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Is your computer spying on you? | csmonitor.com
By Gregory M. Lamb | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
It's sometimes called the "new spam." It slips right through firewalls and antivirus programs, riding the coattails of legitimate programs you've chosen to download from the Internet. In its more common and benign forms, it will send you pop-up ads targeted to your interests and clog your computer's memory. At its most malicious, it can steal your passwords and credit-card numbers, maybe even let a remote user take over your computer.
It's spyware, a broad term for programs that hide on users' computers without their knowledge. It has become so pervasive that both federal and state governments are looking into ways to prevent or at least regulate it.
While it's hard to tell the share of computers that have been infected with spyware, estimates run as high as 95 percent. One popular spyware detection program, Spybot Search and Destroy, lists nearly 800 spyware programs that it can find and remove.
While most of the spyware found on computers appears relatively benign so far, experts suggest users take measures to protect themselves (see list below).
Children online can be especially vulnerable because they may have less technical savvy and frequently download so-called peer-to-peer software from the Internet, often called freeware or shareware.
"One of the ways these programs end up on people's computers is that they can be bundled with other free applications they download, which can include file-sharing applications, screen savers, or other kinds of free utilities," says Michael Steffen, a policy analyst at the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) in Washington, D.C.
Kazaa, a widely used music- swapping program that has been downloaded 270 million times, has carried at least 12 kinds of hidden spyware at various times over the past two years, according to a recent study at the University of Washington in Seattle.
But with the exception of pop-up ads or slower operations, users may not notice anything happening when spyware programs are present, experts say. And the programs often apply a legal fig leaf by asking for consent to be installed as part of a lengthy EULA (End User License Agreement) that many users OK without reading.
In Congress, a bill to battle spyware sponsored by Sens. Barbara Boxer (D) of California, Ron Wyden (D) of Oregon, and Conrad Burns (R) of Montana recently joined one filed in the House last July by Rep. Mary Bono (R) of California. They aim to ensure that users know when programs are being installed on their computers, so that they can refuse them if they wish, and that spyware that is installed is just as easily removed. The Federal Trade Commission would enforce compliance.
The FTC has already announced that it is holding a spyware workshop in Washington on April 19 to gather information about the problem.
In addition, the Utah legislature has sent a bill regulating spyware to the governor for his signature. Iowa and California have also considered bills to prevent spyware.
"The Internet is a window on the world, but spyware allows virtual Peeping Toms to watch where you go and what you do on the Internet," Senator Wyden said in a statement about the Senate bill, called the Spyblock Act.
"The FTC is beginning to look at the extent to which these applications are unfair and deceptive, and we think that's a really good thing," Mr. Steffen said in phone interview. "We think a lot of these [spyware] programs already represent violations under existing fraud statutes or under other laws."
Although new legislation may have a role to play, Steffen says any solution must also include educating the public, and self-regulation within the industry.
"The spyware and adware stuff comes in from all over, and it's really as dangerous as a virus," says Roger Thompson, vice president for product development at PestPatrol in Carlisle, Pa., a maker of antispyware software.
Along with imposing pop-up ads and collecting data about users, spyware can change computer settings without users' consent, change users' Internet home pages, or send them to counterfeit versions of familiar websites, where they are enticed to give out personal information.
"Keystroke loggers" record and transmit every key hit by the user, which could include such sensitive items as passwords and credit-card numbers. And they may have a "backdoor" capability, that allows an outside party to plant new programs on the computer at any time, Mr. Thompson says in a phone interview.
Perhaps most insidious, some spyware comes attached to programs advertised to remove spyware from a computer. That's why it's important to obtain antispyware programs from a reputable source, experts say. The CDT has sent a letter of complaint to the FTC against one company that it says was using spyware to change computer users' home pages without their consent and then telling users that they should buy an antispyware program to protect themselves.
| Different forms of spyware | |
| How they work | No. of known programs* |
|---|---|
| Browser hijackers - Software that changes web browser settings to modify home pages, for example, or search functions, making users easier to track or dupe. | 153 |
| Keyloggers - Particularly dangerous kind of spyware that records all keystrokes to capture passwords and account and credit-card numbers. | 63 |
| Malware - A variety of malicious software, such as viruses, worms, and trojan horses, that can freeze computers or destroy files. | 168 |
| Spybots - Classic spyware that monitors users' behavior, collects logs of activity, then transmits them to third parties without the user's knowledge. | 142 |
| * Data from Spybot S&D | |
| SOURCE: UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON STUDY | STAFF |
Spyware is sometimes confused with cookies. Cookies are pieces of data, not an application, used by a website to record information about users' visits. Most browsers on most computers have cookies installed by sites to help them access the sites more easily and quickly, such as remembering login or registration IDs, user preferences, or "shopping cart" information. Cookies can raise privacy issues, but they are not considered spyware.
But even relatively innocent programs that only display ads can be the source of more serious problems. The University of Washington study looked for just four of the most common spyware programs - Gator, Cydoor, SaveNow, and eZula - on 31,303 computers on the university's system. It found that 5.1 percent of the computers had at least one of the four installed on it, despite the fact that the vast majority of the machines were protected by a network firewall intended to keep out viruses and other malicious intruders.
The study also found security flaws in Gator and eZula that meant they could be "hacked" into by a third party to become more malicious and possibly even take control of a computer.
"This potentially means that there are tens of millions of computers with these programs on them that might be vulnerable to ... attacks," says computer scientist Steven Gribble, who helped conduct the study. Gator has since patched its program to prevent such an attack, he says.
"I'm glad the government is getting involved," Gribble says by phone. "I'm optimistic that legislation will help, but I'm pessimistic that it will solve the problem. My suspicion is that it's going to get worse."
How to protect yourself from spyware
Future legislation may help reduce spyware. But computer users can also take action now to protect themselves. Among the suggestions from experts:
• Think before you click. Download software only from sources you trust. Never download programs offered in pop-up ads.
• Understand what you are downloading. Read the End User License Agreement or other explanatory material, which may contain wording that gives your consent to spyware being loaded onto your computer.
• Install and run trustworthy anti-spyware software. Spybot Search and Destroy is one favorite of experts and is free at www.download.com.
The Center for Democracy and Technology also mentions AdAware (also free at www.download.com), Spyware Eliminator, and BPS Spyware/Adware Remover.
Other reliable products such as PestPatrol (www.PestPatrol.com, $40) may cost money (though PestPatrol has a free trial version that will detect, but not remove, spyware). Internet providers such as Earthlink and AOL are also beginning to offer antispyware programs to their users.
• If you encounter spyware that bothers you, report it to the FTC.
SOURCES: CDT, Monitor research
March 30, 2004 at 10:45 PM in Security | Permalink | TrackBack (157) | Top of page | Blog Home
Joshua Gordon, 2/2004.
Enabled by falling costs associated with constructing international voice and data networks, and motivated by high fees charged by incumbents for international telecom services, illegal Internet network operators are proliferating in many developing countries. Unlicensed international data networks are commonly used by competitive local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) who do not have the means to obtain an international gateway license, and by Internet Telephony Service Providers (ITSPs) that deliver international calling services utilizing Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology.
Incumbent telecom operators and regulatory authorities in countries where unlicensed international networks are prevalent claim that these networks deprive local governments of badly needed revenue. However, unlicensed international network operators also offer a new, market-oriented model for bringing the developing world online. This model is not without political, economic, and legal risks. For example, illegal Internet networks pose a potential global security hazard as data transmitted over these networks can be difficult to monitor by intelligence agencies. Voice calls made using Internet telephony technology over these networks can be doubly difficult to track using existing legal intercept technology.
As evinced by a recent WTO ruling, growing recognition of illegal telecom networks may lead the international community to push governments of developing countries to adopt more liberal pricing and licensing policies and to pressure governments of developed countries to crack down on companies in their jurisdiction that partner with illegal network operators.
March 30, 2004 at 10:30 PM in Internet evolution | Permalink | TrackBack (9) | Top of page | Blog Home
Yahoo! News - Gates Drops More Longhorn Release Hints
Erika Morphy , www.enterprise-windows-it.com
Bill Gates (news - web sites) has tantalized the I.T. industry with another clue as to when it can expect to see Longhorn, the next version of the Windows operating system. Speaking at the Gartner Symposium/ITexpo event in San Diego, California, he told the audience that an updated alpha release will come out this year
Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT - news) reportedly plans to release a beta this year as well. As for general availability, Gates said speculation that it will be in 2006 is "valid."
However, he emphasized that "Longhorn is not a date-driven release," as there are several technological "must haves" that could impact the release date.
One subject Gates did not mention is the effect last week's EU antitrust ruling will have on Longhorn. Given the wide latitude the EU left itself in dictating how Microsoft products can be packaged, it generally is assumed that Longhorn could be impacted -- even though, technically, the case was about Microsoft's media player.
Delay, Delay, Delay
"Microsoft is not going to bow to EU," Yankee Group senior analyst Laura DiDio told NewsFactor. "They have too much invested in Longhorn, which has been enhanced with many features ... including Web services and collaboration, and integration between the core OS and other applications, including Office."
Thus, Microsoft's strategy will be to "delay, delay, delay," DiDio predicts. "Microsoft will appeal the EU ruling, a process that can take at least three to four years."
Meanwhile, if it pushes up its release date of Longhorn and gets out a pilot this year, the EU ruling ultimately will be moot, DiDio notes. "Once the appeals processes has been exhausted, and assuming Microsoft is still held liable, Longhorn will have been in the market -- and it will, in fact, probably be time for another release."
This, of course, happened in the United States after various rulings against Microsoft. The EU is a little different though; its regulator agencies have greater enforcement powers than its counterparts in the United States, making it more difficult for Microsoft to run out the clock.
