November 2009 - nexa - server-nexa.polito.it

Analysis of art. 1.3a
by Paolo Brini Dec. 10, 2009

Dec. 10, 2009

This is the promised translation into english of analysis of art. 1.3 which replaces amendment 138 in the framework Directive of the Telecoms Package. http://bit.ly/8yZM08 Ciao, Paolo

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La Carta dei cento per il libero Wi-Fi
by J.C. DE MARTIN Nov. 30, 2009

Nov. 30, 2009

*La Carta dei cento per il libero Wi-Fi* Alessandro Gilioli Su L'espresso in edicola domani (NdR: venerdi' 19.11) arriverà -- in un paio di pagine -- il risultato di un lungo scambio di mail che abbiamo messo in piedi insieme a Guido Scorza, Sergio Maistrello e Raffaele Bianco. L'obiettivo era creare una Carta per la liberazione dell'Wi-Fi italiano, soffocato dal decreto Pisanu. Alla fine il risultato è arrivato: imprenditori, politici, manager, blogger, giuristi e altro -- in una logica bipartisan -- hanno concordato il testo che potete leggere qui sotto. Oltre alla Carta e ai suoi firmatari, c'è il pezzo che uscirà domani e il testo della proposta di legge Cassinelli (e altri, è appunto bipartisan): per evitare che il Wi-Fi venga strozzato ancora dalle misure questurine in vigore. Ogni altra idea per portare avanti questa piccola battaglia civile è benvenuta. Continua qui: http://gilioli.blogautore.espresso.repubblica.it/2009/11/26/la-carta-dei-ce…

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NY Times: "Google and News Corp. Do Need Each Other"
by J.C. DE MARTIN Nov. 30, 2009

Nov. 30, 2009

November 30, 2009 Media Cache *Google and News Corp. Do Need Each Other* By ERIC PFANNER PARIS --- When a media industry insider last week floated the idea of an exclusive deal to list News Corp. content on Microsoft's Bing search engine, stiffing Google in the process, it drew some predictable responses. Bloggers and technology analysts crowed that Rupert Murdoch, News Corp.'s septuagenarian chief executive, had conclusively proved that he just didn't understand the Internet. Some people in the newspaper business said hooray for Uncle Rupert, standing up for the value of old-fashioned content and telling the geeks with their algorithms to get lost. Google, meanwhile, made the reassuring noises it does anytime anyone raises the possibility that its goals, and those of the media companies whose content it indexes, might not be 100 percent aligned. Google said it provided news organizations' Web sites with 100,000 clicks a minute, every one of which "offers a business opportunity for the publishers to show ads, win loyal readers and sell subscriptions." That is debatable, for the recession has exposed the folly of the idea that huge volumes of online traffic automatically translate into significant new ad revenue. Most news publishers have a glut of Web advertising space on their hands, and no amount of traffic is going to give them the pricing pressure they would need to make real money online. Even if the economy improves, the supply-demand imbalance in online advertising seems unlikely to improve much, because new Web businesses will spring up, too, and soak up increases in ad spending. Continua qui: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/30/business/media/30iht-cache30.html

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NY Times: "Open Source as a Model for Business Is Elusive"
by J.C. DE MARTIN Nov. 30, 2009

Nov. 30, 2009

November 30, 2009 *Open Source as a Model for Business Is Elusive* By ASHLEE VANCE SAN FRANCISCO --- In many ways, MySQL embodies the ideals of the populist software movement known as open source, in which a program's creator releases it to the world free of charge, and legions of volunteers contribute improvements that are also freely shared. The start-up company came out of nowhere, building a database application beloved by vibrant, young Internet companies. Logging in from homes scattered around the globe, its workers seemed more a part of a virtual commune than a corporate monolith, and they relished taking on proprietary software giants like Microsoft. But like most open-source companies, MySQL's sales, tied to support deals, never matched the astronomical number of downloads for its product, about 60,000 a day. In January 2008, the founders decided to sell the company for $1 billion to Sun Microsystems. And this year, Sun agreed to sell itself to Oracle, which makes database software aimed at larger companies and tougher jobs, for $7.4 billion. Now, disagreement over the value of MySQL --- both as a stand-alone entity and as part of a big company --- lies at the heart of a bitter public battle between Oracle and the European Union over the Sun acquisition. The fight illuminates a larger truth about open-source companies: their societal and strategic importance far exceeds their financial value as operating businesses. Continua qui: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/30/technology/business-computing/30open.html

