How Teens Use Media

How Teens Use Media
This June 1 2009 report highlights research by The Nielsen Company about
how to reach the "wired" teenager. It gives data on media being used by
youth (primarily on United States (US) youth ages 10-19) and recommends
reaching them "for everything from consumer packaged goods marketing to
the democratic process" through media used to reach adults. As stated
here: "The notion that teens are too busy texting and Twittering to be
engaged with traditional media is exciting, but false....To best engage
this segment in marketing, civic and cultural pursuits, you must...examine
the nuances of their media behavior as you would any demographic
segment... it could mean the terms of engagement they so often want: to be
treated more like adults."
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/297837

FYI - Fwd: Two Theatre Arts Workshops at The Banff Centre

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Boris Atamanenko
Date: 2009/8/24
Subject: Theatre Arts Workshops at The Banff Centre
To:


The Banff Centre [arts_info@banffcentre.ca] has issued the following
program announcement:

Theatre Arts Workshops at The Banff Centre:
Banff Stage Combat Intensive

Program dates: October 10 - October 12, 2009
Registration deadline: September 25, 2009

Engage in a rigorous exploration of stage combat techniques required for a professional performing career. Designed for artists working in theatre, participants will learn fundamental skills needed to perform violent action in a credible fashion by working with 35-year veteran fight master Jean-Pierre Fournier.

Play Finding with Daniel MacIvor
Theatre Arts Master Class Series

Program dates: December 11 – December 13, 2009
Application deadline: October 23, 2009

Join celebrated playwright Daniel MacIvor and investigate the process of creating and developing original text — whether it be a monologue, dialogue, a fully-formed idea, or a vague notion. Through specially designed conversations and exercises, MacIvor will lead and inform playwrights and actors on how to take their work to the next level.

View more information on these and other Theatre Arts programs:
http://www.banffcentre.ca/theatre/programs/

For more information and to apply:
The Banff Centre, Office of the Registrar
107 Tunnel Mountain Drive, Box 1020
Banff, Alberta T1L 1H5, CANADA
1-800-565-9989 or 1-403-762-6180
arts_info@banffcentre.ca
www.banffcentre.ca

Giving Voice: Oral Testimony

Oral Traditions Manual

The Oral Traditions Manual is a very useful tool for teachers and students interested in conducting oral history research and interviews. This detailed manual is available as a printable pdf download.

http://www.pwnhc.ca/teach/teachers/online_resources.asp

Welcome to oral traditions research!

"GETTING STARTED IN ORAL TRADITIONS RESEARCH"

Text: Elisa Hart - Illustrations: Wally Wolfe

http://www.pwnhc.ca/research/otm/index.asp

There are many people in the Northwest Territories who want to try to save the knowledge that is part of the oral tradition of their culture. People are realizing that if they do not do this, then much of this information will be lost forever. This manual was written for adults and students in the Northwest Territories who want to do their own research, but need help getting started. There is a lot to learn. This manual provides you with an outline of how it can be done using audio recording equipment.

http://www.pwnhc.ca/research/downloads/OralTraditionsManual.pdf

Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre:

Main Phone #: (867) 873-7551
Main Fax #: (867) 873-0205

Mailing Address:
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre
PO Box 1320
Yellowknife, NT
X1A 2L9

Street Address:
4750 48th Street
Yellowknife, NT

NWT Archives Phone #: (867) 873-7698
NWT Archives Fax #: (867) 873-0660

[ - - - - - - - - ]



Giving Voice:
A Practical Guide to the Implementation of Oral Testimony Projects
by Olivia Bennett

http://www.panos.org.uk/?lid=320

Published in 1999, this manual from Panos is meant for those implementing community-based oral testimony projects in the development context. Drawing on several years' fieldwork with grassroots and community-based organisations, it covers all aspects of such projects - from the initial planning to reviewing and evaluating the process and the products.