A Little Clarity, Please
At this point, though, it is still a guessing game. For starters, much of what the industry knows about Longhorn is mere speculation, Gartner analyst Michael Silver told NewsFactor, based on slideware, which is always subject to change.
For example, when the concepts of Yukon and Longhorn first emerged, Longhorn was tightly linked to Yukon, Gartner research analyst Betsy Burton told NewsFactor. "The early vision was that Yukon would be the storage mechanism for Longhorn. Now, Microsoft is positioning Longhorn as an OS that uses Yukon's technology. That is a fairly vague comment, obviously."
March 30, 2004 at 10:24 PM in Microsoft | Permalink | TrackBack (8) | Top of page | Blog Home
Yahoo! News - Cybersecurity Liability Seen Increasing
Sun Mar 28, 6:26 PM ET
By Andy Sullivan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hackers, viruses, and other online threats don't just create headaches for Internet users -- they could also create prison sentences for corporate executives, experts say.
Though business groups have lobbied successfully against laws focused on cybersecurity, companies that don't make efforts to secure their networks could face civil and criminal penalties under an array of existing laws and court decisions, according to security and legal experts.
"Computer security is not solely a technology issue," said Dan Burton, a vice president at computer-security firm Entrust Inc (NasdaqNM:ENTU - news). who serves on a private-sector board to boost accountability.
Though health-care, banking and deceptive-business laws all create security obligations, a new accounting-reform law now being phased in is likely to have the biggest impact.
The 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act holds executives liable for computer security by requiring them to pledge that companies' "internal controls" are adequate, and auditors are starting to include cybersecurity in that category, said Shannon Kellogg, director of government affairs at RSA Security Inc. (NasdaqNM:RSAS - news)
Violating that provision could lead to criminal charges by the Justice Department (news - web sites) and jail, said David Becker, a partner at the law firm of Cleary Gottlieb in Washington and former general counsel at the Securities and Exchange Commission (news - web sites).
"Any egregious intentional violation of federal securities law could be criminal," Becker said.
Companies that can prove they have taken concerted steps to improve their networks stand a much better chance of success in court, experts say.
Online viruses and worms like SoBig and Slammer have clogged computer networks and knocked vital Web sites offline, costing businesses some $55 billion in productivity last year, according to anti-virus company Trend Micro Inc (NasdaqNM:TMIC - news).
Other online risks, from identity theft to espionage, are harder to quantify.
The U.S. government released a plan to increase online security last year, but it contained few hard-and-fast requirements for the businesses that control roughly 85 percent of the nation's Internet infrastructure.
Another proposal to require public companies to disclose cybersecurity efforts was shelved last fall after business groups objected.
But many of the experts who advocate a hands-off approach say businesses will have to upgrade their online defenses, thanks to Sarbanes-Oxley and other laws.
Health-care companies will have to ensure by April 2005 that electronic patient data is stored in a confidential and secure manner, under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.
Banks and other financial-services groups face similar obligations under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999.
Companies that don't live up to their security promises have faced action by the Federal Trade Commission. Drug maker Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE:LLY - news) agreed to beef up its internal security after it inadvertently revealed the e-mail addresses of customers who used its Prozac anti-depressant medication.
Some courts have held businesses accountable as well. A Maine state panel ruled last year that Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - news) should have foreseen that its network would be vulnerable to Internet attacks like the Slammer virus, and thus should be forced to make infrastructure payments to the state even when its network was down.
In Washington, a judge has several times ordered the U.S. Interior Department to unplug its computers from the Internet until it can guarantee that trust-fund payments to American Indians are secure against hackers.
"In the realm of terrorism and cyberterrorism, courts are more willing to find negligence than they did before," said Bill Cook, a partner at Wildman Harrold in Chicago.
Others are less convinced that a courtroom precedent is emerging, though they say that is no excuse not to improve computer defenses.
"There are some court cases, but I don't know that there's really enough to pull together," said Bruce Heiman, a partner with Preston Gates & Ellis in Washington. (Additional reporting by Kevin Drawbaugh)
March 30, 2004 at 03:06 PM in Security | Permalink | TrackBack (12) | Top of page | Blog Home
This was a document I found useful in 1998 when it was published, and now its useful for historic purposes. This is very much pre-dot com in its thinking.
Emerging Digital Economy - US Department of Commerce, Apr 1998
March 28, 2004 at 01:23 AM in Internet evolution | Permalink | TrackBack (10) | Top of page | Blog Home
In the year 2010, Internet access will be quite different than it is today. Completely reliable Internet will be available through totally wireless remote access. This access will be from hand held, pocket computers. "Crashing" from the Internet is definitely a thing of the past.
Structured guidelines and regulations have been instituted for use with the Internet. Every person is assigned a PIN number that allows them filtered access to Internet sites. This alleviates the concern teachers had allowing students to freely 'surf the web'; students are now age and content restricted from certain Internet sites. Also instituted are guidelines and requirements for posting information on the Internet. There is a strict review process that removes the chance for incorrect information to be posted.
Technology has continued to grow replacing e-mail with the new video letter systems. This allows you to speak your letter into your computer while being video taped. Your 'letter' and image will be sent over the internet to your recipient allowing for a more personal approach to communication using technology.
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Life in 2010
We have seen the rise and fall of all shopping on the Internet and seem to have found a happy medium. All catalog shopping is eliminated and now done over the Internet. This has not, however, done away with stores to shop in. They are still very much alive and thriving because people still require human, personal interactions with others.
As has been the statistics since the late 1990's, the life expectancy of each generation has been increasing by 10 years compared to each previous one. As a result, we've had to inhabit space. Retirement communities have been established on the moon where room and care are provided for the aging population. A socialistic approach has been established. All the elderly receive equal, quality medical care, eliminating the need for prohibitively priced health insurance.
We've seen more and more interest coming from big businesses with the further developments of inhabiting outer space. It won't be long before these big business have 'office space' available in the depths of our universe. Areas for building are at a premium here on the planet.
As technology continues to grow so do the controversies. We have seen an increase in numbers and voice of those that want to limit technological advances. There is a growing concern over the need for human contact and interaction with people. The advances in technology have greatly limited the physical presense in business and social interactions, thus creating a void in "human" contact.
March 28, 2004 at 12:57 AM in Internet evolution | Permalink | TrackBack (4) | Top of page | Blog Home
The Internet's history can be traced back to ARPANET, which was started by the US Department of Defense for research into networking in 1969.
Many people wanted to put their ideas into the standards for communications between the computers that made up this network, so a system was devised for putting forward ideas. Simply stated, you wrote ideas in a paper called a 'Request for Communications' (RFC) and let everyone read it. People commented on and improved your ideas in new RFCs. (This sounds a lot like open source to me.) The first RCF (RFC0001) was written on April 7, 1969. This is probably the closest thing to a 'start date' for the internet. There are now well over 2000 RFCs describing every aspect of how the internet functions.
ARPAnet was opened to non-military users in the 1970's. Most early takers were big universities. International connections started in 1972, but the internet was just a way for computers to talk to each other and for reasearching networking. The World Wide Web and e-mail, as we know them, were not in extistence.
It wasn't until the early to mid 1980's that the services we use most started appearing on the internet. The concept of 'domain names' weren't introduced until 1984. Before this, computers were addressed by their IP addresses. Most protocols for e-mail and other services appeared after this.
The part of the Internet most people are familiar with is the World Wide Web. This is a collection of hyperlinked pages of information distributed over the Internet via a network protocol called HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol). This was invented by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989. He was a physicist working at CERN, the European Particle Physics Laboratory. He wanted a way for physicists to share information about their research; the World Wide Web was his solution. At this time, the web was started, but it was text-only. Graphics came later with a browser called NCSA Mosaic. Both Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Netscape were origianally based on the NCSA Mosaic browser.
The graphical interface opened up the internet to novice users. In 1993, it's use exploded as people were allowed to 'dial-in' to the Internet using their home computers and a modem to ring up an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to obtain their connection. Before this, the only connected computers were at universities and other large organizations that could afford to hire cables between each other to transfer data. But now, anyone can use the Internet, and it has evolved into the 'Information Superhighway' we know and love today.
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Timetable of Events Related to the Internet
1982 -Transmissions Conrol Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP) established
Internet is formed as a connected set of networks using TCP/IP
1983 -name server developed at University of Wisconsin which no longer requires the users to know the exact path to other systems
-desktop work stations come into being switching networking needs from a single, large, time-sharing computer connected to the Internet to, instead, connecting entire local networks
-Internet Activities Board (IAB) established
1984 -Domain Name System introduced
-number of hosts breaks 1000
1985 -Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and Internet Research Task Force come into existence
1986 -Networking News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) designed to enhance Usenet news performance over TCP/IP
1987 -number of hosts breaks 10,000
1988 -FidoNet gets connected to the Net, enabling the exchange of e-mail and news
1989 -number of hosts breaks 100,000
1990 -The World comes online (world.std.com) becoming the first commercial provider of Internet dial-up access
-the first remotely operated machine to be hooked up to the Internet, the Internet Toaster by John Ronkey, makes its debut at Interop
1991 -Gopher is released by Paul Linder and Mark P. McCahill from University of Minnesota
-WWW released by CERN, Tim Berners-Lee developer
1992 -the term 'surfing the Internet' is coined by Jean Amour Polly
1993 -InterNIC created to provide specific Internet services:
directory and database services
registration services
infomation services
-U.S. White House comes online
-United Nations comes online
-businesses and media begin taking note of the Internet
1994 -shopping malls are on the Internet
-First Virtual, the first cyperbank opens up for business
1995 -RealAudio, audio-streaming technology, lets the Net hear in real-time
-Radio HK, the first commercial 24 hour, Internet only radio station starts broadcasting
-traditional online dial-up systems (Compuserve, America Online, Prodigy) begin to provide Internet access
-a number of Net related companies go public, with Netscape leading the pack
-registraion of domain names no longer free- A $50 annual fee has been imposed which up to now was subsidized by NSF. NSF continues to pay for .edu registration and, on an interim basis, for .gov
1996 -US Communications Decency Act (CDA) becomes law in the US in order to prohibit distribution of indecent materials over the net; a few months later, an injunction against its enforcement is imposed. The Supreme Court unanimously rules most of it unconstitutional in 1997.
