Hello folks -
 
     Here are some excerpts from this month's editions of my
weekly column, "International Internet NewsClips." The full
version plus archives are at MecklerMedia's Internet World site
(http://www.iworld.com/netday/NATW.html). You can also find my
reviews of books on Internet-related subjects at this site.
Comments, feedback, etc. most welcome as always.
                                                      - madan
______________________________________________________________
  Madanmohan Rao (rao@igc.org), Communications Consultant, 
     United Nations Inter Press Service bureau.
- --------------------------------------------------------------
 
French Decision Banning Book Defied On Internet
- -----------------------------------------------
On the Internet, the French are finding ways to sneak around a 
ban on a new book that reveals that Francois Mitterrand lied 
about his health during his entire presidency. Pascal Barbraud, 
manager of Le Web (http:/www.le-web.fr/secret/), a cybercafe for 
computer enthusiasts in the eastern town of Besancon, has 
transcribed all 190 pages of "Le Grand Secret'' into his Internet
site. Within a day, at least 1,000 people an hour were reportedly
swamping the Web site, mostly from France, Belgium, Switzerland, 
Canada and other francophone countries. 
(International Herald Tribune, Associated Press; January 24,
1996)  
 
New Zealand Online Newspaper Draws Increasing Traffic
- -----------------------------------------------------
New Zealand's first daily newspaper to venture online, the 
Christchurch Press, received 160,000 visitors last month. The 
online editor says the number of stories presented has been 
growing with each issue, and now about 100 stories appear each 
week. Response to the online service has been positive, with 
visitors split roughly half between international and locals. 
Expatriate New Zealanders in Australia, the United States, 
Bahrain and Dubai feature on the list of visitors.
(InfoTech Weekly, New Zealand; January 29, 1996)
 
Subscribers Defect From Online Services To Internet In U.S., Asia
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
The Internet is "shattering" the proprietary model of online
services like CompuServe, America Online, and Prodigy, in the
U.S. and abroad. Online services are desperately rewriting their
strategies to embrace the very force that threatens their
existence - the World Wide Web. In Asia, the big commercial
services are outnumbered by dozens of independent Internet access
providers. Of the major U.S. services, only CompuServe has much
of a presence in countries like Hong Kong, where it has 10,000
subscribers - but the ISPs have more subscribers, and offer
cheaper access to the Internet.
(Asian Wall Street Journal; January 19-20, 1996) 
 
Internet Can Improve News Flow For Developing Nations
- -----------------------------------------------------
Speaking at Indonesia's first Internet and World Wide Web
conference, Madanmohan Rao of the United Nations Inter Press
Service bureau said that the Internet can help balance the flow
of information in developing countries, where Western media
currently dominate news flow. Many media in developing countries
have established an Internet presence, enabling people around the
world to get news and information directly from local sources,
Rao said. In Indonesia, two publications already have a Web site:
Kompas (http://www.vic.com/kompas) and Republika (http://
republika.co.id). 
(The Jakarta Post, Indonesia; January 17, 1996)  
 
Advertising For Online Services, Internet Flourishes In Korea
- -------------------------------------------------------------
Advertisers and marketing agencies in South Korea are stepping up
the development of advertisements for online services and the
Internet. Sponsors of online ads include computer makers,
automobile manufacturers, and beverage companies. Korean
businesses are using the Internet to make their products more
visible, especially to worldwide users. Daewoo, for instance,
placed an ad on the Internet to recruit overseas job applicants,
and received 50 responses.
(Indonesia Times; January 17, 1996) 
 
Internet Censorship Poses Dilemmas in U.S., Australia
- -----------------------------------------------------
Should content on the Internet be regulated the way it is in
other communications media? The censorship dilemma seems to have
gripped the governments of the U.S., Australia, and other nations
that are beginning to witness the introduction of the Internet to
a mass user base. Politicians around world, including Australian
Attorney-General Michael Lavarch, are "screaming for
regulation" - but few leaders have any understanding of the
implications of Internet censorship. At least five issues need to
be addressed in any regulation debate - inadvertent receivers of
illicit information should not be penalised, ISP providers can
not be required to be aware of all the kinds of information
flowing through their systems, information sources on the  
Internet can be easily forged, information can often be
encrypted, and local censorship laws may not be applicable to
Internet users in other countries. Adding to this confusion are
highly imprecise definitions of what constitutes inappropriate or
indecent material. 
(Internet Australasia; January 1996) 
 
Internet Is Fast Becoming A Global Free-Speech Battleground
- -----------------------------------------------------------
As millions of users around the world surf the Internet, many  
international tangles between governments and free-speech
advocates are taking place. The U.S. is considering legislation
against knowingly transmitting "indecent" materials over the
Internet. China is cracking down on "spiritual pollution" from
pornography and anti-government material. Data-line licenses in
Jordan prevent service providers from distributing "indecent"
content. Germany is clamping down on online access to child
pornography. On the other hand, countries like Italy are not
expected to censor online porn. According to several analysts,
the way such developments play out will determine the Internet's
commercial viability.
(Business Week; January 15, 1996) 
 
1996: Will Dilemma Of Censorship Bring Internet Down To Earth?
- --------------------------------------------------------------
It looks as if 1996 is going to be the year cyberspace is brought
down to Earth. From Munich to Washington, Beijing to Columbus,
Ohio, policemen and politicians have recently been trying to
censor the Internet. The first development was the decision in
December by CompuServe to cut off its customers' access to more
than 200 newsgroups, under pressure from the police in Bavaria.
The second development is more sweeping. This comes from
Washington, where Christian rightwingers managed to insert a
clause in the recently passed Telecommunications Bill to make it
illegal to publish indecent material over computer networks. 
(The Star, South Africa; January 8, 1996)
 
Nikkei To Offer English News Service On The Internet
- ----------------------------------------------------
Nihon Keizai Shimbun Inc. (Nikkei), the publisher of  the
nation's leading business daily plans to open a home page on the 
Internet to provide English-language business reports and other
information. Nikkei Net will offer English translations of
economic, financial and industrial news in the Nihon Keizai
Shimbun and feature stories from the English-language Nikkei
Weekly newspaper. Also available will be placement information
for university students, the introduction of new Nikkei
publications, and information on art exhibitions and concerts.
(Kyodo News Service, Japan; January 8, 1996)
 

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End of online-news-digest V1 #495
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