Information Policy

Wikipedia goes to court to defend defamation immunity

Wikipedia, the free, user-generated online encyclopedia, faces a court battle to protect itself from liability for everything that users post on the site. The company behind the site will argue that it should be granted immunity under US law.

http://www.out-law.com/page-9095

Now showing online

An article from the NY Times discusses how within the last few months, television distributors have opened up their libraries of classic content online, making thousands of episodes of programs like "The Twilight Zone" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" available free. In putting old episodes online, broadcasters are tapping into the "long tail" of niche content that the Internet has monetized.

http://www.siliconvalley.com/news/ci_9167596?nclick_check=1

Strategies for using Web 2.0 for Travel Operators and Visitors

A challenge for tour operators as well as government officials lies in understanding the new venues for dialogue and promotion. As veteran trend watchers point out, the action is taking place 'out there' in social networks and online communities instead of from your own website. On the ground travelers are seeking engagement and entertainment. Some of the best travels may be entirely unplugged and the challenge at hand is to guide those interested to places that are off the grid. This essay by Planeta.com's Ron Mader tracks the changing trends.

http://www.planeta.com/web/web2.html

NL: Launch of a new information portal on Governance & HIV and AIDS

This portal provides access to free, full-text electronic publications and other Internet sources on the mechanisms of interaction through which HIV and AIDS policies and strategies are developed, implemented, monitored and evaluated at different levels involving both public and private parties. It is aimed at researchers, policymakers and practitioners who are involved in HIV and AIDS responses and interventions. The portal is an interdepartmental initiative. It is managed and developed by KIT Information and Library Services with support from KIT Development, Policy & Practice.

http://portals.kit.nl/smartsite.shtml?ch=fab&id=17292

Facebook 'more effective than emergency services in a disaster

Researchers found that blogs, maps, photo sites and instant messaging systems were better at providing warnings, help and lists of how individuals were affected than traditional sources. The research, published in New Scientist magazine tomorrow, was led by Leysia Palen, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Colorado.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1914750/Facebook--'more-effective-than-emergency-services-in-a-disaster'.html

European Commission seeks to improve its communication via audiovisual media

In a Communication entitled "Communicating Europe through audiovisual media", the Commission has announced actions aimed at bringing more coverage of EU affairs to TV and radio channels and multimedia platforms. It will encourage audiovisual media professionals to create and take part in European audiovisual networks. In particular, it will propose a network of TV stations to complement the network of radio stations already launched on 1st April 2008. The Commission will also increase the amount of raw audiovisual material which it already provides free of charge to audiovisual media professionals and will increase its own production of videos to illustrate or explain EU policies.

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/640&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

BloCafé Offers Blogging With a Telecom Twist

Text blogging is so 2007. That's why Santrum Networks, a Taiwan-based startup, wants to turn ordinary blogging into an interactive business communications experience. The company describes its new BloCafé offering as "a talkable, co-editable, user manageable, more-than-a-blog 'Café'."

Featuring both collaborative and content initiating features, BloCafé focuses on giving enterprises and SOHOs a simple platform for hosting training courses, distributor meetings, VIP clubs, customer services, product launches and press conferences. The service also provides a consumer platform that helps businesses build online social communities. "We designed a 'vivid' blog model, like a café, to gather people together to talk, to post notes, to have a meeting or to see live shows," says Jeremy Wei, Santrum's CEO.

Besides posting blog entries, a Café host can conduct live forums that allow attendees to voice chat and co-view and co-edit documents in real time during meetings. Hosts and users don't have to check their blogs for responses; a message is automatically pushed out whenever a new post is created. Forming a new blog or discussion forum also generates a push message.

By integrating real-time collaboration and push messaging technologies, BloCafé aims to help companies move meetings and promotion events online, spurring user participation and cutting travel costs and other expenses. "You do not have to travel a long way just for collaborating on the outlook of new products or the layout of product brochures, or rent ball rooms at expensive hotels and send invitation cards for product launches, distributors' meetings or press conferences," Wei says.

Lidar Hardware, a Taiwan furniture designer and manufacturer, is one of the service's beta testers. "I had a meeting with my art designer based in Italy," says CEO Agustin Wu. "I co-viewed the layout of sliding doors shown at his desktop. Every movement of his drawings and modifications were clearly shown. We were able to complete the design in half an hour." Wu says he plans to use the technology to conduct product launches for sales agents based at different locations worldwide. "They can see exactly what shows at my laptop, and that saves me from having to travel and have face-to-face meetings just for explaining," he says.

The commercial version of BloCafé is set to become available this month. Service plans will be offered at prices ranging from free to $75 a month, says Santrum Networks. The company is privately held and financed by angel investors.

http://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/150/30348?7649

Israeli jailed for Facebook photo

Israel has sentenced a soldier to 19 days in jail for uploading a photograph taken on his military base to the social networking website, Facebook. The Israeli military declined to comment on the nature of the image, but said the soldier was serving with an elite intelligence unit.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7364091.stm

More than 10 Billion Videos Viewed Online in the U.S. in February

comScore released February 2008 data from the comScore Video Metrix service, indicating that U.S. Internet users viewed more than 10 billion online videos during the month, representing a 3-percent gain versus January (despite February being two days shorter) and a 66-percent gain versus February 2007.

http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2190

Indonesia blocks access to YouTube over anti-Koran film

At least four Indonesian firms providing Internet services have blocked access to YouTube for carrying a Dutch lawmaker's film that accuses the Koran of inciting violence, an information ministry official said on Tuesday. The move follows a government ban on broadcasts of the film by Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch anti-immigration Freedom Party, which alternates images of the September 11, 2001 attacks and other Islamist bombings with quotations from the Koran.

http://www.news.com/Indonesia-blocks-access-to-YouTube-over-anti-Koran-film/2100-1028_3-6236929.html