RE: [DDN] Student of Concern
That's probably the most absurd thing I have seen in a while. The deadline for submission of comments is next Friday. Here is the docket of the source: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-6057.htm ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by RIN 0694-AD29, by any of the following methods: Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Include ``RIN 0694-AD29'' in the subject line of the message. Fax: (202) 482-3355. Mail or Hand Delivery/Courier: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Regulatory Policy Division, 14th Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Room 2705, Washington, DC 20230, ATTN: RIN 0694-AD29. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alex Lopes, Director, Deemed Exports and Electronics Division, Bureau of Industry and Security, telephone: (202) 482-4875, or e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Copies of the referenced OIG Report are available at http://www.oig.doc.gov/oig/reports/2004/BIS-IPE-16176-03-2004.pdf -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Miraj Khaled Sent: May 18, 2005 8:28 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: Digital Divide Network; AOIR Subject: [DDN] Student of Concern Comments and/or action period ends on May 27. miraj / Student of Concern Will we be more secure -- or just less competitive -- if the government forces hundreds of thousands of international science students to get export licenses simply to look through a microscope? By CRISTI HEGRANES http://www.sfweekly.com/issues/2005-05-18/news/feature.html?src=default_ rss [snip] ... New federal rules proposed by the Department of Commerce in March could impede Gupta's access to educational equipment and force him to apply for government licenses to use specific technology in the classroom, each of which could take months to acquire. In fact, hundreds of thousands of international students and scientists working and studying in the U.S. could lose access to equipment and technology that they have had routine use of until now. Because Gupta is studying chemical engineering, he will eventually encounter what the government calls dual-use technology -- technology that has both civilian and military applications. Under the new Commerce Department proposal, the use of everything from basic computer systems, semiconductors, and training manuals to microscopes and telescopes will require some international students to apply for government licenses before they can legally have access to or study the technology. [snip] *** Despite the potential for negative long-term consequences from the new deemed export licensing rules, their implementation will never be voted on in the Senate or issued by executive order. Rather, the State Department, which has full authority to implement any export restriction it sees fit, published the proposed rules for a 60-day discussion period that will end on May 27. During that time the department will take into consideration comments and opinions from anyone interested enough to send one. That is, if anyone is aware of the issue. ...As the 60-day discussion period goes on mostly unnoticed, many worry that at this point, nothing can be done about the proposed regulation of foreign students as deemed exports. For students and educators alike, the rules seem stifling and unfair *** http://www.sfweekly.com/issues/2005-05-18/news/feature.html?src=default_ rss Miraj Khaled [EMAIL PROTECTED] mindexplorer.blogspot.com ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
RE: [DDN] Charity Advantage? Net Cruiser Technologies Inc.
Their domain is registered to Net Cruiser Technologies Inc. out of PA. A search on Google turned up some government sites listing their program and links to out of date Urls, a few of which are archived. About Net Cruiser Technologies, Inc. http://web.archive.org/web/20030306224741/http://www.charityadvantage.co m/nctcompany.htm http://tinyurl.com/bp86u $35/mo would get you some very nice shared hosting these days, and this amount would be considered pretty expensive by today's standards. You are right though, it does smell kind of fishy. Corporate info follows. Kelvin --- PA - Dept of State http://www.dos.state.pa.us/corps/site/default.asp Entity Type PENNSYLVANIA BUSINESS CORPORATION Entity Name NET CRUISER TECHNOLOGIES, INC. Entity No. 2809123 Filing Date 04/02/1998 Letter of Consent No Address 127 FENNERTON RD PAOLIPennsylvania USA 19301 County Chester JurisdictionPA Purpose BROAD Limited Authority No Corporate Officers Updated Date04/02/1998 President DAVID EPSTEIN Secretary - Treasurer - Vice-President - Instrument History Doc TypeMicrofilm# Micro# StartMicro# End Filing DateComments ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT-BUSINESS 218 616 617 03/03/2000 ADR NCFR: SAMSON MARKETING INC ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION-BUSINESS 9825649 649 04/02/1998 - -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Terry Mar Sent: May 9, 2005 7:00 AM To: 'The Digital Divide Network discussion group' Subject: RE: [DDN] Charity Advantage? Does anyone out there know if Charity Advantage is a nonprofit or a For profit organization? They also say: NP Online Action would not be possible without the following companies: Cisco, MicroSoft, Dell, Yhaoo But again they do not specifically say that they received grants or just purchased/use this technology. The only thing that is clearly spelled out is the following: Commitment by Recipient: One-time program administration fee of $59. And, Monthly budget of $35 for website hosting and maintenance. Maintenance enables your organization to add new web pages and update content on existing pages any time. Any comments? Terry ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
