sweet one-liners, and success is judged on getting a girl into bed.
I witnessed this theory put into practise when we bumped into a suspected group of trainee pick-up artists in our final bar. No sooner had I taken off my coat than a guy who looked about 12 approached me: "Your shoes match the colour of your dress exactly - I'm impressed." It was said with laughingly manufactured charm, but it was so assertive it was hard not to respond, so there must be something to the tactic.
Thankfully Ostler came to my rescue. "He's one of them. Stay away." The 12-year-old shrugged and moved on to a nearby brunette.
Ostler claims that learning to flirt should have a far higher-reaching aim than getting someone's phone number. "It is about lighting the spark to your personality and letting people see it shine through. Flirting opens yourself up to new people and opportunities. What I teach helps ladies socially and in work situations."
It seems then that flirting is more about learning to be liked, not learning to be fancied. From what I saw, the pick-up theory for the boys is far less advanced.
• Sue Ostler runs the Flirt Schmooze and Shimmy Tour every Friday in central London, £30. Book via flirtdiva.com
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

11:55
'Miss Me Yet?' Billboard With Photo Of Bush Is Real; Not An Internet Trick
» ‎ NPR Most Emailed: NPR Most Emailed Stories

A billboard featuring a photo of George W. Bush and the message "miss me yet?" stands tall out side Wyoming, Minn.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us

11:44
State aid: Commission processes record number of broadband projects following new Broadband Guidelines
» ‎ Mikhail Doroshevich's Information Policy

A record number of Member State aid measures to support the installation of broadband networks have been approved by the European Commission in 2009 since the adoption by the Commission in September 2009 of Guidelines for the assessment of broadband projects under EU state aid rules (see IP/09/1332 and MEMO/09/396 ). With a view to supporting economic recovery and the long term competitiveness of Europe, the guidelines provide an overview on how Member States can support broadband networks without unduly distorting competition in the Single Market and helped to accelerate the decision making process. Since September 2009, the Commission has endorsed almost €300 million of public funding to support the deployment of broadband networks thereby giving people and businesses better access to high and very high-speed internet and bringing Europe closer to its goal to build a knowledge-based society.
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/10/31&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=nl

11:38
NetworkWeaverChecklist2.pdf (application/pdf Object)
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - nptech - Non-Profit Technology

NetworkWeaverChecklist2.pdf (application/pdf Object)
11:38
Social Media Best Practices for Non-Profit & Public Sector Organizations - presented by Jay Moonah from Wild Apricot
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - nptech - Non-Profit Technology

A presentation on the motivations for using social media to forward the goals of non-profits, public sector and member d

11:35
'Late Show' producer on Leno-Letterman Super Bowl spot
» ‎ CNN.com - Most Popular

EW talked to "The Late Show" executive producer Rob Burnett about David Letterman's surprising decision to include Jay Leno in a promotional spot during the Super Bowl.

11:33
A Well-Written War, Told in the First Person
» ‎ NYT > Most E-Mailed

A new group of soldier-writers explore the futility of war — but wars that they for the most part support.

11:32
2010 in Latin America
» ‎ eGovMonitor - UK

The year of 2010 could be a very agitated one in Latin America says Thiago de Aragao from the Foreign Policy Centre.

11:31
Why All Americans Should Thank Sen. Shelby
» ‎ NPR Most Emailed: NPR Most Emailed Stories

Analysis: Alabama GOP Sen. Richard Shelby has place a blanket "hold" on 70 pending federal nominations in hopes of forcing the Senate to adopt some of his earmarks. Such shenanigans might finally prompt Americans to notice the smaller-scale hostage situations other senators conduct.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us

11:26
Paterson's Compromise
» ‎ The Wonkster

Gov. David Paterson announced over the weekend that he plans to introduce “compromise” ethics reform legislation today. Paterson negotiated his new legislation with the help of Senate Republicans after vetoing the ethics package that passed both the Assembly and Senate.

Senate Democrats would like to override that veto but would need the help of Senate Republicans to do it. It isn’t exactly clear how the legislation is a compromise if all parties did not sit down to negotiate the bill. Paterson and Senate Republicans claim they were left out of negotiations over the initial ethics package–a charge that Senate Democrats deny.

“Numerous attempts to sit down and negotiate a stronger, more effective Albany reform package, in an effort to reach compromise, have been met with resistance,” Paterson said in a statement. “That is why today I am announcing that on Monday I will introduce compromise legislation that includes recommendations from the Senate minority and maintains a transparent approach with enhanced enforcement provisions. It is my hope that this legislation will serve as the basis for meaningful negotiations among Legislative Leaders.”

The details of the new reform legislation are not yet clear. Here is an overview of the compromise legislation from Paterson’s press release:

“The Governor’s proposal includes a number of provisions designed to achieve compromise with members of both houses of the Legislature in increasing oversight and enhancing transparency.

Under the proposed legislation, two independent five-member ethics commissions would be created one for the Executive Branch and one for the Legislature. Members of the commissions will be selected by a 10-member independent Designating Commission, similar to the judicial nominating commission.

The five-member Executive Ethics and Compliance Commission would oversee ethics compliance by the Executive branch, enforce both financial disclosure and lobby laws and replace the current Commission on Public Integrity. The five-member Legislative Ethics and Compliance Commission would oversee ethics compliance by the Legislative branch, including conducting investigations into financial disclosure or lobby violations, both on its own initiative or in reaction to complaints.

Both commissions would be responsible for enforcing the laws governing pay to play, including the disclosure of all outside business services for their respective branches of Government. State officers or legislators with outside legal practices would be required to disclose their income and clients to the relevant commission, which would determine any conflicts of interest.

In addition, this legislation would alter the structure of the State Board of Elections to provide for enhanced enforcement of campaign finance violations. It would bifurcate enforcement to eliminate one party dominance, would conduct investigations into alleged campaign finance violations and conduct audits of filed reports. The bill also would require a bipartisan review of all complaints.

Finally, the Governor’s proposed reforms would reduce the influence of money in politics by reducing all allowable contributions by 50 percent, limiting contributions to housekeeping accounts, banning the bundling of contributions, banning transfers among campaign committees and requiring the return of unused campaign funds upon leaving public office.”

11:23
Freeze on HIV spending sparks concern in Africa (AFP)
» ‎ Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

AFP - A US decision to freeze spending on treatment for HIV in several African countries has prompted concern that some of the gains made against the AIDS epidemic since 2003 could be reversed.

11:19
Iron Checkbook Shapes Cultural Los Angeles
» ‎ NYT > Most E-Mailed

Eli Broad dominates the arts in Los Angeles with a force that has no parallel in any major city.

11:12
SourceForge Removes Blanket Blocking
» ‎ Slashdot - Your Rights Online

Recently there was much gnashing of teeth as SourceForge (who shares a corporate overlord with Slashdot) started programmatically blocking users in certain countries to comply with US export restrictions. Thankfully they didn't let it end there and have found a way to put the power back in the hands of the users. "Beginning now, every project admin can click on Develop -> Project Admin -> Project Settings to find a new section called Export Control. By default, we've ticked the more restrictive setting. If you conclude that your project is *not* subject to export regulations, or any other related prohibitions, you may now tick the other check mark and click Update. After that, all users will be able to download your project files as they did before last month's change."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.

