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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 06 Issue 49
Volume 6, Issue 49 Atari Online News, Etc. December 3, 2004
Published and Copyright (c) 1999 - 2004
All Rights Reserved
Atari Online News, Etc.
A-ONE Online Magazine
Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor
Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor
Rob Mahlert, Associate Editor
Atari Online News, Etc. Staff
Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor
Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking"
Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile"
Albert Dayes -- "CC: Classic Chips"
Rob Mahlert -- Web site
Thomas J. Andrews -- "Keeper of the Flame"
With Contributions by:
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=~=~=~=
A-ONE #0649 12/03/04
~ Atari Gets New CEO! ~ People Are Talking! ~ 'Blog' Tops List!
~ Prisoners Lose Games! ~ eBay Adds Want It Now! ~ New Thunderbird App
~ Make Love, Not Spam! ~ Ohio Passes Spam Law! ~ SJC Gets Cable Case
~ SCO Attacked Again! ~ Netscape's New Browser ~ Lycos Draws Fire!
-* Microsoft Sues More Spammers *-
-* Fast Internet Service For the People *-
-* Bush Signs Internet Access Tax Ban In Law! *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
The period of of mourning has begun - I've run out of turkey leftovers!
Next year I get a bigger bird, more leftovers. I hope that everyone had a
terrific Thanksgiving holiday. Now the next holiday madness begins.
With the holiday last week, it's taken me a little more time to get caught
up than usual. I was planning to start a few reminiscent commentaries,
dealing with the "good old days" of the Atari experience. I was considering
going back through some of the A-ONE and STReport archives and re-print some
of our old editorials, stories reflecting some of the many AtariFest
experiences, and a few other ideas. It's obvious that we can never go back
to those "glory days" that we once lived with regard to our Atari
experiences, but it may be interesting to remember some of the events that
occurred during those times. If you have some fond memories that you'd like
to write about and share with our readers, please feel free to send them to
me.
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
joe@atarinews.org
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. Well, I've had a week to come out of my
turkey coma, and I'm almost back to normal after last week's huge
Thanksgiving Day meal(s).
I've still got a refrigerator full of leftovers, but there's more room in
there now than there was a few days ago, so I guess I'm making progress.
<Grin>
Someone mentioned to me in email that I made it sound like I did the
cooking. Well, I do on holidays. My wife has always been afraid of
screwing up the "big meals", so she takes the day-to-day meals and I'm
in charge of... oh, how can I put it... all meals with meat products
that weigh more than a quarter pound before cooking. <chuckle>
So as I sit here wondering how long it's going to take me to shake off
the rest of my tryptophan stupor, it occurs to me that I'm incredibly
lucky. Lucky that I'm happy and relatively healthy, lucky that I'm where
I am, lucky that I'm WHEN I am.
Yeah, I know... I'm not usually known for being upbeat and positive, but
let's face it... I could have been born in Jamestown (the first
permanent settlement in the new world) in the early 17th century... and
how would I have recharged my laptop batteries THEN? <chuckle>
You see? It's all in how you look at things. Sure, it might have been
cool and incredibly exciting to live during the time that the new world
was being colonized, but it wouldn't have been easy. There was hunger
and disease, there was the threat of attack from natives or from Mother
Nature, and there were probably dozens of dangers that you and I can't
even imagine today.
It's just human nature to want to be the first, to be the pioneer, to be
the trail-blazer. But the fact is that they've got the hardest, most
thankless part of the job. Sure, there's something to be said for being
the first to see the moon rise over a never-before-seen river, or to be
the first to feel the hum and vibration as you break the sound barrier,
or the first to see the earth rise over the horizon of the moon, but
let's face it kids, none of those things were a walk in the park when
they first happened. Sure I'd love to do any of those things, but I'm
perfectly happy to let someone else work the kinks out first. <grin>
I have no idea whatsoever of what this might have to do with Atari
computers, but we were the trailblazers at one time, weren't we? Hell,
telecommunicating and sharing ideas like we were in a science fiction
movie or something, we were the pioneers... yep, it was us that learned
about modems and protocols and downloading. And it was us who turned
around and showed the next 'crop'.
Yes, I can still remember the days of the 110 baud modem and dialing it
with peek and poke commands. I can remember when revolutions like xmodem
and ARC made downloads easier, and when ASCII graphics really could look
like a large Charlie Brown or Snoopy.
The difference between me and the Jamestown gang is that I didn't have to
face starvation or disease (not even computer viruses) or natives in a
murderous rage because a large portion of their population was wiped out
by the small pox that we brought with us. And as a huge plus, I got to
move on along with everyone else... DSL lines, AGP graphics, DVD-ROMs,
whatever.
Well, let's get to the news, hints, tips and info from the UseNet.
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
====================================
Djordje Vukovic posts this about TeraDesk:
"Version 3.42 of TeraDesk open-source desktop is available at:
http://solair.eunet.yu/~vdjole/teradesk.htm
This is a non-critical code-optimisation release; program size has been
reduced a bit, there is an improvement in speed of some operations,
and several small corrections/improvements were made which were
overlooked in the last release, and should be mostly invisible to the
user. See the history file for details."
'Chris' asks about a RAM fault on his two STEs:
"I have 2 STE's both with the same problem, and thats there's no databus
coming from U401 to the RAM area, all address bus and all the ras/cas
lines are fine but no databus at all. I've changed the big IC 401, which
is called GSTSHFTR 3 times, it has clock input and power, but apart
from that I'm out of ideas, I've also changed the CPU and blitter just in
case. only IC left is the surface mount big un, I assume its to blame
but can't prove it, also out of ideas. looks like a scraper."
Steve Sweet asks Chris:
"Have you tried replacement simms, or at least swapping your about to
eliminate a faulty device."
Chris tells Steve:
"Simms are tested on another machine, but is somewhat irrelevant since
there is no drive to the ram databus, rather confusing, I prefer the
STFM, at least you could change more chips!"
Sam F. asks about MiNT:
"What's the easiest way to install a fairly simple Mint install?"
Coda tells Sam:
"Thats a good post there, but I gotta mention the one thing that has
been overlooked, and that is that you can have a MiNT setup without
having to have a Unix partition/unix tools installed. Sure you lose
some power and a lot of benefits that way, but maybe Sam F just wants
to have the benefits of a fast multitasking OS, without the "scariness"
and complexities of a unix console (especially if he has no unix
experience at all). He mentions wanting to run MyAes and Thing, which
is so easy to do if he just gets the new 1-16-1 FreeMint kernel (which
now comes with XAAES as a kernel module (Much improved!)) then he can
add MyAes and Thing at a later date. I am testing the latest Teradesk,
which is free, and it is getting better all the time."
