Blogs abound, and so do commentaries on the blogging phenomenon. Some of these commentaries confine themselves to exhortation - blog or die, in effect - but most take one of two lines. The enthusiasts identify a social revolution of overwhelming significance that will change for the better the way we do just about everything. For the sceptics, on the other hand, the barbarians are at the gate, although like all barbarians, they will be repelled eventually, if we just learn to take the long view Like many enthusiasts for the blogging revolution, Hewitt is much clearer on the journey than he is on the destination
The Blog, The Press, The Media: Media reform on the fast-track
Communications Minister Helen Coonan has announced she wants to free the Australian media industry from the current ownership restrictions as early as this year.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Senator Coonan says the current laws give media companies 'no room to move'.
Senator Coonan's comments, originally reported by The Australian Financial Review, could pave the way for mergers between television, radio and newspaper companies as soon as this year. 'I am both committed and determined that we will get some media reform, and hopefully later this year,' Senator Coonan said. Some cross-media ownership controls would remain, depending on how deals affected media diversity, she said. Cross-media ownership law reforms were last in the spotlight two years ago. The federal government's efforts to change the laws were denied after the opposition and minor parties rejected the proposals, calling them 'a threat to democracy'.
• If it breeds, it leads: by Ryan Mason [Kerry Packer’s Publishing and Broadcasting Limited is planning to build a new underwater casino in Macau Giant Gambling Fishbowl ; No Chinese press course ]
• · From Computerworld Today, Australia's Workplace Surveillance Bill 2005, which will go through the country's parliament on Wednesday, makes it a criminal offense to read employee e-mails Employer E-Mail Monitoring Ban Awaits Approval in New South Wales ; Labour Party Members and/or Internal Auditor are exempted - naturally ;-) Workplace Surveillance Bill 2005 website
• · · Get the straight dope from IT managers and security consultants about the best anti-spyware products, links to favorite anti-spyware information and software, how to tell if your system is infected, and what to do about it if it is Anti-Spyware Tips And Tricks ; KGB; MI6; Stasi; Asio: Learn What Spyware Is, How To Stop It
• · · · New Justia Web Site Enables Consumers to Easily Track Auto Recalls ; From the Federal Judiciary: Each Judicial Circuit, District Defined in Newly Posted Map - A new map delineates each of the 12 regional judicial circuits and 94 judicial districts within them. Clicking on the map will lead you to the web sites of the federal courts in a particular circuit or district Federal Judiciary Updates Map of Court Websites
• · · · · Customizing Enterprise Portals: Will Users Take the Time? Enterprise Information Portals: The Logical Next Step?; Making Knowledge Management Smarter
• · · · · · This NewScientist.com article suggests that Teamwork will beat the spammers by using a social network to identify spam in a dynamic, collaborative effort All Together Now - A Recommendation to Beat Spam ; Let Your CyberAlter Ego Share Information and Manage Spam