-Restrictions on Internet Use around the world:
China - requires users and ISPs to register with the police
Germany - cuts off access to some newsgroups carried on Compuserve
Saudi Arabia - confines Internet access to universities and hospitals
Singapore - requires political and religious content providers to register with the state
New Zealand - classifies computer disks as "publication" that can be censored and seized
1997 -The American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) is established to handle administration and registration of IP numbers
1998 -Internet users get to be judges in a performance by 12 world champion ice skaters on March 27th, marking the first time a television sport show's outcome is determined by its viewers
-Electronic postal stamps become reality with the U.S. Postal System allowing stamps to be purchased and downloaded for printing from the web
-Open Source software comes of age
1999 -First Internet Bank of Indiana, the first full service bank available only on the net opens for business
-Free computers are all the rage (as long as you sign long term contracts for Net service)
March 28, 2004 at 12:55 AM in Internet evolution | Permalink | TrackBack (2) | Top of page | Blog Home
The Future of Branding - Driving Forces:
By: Bliss Nancy, David Assaf, Franco Henrique, Kirkwood Alistair, McClelland Ruth, McCullough Sean, O'Day Jerriann
Driving Force I – Media Fragmentation
What:
This is the fragmentation of traditional advertising media with the emergence of non-traditional forms of media and other alternatives in communication that reach consumers and create brand value. These include interactive electronic media, event and sports sponsorship and product placement in movies etc. It is increasingly difficult for advertisers to reach consumers.
Why:
Growth of cable and satellite television stations leads to more choice
Cost of advertising on network television prohibitively expensive
Enablers:
Technological advances – cable, Internet etc
Massive increases in computer power
Cost of communications reduced
Increase of market segmentation as a corporate strategy
Demand for niche programming and media
Introduction of remote controls and video recorders giving consumers option to opt out of advertisements
Inhibitors:
Mergers and acquisitions by large media groups
Big businesses buying up Internet companies
Growth of spam
Paradigms:
More choice for the consumer leads to information overload
Predictability:
If Alexander Graham Bell had been asked to predict how the telephone would take off a few years after he developed it, one doubts he’d have come even close to recognizing its future potential. Media fragmentation has increased multi-fold with the opening up of the Internet. The Internet as a means of advertising brands (products) is still in its infancy and the outcomes are both numerous and diverse.
Influence:
Forming Alliances if only with companies with similar quality standards to create brand awareness more effectively and economically, for example, Jaguar Cars are marketed with Pirelli tires and Birds Eye Lasagna with Ragu sauce.
Experts:
Ashton Adams and several other Branding gurus all accessible on-line.
Major advertising agencies, for example Saatchi & Saatchi.
Timing:
Cable and satellite late 70s to early 90s
Video recorders and remote controls 80s
Internet mid 90s onwards
Links to Other Forces:
Globalization of brands
Group identification
Possibilities:
Personalized advertising aimed at single individual
Driving Force II – The Globalization of brands
What:
Globalization describes the expansion of national and regional markets, communities, laws, cultures, values, and politics from a local (regional or national) arena into a broader, international arena, ultimately spanning the planet. As this process occurs, these items (markets, communities, laws, etc.) become standardized as they interact, influence and combine with their counterparts from other parts of the world.
Why:
First, there is the increasing competitiveness of international business – markets within specific countries became saturated. To continue growth, corporations turned to international markets. Second, to gain economies of scale - investments in R&D, production, marketing, and administrative activities, can be distributed among many countries – and expansion cost become smaller. Third, with exposure, consumers acquired “globalized” preferences and, thus, product markets also became global.
Enablers:
Technology – computing power reduced the cost of information/analysis and transactions. The Internet will continue this push, since it is inherently global and inexpensive.
Communications – access to information about other areas in the world (via Internet, telecommunications, and other sources) has increased, as has the ability to communicate with people (employees, partners, others) ‘over there’.
Deregulation – barriers to international trade and communications are falling and/or standardizing. The WTO (World Trade Organization) and GATT (General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs) were very important forces behind it. Countries have also deliberately reduced trade barriers, liberalized trade and investment controls, and removed obstacles to direct foreign investment. Increasingly, governments believe that such policies promote economic growth and national welfare.
International Finance (rapid capital flows) – Technology developments allowed banks and other financial players to fund/enable foreign expansion and to track various investment opportunities around the world
Inhibitors:
Fundamentalism and intolerance – a rejection of Western values and hence technology, as represented by the US and European multi-national companies and banks that have lead the global economic expansion. Further, the belief that one’s own race, nation, social group is better than any other cause the rejection of any “foreign” ideas and things.
Protectionism – governments increase trade barriers in order to improve their trade balance with other countries. They can also increase barriers for foreign trade to foster the national industry, and for foreign investments to avoid multinationals to send their profits back to their country.
Paradigms:
Old - Tacos in Mexico, escargot in France, hamburgers in the USA
Protectionism / Local versus Regional versus International / State sovereignty
New - any type of food, almost anywhere (McDonald’s in Moscow)
Free trade / Global trade links / Network of regions, independent of the state.
Predictability:
High - Globalization has been around at least since the 1950s, and has been increasing. Further, the enablers have been growing more and faster than the inhibitors.
Influence:
Low/High - Very little influence by individuals or smaller companies whereas large, protected companies may be able to influence local governments to ‘close’ borders or implement trade barriers.
Moderate (decreasing) - Governments can implement protectionist policies; however, there is risk that the country’s competitiveness and standard of living will be left behind. The WTO can also limit the possibilities of what a government can do.
Experts:
Michael Porter, Lester Thurow, Bruno Solnik, Levitt, Quelch and Hoff.
Timing:
Ongoing – until 2005 it should intensify even more in most regions of the world.
Links to Other Forces:
The financial community
Brand extensions
Media fragmentation
Possibilities:
First, economies of scale (please see the enablers’ part above for more details), since the internet is global by nature and cheaper than most media. Second, a global brand has more credibility, as people believe that as it is already successful in many countries, that is a good indication of its quality. Third, it’s quicker, easier, and cheaper to introduce a new product that has an established global brand.
Web Resources:
http://www.utexas.edu/ftp/coc/adv/research/papers/MButler.html
http://www.ltbn.com/Articles/art13.html
http://www.smu.edu/~rmason/cbandwww/Chinapresent.html
Driving Force III – Brand Extensions
What:
The development where new products are introduced using the name/association of existing brands. Examples of this trend include Virgin which has a long list of diversified companies and products all using the Virgin name and Coca Cola introducing diet, caffeine-free and flavored versions of the original product.
Why:
Companies seeking to diversify, increasing competition and the need for quick short-term success.
Enablers:
Rise of niche consumers
Specialized advertising
Technological advances
The difficulty to differentiate
Inhibitors:
Over proliferation of brands and weakening of image
Increasingly cynical marketplace
Decreasing brand loyalty in many categories
Predictability:
Trend likely to continue, as consumers seem comfortable in accepting it in the face of information overload but this may be problematic for some brands which could be weakened.
Influence:
Companies will continue cashing in on the image of brands
Timing:
Ever increasing from the 70s through to the present day
Links to Other Forces:
Globalization
The financial community
Fitting in the group
Driving Force IV – Growth of private labels
What:
The growth of private labels or low-priced imitators of product leaders has increased substantially. Often these products are manufactured by the companies that own the brand leaders themselves running the risk of ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’. This trend is particularly evident in the U.S. and Western Europe.
Why:
More price sensitivity in mature markets
Retailers have gained more power in recent years and can dictate terms
Enablers:
Less brand loyalty trend for staple goods
Price wars amongst competing stores
Supply chain improvements
Inhibitors:
Mergers and acquisitions of competing companies
Move towards electronic commerce based home shopping
Predictability:
Electronic commerce will influence this trend (probably negatively) – to what degree is unsure.
Timing:
Took off in late 80s with EDI developments between suppliers and retailers
Links to Other Forces:
Commoditization
Driving Force V – Fitting in the Group
(Note: the observations have a decidedly western perspective)
Le Corbusier's notion that form follows function seems to have withered away in today's competitive global marketplace. Function has become less of an issue as products have reached, within range, basically the same standards; there are not really "bad" products that are able to survive on the market. Not only has form become a deciding purchasing factor, but also who else is buying the same form has been guiding our purchasing habits. The "look" of the thing, the "feel" of the thing, the "personality" of the thing, the value of the thing, and the association of the thing, have all become reasons why we decide to purchase what we do. And synchronizing one's look, feel, values and personality with some idealized group has increasingly directed our purchasing habits. We want to fit-in, and brands offer simple and clear paths to follow to get to the group.
While our parents (or grandparents) bought things based on what they needed, what they could afford, what was available in the vicinity, later generations have become preoccupied with having the clothes, toys, cars, etc. that identify them as the "cool" people, the rich people, the successful people. While this may have always been a preoccupation among the elite's of societies, the media and increased disposable income has facilitated an extension through a number of social economic levels.
Enablers:
Increased wealth or disposable income has given more leverage to how and what we buy.