Mark Duckworth adds:
"Pretty self-explanatory.... Easymint. Hardest part about it is making
sure you have a properly setup RAW partition. Follow the documentation
and use HD-Driver to do this."
Sam asks Mark:
"Easymint is kind of an installer for mint correct? So, I can use
easymint to install 1.16.1 and MyAes?"
Brian Roland tells Sam:
"Wrong.
Easymint is a distribution based on the SpareMiNT projects.
1. What is MiNT?
MiNT is a preemptive multi-tasking kernel initially designed for 16bit
atari machines. It tries to be as 'posix' compliant as possible,
therefore it is targeted ultimately to be kernel for a 'unix'
workstation. You don't necessarily have to install or use anything
Unix to get benefits from a MiNT kernel. Since you asked about
EasyMiNT however...please read on.
If you've no idea what unix is and intend to try out EasyMiNT, then I
suggest you use your favorite search engine to read the basic overview
on what unix is before you go any further here.
While you are studying, find some quick cheats on the net that will
teach you basics (print your favorite screen based text editor's
manual out...it'll really come in handy) on the following shells and a
text editors.
Shells: sh, tcsh, bash
Common Screen Based Text Editors: pico, vi, emacs.
2. What is a shell?
In the unix world...a shell is your basic command prompt, or user
interface. EasyMiNT comes with a variety of shells you can use
ultimately...tho' early on it is going to use the smallest and
simplest one out there...called sh. Remember, a lot of Atari machines
max out at 4meg of memory :)
3. What is SpareMint?
Think of SpareMiNT as a public library where you can go to check out
books (rpm files). With the proper password, you can even change or
add new books to this library to share with the SpareMiNT community.
SpareMiNT is a project where kernels, drivers, utilities, etc...that
have been, or are supported for MiNT are collected (when it is legal
to do so) in the form of source and binary installable-distributions
(we call a distribution an rpm, and sometimes less smart distributions
come in something called tar-balls). As a user, you can download the
latest ports of various MiNT/unix utilities in source and or binary
form (again, via rpm or tar file), install them, and have a neat
little log of what you've done during installation and since. If you
do any coding yourself...you can upload your bug reports/fixes, notes,
changes, additions, etc...to the SpareMiNT project. In
essence....SpareMiNT is a support community.
4. What is EasyMiNT?
It is a distribution with some instructions, tutorials, scripts and
the necessary binaries to get you started with a unix work station
based on MiNT. Most if not all of this package is based on the
SpareMiNT project. Note, there are some portions of a full MiNT setup
that might not be included in the EasyMiNT distribution for legal
reasons...but EasyMiNT is very good about providing directions that
may tell you where and how to obtain these 'optional bits'.
5. In English please! What does EasyMiNT do for me?
EasyMiNT, first will give you some documents to READ, and some things
to do manually to prepare your system for installation of a unix
workstation. Then, it will walk you through a series of prompted
questions which basically do the following:
a. Prepare the hard disk partition for the unix side of your
installation.
b. Set up some basic things like your hostname, root password,
timezone, superuser account, etc....
c. Untar the distribution and put the relevant files and programs in
the proper file-system.
The most tricky part of getting a unix workstation going are the
various options, loggers, and servers you want started and configured
during the 'boot' process. These files are going to be found in the
/etc/ directory on your new unix partition. EasyMiNT takes most of
the nightmare out of working with these numerous configuration files
and scripts. EasyMiNT provides very solid groundwork here...and most
of the etc files are well documented so you can figure things out as
you need them.
EasyMiNT has different 'parts'. You can install one, two, or all of
those you feel you will need. (Given you have a high end system...I
recommend grabbing everything available and installing it all in the
beginning.)
The 'Basic' setup, will set up your hard disk partition and install
the general utilities needed to work with the file system, edit text
files, and launch binaries. Examples are...your command prompt
shells, commands like cd (change directory), ls (list files), rm
(delete a file), ln (make a symbolic link for a file), more (read a
text file), and so on. You're also likely to get a variety of
standard tools for dealing with text files, email (on disk anyway),
and newsgroups.
The "MiNT-NET" part of the package installs the networking bits. If
you intend to go online at all you'll need this. Obviously, if you're
building a computer network...you'll need this.
The "Compiler" option installs compilers and libraries for making or
porting in your own code (many unix utilities are distributed in
source form only...with a simple install script that checks out your
OS, system, etc...and attempts to compile what you need jonny on the
spot). As the development of MiNT and the various compiler libraries
progress...you'll find more and more unix (platform independent)
packages that compile and WORK with no atari specific tweaks/changes
at all! If you have a TT, Falcon, or other Atari that's pretty zippy
on speed and can take extra memory....definitely grab this! If you're
installing to a low end machine with low memory
conditions...well...it's best to find precompiled versions of
utilities/applications in my opinion.
There might also be packages you can add on such as Xwin 11, which is
a Graphical User Interface for unix workstations. If you've got the
drive space....might as well go ahead and get it :)
6. Do I need a multitasking aware GEM/AES?
I highly recommend it. XAES, MyAES, N_AES, and Geneva are examples.
In general, you set up your preferred GEM/AES according to its
instructions.
Boot your system...log in as superuser, and launch the aes you intend
to use from the login shell. The same applies for your choice of
desktop (TaraDesk, Thing, Jeenie, etc)."
Mark continues:
"Easymint will need to be customized to get this configuration for you.
It'll probably install an older kernel and no aes (login prompt instead)
there you can learn about the system and customize it. A linux
background helps."
Ronald Hall asks for help with a RAM problem with his CT60:
"Well, I think I'm experiencing the inferior RAM card/SIMM problem with
my CT60 equipped Falcon.
Running in '030 mode, the Thing desktop, 640x480-256 colors, looks great.
No problems.
Running with the CT60 on, same setup, I get fuzzy, funny colors along the
top edges of all icons, desktop and window.
Running with the CT60 on, same setup, and Thing running under MINT/N.aes
2.0, I get the same effect, plus a pixel block left in the menus whenever
the mouse is there. Also, the mouse pointer starts out invisible, and
once I move it, it becomes visible again. Its unstable as well - I can
go to Configuration under Thing, and Thing immediately crashes back to
N.aes.
