[politics] Forum Topics

Many American readers won't have noticed - why should they? - that the UK is in the middle of the lead-up to a [URL="http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/elections.cfm"]General Election[/URL]. We don't do it like the Americans, we elect our Members of Parliament, the leader of the majority party becomes Prime Minister automatically and our …

I have not been a fan of the big G and I do not like their dictatorship all over Internet but now they have really the occasion to make a good move. I can reconsider my personal opinion on the big G policy if they will close to Chinese government …

The Federal Communications Commission asked Congress this week for a one-month extension to its Feb. 17 deadline for a [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/news/story220560.html"]report[/URL] on a national broadband plan, according to an [URL="http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100107-707117.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines"]article[/URL] in the [I]Wall Street Journal.[/I] The agency said it needed more time to fully brief commissioners and key members of Congress, …

The Obama Administration vows to cut costs in part by using open source software (Software whose source code is made available to the user), cloud computing, virtualization, Linux and other low cost technologies. But, does the use of open source software put the government, its records and our national security …

The federal government today [URL="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/vice-president-biden-kicks-72-billion-recovery-act-broadband-program"]made[/URL] the first awards aimed toward improving broadband access in the U.S. In the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as the stimulus package, Congress appropriated $7.2 billion for broadband grants, loans, and loan guarantees to be administered by the USDA’s Rural Utilities …

A new search engine officially launches today, the same day as the World Climate Summit in Copenhagen commences. According to [URL="http://www.ecosia.org"]Ecosia[/URL] you can help battle climate change by switching away from Google and here's how. Not only will the new guy on the search block give 80% of the advertising …

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has [URL="http://www.eff.org/files/filenode/social_network/social_networking_FOIA_complaint_final.pdf"]filed suit[/URL] against a number of government agencies for refusing to disclose their policies for using social networking sites for investigations, data-collection, and surveillance. The EFF is working with the Samuelson Law, Technology, and Public Policy Clinic at the University of California, Berkeley, School of …

This is a bit off topic, but times are tough and money is money. There's an opportunity to earn between US$10 and $20 an hour working for the [U.S. Census Bureau](http://2010.census.gov/2010censusjobs/) for the 2010 population count. And after seeing number of hits that "[Craigslist: Developer's Jobs and Other Jobs](http://www.daniweb.com/news/story232973.html)" generated, …

Keeping the Internet safe for satire, the World Intellectual Property Organization [URL="http://didglennbeckrapeandmurderayounggirlin1990.com/legal.php"]ruled[/URL] that the domain name glennbeckrapedandmurderedayounggirlin1990.com was not a violation of the conservative political commentator's intellectual property. The WIPO [URL="http://reporter.blogs.com/files/decision-d2009-1182.pdf"]ruling[/URL] "dismissed Beck's argument that Internet users could be confused by the domain name and its accompanying Web site," noted …

A [URL="http://gawker.com/5367093/mcsteamy-v-gawker-media-llc/gallery/5"]lawsuit[/URL] over a website's [URL="http://gawker.com/5339221/danes-anatomy-mcsteamy-his-wife-and-a-fallen-beauty-queens-naked-threesome"]publication[/URL] of a celebrity threesome sex tape is provoking some [URL="http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2009/11/does-gawkers-publication-of-mcsteamy-sex-tape-constitute-fair-use315.html"]thoughtful discussion[/URL] about fair use. Not to mention giving PBS, [URL="http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2009/11/what_a_celebrity_sex_tape_laws.html?sc=fb&cc=fp"]NPR[/URL], and the [URL="http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/25/mcsteamy-vid-lawsuit-its-a-copyright-beef/"][I]New York Times[/I][/URL] the opportunity to talk about sex tapes. The tape consists of [I]Grey's Anatomy[/I] actor Eric Dane and his wife …

It would seem that there is something of an ongoing battle in the world of online Chinese gaming, and World of Warcraft is right in the midst of it. As I [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/news/story220683.html"]reported[/URL] back in July, the company behind World of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment) was having problems in getting The Burning …

In addition to funding [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/news/story231771.html"]broadband projects[/URL] in the states, particularly in rural areas, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as the stimulus package, includes funds for [URL="http://www.ntia.doc.gov/press/2009/BTOP_mapping_090701.pdf"]collection of state-level broadband data[/URL], as well as state-wide broadband mapping and planning. The project, which will also help create …

The Associated Press [URL="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iuRIVBTLUvW7823FC-fcfhvkSxHgD9BHLF180"]reported[/URL] this weekend that the [URL="http://www.whitehouse.gov/"]official White House website[/URL] has been switched to using the open-source Drupal content management system Using open source will result in improved security -- because more programmers will be looking for errors in the software -- as well as more quickly and …

Twitter, Inc., has shut down 33 fake Twitter accounts created by Republicans using the names of Democratic state representatives, but fake websites using the Democrats' names are still up. The story was [URL="http://current.com/177fi4c"]reported[/URL] in the Hartford [I]Advocate[/I], an alternative newsweekly. State Republican Chairman Chris Healy told the paper that it …