As daily chores became easier, more leisure time allowed the opportunity to consider more frivolity in our lives (post war generations). A more materialistic society then evolved which now looks for the means to purchase more and more of the "right stuff" by working more and more.
Unmonitored advertising to a new generation of consumers has allowed marketers to mold "fit-in fiends".
Increased availability of a wide variety of brands: it is now possible to get practically anything, practically anywhere. Equally, it has been possible for the media (first with radio, then television, then Internet) to bombard with information on the groups one would like to be identified with.
Enlarged reference groups: when once it was the immediate or extended family, friends and neighbors with whom we had physical visual contact, now it has been enlarged to include people we may never see or meet but with whom we easily interact electronically.
Inhibitors:
A financial crisis similar to the Depression of the 1930's would force consumers to rethink what and how they buy. Likewise, a disaster (e.g. environmental) or large-scale war may not only financially limit our purchasing, but may force a wake-up call to reevaluate what is important in our lives: material goods or other.
A growing suspicion of marketers' intentions or a feeling of being manipulated may cause a backlash against the feeling that certain brands will fit you in.
Paradigms:
Old: Buy it because it does the job, I need it, and I can afford it.
New: Buy it because of how it helps to define who I am.
Predictability:
Although faint signs of reversing trends (not to be a cookie cutter image associated with a particular group) sometimes emerge, the imminent end of materialism in the developed world does not appear to be a worry that companies bombarding us the latest "must have" items need to lose sleep over. More often than not, the rejection of fitting in simply results in a new group (e.g. punk or grunge).
Influence:
Companies have capitalized on the social trend of identifying with groups and of purchasing to demonstrate membership by recognizing the trend and by directing their marketing to influence the niche markets of the group members or wannabes. Niche magazines (GQ, 17, Vogue etc.) offer ready-made segments in which to promote brands and their qualities.
Experts:
The plethora of consulting companies specializing in branding, niche marketing, etc. might be expert sources of insights as to why and how we buy what we buy; social scientists and consumer behaviorists for the same reasons and perhaps with a less biased slant.
Timing:
Post war boom offering more economic freedom, social mobility, and more widely attainable "model" lifestyles
Eighties "me" generation always wanting more
Increase with each expansion of media access
Links to Other Forces:
Media fragmentation
Brand extensions
Driving Force VI – Commoditization
What:
Commoditization describes the non-differentiation evolution of products across many industries. Products are either becoming identical or so similar as to not even make a difference to the consumer. This is occurring most predominantly in certain industries such as automobiles, as well as in many technology products. Often what is found in a GM is the same chassis and engines as a Mazda, for example. Is there any real difference in many of the mainstream computer brands where most of their parts are purchased from the same supplier?
Why:
Whereas competition was traditionally based on a product level, it would seem that consumers are placing more emphasis on the service aspects when making purchase decisions. Producers are constantly divesting their production capabilities in order to focus on the higher margins frequently offered in its service divisions such as design, financing, consulting, etc. As such, outsourcing is playing a significant role in the supply of these traditional producers, hence supplying the exact same or similar products to multiple customers.
Enablers:
Logistics: Lessons learned from companies such as Wal Mart have spurred incredible innovation in the field of logistics. Enterprise tools have become available for production companies, which has made outsourcing of production a more attractive proposition. Such tools as EDI, ERP, etc. have driven companies to focus their efforts on higher margin business units, usually service oriented.
Technology: Products have become more complex, more difficult to repair & maintain, thus requiring expert service. The rising need for such services has made providing such services more attractive to business savy companies.
Capital: Funding for new businesses has been extremely high in the recent past, allowing rapid entry and increasing competition into capital intensive industries that have been providing exceptional returns. The spur of competition has driven margins lower, making production an undesirable business for many industries.
Communication: Access to service support through telephone lines as well as the internet have spurred a significant build-up of service oriented businesses. Traditional producers have been using these mediums to provide access to consumers.
Inhibitors:
Economics: Costs of establishing an appropriate infrastructure in fossil (mature) firms creates a barrier in going to an outsourcing model.
Protectionism: Manufacturers may find it difficult to divulge sensitive knowledge to outsourcing partners for fear of losing proprietary technologies our capabilities that can be accessed by competitors.
Paradigms:
Past Salesperson’s lead point: Our products are the best in the industry
Future Salesperson’s lead pitch: Our follow-up services are the best in the industry
Predictability:
MEDIUM – The move towards homogeneity between products and diversity among services is a relatively new phenomenon, perhaps littered throughout history, warming up in the Eighties but not becoming a real “movement” until the Nineties. Humans are strange beasts; it will not be easy to predict their reaction to knowing that any product they choose from any manufacturer will be nearly identical.
Influence:
LOW - Certainly those producers who choose to rush against the winds of change must aggressively attack their competitors, probably to little avail and only cornered to one single entity. “Slam” advertising may be one method of defending their positions. For example, if the highlight of a competitor is its superior after-purchase support, then a rival without such support could say something to the effect of: “the reason they offer such wonderful support is because they know they just sold you an expensive piece of crap and you will be needing it. Our products are of the highest quality, we work to improve our products so that you will never need to use our services.”
Or just convince all the major consulting firms in the world that the real money to be made is in production rather then services. They will develop a new buzzword that will reinvent business, as we know it and all the producers will return to production.
Experts:
Commerce Departments that track the division between services and products as they relate to GDP and other economic indicators. Consumer Behavior experts that can provide insights into how people will react to the changes.
Timing:
2005, when I assume everyone will have certain expectations about the service levels offered for products they purchase (even the Dutch). I like this year particularly because I would expect that nearly everyone in 1st & 2nd world countries will own some form of a computer, which I think will be one of the predominantly commoditized products (Intel Inside!?).
Links to Other Forces:
Growth of private labels
Possibilities:
It is quite possible that the rate of competition could accelerate due to this movement. If commoditization continues, the services will become ever more important (to a point). Because many things will be outsourced, new entrants have lower barriers to entry because offering services has less upfront capital costs.
Driving Force VII – The Financial Community
What:
The merger and acquisition frenzy of the 80s and 90s led financiers to discover undervalued companies from which profits could be made. As an off-balance sheet item, brands became vitally important as primary undervalued assets. Acquiring companies could increase its intangible asset base and amortize its assets.
Why:
Fuelled by the belief that strong brands resulted in better earnings and profits for companies thus leading to greater value for shareholders. Example – Nestle bought Rowntree for $4.5 billion, five times its book value. Such transactions have recognized the value of brands and intensified the need for sustaining brands.
Enablers:
Changes in accounting and financial reporting practices
Relaxation of borrowing criteria to assist in purchases
Snowball effect of profiteering – everyone looking to do the same
Inhibitors:
The economy as a whole
Accusations of profiteering
Companies being more bullish in valuing their intangible assets
Predictability:
Cyclical in nature with the fortunes of national economies being a major influence
Timing:
Mid 80s onwards
Links to Other Forces:
Globalization
Brand extensions
March 28, 2004 at 12:52 AM in Internet evolution | Permalink | TrackBack (7) | Top of page | Blog Home
Imagineering the Future of the Internet...
by Christopher M. Wright
Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons." So proclaimed Popular Mechanics magazine in 1949. The history of technology forecasting is littered with the wreckage of predictions gone awry. Not even a Thomas Edison or a Bill Gates can hit the mark every time. So why should a view of the Internet's future, painted today, not provoke laughter 10 years from now? One assurance lies in a new engineering standard, already adopted, which will reshape the form and line of the Internet in the years to come. We can detect the approximate color and hue by studying the uses that people currently make of the Internet and thinking about how the usage concepts might apply in a more technologically advanced environment. With one's fingers on the right elements, it is possible to sketch a view of the Internet's future that will prove accurate, at least in broad outline.
What will ordinary users encounter on the Net in 2010? What business models are likely to thrive in that environment? This article addresses these questions and presents bold ideas for next-generation Internet services from exciting companies already at work building the future.
new and enhanced functionalities
The new standard, Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) was first devised in 1995 and endorsed by an Internet task force in 1998. Most significant players (Cisco, Microsoft) are already testing equipment and connections that conform to IPv6 on a testbed called the 6bone, a virtual network layered on top of today's IPv4-based Internet. The migration to IPv6 is expected to be gradual, something that will take place over the next 5-10 years, and the two standards will coexist during that time and beyond.
Addressing / Embedded Systems
Most observers believe that the Internet will run out of addresses in a few years if nothing is done. Because the Net was originally designed to link a few researchers and not to be a mass medium, the patchwork IPv4 addressing solutions (NAT) are problematic. IPv6 upgrades the data packet address space from 32-bits to 128-bits, exponentially increasing the number of unique IP addresses available.
A prime use of IPv6 addressing capability will be embedded systems -- placing microprocessors in every device imaginable, from refrigerators to gas pumps, and linking them to the Internet for control and information gathering purposes. Thus the Internet will become the network for millions upon millions of intelligent devices. Wind River Systems has developed graphical Web-browsing capabilities for smart phones, cable TV set-top boxes, car navigation systems and other devices.
In 1998, NCR demonstrated a microwave oven with a touch-screen front panel allowing users to bank, shop and check e-mail while nuking their couscous. The same year another manufacturer announced a smart refrigerator that monitors its own contents and automatically orders replacements. Other home uses of embedded systems will include pacemakers and vital sign monitors linked to hospitals, lawn sprinklers that check the weather forecast before turning themselves on and cars that detect failing parts and e-mail their owners. Commuters will control the heat and light at home from their cars.
In the office, every printer and copier will be able to send output to other continents. Gas pumps will stream video from CNN, vending machines will signal when it is time to replace the Orangina and manufacturers will send software upgrades to machine tools on factory floors in several countries at the push of a button. Vauxhall Motors in the U.K. has a Web site featuring traffic reports updated every 40 seconds from electronic road sensors all over England. This is just a glimpse of the services that Net-linked embedded systems will provide by the year 2010.
