In The News

100,000 Heads Are Better Than One

Chris Reidy August 25, 2006
The internet widens the market for any business, increasing the pool of buyers and sellers. Operating on that principle, some websites allow major corporations to post anonymous research challenges, inviting free-lance scientists to volunteer solutions. For example, a Canadian engineer earned $25,000 for providing an easier way for one company to move toothpaste ingredients into a tube. The...

Corporate Complicity in Chinese Internet Censorship

August 10, 2006
Human Rights Watch has issued a report, titled “Race to the Bottom: Corporate Complicity in Chinese Internet Censorship,” documenting how Western-based internet companies assist Chinese censorship. The report details how search engines such as Yahoo!, Microsoft, Google and Skype have taken measures to block results containing sensitive terms, censor blogs and text chats, and even released some...

A New Brand of Power

Sebastian Mallaby August 8, 2006
Some product brands, from Apple’s iPods to Nike Air Force Ones, attract fast, global popularity. For many modern products, corporate value centers on patents, skill and brands – and yet firms have less control over brand popularity than ever before. Consumers tend to rely on word of mouth and blogs more than advertising. Customer opinions matter, according to columnist Sebastian Mallaby, and...

France's Mysterious Embrace of Blogs

Thomas Crampton August 4, 2006
In 18th century France, women hosted small parties in their salons, for gossip and politics. Eager for debate, modern-day French citizens have turned to blogs. Analysts characterize French blogs as lengthy, negative, with opinions that do not sway. The technology is so popular that a blog has become essential for any French politician. For example, some analysts credit bloggers for French...

In the Midst of War, Bloggers Are Talking Across the Front Line

Sarah Ellison August 3, 2006
Both Israeli and Lebanese citizens rely on the internet to provide live updates of their experiences. Before the fighting started, communications across the border were rare, as Lebanon prohibits Israeli citizens from crossing the border, and there are no phone connections between the two states. While most of the bloggers are Western educated, the conversations come in all forms, ranging from...

Dare Violate a Copyright in Hong Kong? A Boy Scout May Be Watching Online

Keith Bradsher July 24, 2006
The Hong Kong government has unveiled a plan to use 200,000 young people from organizations like the Boy Scouts and the Girl Guides as watchdogs for internet copyright infringement. Many civil liberties advocates question the use of teenagers in state-sponsored law enforcement. While Hong Kong authorities claim that the program encourages good citizenship among a population with a high rate of...

Dare Violate a Copyright in Hong Kong? A Boy Scout May Be Watching Online

Keith Bradsher July 18, 2006
The Hong Kong government has unveiled a plan to use 200,000 young people from organizations like the Boy Scouts and the Girl Guides as watchdogs for internet copyright infringement. Many civil liberties advocates question the use of teenagers in state-sponsored law enforcement. While Hong Kong authorities claim that the program encourages good citizenship among a population with a high rate of...