It would appear that a political activist from New York has been arrested by the FBI in connection with helping orchestrate G20 summit protesters in Pittsburgh. According to [URL="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/04/man-arrested-twitter-g20-us"]The Guardian[/URL] the man, Eliot Madison from Queens, has been charged with hindering prosecution after helping G20 protesters evade police by using …

The 2008 presidential election featured a new emphasis on using the Internet, ranging from raising money to [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/news/story219553.html"]advertising[/URL] to getting support. It's still going on. Facebook, in particular, due to the ease in which people can set up affinity groups, is proving to be a new source of online activism, …

GovLoop, an online social network for government workers that was started by a federal worker, has been sold to GovDelivery Inc., a venture-backed government communications platform, with GovLoop founder Steve Ressler as its head of social networking. Terms of the sale were not [URL="http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090928_8720.php?oref=rss?zone=NGtoday"]disclosed[/URL]. The service currently has about 20,000 …

The last election and the use of social media by the Obama campaign has not set a precedent that a lot of politicians will try to emulate. But are there some social media options that are better than others in terms of politics? What ones would you suggest to a …

If you are not aware, recently, a picture of Obama and his wife taken with Spain's presidential family was shared online. The picture was removed quickly after the First Family of Spain complained since it contained their teenagers. So what do you think? [url]http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/09/29/shocking-photos-spains-first-daughters-appear-to-be-teenag/?icid=webmail|wbml-aol|dl2|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.politicsdaily.com%2F2009%2F09%2F29%2Fshocking-photos-spains-first-daughters-appear-to-be-teenag%2F[/url]

In its ongoing effort to become the coolest city in the U.S., the mayor of Portland, Oregon, is going to attempt [URL="http://portlandoregon.gov/auditor/index.cfm?c=50265&a=264719"]tomorrow night[/URL] to make it an "open source city," making its data as open as possible while respecting privacy, and buying open source applications when possible. If passed by …

A poll on whether President Barack Obama should be assassinated, which was posted to Facebook on Saturday, has been taken down after an investigation by the Secret Service, according to [URL="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113282766&sc=fb&cc=fp"]NPR.[/URL] The poll consisted of a single question: 'should obama be killed? [sic]' with the choices yes, maybe, if he …

A few weeks back it was announced that Twitter would have a location feature that would allow people who read your tweets to locate you geographically (longitude and lattitude). This caused a buzz among many political activists who were worried that if someone on the lunatic fringe of the opposing …

Remember [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/news/story219413.html"]Terry Childs[/URL]? He was the network administrator for the city of San Francisco who -- claiming he was protecting the city government's computer system from incompetent coworkers -- changed the system's passwords and then for more than a week refused to give them to anyone, even after being arrested. …

If you are belong to a politically-focused online community or if you have posted a comment on Twitter or Facebook in opposition to anything the Obama administration has proposed or enacted into law/policy then this should concern you. [url]http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/sep/16/obama-wh-collects-web-users-data/[/url] Considering that some of the Presidents advisers advocate monitoring and possibly …

Two stories have been featuring social media as playing a role in embarrassing politicians and uncovering potential scandals. The lesser of the two was the revelation by an ABC reporter, via twitter, that the President called Kanye West a jackass for his actions at the VMAs on Sunday (no argument …

What, you hadn't heard? "A Senate bill would offer President Obama emergency control of the Internet and may give him a "kill switch" to shut down online traffic by seizing private networks -- a move cybersecurity experts worry will choke off industry and civil liberties," [URL="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/28/senate-president-emergency-control-internet/"]FOX News[/URL] said breathlessly. (Nice …

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has issued a ruling that not only threw out other cases, but has more broadly set a limit upon the use of data seized in a computer search. The ruling has to do with the "plain view" doctrine, which allows law enforcement to take …

I'm not a great fan of the phrase 'total coincidence' and nor am I a fan of The Rt Hon Lord Mandelson, First Secretary of State, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills and Lord President of the Council to be formal. While I'm on the small matter of …

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as the stimulus package, states were required to set up websites in a specific format to explain to citizens how the money was spent. The [URL="http://www.goodjobsfirst.org/pdf/ARRAwebreport.pdf"]first look[/URL] at how states have done has come out, and it …

[URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry4412.html"]As feared[/URL], the Administration has caved to telecom industry restrictions on mapping the availability of broadband Internet, making it less likely that $7 billion in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as the stimulus package, will actually help improve broadband access to people who …

Want to do a public records search on email messages from your state legislator? Chances are, you won't be able to, even with the recent move toward [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry4592.html"]transparency in government[/URL]. Even states that do have an email retention policy in state government -- and many of them don't -- often …

It is either a clever bit of strategy or a shambolic u-turn depending upon your view of the company, but Microsoft has now formally abandoned plans to sell the controversial Windows 7 E edition in Europe. Windows 7 E was going to be the special edition, for [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry1655.html"]European customers[/URL] only, …