Designed to help those with little or no previous experience of such work, it also contains ideas for running a training workshop. Throughout the manual there are checklists, summaries of key points, and ideas for discussion which have been designed to be used or adapted as handouts for interviewers, and/or during a training workshop.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/177094
---

GEORGE LESSARD
Information, Communications and Media Specialist
451 Norseman Dr.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
X1A 2J1, Canada

Yellowknife Land Line # (867) 873-2662
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193
SKYPE: themediamentor

Online Business Card:
http://lessardcard.notlong.com
http://mediamentor.ca

Developing Asia Journalism Training and Awards

---

Developing Asia Journalism Training and Awards

Background

This year's Developing Asia Journalism Awards (DAJA) will include a short
training course for a group of 20 journalists from ADB DMCs across Asia
and the Pacific. The program is designed not only to enhance participating
journalists' knowledge on various development issues, but more
importantly, to recognize and emphasize their crucial role in fostering
greater awareness of key development issues, and providing sound
information to the public that they may be empowered to make better
socio-economic choices.

The poverty impact of the global financial crisis and government responses
to the crisis, as well as the role of development journalism in promoting
greater economic and financial literacy will be the main issues of
discussion for the 4-day workshop. The program will also profile ADB and
ADBI's work on adaptation to climate change and public private
partnerships (PPPs) for infrastructure development. Practical sessions
designed to help journalists prepare clear, accessible stories that will
provide ordinary citizens with a better understanding of the economic
realities and development issues facing their countries are also included
in the program.

The objectives of this training course and the awards are to: i) enhance
the understanding and further develop the skills of journalists in Asia by
equipping them with sound and current knowledge on key economic and
development issues, and; ii) to enable and encourage them to actively
promote public awareness through informative, responsible, and empowering
journalism.

An announcement has been made to call for submission of articles related
to four issues/categories, namely,
i) poverty impact of the global financial crisis;
ii) government responses to the global financial crisis;
iii) infrastructure development;
and
iv) climate change adaptation.
The top 20 articles will be selected by a panel of judges and their
authors/writers will be invited to the four day training program that will
be concluded with an awards ceremony.

Winners and runners up of each of the four categories
including two special prizes for
- Best Development Journalist of the Year
and
- Best Young Development Journalist of the Year
will be selected and awarded at the dinner
at the Foreign Correspondents Club.

Outputs

Enhanced monitoring, analytical, and reporting skills on economic and
other development issues for Asian journalists
Greater public awareness of economic and other development issues through
the work of the participating journalists
Better public and corporate governance in Asia and the Pacific

Participants

Journalists from ADB's developing member countries

Partners

Asian Development Bank headquarters
and
ADB Japanese Representative Office.

Event Details

Event: Developing Asia Journalism Training and Awards
Venue: ADBI, Tokyo
Start date: 20 October 2009
End Date: 23 October 2009

For more information:
http://www.adbi.org/event/3263.daja.awards.2009/

[via / thanks to:]

Bazlu
_______________________
AHM. Bazlur Rahman-S21BR
Chief Executive Officer
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication(BNNRC)
&
Member, Strategy Council
UN-Global Alliance for ICT and Development (UN GAID)

House: 13/1, Road:2, Shaymoli, Dhaka-1207
Post Box: 5095, Dhaka 1205 Bangladesh

Phone: 88-02-9130750, 88-02-9138501
01711881647 Fax: 88-02-9138501-105

E-mail: ceo@bnnrc.net, bnnrc@bd.drik.net
www.bnnrc.net

___________________
[and]
____________________________
Asiapacific-general mailing list
Asiapacific-general@lists.amarc.org
http://lists.amarc.org/mailman/listinfo/asiapacific-general

-30-

"...How many own your name as a domain name? ... Your online presence ..."

"...How many own your name as a domain name? ... Your online presence
should show who you are, your interests and background, and showcase your
best professional work. ..."

The Need to Develop Their Personal Brand

http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2009/08/journalism-students-need-to-develop-their-personal-brand231.html

[excerpt]

As a journalism professor, I have found there is one thing guaranteed to
set off a flurry of frenzied activity in the classroom. It has nothing to
do with exams or story deadlines. Rather, it is prompted by a simple
question to students: How many own your name as a domain name?

This seemingly innocuous question acts as a trigger, sending students
online to see if someone else with the same name has snatched up the web
address. A lesson on online research methods turns into "how to buy a
domain name," or more often, "what do I do if someone else has my domain
name?"