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Resoconto de La Stampa della conferenza NEXA 2009
by J.C. DE MARTIN Nov. 29, 2009

Nov. 29, 2009

http://www.lastampa.it/_web/cmstp/tmplrubriche/tecnologia/grubrica.asp?ID_b… juan carlos

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FirstMonday: "Open source enters the world of atoms: A statistical analysis of open design"
by J.C. DE MARTIN Nov. 29, 2009

Nov. 29, 2009

Balka, Kerstin, Raasch, Christina, AND Herstatt, Cornelius. "Open source enters the world of atoms: A statistical analysis of open design" First Monday [Online], Volume 14 Number 11 (2 November 2009) http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2670… Abstract Extensive research has been done to analyze the phenomenon of open source software development from various perspectives. By contrast little is known about open source development of tangible objects, so–called open design, so far. Until recently, limitations to the availability of successful empirical examples of this ‘new innovation model’ outside software may have been a key reason for this gap. This paper contributes to the literature on the open source mode of product development by providing a quantitative study (N = 85) of open design projects. Our goal is to explore the landscape of open source development in the world of atoms, to analyze project characteristics, structures, and success, and to investigate similarities and dissimilarities to open source software development. juan carlos

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President Barroso unveils his new team
by Andrea Glorioso Nov. 27, 2009

