This week’s 4cast:
1. Less Wires, More Ties
A recent Pew Internet & American Life Project Report indicates that wireless Internet use is not only on the rise, but that wireless users generally do more online than landline users. Meanwhile, more people are buying laptop computers than desktops and ISPs are reluctant to reveal where they will or will not provide broadband services (wireless or otherwise).
- Wireless Use Growing (Stephen’s Lighthouse)
- Wireless users ‘do more online’ (BBC)
- Laptops set to out sell desktops (BBC)
- ISPs Fight To Keep Broadband Gaps Secret (Slashdot)
2. COPA-Ca-Bye Bye?
In the latest chapter regarding the never-put-into-effect Child Online Protection Act (COPA), a federal judge has once again struck it down. The judge ruled that COPA violated both the First and Fifth Amendments, and suggested that filtering technology had advanced to the point of doing a better job than this particular law ever could.
- Court strikes down Internet porn law (CNN)
- Judge Strikes Down COPA, 1998 Online Porn Law (Slashdot)
- COPA struck down, again, and judge says filters are very effective (Politech)
- COPA and unintended consequences (Walt at Random)
3. Old Media Looks for Itself in the Obituaries
Newspapers are having a rough time these days, struggling to generate revenue from a declining print readership. Some are trying to beef up their online offerings, but most are finding evolution to be a painful process.
- Drop in Ad Revenue Raises Tough Questions for Newspapers (New York Times)
- NY Times publisher: Out goal is to manage the transition from print to internet (Haaretz)
- Monday squibs (notes from a teacher)
- Newspaper goes niche to find paying customers (Ars Technica)
4. The Security Threat One Desk Over
Several recent articles have put the spotlight on what many IT folks consider to be the biggest threat to any organization’s computer and network security – its regular, old, day-to-day users.
- Biggest security threat? Your users (Computerworld)
- Our users as a threat (LibrarianInBlack)
- IT Departments Fear Growing Expertise of Users (Slashdot)
- Users Who Know Too Much (And the CIOs Who Fear Them) (CIO)