This is no trivial matter. Having a website that reflects your
professional identity is your digital calling card. Your online presence
should show who you are, your interests and background, and showcase your
best professional work. Or to put it another way, your personal brand as a
journalist.

In the journalism of today, the personal brand is becoming increasingly
central to the prospects of a young person starting out on a life of
reporting. So it is important for students at journalism school, and those
starting in the fall, to develop the professional brand that will set them
apart come graduation.

Some reporters may bristle at the idea of thinking of themselves as a
brand, considering it the equivalent of selling out. This overlooks the
fact that a journalist's identity has always been a part of the job,
otherwise why have bylines?

"60 Minutes” creator Don Hewitt died today

"60 Minutes" creator Don Hewitt died today

** REMEMBERING DON HEWITT

"60 Minutes" creator Don Hewitt died today at his home in Bridgehampton,
N.Y., after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He joined CBS in 1948,
directing the first network television newscast in May of that year.
Hewitt also produced the first televised presidential debate between
then-candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon in 1960.

Hewitt later went to CBS and gained permission to try his idea for a
one-hour broadcast that mixed hard news and feature stories, which debuted
in September 1968 as "60 Minutes." He ran the broadcast until 2004, which
under Hewitt won 73 Emmys and nine Peabody awards.

Tonight on the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, we will air an excerpt of a 2004
NewsHour interview between Hewitt and former NewsHour correspondent
Terence Smith.

Visit http://www.pbs.org/newshour/topic/media after 9:00 PM Eastern time
tonight for more information on this segment.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Segments highlighted on Media Watch Alert are scheduled to
air but subject to change.

Research on Flickr / Biblio on Flickr Research

A. Cox from U. Sheffield wrote a couple of papers
(http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/staff/cox.html);
Cox, A. (2008) "Flickr: A case study of Web2.0" Aslib Proceedings 60 (5)
493-516.

Cox, A., Clough, P. & Marlow, J.(2008) "Flickr: a first look at user
behaviour in the context of photography as serious leisure." Information
Research 13 (1)
http://informationr.net/ir/13-1/paper336.html.

Julia Davies wrote also a couple of papers
(http://www.shef.ac.uk/education/staff/academic/davies.html)
Davies, J (2007) `Display; Identity and the Everyday: self-presentation
through digital image sharing.´ In: Discourse, Studies in the Cultural
Politics of Education. 28:4

Davies, J. (2006) `Affinities and beyond!! Developing ways of seeing in
online spaces´. In e-learning- Special Issue: Digital Interfaces. Vol.3
issue 2. Pages 217-234. A

Edgar Gómez – doing a PhD on Flickr at Open University of Catalonia -
Internet Interdisciplinary Institute and visiting research at Oxford
Internet Institute:
http://tesisantitesis.wordpress.com/
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=530370679

Rachel Cobcroft – doing PhD on Flickr at Queensland State Archives /
Creative Commons Australia
http://www.flickr.com/people/felix42/
http://www.facebook.com/rachel.cobcroft

Eric Meyer wrote an article on Flickr:
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1353879

Ingrid Erickson (http://www.ssrc.org/staff/erickson-ingrid/) her
dissertation integrated quite a bit of research on Flickr.

Jean Burgess (Queensland University of Technology, Australia)' work on
vernacular creativity and Flickr. Look at CreativityMachine
http://creativitymachine.net/ for some of her work, including a
significant part of her dissertation project that focused on Flickr.

Mor Naaman studies it. A list of his publications in which you can find a
few about Flickr is avaleble at:
http://infolab.stanford.edu/~mor/research.html

Liza Potts <odu.edu> conducted research on Flickr. Published articles
include:
Potts, L. (2009). "Using Actor Network Theory to Trace and Improve
Multimodal Communication Design." Technical Communication Quarterly, 18
(3).
Potts, L. (2009). "Designing for Disaster: Social Software Use in Times of
Crisis." International Journal of Sociotechnology and Knowledge
Development. 1 (2), 33-46.
Potts, L. (2009). "Peering into Disaster: Social Software Use from the
Indian Ocean Earthquake to the Mumbai Bombings." Proceedings of the
International Professional Communication Conference. Hawaii: IEEE.
Potts, L. (2008). "Designing with Actor Network Theory: A New Method for
Modeling Holistic Experience." Proceedings of the International
Professional Communication Conference. Montreal: IEEE.