11:08
An Astronaut Tweets Photos From Space
» ‎ NPR Most Emailed: NPR Most Emailed Stories

Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi has been at the International Space Station since December and has recently started Tweeting photos of Earth from space.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
11:08
Autism Risks Detailed In Children Of Older Mothers
» ‎ NPR Most Emailed: NPR Most Emailed Stories

A woman's chance of having a child with autism increase substantially as she ages, but the risk may be less for older dads than previously suggested, a new study analyzing more than 5 million births found.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us

11:04
Sidebar: A Mediocre Criminal, but an Unmatched Jailhouse Lawyer
» ‎ NYT > Most E-Mailed

While in prison, a former bank robber transformed himself into an accomplished Supreme Court practitioner.

11:01
Publius Project - A Dialogue on ICTs, Human Development, Growth, and Poverty Reduction
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - ict4d - ICTs for Development

These essays are posted in conjunction with the Communication and Human Development: The Freedom Connection? event taking place on 9/23/09, hosted by the Berkman Center and sponsored by Canada's International Development Research Centre.

11:00
20 Years Of Defending Death Row Inmates
» ‎ NPR Most Emailed: NPR Most Emailed Stories

Attorney David Dow has spent his career representing inmates who have been sentenced to death. Despite his efforts, many of his clients have been executed — and most of them were guilty. In his new memoir, The Autobiography of an Execution, Dow details what it's like to become emotionally involved with the people living on death row.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us

10:56
About IICD — International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD)
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - ict4d - ICTs for Development

The International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) is a non-profit foundation that specialises in information and communication technology (ICT) as a tool for development. IICD creates practical and sustainable solutions using both modern media (such as computers, Internet, email and multimedia) and traditional media (such as radio and television) to connect people and enable them to benefit from ICT, thereby contributing to the Millennium Development Goals. IICD creates practical and sustainable solutions using both modern media (such as computers, Internet, email and multimedia) and traditional media (such as radio and television) to connect people and enable them to benefit from ICT, thereby contributing to the Millennium Development Goals.

10:52
Build 424: Functions and Array Operators
» ‎ Phil Windley's Technometria
The latest build of the Kynetx Rule Language (KRL) provides a significant upgrade in capability with the addition of functions. We've also added some new array operators that take advantage of functions to make using arrays easier.

KRL supports functions as first-class objects in the expression language. KRL supports only anonymous functions, but they can be given names by binding them to a variable in a declaration. Here's an example:
```
pre {
  add5 = function(x) {
           x + 5
         };
}
```
Functions are evaluated statically (e.g. the environment they are defined in, not the environment they are executed in determines the binding of free-variables) and can be recursive. Here's an example of a recursive function in KRL:
```
pre {
  fact = function(n) {
            (n <= 0) => 1
                      | n * fact(n-1)
         }
}
```
Functions are declared using the keyword function and contain optional declarations followed by a single expression that returns the result of the function when executed. To see this, consider the following example which uses Newton's method to calculate square roots (taken from Section 1.1.8 of Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs):
```
sqrt = function(x) {
    average = function(x,y) { (x + y) / 2 };
    good_enough = function(guess, x) {
       v = (guess * guess) - x;
       v < 0.01 && v > -0.01
    };
    improve = function(guess, x) {
       average(guess, (x / guess))
    }
    sqrt_iter = function(guess, x) {
       good_enough(guess, x) => guess
                              | sqrt_iter(improve(guess,x), x)
    };
    sqrt_iter(1.0, x)
}
```
Functions can return functions as values and functions can be passed as the arguments to other functions and operators in KRL. The following example defined a generalized summation function that sums the numbers from a to b incrementing using inc and applying the function f to each term:
```
sum = function(f, a, next, b) {
  (a > b) => 0
           | f(a) + sum(f, next(a), inc, b)
};
inc = function(x) { x + 1 };
cube = function(x) { x * x * x };
sum_cubes = function(a, b) {
  sum(cube, a, inc, b)
}
```
We could define a function that creates incrementor functions. When given a number, it returns a function that increments by that value:
```
inc_generator = function(n) { function(x){ x + n } };
inc = inc_generator(1);
inc_by_2 = inc_generator(2);
inc_by_25 = inc_generator(25);
```
Being able to write functions adds significant power. More so with some of the other languages changes we have in mind for the next few months.

Weve also added several new array operators in recent builds. Most notably, array references now work as follows:
```
a = [1,4,3,6,5];
b = a[1]
```
This would bind the value 4 to the variable b. Note that array references only work for arrays of one-dimension, so c[1][2] is not allowed (presuming c is an array of arrays).

In addition, there are a number of new operators available for arrays. The following array operators are now available (in addition to length which has been previously available):
- sort - sorts the array. With no argument, sorting is done in ascending order. The argument "reverse" causes sorting to happen in descending order. The argument can also be a function that takes two argument and returns a boolean value which will be used as the comparison function for the sort.
- filter - filters an array, producing a new array. The operator takes a function argument that takes a single parameter and returns a boolean value. The return array contains elements for which the function returns true.
- map - modfies an array from mapping a function to each member of the array. The operator takes a function argument that takes a single parameter and returns any value. The array returned from map is the result of applying the function to each member of the original array in turn, collecting the results into a new array.
- head - returns the first element of an array without modifying the array.
- tail - returns an array that is identical to the orginal array except without the first member.
You could use these like so:
```
pre {
  f = function(x) { x 


Operators are fairly easy to add and handy to have, so if you have ideas for other operators, on arrays, strings, and so on, just let us know.  






Tags: 
	
```

10:43
EFF Fights for Cell Phone Users' Privacy in Thursday Hearing
» ‎ Electronic Frontier Foundation

Philadelphia - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) will be arguing this Thursday before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit in Philadelphia, urging the court to block a government attempt to seize telephone company records detailing a cell phone user's past locations without first getting a search warrant.

EFF is serving as a friend of the court or "amicus," joined by co-amici the ACLU, the ACLU of Pennsylvania, and the Center for Democracy & Technology. Professor Susan Freiwald of the University of San Francisco, who submitted a separate amicus brief to the panel, will be joining EFF Senior Staff Attorney Kevin Bankston in arguing on Thursday that federal privacy statutes in combination with the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protect the privacy of cell phone users and require the government to show probable cause before obtaining cell phone location information.

WHAT:
Oral argument In the Matter of the Application of the United States of America for an Order Directing a Provider of Electronic Communication Service to Disclose Records to the Government

WHEN:
Thursday, February 11th
9:30am

WHERE:
Albert Branson Maris Courtroom (19th floor)
U.S. Courthouse
601 Market St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106

For more information on attending Thursday's hearing, contact press@eff.org.

For the full EFF amicus brief to the Third Circuit:
http://www.eff.org/files/filenode/celltracking/Filed%20Cell%20Tracking%2...

For more on the issue of cell phone tracking:
http://www.eff.org/issues/cell-tracking

Contacts:

Kevin Bankston
Senior Staff Attorney
Electronic Frontier Foundation
bankston@eff.org

Jennifer Stisa Granick
Civil Liberties Director
Electronic Frontier Foundation
jennifer@eff.org

Rebecca Jeschke
Media Relations Director
Electronic Frontier Foundation
press@eff.org

10:42
Book Excerpt: A Peace Corps For Developers
» ‎ Personal Democracy Forum

In the coming weeks, O'Reilly Media will publish Open Government, a collection of new essays on how technology can make DC more transparent and efficient. Today, O'Reilly released a sneak preview (PDF) of the book that features the first eight chapters. My chapter is included; its entire text is below.

read more

10:40
Body found in plane's landing gear bay in Japan
» ‎ CNN.com - Most Popular

A body was found in the landing gear bay of an airplane that arrived at Tokyo's Narita Airport Sunday, the airport announced.