Is there a definitive way of telling whether its the SIMM or not? I've
got a stock 4 meg Atari memory board, and a Wizztronics 14 meg board. It
does this with both.
I do get a "keyboard" failure message with every boot up with the CT60.
I'm using the DEKA interface.
I'm using 60ns, 2 cls, 256 meg ram, by Crucial in the CT60, and this is
with the "no solder" installation. Temp is staying around 32C, so I don't
think thats a problem."
Coda tells Ronald:
"Are you using the F030 boost on the CT60? If so what speed are you
clocking the mobo at? If you get these problems with the boost turned
off then its probably not your RAM, I would suspect a faulty videl
chip. Ask Rodolphe, he should know straight away.
The keyboard failure message is irrelevant. I and many others get it
also."
Ronald tells Coda:
"Argh. I don't know what happened Coda, but this post is a repeat from
1-2 months ago. I'm completely at a loss as to how it appeared in this
newsgroup again. I did not send it again.
The culprit turned out to be NVDI. I had it disabled in my AUTO folder
when I was trying to track down various problems when I first installed
my CT60. Once I re-enabled it, everything was fine."
Well folks, that's it for this time around. Tune in again next week, same
time, same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying
when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
=~=~=~=
->In This Week's Gaming Section - Nintendo DS Sells Half Million!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Video Games Teach More!
Atari Gets New CEO!
And more!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Nintendo Sells 500,000 DS Handhelds in First Week
Nintendo Co. Ltd. sold 500,000 Nintendo DS video game devices during the
first week of sales in U.S. stores for the new handheld featuring two
screens for game playing, the Japanese game maker said on Wednesday.
During the week of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, the start of the peak
holiday shopping season, Nintendo said DS sales were "moving faster than
anticipated" and predicted that initial North American supply will be
"depleted within days."
The device, about the size of a paperback book, features two screens - one
of which is touch-sensitive - two slots for different kinds of games and
two types of wireless connections. It launched on Nov. 21 and sells for
about $150.
Nintendo reiterated that it expects to sell 1 million Nintendo DS units in
North America by the end of 2004. Nintendo has already said it will fall
well short of demand in Japan, where the DS launches early in December.
Demand was also strong for Nintendo's older hand-held systems, Game Boy
Advance, during the past week, with 800,000 units sold.
Nintendo dominates the handheld market, but faces a significant challenge
in early 2005 in Sony Corp.'s PlayStation Portable, or PSP.
The PSP, due in March, is designed to play movies and music as well as
games, and will sell for around the same price as Nintendo's DS.
Video Games Teach More Than Hand-Eye Coordination
Video games, often maligned as having little or no redeeming value, are
becoming a way for firefighters, soldiers, currency traders and college
administrators to hone their skills.
Although entertaining shoot-'em-ups like Microsoft Corp.'s "Halo 2" still
dominate the $10 billion video game industry, a new breed of designer is
crafting programs that teach more than just hand-eye coordination.
"Serious games" demonstrating everything from flying a jet plane to
negotiating a hostage crisis are used to train workers who can't afford to
slip up on the job.
Firefighters can use "HazMat:Hotzone"
(http://www.etc.cmu.edu/projects/hazmat) to learn how to respond to a
chemical-weapons attack, George Soros wannabes can learn the ins and outs
of currency trading with Forex Trader
(http://www.inusa.com/tour/forex.htm), and college administrators can use
Virtual U (http://www.virtual-u.org) to wrestle with angry professors and
meddlesome state legislators.
Developers say serious games are especially effective for younger workers
who have grown up with "Madden Football" and "Grand Theft Auto," but
designers need to incorporate the irresistible appeal of these mainstream
hits in order to keep participants engaged.
"Without addiction, you're out of business," said Pentagon consultant Jim
Dunnigan at a recent conference. "Serious games have to attain their
addiction from the inherently addictive elements of the job."
The U.S. military is by far the largest buyer of game simulations,
accounting for roughly half of the $20 million to $40 million market.
But Dunnigan and other industry boosters say these games could soon command
a significant chunk of the $100 billion corporate and industrial training
industry as the level of technological sophistication increases.
"Gaming only in a few years has hit a level of ubiquity and visual
capability where people are going, 'Wow, we can do some real cool stuff,"'
said Ben Sawyer, president of Portland, Maine, consulting firm Digitalmill
Inc.
"We're certainly not going to look like 'Doom'," he said, "but by using
game talent, we're going to make it as fun as we can."
America's Army (http://www.americasarmy.com) harnesses state-of-the-art
game play to win new recruits for the U.S. Army, taking players from the
rifle range to bombed-out desert cities. It ranks as one of the most
popular online games, with more than 4 million registered players.
Other military games focus on equally important survival skills, like
Arabic language and etiquette. Users of the Rapid Tactical Language
Training System can stumble through conversations with animated computer
characters, rather than actual Iraqi citizens who might take offense at the
wrong hand gesture.
"Instead of shooting people, you're talking to them and trying to win their
trust," said Hannes Vilhjalmsson, a research scientist at the University of
Southern California's Information Sciences Institute who helped develop the
game.
Will Interactive Inc.'s releases (http://www.willinteractive.com) focus on
leadership skills, putting players in situations where there is no clear
right or wrong answer. Players must decide what to do if they don't have
enough chemical suits for their troops, how to get a wounded soldier to
safety, or how to defuse a tense hostage situation.
Realism is key to the games' effectiveness, CEO Sharon Sloane said: "Until
you engage someone emotionally as well as cognitively, you cannot effect
behavior change."
One way to do this is to put the action where the players are. Some
researchers are ditching virtual reality for the real world.
One project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology challenged
participants to stop a biological attack spreading rapidly across campus.
Using Internet-connected handheld computers, players could determine who
was "infected" and search for vaccines to stop the spread of the virus.
In Zurich, Switzerland, students at the Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology used handheld computers to find an imaginary bomb that had been
planted on campus, but things turned ugly when they locked up other players
suspected of sabotaging their progress.
There is such a thing as too much realism, said Steffen Walz, the game's
designer.
"I think people will start playing games where they can not tell anymore
whether they are part of the game or not," he said, "and we have to think
about ways to prevent that."
Missouri Pulls Video Games From Prison
Missouri's most violent criminals can no longer play video games that
simulate murders, carjackings and the killing of police officers, a
decision reached after prison officials were told about the content.