Collected by
--
Mayo Fuster Morell
E-mail: lilaroja@gmx.net
Skype: mayoneti

http://www.onlinecreation.info
http://www.openelibrary.info
http://www.openesf.net
http://www.networked-politics.info
http://www.euromovements.info

JOB: BBC World Service Trust - Country Director, Nepal

Opportunity Details

http://www.comminit.com/en/node/300321

The BBC World Service Trust is looking for a Country Director to run its
operation in Nepal. The successful candidate will have experience in both
media and international development. You will need to demonstrate a good
understanding of the specific issues facing Nepal, particularly with
reference to governance and health - the two themes in which the Trust is
currently working in the country.

The Trust is the international charity of the BBC. Our record in Nepal is
one of innovation. You will have the skills to lead an award-winning
local team to build on successes in creating programmes with impact for
the people of Nepal.

Giving Voice: A Practical Guide to the Implementation of Oral Testimony Projects

Giving Voice: A Practical Guide to the Implementation of Oral Testimony
Projects
by Olivia Bennett
Published in 1999, this manual from Panos is meant for those implementing
community-based oral testimony projects in the development context.
Drawing on several years' fieldwork with grassroots and community-based
organisations, it covers all aspects of such projects - from the initial
planning to reviewing and evaluating the process and the products.
Designed to help those with little or no previous experience of such work,
it also contains ideas for running a training workshop. Throughout the
manual there are checklists, summaries of key points, and ideas for
discussion which have been designed to be used or adapted as handouts for
interviewers, and/or during a training workshop.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/177094

Outside the Indigenous Lens: Zapatistas and Autonomous Video-Making

In this article and book chapter on the use of video among the Zapatista
communities of Southern Chiapas, Mexico, the author states that over the
past ten years, CMP/Promedios has trained over 200 indigenous men and
women in basic video production; built and equipped four Regional Media
Centers in Zapatista territory with digital video production,
post-production, audio, and satellite internet access; enabled the
production of 24 videos (as of 2008) for international distribution; and
provided the means for hundreds of videos utilised internally by the
indigenous communities in Chiapas. All of these productions, whether made
for community use or for international distribution, go through some type
of community consensus about topics and content.

http://www.comminit.com/en/node/296049/307

POLL: How central to democracy are newspapers?

Please VOTE in our POLL:

How central to democracy are newspapers - some of which are being lost to
budget cuts and other changes - as opposed to blogs, YouTube, emails, text
messaging, twittering, and the like?

* Pivotal - informed public debate is impossible without this kind of
quality platform and trained journalistic practice.
* Of some importance - we need both traditional newspapers and new media
voices/venues to sustain conversations conducive to transparency.
* Unimportant - the internet and other technologies have enabled
participation on the part of both citizens and journalists by trade,
making open journalistic debate both possible and popular. This is the
essence of democracy.

VOTE and COMMENT at
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/288615/348

~

RESULTS thus far (August 14):

46%: Pivotal - informed public debate is impossible without this kind of
quality platform and trained journalistic practice.

41%: Of some importance - we need both traditional newspapers and new
media voices/venues to sustain conversations conducive to transparency.

14%: Unimportant - the internet and other technologies have enabled
participation on the part of both citizens and journalists by trade,
making open journalistic debate both possible and popular. This is the
essence of democracy.

Commentary: How insurance firms drive debate

Editor's note: Wendell Potter has served since May 2009 as senior fellow
on health care at the Center for Media and Democracy, a nonprofit
organization that says it seeks to expose "corporate spin and government
propaganda." After a 20-year career as a corporate public relations
executive, Potter left his job last year as head of communications for one
of the nation's largest health insurers, CIGNA Corporation.

http://us.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/17/potter.health.insurance/index.html?iref=topnews

"Le photographe George Lessard dénonce les pratiques douteuses du gouvernement des TNO en matière de respect du droit d’auteur."

