RIAA and Digital Millenium Copyright Act blues

From David Byrne on the RIAA and its warning to him. And from slashdot comes this story about challenges to the RIAA and its ex parte suits. RIAA

The Million Dollar Homepage - Own a piece of internet history!

This is an ingenious way to make money, but I haven't bought into any pixels yet. Apparently by selling the pixels at $1.00 each, he is raking in the cash....The Million Dollar Homepage - Own a piece of internet history!

End of the year contemplation: the $100 laptop

Emerging technologies and their effect on society MIT's Nicholas Negroponte has proposed and gone forward with his "$100 laptop" idea. Negroponte calls it the most important idea of his lifetime. It is about education, not the device itself. This link goes to a neat MIT site where you can watch the speech as a video or just listen (my choice when it is only a talking head.) Note: Negroponte presents the first PowerPoint he ever created, so you might want to watch rather than listen. How McLuhanesque that one of the first and most potent things that the villagers noticed and liked about the laptops was that the laptop provided the brightest light the families had. Hmmm. "Electricity is the most pure form of information." Some of the breakthrough ideas to my way of thinking are:

• "connectivity" is not a problem anymore
• the genesis of this idea is with Papert, Logo, and thinking machines from 1970s
• by putting tech in hands of kids, the tech "bleeds" into the family experience
• the cost of the laptops can be brought down because of the not-for-profit status

Ian from Malaysia has images of the cool laptop 100laptop

Chicagodailynews.org transforming in several ways.

Geoff Dougherty and his new online citizen journalism enterprise was called chicagodailynews.org but the cease and desist letter from the Sun-Times and the threat of litigation has caused him, according to Jay DeFoore, to go for the chitowndailynews.org name instead. No matter what you call it, it is taking shape in pretty good time. I was checking it when it was just a few days old, and there were no zipcodes with stories. On 12/21/05 we looked at the site during a "Chicago Bloggers" meetup and browsing around talking about Geoff's site and all the zipcodes we "tested" had some story, though some were pretty short. Steve Outing in his Poynter columntoday writes about a South African cit journo effort that is paying for good stories, and mentions ohmynews.com which pays for stories, albeit not too much. He missed Dougherty's chitowndailynews.org where reporters get paid and he told me he envisions salaried reporters for some of the beats as the enterprise catches on. And as long as we are talking about some kind of payment for citizen writing, I want to express my distress about Outing's idea that the citizen journos be paid with trinkets. He initially was talking about t-shirts and mugs, and in this latest story he at least moves up to giving out cellphones. I think the idea that good writing is good writing means pay is pay. The trinket rewards sound patronizing to me. As a freelancer, I want to paid for my work, and not treated like a clever child. I know this idea could be threatening to those who are getting paid fulltime to write, but I also think that fulltime writing, especially reporting, is hard and that not everyone who can write well will quit their day jobs to be fulltime reporters. The point is, that almost everyone has at least one good story in them, and if it is a good story, we also respect it. citizenjournalism

Inside Higher Ed :: Easy Targets

Journalists, writers, teachers, students who want to write will find this a good read. Academics discuss the MLA convention and the rocky relationship between journalists and academic writer/scholars. Inside Higher Ed :: Easy Targets This summarizes their gripes but gives you something to think and even write about

Shumway argued that “reporters who cover academics are in competition” with the humanities community for public influence, so it is in journalists’ interest to deny academics the privilege to preach specialized knowledge, and to “create a world where [the journalist’s] own knowledge is enough.” For their part, the journalists on the panel told the professors that they cannot cling to the elite sensibility that comes with specialized knowledge, and then expect that knowledge to be constantly thrust upon a wide audience.

When 2.0: Time and simulation - News - ZDNet

This is very cool. Time and life as they play out in the Sims.When 2.0: Time and simulation - News - ZDNet

Top 10 tech trends for 2006

Another "top trends" listing. The discussion of Wi-Fi and Wi-Max is interesting. Here in Chicago, thecity and county have been holding hearings about municipal Wifi. There is an interesting project going on with a mesh network at the old Sears on the Westside. Vlogs will be big, video from the Big, big screen and from the little screen will be a thing. MercuryNews.com | 12/25/2005 | Top 10 tech trends for 2006

