Berkman Buzz: Week of April 28, 2008

Week of April 28, 2008

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*StopBadware.org releases a badware alert for Performance Optimizer
*The Internet & Democracy Project discusses views on free press in Iran and Russia
*Sarah Zhang looks at the internet fame gender gap
*Persephone Miel introduces ReelChanges
*David Weinberger is having an identity crisis...of sorts
*danah boyd talks scifi, the next generation
*Weekly Global Voices: "Ecuador: A Weekend of Free Software Throughout the Country"
*Weekly Berkman@10: "Mike Doughty cuts through the noise"

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The Full Buzz

"StopBadware.org today released a badware alert about PerformanceOptimizer: 'We find that PerformanceOptimizer (Trial Version) is badware because it installs deceptively, makes deceptive claims of system vulnerabilities in order to induce users to purchase the full version of the software, interferes with normal computer use by repeatedly prompting users to take previously declined actions, fails to inform users that the software will function as adware by prompting users to install additional software (including known badware), and fails to identify itself as the source of these advertisements...'"
Max Weinstein, "Badware Alert: PerformanceOptimizer"

"Some interesting results on global attitudes towards press and Internet freedom from a poll by World Public Opinion in honor of Press Freedom Day–including who leads the pack. The good news is that majorities around the world support press freedom. However, two countries we have been following lately, Iran, as part of our study of the Iranian blogosphere, and Russia, have relatively low levels of support compared to others. The survey says the following about Iranian public opinion towards Internet and media freedom..."
Internet & Democracy Project, "Iranian and Russian support for press freedom relatively low"

"This past weekend, I spent an amazing two days at ROFLCon, a conference self-described as a mix of a 'bunch of super famous internet memes [and] some brainy academics.' As promised, it was provided lots of laughter but also posed some interesting questions. During the opening panel, the question was asked (I’m paraphrasing), “If the Internet is thought of as this democratizing force, why all the panelists white men?” Various retorts and theories were thrown around the issue, and it became somewhat of a running gag throughout the conference..."
Digital Natives, "ROFLCon, Women, and Digital Natives"

"ReelChanges allows the public to contribute to documentaries (or other forms of journalism) at any stage of production or distribution. Launching today, in honor of May Day. [Warning: live blogging, mistakes ahead] Hal Plotkin: 'Currently, decisions about what gets produced are made by .001% of the public. Maybe they always get it right, but we don’t think so...'"
Persephone Miel, "Reel Changes"

"A couple of days ago, a post on a Canadian newspaper’s blog gave me credit for something I didn’t do. Before I could leave a comment correcting the post, the site insisted I register. Registration there is free (in the “no cash changes hands”) sense, but it required me to supply not only my email address and name, but also my sex and age. It also permitted me to enter yet more demographic data, which I declined to do. I didn’t want to have to supply any info, but i really wanted to correct that post. It even made me confirm an email they sent to the address I registered, because, I suppose, otherwise the terrorists have won..."
David Weinberger, "Keeping ID hard, shameful, or at least awkward"

"Although I've always been eh about most scifi, I've grown increasingly fond of young adult science fiction and scifi focused on teens. There's something fun in reading about teens running around trying to save the world. I can thank/blame Cory Doctorow for most of this because he's the one who got me hooked on reading it. So I'm super super super stoked to announce that his first young adult scifi book is on the shelves..."
danah boyd, "Little Brother + the Uglies series = le awesome young adult scifi"

"Throughout Latin America the 'Latin American Festival of Installation of Free Software' (FLISOL 2008) recently concluded. This event, which has been held since 2005, has as its main objective to promote the use of free software, presenting its philosophy, its scopes and development. During the event, the diverse local communities of free software (in each country, in each city/locality), simultaneously organized events in which they set up, in a free and legal way; free software on the computers that the public brought to the event...'"
Global Voices, "Ecuador: A Weekend of Free Software Throughout the Country"

"This week, an audio-only treat for music makers and fans: Eric Hellweg's April 2005 "interactive interview" with Mike Doughty, former Soul Coughing frontman, on creativity, music, and technology. When we asked the Berkman Center community which moments from the past should be featured this spring as multimedia classics, there was unanimous enthusiasm for this interview, which kicked off Signal/Noise 2k5: Creative Revolution? with not only discussion, but also live demonstration, Doughty strumming away in the Ames Courtroom at an implausible morning hour..."
Berkman@10, "Mike Doughty cuts through the noise"

Join us May 15-16 for what promises to be a unique gathering of Internet luminaries, cyberlawyers, entrepreneurs, activists, geeks, media makers and journalists, students, and more. The Berkman@10 Conference offers a chance to reflect critically on the last ten years of the development of the Internet and to look ahead to the crucial questions we face in the next ten years of cyberspace. Register here.