Arts et culture : Qui veut s'approprier les droits des artistes du Nord?

http://aquilon.nt.ca/Article/Qui-veut-s-approprier-les-droits-des-artistes-du-Nord-200908132229/default.aspx#article

Écrit par Batiste W. Foisy 
Paru le 13 août 2009
0 Commentaire(s)

Le photographe George Lessard en pleine action, lors d'un voyage d'échange en Russie, ce printemps. (Photo: Yudin Andrey Nikolaevich)

Le photographe George Lessard dénonce les pratiques douteuses du gouvernement des TNO en matière de respect du droit d'auteur.

Le photographe indépendant George Lessard n'a pas l'intention de s'enregistrer sur le répertoire en ligne des artistes des TNO (www.nwtarts.ca). Il n'est pas contre l'idée de diffuser son talent en ligne – loin de là! – mais il trouve que le prix à payer pour être listé sur ce site Web du gouvernement des TNO est plutôt salé.

« Quand vous voulez devenir membre de ce site-là, explique-t-il, on vous demande des images de votre œuvre et on demande aussi une licence pour l'utilisation de ces images, de la part du gouvernement des Territoires du Nord-Ouest. Une licence qui les autorise à l'utiliser de n'importe quelle façon que ce soit. Je pense que ce n'est pas juste. Ils devraient plutôt demander une licence restreinte à l'utilisation de l'image sur ce site spécifique. »

Si vous souhaitez vous enregistrer sur ce répertoire, vous devrez remplir et signer un formulaire dont l'une des clauses spécifie que le gouvernement retient les droits de reproduction de l'image cédée « pour tout usage dont notamment, mais non limité à, l'illustration, la publicité, le marketing ou la publication sur tout support électronique ou imprimé ». C'est ce passage qui irrite Lessard, qui relève au passage que le formulaire n'est disponible qu'en anglais. Selon lui, le gouvernement retire le pain de la bouche à ceux qu'il prétend défendre.

« Le gouvernement des TNO dit qu'il veut encourager les artistes, mais dans ce cas-ci, il n'y a pas de possibilité pour les artistes de générer un revenu avec ces images-là », dit-il. Selon lui, le GTNO aiderait davantage les créateurs en leur achetant les droits restreints de reproduction des images qu'en leur demandant de les céder intégralement et sans compensation.

Celui qui est membre du Collectif pour les droits d'auteur du Front des artistes canadiens a écrit au ministre de l'industrie du tourisme et de l'investissement, Bob McLeod, afin de lui faire entendre son mécontentement. Le ministre n'a pas tardé à lui répondre pour lui dire que l'intention n'a jamais été d'usurper les droits d'auteurs des artistes du Nord.

Dans sa lettre, le ministre affirme que seules les reproductions à des fins de promotion et de communications internes des photos soumises sur le site nwtarts.com sont envisagées par le gouvernement. « Cette base de données est un programme promotionnel dont l'adhésion repose sur une base volontaire par les artistes, écrit le ministre. Plus de 200 artistes ont souscrit à ce programme pour être exposé sur le site Web et dans des publications afférentes telles que Artist Newsline, une lettre d'information du GTNO destinée à la communauté artistique des TNO. Ce n'est que ce genre de promotion du travail des artistes qui est envisagée et permise par le formulaire de cessation de droits tel que rédigé. »

Mais George Lessard n'en démord pas. « Quand même, n'importe quel ministère du gouvernement peut faire n'importe quoi avec les images qu'on soumet », dit-il.

