By Stephen Downes
February 11, 2004
Firefox
The latest Mozilla
browser, Firefix, launched a couple of days ago. I waited
for the initial crush of downloading to end, got it
yesterday, and have been testing it today. Firefox is the
new name for Firebird, the open source browser - yet
another trademark issue.
If you sent me mail in the last 24 hours, send it again. My
downes.ca mail server died on the operating table last
night, and while email has been trickling in, it is evident
that I have missed a bunch of them. By Various Authors,
February 8, 2004
[Refer][Research][Reflect]
Flickr
Roland passed along this link to Flickr,
a 'live chat together with social networks that enables
people to share media with one another in real time.' After
you register, play around filling out your profile and
uploading photos. Then, on your main page, click 'Launch
Flickr' and the fun begins - a chat area where people show
and trade photos. All the usuals of a social network with
chat and content. Still in prelaunch mode, but great stuff.
My Flickr profile. Meanwhile, Ben Hammersly
today introduced his readers to Dogster.
By Various Authors, February 10, 2004
[Refer][Research][Reflect]
Social Nets Not Making
Friends
Brief article recounting the
(inevitable) backlash against social networks, but without
really getting into the heart of it. The best thing about
this item is the link to Introvertster, an "antisocial,
non-networking community that prevents people from ever
bothering you while you're online." By Leander Kahney,
Wired News, January 28, 2004
[Refer][Research][Reflect]
Cautious Welcome for FTA
Deal
Australia has a new copyright regime,
courtesy of a new free trade agreement (FTA) with the
United States. Commentators, such as this cited here, are
calling it similar to the American's Digital Millennium
Copyright Act (DMCA), which has of course been pilloried in
these pages. Other critics are warning that the agreement will mean
"huge increases in copyright licence fees paid by
Australians" for content. "This is literally a Mickey Mouse
cultural shift," (ANU law professor Matyhew) Rimmer said.
"The US extended their copyright terms recently after
intense lobbying by a group of powerful corporate copyright
holders, most notably Walt Disney, which faced the expiry
of its copyright on Mickey Mouse and other famous cartoon
characters." And still others are representing the agreement as an
indication of Australia's subservience to U.S. interests.
By James Riley, The Australian, February 9, 2004
[Refer][Research][Reflect]
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