The following resources are to assist Students and Teachers in locating more in-depth knowledge concerning the “Online Debate” we have initiated as well as learning more about the world in which we live and its ever changing landscape.
THEME ONE – THE NEW ECONOMY
In a borderless world, the motto is ‘Network or perish’
‘Food for virtual thought’ article by Christine Maxwell and Rosa Delgado, the moderators of debate theme one.
Global Regulation of E-Commerce
Research by Headstar for Bull into the international regulatory patchwork for e-commerce. The report finds existing intergovernmental bodies, from the World Trade Organization down, will have to adapt fast or face obsolescence.
Electronic Commerce work of the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
The web site for the organisation’s ongoing work into e-commerce, including a good introductory section.
International Chamber of Commerce – Electronic Commerce
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is a world membership body representing businesses in all sectors. It has drawn up an action plan for business and governments on electronic commerce, and guidance on General Usage for International Digitally Ensured Commerce (GUIDEC), a set of common definitions and best practices for secure e-commerce.
Information Society Project Office (ISPO)
The Information Society Project Office (ISPO) is the main web site for disseminating news and information on the EU’s information society policies. The electronic commerce section of the ISPO site is at:
I*M Europe – information market Europe
Web site with information about European markets for multimedia content and electronic information services.
Rules for Radicals
A series of articles (follow links from the above site) by Riel Miller of the OECD for IntellectualCapital.com on the new rules needed to realise the radical potential of cyberspace.
OLATS – The Online Laboratory for Arts and Technosciences
http://www.olats.org
The Leonardo Observatory for the Arts and Techno-Sciences, a site where the arts and high-tech meet. Most content is in French.
The Internet Society (ISOC) and associated bodies
http://www.isoc.org/
The main group of international co-operative bodies which oversee Internet standards and look to safeguard its accessibility and its future are grouped around an international non-profit body called The Internet Society.
Internet Societal Task Force
The ISTF, chaired by Vint Cerf, is an open participatory organization. The primary purpose of ISTF is to describe steps to assure that the Internet is for everyone.
ISTF work is carried out online using work groups and discussion lists: participation is free and open to everyone.
IPv6 (Internet Protocol Version 6)
www.ipv6forum.com
The new Internet Protocol is designed to create the next generation of more secure, fast and reliable Internet data traffic – an important advance for electronic commerce.
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
http://www.w3c.org/
The international industry body which develops software and other standards for the world wide web. It has an Electronic Commerce Interest Group whose current work includes the micropayment initiative. Micropayments are very small payments – as little as a fraction of a cent – made over the web for pages that you access. Micropayments cover transactions which are too small to be economical as credit card transactions, but provide a potentially significant revenue if large enough numbers of people visit the site.
GKD
www.edc.org
One of the world’s leading non-profit bodies championing basic education, health promotion and developmental rights for all, it is currently hosting a global email list debate on education and democracy.
Oneworld
www.oneworld.org
Another leading development education body, the OneWorld Trust began using television but has shifted to the Internet as the perfect medium to disseminate developmental resources worldwide quickly and cheaply.
The Best Practices and Local Leadership Programme
http://www.sustainabledevelopment.org/blp
The programme is a global network of institutions dedicated to the identification and dissemination of best practices in research and policy development. It runs The Best Practices Database, which contains over 650 examples of how cities and communities have been able to tackle pressing social, economic and environmental problems:
http://www.bestpractices.org
The project has kindly offered a free temporary password to all Boosting the Net Economy 2000 participants to gain access to the full records on the database. Simply follow the link to “Search” and then enter the access code: gen27 (valid until 1 November 2000, and can be used by multiple people).
Networked Intelligence for Development
www.networkedintelligence.com
A consulting firm which specialises in assisting social equity projects for marginalised communities in Africa and other parts of the developing world.
GII Standard for Internet Commerce
http://www.gii.com/standard/index.html
The Standard for Internet Commerce is a web-based initiative led by the technology publisher Ziff-Davis and involving a broad alliance of global corporations, institutions and individuals. It aims to codify best practices in Internet commerce that lead to high levels of customer satisfaction, service, security and privacy as well as increasing merchant profitability and innovation.