10:37
Can we all just get along?
» ‎ SignCasts -

Article by Trudy Suggs, owner of T.S. Writing Services. Crossposed from the Author's Website by Permission of the Author.

Perhaps Rodney King isn’t the best person to quote, but “Can we all just get along?” is what keeps running through my head as I learn of more and more stories of rivalries between deaf schools and programs – especially those in the same state.

read more

10:32
Specialized High School Admissions
» ‎ The Wonkster

Some 958 students received the good news last week that they had been admitted to Stuyvesant High School, considered by many to be the city’s best public high school. Only 7 of those proud students are black.

The figures announced Friday represent a continuing decline in the number of black and Hispanic kids admitted to the city’s academically elite schools. Last year, 12 blacks got into Stuyvesant. Seventeen Hispanic students received admission to Stuyvesant this year, compared to 24 a year ago.

The city uses a test, given in the fall, as the sole means of determining who gets admitted to Stuyvesant, Bronx High School of Science and Brooklyn Tech, along with five newer academic high schools. Overall 7 percent of the students admitted to any of the eight schools are black and 8 percent are Hispanic. Asians account for about for 57 percent of those admitted and whites 28 percents.

The number of blacks and Hispanics in the top schools has declined markedly since the 1990s, according to a 2006 analysis by the Times. At Stuyvesant, blacks accounted for 4.4 percent of the students in 1994-95. In 2007-2008, that had fallen to 2 percent. In next year’s first-year class, it seems likely they will account for less than 1 percent.

Figures for blacks and Hispanics at Bronx Science and Brooklyn Tech have declined as well.

As these figures have appeared over the past few years, the administration has expressed concern about them but has not conducted any overall review of the test, the admissions policies or the elite schools themselves.

It has introduced more specialized school with some success. “Those schools, which are often referred to as second tier, are typically more diverse, but not extraordinarily more so. Of the 178 students offered admission to the school at [The High School for Math, Science and Engineering at] City College, for example, 20 - or 11 percent - were black and 15 percent Hispanic,” Jennifer Medina wrote in City Room.

The city runs something called the Specialized High School Institute, which aims to level the playing field. Writing on NYC Public School Parents, Paola de Kock, a former Stuyvesant parent and Parent Association officer there, faulted the city for offering “more test prep rather than more instruction.”

She continued, “There’s little reason to believe test prep will make a real difference for a child who isn’t already adequately prepared in the subjects the test covers.”

Meanwhile, Steve Koss found that boy are far more likely to be admitted to the eight schools than girls — a somewhat surprising result given that in general girl are seen as outperforming boys in schools. Among those admitted to Stuyvesant, Koss reported, 42 percent were female, 58 percent male. Koss compared these numbers to admissions at science oriented high schools in the city, such as NEST and Midwood High School, where girls slightly outnumber boys, although by a far narrower margin.

” There certainly does appear to be a possible male bias in the [specialized high school test] based on these figures,” Koss concluded.

Permalink for 'Google_News___Online_campaigning/2010/02/08/Plenty_of_smoke__no_fire__yet__in_Albany___Buffalo_Business_First'

10:24

Plenty of smoke, no fire (yet) in Albany - Buffalo Business First

» ‎ Google News - Online campaigning

10:11
In a Message to Democrats, Wall St. Sends Cash to G.O.P.
» ‎ NYT > Most E-Mailed

Bankers, unhappy at the president’s proposals for tighter financial regulations, are shifting donations to Republicans.

10:04
Das Internet wird wahlentscheidend (2009) - BITKOM
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - e-democracy

Das Internet wird wahlentscheidend (2009) - BITKOM

10:00
3 shot during Super Bowl celebrations in New Orleans
» ‎ CNN.com - Most Popular

Three people were shot amid celebrations surrounding the New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl win, police said Monday.

10:00
Best and Worst Super Bowl Ads
» ‎ Most Popular Stories: CBSNews.com

USA Today Presents Results of "Ad Meter" Ratings; Snickers Betty White Ad, Doritos, Bud Light Score with Quirky Commercials

9:56
Ali Dizaei, Metropolitan police commander, jailed for four years
» ‎ guardian.co.uk: Most viewed
Scotland Yard commander who falsely arrested man is jailed for misconduct and attempting to pervert course of justice

The case against Commander Ali Dizaei
The Metropolitan police commander Ali Dizaei was jailed for four years today after being convicted of falsely arresting a man and making up an account that he had been assaulted and threatened.
A jury at Southwark crown court today found the 47-year-old guilty of misconduct in public office and attempting to pervert the course of justice. Dizaei, a controversial and high-profile officer, faces being sacked from the force in disgrace.
The jury took two hours and 31 minutes to reach its unanimous verdicts. As the verdict was announced, Dizaei, once tipped as a future commissioner of the Metropolitan police, stood motionless in the dock. He stared in the direction of the jury. They did not glance back.
In between the verdict and sentencing Dizaei was able to leave the dock to hug and kiss his wife, Shy. The offences he has been convicted of carry a maximum of life imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). After the verdict its chair, Nick Hardwick, branded Dizaei a "criminal in uniform" who had behaved like a "bully".
Dizaei is president of the National Black Police Association and was suspended over the incident in September 2008 at the height of a race row that convulsed the force.
The trial was the second time in seven years Dizaei had faced criminal charges. In 2003 he was cleared by a jury and later returned to duty. He is believed to be the most senior officer in recent times to stand trial.
The crown said Dizaei was involved in the "wholesale abuse" of his powers by bullying, threatening and intimidating a man in the culmination of a personal vendetta. He was charged with threatening and falsely arresting Waad al-Baghdadi, who said Dizaei had failed to pay him money owed for a website he designed for the officer.
The crown said that the £600 Dizaei allegedly failed to pay Baghdadi led to months of rising tension, which spilled over into verbal and physical clashes outside a west London restaurant in July 2008.
Peter Wright QC told the jury that Dizaei was on trial for falsely claiming that Baghdadi had made threatening gestures and assaulted him.
Dizaei arrested Baghdadi and called 999 for help. He maintained his account to officers at the scene and after Baghdadi was in custody by making verbal and written statements, the court heard.
Wright said the senior police officer's account was contradicted by a recording of a 999 call Baghdadi made to police, during which Dizaei arrested him.
Wright told the jury: "These are allegations, we say, that involve the wholesale abuse of power by a senior police officer for entirely personal and oblique motives."
Dizaei said Baghdadi had made threatening gestures towards him and he decided to arrest him for a public order offence. The officer said his wife was left terrified by the verbal tirade and threats from Baghdadi.
Dizaei claimed that during the arrest he was poked or stabbed in the stomach with an object that he believed to be the top of a shisha pipe. There was a struggle as he tried to handcuff Baghdadi.
A forensic medical examiner later concluded Dizaei's injuries were not consistent with being stabbed by a shisha pipe but were more likely to be "self-inflicted". However, an accredited Home Office pathologist challenged that finding and said it was based on a "fundamentally flawed approach".
The crown claimed that during the arrest Dizaei threatened Baghdadi, saying: "I'll fuck your life … You think I don't know what you do in London … I'll find every single detail of your life in London."
Hardwick said: "When Mr al-Baghdadi tried to get Commander Dizaei to pay him the money he owed him, Dizaei assaulted and then arrested him. He went on to lie about what had happened and, if he had been successful, Mr al-Baghdadi may have been sent to prison.
"Dizaei behaved like a bully and the only way to deal with bullies is to stand up to them. Mr al-Baghdadi has shown tremendous strength of character throughout this case ‑ from the moment he was confronted by Ali Dizaei, throughout our investigation, and finally when giving evidence at court. We are grateful for the confidence he placed in the IPCC and, as a result of that, justice has been done today.
"The greatest threat to the reputation of the police service is criminals in uniform like Dizaei."
Vikram Dodd
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

