Information Policy

New leadership for Creative Commons and new anti-corruption project for Lessig

By Andrew Nachison

Tech entrepreneur Joi Ito is the new CEO of Creative Commons, the alternative copyright licensing organization that has spawned widespread sharing and reuse of digital content and educational materials - like course lecture notes available for free from MIT. The founder of Creative Commons, Stanford Law School professor Lawrence Lessig, has moved on to a new project, Change Congress, which describes itself as a movement to increase transparency in the US government’s legislative branch. So far it appears to be an online pledge campaign around a set of commitments, like “Don’t take money from lobbyists and political action commiteees.” The approach is different, but the mission sounds to me awfully similar to the Sunlight Foundation, which “serves as a catalyst to create greater political transparency and to foster more openness and accountability in government.” More about the Creative Commons changes and $4 million in new funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

http://ifocos.org/2008/04/11/new-leadership-for-creative-commons-and-new-anti-corruption-project-for-lessig/

Egyptian Political Dissent Unites Through Facebook

Facebook has evolved into one of the latest tools for political dissent in Egypt, as activists use the social-networking site to organize protests on soaring food prices. The activists, who are urging Egyptians to stay home Sunday and boycott buying all commodities through Tuesday, use signs similar to online banner ads on the site to promote the strike. One such banner is fiery red and reads: "May 4, a general strike for the people of Egypt."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120975285862963213.html

Malaysian police raid blogger over murder article

Malaysian police raided the home of a top Internet blogger after he posted an article implicating the deputy premier and his wife in the murder of a Mongolian model, reports said Saturday. Raja Petra Kamaruddin, founder of the popular Malaysia Today site, said police officers questioned him and seized his computers over the article, "Let's send the Altantuya murderers to hell," the Star daily reported.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080503/ttc-malaysia-mongolia-internet-crime-cen-0de2eff.html

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

'Hacktivism' making a comeback

Politically-motivated hacking incidents are on the rise, according to security researchers.

Paul Ferguson, advanced threats researcher at Trend Micro, said in a company blog that so-called 'hacktivist' attacks have become increasingly common and more dangerous in recent years.

"While most of the cyber-crime activities conducted on the internet are being driven by financial incentives, there also appears to be type of malicious activity being driven by other motivations altogether," Ferguson wrote.

The researcher noted the major attacks in Estonia last year, as well as a recent incident in which sites for Radio Free Europe were flooded with hits during coverage of a rally in Belarus for victims of the Chernobyl disaster.

Ferguson is not the only security expert to note such a trend. McAfee reported a similar rise in hacktivist activities last week following an attack on CNN by Chinese nationalist hackers.

The concept of hacktivism goes back more than 20 years, but a changing internet climate seems to be making the attacks more dangerous and effective.

"Incidents of hacktivism are not new, but they are beginning to become a lot more frequent," wrote Ferguson.

"This is perhaps due to the availability of tools, but also to the ubiquitous social networking mechanisms which can now be used to build consensus when times of cultural or political unrest present the opportunity."

http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2215510/hacktivism-making-comeback

Bloggers offer glimpse of uncensored Cuba

Only a month has passed since ordinary Cubans won the right to own computers, and the government still keeps a rigid grip on Internet access. However, that has not stopped thousands from finding their way into cyberspace. Moreover, a daring few post candid blogs about life in the communist-run country that have garnered international audiences.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/27/AR2008042700910.html

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

EU: Commission to boost online debate on Europe

In a Communication entitled ‘Debate Europe – building on the experience of Plan D for Democracy, Dialogue and Debate', the European Commission (EC) has put forward a set of future actions to foster the debate on the future of the European Union among citizens, at both national and EU levels.

This new initiative builds upon the “Plan D” that was launched in 2005 as a response to the no-votes in the French and Dutch Referenda. Between 2005 and 2007, a series of six innovative cross-border citizens' consultation projects coordinated by civil society organisations were co-funded.

As part of “Plan D”, the online discussion forum Debate Europe was launched in March 2006. Conceived as an online discussion space where EU citizens can exchange their views and opinions on a variety of EU-related subjects, it was re-launched in an updated version in January 2008. The online forum aims to help the EC and the European citizen to engage in a constructive dialogue while contributing to the development of a European public space on the Internet.

In order to further enhance public participation in the debate on the EU, the Commission has now committed to co-fund a string of new projects throughout 2007-2008, including projects intended to increase the potential of the ‘Debate Europe’ forum.

Other projects include the launch of online networks which will bring together European, national and regional parliamentarians, journalists and other European opinion-makers to share information, knowledge and ideas on the EU.

http://www.epractice.eu/document/4570

DE: New eDemocracy site

Boosting citizen participation in politics is the aim of a new eDemocracy site launched by the German state of Sachsen-Anhalt.

Backed by the State Chancellor’s Office, the site hopes to give people “an opportunity to discuss politics and so to help shape the state’s policies – indirectly, at least”. From the start, that aim took on what can only be described as concrete shape. The very first chat on the site was entitled “More education, less concrete? How should the shrinking budget resources be used in future?” In the hot seat was Finance Minister, Jens Bullerjahn.

The site is part of a six-point “democracy offensive” launched by Sachsen-Anhalt at the end of February. It is seen as an important element within the third point of that programme: ‘Increasing political participation’. As well as chatting with leading politicians, site users can send in e-mails commenting on draft laws and other initiatives by the state government. And they can use the site’s ‘policy quiz’ to test their knowledge of current government policies. Onward links help them to fill in any gaps. There are also information pages on direct democracy and elections, as well as event diaries giving details of public sittings of the state parliament, local councils and the main political foundations.

Soon to be added are eVotes on a political ‘Issue of the Week’ and a forum for political discussions between site visitors. One major aim is to get young people more interested in politics.

http://www.epractice.eu/document/4567

International Journalists' Network On Helium.com

Think it was reasonable for Pakistan to ban YouTube for its anti-Islamic videos and want to be heard? Tired of your country's media over-reporting the U.S. presidential race and want to complain about it?

The International Journalists' Network (IJNet) has recently partnered with Helium, a new online community of writers, to give journalists from around the world the opportunity to take part in provocative debates and write for a cause.

Browse IJNet's featured debates, pick your side, and write away. Once your article is posted, fellow members will rate it against competing articles. The best writers will even be rewarded financially. Share what you know and learn new perspectives here:

http://www.helium.com/partners/ijnet