Gary McKinnon is either a UFO-obsessed nerd who happens to suffer from a form of autism, or a fugitive from justice who was responsible for the biggest military hack of all time. The description varies depending upon whether you are a balanced individual with no axe to grind or the …

How transparent is too transparent? In an attempt to make it easier for ordinary people to see what their governments are spending their money on, more entities -- from city to federal -- are putting this information online, noting that it's a public record. But some government workers are uncomfortable …

The High Court in the UK will this Friday decide if an appeal against the Home Office backed decision to extradite Gary McKinnon on hacking charges to the US is to be upheld or, as seems likely, not. McKinnon has been accused of what US prosecutors refer to the [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry2863.html"]biggest …

With some [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry3427.html"]11.5 million subscribers[/URL] playing it worldwide, there is no denying that World of Warcraft is one popular online game. Nowhere more so than in China, where it has been reported around 5 million of those subscribers are based. It should [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry4434.html"]come as no surprise[/URL] that not everyone in …

President Barack Obama's administration made two announcements Monday about improved transparency in government: one about IT projects in general, and one about improving broadband access. The announcements were made at the [URL="http://personaldemocracy.com/pdf-conference/personal-democracy-forum-conference"]Personal Democracy Forum[/URL], in New York. Tuesday, White House Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra and White House New Media …

The privacy invading nonsense that is the controversial UK ID Card Scheme could be scrapped by this time next year. With the chances of the Labour Party being returned to power looking very slim indeed, the chances are that a Conservative Government will be voted in. Which is good news …

Raising privacy and civil liberties issues, job applicants to the city of Bozeman are not only required to list all their social media accounts, but their passwords as well. “Please list any and all, current personal or business websites, web pages or memberships on any Internet-based chat rooms, social clubs …

[I]"The Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it." [URL="http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Gilmore"]John Gilmore[/URL], founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, in 1993.[/I] In the same way that people in Mumbai used Twitter last fall to [URL="http://www.forbes.com/2008/11/28/mumbai-twitter-sms-tech-internet-cx_bc_kn_1128mumbai.html"]publicize[/URL] news of terrorist attacks in that Indian city, Iranians are using Twitter to let the world …

Everyone knows that China is not exactly the most Internet friendly country, in fact the Chinese government pretty much hates it. Despite being a truly [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry1269.html"]connected superpower[/URL], the Chinese government has already [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry1407.html"]declared war on Internet porn[/URL]. Of course, the Internet is a cool tool when used as a weapon …

Isn't it amazing just how attached so many people are to Windows XP given that it is relatively old and [URL="http://www.itwire.com/content/view/25484/53/"]relatively insecure[/URL]? I will even admit to having a netbook which runs very nicely on XP thank you very much, and have no plans to 'upgrade' this to Vista or …

Across Europe people have been voting in the European Parliamentary elections, and it looks likely that a pirate or two will have got elected in Sweden. I voted nice and early this morning, with candidates representing the three main political parties here in the UK as well as a rather …

Some people are complaining that the company hoping to map the availability of broadband Internet is too closely tied to the same major telecommunications and cable companies that stand to benefit from the more than $7 billion in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known …

Remember the 14 million missing email messages from the White House under President George W. Bush? [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry3815.html"]Remember[/URL] the (albeit flawed) court order (issued days before President Barack Obama's inauguration) directing the Bush White House to figure out what happened to them? Never mind. A federal appeals court recently ruled that …

As [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry4304.html"]expected[/URL], Representative Barney Frank, D-Massachusetts, has introduced [URL="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.2267:"]legislation[/URL] that would roll back a ban on Internet gambling enacted when Republicans led Congress. The legislation would allow the Treasury Department to license and regulate online gambling companies that serve American customers, according to the [URL="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/26/us/politics/26cong.html?_r=1&src=twt&twt=nytimespolitics"]New York Times[/URL]. Under the current …

The UK Government's communications agency GCHQ has issued a rare statement saying it has no plans to monitor every individual's emails. Instead, the Home Secretary says we should all be ready to have our ISPs record [URL="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8032367.stm"]all our Internet contacts[/URL]. I've met a few ISPs. They're going to be delighted, …

Along with a number of other changes brought forth by President Barack Obama’s administration, another one might be the re-legalization of online gambling -- particularly poker -- in the United States. Online gambling in the U.S. was made much more difficult, though not technically illegal, in 2006 by the Unlawful …

The [I]New York Times[/I] is [URL="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/29/technology/internet/29google.html?_r=1"]reporting[/URL] that the Justice Department is opening an antitrust investigation of Google’s settlement with authors and publishers over its Google Book Search service. In 2005, the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers filed suit against Google, claiming that Google’s practice of scanning copyrighted …

I am no great fan of the concept of National ID Cards, although my reasoning is not so much based upon distrusting the 'if you've done nothing wrong you have nothing to fear' argument nor even the 'big brother invasion of privacy' paranoia which seems to grip most of the …