OPG ENEWS

The electronic journal of the Online Policy Group, Inc.

This issue is available online at http://www.onlinepolicy.org/media/opgenews/opgenews021008.shtml

Note: As you may have noticed, it's been awhile since the last newsletter. We have recently revived it and hope to make it a regular feature. As a large amount of news has occurred since the last newsletter, this issue includes both recent and more "historical" items. Enjoy!

Action Alerts
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• Repeal CIPA's Internet Blocking Provisions
  Use your voice to protect students' right to learn on the Internet!
  To Legislators:
  http://action.eff.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=1851
  To School Boards:
  http://www.eff.org/Censorship/Academic_edu/Censorware/net_blocking_alert/

• Flash Animation Opposing Internet Blocking in Schools
  Share this fun animation opposing Internet blocking in schools at http://www.eff.org/schoolblocking/

Online Policy Projects
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• Internet Filtering Software Wrongly Blocks Many Sites
  The Online Policy Group (OPG) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) released preliminary results of research on Internet blocking or filtering in schools (September 18, 2002) Check it out at http://www.onlinepolicy.org/media/schoolblocking020918.shtml

• "Extreme Programmers" Revitalize Online Community Forum
  A group of "extreme programmers" are pair-programming regularly on OPG's Online Community Forum software project, designed to provide more secure message boards, photo exchange, and many other online community features without commercial advertising or smarmy privacy policies. Java programmers, especially those interested in extreme programming in the San Francisco Bay Area, are invited to join the project, codenamed Calliope (volunteer info later in this issue). A somewhat out-of-date spec is available at http://www.onlinepolicy.org/research/onlinecommunityforum.shtml

• CCCP Joins OPG
  The California Community Colocation Project joined as a project of the Online Policy Group near the end of 2001. CCCP provides free colocated Internet access to individuals and organizations, including open source projects. It currently hosts 41 client IP addresses, 30 client computers, four servers, and two (soon to be five) switches! For more information on CCCP, check out http://www.onlinepolicy.org/media/011212.opg.cccp.shtml and http://www.communitycolo.net/

• Technology Federation Forming
  OPG will hopefully soon be part of a new federation of organizations called the Tech Federation. These organizations are federating to provide technology resources for social change through knowledge sharing, mutual aid, systems reliability, reducing un-needed redundancy, project co-ordination and promotion, resource sharing, social advocacy, anti-oppression work, community creation, legal research around tech issues, project documentation and fundraising. For more information, see http://notes.techfed.net/index.php/PointsOfAgreement

Online Policy News
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Access

• School Communities Give Internet Filtering Law Failing Grade
  School administrators, along with students, teachers, parents, and school librarians, in San Francisco, New York, and Boston speak out against federal mandates for Internet blocking or filtering software in public schools. Online Policy Group (September 18, 2002). Get all the details at http://www.onlinepolicy.org/media/schoolsfailcipa020918.shtml

• Hey Filters, Leave the Kids Alone
  A small group of activists gathered in front of Mission High School to protest federally mandated Internet filtering in public schools, Wired News (September 19, 2002) Read the whole story at http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,55243,00.html

• Filters, Schools like Oil, Water
  Last fall, high school students in John Elfrank-Dana's class decided to write a research paper on terrorism. The subject was personal: Located just a quarter-mile from the World Trade Center towers, students and teachers were forced to flee their school on Sept. 11. But the filtering software in place at Murry Bergtraum High School blocked access to websites with the word "terrorism." Wired News (September 6, 2002). Learn more by clicking http://www.wired.com/news/school/0,1383,54632,00.html

• OPG Keeps Palestine Activists Wired
  By working with OPG's QueerNet project, gay Palestinians and Palestinian expatriates have been able to form a supportive online community that is at reduced risk of both persecution and logistical problems, BAIDO (May 24, 2002) http://baido.org/topics/human_rights/2002/opg_webhosting.php

• Yahoo's China Concession
  Yahoo has recently signed a voluntary pledge to purge its Chinese website of material that China's communist dictatorship might deem subversive, Washington Post (August 19, 2002) More information at http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node= &contentId=A34015-2002Aug18¬Found=true

• Bush: Bring Back Library Filters
  The Bush administration announced in June that it plans to appeal a May U.S. Court of Appeals decision striking down the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA). However, filtering opponents are confident that the court will uphold the ruling, as CIPA filters were found to block constitutionally protected speech. Wired News (June 21, 2002) Read the story at http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,53389,00.html

• Internet Extends Legal Reach of National Governments
  Police in Italy didn't care that five websites they deemed blasphemous and thus illegal were located in the United States, where First Amendment protections apply, Associated Press via SiliconValley.com (July 21, 2002) Get the low-down by going to http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/3709326.htm

Privacy

• Libraries vs. Police in a Suit Sparked by Porn
  Someone in the library, huddled close to a computer screen, was viewing images of child pornography, Seattle Post-Intelligencer (August 13, 2002) See the story at http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/82432_library13.shtml

