*** Democracies Online Newswire - http://www.e-democracy.org/do *** ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 14:49:26 "GMT" From: PoliticsOnline <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: The Weekly PoliTicker Special Edition: Analysis of the Role of the Internet and the Attack on America Note From: Phil Noble ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) President, PoliticsOnline 843 853 8190 office phone 843 296 1490 mobile PoliticsOnline has received many calls from journalists and others about what role the Internet is playing in the current crisis. To respond we have 1) developed this Special Report that outlines the six key points in understanding the developments and, 2) created a special section on our web site (www.PoliticsOnline.com) to track these developments and provide a research and reference source. The attack on the Pentagon is indeed ironic when we remember that it was the Army that started it all way back in 1969 with a project called ARPNET. They wanted to design a system that would allow computers to communicate in times of national disaster. They were planning on missile attacks from the Russians, not civilian airplane attacks from terrorists. As one analyst noted, during this crisis people turned to the Internet for what they needed and wanted, just as they began doing with the telephone many years ago. Recently the focus has been on the crash of the tech stocks and the success and failures of e-commerce. This week the Internet stories were about the technology was incorporated into the daily life of average citizens in these extraordinary times. This week the Internet truly became The People's Channel. 1. What the Net does best is Communications and Connections In this crisis, the Internet did what it does best - communicating and connecting. For those personally caught up in the crisis, it was a means of communications when other means failed. People stranded in the World Trade Center Towers sent e-mails and instant messages to their loved ones; Blackberrys and pagers came through when mobile phones and land lines failed. Hundreds of online groups formed to do all the things people wanted to do - reach out to each other, share their grief, search for friends and loved ones. * NY.com (www.ny.com) created an interactive database listing survivors from the Trade Center collapse. Within 24 hours they had 2,600 listings. * Hundreds of people posted prayers, related prayer circles and discussions groups on Beliefnet (www.beliefnet.com), a popular non-denominational site. * United (www.ual.com) and American Airlines (www.americanairlines.com) posted information and listed phone numbers for people to call looking for more information on their crashes. * People used Yahoo Groups to create numerous discussion groups to share information, express grief and vent their anger. Survivor Databases Offered by NY.Com and Prodigy (InternetNews) Ny.com, a Web site that calls itself the "paperless guide to New York City" and Prodigy, the national ISP, are offering interactive databases listing survivors of Tuesday's World Trade Center collapse. http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article/0,,3_882651,00.html Web Offers Both News and Comfort (New York Times) The major news Web sites were quickly overloaded. Many links to the not-so-major news Web sites stopped working. But more than news, what people all over the world craved in the wake of yesterday's terrorist attacks was connection to each other, and many of them found that most easily achieved by going online. http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article/0,,3_882651,00.html After Attack, the Net Reassures and Informs (USA Today) As phone systems faltered in the aftermath of Tuesday's terrorist attack, the nation clung to the Net, reaching out to friends and loved ones, praying, spreading accusations and gossip, and overwhelming news and information sites. http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/2001/09/12/more Net Offers Lifeline Amid Tragedy (CNET) People in New York City and around the globe turned to the Internet on Tuesday to communicate with their families and to grasp the horrific sequence of terrorist attacks that transformed the World Trade Center and the Pentagon into disaster zones. http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-7132246.html Internet Performs Global Role, Supplementing TV (Online Journalism Review) History expands. Terribly. In 1914, two bullets fired at an automobile driving through the streets of Sarajevo killed the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sophia, his wife. Their deaths led to World War One. http://ojr.usc.edu/content/story.cfm?request=637 Web Acts as Hub For Info On Attacks (CNET) Moments after airplanes separately crashed into both towers of the World Trade Center, and then later the Pentagon, Web sites for the major news outlets were swamped by an overflow of traffic. http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-7129241.html E-Mail Indispensable as Phone Systems Jam (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) As the World Trade Center collapsed and planes plunged from the sky, sending and receiving e-mail -- the most popular Internet activity -- became the indispensable communication tool during the attacks. (September 12, 2001) http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/terrorism/atlanta/0911email.html Net Helps Connect People in Distress (ZDNet) People in New York City and around the globe turned to the Internet on Tuesday to communicate with their families and to grasp the horrific sequence of terrorist attacks that transformed the World Trade Center and the Pentagon into disaster zones. (September 13, 2001) http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,5096867,00.html?chkpt=zdhpnews01 International E-mails Show Depth of Shock at Attacks (Sky News) Everyone from city governors to newsreaders and presidents have expressed their shock at the scenes in America. (September 11, 2001) http://www.sky.com/skynews/storytemplate/storytoppic/0,,30000-1029113,00.html 2. The Net created a Helping Network After connecting and communicating, the second big use of the Internet is helping - people reaching out to help in any way that they can. The ability for instant response is one of the greatest strengths of the Internet and the crisis is a perfect demonstration of the potential. Within minutes of the first reports sites were set up to provide mechanisms for people to help. * Amazon (www.amazon.com) converted its first page into an appeal for help to its 35 million customers. According to a ticker on their site, by 3pm Friday 128, 000 people had contributed $4.7 million. * Numerous sites linked to the American Red Cross (www.redcross.org) site that was reporting 50 million individual visits within the first day. In addition to taking contributions and directing people where to go to give blood, they also provided extensive news coverage about relief efforts. * AOL/Time Warner and their Foundation are using their many channels to direct people, most notably their effective Helping section (www.helping.org) that became a pop-up window on AOL's front page. * MSNBC (www.msnbc.com) and others are using their site to promote relief efforts with on-screen solicitations to various organizations as well as separate banner ads for such organizations as the Salvation Army. * Members of Congress eager to get involved are also using their sites to channel people's efforts. George Washington University's Democracy Online Project (www.congressonlineproject.org) distributed a special edition of their newsletter on how members of Congress can use their sites to help. America Under Attack: How to Help (MSNBC) To help the victims, offer tips to the police or get information on loved ones, check the provided links. (September 14, 2001) http://www.msnbc.com/news/627095_asp.htm?0cm=c30 Web Sites Take Red Cross Donations (MSNBC) Web site operators, including Yahoo and Amazon.com, have set up virtual donation baskets to collect relief funds in the wake of horrific attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. More than 40,000 people had contributed over $1 million on Amazon.com by Wednesday afternoon. http://www.msnbc.com/news/627761.asp Make A Difference On The Net (ABC News) Web site operators including online retail giant Amazon.com Inc. have set up virtual donation baskets to collect relief funds in the wake of horrific attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/DailyNews/wtc_onlinecontributions010912.html 3. The Technology Worked Unquestionably, this week was the biggest test to date of the Internet in its 32-year history - and it worked. It creaked and it groaned; it was often slow and congested; a few major sites went down, but only briefly. In short - it worked. As Tim Blair of the Online Journalism Review noted, "Princess Diana's car crash and Bill Clinton's Oval Office follies suddenly seem minor markers in the evolution of the Net..." Most communications networks, of almost any type, were swamped with unprecedented traffic. * For a recap of website response time for the major news sites, see PoliticsOnline's Key Stats (http://www.politicsonline.com/pol2000/tragedy/tragedy.asp). * Many sites had to add additional servers or stripped down their pages so that they would load faster. * The day of the attacks, CNN reported 9 million hits per hour as compared to its usual daily average of 11 million. CNN received offers of excess server capacity from several US and international companies. CNN executive producer Mitch Gelman said they declined the offer but he took down their number just in case. * MSNBC reported a ten-fold increase in traffic and many international sites such as the BBC reported record numbers. * Cingular Wireless, the second largest US wireless carrier reported a 400% increase in calls attempted in the Washington area and 1000% in New York. * The nation's largest long distance company, ATT, had twice the normal workday traffic. Internet Lessons Will Be Learned From U.S. Attacks (Washingtonpost.com) Although the events of this terrible week will probably never be forgotten, the disaster recovery issues that companies have had to face in the aftermath of the multiple disasters across the U.S. will help firms and organizations in the future, an Internet expert said today. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/170053.html High-Tech Industry Plods On In Wake of Attacks (Washingtonpost.com) Technology companies across the country opened for business today as industry leaders vowed not to be paralyzed by the terrorist attacks that struck the Pentagon and World Trade Center on Tuesday. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/170023.html Internet Buckles Under Demand for Attack News (CNN) Internet traffic buckled and major Web sites were jammed as surfers crowded online for details on the airplane attacks in New York and Washington D.C. http://asia.cnn.com/2001/BUSINESS/asia/09/11/ny.internetcrumbles/index.html Internet Traffic Soars Following U.S. Attacks (Reuters) Internet news traffic soared on Tuesday following attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., slowing retrieval times on popular Web news sites and forcing online publishers to cut back on graphics and interactive features. (September 13, 2001) http://www.reuters.com/fullstory.jsp?type=internetnews&StoryID=212755 Internet Reacts to America Under Attack (U.S. News) As America reacts to apparent terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and other possible targets, millions turn to the Web for information. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/misc/internet.htm News Sites Endure Overload After Attack (CBS News) Devastating attacks on the U.S. strained and brought down the nation's leading news Web sites on Tuesday as millions of people logged on to catch the latest updates hitting the Internet. (September 11, 2001) http://www.marketwatch.com/news/yhoo/story.asp?source=blq/yhoo&siteid=yhoo&d%20ist=yhoo&guid=%7B4994600C%2D3ACC%2D4A3A%2DAF5B%2D1F91B6BC0067%7D Traffic Jams Internet In Wake of Attacks (Nando Times) Internet traffic slowed and major news Web sites were slow to load as people craving details on Tuesday morning's World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks went online. http://www.nandotimes.com/technology/story/77130p-1082111c.html Scrambling for News (ABC News) A rush of Internet users seeking the latest news on the series of attacks on buildings in the United States snarled major European news sites today. http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/DailyNews/WTC_internet010911.html Tech Sites Pick Up the News (Wired) Personalized Internet radio stations and technology websites abandoned their normal news-delivery operations as major Internet media outlets wilted under the crush of traffic following Tuesday's attacks in New York and Washington. http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,46716,00.html 4. The Net as a Tool of Investigation Almost immediately after the attack, the FBI and other law enforcement people turned to the Internet for help in tracking down the terrorist and thoes who support them. For the first time, they used the Net as a tool of investigation and called upon people to use the net to respond, and respond they did from all parts of the US and around the world. Also, in an action that is sure to draw a response (even if delay for a while) from privacy advocates, the FBI stepped up monitoring of email traffic. * Attorney General John Ashcroft asked people to send information to the FBI online through The Internet Fraud Complaint Center site (www.ifccfbilgov). The site had received only about 10,000 complaints since it was established last year and the response crashed the site. It was still down as of late Friday afternoon. * The FBI issued search warrants to some of the nation's largest ISP's to get information on email address and other information about suspected terrorist and their communications. AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo, Earthlink, and Excite@Home were all contacted and are cooperating. * The FBI has been installing "Carnivores" (now renamed DCS1000) which are Fed computers that are placed at an ISP's core to electronically monitor the ISP's electronic communications. Scouring Cyberspace for Clues on Attack (ABC News) In the effort to find those responsible for the horrific terrorist attacks on America, the FBI is searching everywhere - including cyberspace - for clues. http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/DailyNews/WTC_netsearch010913.html FBI Utilizing Internet for Clues (Nando Times) The FBI is issuing search warrants to major Internet service providers to get information about an e-mail address believed to be connected to Tuesday's terrorist attacks. http://www.nandotimes.com/technology/story/77995p-1092583c.html FBI Web Site Overwhelmed (MSNBC) Attorney General John Ashcroft asked that anyone with information about terrorist attacks contact the FBI via a Web site - but that site was jammed within seconds of Ashcroft's announcement Tuesday night and has been inaccessible