9:47
Comunicatori Pubblici - E-participation, esperienze e prospettive: il workshop
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - e-democracy

E-participation: esperienze e prospettive si terrà il 10 febbraio 2010 e si tratta del secondo workshop della serie New Directions for Active Citizen Involvement in the Network Society, promossa dal Laboratorio di Informatica Civica (nella foto il logo). È rivolto a studenti, ricercatori e chiunque sia interessato al web come social environment e alla cittadinanza attiva: i ricercatori si confronteranno sull’uso della rete per utilizzarne gli strumenti e promuovere la partecipazione dei cittadini.

9:46
Iran to cut ties with British Museum over loan (AP)
» ‎ Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

AP - Iran said it will cut ties with the British Museum on Monday because of the museum's failure to lend Tehran an ancient Babylonian artifact described as the world's earliest bill of rights.

9:45
LG eyes golden age of telly with retro CRT set
» ‎ The Register - Internet and Law

Valve Doonican
It's the telly Mad Men and Avengers fans will surely be craving: a 14in telly kitted out in true 1960s style.…
The power of collaboration within unified communications

Permalink for 'Google_News_for__e_democracy_/2010/02/08/Harman_backs_e_democracy___Computing'

9:43

Harman backs e-democracy - Computing

» ‎ Google News for "e-democracy"

Permalink for 'Google_News___Online_campaigning/2010/02/08/Google_analyst__US_Internet_needs_to_get_faster___CNN'

9:15

Google analyst: US Internet needs to get faster - CNN

» ‎ Google News - Online campaigning

9:08
Armenia: Illegal hunting on YouTube
» ‎ Global Voices - Cyber-Activism

bnamarduk [AM] posts a video on YouTube of what it alleges is illegal hunting in a nature reserve in Armenia. The same environmentalists posted another such video last year which resulted in the dismissal of those involved.

8:49
Sarobi Journal: On Afghan Road, Scenes of Beauty and Death
» ‎ NYT > Most E-Mailed

A road that runs through a mountain gorge between Kabul and Jalalabad holds its own terrors.

Permalink for 'Google_News___Online_campaigning/2010/02/08/A_more_serious_look_at_the_Demon_Sheep_political_ad___California_Independent_Voter_Network'

8:47

A more serious look at the Demon Sheep political ad - California Independent Voter Network

» ‎ Google News - Online campaigning

8:47
HowStuffWorks "How ADHD Works"
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - nptech - Non-Profit Technology

HowStuffWorks "How ADHD Works"

8:43
Make or Break Vote For Constitutional Reform Tomorrow
» ‎ eGovMonitor - UK

Tomorrow’s crunch vote on the Constitutional Renewal Bill will determine the course of electoral reform for years ahead.

8:35
e-Government
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - ict4d - ICTs for Development

From the United States to Cape Verde, governments around the world have embraced ICTs, and the internet in particular, as a means of mainstreaming public policy decisions, practices and processes, while providing citizens with greater and easier access to government services. Increased information flows between the public and private sector and citizens have improved transparency and accountability and established an environment of trust and reliability between citizens and elected officials in many parts of the world. Moreover, many ministries responsible for ICTs and modernization initiatives have realized the importance of a clear national strategy for becoming a part of the global Information Society and narrowing the gap between " haves" and "have-nots."

8:19
GlobalNews: 08 Feb 10 PM Ukraine Election / Kashmir Avalanche
» ‎ Global News

Ukrainian opposition leader set to win election / Kashmir avalanche kills 17 Indian soldiers / Iran defiant over nuclear programme

8:11
Eidos confirms Championship Manager Online shutdown
» ‎ The Register - Internet and Law

Season's end
Publisher Eidos has confirmed that it has ordered the closure of Championship Manager Online, the web-based version of the long-running popular fantasy football franchise.…
Case Study: WhatsUp keeps Legoland turnstyles ringing

8:03
Notable And Dubious Super Bowl Achievements
» ‎ NPR Most Emailed: NPR Most Emailed Stories

Now that the big trophy has been handed out, Monkey See distributes some of its own. Linda Holmes chooses between Snickers, Letterman-Leno and Google for Best Ad. Other honors include: best example of turning on a dime and most surprising movie resemblance.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us

8:00
links for 2010-02-08
» ‎ Amy Gahran
- Writing skill is no longer enough to sustain journalists "The stenography model of journalism must die. Many random people off the street will be able to paste together a "he said, she said" story. What the hyperliterate media marketplace needs are experts who can analyze, and advocate for, information in the public interest.
  
  "That demands journalists who have professional-level training and experience with the beats that they cover. It demands journalists who have the analytical skills, including training in statistics, to make sense of datasets and to find the stories buried within them. It will demand journalism schools to become significantly more selective in the students that they admit – choosing only those with the academic skills and performance to meet these new demands."
  (tags: journalism skills education media+evolution RJIcollab)
- A growing market: cellphone service for low income – but beware the extra charges As many companies have done during the recession, Assurance Wireless is offering a free service to the unemployed, or underemployed, during a rough time in their lives with the hope that they'll stay customers when they get back on their feet financially.
  
  Nice, sure. But why does it cost double for more minutes when one of the parent company's prepaid plans is 10 cents a minute?
  (tags: mobile carriers economy poverty business RJIcollab problems)

7:34
World Summit on the Information Society
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - ict4d - ICTs for Development

World Summit on the Information Society

7:27
New Orleans revels in Super Bowl win
» ‎ Reuters Video: Most Watched Videos

Feb 8 - New Orleans gets a boost as their American Football team, the Saints, wins their first title in 43 years of playing in the league. The Saints beat the favourites the Indianapolis Colts.

7:08
Google warns Chinese copycat website: report
» ‎ Mikhail Doroshevich's Information Policy

Google has warned a copycat Chinese website to stop using a logo that resembles the US Internet giant's or face possible legal action, state media reported Monday. The warning issued to the "Goojje" website comes as Google is contemplating its future in China after saying it would no longer obey government censorship rules and could pull out entirely over alleged cyberattacks. Google accused Goojje of infringing on its trademark rights, saying the logo of the Chinese website could make users believe it was authorised by or linked to the US company, the Shenzhen Economic Daily reported. In a letter sent to Goojje by Google's lawyers, the US Internet firm demanded the Chinese site stop using the logo by Monday, the report said. Reports have said Goojje was launched last month by a 20-strong team led by a college student identified only by the surname Wen, after Google issued its threat to pull out from China. The operators of Goojje have posted vague statements on the website construed by some media as offering support for Google. Goojje's homepage imitates Google's design and its Chinese name ends with a character that means "big sister". Google's Chinese name, meanwhile, ends with a character that is a homonym for "big brother".