D'après lui, les artistes des TNO auraient avantage à mieux connaître les ramifications du droit d'auteur. « J'espère que le ministère de l'Industrie aidera un jour les artistes du Nord à mieux connaître leurs droits, dit-il.C'est important. »

 
---

GEORGE LESSARD
Information, Communications and Media Specialist
451 Norseman Dr.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
X1A 2J1, Canada

Yellowknife Land Line # (867) 873-2662
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193
SKYPE: themediamentor

Online Business Card:
http://lessardcard.notlong.com

E-mail: mediamentor@gmail.com

Home Pages: http://mediamentor.ca
My panoramic images
http://panoramas-by-george.notlong.com
My YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mediamentor
Online Activities: http://www.web.ca/~media/index.html
Photos: http://photosbygeorge.notlong.com
Photo Illustrations: http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/72157603627797568/
Etcetera:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/459582/

My Public Bookmarks: http://del.icio.us/themediamentor

Member:
Canadian Association of Journalists http://www.caj.ca
Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiennes http://www.carfac.ca/
Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective http://www.carcc.ca/
Sent from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

Omeka 1.0 - Serious Web Publishing

Omeka 1.0
http://omeka.org/

If you're looking to start your own online exhibit, you'll want to give
Omeka 1.0 a test run. This web-based publishing platform was created by
staff members at the Center for History and New Media at George Mason
University, and it allows users "to focus on content and interpretation
rather than programming". First-time users may wish to look at some of the
online exhibits that have been created so far with Omeka, and then dive
right in. The site also has complete documentation, along with discussion
forums and an RSS feed. This version of Omeka is compatible with computers
running Linux. [KMG]

Omeka is a free and open source collections based web-based publishing
platform for scholars, librarians, archivists, museum professionals,
educators, and cultural enthusiasts. Its "five-minute setup" makes
launching an online exhibition as easy as launching a blog. Omeka is
designed with non-IT specialists in mind, allowing users to focus on
content and interpretation rather than programming. It brings Web 2.0
technologies and approaches to academic and cultural websites to foster
user interaction and participation. It makes top-shelf design easy with a
simple and flexible templating system. Its robust open-source developer
and user communities underwrite Omeka's stability and sustainability.

Until now, scholars and cultural heritage professionals looking to publish
collections-based research and online exhibitions required either
extensive technical skills or considerable funding for outside vendors. By
making standards based, serious online publishing easy, Omeka puts the
power and reach of the web in the hands of academics and cultural
professionals themselves.

Top journalists give tips on YouTube

In a pair of recent initiatives, YouTube has taken this effort to raise
its profile even further by reaching out to journalists, both professional
and amateur. The first initiative revolves around the opening of a partner
program to all news organisations already accepted into Google News. The
second involves a new Reporters Center at which professional journalists
give advice to working citizen newsgatherers.

The goal of these initiatives is to gear YouTube toward a more
professional audience, making it a resource for hosting journalistic works
and educating budding news reporters about the best methods for
information gathering.
The question is whether news organisations will accept YouTube as a partner.

[...]

How To: Craft an important story

YouTube's other journalistic initiative is the launch of its new
Reporter's Center, which posts videos and guides from top American
journalists.

Some of the current videos in the new channel include CBS News' Katie
Couric explaining how to conduct a good interview, NPR's Scott Simon on
how to tell a good story and The Associated Press Washington bureau chief
Ron Fournier on how to do "watchdog" journalism.

The videos tend to be short, simple guides in laypman's language about how
to report on the news. The videos are no substitute for actual journalism
school, but they provide helpful hints and tricks on how to do reporting.

The videos also include tutorials about how to prepare captured footage
for use on YouTube and upload it to the site. As for the videos in the
Reporter's Center itself, they originally came from the accounts of the
various organisations and journalists that they are linked to, making the
Center more of a centralised location for this information. What's unique,
according to the initial announcement, is that this Center is not just for
one-way communication, that the reporters involved will be accepting and
responding to comments from the public.

More at
http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/top_journalists_give_tips_on_youtube/

Firefox Plug-In Frees US Court Records, Threatens Judiciary Profits

Firefox Plug-In Frees Court Records, Threatens Judiciary Profits

Better Access to Public Court Records

RECAP
https://www.recapthelaw.org/
is a free extension for Firefox that improves the experience of using
PACER, the electronic public access system for the U.S. Federal District
and Bankruptcy Courts. It:

* Helps you give back: Contributes to a public archive hosted by the
Internet Archive
* Saves you money: Shows you when free documents are available
* Keeps you organized: Gives you better filenames, enables useful headers

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/08/firefox-plug-in-frees-court-records-threatens-judiciary-profits/

[excerpt]

Access to the nation's federal law proceedings just got a public interest
hack, thanks to programmers from Princeton, Harvard and the Internet
Archive, who released a Firefox plug-in designed to make millions of pages
of legal documents free.