Autoconfiguration/Mobile Computing
People in networks currently have problems trying to connect their laptops to the Net in field offices, other cities or even just down the hall. With 'static' addressing, network administrators have to configure new addresses manually. The supposed fix, 'dynamic' addressing (DHCP), does not always work well, granting addresses one day and taking them away the next.
IPv6, on the other hand, is a true plug-n-play solution that supports mobility without the need to change settings manually. Under IPv6, a mobile device keeps its home address and is automatically assigned temporary addresses at new locations. Network routers then automatically forward data from the home address to the relocated device. Also supporting mobility is an incorporated standard ('Mobile IP') which keeps nomadic wireless devices connected as they move through various IP subnets, in the way that cell phones roam without being disconnected. The future will bring more Internet-ready hand-held devices like palmtops, cell phones, music players, tiny attachable cameras and TVs. The Nokia 9000I is a digital cell phone, fax machine and Web browser that points in the direction of the mobile office.
Coupled with advances in voice recognition and thin displays, mobile computing will allow people to keep their calendars, consult their address books and read continuously updated multimedia "newspapers" on the fly, adding yet another dimension to a Net that will be all around us in 2010.
Selectable Quality of Service (QoS) / Bandwidth on Demand
Data transmissions on the Net often move at a snail's pace or disappear into the 'connectivity cloud' -- never to return. Selectable QoS is one answer to the increasing congestion on the Net -- service agreements that guarantee end-to-end session characteristics in exchange for variable pricing. People will voluntarily pay extra to reserve bandwidth when and where premium service is needed, for example to allow real time videoconferencing, telesurgery or multiplayer entertainment.
Commercial QoS offerings appeared in late-1998 but were unable to assign priority to data at the packet level. IPv6 supplies flow control labels that assign priority to individual packets, prompting the network to handle the packets in the manner requested. QoS services include simple priority, real time transmission, start/stop times and acceptable packet loss rates. Coupled with IPv6 native security features, QoS will facilitate the creation of corporate Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). Companies will be able to specify data paths, authenticate data sources and encrypt data at the packet level, allowing them to conduct business over the Net through 'steel pipes' secure enough to obviate the need for firewalls in some instances.
Multicasting/Internet Television
Ordinarily, a Web server must crank out a new set of data packets for every user who requests them, clogging routers and backbones with large identical data sets. Under multicasting, the job of replicating packets is distributed and data transmission is localized. A server sends a data stream to strategically placed 'mrouters,' which replicate the packets and send them on to their final destinations. After the initial transmission to the 'mrouters,' data streams for live events and other group downloads stay off the backbone, thus relieving network congestion. It is commonly said that viewers 'tune in' to multicast channels. Multicasting is already being tested on the MBone, but IPv6 will bring the service to its full potential, adding live video (i.e., television) to the growing list of what the Internet will be doing for users on an everyday basis in 2010.
Business Models
Online Communities: The Net is good at aggregating small groups of people who fly under the radar of mass marketers. With its search engines and global reach, the Net enables dispersed but like-minded individuals to find each other and build communities. A site might coalesce around common interests (womenconnect.com for female professionals) or shared values -- Didax is a Christian site featuring forums, chats and targeted books and music. Virtual communities can also revolve around specialized niche products or a desire to aggregate group purchasing power to get a better deal on major transactions. Sonnet Financial is online buyers' group, pooling orders for foreign currency and obtaining the most favorable interbank rate in international markets.
Business-to-Business (BTB): Retailing has gotten all of the attention so far, but the really big money is in business-to-business Web commerce. Network products provider Cisco has led the way, now deriving 60% of its revenue -- measured in billions -- from Web sales. The OASIS Marketplace lets electric utility companies buy power from each other, racking up $25 billion in transactions in 1998 and saving money by automating negotiations down from days to seconds. GE saves 15-20% through online procurement and takes a cut on every transaction created by opening its online supplier system to outside buyers. Buyers save money on FreeMarkets Online, an auction site for heavy industrial components like air conditioner compressors.
By automating the supply chain on the Internet, companies can save money, solve problems and increase customer satisfaction despite becoming more impersonal. Danish auto parts supplier Ostergaard noticed that its auto mechanic customers all began work at 8 a.m., diagnosing car problems and thumbing through a forest of paper catalogs to look for replacement parts. Then they all tried to place orders at the same time, jamming a telephone switchboard at 9 a.m. with hundreds of calls, many of which ended up on hold. So Ostergaard replaced the catalogs with an online sales system. A later improvement allowed buyers to check online whether parts were actually in stock. The last step was to link to suppliers' systems, enabling the immediate transmission of orders for out-of-stock parts. Ostergaard can now guarantee 24-hour delivery on any part ordered, capturing more transactions and increasing customer satisfaction in the process.
Customer Relations: Companies are also using the Web to automate other interactions with customers. Here once again Cisco leads the way. Cisco's award-winning customer service site on the Web helps 50,000 customers with 24/7 global availability of product documentation and order tracking tools. One tool lets personnel in different departments collaborate on an order before Cisco ever sees it. Self-help FAQ lists and troubleshooting tools solve most of the problems customers have, leaving a call center to handle the rest. By providing self-service, proactive notifications and immediate access to critical information, Cisco increases customer satisfaction and reduces 800-number charges, labor costs and software distribution expenses. Other companies are reducing their reliance on telephone technical support through the use of e-mail, accessible knowledge bases, business chat (instant messaging) and intelligent agents. Brightware claims that its intelligent agents can automate 80% of all customer sales and service interactions by asking the right questions and serving up appropriate information. Brightware is also developing fully automated chatter-bots, expert systems that will "converse" freely with customers. Some sites go beyond customer service to build customer community or capitalize on customer knowledge. Snapple, Saturn and SportsLine let customers chat with each other online. Netscape users and RomTech game players beta-test new versions, identifying the bugs and suggesting improvements. Lego lets children write and post software on the Net to increase the functionality of its robotic toys. Honda asked its viewers to design the perfect car. Cisco also seeks customer assistance in designing next-gen products, speeding up the design process, uncovering glitches and better ensuring that the final result is something people want.
Virtual Organizations: One type of virtual organization is a federation of specialized independent firms flying under a single brand, working in concert to deliver products or services to consumers who may never know that more than one company is involved. Like a pro football team, the lineup may change from season to season, but the jerseys remain the same.
The idea is not new. "Sears roofing" has long been offered through independent contractors. The arrangement benefits consumers who can easily find a source they feel they can trust to stand behind its work. The investment site E*Trade provides full-service brokerage by teaming with Reuters for news, BancBoston Robertson Stephens for recommendations and First Call for earnings estimates. Electronics distributor Marshall Industries parses data from 150 manufacturers, presents it through the Marshall site, verifies credit with Wells Fargo and ships via UPS.
Digital Products/Digital Delivery: The Web's versatility is illustrated by its ability to distribute all manner of digitized information -- text, video, CD-quality sound, images, animation and software. Egghead dropped all of its retail outlets and sells software only over the Web. GartnerGroup delivers high-end industry reports, some costing thousands of dollars, via the Web. Mapquest creates street maps for insertion into company Web sites with hyperlinks to points of interest and business data. Viewpoint offers 3-D models for games, video production and forensic work, as well as standard motions for character animation. PhotoDisc sells stock photos to publishers over the Web that can be searched by subject, color and other attributes. ESPN holds subscriber-only live netcasts featuring diagrams by former big league coaches, trivia contests and chances to win sports-related trips. Hollywood studios are working on the digital distribution of first-run movies to theaters over the Web. The Net is creating value in numerous ways, making it not only a versatile medium but also an engine of prosperity.
Virtuoso Firms Display Their Artistry
Dab a little IPv6 on the palette, mix with other improvements like bigger bandwidth and XML mark-up language, throw in some usage concepts from above, and here is what happens when cutting edge firms take brush in hand and step up to the canvas:
Medical Consumer Media (MCM) / 'Smart Clothing': Winner of the AMA's Best Web Site award in 1997, MCM of Reston, Virginia, (www.medcm.com) created the first educational pharmaceutical Web site (for GlaxoWellcome) and virtual reality experiences for Merck and others. Looking ahead to the new addressing and selectable QoS functionalities of IPv6, MCM sees a market for Web-connected 'data suits' or 'smart clothing' that will help rehabilitate stroke victims and others whose mobility has been compromised from accident or disease. The suits will contain thousands of embedded microprocessors emitting signals via wireless connection to network computers, resulting in spectacular 3-D visualizations based on minute calibrations of muscle and finger movements. A dozen sensors might be enough to create stick figure representations on one local computer, but it will take IPv6 addressing and the distributed computing power of the Net to achieve the fine gradations MCM envisions. Stroke victims lose their muscle dexterity. Data suits will detect minute improvements in muscle control and provide immediate feedback to physical therapy patients as to how they are progressing versus a baseline established in a previous session. Smart clothing will eventually move patients' extremities in accordance with pre-arranged signals, providing electro-mechanical support as current state-of-the-art prosthetic devices are beginning to do. MCM sees applications for data suits beyond medicine, from 3-D games to tennis instruction.
BoxerJam/'Leisure Currency' : BoxerJam of Charlottesville, Virginia, offers real time multiplayer games on AOL, Sony Station and its own Web site (www.BoxerJam.com). Its Strike A Match word game won an AOL Members' Choice Award in 1997 and is played by millions. BoxerJam is excited by the concept of nomadic devices because it takes online entertainment out of the living room and makes it available no matter where people happen to be idled or waiting -- in the car, the doctor's office, etc. In addition, selectable QoS will make data transmissions over the Net more reliable. Paying for QoS will enable BoxerJam to offer new games with Jeopardy-size prizes over the Net to people currently unwilling to pay entry fees because of high data disruption rates.