"We didn't closely review these," Dave Dormire, superintendent of the
Jefferson City Correctional Center, told The Kansas City Star. "We were
told these games had more like cartoon violence."
The Star reported Thursday the state's new maximum-security prison pulled
dozens of violent Sony PlayStation 2 games from its recreation center on
Wednesday, after officials were alerted to their content by a reporter.
Inmates had been using them for months.
In fact, the prison's PlayStation offerings included one of the most
violent games on the market, "Hitman: Contracts," in which players use
everything from meat hooks to silencer-equipped pistols to carry out brutal
contract killings.
In all, 35 of the facility's more than 80 games were removed. Others
remain, including science fiction and sports games.
The games were paid for from inmates' purchases - mostly of snacks - at the
prison canteen. The canteen generates up to $20,000 monthly and a committee
of corrections officials, prison staffers and several inmates decides how
to spend it.
Much of the cash is used for weightlifting and exercise equipment. Video
games are a new purchase in Jefferson City; prison officials say other
facilities have done the same, though it doesn't appear to be the norm.
"It has a good effect on helping us run the prison and make sure they're
busy and not trying to work on ways to escape or harm others," Dormire
said. "That's kind of our bottom line - public safety."
Some corrections experts were shocked that violent games would be allowed
in the hands of violent prisoners.
Jacqueline Helfgott, a professor at Seattle University who has studied the
effects of violent movies and video games on criminal behavior, said such
media can have a negative effect on inmates.
"You get people in a maximum-security prison who have already gone over the
line," she said. "They're not afraid to engage in violence, unlike the nerd
sitting in front of his computer."
Jim Houston, a professor of criminal justice at Grand Valley State
University in Grand Rapids, Mich., agreed.
"These kinds of games reinforce a criminal lifestyle that caused them to
get into prison in the first place," Houston said.
Mary Still, a spokeswoman for Gov. Bob Holden, said the governor believes
violent games are inappropriate for prisoners. The governor does not oppose
nonviolent video games for inmates, but says they should not come at
taxpayer expense.
The $128 million Jefferson City Correctional Center opened in September to
replace the 170-year-old Missouri State Penitentiary. It has 1,996 beds.
Atari Appoints James Caparro President and Chief Executive Officer
Atari, Inc., a leader in interactive entertainment, has appointed
entertainment industry veteran James Caparro President and Chief Executive
Officer, effective immediately, it was announced today by Bruno Bonnell,
Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of the Company. Mr. Caparro, who has
been a Member of Atari's Board of Directors since February 2002, assumes
the responsibilities of the Chief Executive Officer previously held by Mr.
Bonnell.
Mr. Caparro assumes overall executive management of Atari's global
operations, and he will work closely with Mr. Bonnell to chart the
Company's strategic course.
As Chief Creative Officer, Mr. Bonnell, who is widely regarded as a pioneer
of the interactive entertainment industry, will oversee Atari's creative
direction and planning for the next stages of technological advancement in
gaming.
A seasoned and accomplished executive, Mr. Caparro brings to Atari nearly
30 years of professional experience within the entertainment industry,
including more than a decade as CEO at the helm of three prestigious global
organizations: Warner Music Group's WEA; Universal Music's Island Def Jam
Music Group; and PolyGram's PolyGram Group Distribution. Under the tenure
of his leadership, each of those companies recorded significant growth and
improved profitability.
"Jim's track record is impeccable and we are thrilled to have an executive
of his caliber and reputation leading Atari," said Mr. Bonnell. "Jim has
spent his career in mass market entertainment companies, and over the last
two years, as a member of our Board, he has clearly demonstrated a shared
passion and vision for what Atari can be. His managerial prowess and
first-hand operational expertise make him the ideal person to lead Atari's
next chapter of growth."
Mr. Bonnell continued, "With Jim taking over as CEO, we strengthen Atari's
present and future. As he runs our operations on a day-to-day basis, I will
be able to focus my time and energies on our long-term creative
opportunities in terms of both content and delivery. The next several years
will bring extraordinary changes to our industry and this move insures that
Atari will be a significant force both today and tomorrow."
"I couldn't be more thrilled to be joining the Company at this time," said
Mr. Caparro. "Atari's reputation as an innovative, vibrant and exciting
brand is more than our history, it's our future. The challenges we face are
opportunities, which if fully exploited, will catapult Atari to the next
level, driving demand for our products, increasing market share, and
creating greater shareholder value."
Mr. Caparro continued, "I've had the pleasure of working with Bruno for
more than two years as an Atari Board Member, and I not only share his
vision for what this Company can become, but I also share his determination
to see that vision realized. We have an evolutionary revolution ahead of
us...small but dramatic steps that lead to dynamic and lasting change."
From September 2002 through 2003, Mr. Caparro was Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of WEA, the company responsible for the sales, marketing,
packaging, manufacturing, and distribution of music, video and other
intellectual property controlled by Warner Music Group (WMG). In this
capacity, he oversaw six operating companies, spanning marketing,
distribution and manufacturing, among other business lines.
Previously, Mr. Caparro spent four years at Universal Music Group as
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Island Def Jam Music Group, a
company he founded through the integration of 14 record labels, including
Mercury Records, Island Records and Def Jam Recordings.
From 1988 through 1998, Mr. Caparro held several senior management
positions within PolyGram, Inc., including six years as President and Chief
Executive Officer of PolyGram Group Distribution and its divisions:
Distribution, Video, Merchandising, PolyMedia, New Media, and Business
Development.
Mr. Caparro began his career in 1973 at Sony Music where, over the course
of 16 years, he held various positions in Sales and Marketing at Epic
Records and CBS Records, and in Human Resources and Administration at CBS,
Inc.
Mr. Caparro holds a B.A. degree from William Paterson College. He is a
Member of the Board of Directors of Prana Foundation, the T.J. Martell
Foundation, and the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM).
In 2001, he was named "Chief Executive Officer of the Year" by S.I.N.
Magazine, and he received NARM's "Distributor of the Year" Award for five
consecutive years (1993-1997).
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Bush Signs Internet Access Tax Ban Into Law
President Bush signed a bill that renews a ban on Internet access taxes on
Friday amid praise from lawmakers and trade groups who said the measure
would encourage more people to sign up for high-speed broadband service.
Bush said repeatedly on the campaign trail this year that a ban on access
taxes is crucial to reach his goal of universal broadband access by 2007,
enabling more Internet users to download video, music and other
bandwidth-intensive content.