RE: [DDN] Re: The digital divide and the idea of public computing
I agree with you that technology is a tool. My issue is with the term just. When you state that technology is *just* a tool you are minimizing the important and often obscure biases within the technology. The issue is subtle, but I believe it is significant. To use your car analogy, there is nothing stopping someone from customizing their ride, you are quite right. Adding fuzzy dice is always a nice touch; however, customizing the car does not affect the biases within the car which are not changeable. For example, the car uses petrochemicals which pollute the environment and cause wars. The car operates on roads which ends up in lost farmland. Cars cause fatal accidents. Drinking and driving would not be possible without cars. The list is long indeed. In economic terms, the characterization is one of negative externalities or the unknown real cost of ownership. My concern is that by minimizing these important biases, communities could end up adopting technologies without knowing their true costs. That is my only point. I agree with you on your other points: responsibility, choice, changing the world and even the Sims. Kelvin -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Taran Rampersad Sent: March 3, 2005 6:23 AM To: The Digital Divide Network discussion group Subject: Re: [DDN] Re: The digital divide and the idea of public computing Apparently, we violently agree. Technology *is* just a tool, just like the stone axe. Yes, you are right that technology is defined by the creator. But nobody said that technology couldn't be changed to be used by others. Whose responsibility is it to change something? Let's say I build a car, and you like the car and purchase it from me. Does that keep you from modifying the car for your own needs? No, it certainly does not... ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
RE: [DDN] The real digital divide (fwd)
One of the best books I have found on the subject of technology and American Indians is Jerry Mander's In the Absence of the Sacred: The failure of technology and the survival of the Indian nations. It was published by Sierra Books, San Francisco in 1991. Mander's book leans to the left at times, but it is well written with some very thought provoking ideas. Mander, J. (1991) In the Absence of the Sacred. At Amazon.com. http://tinyurl.com/57kz9 The Western ethnocentric bias in software development is an obvious place to look for evidence of assimilation of languages and cultures. One indicator of the homogenization of humanity is the loss of linguistic diversity as documented by many sources including the UN. The link below leads to a horribly written, rambling press release on the subject (some interesting snippets though). The report itself is huge (25MB - 750 pages) but there is lots of good stuff in there. There are a number of people in the States working on the linguistic preservation issue including the folks at Red Pony. You may want to contact them. UNEP Press Release: Globalization Threat to World's Cultural, Linguistic and Biological Diversity http://tinyurl.com/6xyaa Cultural and Spiritual Values of Biodiversity - Edited by Darrell Addison Posey http://www.unep.org/Biodiversity/ Red Pony http://www.redpony.us/ Kelvin Wong Department of Computer Science University of Victoria My Blog on Aboriginal People and Technology http://nativetech.blogspot.com/ -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Wanda Jean Lord Sent: March 12, 2005 12:56 PM To: 'The Digital Divide Network discussion group' Subject: RE: [DDN] The real digital divide (fwd) As we focus on bridging the DD - it appears that there are cultural exchanges that are inherent in this work, with impacts. Are there models of completed DD projects that work specifically with the markers of retaining and/or strengthening the intact cultures to which the technology is introduced while bringing economic benefits to those communities? I wonder at the impacts technology can have that either purposefully, or without intent, act as a 'great assimilator.' Can anyone recommend readings/research on this topic? ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
RE: [DDN] Lifeline/Link-Up Violations - Order Admonishing Verizon
Thank you Valerie for bringing this notice to the attention of the DDN. It is incredible that a small telco would be fined $20,000 for not publicizing to one reservation and yet Verizon would get admonished for ignoring eleven over three years. At least Qwest took the high road, paid $250,000, and promised to go to a few pow-wows sarcasm/. This slap on the wrist looks like it will do little to help Native communities get connected. I don't know why it is that Aboriginal or American Indian digital divide issues get ignored, even by experts, but I have my suspicions. I was at a meeting the other day with a group of educational technology gurus and assistive technology advocates. We discussed issues for about an hour before I finally brought up the fact that nobody had invited the local Aboriginal society for people with disabilities. This despite statistics that show lower SES indicators across the board for Aboriginal people and a disability rate 1.3-7.0 times the Canadian average (depending on which study you cite - they are all higher). Everyone there genuinely seemed surprised by those numbers. I got the feeling that had I not been there by some grace of the Creator, nobody would have cared. I am not convinced it is racism, perhaps