Rewarding people for playing also underlies BoxerJam's idea for a leisure currency earned by playing more games, bringing in new players and buying products from BoxerJam sponsors. Players could spend the currency in an envisioned BoxerJam store, earning $10 off a J.Crew sweatshirt, for example. The currency will function like the Green Stamps of yesteryear. IPv6 authentication headers will enhance security, alleviating concerns that the currency will be fraudulently generated or stolen. BoxerJam will team with affinity partners in larger promotions that will let players earn more currency by watching certain TV shows or otherwise choosing an affiliated entertainment or merchant over a competitor.
Chaos NewMedia/Virtual Companies for the Disabled: Chaos NewMedia of Charlottesville, Virginia, (www.chaosltd.com) creates commercial Web sites that draw their strength from building online communities. It created a site for Wedding RSVP where a couple and their guests can interact with information about an upcoming marriage. Chaos envisions the disabled forming virtual companies to deliver digital products over the Net, including magazines, software and multicast news channels.
The disabled tend to be isolated and underemployed. The Internet has already helped them touch the world and participate in community through chat rooms, e-mail and shopping. They can leverage IPv6 and other improvements to the Net to sell from home through virtual companies made up of employees spread from California to Maine. Such companies will use collaborative authoring tools to create digital products, virtual private networks to keep track of company affairs and selectable QoS to circulate drafts and convene real time conferences. In this vision, programmers in California might get together with marketers in Michigan and finance folks from Florida. Thus, the Net can help geographically dispersed disabled individuals pool their talents and create knowledge-based enterprises -- the ultimate in cottage industries -- and build community in the process.
The Gallery Tour Winds to a Close
The face of the Internet is changing. Connectivity is broadening with the addition of embedded systems, mobile computing, Internet TV and IP telephony. Usage is broadening as the Net simulates many attributes of earlier media like newspapers and radio, adds elements of its own like interactivity and digital delivery, and creates value in heretofore unimagined ways. Connect the dots and what emerges is a picture of a continuously improving medium of unrivaled versatility, a multi-faceted tool possessing unprecedented power for group communications, a universal network from which is unfolding a rich and never-ending tapestry of new uses and applications. By 2010, the face of the Internet will look like something from the hand of Pablo Picasso -- a cubist montage liberated from the narrow perspective of the desktop and drawn from many different vantage points instead. People in 2010 will encounter an omnipresent, partly invisible Net through a whole host of intelligent devices, not just through their PCs. People will get their e-mail through voice commands in their cars and otherwise live their lives in a world suffused with an Internet gone ambient. Thus will the Internet in 2010 be setting the frame for ubiquitous computing, the next wave to come after mainframes, PCs and networks.
March 28, 2004 at 12:49 AM in Internet evolution | Permalink | TrackBack (32) | Top of page | Blog Home
I have been thinking about what internet will look like in 2010. This prediction from 2000 is exactly what it won't look like ... this type of natural extrapolation will have some validity, but doesn't account for legislation, online crime, and spam.
I am starting to think the internet will have some different flavours that we haven't expected, and it won't necessarily be as easy as we expect. It will almost certainly cost the consumer more than we expect. I am not thinking of internet access, which will probably go down in price ... the cost will be in what you need to do online.
Future of the Internet and Web An Introduction to the Internet -- in 2010
(This material last modified 11/16/2000 21:51:26.)
True Mobile Computing
Internet will be faster, more easily accessible
Now standard computer connected to Internet via wire into wall or telephone connection
Will begin to give way to transmitters mounted on side of computer sending and receiving information to and from reception station
Will work like cellular telephones work now
Will allow computers to be re-positioned as necessary within office or entire building with no need for re-cabling
Will also allow Internet access while walking or driving
Better Internet Accessibility for All People
Research work proceeding at rapid pace to make Internet and World-Wide Web truly accessible to vision impaired, hearing impaired, or individuals with other impairments
Software and hardware hold great promise for solving such problems
Telephone Calls
Internet is becoming truly global communications medium
Many computers now equipped with audio and video playing and recording devices
Entirely possible that "telephone" calls of future will be transmitted over the Internet
Entire phone system as we know it (including local and long distance calls) may some day be viewed as simply one of features of the Internet
Handset could be computer peripheral, hands-free operation, access to databases, auto-dialing, video phone, conferencing, video conferencing
Merging of the Internet with Radio, Television, Newspapers, Magazines, Books
broadcast.com -> radio and TV broadcasts
World-Wide Web beginning to look a lot like television with animated images and streaming audio and video
Why not simply combine the two?
On Monday, Sept 27, 1999 abcnews.com and Sam Donaldson launched first Web-only newscast by major network
Watch television programs either "live" or at any more convenient time
No reason to use VCRs if television programs can be accessed at any time desired from the Internet
Paper versions of newspapers, magazines, books ... might have to print yourself
Digital newspapers, magazines, books with Web links
Replacing CD-ROMs and DVDs with the Web
CD-ROM (Compact Disk - Read-Only Memory) and DVD (Digital Video Disc) store tremendous amount of information and make it available quickly to computer
But, information on CD-ROM and DVD become out-of-date
CD-ROMs and DVDs are stopgap measure until bandwidths and computer speeds get so good that anything now on CD-ROM or DVD can be accessed just as quickly over the Web
Using the Web as a Book Supplement
Nothing will ever replace the satisfaction of touching, holding, and ultimately reading a good book!
But, books get out-of-date
Supplementary Website for book with information constantly updated so that combination of book and Website are as current as possible
Will allow detailed information on a Website that an author might think is not worth putting into the book because only a few people might find it interesting
Electronic books (ebooks) replicate the look and feel of a book but can use information from the Internet
The Postal Service Goes Almost Completely To Email
Why bother to carry a piece of paper from Canton, Ohio, to Paris, France?
Only information on that paper are what recipient in Paris really needs to see
Large portion of what is now sent as mail will be able to be delivered just as well, more cheaply, and much more quickly via email
Post Office and magazine publishers are already exploring this
E-Commerce
E-Commerce will become commerce
Business to Consumer (B2C) and Business to Business (B2B) continue to expand
Digital signatures become as legal as actual signatures
"Bricks and mortar" businesses will learn better how to use Internet and Web and succeed in this environment
Software and Data Files
Application Service Providers (ASPs) make services available on Web (tax preparation, calendars, home thermostat control, ....)
All your files (addresses, letters, recipes, ...) are kept on one computer -- accessible from all others -- making every computer "your computer"
Distance Learning
Teaching and learning may get turned upside down by the Internet
Internet (especially Web) permits all course material -- readings, assignments, supplementary materials, and exams -- to be available on computer network
Great advances being made in digitizing audio and video
Lectures, discussions, and even labs could be made available on the Internet
Student in rural Indiana could "attend" Purdue University via the Internet
Challenges in getting such a scenario to work
Student discussion ("chat") rooms hold tremendous promise
"Unlimited office hours"
Quality of education is terribly important and may be able to be made even better with use of Internet and Web technology
March 28, 2004 at 12:47 AM in @ My Views @ | Permalink | TrackBack (22) | Top of page | Blog Home
Yahoo! News - Microsoft Readies News, Blog Services
Fri Mar 26, 7:00 PM ET
Joris Evers, IDG News Service
Expanding its push into the Internet search space, Microsoft says it plans to launch Internet search services for news and Web logs later this year.
The new services, called MSN Newsbot and MSN Blogbot, up the ante in the battle for Internet search market share. Microsoft has already said it is working on its own general Internet search engine, expected to be launched this year, to go head-to-head with Google. The Friday announcements were made at a Microsoft meeting for online advertisers.
"Consumers are saying that they are not finding the results that they want from any search site today. There is a huge room for improvement in the search space," says Karen Redetzki, a product manager for MSN at Microsoft.
Also Friday, Microsoft said it is working on a natural language search engine, dubbed MSN Answerbot. This service will take questions from users and find answers on the Internet, rivaling a similar service from Ask Jeeves. No release date for MSN Answerbot has been set, but Redetzki says it is about three years away.
Service Strategy
MSN Newsbot will gather news from more than 4000 sources worldwide. The service is being tested at newsbot.msn.com. Google and Yahoo also offer news search services. The MSN Newsbot test version is online in 10 of MSN's 38 markets today and that number will be expanded, Redetzki says. "We're looking at worldwide roll-outs for all of our search products," she adds.
Microsoft is claiming a first with MSN Blogbot, a service that will let users search Web logs, or "blogs," personal-journal type Web pages that have become increasingly popular. Many consumers even use blogs as a news source, according to Microsoft.
MSN Blogbot will aggregate content from hundreds of thousands of Web logs and index that content based on which Web logs are most popular and credible, Redetzki said. The service should go into beta soon, and Microsoft plans to introduce MSN Blogbot worldwide, she said.
Microsoft has made Internet search a key investment area and is building its own search engine from scratch. The company's current search services on the MSN Web site are offered through a partnership with Yahoo.
"Microsoft excels at software issues, and to build a search engine from scratch is a software issue. This is a perfect opportunity for Microsoft to take on this software challenge head on," Redetzki says.
MSN Newsbot will be the first of the new services to officially launch. It will be followed by MSN Blogbot and the general search service based on the newly developed Microsoft search technology, Redetzki says.
March 28, 2004 at 12:37 AM in Microsoft | Permalink | TrackBack (12) | Top of page | Blog Home
Credit-card providers face growing pressure to disavow profits made from online porn, says John Burns
In September 1999, the FBI raided the home of Thomas and Janice Reedy in Fort Worth, Texas. Inside they found the largest child pornography business ever, one which had 250,000 subscribers, including 100 in Ireland.
