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The CPSR Compiler - February 2006

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The CPSR Compiler - February 2006 - 4.8 < <
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COMPUTER PROFESSIONALS for SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Turning Thoughts to Actions

* * * *

* CPSR's Strategic Organizational Assessment
* CPSR Signed Statement about NSA Surveillance of Americans
* The End of the Internet ?
* U.S. Plans Massive Data Sweep
* CPSR Resources about National Identity Schemes
* Face and Fingerprints Swiped in Dutch Biometric Passport Crack
* U.S. NIST Standards for Biometric Federal ID Cards
* CPSR's Voting Technology Working Group
* California State Voting Technology Hearings
* Awards and Conferences

* * * *

CPSR Releases Strategic Organizational Assessment

With the financial support of the Ford Foundation, in the summer
of 2005, the Board of Directors invited three members of our new
Advisory Council -- Jeff Johnson, Andy Oram, and Doug Schuler
-- to prepare a strategic assessment of CPSR. The mandate was to
take a good hard look at our strengths and, more importantly, our
weaknesses, and to present the authors' personal
recommendations on options for improvement. The draft report
was distributed to the CPSR board on October 24, five days
before the Annual Meeting. The draft also was posted to the CPSR
web site along with a comment mechanism where members could
offer their reactions and any additional thoughts. The document
and comments provided important inputs to an intensive
discussion during the October 2005 Annual Weekend held in Palo
Alto. The authors then revised the assessment, taking into account
member comments received by December 1. The document was
revised again and finalized, reflecting additional suggestions by
CPSR's President and Managing Director, in January 2006.
Members are encouraged to read the assessment and offer their
thoughts in the online discussion space. To access it, please log in
to the Members Section.

CPSR members in good standing, with website accounts and
working email addresses on file, were recently emailed a
reminder, and instructed, if they know their username but can't
remember their password, to please use
http://www.cpsr.org/mail_password_form . CPSR members in
good standing, without website accounts, with working email
addresses on file, were recently emailed instructions, again, for
how to request a website account.

& & &

CPSR signed a statement prepared by the Liberty Coalition criticizing
recently-revealed warrantless surveillance of Americans by the NSA, and
calling for Congressional hearings, a special counsel, and protections for
whistleblowers who come forward in any such investigation.  Read the full
text of this statement.

& & &

A CPSR Brazil member was reported by a member to have been
interviewed on NPR about open source.

& & &

Consider subscribing to CPSR-hosted list(s) to get more timely
postings of issues, discussions, recommended readings, and events, like
those that follow.  See http://lists.cpsr.org

& & &

The End of the Internet?
by Jeff Chester
[posted online in The Nation on February 1, 2006]

It lays out comprehensive reasons to worry about the future of the
free and open internet.

"The nation's largest telephone and cable companies are crafting
an alarming set of strategies that would transform the free, open
and nondiscriminatory Internet of today to a privately run and
branded service that would charge a fee for virtually everything
we do online."    . . .

"If Americans are to succeed in designing an equitable digital
destiny for themselves, they must mount an intensive opposition
similar to the successful challenges to the FCC's media
ownership rules in 2003. Without such a public outcry to rein in
the GOP's corporate-driven agenda, it is likely that even many of
the Democrats who rallied against further consolidation will be
"tamed" by the well-funded lobbying campaigns of the powerful
phone and cable industry."

Please note the documents from Cisco and others placed online.
They are very revealing of what will happen and how it will work.
Details
Longer version
Documents page

& & &

US plans massive data sweep
Little-known data-collection system could troll news, blogs,
even e-mails. Will it go too far?
By Mark Clayton
The Christian Science Monitor
February 9, 2006

The US government is developing a massive computer system that
can collect huge amounts of data and, by linking far-flung
information from blogs and e-mail to government records and
intelligence reports, search for patterns of terrorist activity.
Details

& & &

CPSR's Web Resources about National Identity Schemes

Biometrics

National Identification Schemes (NIDS) and the Fight against
Terrorism: Frequently Asked Questions
This set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) provides background
on why NIDS are an unsuitable measure to increase security against
terrorist attacks.

National Identification Schemes: Links to Resources
A collection of resources about National ID Cards and Privacy
concerns.

Identification Technologies: An Analysis
Author: Jeff Johnson

& & &

Face and fingerprints swiped in Dutch biometric passport crack
Chip skimmed, then security breached
By John Lettice
30th January 2006
The Register

Dutch TV programme Nieuwslicht (Newslight) is claiming that the
security of the Dutch biometric passport has already been cracked.
As the programme reports here,
the passport was read remotely and then the security cracked using
flaws built into the system, whereupon all of the biometric data
could be read.
Details

& & &

NIST Standards for Biometric Federal ID Cards
Link 1
Link 2

& & &

CPSR's Voting Technology Working Group List (vote-wg) is
discussing the February 1, 2006 Q&A with Roy Saltman at
Harvard's Neiman Foundation for Journalism
Details

& & &

Alan Dechert of Open Voting Consortium emailed CPSR on
February 9th to report:

The State of California took a large stride toward adopting open
voting yesterday.

The GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY article about it was temperate, but
witness
after witness made the case for total transparency in the voting system
and for using open source software!     . . .

All four major vendors (Diebold, ES&S, Sequoia, Hart
InterCivic) were no-shows. Bowen suggested that she may have
to subpoena them in future hearings.