Slashdot | Podcasting Censored by Government

Podcasting, territoriality, and government media regulations have apparently clashed in Flanders. Slashdot | Podcasting Censored by Government

t r u t h o u t - The Costly Enron Cleanup

January 17th marks the beginning of the trial of Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling of Enron. For the reporters with financial saavy, it will be a bonanza...t r u t h o u t - The Costly Enron Cleanup

A wake for City News Bureau

From the Headline Club: Services for Chicago's City News Bureau, the 116-year-old wire service that was the starting point for hundreds of American journalists, will be held New Year's Eve in the Billy Goat Tavern, lower Michigan Avenue and Hubbard Street. The wake begins at 8 p.m. Arrangements are being handled by Paul Zimbrakos, CNB editor, Sam Sianis, Billy Goat propietor, and Bernard Judge, former City News editor. All present and former CNB staffers are welcome, along with spouses and friends. First drink is on the house for those who can prove they were part of the finest journalistic training ground ever devised. CNB ceases operation at 12:01 a.m. January 1, 2006. Please help get the word out. For additional details call Paul, 312-222-5555 or Bernie, 312-644-7006.

I love these end of year feature stories

The Pez MP3 player is cool though pretty stupid. The dumbest IMHO is the Zizzle iz and here is movie to prove it. See the top ten here Weirdest tech of 2005 - ZDNet: Reviews

Inside Higher Ed :: What You Do All Day

Food for thought for those who teach or go to school. Inside Higher Ed :: What You Do All Day The grad student who proposed reading 20 hrs. per week, and got dissed by his profs for "being lazy" makes a valid point. How much do YOU read each week? As a professor, I know I read online to keep up with news and for blogs for about 2-3 hours per day. I read at least one newspaper each day which takes about 45 mins. to an hour. Then I often read before I go to sleep, for maybe 30-45 min. I might read an article or a chapter during the day or student papers for another hour or two. But still, that is a maximum of probably 5 hours per day. I can't do that every day, because I have to teach, commute (I read on the el, but obviously, when driving I can't read) and relax sometimes. Also, I do not do the same amount of reading on weekends, though Sundays I add the NYTimes and that takes a couple of hour to get through. Thus I'd put my professorial maximum reading at 5 hours 5 days per week, or 25 hours. And I expect that is higher than most weeks because of meetings, yoga, etc. Hmmm the student wasn't lazy after all.

IE vs. the world: six Web browsers compared - CNET reviews

I am slowly transistioning to Firefox. I tried to install it on my work machine, though, and there was some kind of conflict because there are two administrators listed, so it won't ever work on that machine. I am hoping moving to OS 10.3 will solve the problem.IE vs. the world: six Web browsers compared - CNET reviews

Pro-Hollywood bill aims to restrict digital tuners | CNET News.com

Keep an eye on this one folks. How much dumbing down of devices and implanting will we consumers be willing to put up with? Who benefits, who loses rights?Pro-Hollywood bill aims to restrict digital tuners | CNET News.com

Reuters joins in the unbundling of video and distributes to blogs as well as MSM

unbundling

Last month Reuters rivals Associated Press and CBS separately said they signed deals to distribute video clips online. CBS news video will appear on AOL, and AP is working with Microsoft's MSN on an ad-based online video network for Web sites that subscribe to the wire service.

t r u t h o u t - Sen. Reid Calls US Congress 'Most Corrupt in History'

Here is a CAR challenge question. Sen. Reid calls this congress the most corrupt in history. What kind of index could be developed to rate and rank congresses through the ages on the degree of corruption they were associated with? What a cool research idea. Gotta go and work on it...t r u t h o u t - Sen. Reid Calls US Congress 'Most Corrupt in History'

Radio Australia - News - South Korea works to free protestors from Hong Kong jail

South Korean diplomat going to free Korean protesters. What would Bush do? Aid them or spirit them away to a secret prisom?Radio Australia - News - South Korea works to free protestors from Hong Kong jail

What teens want

If you are a media professional or a journalism student, when you read this, you can react with disdain for teens who are so wired, or you can be thinking about the future of media. I do the the latter and find it pretty challenging but also exciting.Herald & Review Newspaper Website - Decatur, Illinois - Central Illinois Newspaper Group (CING)

Ramp generates power as cars pass

With my Computer-Assisted Reporting class doing some investigating about global warming, I found this an intriguing idea for generating power without raising the CO2 levels in the air....BBC NEWS | UK | England | Somerset | Ramp generates power as cars pass

MRE Criticizes Expelling of Embeds Over Pix of Shot-Up Humvee

MRE Criticizes Expelling of Embeds Over Pix of Shot-Up Humvee:

"Our job is not to be stooges of the administration or the Pentagon and be complicit in their attempt to manage the news," said Christenson, a three-time embed. "We are here to tell our readers about the war."