Nov. 27, 2009

FYI http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/1837&format=H… __________________________________________________________________ President Barroso unveils his new team __________________________________________________________________ Reference: IP/09/1837 Date: 27/11/2009 HTML: [23]EN PDF: [24]EN DOC: [25]EN IP/09/1837 Brussels, 27 November 2009 President Barroso unveils his new team José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, today announced the portfolios responsibilities for the next Commission. The President has held detailed consultations with all the Commissioners-designate in order to assign the right jobs to the right people. The President believes that this team can deliver the agenda for change he set out in the political guidelines he presented in September, following his nomination by all 27 Member States and before his approval as President of the next Commission by the European Parliament. President Barroso said: "We have a European programme, and now we have a European team. On the basis of the nominations by the Member States, I have sought to design a College which can generate fresh ideas and new momentum on the biggest challenges we face in Europe today. This College will implement the political guidelines that I presented to the European Parliament. I am confident that this College will be decisive in steering Europe towards recovery and a sustainable social market economy that works for the people. I have put together a strong Commission to fill the enhanced role of Europe, including on the world stage, provided by the Lisbon Treaty. One of the key tasks of this College will be to give life to the new opportunities provided by the Lisbon Treaty. The Commissioners-designate will present themselves in the hearings before the European Parliament in January. After the vote of consent of the Parliament, it will be time to start to work and to produce results for our citizens." The new College will have 7 Vice-Presidents, including Vice-President Baroness Catherine Ashton who will, at the same time, be the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty on 1 December next. Three of the Vice-Presidents will be women. The new College will have 27 members, including President Barroso, one from each Member State. It includes 9 women. The members of the College come from different political families, notably the European People's Party (EPP), the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S & D), and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE). 14 members, including the President, were already members of the outgoing College. President Barroso has given a new look to the College of his second mandate. He has announced a number of new portfolios: Climate Action; Home Affairs; Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship. He has reconfigured a number of other portfolios: Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth; Health and Consumer Policy; Industry and Entrepreneurship; Research and Innovation; International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response. There will be a new emphasis on inclusion in the Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion portfolio, and a renewed focus with the Digital Agenda portfolio. Responsibilities of the Commissioners-designate - Joaqu ín ALMUNIA: Competition. Vice-President of the Commission. - László ANDOR: Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. - Baroness Catherine ASHTON: High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security and Vice-President of the Commission. - Michel BARNIER: Internal Market and Services. - Dacian CIOLOS: Agriculture and Rural Development. - John DALLI: Health and Consumer Policy. - Maria DAMANAKI: Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. - Karel DE GUCHT: Trade. - S tefan FÜLE: Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy. * - Johannes HAHN: Regional Policy. - Connie HEDEGAARD: Climate Action. - Maire GEOGHEGAN-QUINN: Research and Innovation. - Rumiana JELEVA: International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response. * - Siim KALLAS: Transport. Vice-President of the Commission. - Neelie KROES: Digital Agenda. Vice-President of the Commission. - Janusz LEWANDOWSKI: Budget and Financial Programming. - Cecilia MALMSTRÖM: Home Affairs. - Günter OETTINGER: Energy. - Andris PIEBALGS: Development.* - Janez POTO C NIK: Environment. - Viviane REDING: Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship. Vice-President of the Commission. - Olli REHN: Economic and Monetary Affairs. - Maro s S EF C OVI C : Vice-President of the Commission for Inter-Institutional Relations and Administration. - Algirdas S EMETA: Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud. - Antonio TAJANI: Industry and Entrepreneurship. Vice-President of the Commission. - Androulla VASSILIOU: Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth. * In close cooperation with the High Representative/Vice-President in accordance with the treaties. A table with a more detailed description of the portfolio responsibilities is attached. Baroness Ashton will be the 1 st Vice-President. However, having regard to her specific functions, notably in the Council, the replacement of the President in his absence will be assured by the other Vice-Presidents, in the order of precedence defined by the President. The order of precedence is: Viviane Reding, Joaquín Almunia, Siim Kallas, Neelie Kroes, Antonio Tajani, Maro s S ef c ovi c . Next steps The new Commission must gain approval from the European Parliament before it takes office for a term of office running until 31 October 2014. Commissioners-designate will appear in individual hearings before Parliamentary committees from 11-19 January. The vote of consent on the new Commission as a whole is foreseen to take place on 26 January. On the basis of the vote of consent, the Commission shall be appointed by the European Council. Then it can start working. I t will do so on the basis of the political guidelines for the next Commission set out by President Barroso in September last. He highlighted the need for EU leadership, shaping globalisation on the basis of its values and interests. Taking global interdependence as the starting point, he set out a transformational agenda for the EU, a Europe that puts people at the heart of its agenda. He emphasized five key challenges facing Europe: o Restarting economic growth today and ensuring long-term sustainability and competitiveness for the future o Fighting unemployment and reinforcing our social cohesion o Turning the challenge of a sustainable Europe to our competitive advantage o Ensuring the security of Europeans o Reinforcing EU citizenship and participation. Priorities for tackling these challenges will be set in a ten year framework to deliver a vision for the EU in 2020, reinvigorating the inclusive social market economy that is the hallmark of the European way of life. The allocation of portfolios has been structured to deliver this ambitious agenda. In his letters to each Commissioner setting out their new responsibilities, President Barroso has underlined the essential role of the Commission as the motor for the EU's efforts to address tomorrow's challenges, as well as the new opportunities provided by the Lisbon Treaty. He repeated his commitment to a smart regulation agenda, respecting subsidiarity and proportionality, focused on clear added value at EU level; paying particular attention to sound financial management; and full respect for the Code of Conduct of the Members of the European Commission. He has also stressed the need for a successful partnership with the Member States and the other institutions, in particular with the European Parliament. Background note to editors The CVs with pictures of the 26 Commissioners-designate are now available on : [26]http://www.ec.europa.eu/commission_designate_2009-2014/index_en.htm 23. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/1837&format=H… 24. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/1837&format=P… 25. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/1837&format=D… 26. http://www.ec.europa.eu/commission_designate_2009-2014/index_en.htm -- Andrea Glorioso || http://people.digitalpolicy.it/sama/cv/ M: +32-488-409-055 F: +39-051-930-31-133 * Le opinioni espresse in questa mail sono del tutto personali * * The opinions expressed here are absolutely personal * "Constitutions represent the deliberate judgment of the people as to the provisions and restraints which [...] will secure to each citizen the greatest liberty and utmost protection. They are rules proscribed by Philip sober to control Philip drunk." David J. Brewer (1893) An Independent Judiciary as the Salvation of the Nation

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Harvard Business: "Why Big Media's Anti-Google Counter-Revolution Will Fail"
by J.C. DE MARTIN Nov. 27, 2009