7:08
Push To End Online Gambling Ban Gains Steam
» ‎ Slashdot - Your Rights Online

The Washington Post updates a story we discussed last spring about a push in the Democratic-controlled congress to legalize some forms of Internet gambling in the US. "Partly bankrolled by offshore gambling companies, the campaign has already persuaded the Obama administration to delay enforcement of a 2006 law cracking down on Internet wagers. ... The federal government, which rarely prosecutes online gambling, would net billions of dollars in tax and licensing revenue if it were legalized, proponents say. ... The outlook on Capitol Hill, however, is uncertain given a slate of unfinished business... [and] nervousness among Democrats about November midterm challenges. ... [A politically conservative poker player said] 'There's a part of the party that always believes this isn't something people should do. But I think it behooves the party to be a little more broad-minded on this issue.'"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.

7:03
It's Your Parliament .eu
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - e-democracy

This website gives you an unique overview of the votes casted in the European Parliament. You can easily find and compare voting records of members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and political groups and you can make your own comments and cast your own votes.

7:02
Google analyst: U.S. Internet needs to get faster
» ‎ CNN.com - Most Popular

Google long has been an advocate of a single Web, one that's free of government censorship and barriers to information access.

6:33
Footnote.com and National Archives Release New Vietnam War Collection
» ‎ ResearchBuzz

Footnote.com has announced a new addition to its Vietnam War Collection: Army Photos and Unit Service Awards. As you may know Footnote.com is usually a subscription service but the company is making its Vietnam War collection free for the month of February. You can access it at [go.footnote.com].

The Army Photos are directly available at [www.footnote.com]. There are almost 29,000 images available here and at this writing the collection is denoted as “76% complete.” The first page has lists of recent comments and “discoveries” that have been made, but there’s also a search box. I did a search for patrol and got 400 results. You can also browse items via 31 categories (from aerials to vehicles.)

The Army Unit Service Awards cover documents related to Presidential Unit Citations, Valorous Unit Awards, and Meritorious Unit Commendations. The documents cover duties of service, duties performed, and letters of recommendation, and are available at [www.footnote.com]. You can browse these items if you like (they’re organized by unit) and you can also do a keyword search. Remember these are unit citations, and not individual citations. You can get more information on unit citations at [www.homeofheroes.com].

As long as you’re here, you might want to check out some of the other materials relating to the Footnote.com Vietnam War collection, including Marine Corps photos (almost 20,000) and an interactive version of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, where you can leave a tribute to one of the people listed on the wall, or provide other information (like a picture.)

6:25
Facebook dominates UK mobile use
» ‎ Quick Links

(BBC)
Facebook dominates the lives of mobile internet users in the UK, according to figures from a mobile industry body. The social network accounts for nearly half of all the time people in the UK spend going online using their phones. The data, from the GSM Association (GSMA), showed that people in the UK spent around 2.2bn minutes browsing the social network during December alone

6:24
European University Association (EUA) Launches EUIMA - Sharing Innovative Practices in University Modernisation
» ‎ eGovMonitor - UK

The European University Association (EUA) is pleased to announce that it is launching a major new project, EUIMA, – funded by the European Commission – designed to support European universities in implementing specific modernisation agenda objectives as outlined in the Lisbon Strategy.

6:20
Bing Ties Up Tighter with Facebook
» ‎ ResearchBuzz

Bing announced last week several initiatives that will tie it in tighter with Facebook. Facebook recently had its sixth anniversary, which is pretty old in Internet terms, but has gotten really hot in the last couple of years.

Bing is the search provider on Facebook. In other words, when you run a search on Facebook and get all the results that Facebook can provide — people, groups, and so on — you get Web results at the bottom, and those are provided by Bing. Bing’s Web search integration will be extended to outside the US, covering all of Facebook’s 400 million users, and Bing will soon be integrating additional features into its Facebook Web results, including (I hope!) its rich search answers. (So I can search on Facebook for red beans and rice and get fan pages, groups, and recipes!)

I suspect there will be a closer tie-up with Facebook appearing in Bing’s search results, but after a few tests searches I’m not seeing it yet. As Bing mentioned in its announcement, it’ll take several weeks/months for all this to shake out.

This is good for Bing. They’ve got a big role in one of the hottest properties on the Web. Twitter has an API and is appearing in all kinds of search results. What are the other hot independent Web properties that haven’t teamed up with a major player? Yelp, maybe? Foursquare?

5:58
Monday Morning Deaf News and Coffee Roundup
» ‎ SignCasts -

This is a weekly roundup of national and international news articles about Deaf individuals and Deaf-related events and concepts. The aim is to give a slightly Deaf perspective on the journalism and story.

read more

5:50
Mandybill is mostly harmless, says MP watchdog
» ‎ The Register - Internet and Law

But wants more detail
A committee of MPs has surprisingly said that copyright infringement penalties for internet users proposed in the Digital Economy are justifiable. However, it wants the Government to explain them better, and publish more detail - particularly on the threshold for suspending the accounts of serial infringers.…
What is your recession sales strategy?

5:37
Costa Rica's first female president
» ‎ Reuters Video: Most Watched Videos

Feb 8 - Laura Chinchilla enters Costa Rica's history books after a landslide presidential election victory.

5:22
The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - ict4d - ICTs for Development

The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries

Permalink for 'Google_News___Online_campaigning/2010/02/08/In_Secret__Nations_Work_Toward_Crackdown_on_Piracy___New_York_Times'

5:15

In Secret, Nations Work Toward Crackdown on Piracy - New York Times

» ‎ Google News - Online campaigning

4:30
Obama to GOP: Let's Talk Health Care
» ‎ Most Popular Stories: CBSNews.com

In Interview with Katie Couric, President Says Health Reform Is Not Dead, Calls for Televised Meetings at White House
4:30
Who Dat? Saints Win Super Bowl
» ‎ Most Popular Stories: CBSNews.com

Brees and New Orleans Get Big, Easy Win for City in First-Ever Super Bowl Appearance, Beating Indianapolis 31-17

