Thwarting Net Censorship

Web Censorship 'Bypass' Unveiled. BBC News. November 27, 2006.
Researchers at the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab have developed a free software tool named "Psiphon" which will enable users to freely surf the Web, out of the sight of government censors. The software will be available December 1. [Psiphon]

Spam Predominates

'9 Out of 10 E-mails Now Spam'. Reuters (via CNN.com). November 27, 2006.
Email security company Postini has detected 7 billion spam e-mails worldwide this month, much of it created by criminal gangs using using the hijacked computers of unsuspecting owners.

A New Function for Reference Librarians

Technology Mediator: A New Role for the Reference Librarian? David K. Howse, Paul J. Bracke and Samuel M. Keim. Biomedical Digital Libraries. October 13, 2006.
The authors describe their experiences creating a federated search interface to the resources of the Arizona Health Sciences Library. As they worked with clinicians in its development, a new role arose for the librarian as intermediary between the health practitioner and the systems specialist.

Google Product Development

Search Engines: Is Google Building on Shaky Foundations? Phil Bradley. Ariadne. October 2006.
The author takes the search company to task for releasing so many new products so quickly.

Newspaper Chains to Partner with Yahoo

U.S. Newspapers to Link up with Yahoo. Miguel Helft and Steve Lohr. International Herald Tribune. November 20, 206.
A consortium of seven newspaper chains has formed a partnership with Yahoo in which the online media company will feature their job ads and other conent while providing the technology for the sites of the 176 dialy newspapers involved. Until now newspapers have been slow in meeting the competition of the Internet. This deal will enable them to upgrade their websites
and eventually to make more of their local news content accessible through Yahoo.

Google Book Search Critiqued

Google Book Search Has Far to Go. Mick O'Leary. Information Today. November 2006.
The author provides a critical overview of Google's Book Search service, finding the Library Search to be the best part.

Search Engines Following Common Protocol

Internet Search Rivals Unite to Make Websites Easier to Find. AFP (via Yahoo! News). November 16.
Google, Yahoo and Microsoft, in a "joint initiative", have announced they will follow Google's "Sitemaps 0.90" protocol. This will enable website creators to make their pages easier for search engines to index effectively. [Sitemaps]

IM-Speak

Digital Kids Cracking the Code of Teens' IM Slang. Stefanie Olsen. CNET News.com November 14, 2006.
For many teens, instant messaging is the communication medium of choice, and they often conduct several conversations simultaneously. Where brevity is the key, they have developed codes or acronyms for common phrases. Olsen's article discusses the phenomenon and provides a glossary which shows how to say such things as "be right back" or "parents are watching."

The First Library on Mars

(Your name) Can Go to Mars. Astrobiology Magzine. November 7, 2006.
In 2007 the Planetary Society will be sending an archival DVD to Mars with the Phoenix lander. The specialized silica-glass disk will contain classic works of art and literature inspired by the Red Planet, as well as names submitted by people around the world.

Intellipedia

Intelligence Czar Unveils Spy Version of Wikipedia. Reuters (via CNET News.com). October 31, 2006.
U.S. intelligence agencies are collaboratively developing their own Wiki encyclopedia, the "Intellipedia" that is intended to help spy agencies share information. One hopes that its overall quality will be higher than its model, the Wikipedia, whose "editorial policies" permit virtually anyone to contribute and edit articles, regardless of their knowledge of a subject. The issue isn't whether or not the resource contains some high quality articles, but, rather, the degree of confidence that can be placed in any one of them.

Yahoo! Food

Yahoo to Launch Web Site Devoted to Food. Gary Gentile. AP (via Yahoo! News). November 2, 2006.
Yahoo! Food is opening today. The site is stuffed with recipes and video cooking instruction from the likes of Martha Stewart, celebrity interviews, and additional content from notable food bloggers. The site includes a variety of food features, including everyday and holiday cooking, chefs and restaurants, and a recipe database.

Rating Public Libraries

HAPLR 2006 Ratings.
Thomas J. Hennen Jr. has released his list of public library ratings for 2006, as published annually in American Libraries. Twenty four libraries appear in the top 100 for the first time.