Nov. 27, 2009

Umair Haque Edge Economy Why Big Media's Anti-Google Counter-Revolution Will Fail 10:43 AM Wednesday November 25, 2009 The Empire always strikes back. Every revolution inspires a counter-revolution. Luke Skywalker and the Rebel Alliance didn't win independence overnight — and neither, it seems, will the www. Microsoft is negotiating with News Corp to pay it to remove its content from Google's index. Uh-oh: the Empire — industrial-era business as usual — is striking back. Will the rebels be crushed? Not a chance. Blocking Google is about as smart as eating a pound of plutonium. Here's why MicroFox is making a big mistake. Continua qui: http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/haque/2009/11/why_news_corps_antigoogle_co…

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Premio Nobel Sulston: "How science is shackled by intellectual property" (Guardian)
by J.C. DE MARTIN Nov. 26, 2009

Nov. 26, 2009

How science is shackled by intellectual property Ownership rights pose a real danger to scientific progress for the public good John Sulston The Guardian, Thursday 26 November 2009 The idea of ownership is ubiquitous. Title deeds establish and protect ownership of our houses, while security of property is as important to the proprietors of Tesco and Sainsbury's as it is to their customers. However, there is a profound problem when it comes to so-called intellectual property (IP) - which requires a strong lead from government, and for which independent advice has never been more urgently required. The David Nutt affair has illustrated very well the importance of objective analysis of complex social issues. The myth is that IP rights are as important as our rights in castles, cars and corn oil. IP is supposedly intended to encourage inventors and the investment needed to bring their products to the clinic and marketplace. In reality, patents often suppress invention rather than promote it: drugs are "evergreened" when patents are on the verge of running out - companies buy up the patents of potential rivals in order to prevent them being turned into products. Moreover, the prices charged, especially for pharmaceuticals, are often grossly in excess of those required to cover costs and make reasonable profits. IP rights are beginning to permeate every area of scientific endeavour. Even in universities, science and innovation, which have already been paid for out of the public purse, are privatised and resold to the public via patents acquired by commercial interests. The drive to commercialise science has overtaken not only applied research but also "blue-skies" research, such that even the pure quest for knowledge is subverted by the need for profit. [...] Continua qui: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/nov/26/science-shackles-intell…

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Articolo del Ministro Brunetta "Perchè Internet ha bisogno di governance" - Affari&Finanza, La Repubblica 23 Nov 2009
by Antonella Giulia Pizzaleo Nov. 26, 2009