Technorati tags: warreporting

? The rise of search . . . and the decline in journalism | Tom Foremski: IMHO | ZDNet.com

From the techno business pages of ZD-Net comes this defense and call for a "professional media class." " The rise of search engines and the decline in journalism | Tom Foremski: IMHO | ZDNet.com

Puzzled about gift-giving? Give them a DOMAIN

Read about various firms that provide inexpensive domain name registration and hosting. GoDaddy sounds like a good bet. The template lets even a technophobe set up a personal website. An interesting gift for that friend who has everything else.

? Where HP goes (into the 'live Web'), perhaps your business should follow | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com

I see some of the commentors are quibbling about how well HP is using the live web. The message that I think is important is that you have to get on the live web and use it to be able to understand it for your business or your teaching. You can't just "know its there" but not use it and be effective. ? Where HP goes (into the 'live Web'), perhaps your business should follow | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com Technorati tags: notclueless

The Chicago Daily News reincarnated ?

Just a note: as of Wednesday 12/14/05 11:28 I can't connect to chicagodailynews.org though I was browsing it fine yesterday. Hope this is just that they are getting too many hits and are revamping their server structure rather than some dire sign of it going belly-up already. Geoff Dougherty formerly a Chicago Tribune reporter has opened a new citizen journo enterprise that aims to go hyperlocal in Chicago. But, can he use that name? Will this kind of enterprise make money? Check it out for yourself.Newspapers in the News with Charles Apple Technorati tags: citizenjournalism

USATODAY.com - Can newspapers weather the techno-storm?

I have one word for them -- micropayments. If you haven't read this prescient article from John Perry Barlow, written in the good old "90s," take minute to check out the "ET call home" method of payment for stories and data. It is based on sophisticate encryption, but it would work for me as an avid reader. I would have an e-wallet, and could charge it up with an amount of money and just browse and read with autopay. I presume I would be able to set it up to notify me if the payment was more than a certain amount. The payment would be a tiny amount per page, but with millions of views, you would get rich. n most of the schemes I can project, the file would be "alive" with permanently embedded software that could "sense" the surrounding conditions and interact with them, For example, it might contain code that could detect the process of duplication and cause it to self-destruct. USATODAY.com - Can newspapers weather the techno-storm?: "They were wrong, but this is not about journalism anyway-- it's about consumer empowerment fueled by technological innovation. And if editors and publishers want to keep their journalism franchise -- if they don't want to end up working for Yahoo! or Google -- they're going to have to prove that they are at least as smart in packaging and delivering information as they are in finding and reporting it."

Estonia, the new Silicon Valley?

This an NY Times story (registration req'd) so use bugmenot if you are in hurry. Estonia is the home of Skype the over Internet phone sensation. A friend of mine who works with overseas clients extensively swears by its quality and economy. The story is about the technical climate of Estonia and how there is some action there with software companies. Interesting. skype

Print vs. Online Battle Brewing at 'Wash Post'

Well, now the gloves are coming off. It is a battle that makes clear people's beliefs about print being "better" than Internet are coming into some reporter's thinking. Read the article but note especially the last paragraph where the WaPo Chairman acknowledges that younger readers favor pixels and that some stories are better told on the Internet. Print vs. Online Battle Brewing at 'Wash Post': "Newly appointed Post Ombudsman Deborah Howell kicked off the debate Sunday in a column titled 'The Two Washington Posts.' In it, Howell looked to distinguish between the Washington Post's print newspaper, with its weekday circulation of 671,322, and washingtonpost.com, with its 8 million unique visitors a month. " Here is Froomkin's blog column but it requires free registration.

