BusinessWeek.com: Life On The Web’s Factory Floor – Who do you think turns all those words into an easy click? “Behind the seemingly magical offerings of the Internet are thousands of human beings madly inputting data around the clock…The number of third-party, offshore companies that will perform contract work has more than doubled since 2002,… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: May 2006
Free Flow of Information Act
Press release, May 18, 2006: “Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA), Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT), and Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) today introduced the Free Flow of Information Act (12 pages, PDF), a bill seeking to protect the public’s right to information through a free press. This legislation would provide appropriate protections… Continue Reading
CRS Report Addresses Gov’t Collection of Phone Calling Data
CRS Report, Government Access to Phone Calling Activity and Related Records: Legal Authorities, May 17, 2006 (19 pages, PDF) Related postings on domestic surveillance program Continue Reading
UN Committee Against Torture Releases Report
Via BBC, the Advance Unedited Version (11 pages, PDF), Conclusions and Recommendations of the Committee against Torture, May 19, 2006. Committee Against Torture concludes thirty-sixth session, May 19, 2006 05/19/06, On-The-Record Briefing on the Committee Against Torture Report; John Bellinger, Legal Advisor; Office of the Legal Advisor; Washington, DC AP: U.N. Urges U.S. to Shut… Continue Reading
Trends in Judicial Resignations and Retirements
“Resignations from the federal bench, once rare, now are increasingly frequent. Since January 1, 2005, nine judges have resigned or retired from the federal bench. As a result, 2005 witnessed the single largest exodus from the federal bench ever.” [Link] For up-to-date information about judicial vacancies, see www.uscourts.gov/judicialvac.html Continue Reading
Progress Report on Terrorism Prevention Act
May 17, 2006: Report on the Progress of the DNI in Implementing the “Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004” (12 pages, PDF) Continue Reading
Pros and Cons On Net Neutrality Legislation
5/18/2006 – Press release: Sensenbrenner, Conyers Introduce Bipartisan Net Neutrality Legislation [H.R. 5417: Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act of 2006] Related documents and links: The Economics of Net Neutrality, Robert W. Hahn, Scott Wallsten. Related Publication 06-13. Apr 2006. “This essay examines the economics of ‘net neutrality’ and broadband Internet access. We argue that mandating… Continue Reading
Google Provides Free Downloadable Search Training Tools
From the Google Librarian Center: “Looking for tools to help teach your patrons how to use Google more effectively? By popular demand, were now offering free downloadable teaching tools. While we’ve started small, we’re planning on making more materials available soon, including additional posters, cheat sheets, tent cards even trainings. Feel free to download… Continue Reading
American Association Of Webmasters Recognizes E-Gov Site With Award
DisabilityInfo.gov “contains links to information of interest to people with disabilities, their families, employers, service providers and other community members.” This site is the May 2006 recipient of the Gold Award from the American Association of Webmasters for outstanding design and content. Related: ABA Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law Web site Continue Reading
Coalition Calls for End to Plan to Limit EPA Toxic Release Inventory Data
Follow-up to previous related postings, ona May 17, 2006 the CDT sent a letter to Congress, signed by more than 180 organizations (including ALA and AALL), urging that public access to data from the EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory program not be subject to limitations. Continue Reading
Senator’s Commentary on Immigation Reform and Legislative History
John Cornyn, Immigration Reform: Back to the Future, Yale L.J. (The Pocket Part), May 2006. “The proper use of legislative history by judges interpreting statutes has long been debated among jurists and legal academics. But no one disputes the value of lawmakers themselves consulting legislative history, especially when they are wrestling with the very same… Continue Reading
Hearing on Caller ID Spoofing
H.R. 5126, the Truth in Caller ID Act of 2006 Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, Hearing, May 18, 2006. Link to Witness List & Prepared Testimony “Phone spoofing is a practice by which a caller causes a phone number other than their own to appear on a caller ID or similar display. EPIC said… Continue Reading