The ban on access taxes, in place since 1998, expired more than a year ago
when congressional lawmakers could not agree whether to make it permanent
or merely extend it for three years.
Backers at the time warned that Internet use could suffer if tax-happy
states imposed new surcharges on the monthly fees that Internet providers
like America Online Inc. charge their customers.
But some senators said the ban would require states to raise taxes in other
areas to make up for the millions of dollars they stand to lose as
telephone service and other taxable activities migrate to the Internet.
No states or local governments imposed new Internet taxes during the year
the ban was not in effect.
Congress approved a compromise last month that extends the ban until 2007
and extends it to cover broadband service. Existing broadband taxes will be
gradually phased out.
"It's an important step forward in bridging the economic digital divide,"
said Sen. George Allen (news, bio, voting record), a Virginia Republican
and a bill sponsor who attended the signing ceremony at the White House
complex.
"This measure will help make sure for those of lower income and those who
live in small towns and rural areas that they can get connected more easily
to broadband," he said.
Broadband costs between $30 and $50 per month, compared with as little as
$9.95 per month for regular dial-up access.
Roughly 25 percent of U.S. adults have broadband access, up from 14 percent
in 2002, according to the nonprofit Pew Internet and American Life Project.
Overall Internet use during the same period has held steady at around 60
percent.
Several technology-industry trade groups also praised Bush's action.
SCO Site Attacked Again
The SCO Group Inc.'s Web site has once again been attacked, but this time
hackers didn't just target the site for a distributed-denial-of-service
attack-they defaced the Web site itself.
The site was altered in at least two ways sometime during the Thanksgiving
weekend. The most obvious attack was on SCO's home page, where a banner
image for SCO Web seminars has been replaced with a JPEG image that says,
"We own all your code. Pay us all your money." In the background, a woman
appears to be writing "realloc(," a common C language function used to
change the size of a memory block. The image was still on the site at the
time this report was written.
In addition to the main SCO Web site, the Lindon, Utah-based Unix company's
alternative sites, www.thescogroup.com and www.caldera.com, were also
showing the hacked image.
Earlier, the site had been hacked so that the page "Red Hat v. SCO," which
gives SCO's side of its case with Red Hat Inc., was altered to "SCO vs.
World." It included the following text: "Recently we found parts of our
code in almost all Microsoft(R) software. We want to bring an action
against Microsoft(R) and our legal department is working on that. -
Currently we are checking older MS-DOS sources. It's obvious, that all
while (1){ do_something; } and for (i = 0; i
This page was corrected by early Monday morning. Sometime soon after, the
site was again cracked and the bogus JPEG was put in place.
Prior to the hacks, the SCO site appeared to have been under attack off and
on since 9 a.m. EST Saturday, according to Internet research company
Netcraft Ltd. of Bath, England. The SCO site was offline at least three
times during the holiday weekend, according to Netcraft.
Earlier this year and late last year, SCO suffered multiple DDoS attacks.
These attacks were caused by the Windows-based MyDoom virus (dubbed
Novarg.A by Symantec Corp. and MiMail.R by Trend Micro Inc.). With the SCO
Web site completely swamped, the company resorted at that time to launching
a new site, www.thescogroup.com.
No one then, or now, has claimed responsibility for those attacks or the
current series of attacks. SCO offered a reward of $250,000 for information
leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual or individuals
responsible for creating MyDoom.
As for this latest attack, SCO public relations director Blake Stowell
said, "On November 28 and 29, The SCO Group's web site experienced two
intrusions by a malicious hacker that temporarily altered two web pages.
The company quickly took steps to bring the web site back to normal, and
removed the vulnerability that was identified as the way in which the
hacker altered the site's content. The company believes that it has
effectively addressed the issue to avoid further unauthorized intrusions
of this kind."
Ohio Lawmakers OK Bill That Sends Spammers to Jail
Ohio legislators sent an anti-spam bill to Gov. Bob Taft on Tuesday, with
the aim of joining other U.S. states that have laws that put people who
flood the Web with junk e-mail behind bars.
The bill, first introduced in January and already approved by the state
Senate, overwhelmingly passed the Ohio House of Representatives on Tuesday,
said an aide to Rep. Kathleen Walcher, who co-sponsored the bill.
Taft could not be immediately reached for comment. One industry source said
the Ohio governor is expected to sign the bipartisan anti-spam bill.
If signed into law, it would outlaw Internet ads that are deceptive or
misleading and ban people from setting up false accounts to send spam, the
junk e-mail that clogs consumers' online mailboxes and taxes the resources
of Internet service providers.
The measure would also allow the state attorney general to impose criminal
and civil sanctions against spammers.
The worst violators could face a minimum of six months in jail as well as
fines of $25,000 per violation, or $2 to $8 per violating e-mail. Their
computer equipment could be confiscated, and Internet providers could sue
for damages.
AOL spokesman Nicholas Graham called the Ohio bill "one of the strongest
anti-spam measures in the country." Graham said the bill is aimed only at
the worst offenders who use fraud, deception and evasion to get their
messages in front of consumers.
"This is not meant to snag grandma sending her oatmeal cookie recipe," he
said.
AOL, a unit of Time Warner Inc., said it worked closely with the bill's
sponsors.
The Ohio bill was modeled after the federal CAN-SPAM Act but adds tougher
penalties. Maryland has adopted an anti-spam law with criminal penalties
and Virginia recently used its state law to send a North Carolina man to
prison for sending hundreds of thousands of spam e-mail messages.
Microsoft Sues More Spammers
Citing the CAN-SPAM anti-spam law's "brown-paper wrapper" rule, Microsoft
has filed seven lawsuits against spammers who allegedly sent messages
containing sexually explicit content.
The law's provisions require sexually oriented e-mail solicitations to
include the label "Sexually-Explicit:" in both the subject line and the
viewable area of an e-mail message.
The suits have been filed as "John Doe" actions, said Microsoft's Internet
safety enforcement attorney Aaron Kornblum, which means the company does
not know the identity of the defendants, but will after the subpoena
process.
"We want to know who's hitting the 'send' button on this stuff," Kornblum
told NewsFactor.
In addition to CAN-SPAM violations, the spammers also are breaking laws
outlined in the Commercial Electronic Mail Act, including using compromised
computers around the world to route spam e-mail messages.
The seven defendants were chosen based on numerous factors, said Kornblum.
Microsoft considered customer complaints, but also looked at the large
quantity of sexually explicit e-mail sent to Microsoft employees.
