Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition
Demand for Librarians Hits an All Time High, September 30, 1999. The Special Library Association (SLA) has published a study on the challenging new high tech roles many librarians now play in the corporate environment.
Microsoft’s IE5 Reeling Again After Two New Bugs Discovered, September 29, 1999. Now may be a good time to download the new Netscape Communicator 4.7!
Cox May Propose Net Domain for “Adult Material, September 30, 1999. Rep. Cox of California is developing legislation to implement an ‘adults only’ domain designation to protect children from inappropriate Web content.
GOP Senators Ask Daschle to Rethink Signatures, September 29, 1999. Partisan skirmishes have resulted in a delay in debate on S. 761, the Millenium Digital Commerce Act that would validate the use of digital signatures essential to e-commerce in the future.
US Prefers Economic Death Over Net Taxes, September 14, 1999. There is a groundswell of opposition to Net taxes, with 34% of respondents to the Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce indicating that they would not purchase online if subject to sales taxes.
Congress Urged to Combat Online Stalking, September 30, 1999. A House bill introduced by NY Republican Sue Kelly would extend the definition of stalking to include e-mail messages.
Agreement Reached Over Internet Address Registry, September 29, 1999. Network Solutions will pay $1.25 million to ICCANN in exchange for the right to maintain the master list of Web addresses for the next four years.
Publishers Must Obtain Electronic Rights for Free-lance Work, Court Rules, September 29, 1999. The U.S. Court of Appeals in NY ruled in favor of the rights of free-lance authors who hard copy works were published in electronic format on commercial database systems.
New York Times, CyberTimes (registration required)
Skepticism About Online Law Degrees From a Supreme Court Justice, October 1, 1999. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg added her voice to the growing debate concerning legal education on the Web.
Searches Where Less, Not More, Is Better, September 30, 1999. A few new search engines are trying to blaze a trail toward more effective and efficient searching.
Senate Campaign Data Trapped in the Microfilm Era, September 29, 1999. The Senate has managed to defer participating in the digital age, even as the House will be directed to file all reports electronically with the FEC beginning in 2002.
Internet Tax Debate Returns to the Hill, September 28, 1999. Sen. John McCain to make the current ban on net taxation permanent.
Microsoft Sets Shifts in Internet Strategy, September 24, 1999. Microsoft’s new direction includes offering more of its products and services in a Web-based environment.
With Plenty of Shine and Spin, CDs Weave Tapestries of Data, September 23, 1999. CDs, in the workplace and home, number in the tens of billions. This interesting article explains why they remain a viable format for everything from music to corporate data.
Online Disguises From Prying Eyes, September 23, 1999. Looking for some relief from cookies and other privacy intrusions on the Web? A number of new products described in this article (links provided), provide some relief by permitting you to disguise your identity.
Google Finishes GoogleScout, Launches Site, September 21, 1999. The popular search engine has finally emerged from its three year beta test offering enhanced features and reliability.
EContent, October/November 1999
Usgovsearch: Northern Light Connects with NTIS. This thorough review of the new fee-based system to access federal government documents is well worth reading, as the popularity of the service and depth of content have won over serious researchers.
CorporateInformation. A review of a combination meta site and search engine for corporate data from 127 countries.
U.S. May Lighten Encryption Export Policy, September 14, 1999. The White House and Congress plan announce on September 16 that export restrictions on digital encryption technology will be eased.
Visor Maker Expects Springboard to Jump-Start New PDA, September 14, 1999. For those who have been procrastinating, like yours truly, about upgrading a 2 1/2 yr. old PalmPilot, now may be the time to investment in a new, flexible PDA with lots of innovative accessories.
All Study, No Action on Privacy, September 14, 1999. The study of online privacy issues will soon receive a large infusion of grant money. The National Science Foundation may be the beneficiary of over $1 billion if HR 2086 passes.
Measuring the Web’s Diameter, September 9, 1999. Believe it or not, the estimated 800 million documents on the Web are only separated by an average “distance” of 19 “clicks.” The actual interconnectivity of Web pages surprised researchers. This data will impact the development of future search engines.
A Search Engine that Uses Linguistic Analysis to Cut to the Chase, September 9, 1999. A new software application designed by computer scientists/linguists claims to analyze, index and locate exact information, intelligently! Development of InQuizit has cost more than $10 million, and it is being used by unnamed corporate and government search engines.
New York Times, CyberTimes (registration required)
Administration Plans to Loosen Encryption Restrictions, September 14, 1999. The tide has shifted in the debate on lifting export controls on Web related software. The new White House policy, to be announced on September 16, 1999, will impact international e-commerce, banking and other related industries.
Summit to Discuss Global System for Rating Internet Content, September 9, 1999. The anticipated 300 professionals attending this summit from the legal, academic and technology arena are expected to discuss an international proposal to rate and filter Web content. Needless to say, there is plenty of opposition brewing to the recommendations, which include a voluntary rating system.
Ford Loses Bid to Keep Documents Off Internet September 8, 1999. The issues of the first amendment and cyberspace rights played a prominent role in a recent federal court ruling in favor of a college student who has been posting internal corporate documents on his Web site. (see also Ford Plays Chicken with Web Site, August 25, 1999.)
Texas Committee Fights Spread of Electronic Legal Advice, September 3, 1999. The state of Texas is currently the nexus of an escalating battle between digital publishers of legal self-help materials and the traditional legal establishment. The courts, the legislature and a special committee working at the behest of the state Supreme Court are embroiled in a debate that may be joined by other states.
A Bookmark Manager Roundup. There are a number of utilities to help you keep those pesky browser bookmarks organized and accessible. This review discusses the advantages and disadvantages of five such programs.
On the Net On-the-Fly Search Engine Analysis. It doesn’t seem like too much to ask that a search engine behave in some kind of consistent fashion. But according to Greg Notess, search results from the major search engines can vary from minute to minute, and show no evidence of accuracy or reliability. How do you cope in this kind of search environment? Greg tells you how to evaluate search engines “on-the-fly.”
Computers in Libraries, September 1999
Publicity Through Better Web Design. This article provides good ideas, resources and links to assist in successfully marketing your new library Web site.