since. http://www.msnbc.com/news/627693.asp?0si=- 5. Cyber Security - Electronic Pearl Harbor To date there does not seem to have been a cyber-attack on companies or the government in coordination with the attack in New York and Washington. But, it is widely expected to happen at some time if not now. The warning and alarm bells about our vulnerability to an electronic Pearl Harbor have filled the tech press since the attack. * Terrorist organizations are noted for their skill in using the Internet and communications technology in general. NewsFactor Network reported "Experts say that terrorists have made a practice of putting encrypted messages, including maps of targets, inside seemingly innocent internet chat rooms, bulletin boards and other web sites." * Some new sites report that cyber activist sites are calling for cyber-counter attacks on sites of governments friendly to known terrorist groups. * Internet security sites and related security company sites have reported a dramatic increase in contacts from business seeking help with protecting their site and companies from a possible attack. Cybersecurity Seriousness Escalates (Federal Computer Week) A Senate hearing originally scheduled to examine the security of the critical cyber infrastructure took on extra meaning as Congress and the nation attempted to respond to Tuesday's terrorist attacks. http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2001/0910/web-sec-09-13-01.asp How Terrorists Use the Internet (NewsFactor Network) The same advantages the Internet and advanced technology bring to the general public and to business -- speed, security and global linkage -- are helping international terrorist groups organize their deadly and disruptive activities. http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/7731.html U.S. Attack: Companies Warned About Possible Cyber Attacks (InfoWorld) Government and private-sector security experts fear that Tuesday's attacks against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon are only the beginning of a wave of assaults that could include cyberterrorism. http://www.infoworld.com/articles/hn/xml/01/09/12/010912hncyber.xml Companies Urged to Prepare for Cyber Terrorism (Industry Standard) Government and private-sector security officials warn that the attacks against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon may be followed by a wave cyberterrorist assaults. http://www.thestandard.com/article/0,1902,28947,00.html?nl=mg 6. The Dark Side Emerges: Hate, Scams and Sickos "The Internet, like American society itself, is a virtual reflection of the best and worst that humanity has to offer, say reporters for internet.com - and they are right. The disaster has brought the rats out of the sewers and they are spamming the Net with phony contribution come-ons and spewing racist bile. * Anti-Arab hate speech was the first to surface. Sites related to Arab groups or simply those of some of the ordinary 7 million Americans of Arab descent have been targets both online and offline. * So-called Christian evangelist Jerry Falwell linked the attack to the ACLU, gays, pro-choice activist and those who wanted to ban school prayer. * Numerous scams to get credit card donations in the name of the tragedy have been launched; many use the name of the Red Cross and other reputable organizations. * Some people tried to sell pieces of the rubble and other "souvenirs" of the disaster on E-Bay. The company has since barred any such sales. * A video game called WTC Defender has appeared where users can shoot down planes flying toward the twin towers. Scam Artists Capitalize On Tragedy (MSNBC) Consumer protection advocates are warning Internet users that scam artists are trying to take advantage of Tuesday's terrorist attacks. http://www.msnbc.com/news/628230_asp.htm Growing Number of Internet Scams Mar Relief Efforts (InternetNews) The Internet, like American society itself, is a virtual reflection of the best and worst that humanity has to offer. http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article/0,,3_884031,00.html Web Vents Open on U.S. Muslims (Wired) As the volume of anti-Arab hate speech on the Internet cranked to full blast Wednesday, U.S. Muslims reported rampant harassment on- and offline. http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,46778,00.html "Purge Our Society," Online Bigots Shout (Salon) While most online reactions have focused on expressions of emotional support and pleas for calm, there is also evidence that in many online communities, Muslim-Christian relations already are breaking down -- as posters, assuming the attacks are the work of Islamic radicals, lash out. http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2001/09/11/net_hate/index.html *** Please send submissions to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** *** To subscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** *** Message body: SUB DO-WIRE *** *** To unsubscribe instead, write: UNSUB DO-WIRE *** *** Please forward this post to others and encourage *** *** them to subscribe to the free DO-WIRE service. ***