"We are constantly reviewing that mail to look for patterns and to assemble
the information into a case we can pursue," Kornblum said.
Although Microsoft has filed lawsuits against different types of spammers,
Kornblum noted that sexually explicit e-mail is particularly offensive to
Internet users.
"This type of mail is a threat to younger Internet users, and that's why
we're focusing on it in this latest round of enforcement suits," he said.
Beyond shutting down the spammers in question, Microsoft is hoping to send
a message to other senders of unsolicited mail that there are consequences
to their messages, including financial penalties and even jail time, in
some cases.
The recent round of lawsuits brings Microsoft's litigation tally against
spammers to 86 in the U.S., and 120 worldwide. Pursuing spammers through
the courts is expensive, Kornblum said, but worth every penny.
Lawsuits are one part of Microsoft's aggressive anti-spam strategy,
according to Kornblum. Other methods to decrease unsolicited mail include
working with Congress to draft new legislation and creating new tools to
block spammers.
"Spam detracts from the online experience," said Kornblum. "We think it's a
serious issue, and we'll keep up our efforts until spam is gone."
Supreme Court to Decide Cable Internet Case
The U.S. Supreme Court said on Friday it would decide what regulations
should apply to high-speed broadband Internet service offered by cable
companies like Time Warner Inc., a key case that could decide whether such
lines must be opened to competitors.
The Federal Communications Commission ruled in 2002 that cable broadband
was an information service and therefore free from most regulations that
apply to traditional telephone services, which includes broadband.
But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit overturned that
decision, relying on its previous ruling that broadband via cable companies
had a telecommunications component and should be subject to stricter
regulations.
The high court will likely hear arguments in March, with a decision due by
the end of June.
Broadband, also offered by telephone carriers, is catching on among many
U.S. consumers who want faster Internet service to, among other things,
play music and videos. About 30 million Americans subscribe to the service,
but the United States lags about a dozen countries in deployment.
President Bush pledged during his campaign that he would push for universal
access to broadband by 2007.
The FCC argued the appeals court incorrectly overrode the agency and its
expertise to oversee and regulate the telecommunications and media
industry. It has tried to limit regulations on the service as a way to
promote deployment.
"High-speed Internet connections are not telephones," said FCC Chairman
Michael Powell. "The 9th Circuit's decision would have grave consequences
for the future and availability of high-speed Internet connections in this
country."
But independent Internet service providers and public interest groups have
worried that, without some safeguards by the FCC, consumers would have
limited choices for broadband service providers.
EarthLink Inc., the No. 4 U.S. Internet service provider and a supporter
of tougher cable rules, said that, despite the high court's decision to
hear the case, it anticipated the appeals court would not be overturned.
"This will settle the matter once and for all and finally give cable modem
users a choice in high-speed Internet providers," said Dave Baker, vice
president for law and public policy at EarthLink.
Screensaver To Go On The Offensive Against Spam Websites
Internet users fed up with spam can go on the offensive by downloading a
screensaver aimed at hitting junkmailers in the pocket, Net portal Lycos
said.
The screensaver - "Make Love Not Spam" - available from Lycos Europe
requests data from websites that are mentioned in bulk mailings.
If thousands of screensaver users sign up, the websites' servers will be
running at nearly full tilt, Frank Legerland, a spokesman for Lycos Europe,
based in Guetersloh, Germany, told AFP.
The demand will slow the websites' response and hike their bandwidth bills,
yet derive no income for them because there will be no response.
Those costs may discourage the sites from hiring e-mail spammers to
advertise their wares, he said.
"The aim is for a maximum reduction of 95 percent in the website's traffic,
not a total shutdown," he said.
The websites have been chosen from spammers' blacklists selected by
anti-spam watchdogs such as Spamcop. To make doubly sure there is no
mistake, Lycos says it also checks to make sure that the sites are selling
spam goods.
A complete shutdown of websites by swamping them with demand - a
"distributed denial of service" - could be considered illegal in some
jurisdictions.
The Lycos scheme is questioned by some Internet commentators, who worry
that it will generate additional megabytes of useless traffic that could
strain the Net's capacity.
"Seems Lycos may hurt not just spammers," the online news site The Register
said.
Lycos Antispam Screensaver Draws Fire
A screensaver developed by Lycos Europe that gives spammers a dose of their
own medicine is attracting plenty of attention, but not all of it good.
The company officially launched the "Make Love, Not Spam" screensaver
Wednesday but a beta version had already been widely distributed. Offering
to "spam the spammers," the screensaver works by repeatedly requesting
information from Web sites advertised in spam, thereby reducing the
performance of those sites.
Reports began to surface earlier this week that the Web site containing the
"Make Love, Not Spam" download had been hacked, with users receiving a
message reading "Yes, attacking spammers is wrong, you know this, you
shouldn't be doing it. Your IP address and request has been logged and will
be reported to your ISP for further action."
A Lycos Europe spokesperson says that the site has "absolutely not been
hacked," however. The company was victim of a hoax, she says, and someone
mocked up a screen shot of the hacked site and forwarded it via e-mail.
Although the site was inaccessible to some users Tuesday and Wednesday, the
spokesperson says that this was due to "overwhelming demand" and that the
company is working to rectify the situation. The screensaver has already
been downloaded over 90,000 times, the spokesperson says.
She adds that the company is "well aware that it is a controversial
service" and measures have been taken to defend it.
Even if the company is not currently under attack, a security expert says
that Lycos Europe opened a potential Pandora's Box by deciding to take
direct action against the spammers.
"This seems like a very shortsighted idea of theirs, lowering themselves
to the same level as the hackers and spammers," says Graham Cluley, senior
technology consultant at Sophos.
There is the real danger that Lycos Europe has made itself a target for
hackers, and what's more the company could be treading into a gray legal
area, Cluley says.
Although the screensaver does not send spam, violating antispam laws, it
could potentially violate rules against launching a denial of service
attack, he says.
But Lycos Europe claims that it does not intend to actually take down the
spammers' sites, just deteriorate their performance. The company is using
a central database to manage the sites the screensavers are attacking and
regularly takes sites out of the attack cycle to make sure that they are
not entirely brought down, it says.
That aside, Cluley advises users not to use the screensaver, which could
eat up company bandwidth and possibly incite the ire of hackers.
"My advice is to get a decent spam filter, and for God's sake, stop buying
things advertised in spam," he says.
