Online encourages other connections. IWire reports that Keith Hampton is interviewed in Spectrum magazine, about his new findings on local neighbourhood internet use. Keith revealed some of this evidence at an iSociety seminar back in April. The main conclusion hightlighted is that “rather than… [Designing for Civil Society]

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interesting findings, i'll await confirmation from other studies. i still think that it can go either way.

Helping the Terrorists. This post is completely self-interested. I fly a lot. I think the idea of having air marshals on board airplanes is sensible and notably increases my safety. I was horrified and astounded to read in the NYT today that these guys have a dress code that make them stand out so that anyone can spot them. There are no words to describe the lethal stupidity at work here. [ongoing]

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well, i can't say i ever really cared. usually though, they are the ones standing way in the back trying to keep awake the whole flight…. or so i think.

“Universities have obligations to developing countries”. Ronald Phillips and three co-authors, Intellectual Property Rights and the Public Good, The Scientist, July 19, 2004. Excerpt: “For developing countries, access to new products, particularly drugs and seeds, is often a question of life and death. The market power inherent in intellectual property may restrict access by poorer consumers. Furthermore, coordination problems and the transaction costs involved in negotiating terms of access to patented innovations invariably raise the cost of producing and distributing inventions in developing nations. One example is 'golden rice,' which is enhanced for beta carotene (provitamin A). It provides hope for alleviating the severe vitamin A deficiency that causes blindness in a half-million children every year. Extensive patenting has hampered delivery of this rice to those in need; forty organizations hold 72 patents on the technology underlying its production. Problems with access to golden rice and essential medicines have stimulated debate on the obligations of American universities to facilitate the provision of goods for the public benefit. A recent symposium at the University of Minnesota addressed this question.” [Open Access News]

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interesting argument……

'Running to Stand Still'. Alice's Adventures under Ground. This is a full scan of the very first Alice book ever, handwritten and illustrated by Lewis Carroll. [The Cartoonist] [The Mediaburn Radio Weblog]

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well since i'm here in oxford and there are alice dolls all over…. very disconcerting it is…. anyway, here is the first bit.

Is Microsoft Waging a Secret War of Linux Slander. 17 Jul 2004: ABC news is running an interesting article that looks at the never-ending barrage of anti-Linux propaganda. The article asks the question “Could Microsoft be behind a smear campaign aimed at Linux? If not Microsoft, then who?” It's a good look at what bad business will do to win! [RootPrompt -- Nothing but Unix]

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well here we go then, who do you think is doing it. i personally think it is julia, cause she doesn't read my blog very often….

The Art of Bluffing. Vannevar Bush. “If scientific reasoning were limited to the logical processes of arithmetic, we should not get very far in our understanding of the physical world. One might as well attempt to grasp the game of poker entirely by the use of the mathematics of probability.” [Quotes of the Day] [The Mediaburn Radio Weblog]

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'skienze' at its best.

WGIG consultation. According to the ITU Strategy and Policy Unit blog, the Secretariat of the UN's Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG) is now operational. Executive Secretary Markus Kummer says: “…one of our priorities is to make sure that the process ahead… [InternetPolicy.net]

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operational…. lets see what they actually do before we say that, eh.