4:06
Founders of British obstetrics 'were callous murderers'
» ‎ guardian.co.uk: Most viewed
William Hunter and William Smellie commissioned a regular supply of corpses so they could study the physical effects of pregnancy, argues a respected historian
They are giants of medicine, pioneers of the care that women receive during childbirth and were the founding fathers of obstetrics. The names of William Hunter and William Smellie still inspire respect among today's doctors, more than 250 years since they made their contributions to healthcare. Such were the duo's reputations as outstanding physicians that the clienteles of their private practices included the rich and famous of mid-18th-century London.
But were they also serial killers? New research published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (JRSM) claims that they were. A detailed historical study accuses the doctors of soliciting the killing of dozens of women, many in the latter stages of pregnancy, to dissect their corpses.
"Smellie and Hunter were responsible for a series of 18th-century 'burking' murders of pregnant women, with a death total greater than the combined murders committed by Burke and Hare and Jack the Ripper," writes Don Shelton, a historian. "Burking" involved murdering people to order, usually for medical research.
According to Shelton, the two men were between them responsible for the murders of 35-40 pregnant women and their unborn children. Acting separately, and using henchmen to deliver their supply, they organised a killing spree in London between 1749 and 1755 and, after a period of inactivity enforced by mounting suspicion about the source of their corpses, resumed between 1764 and 1774. Motivated by ego, personal rivalry and a shared desire to benefit from being acclaimed as the foremost childbirth doctors of their time, Hunter and Smellie sacrificed life after life in their quests to study pregnancy's physical effects and to develop new techniques, the author says. "Although it sounds absolutely incredible, the circumstantial literary evidence suggests they were most likely competing with each other in experimenting with secret caesarean sections on unconscious, or freshly murdered, victims, with a view to extracting and reviving the babies," Shelton told the Observer.
Shelton examined the men's anatomical atlases, containing detailed images of pregnant women who had been opened up, and medical literature and the causes of death in London at the time. Glasgow's Hunterian museum and gallery is named after Scottish-born Hunter, who in 1762 became physician to Queen Charlotte, wife of George III. He helped her to deliver the future king, George IV.
Smellie, a fellow Scot, is no less distinguished. From Witchcraft to Wisdom, a textbook on the history of obstetric and gynaecological medicine, hails him as "the greatest obstetrician in the history of British obstetrics". He has also been called "the father of British midwifery".
Shelton, though, regards the duo as on a par with Burke and Hare, who murdered 17 citizens of Edinburgh in 1827 and 1828, selling their remains to a local anatomist. The London of Hunter and Smellie's time was unhealthy and semi-anarchic, and early death from disease was widespread, as was grave robbing. In his JRSM paper, Shelton claims to prove that the rival doctors could not have obtained their supply of corpses by any other means than murder. It was rare for mothers-to-be to die or be murdered soon before they were due to give birth, says the historian. People from poorhouses who died were usually old, unwell or children. Thus the grave robbers of the time could not have fulfilled the obstetricians' need for such a specific type of female, concludes Shelton.
Each used an assistant to commission killers, he says, naming Dr Colin Mackenzie as Smellie's accomplice and John Hunter – William's brother, who was a celebrated anatomist – as his helper. Young women from the countryside were apparently favourite targets in a city where plenty of people "disappeared".
"There is great suspicion about the abundance of undelivered ninth-month corpses procured, dissected and depicted in the anatomical atlases of Smellie and Hunter," writes Shelton. "The impossibility of supply from random resurrections, taken with a careful analysis of events, and of 18th-century medical literature, shows compelling evidence for burking."
By 1755 rumours were circulating that the women in Smellie's journal had been murdered, and associates began pressing him on their origins. "As a result Smellie and Hunter both halted their research, both presumably fearing trial and execution," although Hunter – who used his links to powerful families to ensure no investigation was ever undertaken – resumed ordering murders, about once a year, in 1764, Shelton adds.
Anthony Kenny, a gynaecologist in London for 40 years until his retirement in 2007, said: "These two guys are my heroes. The idea that they could have been involved in the murder of subjects is absolutely staggering." Kenny is now the curator of the museum of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. "They were the first proper obstetricians in the country because of their pioneering work practising what was then still a new branch of medicine."
While Kenny describes Shelton's paper as "extremely impressive" in its research, he cannot believe that his heroes were guilty of such terrible crimes. The trade in corpses was very lucrative and probably attracted unsavoury, unscrupulous characters, he pointed out. "And it could be that they didn't make proper inquiries as to the origins of the bodies, and so may not have known that the women were murdered."
Ludmilla Jordanova, a professor of modern history at King's College London who specialises in the history of medicine, says Shelton's assertion that Hunter and Smellie could not have come across so many dead pregnant women from any other source as "a striking claim. Important research… is revealing the complexities of anatomical activities in 18th-century London. This is an exciting and controversial area of historical investigation, and it invites more meticulous research and judicious research."
Shelton says his research "turned out to be a bit like a thinking person's Da Vinci Code, but in this case involving facts, not fiction. Although the conclusion of burking is shocking, to quote Sherlock Holmes, 'When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, is the truth.'"
Denis Campbell
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

3:09
ITU upgrades stocktaking platform to measure information society
» ‎ Mikhail Doroshevich's Information Policy

Interactive database effective tool to achieve World Summit on the Information Society goals
Geneva, 5 February 2010 — As a follow up to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), an upgraded stocktaking platform has been launched by ITU. Deputy Secretary-General Houlin Zhao announced that "the WSIS Stocktaking platform will now be more interactive, providing a new collaborative database for all WSIS Stakeholders to work on the implementation of the WSIS outcomes". He was speaking at a meeting of the Working Group on WSIS convened by ITU’s governing council which consists of 46 Member States.
The World Summit on the Information Society brought together world leaders in Geneva in 2003 and Tunis in 2005 to help build an inclusive and development-oriented information society. ITU has been maintaining the WSIS Stocktaking database as a publicly accessible system, which now consists of more than 4200 entries of ICT-related initiatives and projects aimed at furthering the goals of the Summit. The upgraded WSIS stocktaking platform integrates improved features, such as the application of web 2.0 tools and a searchable database.
Introduction of new components like an events calendar, the ability to create communities of practice and forums for discussion, could serve as effective instruments of information circulation and communication among stakeholders. Future plans include developing evaluation and monitoring tools for WSIS Stocktaking.
http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2010/CM01.html

2:49
Thousands to lose jobs as universities prepare to cope with cuts
» ‎ guardian.co.uk: Most viewed
• Post-graduates to replace professors
• Staff poised to strike over proposals of cuts