First Look: Netscape's New Browser
Netscape's latest browser, available in a limited-release beta version,
puts you in control. It lets you establish security settings site-by-site,
manage multiple open pages more easily than you could with any previous
browser, and - for sites that require Internet Explorer - decide for
yourself whether to view the page in a Netscape-style window or an IE-style
window.
The new browser is available only to preregistered beta testers; the
registration period has closed. It is officially named version 0.5.6+, and
is based on Firefox version 0.9.3. (Mozilla released version 1 of the
Firefox browser last month.)
The browser boasts a revamped look since its most recent previous update,
Netscape version 7.2, which was released last August. The Netscape banner
and the toolbar area feature shades of green and a corrugated design. The
Standard toolbar (File, Edit, View, and so on) is located on the top right
of the screen next to the minimize/maximize/close buttons rather than on
the top left.
The redesigned navigation toolbar features icons with drop-down menus for
managing pop-up blocking; choosing Passcard options; handling automatic
form filling; clearing the history, cookies, and cache; and printing. You
can't drag the address bar out of this toolbar or resize it the way you
can in IE and other browsers, but this isn't a major flaw.
The optional Personal toolbar shows you local weather (based on the zip
code you entered during program installation) and news feeds in various
categories: headlines, money, sports, entertainment, and Slashdot. The
toolbar is easy to customize: To add a component, just drag it from the
Customize dialog box to the toolbar and let go. Likewise, you can remove a
newsfeed or other toolbar item by dragging it from the toolbar back to the
Customize dialog box. Or right-click the toolbar and uncheck Personal
Toolbar to make it go away and free up space in the main browser window.
The Netscape Sidebar pops open along the left side of the browser window
when you click its icon. Like previous versions of Netscape, the update
offers you a choice of tabs. (Tabs let you open multiple Web pages and
switch between them with ease rather than requiring a separate browser
window for each page, as IE does.) The default selections are Search,
Bookmarks, and Latest News. Other choices include What's Related, History,
Stocks, CNN, and MapQuest. Or click Customize to add other tabs for
business, international, travel, music, TV, real estate, and other special
interests. You can even create your own tab with links to any sites or
files on your local machine.
I prefer to browse without the sidebar, to maximize viewable area. This
puts Netscape's tabs in the top left, under the Personal Toolbar. Anybody
who has struggled to manage multiple open Internet Explorer windows will
appreciate Netscape's tabs, which make moving between several open Web
pages a snap. Tabs aren't new, nor are they specific to Netscape, but this
beta takes them to a new level of functionality. The drop-down menu for
each tab lets you control the security setting, cookies, pop-ups, and other
options for that site.
For sites that require IE, you have the option of displaying the site as
Internet Explorer. For example, you can't get Microsoft's Windows Update
to work in any browser other than IE. With this new Netscape function, you
can update Windows or access these IE-specific features without having to
switch browsers. This is possible because the browser uses both the Gecko
engine of Firefox and Microsoft's own Internet Explorer engine.
There are also new drop-down options for closing tabs. You can close all
tabs for that site, all tabs to the left or right of the one currently
displayed, just the active tab, or all but the active tab. Not even Firefox
has tab options to compare with this.
This is a beta product for sure. In the first few minutes I spent using
the new browser, the text overlapped on one of the Netscape site's own
pages, something I haven't seen in any browser in a long time.
Previous versions of Netscape have conveniently permitted pop-up ads for
AOL and other Time Warner properties to slip unfettered through the
browser's pop-up blocker. The new pop-up control options in this browser
may make it easier for people to block even AOL-approved ads.
There's a good chance, however, that AOL will find similar ways to
monetize this browser, so it's far too soon to pass judgment. Still, a
quick first look indicates that the next Netscape browser will be well
worth taking for a test run, once it's available to the public.
Mozilla Previews Thunderbird E-Mail App
The Mozilla Foundation has unveiled the most complete preview version yet
of its stand-alone e-mail application.
The release comes only weeks after the launch of its Firefox browser
version 1.0, and is part of the open source software project's continuing
efforts to chip away market share from Microsoft's dominate Internet
Explorer.
The release candidate of Thunderbird 1.0 e-mail management software,
launched Wednesday, is being positioned as similar to Microsoft's free
end-user application Outlook Express but without the user hassles of
dealing with advertisements and spam.
Before the official release of Thunderbird 1.0, slated for December 7, the
group is offering the preview version of the free client for last-minute
testing. Based on the Mozilla codebase, Thunderbird 1.0 works with most
operating systems including Windows, Linux (news - web sites), and
Macintosh, the group says.
The Mozilla Foundation has said in the past that it aims to capture between
10 percent and 12 percent of the Web browser market by the end of next
year. It has already been able to eke out a 3 percent share through its
preview versions of Firefox, though Microsoft's IE continues to hoard as
much as 95 percent of the market, according to figures from WebSideStory.
Thunderbird is part of that overall effort, although Outlook Express is far
from Mozilla's only competition among e-mail clients, with Yahoo (Yahoo
Mail), Google (Gmail), and Microsoft (Hotmail) all offering popular and
free Web-based e-mail services.
Mozilla believes it can woo users over to Thunderbird with features such
as the ability to choose between three message views and to customize
toolbar buttons, an integrated Usenet newsgroup reader, and security
features such as not allowing scripts to run by default.
The Mozilla Foundation, based in Mountain View, California, is a nonprofit
organization created in July 2003 to support the Mozilla open source
software project. Mozilla was originally created at Netscape Communications
in 1998, which was since acquired by media conglomerate Time Warner.
The new Thunderbird release candidate can be downloaded online.
EBay Adds 'Want It Now' Feature
EBay Inc. has added a new "Want it Now" feature for people to request
exactly what they want on the online marketplace, a spokesman said on
Friday.
"It's an enhancement to search," eBay spokesman Hani Durzy said of the new
feature that mimics traditional classified ads.
The new function comes amid the all-important holiday shopping season that
contributes to what is traditionally the strongest financial quarter for
the No. 1 U.S. shopping site. EBay usually has about 30 million items
listed at any given time.
"Want it Now" appears on the main eBay page under the heading "Specialty
Sites." Shoppers can post their requests for specific items. Sellers can
browse those postings and contact potential buyers with information about
items that may match their requirements. Sales follow eBay's normal
procedures.
Among the 2,700-plus items wanted are a 1976 Port Chester, New York, High
School yearbook; antique wood stove parts; red t-shirts with the blurb,
"Old Men are Good Lovers Too"; and a fully-leased strip mall in the San
Francisco Bay area.