Operating as Landslide Productions, the Reedys were earning up to $1.4m (€1.2m) a month selling child porn images over the internet. For a monthly fee of about $30, the likes of Tim Allen, the celebrity chef from Cork, could access websites with titles such as Child Rape containing images of four-year-olds being sexually abused.
Many of the paedophiles used credit cards to pay for the images, and that was how they were caught.
Professor Max Taylor from Copine, a child-porn research unit in Cork, reckons that credit-card companies made up to $3m a year from Landslide’s tawdry trade, based on their 4% to 6% commission on each transaction.
“There is a social problem here — pornography — and people are benefiting from it,” says Taylor. “Barclaycard made a profit of £3.8 billion (€5.7 billion) last year, and American Express made $6 billion. It is not unreasonable to say that a fraction of that may come from what people would see as being unsavoury if not illegal.”
Credit-card companies are coming under increasing pressure to disavow this money. While it is difficult for consumers who object to pornography to have a direct impact on those who produce it — they are already boycotting the “product” — they are now realising they can influence banks that enable its finance.
“If companies have been identified as having links with the pornography industry, then people should act by taking their business elsewhere,” says Joanna McMinn, director of the National Women’s Council.
This threat will be taken more seriously by Irish financial institutions after a campaign by the women’s group shamed Bank of Ireland two weeks ago into promising to get out of a deal with a UK pornography magazine firm.
The bank had offered a €7m loan to Remnant Media to purchase 45 top-shelf titles, such as Asian Babes, from Richard Desmond, joint owner of the Irish Star with Independent News & Media, and owner of Express Newspapers in Britian. The women’s council urged members to close their Bank of Ireland accounts in protest. Surprisingly, it worked.
“It was customer comment that swayed our decision,” admitted a bank official. “We didn’t lose any business but we did move quickly in response to the threat.”
The women’s council is understandably chuffed. Now it has identified this new target — the link between credit-card companies and pornographic websites. “Women have moved into the labour market and a lot more of them have credit cards. They should use them to have an influence. It is easy to change credit card,” says McMinn.
But can it score a second success, and do Irish banks even have a case to answer?
THE business of EuroConex, a company based in Arklow, Co Wicklow, is to check out businesses that want to receive payments by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diner’s Club, Laser in Ireland and Switch in Britain. It considers new clients from a credit and an ethical point of view.
“Three types of businesses are prohibited,” says Willie Byrne, head of sales and marketing. “Adult entertainment, child pornography, and sexual-encounter firms such as escort agencies. We will not sign up any of these people.”
Of course, websites that plan to sell pornography do not show up at the bank with names like MegaBoobs.com. Some present themselves as sellers of lingerie or even more innocuous products.
“As part of our signing-up process, we do a full review of the website addresses to make sure it is a legitimate e-commerce business, and we also look at associated sites and links,” says Byrne.
In the Irish market, this is a relatively straightforward procedure and involves tens of applications per week rather than hundreds. EuroConex has a staff of about 15 involved in processing applications from merchants, and checking out websites is just a part of their duties.
“Occasionally something slips through the net,” says Byrne. “Big business is involved in these pornographic sites and they tend to be resourceful. It’s a bit like fraudsters. Even the most scrupulous acquirers will be compromised from time to time.
“This hasn’t happened to EuroConex, but if we did find a site with adult pornography we would disable it on our system. If we found something illegal, we would report it to gardai.”
The Irish Payment Services Organisation, which represents banks who issue credit cards in Ireland, says none of them knowingly process transactions for any porn sites. AIB’s credit-card centre, for example, says it has an unambiguous policy in relation to applications from merchants involved in trading in pornography: “We do not accept business from such companies.”
Visa says it employs a company, Intercap, to scan the web looking for child porn websites that use the Visa sign. Any they find are reported to police.
There is a key distinction to be drawn here. Every right-thinking person would approve of credit-card firms doing all they can to eradicate child porn. But adult porn is a much more difficult ethical issue simply because, as Visa notes, it is legal.
“We have 21,000 member banks from very different parts of the world and there are some very different views on that sort of thing (adult porn),” says a Visa spokesman. “If something is legal, that’s as far as we can go.
“Visa is owned by banks — those are our customers. The card-holders are customers of the banks, so if people want to put pressure on the banks, that’s fine.”
One thing the banks say they will not do is to snoop in customers’ accounts to check who is making payments to MegaBoobs and the like.
“We are not doing Big Brother,” said a Bank of Ireland official. “There are so many millions of transactions anyway.”
Most websites that use credit-card facilities erase the details of each transaction once it’s completed anyway, points out Evan Ryder, a computer services technologist with University College Galway. The Data Protection Act in Ireland stipulates that such details cannot be retained by credit-card companies.
“I don’t think companies like Visa will do much more, because the only extra action they could take if a card-holder attempted to purchase pornography online would be to report the card number or refuse to complete the transaction,” says Ryder. “Both approaches are probably illegal in some countries and would involve expensive changes to the credit-card company’s or bank’s systems. It would also require a database of blacklisted businesses to be maintained continuously.”
But this is the extra mile Taylor feels credit-card companies should travel. “I don’t know how to solve it technically, but they have a responsibility to solve it,” he insists.
Credit-card providers have no difficulty telling their customers they have exceeded their credit limit, no matter what part of the world they may be in, argues Taylor, so why can’t they stop porn sites using plastic to sell smut? “Commercial companies that make money out of pornography have a responsibility to society, and I don’t think it’s enough for them to say, ‘We’re doing all we can’. I want them to look at re-designing their systems so that they can clearly identify website owners that carry porn, and stop money going to them.”
Some in the banking industry privately admit they sympathise with this argument. “There are credit-card companies that take a very commercial view and say to themselves, ‘These porn sites will find an acquirer somewhere, so it may as well be us’,” said one industry source.
“In Britain, there are mainstream adult websites with top-shelf magazine stuff. Companies like Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland are acquirers for these sites.”
The very least such companies could do, says Taylor, is make a donation to charity equivalent to the profits they make from the sale of sex images. “If they agree that porn is reprehensible, how about giving Women’s Aid $2m a year?” he wonders.
Without a credit line, a lot of internet porn would be out of business. Those operating child-porn sites are not, Taylor believes, sexually interested in children. They are usually criminals and in it for the money. “If you shut down the money, you shut down the sites,” he says. “They would go and do something else.”
He doubts that any Irish financial institution is knowingly involved in anything inappropriate, but feels that the Bank of Ireland case could be a watershed of sorts.
“What was important was that people expressed their view and the bank listened,” he says. “Big organisations only think about these things when it hits their pockets.
“There was a sadder side to that case too, though. It showed that there is a very well-organised women’s voice; but there’s no organised children’s voice.”
ACTUALLY, Copine is that voice. The team of six, based at University College Cork and led by Taylor, is the only child porn research group in the world. Its budget, of almost €200,000 a year, comes mostly from the European Union. Success for Copine is when, like last week, a paedophile they detect posting children’s images on the net in America is arrested.
Cutting the credit lines won’t solve the problem itself. Paedophiles get around the payment system by swapping images online, usually by posting pictures anonymously to newsgroups, of which there are about 50,000. But if credit-card companies need inspiration, they could draw it from internet search engines that do not address paedophile queries any more. Although, as Taylor admits wearily, there are ways around that too. “The internet is an anarchic place,” he says. And a lucrative one.
March 27, 2004 at 11:29 PM in Financial Services, Online crime | Permalink | TrackBack (20) | Top of page | Blog Home
washingtonpost.com: Questionable Results at Revamped Yahoo
By Leslie Walker
Thursday, March 11, 2004;
Say it ain't so, Yahoo. You wouldn't sell out loyal users to those money-grubbers on Wall Street, would you?
I am a big fan of Yahoo, believing it has the best general portal on the Web. Still, I am worried about where Yahoo is heading with its revamped Web search, especially after testing it last week.
The best spin may be that Yahoo is experimenting with ways to balance the needs of users and advertisers. The worst would be that Yahoo is letting advertisers rule its search roost, contrary to the way users seem to rule at rival Google.
Both are struggling to decide how best to sprinkle related ads across search results, an issue with big implications for other online media companies. The issue merits special attention now because Yahoo divorced Google as its longtime search partner last month and began -- for the first time -- showing results generated by its own Web-crawling software.
Yahoo made a huge investment to accomplish this, plunking down more than $2 billion in cash and stock to buy companies with technology it hopes will make its search engine as smart as Google's.
This competition is good news, because Google was gaining too much market share. In December, it processed roughly three out of every four Web queries, according to the Web traffic measuring firm comScore Networks Inc. Even after subtracting the searches it conducted on behalf of Yahoo, Google is still handling roughly half of all Web searches.
Big bucks are at stake. The more queries each handles, the more they can charge advertisers to place small text ads beside and on top of results. Search ads are projected to generate more than $3 billion in the United States this year. Piper Jaffray Cos. estimates Yahoo will net about $1 billion from search ads this year.
So what worries me about Yahoo's new search? When I run comparison queries at Google and Yahoo, several obvious differences jump out. First, Yahoo devotes a lot more space to ads -- so much that on some queries, you might not even notice the regular results for all the ads. They often consume three-quarters of the screen that is supposed to display top results.
Second, Yahoo places ads in a more prominent position than Google, with fewer visual cues to separate them from non-commercial results. No doubt this translates to more clicks for advertisers and more money for Yahoo, since advertisers pay only when people click on their ads. But I find it annoying to have the ads dominating the center of the page.