Universities across the country are preparing to axe thousands of teaching jobs, close campuses and ditch courses to cope with government funding cuts, the Guardian has learned.
Other plans include using post-graduates rather than professors for teaching and the delay of major building projects. The proposals have already provoked ballots for industrial action at a number of universities in the past week raising fears of strike action which could severely disrupt lectures and examinations.
The Guardian spoke to vice-chancellors and other senior staff at 25 universities, some of whom condemned the funding squeeze as "painful" and "insidious". They warned that UK universities were being pushed towards becoming US-style, quasi-privatised institutions.
The cuts are being put in place to cope with the announcement last week by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce) that £449m – equivalent to more than a 5% reduction nationally – would be stripped out of university budgets.
The University and College Union (UCU) believes that more than 15,000 posts – the majority academic – could disappear in the next few years. Precise funding figures for each university will be released on 18 March.
The chairman of the Russell Group of elite institutions, Professor Michael Arthur, vice-chancellor of Leeds University, warned that budgets would be further slashed by 6% in each of the next three years. Last month he described the cuts as "devastating".
The savings envisaged include:
• More than 200 jobs losses at King's College, London, around 150 at the University of Westminster and, unions claim, as many as 700 at Leeds, 340 at Sheffield Hallam and 300 at Hull.
• Entire campus closures at Cumbria and Wolverhampton universities, where buildings will be mothballed and students transferred to other sites.
• Teesside University scrapping £2m worth of scholarships and bursaries that would have helped poorer students. It will also share services with a further education college in Darlington.
• Postponing plans for a £25m creative arts building at Worcester and £12m science block at Hertfordshire.
• Under-subscribed arts and humanities courses are being dropped. The University of the West of England has already stopped offering French, German and Spanish; Surrey has dropped its BA in humanities.
• Student/lecturer ratios are expected to rise, with more institutions using postgraduates and short term staff filling in for professors made redundant.
Ballots for industrial action are due to be held or are pending at the University of the Arts, Sussex University, the University of Gloucestershire and King's College London. Lecturers at Leeds – where 750 posts are at risk – voted by a large majority to strike this week.
Higher exam pass marks will be required to win a place at university, according to the survey of academic principals. The cap on student numbers – set at 2008 levels – is restricting entry just as youth unemployment is peaking and intensifying competitive pressure.
Peter Mandelson, the business secretary who is in charge of universities, accused the principals of "gross exaggerations" and "extreme language", but would not be drawn over whether he would make further cuts to higher education. Universities had to do "no more than their fair share of belt-tightening," he said.
"We know that universities have a vital contribution to our economic growth, so we are not going to undermine them. We are asking for savings of less than 5% and we expect universities to make these in a way that minimises the impact on teaching and students. I am confident they will."
Mandelson also denied claims by vice-chancellors that he was letting arts and humanities courses close and cared only about maths and science degrees.
On Monday it was announced that an extra £10m would go to the teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics to support universities "that are shifting the balance of their provision towards these subjects".
Mandelson said: "I am an arts graduate myself. We don't dictate to universities which courses they put on. They tailor courses to meet demand. We want universities to play to their strengths, but we also want to keep this country civilised."
The pattern of cutbacks is not uniform, with some universities insisting they have been preparing for the downturn. Many have already dropped more vulnerable subjects such as music and history, increased fees for part-time students and expect to become even more reliant on income from higher, overseas student fees.
The vice-chancellor of Southampton, Professor Don Nutbeam, told the Guardian: "This [decision by Hefce] is one of a series of insidious cuts that have been made to higher education."
Professor Geoffrey Petts, vice-chancellor of Westminster University, said: "After a decade of huge successes in higher education we suddenly have to rethink."
Tomorrow the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (Ucas) is due to announce record numbers of applications for places this autumn. It is expected that as many as 300,000 applicants will be turned away.
The surge in demand comes as a government-commissioned independent review considers whether to raise tuition fees from £3,225 per year to up to £7,000. Over three years total cuts will amount to at least £950m.
The policy adopted by the government is in stark contrast to the response in the US where President Obama this week proposed a 31% increase in education spending for next year in order to combat unemployment and develop skills.
Jessica ShepherdOwen Bowcott
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

2:33
Virtual Haiti, Nonprofit Commons & Mixing Live and Virtual Engagement for Dynamic Community Building | NetSquared, an initiative of TechSoupGlobal.org
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - nptech - Non-Profit Technology

Virtual Haiti, Nonprofit Commons & Mixing Live and Virtual Engagement for Dynamic Community Building | NetSquared, an initiative of TechSoupGlobal.org
2:33
hvy TK - tech & trends: tweets o' the day
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - nptech - Non-Profit Technology

Now up on the panel @suzboop giving brief history about TechSoup. Remember funding them long ago when I was at AOL Foundation! #sm4si
2:28
I'm Headed for Nasscom Foundation's Indian Leadership Forum in Mumbai - Beth's Blog: How Nonprofit Organizations Can Use Social Media to Power Social Networks for Change
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - nptech - Non-Profit Technology

I'm Headed for Nasscom Foundation's Indian Leadership Forum in Mumbai - Beth's Blog: How Nonprofit Organizations Can Use Social Media to Power Social Networks for Change

2:26
Google readying speech translator phone
» ‎ Textually - SMS/Mobile Politics

According to TechRadar, Google is preparing new smartphone translator software that it say will be able to hear speech and translate it instantly.

The software would take the information learned from the company's text translation software, and voice recognition, a feature Google is putting in many smartphones.

It would obviously be basic at first, analysing small segments of speech before translation, but Google believes it would soon be refined with many users, according to Franz Och, Google's head of translation services.

Read full article.

2:25
When it comes to websites… small IS beautiful « Aptivate | A Blog for ICT4D
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - ict4d - ICTs for Development

When it comes to websites… small IS beautiful « Aptivate | A Blog for ICT4D

2:23
Irans Internet and Text Message Fails Ahead of Protests
» ‎ Textually - SMS/Mobile Politics

Internet connections are crawling in Iran and text message traffic has been disrupted ahead of planned anti-government protests in that country this week. The timing is raising eyebrows.

[via Mashable]

2:19
Aptivate - International I.T. Development
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - ict4d - ICTs for Development

Aptivate - International I.T. Development

2:18
Virtual Heroism « Caleb Booker
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - nptech - Non-Profit Technology

Virtual Heroism « Caleb Booker

2:00
The Enright Files
» ‎ CBC Radio: The Best of Ideas

Michael Enright, host of The Sunday Edition, in conversation with Joel Des Rosiers, a Haitian Quebec psychiatrist and poet, and Suketu Metha, an Indo-American novelist and journalist about finding meaning in natural disasters.

1:34
Library WebHead: Integrating Social Media Into Your Website
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - nptech - Non-Profit Technology

Library WebHead: Integrating Social Media Into Your Website
1:33
Microsoft donirao 2,5 milijuna kuna softvera neprofitnim organizacijama – Nacional.hr
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - nptech - Non-Profit Technology

Microsoft donirao 2,5 milijuna kuna softvera neprofitnim organizacijama – Nacional.hr

1:27
Prius recall weighs over Toyota
» ‎ Reuters Video: Most Watched Videos

Feb 8 - Toyota shares edge lower despite an apology by the automaker's president, as a Japanese recall for the top-selling Prius Hybrid looms.

1:01
A Federal Effort to Push Junk Food Out of Schools
» ‎ NYT > Most E-Mailed

To fight obesity, legislation would ban candy and sugary beverages, and many schools would be required to offer more nutritious fare.
0:13
Op-Ed Contributor: Sucking the Quileute Dry
» ‎ NYT > Most E-Mailed

The “Twilight” series’ makers owe it to the Quileute people to let them have a say in, and benefit financially from, outsiders’ use of their cultural property.
0:12
Op-Ed Contributor: Have Faith in Love
» ‎ NYT > Most E-Mailed

Every bit of Christian teaching can be summed up in three words: God is love. That is the simple truth that teaches tolerance of same-sex unions.
0:12
Op-Ed Columnist: America Is Not Yet Lost
» ‎ NYT > Most E-Mailed

The way the Senate works is no longer consistent with a functioning government, and senators should change the rules to end obstructionism.
0:07
Editorial: Abstinence Education Done Right
» ‎ NYT > Most E-Mailed

No single approach will reduce sexual activity in all teenagers, but a new study suggests that there is a sensible, effective way to teach abstinence.

February 07, 2010
23:55
Jenny Sanford Details Tumult In 'Staying True'
» ‎ NPR Most Emailed: NPR Most Emailed Stories

Of the recent political scandals involving infidelity — John Edwards, Elliott Spitzer, James McGreevy — one stands out, not for what the politician did, but for what his wife did not do. Jenny Sanford, wife of Gov. Mark Sanford, did not stand by her man in the cameras' glare. Her new memoir explains why.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us

23:00
Pioneering E-Waste Bill Remains Stuck in Legal Limbo
» ‎ Gotham Gazette: New York City News and Public Policy

n 2008 New York became the first U.S. city to pass a law requiring manufacturers to dispose of old computers and other electronics. So why is the toxic trash continuing to pile up?
23:00
A Barrage of Bills
» ‎ Gotham Gazette: New York City News and Public Policy

Former Councilmember Alan Gerson introduced more legislation than any other councilmember in the last session.
23:00
Penning Legislation: The Winners and Losers
» ‎ Gotham Gazette: New York City News and Public Policy

Find out who has sponsored the most bills in the last session at the City Council -- and who has the least.