Free as in beer and free as in speech.

The Problem: Federal courts use an archaic, document-tracking system known
as PACER as their official repository for complaints, court motions, case
scheduling and decisions. The system design resembles a DMV computer
system, circa 1988 — and lacks even the most basic functionality, such as
notifications when a case gets a new filing. But what's worse is that
PACER charges 8 cents per page (capped at $2.40 per doc) and even charges
for searches — an embarrassing limitation on public access to information,
especially when the documents are copyright-free.

The Solution: RECAP https://www.recapthelaw.org/ , a Firefox-only plugin,
that rides along as one usually uses PACER — but it automatically checks
if the document you want is already in its own database. The plug-in's
tagline, 'Turning PACER around,' alludes to the fact that its name comes
from spelling PACER backwards. RECAP's database is being seeded with
millions of bankruptcy and Federal District Court documents, which have
been donated, bought or gotten for free by open-government advocate Carl
Malamud and fellow travelers such as Justia.

China - Life of a Chinese journalist Part 2: My life in prison by Jiang Weiping

RWB - Reporters Without Borders

http://www.rsf.org/Life-of-a-Chinese-journalist-Part.html
08/17/2009

China - Life of a Chinese journalist:

Part 2: My life in prison by Jiang Weiping

Reporters Without Borders is presenting a series of four articles by
Chinese journalist Jiang Weiping recounting his career as an investigative
reporter from the time he started out as a journalist in the 1980s to his
arrest in 2000 and his departure for exile in Canada this year.

"Jiang is a courageous and exemplary journalist who did not think twice
about the dangers he was running when he denounced corruption at the
highest levels in the Communist Party of China," Reporters Without Borders
said. "It is thanks to committed journalism like his that the Chinese
public can learn about the all-powerful party's abuses and press freedom
will be able to evolve in China."

Jiang achieved recognition in the course of his long career, which he
began by working for the state news agency Xinhua. In the early 1990s, he
became northeast China bureau chief for the Hong Kong-based newspaper Wen
Wei Po (&#39321;&#28207;&#25991;&#21295;&#22577;). He wrote a series of
articles on corruption in the party for the Hong Kong-based magazine
Frontline (&#21069;&#21736;). Around this time he also started working for
Hong Kong magazine.

He was arrested in the northeastern province of Dalian in December 2000
and was sentenced in May 2001 to eight years in prison on charges of
endangering state security and divulging state secrets. He was finally
released in 2006 after serving six years of his sentence.

In February 2009, he obtained political asylum in Canada, where he now
lives with his wife in Toronto and continues working as a freelance
journalist and calligraphist.

------------------------

RSF - Reporters sans frontieres

http://www.rsf.org/Vie-d-un-journaliste-chinois.html
17/08/2009

Chine - Vie d'un journaliste chinois:

2ème partie: Ma vie en prison par Jiang Weiping

Reporters sans frontières présente une série de quatre articles du
journaliste d'investigation Jiang Weiping, dans lesquels il raconte sa vie
de journaliste : de ses débuts dans le journalisme dans les années 1980,
en passant par son arrestation en 2000, jusqu'à son exil au Canada en
2009.

« Jiang Weiping est un journaliste exemplaire et courageux. Il n'a pas
hésité à se mettre en danger pour dénoncer la corruption dans les plus
hautes sphères du Pari communiste chinois. C'est grâce à un journalisme
engagé que la population chinoise prend connaissance des dérives du Parti
'tout puissant' et grâce au travail de journalistes engagés tels que Jiang
Weiping que la liberté de la presse pourra évoluer en Chine », a déclaré
l'organisation.