EBay recently acquired 25 percent of local online classifieds company
Craigslist.org. In November, eBay bought Marktplaats.nl, the biggest Dutch
classified advertising Web site for about $290 million in cash. The online
auctioneer in April paid almost $150 million for Mobile.de, one of the
leading vehicle classifieds Web sites in Germany.
Fast Internet Service for The People
For the millions of people who cannot afford high-speed Internet access,
some local officials think they've hit on the answer: Build
government-owned networks to provide service at rates below what big
telecommunications companies charge.
From San Francisco to St. Cloud, Fla., an estimated 200 communities are
toying with community-owned networks, sparking a battle with cable and
telephone companies over how public, or private, access to the Internet
should be.
The companies are lobbying furiously to block such plans, fearful that
their businesses would be hurt. Their efforts most recently paid off
Tuesday night in Pennsylvania, where a new law bans local governments from
creating their own networks without first giving the primary local phone
company the chance to provide service.
Consumer advocates denounce the new Pennsylvania law. They say it amounts
to governments now needing a permission slip from entrenched monopolies to
put a vital economic and educational tool within everyone's reach.
For them, government has a long history of providing essential public
services, such as national highways or electricity in rural areas.
"The Internet . . . is a true global public utility," said Jeffrey Chester,
director of the Center for Digital Democracy, an advocate for consumer
rights online. "We should be trying to provide it for free."
At least, they argue, community networks should be able to give the large
companies some competition. In a February survey conducted by the Pew
Internet and American Life Project, 24 percent of U.S. adults said they had
high-speed Internet access at home. About half of those had incomes of more
than $75,000 a year.
Harold J. Feld, associate director of the Media Access Project, a
consumer-media advocacy group, said a phone or cable company could always
come in and provide a wireless network, competing on price and service with
any municipal offering.
"But who gets to decide what municipalities can do?" Feld said. "Will it be
corporations?"
In some cases, governments acted out of concern that spotty service from
commercial providers in rural areas might be inhibiting economic growth.
Allegany County in western Maryland is building a high-speed wireless
network that will be available for homes and businesses.
Companies such as Verizon Communications Inc., which helped shape the
Pennsylvania law, argue that telecommunications firms would have little
incentive to build networks if they have to compete with
government-subsidized service.
Verizon spokesman Eric Rabe noted that the company is under state mandate
to deploy high-speed access to customers in all of its Pennsylvania
territory by 2015.
"If we should be asked to do that, we should be able to make a business of
it," he said, and not compete with governments that can borrow money to
build out a system more cheaply and can tax residents to pay for the
service.
The new law forces local governments to give the local phone carrier first
shot at providing wireless service if a locality intends to charge for it.
If the service is going to be free, the law does not apply.
But Beth McConnell, director of the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research
Group, said it is unreasonable to think that a government would be able to
offer service for nothing.
In last-minute negotiations before the bill was signed late Tuesday by Gov.
Edward G. Rendell (D), the law was changed to allow systems operating
before January 2006 to proceed.
That language, and a separate deal with Verizon, will enable Philadelphia
to move forward with plans for a citywide wireless network, the largest
such experiment in the country.
"Just like roads and transportation were keys to our past, a digital
infrastructure and wireless technology are keys to our future,"
Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street said in September when he announced the
plan.
Although residents would still have to own computers, the typical $30 to
$50 monthly cost of high-speed Internet access from commercial services
would be reduced. No details have been decided.
In the borough of Kutztown, Pa., local officials built a fiber-optic
network in 2000, following the path of the power lines that also are owned
by the town.
Today, Internet service at speeds faster than those generally provided by
phone and cable companies is available to residents and businesses
beginning at $15 a month. The system also provides cable television
service. More than 500 residents take advantage of the system.
Frank P. Caruso, the town's director of information technology, said he
feels sorry for communities that will not be able to meet the 2006 deadline
and thus be forced to deal with Verizon first.
"They don't realize that their throats have just been cut," Caruso said.
"It's almost like Verizon is Big Brother." Caruso said that after the town
began offering cable television service, the private provider dropped its
price by 40 percent to compete.
In signing the legislation, Rendell said that he was concerned about the
new restrictions on public networks but that other parts of the bill
involving telecommunications were too important to derail.
Among them are financial incentives for Verizon to accelerate plans to
expand broadband access around the state.
The law will be closely watched around the country, where phone and cable
companies are pressuring state legislatures to limit what municipalities
can do. According to MuniWireless.com, an online newsletter that tracks
community-based wireless projects, 14 states have passed some type of
legislation limiting what municipalities can do.
In Illinois, meanwhile, SBC Communications Inc. and Comcast Corp. teamed
up twice to defeat ballot measures
that would have allowed three towns to
create a fiber-optic network to provide telecommunications and cable
television services.
'Blog' Tops Online Dictionary List
"Blog," short for "Weblog," tops the list of 10 most-requested definitions,
Merriam-Webster said.
According to the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition,
a blog is "a Web site that contains an online personal journal with
reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer."
The recent U.S. presidential election was notable for the prominent use of
blogs, as people debated the merits of the two main candidates.
But blogs are not just used for political purposes - they are often used by
people as public diaries, to record aspects of their life.
In the UK, the Guardian, one of the leading British newspapers, regularly
features blogs in its online edition.
"While most of our online dictionary lookups are for slightly difficult but
still generic non-specialized vocabulary, it does sometimes happen that
words in the headlines so grab people's attention that they become a most
frequently looked-up word," John M. Morse, president and publisher of
Merriam-Webster, says in a statement.
"That is what occurred in this year's election cycle, with voluminous hits
for words like 'incumbent,' 'electoral,' 'partisan,' and, of course, our
number one word of the year, 'blog.'"
Initially, people were requesting a definition for blog, and the word was
not even officially in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the company
admitted.
"Most of the words in the top 10 list that people look up are in our
dictionary," Arthur Bicknell, senior publicist at Merriam-Webster, told
NewsFactor. "But 'blog' was not in the dictionary, as it was scheduled to
be included in the 2005 annual updates of Merriam-Webster's 11th Collegiate
Dictionary due out early next year. So our lexicographers placed a
definition of 'blog' on our Web site."
The 2004 Merriam-Webster's words of the year list is based on users'
anonymous hits to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary and Online
Thesaurus as well as lookups on Merriam-Webster Collegiate.com.
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