Finally, Yahoo made a change last week that most visitors can't see, yet which troubles me deeply. It announced a new program, Site Match, allowing businesses to pay to get their sites included in Yahoo's Web index. Yahoo said the payments will have no effect on rankings, and therefore these paid listings won't be marked as ads.
Yet each time a user clicks on a Site Match link, the site owner must pay Yahoo at least 10 cents. Piper Jaffray estimates the paid-inclusion program will dump $50 million to $100 million into Yahoo's coffers this year.
Yahoo says Site Match is designed to help it index Web pages hidden inside databases and other hard-to-access places. In return for payments, the sites will also get crawled more frequently by Yahoo's indexing software and be allowed to submit more information in formats Yahoo hopes will allow for smarter query-matching.
Tim Cadogan, Yahoo's vice president of search, said Yahoo is selectively offering the program for free to nonprofits with huge databases, including the Library of Congress. He added that Yahoo has a general disclosure on its Web site explaining that some sites pay to be in its index; it does not identify which ones.
But critics call paid-inclusion a form of hidden advertising, saying it could taint results by indirectly influencing the rankings. That's why Google said it has never allowed sites to pay to be in its index, even though Google works closely with large sites to help them give access to Google's crawler.
Google co-founder Larry Page said each search result involving payment should be labeled to preserve public confidence. "I see it as very much like with traditional media," Page said, "where if someone is paying you, you make clearly understandable to the reader that it is an advertisement."
Ask Jeeves Inc. said it recently discontinued a similar program because it was unable to make fair comparisons between sites crawled in the regular fashion and those paying to provide information.
In interviews, Yahoo executives insisted the goal of their paid-inclusion program is to boost relevance and comprehensiveness of results. Still, it's hard to believe that boosting revenue isn't a goal, too. Otherwise, wouldn't Yahoo let sites submit their pages for free?
Some advertisers aren't happy about program, either. They don't like paying for each click when their listings are appearing inside the regular search results, rather than with the ads. Some also complained that they can't set daily spending limits or caps on particular keywords, as they can with other search ad programs.
"It's like, 'Let's throw money at it and hope it shows up,' " said Andy Timmons, who manages online marketing for thousands of contractors at EveryContractor.com.
Mind you, Yahoo is making some other smart moves to link its search results to other content inside its own network, material such as travel guides and company profiles that Google may have trouble matching. One example is the local mapping feature Yahoo debuted this week. It lets people pinpoint the location of businesses and community resources on maps. Start with a map of the area around any address, say 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., then you can selectively add restaurants, parks, banks, movie theaters and other entities in more than 50 categories. Roll your mouse over each entity's icon on the map, and up pops its address, phone number and Web address.
Yahoo is still figuring out how to integrate local advertisers into this mapping service, but initial charter sponsors such as Holiday Inn appear as clearly marked external links that you can click to add their hotels to the map.
Let's hope Yahoo doesn't move toward a paid-inclusion model on maps, too, in effect littering them with advertising icons. Rather, I hope it takes to heart the criticism about hidden advertising and revamps Site Match to -- at the least -- require each paying site to clearly identify itself.
Leslie Walker's e-mail address is walkerl@washpost.com.
© 2004 The Washington Post Company
March 27, 2004 at 11:00 PM in Portals | Permalink | TrackBack (9) | Top of page | Blog Home
Yahoo! News - Rival Portals Want Share of Ad Budgets
Sat Mar 27, 7:39 AM ET
By Lisa Baertlein
REDMOND, Wash. (Reuters) - The major Internet portals must both compete and cooperate if they are to take advertising revenues away from more established media, including television, Yahoo Inc. (NasdaqNM:YHOO - news) Chief Executive Terry Semel said on Friday.
Both Yahoo and Microsoft's Internet unit, MSN, which uses Yahoo's Web search and search-based advertising services, are hoping to gain a bigger share of large companies' advertising budgets.
Major companies now devote only a tiny fraction of their budgets to the Web -- with estimates ranging from around 1 percent to 3 percent.
But the Web portals see an opportunity to raise that share sharply, partly at the expense of American television networks, which face a fragmenting audience.
"We have a common goal. That goal is to take a greater and greater share of (the) market," Semel told attendees at an online advertising conference hosted at Microsoft Corp.'s (NasdaqNM:MSFT - news) headquarters.
"Not only do I welcome the idea of doing things together, I think it is absolutely critical," Semel said. "There is no such thing as a major marketplace for advertisers ... if there is only one network to talk about."
"What we have here is a very powerful marketing vehicle," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told conference attendees on Thursday, noting that he would like to see large advertisers putting 8 percent to 12 percent of their ad budgets toward online campaigns in 2005.
Internet advertising, which suffered a major blow during the dot-com collapse, has rebounded with the help of Web search advertising.
According to Internet research company Embarked, U.S. online ad spending is expected to grow to $8.6 billion in 2005 from $6.9 billion in 2003.
Semel, a former Hollywood studio head, compared today's online advertising industry to the early days of network or cable television.
The future of Web advertising depends more on the establishment of better practices and standards, and less on technology, as it has in recent years with the growth of lucrative Web search ad services popularized by Yahoo division Overture Services and Google Inc.
"Unlike the technology world, where if you own the secret sauce you will dominate with that secret sauce, this requires strong competitors who have, if not equal, similar personalities and similar opportunities," said Semel.
Yahoo last year spent more than $1 billion to buy Web search players Into and Overture Services, while Microsoft has promised to roll out its own Web search technology this year.
March 27, 2004 at 10:57 PM in Portals | Permalink | TrackBack (12) | Top of page | Blog Home
Yahoo! News - PluggedIn: RSS Readers Offer New Ways to Read the Web
Sat Mar 27, 7:32 AM
By Reed Stevenson
SEATTLE (Reuters) - Noticed those little orange boxes on the Web lately with the letters "XML?"
It's not a mystery or an obscure engineering feature, but rather a new way to get news and information delivered to your PC without having to browse through page after page of Internet sites.
Called RSS, for Really Simple Syndication, these feeds are used to send information across the Internet using XML, or eXtensible Markup Language, the de facto new standard in formatting Web pages and information to be sent over networks.
"Technology has made more information available more readily," said Jim Pitkow, chief executive of Moreover, one of the architects of RSS, also shorthand for Rich Site Summary or RDF Site Summary. "But on the Internet the access time to get to that information has been greatly reduced."
To make it easier to read, or at least scan a lot more headlines in much less time, new software programs called RSS readers have been proliferating on the Web.
SharpReader, available at http://www.sharpreader.net, is a Windows-based application that monitors RSS feeds and dishes up instant messaging-style notices of incoming headlines, which can be read in a window resembling an e-mail program.
In most cases, incoming RSS items provide links that take the user directly to the full article or posting on a provider's Web site.
The feeds can be set up by simply copying a Web address into an RSS reader.
RSS readers aren't limited to desktop programs, however.
There's also a version that can be built into Microsoft Corp.'s (NasdaqNM:MSFT - news) Outlook organizer called Newsgator, at http://www.newsgator.com, which makes reading RSS feeds as simple as reading e-mail.
For those who want to monitor RSS feeds without installing new software on PCs, a variety of Web sites have also popped up that allow users to create their own lists of RSS feeds to monitor over the Web.
NOT ONLY NEWS
Users can subscribe to syndicated feeds from a variety of sources -- The New York Times, for example -- but RSS feeds also help keep track of online weblog postings and even product announcements.
Bloggers, or online journal keepers, use RSS extensively to monitor each other's postings and most popular blogging programs include automated RSS feeds.
And recently, Amazon.com Inc. (NasdaqNM:AMZN - news) began offering RSS feeds of dozens of product categories that allow Web shoppers to stay up-to-date on the Web retailer's latest offerings and deals.
"We're really helping users to be able to discover Amazon products in a whole new way," said Jeff Barr, technical program manager at Seattle-based Amazon.
Amazon also encourages Web developers to use RSS feeds and XML to create their own storefronts, for which they can receive a commission for products that shoppers choose to purchase by going through their Web sites.
Although online feeds, also called syndications, are becoming increasingly popular, identifying and choosing the right programs and versions can be tricky.
There's a separate version, Atom, that is also widely used, though many RSS readers are being designed to handle both. Atom provides essentially the same services based on a slightly different structure, which in most cases is invisible to the end-user.
Still, many are convinced that RSS is here to stay.
Many companies have big plans to develop RSS, which many expect to become a ubiquitously available technology.
March 27, 2004 at 12:13 PM in Blogging & feeds | Permalink | TrackBack (10) | Top of page | Blog Home
Yahoo! News - Bush Pushes Broadband Rollout by 2007
Fri Mar 26, 4:44 PM ET
By Caren Bohan
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) on Friday proposed 2007 as the goal for universal availability of high-speed Internet access to keep America competitive and innovative.
Speaking at length on the subject for the first time since August 2002, Bush discussed broadband while highlighting home ownership in the critical state of New Mexico -- a state he narrowly lost in the 2000 presidential election.
"We ought to have universal, affordable access to broadband technology by the year 2007," Bush said. "And then we ought to make sure as soon as possible thereafter consumers have plenty of choices."
"It's important that we stay on the cutting edge of technological change, and one way to do so is to have a bold plan for broadband," he said. Bush did not elaborate on how he would accomplish the 2007 goal.
Policymakers in Washington have been debating how to accelerate the rollout of high-speed Internet service. Some 20.6 million homes and small businesses already subscribe to it either from a telephone or cable television company.
Federal Communications Commission (news - web sites) Chairman Michael Powell has pushed an agenda to reduce the regulations on telephone companies, which in the past have had to share their networks with rivals because of their dominance in serving homes.
"I look forward to working with my commission colleagues, Congress and the administration to deliver on this vision for the American people," Powell