Jiang Weiping est un journaliste expérimenté et reconnu. Il a commencé sa
carrière dans les années 1980, en travaillant pour l'agence Xinhua. Puis,
au début des années 1990, il est devenu chef du bureau de la Chine du
Nord-Est pour le journal hongkongais Wen Wei Po
(&#39321;&#28207;&#25991;&#21295;&#22577;). En 1999, il a écrit une série
d'articles sur la corruption du PCC pour le magazine hongkongais Frontline
(&#21069;&#21736;). A partir de 2001, il a travaillé pour le Hong Kong
magazine.

En décembre 2000, il est arrêté par les autorités provinciales de Dalian
(Nord-Est). En mai 2001, il est condamné à huit ans de prison pour « mise
en danger de la sécurité de l'Etat » et « diffusion de secrets d'Etat ».
Il est finalement libéré en 2006, après avoir purgé six années de prison.

En février 2009, il obtient l'asile politique au Canada. Il vit à Toronto
avec sa femme et continue de travailler en tant que journaliste
indépendant et calligraphe.

Vincent Brossel
Asia-Pacific Desk
Reporters Without Borders
33 1 44 83 84 70
asia@rsf.org

Open Educational Resources

Open Educational Resources are all about sharing.

In a brave new world of learning, OER content is made free to use or
share, and in some cases, to change and share again, made possible through
licensing, so that both teachers and learners can share what they know.

Browse and search OER Commons to find curriculum, and tag, rate, and
review it for others.

http://www.oercommons.org/

Subject Areas
Arts (1637)
Business (678)
Humanities (4482)
Mathematics & Statistics (2873)
Science & Technology (13122)
Social Sciences (5035)

Grade Levels
Primary (5399)
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Post-secondary (16186)

The Last Messages Club

The Last Message Process Explained

What it can do
The Last Messages Club is a secure place for you to write and store
messages to be sent after you die.

What it can't do
The Last Messages Club cannot replace a properly drawn-up will. Documents
that you store with the Last Message Club have no legal authority.

What are the alternatives?
You could ask a lawyer to store these documents with your will or leave
them with a friend but neither of these options are really suitable. A
lawyer will normally only store documents with a Last Will and Testament
for a client they know very well and, even then, it will be inconvenient
and probably quite expensive to add, amend or delete your messages. If you
leave documents with a friend, there is always a risk that they will be
read (either deliberately or by accident) during your life. And after you
die they may simply be forgotten.

You can use The Last Messages Club to:
Let your family know where to find details of important documents, like
life insurance policies and bank account details.
Make life easier for those you leave behind.
Explain the reasons why you have divided your estate in the way you have
& the thinking behind your will.
Manage your on-line life with a digital will
Give somebody the passwords to your online accounts so that they can
close them down.

http://www.lastmessagesclub.co.uk/

Socialnomics Summary

Video compilation of Erik Qualman explaining his theory of Socialnomics(TM) along side relevant social media statistics. The book Socialnomics from Wiley Publishing will be in stores August 31, 2009... mind you... Erik has the personal appeal of a dork.

Resolution (The Torture Song)

A brand new, powerful music video from David Ippolito. (That Guitar Man from Central Park) Watch this video. Please leave your own comments. Be heard. Download this song for free at thatguitarman.

George Lessard celebrates a personal photographic milestone

GEORGE LESSARD 
is very pleased to announce
that his images on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/
have, as of
August 1st, 2009,
been seen
over 100,000 times.

Apologies for duplicate posts

---

GEORGE LESSARD
Information, Communications and Media Specialist
451 Norseman Dr.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
X1A 2J1, Canada

Yellowknife Land Line # (867) 873-2662
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193
SKYPE: themediamentor

Online Business Card:
http://lessardcard.notlong.com

E-mail: mediamentor@gmail.com

Home Pages: http://mediamentor.ca
My panoramic images
http://panoramas-by-george.notlong.com
My YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mediamentor
Online Activities: http://www.web.ca/~media/index.html
Photos: http://photosbygeorge.notlong.com
Photo Illustrations: http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/72157603627797568/
Etcetera:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/459582/

My Public Bookmarks: http://del.icio.us/themediamentor

Member:
Canadian Association of Journalists http://www.caj.ca
Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiennes http://www.carfac.ca/
Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective http://www.carcc.ca/