Nov. 26, 2009

Buongiorno a tutti, vi segnalo un articolo di Brunetta sulla governance di Internet, pubblicato stamane su Affari e Finanza de la Repubblica. vi saluto, antonella http://www.repubblica.it/supplementi/af/2009/11/23/copertina/001late<http://goog_1258979506341> rales.html<http://www.repubblica.it/supplementi/af/2009/11/23/copertina/001laterales.h…> Perché Internet ha bisogno di governance RENATO BRUNETTA Ministro per la Pubblica Amministrazione e l'Innovazione L'importanza di Internet è talmente grande che è difficile prescindere dal suo funzionamento e sviluppo per il progresso dell'economia e della società. È in questo contesto che, da anni, si è iniziato a discutere di governance di Internet sul piano globale, anche nell'ambito di iniziative promosse dall'Ocse o dalle Nazioni Unite, come l'Internet Governance Forum (IGF), di cui nei giorni scorsi si è tenuta la quarta sessione a Sharm ElSheikh. In realtà la discussione non è, ad oggi, molto progredita perché resta poco chiaro l'oggetto stesso dell'analisi, essendo Internet, sotto l'azione dei suoi utilizzatori, una realtà in continua trasformazione. E questo dal punto di vista sia tecnologico che della sua estensione e trasformazione. Inoltre, la sua non territorialità pone il problema di chi siano gli attori autorizzati a discutere della sua governance. Sul tema, si affrontano due scuole di pensiero. La prima è quella dei "negazionisti", secondo la quale non esiste un problema di governance e il solo parlarne è dannoso. I "negazionisti" si appellano a tre argomentazioni: 1. ogni organizzazione istituzionale o comportamentale deve nascere, in e da Internet, in modo spontaneo, attraverso attività non coordinate degli utilizzatori; 2. Internet non è una singola rete organizzata da una o più entità, ma un vasto insieme di reti e di fonti di informazione eterogenee, che condividono una comune tecnologia, cioè il protocollo IP, e che quindi vi possono essere solo forme di autogoverno; 3. il concetto stesso di governance è dannoso perché aprirebbe ai governi e alle loro organizzazioni le porte di un regno "che non appartiene loro". La seconda scuola di pensiero critica questa impostazione difensiva sostenendo che si tratta di una visione vecchia del concetto di governance, che gli scienziati sociali ormai identificano in un insieme di regole e procedure condivise o collettivamente riconosciute, indipendentemente dal fatto che esse siano imposte dall'alto da qualche autorità o da un insieme di attori, anche privati. Questo approccio alla governance è posto al centro degli studi sulle regole di utilizzo dei "commons", cioè dei beni pubblici di accesso non limitato, come lo spazio esterno, lo spazio elettromagnetico e, un tempo, i mari. Tutti ambiti che richiedono una qualche forma di governance per tutelare l'interesse collettivo alla loro conservazione ed accessibilità universale. Studi che, come dimostrato dal premio Nobel per l'economia Elinor Ostrom, affrontano problemi centrali proprio delle economie della conoscenza. Esiste già oggi un'attività di coordinamento tecnico e di gestione giornaliera di funzioni chiave di Internet, quali la gestione dei domini e dei protocolli, affidata all'ICANN (Internet Corporation for the Assigned Names and Numbers), un'organizzazione non profit che ha sede negli USA. Questa gestione si basa su un modello di funzioni affidate al settore privato, gestite dal basso e che riconosce la molteplicità degli stakeholders. Ma il nodo della governance di Internet va oltre la sua gestione tecnica, seppur rilevante ed interconnessa con tutti gli altri temi. Seguendo la classificazione dell'UN Working Group on Internet Governance, accettata dall'Ocse, si possono identificare quattro grandi aree in cui raggruppare i temi rilevanti per le politiche pubbliche che hanno a che fare con Internet: 1. le infrastrutture tecniche e la gestione delle risorse critiche di Internet (tema sul quale si concentra la discussione relativa al ruolo dell'ICANN), 2. i problemi che riguardano l'uso di Internet (dalla cibercriminalità, alla sicurezza dei network e dei sistemi informativi, alle politiche di regolamentazione nazionali), 3. i temi che hanno un impatto più generale sulla società e sulle economie al di là di Internet, e sui quali vi sono istituzioni di vigilanza e di regolamentazione (dalla concorrenza, alla privacy, ai diritti di proprietà intellettuale), 4. lo sviluppo di Internet, il suo accesso universale, la sua dimensione sociale e di inclusione attraverso lo sviluppo di infrastrutture nazionali, l'accessibilità dei contenuti in modo da tener conto delle diversità culturali e linguistiche, la difesa dell'approccio opensource. È chiaro che l'importanza e la pervasività dei temi connessi alla governance di Internet pongono tutti di fronte a sfide e problemi di cui spesso è già difficile la definizione. Tuttavia, proprio il modo, in parte spontaneo ed anarchico ed in parte centralmente controllato, con il quale Internet ha fino ad oggi funzionato suggerisce che il primo passo per armonizzare una regolamentazione condivisa è partire dalle esperienze di governance di Internet che si possono registrare nel mondo. Analogamente accadde con il codice internazionale di navigazione moderno che trae origine dall'opera del giurista sardo Domenico Alberto Azuni il quale, incaricato nel 1791 da Vittorio Emanuele I di predisporre il codice della marina mercantile del Regno di Sardegna, raccolse nella sua opera Sistema universale dei principi del diritto marittimo in Europa le esperienze di regolazione della navigazione dei suoi tempi per poi utilizzarle nella redazione del codice marittimo e commerciale napoleonico. Il dibattito sulla governance di Internet è aperto a tutti gli interessati nello spirito della rete. L'importante è l'accordo sui principi fondamentali: libertà e universalità dell'accesso, libertà di espressione, sicurezza e stabilità della rete, concorrenza nel mercato globale dei domini, difesa del diritto alla riservatezza dei cittadini e della proprietà intellettuale. -- Antonella Giulia Pizzaleo mobile: +39 3496064133 email: pizzaleo(a)gmail.com skype: antonellagiulia

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