22:38
GlobalNews: 08 Feb 10 AM
» ‎ Global News

Election in Ukraine/New Orleans Saints win Super Bowl/New port in Kenya

21:39
Dem. lieutenant governor candidate exits Ill. race (AP)
» ‎ Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

AP - The Democratic nominee for Illinois' lieutenant governor dropped out of the race Sunday night, less than a week after winning the nomination, amid a political uproar about his past.

21:10
“芯世界”公益创新奖-公益频道
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - nptech - Non-Profit Technology

“芯世界”公益创新奖-公益频道

19:20
Welcome | UCI IMTFI Institute for Money, Technology, and Financial Inclusion
» ‎ Del.icio.us Links - ict4d - ICTs for Development

Welcome | UCI IMTFI Institute for Money, Technology, and Financial Inclusion

18:50
5 dead in Conn. power plant blast
» ‎ MSNBC.com: Most Viewed

Workers at a power plant under construction were purging natural gas lines when a powerful explosion blew off part of the building Sunday, killing five people and injuring at least 12, officials said.

18:50
Minister damages 'welcome' igloo
» ‎ BBC News | Most Popular Stories | World Edition

A Canadian minister was lucky not to get a frosty reception after wrecking an igloo built by Inuits to welcome officials to G7 talks.
18:50
Five dead in US power plant blast
» ‎ BBC News | Most Popular Stories | World Edition

A huge explosion at a power plant in Connecticut killed five people and injured at least 12 others, the town's mayor says.
18:50
Yanukovych 'wins Ukraine's poll'
» ‎ BBC News | Most Popular Stories | World Edition

Exit polls from Ukraine's knife-edge presidential election indicate a narrow win for opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych.
18:50
Cracks hint at fate of shattered city
» ‎ BBC News | Most Popular Stories | World Edition

Residents of Port-au-Prince are finding that even buildings which survived Haiti's earthquake may end up in ruins, reports the BBC's Paul Adams.

18:47
Shuttle Endeavour's pre-dawn launch
» ‎ Reuters Video: Most Watched Videos

Feb 8 - NASA space shuttle Endeavour blasts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a mission to deliver the remaining main components to the International Space Station (ISS).

18:32
Gas blast at Conn. power plant kills at least 5 (AP)
» ‎ Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

AP - An explosion that sounded like a sonic boom blew out the walls of an unfinished power plant and set off a fire during a test of natural gas lines Sunday, killing at least five workers, injuring a dozen or more and leaving crews picking through debris for more possible victims.
18:29
Who Dat Nation: Super Saints become America's Team (AP)
» ‎ Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

AP - Marshall Faulk ran as far as he could from the dead-end Desire Projects. He bolted the New Orleans streets to play college ball in San Diego, then blossomed into an NFL star with the Indianapolis Colts.
18:17
'Historic' snow strands countless in Mid-Atlantic (AP)
» ‎ Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

AP - Federal workers and school children got a day off Monday as the Mid-Atlantic region dug out from as much as 3 feet of snow that made travel nearly impossible and knocked out power to tens of thousands of people.

Permalink for 'Google_News___Online_campaigning/2010/02/07/Digital_Technology_and_Cleaner_Politics___Wall_Street_Journal'

18:11

Digital Technology and Cleaner Politics - Wall Street Journal

» ‎ Google News - Online campaigning

18:06
Never tell a stranger you hate their outfit | Hadley Freeman
» ‎ guardian.co.uk: Most viewed
It's best just to leave them in ignorance
What are the rules about telling a stranger that their outfit is unacceptable? If I went out looking a total state, I would want someone at the bus stop to tell me before I headed into college.
Milly, by email
To quote Lil Wayne, ah Milly, ah Milly, ah Milly. Your desire for honesty is commendable but, my dear fearless correspondent, one aspect of growing up is learning that not everyone sees the world as you do. Some of your fellow college-goers are learning this by lying around in rooms and asking themselves whether everyone sees, like, green as they see green, or do they see it, like, how they see blue. You, my dear, are going to have to learn this in the fashion arena, instructed by me.
Dear Milly, not everyone has your value system, by which I mean some people would rather just about manage to get to work on time, unharassed, than look good, as opposed to your approach to life which is the other way round. In short, some people just don't care, and they are happy in their ignorance. Thus, if you approach these people with your brutal if well-intended intervention, it is unlikely that the thought, "Golly gosh, I am so GRATEFUL that this teenager has told me I look like total cack – and before 9am, too, just the way I like it", will be the one that crosses their mind. And then there's another, even more shocking (to you) possibility to be considered: perhaps this person thinks they look good.
So, the other weekend I went to the pub where I espied a table full of young ladies. Now, this table would have caught my eye anyway because the young ladies were all dressed, not so much to the nines as to the nine millions, and, for my local, dressing to the twos would generally be considered pushing the boat out.
The most popular style among the ladies was the now familiar dress-with-side-cut-outs look (the downward trajectory from "Matthew Williamson's signature style" to "Michelle Heaton at the TV Quick awards" is cruel and swift), but one young woman wore something even more extraordinary: a tight, mini, long-sleeved dress that was made out of thick horizontal stripes of black and white lace, encircling this young woman's person. She looked like an escapee from Beano crossed with Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan, and while both of these may be important cultural touchstones, they worked surprisingly poorly together – and by "surprisingly", I mean "not surprisingly at all". But she clearly thought she looked great. My goodness, I have never seen a woman strut in the pub like this gal strutted.
Now I ask you, Milly: would you have wanted to ruin this lady's night? I didn't, and that is only partly because I feared she and her friends would beat me up. In the main it was because she seemed happy. And that is what clothes are supposed to do: make you feel happy. Start hassling people about alleged rules and making them feel bad about themselves and, well, my dear, one day you're going to wake up and see Trinny and Susannah in the mirror. Sooooooo not a good look.
A friend recently returned from holiday with a tattoo. What is the correct thing to say when she asks (again) what I think? I have repeatedly ducked the question.
GG, by email
OK, so everything I said above? Ignore it. Tattoos are just unacceptable, to use fearless Milly's term. I'm trying to think of the most unacceptable kind of tattoo but this is basically like trying to choose who is the worst dictator in history. Certainly anything in the centre of a young lady's lower back would feature in the top five. Ditto any yoga symbols or Hindi writing on anyone who is not Hindi. Oh, I could go on and on but in answer to your question, the fact that this friend repeatedly asks your opinion suggests some retrospective and correct regret over the tattoo. This is unusual in a tattooed person as normally they are ever so proud of their – what, embellishment? Mistake? – that they grab any excuse to flash it. This latter anxiety does your friend credit and almost cancels out the shame of the tattoo. So don't say anything, maintain a tactful silence and hand over the number of the nearest tattoo-removal salon.
• Post your questions to Hadley Freeman, Ask Hadley, The Guardian, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Email ask.hadley@guardian.co.uk
- Fashion
Hadley Freeman
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