NYTimes covers the vlog front

This semester has been a dizzying one for me. I teach online publishing and need to keep up with media trends for that class, obviously. I also teach a class for newbies to our college and the journalism program called "Introduction to Mass Media." I am fond of these classes, especially the Intro to Mass Media because it keeps me on my tech toes. I have to toggle between what is happening in the mass media businesses right now and what the biz will be like in 4 or 5 years when my students will be hitting the employment stage of their lives after they graduate. While I always have some idea of the trends and tech that going to be the next big thing, I don't think I have ever had a semester where tech and its disruptive effects have not only been obvious, but made it into the news and even began to be incorporated into the various mass media businesses so rapidly. I introduced students to blogs and the various media that can go into blogs--audio and podcasts, vlogs--as trends to watch. But in this semester, these tech gadgets and apps moved from something that art and media students fool around with and into mainstream media. Whew. My business as an educator working with tech an media has always been about change, but this change is really coming on rapidly. TV Stardom on $20 a Day - New York Times

Sun-Times Headline rocks "Blog bullies busted"

But I think the story is misconveyed by the cool headline. Students were using a blogtool outside of school. They made some statements that seemed violent. The blog is "like" a journal or diary, but it is publically viewable, so it seems to me that statements that threaten others are likely to be taken as real threats, even if the blogger insists they are private. It isn't clear what action CPS will take, but the story included information on how the courts have been treating similar cases and also listed popular blogging software. Blog bullies busted

Patriot Act may be renewed without reforms -- what is your Senator's position?

Patriot Act may be renewed without reforms | CNET News.com: "Tim Edgar, a legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union, said Specter's announcement was 'designed to put a lot of pressure on the Senate to go along with an extremely flawed conference report. We'll see if they bite.'" Latest on the Patriot Act as of 12/8/05.

And I think they should get more than a coffee mug....

"If citizen journalists had to be paid, newspapers would be more inclined to choose to pay for professional content which offer more value for the paper and for the reader. See also, a new citizen journo offering comes online in Chicago--a new daily news.

The dangers of free speech in Higher Ed in the USA

Blogging is dangerous at Marquette in Milwaukee.JS Online: Marquette suspends dental student for blog comments

Microsoft gets "busted" by Korean Fair Trade Commission

South Korea fines Microsoft $32 million | Tech News on ZDNetas Microsoft again tries and makes vendors bundle its products if they want to sell anything Windows.

First RIAA lawsuit heads to trial

The RIAA has filed more than 14,000 lawsuits but few have gone to trial. Now one woman is fighting the lobbying group in court.

But the RIAA has been wrong before, as it was in its 2003 suit against Sarah Seabury Ward, a sixty-something sculptor who was accused of downloading gangsta rap. The suit was eventually withdrawn, but the case (and others like it, including one against a dead grandmother) does shed some doubt on the RIAA's ability to correctly identify the infringing party. With Santangelo's case now headed for trial, a judge's ruling may provide more clarity about what the RIAA can and cannot do in its war on musical piracy.

First RIAA lawsuit heads to trial More from the legal angle

E:M | Goodbye to America

I can't believe this. Hossein Derakhshan who blogs as hoder.comhad to flee his native Iran. He settled in Canada, in Toronto. He is invited to speak at many events about blogging. His work was instrumental in establishing the strong blogging community in Iran. That community is a strong positive force for democratization in Iran. Hoder was staying for a month or so in NYC at a friend's place. He took the bus to Canada, and on the way back, the border police started examining his blog and decided that he was "living" in NYC as in moving there illegally. Now he can't return to the States for 6 months. This is OUR loss as this articulate young man has a valuable perspective on community building, politics, repressive governments, and how blogs can be tools for those who want to work peacefully for political change. I wanted to invite him to be part of an ethics in journalism and blogging panel, but I guess that won't happen. Check out "Flight of the Creative Class" and its websiteto get a perspective on why this kind of restriction of freedoms may end up harming the USA far more than the physical damage inflicted by terrorists. E:M | Goodbye to America Filed in: creativeclass blogs

Is it love or chemicals?

So, you fall in love, have high level of "NGF: in your blood, but after a year, the level sinks back to normal. Didn't we know that from all of the great love poetry from the ages? What is the meaning of "Kissin' don't last, cookin' do" except to warn us of this phenomena? Madly in love? It'll pass soon enough | CNET News.com

Journalists--doesn't this make you feel sick?

So, Rumsfeld is now paying a private consulting firm, Lincoln Group to translate propaganda stories so that they can be placed in Iraqi newspapers. The US is also paying Iraqi journalists to write favorable stories, according to the NYTimes. On top of this questionable practice, they are using material without attribution in some of the stories. What does this do to the credibility of any real journalist from the US who tries to work overseas? The only good thing about it is that it provides a great ethics case study jumping off point for class. This link includes a short video clip from CNN. mediaethics

"You show the world you're not living by the principles you profess to believe in, and you lose all credibility," he said.