Wednesday, December 10, 2003

A strike that's struck a chord nationwide. L.A. grocery walkout taps into labor solidarity and woes of a shrinking middle class. [Christian Science Monitor | Top Stories] 8:28:38 PM    comment []

SecurityFocus: A Comparison Study of Three Worm Families and Their Propagation in a Network. Most of the research that has been pursued has looked at the spread of worms in the context of the global Internet rather than the rate that it will spread through an isolated private sector of the Internet, a corporate network for example. When looking at a global threat, and trying to estimate response time with given protection scenarios, this difference can be critical. [Tomalak's Realm] 8:15:41 PM    comment []

Not at 53rd and 3rd, but East Second and the Bowery, New York now has Joey Ramone Place. Hey, ho, let's go. 4:24:18 PM    comment []

FCC Commissioner Wants Digital TV 'Public Interest' Rules. By Mark Wigfield, Dow Jones Newswires. Broadcasters should be required to use some of their new digital capacity to meet so-called public interest needs, according to Federal Communications Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein. Adelstein believes a public interest requirement should be in place before the FCC expands any obligation on cable companies to carry the extra digital channels that may be offered by broadcasters. His comments were made in a speech Thursday before telecommunications and media lawyers and in answers to reporters' questions afterward. The FCC currently requires that cable operators carry local analog broadcast channels. The policy is meant to ensure that local news, entertainment and information reaches all viewers. Broadcasters are now asking the FCC to expand the so-called must-carry requirement in the digital age. Digital technology will allow broadcasters to split one television channel into as many as six separate channels, known as "multicasting." Broadcasters want cable to carry every channel, saying they need guaranteed carriage to offer new programming. But the cable industry is fighting an expansion of must-carry, saying broadcasters should have to compete with other programmers for carriage of everything but their primary signal. Adelstein noted that broadcasters make the case that multicast carriage will further localism. If so, there should be no reason why they cannot accept a localism requirement. Dennis Wharton, spokesman for the National Association of Broadcasters, wouldn't comment on whether further public interest rules are needed. . . . . 3:24:09 PM    comment []

David Steven sent e-mail through the Salon.com community server, to say For more news on the UN and the internet, visit www.dailysummit.net Best wishes The Daily Summit team -------------------- Office tel: 44 1202 849993 On the ground in Geneva: 44 7939 038832 (from w/c 8 Dec) 9:22:28 AM    comment []

Get 2 Salon Premium subscriptions for the price of 1. One to enjoy, one to give as a gift. Hurry, offer ends December 15th. 9:22:23 AM    comment []

The Powering Up of the Power Lunch. The power lunch has again become standard practice within a certain rank of business people. By David Carr. [New York Times: Business] 7:05:21 AM    comment []

I deleted it in the aggregator too quickly, so I can't post with the special you-can-still-read-it-later link, but Kroger and Union Agree to a Contract. CHARLESTON, W.Va., Dec. 9 (AP) - The Kroger Company and a grocery labor union have tentatively agreed to a contract, setting up a Thursday vote for 3,300 workers in West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky to decide whether to end a two-month strike It's a wire story, though, so here 'tis from another source: Kroger, union agree on contract Negotiators worked out an agreement Sunday and Monday, said Jim Lowthers, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400. The sides came together at a federal mediator's request. Lowthers would not discuss details of the agreement but acknowledged that health-care concerns--the primary sticking point--had been addressed. Kroger spokesman Archie Fralin also declined to provide contract details but said it could take up to 10 days to reopen grocery stores if union members ratify a new contract this week. The chain has closed 44 supermarkets in the three states. Union workers have been off the job since Oct. 13, when contract talks with the Cincinnati company fell apart. Also, this report from Nov. 4: Kroger, Union Agree to Extend Contract But the Tribune/AP piece says the Indiana workers contine on the job without a contract at this point. And the strike continues in SoCal, with talks having broken off again Sunday. 7:01:37 AM    comment []

Iranian Net/Blog Censorship in Spotlight. The invaluable Hoder is pressing the case for Iranian bloggers -- and, more generally, Iranian liberty.... [Dan Gillmor's eJournal] 6:51:32 AM    comment []

Kofi Annan: Keep Media Free!. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan urges World Summit on the Information Society participants to affirm media freedoms and protect the public's right to stay informed. [Wired News] 6:49:02 AM    comment []

Whimsy for Your Special Nerd. Looking for an alternative to ubiquitous mall stores that all carry the same crap? Check out the Wired News anti-mall gift guide. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] 6:47:55 AM    comment []

Geek Social Fallacies. Michael Suileabhain-Wilson identifies Five Geek Social Fallacies that are pertinent to smart mobs and virtual communities, as well as meatspace social circles. In fact, I wouldn't limit the scope of his argument to geeks. Nice writing, and thought-provoking. [Smart Mobs] 6:44:49 AM    comment []

Voice Literary Supplement: Top Shelf Our 25 Favorite Books of 2003. 4:21:35 AM    comment []