• Hacker Group Targets Net Censorship
  Some of the world's best-known hackers unveiled a plan this weekend to offer free software to promote anonymous Web surfing in countries where the Internet is censored, especially China and Middle Eastern nations, Reuters via CNET News (July 14, 2002). Learn more here: http://news.com.com/2100-1001-943686.html

Digital Defamation

• Dear Member: You've Been Deleted
  OPG Executive Director Will Doherty comments on Yahoo! yanking the Guerilla Queer Bar website, as well as similar activities of other online services providers, Wired News (July 11, 2002) Sniff the poop at http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,53658,00.html

• Ontario Court Orders Large Award For Net Defamation
  An Ontario court has awarded $400,000 in damages in possibly the largest such award in Canada for Internet defamation. The court noted that the global scope of the Internet ensured that the publication was communicated to worldwide audience, which contributed to the size of the award, The Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia (July 25, 2002) Get the details by going to http://www.cle.bc.ca/CLE/Stay+Current/Collection/2002/7/02-onthcj-reichmann

Digital Divide

• China Second to US in Web Traffic: Study
  According to the company, China accounted for 6.63 per cent of global Internet traffic, second only to the US, which accounts for some 42.65 per cent of online activity worldwide, AFP via Sydney Morning Herald (August 1, 2002) See the stats at http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/08/01/1028157806643.html

Organizational News
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Boards and Committees

• Online Policy Group Board Meetings Open To Public
  The next meeting will be held on December 7, 2002. To read the minutes of the last board meeting, held on September 7, 2002, go to http://www.onlinepolicy.org/about/boardminutes020907.shtml

• Ellen Ullman and Phil Gochenour Join OPG Advisory Boards
  To find out about these recent additions to the OPG Industry and Academic Advisory Boards, see http://www.onlinepolicy.org/about/bio/gochenour.shtml and http://www.onlinepolicy.org/about/bio/ullman.shtml

• Boards and Committees Seeking Nominations
  The Online Policy Group has a legal board and three advisory boards for academic, industry, and nonprofit advisors. There is also a development committee. We are currently seeking nominations for additional legal and advisory board members as well as development committee members. To see who is currently on the boards and committees and to learn more about the nomination process, have a look at http://www.onlinepolicy.org/about/boardcommittee.shtml

Location Developments

• OPG Office at San Francisco LGBT Community Center
  OPG moved into an office at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center! To see pictures of the space, go to http://www.onlinepolicy.org/about.shtml#centeroffice

Free Internet Services

• Direct Access Through the Online Policy Group
  The Online Policy Group provides donation-based email list hosting, website hosting, domain registration, and colocation services directly to individuals and groups who are underserved, underrepresented, or who face unfair bias, discrimination, or defamation online. Learn more by going to http://www.onlinepolicy.org/services.shtml

  Here are the latest statistics--

  • Email list hosting: 609 lists serving more than 57,630 subscribers
  • Website hosting: 80 websites
  • Domain name registration: 114 domains
  • Colocation in several secure facilities: 30 computers

• New OPG-Hosted Email Lists
  The Online Policy Group hosts lots of email discussion groups and lists. Here is a sampling of some new additions:
  • Freedom Training National Network (Southeast Asian Freedom activism) seafreedom@groups.onlinepolicy.net
  • Long Distance BDSM Relationships (long-distance and real life remote relationship issues for BDSM folks) ldr_bdsm@groups.onlinepolicy.net
  • Feminist Peace Network (peace, global justice, women's rights) fpn_atrocities@groups.onlinepolicy.net
  • BAIDO (network of international non-profits in the San Francisco Bay Area) baido-enews@groups.onlinepolicy.net
  • Femmetopia ('zine about femme, BDSM, butch-femme, Daddy-girl, FTM and transgender issues) femmetopia-zine@groups.queernet.org
  • Gay Democrats (focus on winning back the Democratic majority in the U.S. House and Senate) gay-democrats@groups.queernet.org
  • News and Info for Midwest LGBT Communities outmidwest@groups.queernet.org
  • Houston Area Motorcycle Society (men and women interested in motorcycles) hams@groups.queernet.org
  • DykeLeather (lesbians interested or involved in the BDSM lifestyle) dykeleather@groups.queernet.org
  • Femmes Who Love Transmen (world-wide network of Butches, FtM's and Femmes) femmephoria@groups.queernet.org
  • Support For People Battling Depression depression13-19@groups.queernet.org
  • Dykes On Bikes for Leather dob-leather@groups.queernet.org
  • Womyn Active in Kink (leather lesbians living in Florida) wak@groups.queernet.org

• New Websites
  OPG also hosts many websites! Here are some of the recent additions:
  • San Francisco LGBT Community Center: www.sfcenter.org
  • HipFaerie: www.hipfaerie.net
  • Final Testament, A Bible For Queers: www.gay-bible.org
  • Faerie Village 2002: www.faerievillage.com
  • The Campus Post: www.campuspost.org
  • Communist Youth Party of South Korea: www.cypsk.org
  • Tech Federation: www.techfed.net
  • Justice for Genocide: www.justiceforgenocide.org