benign neglect or, dare I say in academic circles, ignorance. I suppose I will just have to be there whenever I can to pipe up at opportune moments. Kelvin Wong Department of Computer Science University of Victoria My Blog on Aboriginal People and Technology http://nativetech.blogspot.com/ -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Valerie Fast Horse Sent: March 8, 2005 9:30 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [DDN] Lifeline/Link-Up Violations - Order Admonishing Verizon In Order DA 05-525, the Commission admonished Verizon for violating Section 214(e)(1)(B) and the rules by failing to publicize the availability of Lifeline or Link-Up services in a manner reasonably designed to reach those likely to qualify for the services. The Commission found that Verizon failed adequately to publicize Lifeline or Link-Up to low-income residents of 11 tribes in its service area for a period of approximately three years. http://www.telecomlawblog.com/fcc-daily-455-lifelinelinkup-violations-or der-admonishing-verizon.html http://www.telecomlawblog.com/fcc-daily-455-lifelinelinkup-violations-o rder-admonishing-verizon.html FCC Memorandum Opinion and Order: http://www.fcc.gov/eb/Orders/2005/DA-05-525A1.html Verizon Gets Slap on Wrist for Failing to Publicize Lifeline and Link-Up: http://www.bennetlaw.com/rss.php#article20 http://www.bennetlaw.com/rss.php#article20 Lifeline Link-Up Outreach http://www.fcc.gov/eb/tcd/LLUO.html Valerie Fast Horse Director, IT Coeur d'Alene Tribe ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
RE: [DDN] Copyrights
From my limited knowledge of US intellectual property laws, the issues you raise fall under synchronization rights. When you take a song and synchronize the music to a film or presentation, you need to clear rights with an agent of the artist or whoever owns the copyright to the song. The Harry Fox agency used to do this but it seems that they no longer clear synchronization rights, instead they suggest that you contact the publishers directly. More info is available below. If you want to avoid all the hassles, you could simply limit your artists to using music loops that are public domain. A well known resource for Flash developers is called FlashKit. As a caveat, one of my past clients (a non-profit community agency) once commissioned an unknown artist to create a work for an calendar. The commission was a modest $150. Subsequently they used the art in a poster under the same program and the artist threatened to sue them and kicked up a real fuss. In the end, the artist negotiated a fee of $700 for the poster. I advise all my clients to clear and manage intellectual properties as if they were desks, cars, or any other asset. Would you allow your employees to drive around unlicensed in an unregistered car? Of course not. It can end up sucking scarce resources when you expect it least. Harry Fox Agency http://www.harryfox.com/public/hfaPurpose.jsp FlashKit http://www.flashkit.com/loops/ Kelvin Wong University of Victoria Victoria, British Columbia, Canada -Original Message- Subject: [DDN] Copyrights I have tried to locate if this is legal, if it falls under fair use, or what...but really haven't been able to navigate the US copyright laws very well. ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
RE: [DDN] broadband strategies for developing countries: civil societyviews?
This is great news that they are considering rolling out broadband in your country. It is also to their credit that civil society organizations are being consulted; too often these things are populated by business and government exclusively. When this is allowed to occur, the programs take on the smell of technology subsidy at best and corporate welfare at worst. Don't get me wrong; the connection is important, but after the connection is made, then the sustainability questions kick-in. One report I read which was commissioned by Canada's Broadband Task-Force was called Access to What? First Mile Issues and it advocated for community economic development to sustain the demand for the connectivity. The report is kind of long, but the gist of it is that there needs to be a simultaneous push to develop the community to take advantage of the Internet connection at the same time it is rolled out. For example, after a connection is made local artisans can try selling their wares on eBay or some other artisan web site; however, educating the artisans on how to do this is where corporate driven connectivity plans fail. The push to develop community capacity should be made at the same time or before the connection is installed. The report used to be available online, but I think that Industry Canada was unhappy with it and removed it. It is only available via the Internet Wayback Machine; the link is provided below. Reference Civille, R., Gurstein, M. and Pigg, K. Access to What? First Mile Issues for Rural Broadband. Industry Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, January 2001. Available at: http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://broadband.gc.ca/english/resources/ac cess_to_what.pdf TinyURL version of the link: http://tinyurl.com/5agl5 Kelvin Wong Department of Computer Science University of Victoria Personal Blog: http://nativetech.blogspot.com/ -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Al Alegre Sent: January 17, 2005 1:55 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; gkd@phoenix.edc.org Cc: commrights-asia list; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [DDN] broadband strategies for developing countries: civil societyviews? ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