State Senator Debra Bowen, chair Senate's elections committee
and candidate for Secretary of State made the goal clear:
"Transparency," she said when asked.    . . . .

 -- Alan Dechert
Details

& & &

Elections, Reapportionment And Constitutional Amendments -
Informational Hearing

Subject: Are California's Voting Systems Accurate, Reliable
and Secure? A Critical Look at the Federal Testing and
Certification Process

Thursday, February 16, 2006
Debra Bowen, Chair
1 p.m. or upon adjournment of session
Menlo Park City Council Chambers
801 Laurel Street
Menlo Park, CA

& & &

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Awards
Nominations Sought
Deadline: Feb. 17
Details

& & &

European e-ID Card Conference:
Current Perspective and Initiatives from around Europe in
Government and Business
Brussels, BELGIUM - Feb 22-23
Details

& & &

The Center for Science, Technology, and Society
Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California,
presents:

A Panel Discussion ˆ
The Ethics and Politics of Search Engines

Feb 27, 2006  - - 5:30 p.m.
Benson Center, Williman Room
Free Admission

Featuring:
Peter Norvig, Google's Director of Research
Terry Winograd, Professor, Computer Science, Stanford
University
Geoffrey C. Bowker,Executive Director, Center for Science,
Technology, and Society
Moderator: Kirk O. Hanson,Executive Director, The Markkula
Center for Applied Ethics
Details

& & &

AO2006 The Innovation Summit at Stanford, July 25-27 , 2006
33% discount on tickets - $1,675. Offer good until February 28th, 2006
Details

& & &

SIGGRAPH 2006
The 33rd International Conference on Computer Graphics and
Interactive Techniques
Boston, MA -  30 July - 3 August 2006

SIGGRAPH 2006 is looking for knowledgeable and interesting
speakers on topics such as: Ethics in Image Manipulation; Video
Games: Content and Responsibility; and Digital Rights, Digital
Restrictions. Deadline is March 1st, 2006.
Details

& &  &

International Association of Privacy Professionals
National Summit
Washington, DC - March 8-10
Details

& & &

The Tech Museum Awards is currently seeking nominations for
innovators from around the world who are using technology to
benefit humanity.
Deadline for nominations is April 3, 2006
via  http://www.techawards.org

& & &

The 2006 Santa Barbara Forum on Digital Transitions,
a workshop for leading technology researchers, designers, users,
and commentators to examine technology's role in promoting
social engagement and participation improving the quality of
community life, both online and off, April 9 - 10, 2006.
Details

& & &

CHI 2006, the premier international conference for human-
computer interaction (HCI) - - April 22-27, Montreal, Canada.

Researchers and practitioners from all segments of the CHI community -
design, education, engineering, management, research, and usability -
can interact, inform and inspire each other.
Details

& & &

29th Information Systems Research Seminar in Scandinavia:
Paradigms, Politics, and Paradoxes - - August 12-15 2006,
Helsingoer, Denmark

This year's IRIS 2006 aims to revitalize and reframe a critical
dimension in this community by encouraging contributions about
the politics involved in IS design, development and use.

Deadline for submitting papers to IRIS'29 is April 3rd
Details

& & &

Human Factors / Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting
San Francisco, CA - October 16-20
Details

--------------------
My apologies if I overlooked any entries for this
Compiler issue, and/or if any of your questions/requests
to me have not been answered. Please feel free to send
me reminders, maybe with the Subject beginning - "NUDGE".
Thanks, Susan   evoy(a)cpsr.org

******************************
The CPSR Compiler is a monthly notice with short
updates on recent activities of our members and
opportunities to engage in the development of the
public voice through CPSR projects.

To report news for future issues, send a sentence or
two (and URL if available) to cpsr(a)cpsr.org

CPSR provides a discussion and project space where
individuals can contribute to the public debate and
design of our global digital future. Through CPSR's
chapters and working groups, members focus on regional
and civic issues developing the public voice. To
insure a democratic future in a time of intense
globalization, the voice of the public must command
a prominent position on the world stage. CPSR frames
and channels the public voice.

When in doubt about how to get more out of your CPSR
membership, contact cpsr@cpsr.org or refer to the
Activists Handbook to get help in getting the most out of
your membership.

To get involved in policy work through CPSR, consider
joining one of CPSR's Working Groups
or contact cps(a)cpsr.org about starting a new one.

CPSR-Activists is the main members forum of CPSR,
where the board and members discuss current policy
and organizational issues. Only subscribed members
can post to this list.

(c) Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility 2006.
Redistribution of this email publication - both internally
and externally - is encouraged if it includes this paragraph.

CPSR is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
Donations are tax deductible.

Pay Dues, Buy Tshirts, or Make Donations via
http://www.cpsr.org/membershipForm

Find out about email discussion lists and Working Groups
hosted by CPSR at http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/

The CPSR Compiler is emailed to CPSR members in
good standing, who have provided CPSR with their
email address.

********************************************
Online Dues and Donation Form:
http://www.cpsr.org/membershipForm
--
Susan Evoy * Managing Director
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
P.O. Box 717 * Palo Alto * CA * 94302
Phone: (650) 322-3778 * (650) 322-4748 (fax)

Created by hdihuyen
Last modified June 09, 2006 03:27 PM
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