• Featured Email List: Feminist Peace Network
  A global community of women collaborating to create a sustainable, peaceful future and raise awareness about the pandemic of misogynist violence. Check them out at http://groups.onlinepolicy.net/cgi-bin/mj_wwwusr?passw= &user=x12.236.240.98@example.com&func=lists-long

• Featured Website: Playwrights Center of San Francisco (http://playwrightscentersf.org/)
  From the website: "The Playwrights' Center of San Francisco, founded in 1980, is an organization open to playwrights, actors, directors, and simply anyone interested in the creation, development, and production of new stage works before a live audience. To this end the Center uses its acting company and directors to produce weekly readings of members' scripts, as well as organize workshops, put on seminars, manage local contests, and lots of other good wholesome theatrical fun... Since its inception the Center has produced over 50 reading-critiques per year, offering more opportunities to actors, directors, and playwrights than any theatrical organization in the Bay Area. The Center's Board, comprised of several well known local playwrights and actors, works tirelessly to maintain the Center's dedication to Bay Area playwriting excellence and artistic support."

• Featured Domain Name: Texas Twisters Gay/Lesbian Country Western Dance Club www.texastwisters.org

• Featured Colocation Client: Special Olympics of No Cal
  The California Community Colocation Project (CCCP), an OPG project, has begun a partnership with the Special Olympics of Northern California! CCCP now stores a Special Olympics database and may host more servers in the future. To read the media release and comments from CCCP Founder and Director David Weekly and Special Olympics CIO Judith Powell, go to http://www.onlinepolicy.org/media/specialolympicscccp021003.shtml For more information on the California Community Colocation Project, check out http://www.communitycolo.net/

Volunteer / Intern
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INTERNS! VOLUNTEERS! OPG needs volunteers and interns for many projects so please consider how you can apply your talents to developing universal Internet access without bias, discrimination, or defamation.

Please see the volunteer and intern page at http://www.onlinepolicy.org/volintern.shtml

If you are a volunteer or intern and would like to be added to the page, please email site@onlinepolicy.org with your name, email address, brief bio, date started internship or volunteering and (optionally) a picture (in png, jpg, or gif format).

We particularly need website editors interested in updating the OPG website on a regular basis (you don't even have to know HTML).

• New Volunteers and Interns are here!
  Thank you to all volunteers and interns! We would be lost without you. For an update on new volunteers and interns, go to http://www.onlinepolicy.org/volintern/volinternlist.shtml

• Volunteer of the Month: Jim Hankle
  Jim Hankle is volunteer of the month for October 2002 due to his tireless devotion and hard work in programming software tools that permitted the Internet Blocking in Schools project to pursue important research about the effect of Internet blocking software in schools. You can see a picture of Jim at work at http://www.onlinepolicy.org/research.shtml

Donate
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• Make A Difference for Communities Online
  The Online Policy Group depends on donors to provide the financial support necessary to make these important online policy projects possible. Please find out how you can make a tax-deductible donation of funds, equipment, goods, or services to benefit the online policy cause at http://www.onlinepolicy.org/joindonate.shtml

• New Recurring Monthly Donations Campaign
  OPG has a snazzy new way to provide on-going support! By going to http://www.onlinepolicy.org/joindonate.shtml, you can set up a monthly recurring donation to OPG using PayPal. Giving even a small amount every month will make a big difference. It's an easy way to contribute much-needed resources to the Online Policy Group. Check it out today!

• Is It Hot In Here?
  Have you noticed the new thermometer on the donation page of the OPG website? As we grow, it becomes even more important for us to set and meet funding goals. That's where this new graphic comes in. It's a thermometer that tracks our monthly goals, and it will increase with every donation and gift to OPG. You can keep track of our progress and also note how your donation turns up the heat!

Editorial Policy
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• Submissions
  OPG ENEWS accepts submissions of news stories, action alerts, and other materials. Brief submissions may appear in their entirety in OPG ENEWS, while longer pieces may appear as a link to a page on the OPG website. To submit a story, simply email it to opgenews@onlinepolicy.org

Subscribe / Unsubscribe
-----------------------------

To subscribe or unsubscribe to OPG ENEWS, please become a member of the Online Policy Group. It's so easy! Just send an email to:

opg-member-{location}-subscribe@lists.onlinepolicy.org

where {location} is intl for outside the United States, us for United States and sfbay for the San Francisco Bay Area.

For example, if you live in New York City, send an email to: opg-member-us-subscribe@lists.onlinepolicy.org

About OPG:

The Online Policy Group (OPG) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to online policy research, outreach, and action on issues such as access, privacy, and digital defamation. The organization fulfills its motto of "one Internet with equal access to all" through projects such as donation-based email list hosting, website hosting, domain registrations, and colocation services. OPG focuses on Internet participants' civil liberties and human rights, like access, privacy, safety, and serving schools, libraries, disabled, elderly, youth, women, and sexual, gender, and ethnic minorities. Find out more at http://www.onlinepolicy.org

OPG ENEWS, ISSN 1533-6387

Copyright (c) 2001-2002, Online Policy Group, Inc.

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