Global Business Dialogue on Electronic Commerce (GBDe)
The GBDe is a heavyweight grouping of international corporations formed to lobby for the minimisation and harmonisation of national and international government regulation of electronic commerce. It held its inaugural conference in Paris in September 1999, where it unveiled a set of guidelines for regulation covering security, privacy, consumer protection, taxation and liability.
Spotting Net Trends
A Lively and comprehensive guide from ZDNet on how businesses can keep ahead of the latest Internet trends.
Computer Security, Law and Privacy
http://www.cerias.purdue.edu/
“Probably the most complete archive of security-related links on the Internet” – from CERIAS, the Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security, at Purdue University, Indiana, US.
Democracy Online
http://www.scim.vuw.ac.nz/research/govtonline/
Brand new report on electronic government in New Zealand, by researchers at Victoria University.
G8 Information Society projects
http://www.open.gov.uk/govoline/g7is1.htm
The G8’s Government On-Line project is focused on identifying and disseminating information about strategies and best practice in governments around the world to promote the provision of on-line services.
‘Networks and Nodes’
A paper by Francesco Garibaldo on the opportunities and risks presented by the information society for the economic and social development of the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.
See also the Institute for Labour’s home page:
Information Age Government Champions
UK Government group of senior officials charged with wiring up the public sector.
The World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
www.w3c.org/wai
WAI draws up technical and other standards for ensuring web sites are designed to be accessible to all users, including the blind and disabled who use special access software such as speech converters.
There web site includes a section on ‘Policies on Web Accessibility’, a compilation of international policies hyperlinked by country:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/References/Policy
The International Center for Disability Resources on the Internet
www.icdri.org
This US-based body has created a gateway to web resources relating to disability.
WomenWatch
The United Nations Internet gateway on the advancement and empowerment of women.
The programme is running a series of email lists and discussion groups leading up to ‘Women 2000 – Beijing+5’, a special session of the UN General Assembly to be held in New York from 5-9 June 2000. The Short Url can be found here.
Flame – African Sisters Online
A network of African women committed to strengthening the capacity of women through the use of technology to lobby, advocate and participate in the UN consultation process regionally and globally.
e-Europe
New EU policy drive aimed at creating ‘an information society for all’.
Giving Today
http://www.givingtoday.org
A UK drive to make it easier for charities to use electronic media to fundraise and communicate.
Consumers International
http://www.consumersinternational.org/
Consumers International is a global federation of 245 consumer organisations in 111 countries. It has recently been calling for greater protection for consumers who buy goods online.
Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA)
http://www.icra.org/
The Internet Content Rating Association is an independent, non-profit organisation with a mission “to develop, implement and manage an internationally acceptable voluntary self-rating system which provides Internet users world wide with the choice to limit access to content they consider harmful, especially to children”. More details can be found on the Netecon2000 Storify page also.
Global Internet Liberty Campaign
http://www.gilc.org/
The Global Internet Liberty Campaign is an international coalition of Internet freedom of speech and privacy lobby and campaign groups. It is opposed to all prior censorship of on-line communication and defending people’s right to encrypt their communications without restriction.
‘The Growing Digital Divide in Access for People with Disabilities: Overcoming Barriers to Participation’
http://www.aasa.dshs.wa.gov/access/waddell.htm
Paper by Cynthia D. Waddell commissioned by the US government for the first national US conference on the impact of the digital economy, May 1999.
‘Electronic Curbcuts: Universal Access for Everyone’
Paper by Cynthia D. Waddell, first published in iMP: The Magazine for Information Impacts, sponsored by the Center for Information Strategy and Policy.
Applying the Americans with Disabilities Act to the Internet: A Web Accessibility Standard
http://www.icdri.org/cynthia_waddell.htm
Paper by Cynthia D. Waddell requested by the American Bar Association for their national summit on disability rights.
HTML Writers Guild Accessible Web Authoring Resources and Education Center
http://aware.hwg.org/
Inventing the Future
A mailing list on ensuring the information society is accessible to all.
The Official Netecon Slideshare page.
The Debate Report that was previously published can be viewed here