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Daily Archives: May 23, 2005
Commentary on RSS, Spam and Privacy
Nick Bradbury’s May 20 post, RSS, Spam and Spyware, raises significant questions about security and privacy issues arising from the push for RSS ubiquity. Scroll down and read the comments as well. Continue Reading
Testimony on the Individual Alternative Minimum Tax
Statement of Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director, Congressional Budget Office: The Individual Alternative Minimum Tax, before the Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight Committee on Finance, United States Senate, May 23, 2005 (15 pages, PDF): “The number of taxpayers who are affected by the AMT and the revenues that are collected as a result of it have… Continue Reading
Publishers Express Continued Concerns With Google Print for Libraries Program
From BusinessWeek.com, A Google Project Pains Publishers – The major presses are raising thorny legal issues with the search giant’s initiative to digitize the books of the world’s great libraries. “In [this] letter, the Association of American University Presses’ Peter Givler takes issue with Google’s Print for Libraries program.” [Link] See also related postings on… Continue Reading
Google Factory Tour Yields News/Views on Upcoming Services
On May 19, there was a Google Factory Tour, for which there are accompanying screen shots and a webcast. Details of the information presented include this posting about Google Machine Translation Systems, A Guided Tour of Google’s Personalized Home Page, and ‘Google Earth’ Ready to Travel the World. Continue Reading
Draft Copy of Bill to Reauthorize Certain PATRIOT Act Provisions
“On Thursday, May 26, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence will consider in closed session a draft bill that would both renew and expand various USA PATRIOT Act powers. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has obtained a copy of the draft bill, along with the committee’s summary of it..” [Link] Draft of new PATRIOT Act… Continue Reading
Suburban Chicago Public Library To Install Fingerprint Scanners on Public PCs
As reported by the Chicago Tribune on May 20, 2005 (and cited in American Libraries Online, with another article in the Washington Post), this summer, the Naperville, Illinois public library will install biometric scanners on their 130 PCs with web access. Related article from UPI today, on an analysis of biometrics published in the May… Continue Reading
GAO Report Warns of Federal Systems Data Security Risks
Information Security: Improving Oversight of Access to Federal Systems and Data by Contractors Can Reduce Risk GAO-05-362, April 22, 2005. Highlights. “Contractors and users with privileged access to federal data and systems provide valuable services that contribute to the efficient functioning of the government, but a range of risks (including operational, strategic, and legal) must… Continue Reading
