Online Speech on the Rocks?
Legal Services Tech Information
Stay Just the Way You Are
I Spy
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Online Speech on the Rocks?
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Chilling Effects
The Internet makes it a cinch to tell the whole world--instantaneously--what’s
on your mind. Just throw together a parody web site, post a defiant message to
a discussion board, or really tell it like it is in a public chat room.
It’s all fair game in cyberspace, right?
Not any more. While the Internet was once a virtual Wild West for
cowboys exercising their rights to whoop it up and say or do just about
anything, a posse of new age lawmen is fast encroaching. Before you get caught in
the round-up, it’s a good idea to check out the legal landscape.
The Chilling Effects web site
is a joint project of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and several law schools.
But whether you subscribe to the hosts' earnest notions about protecting free
speech on the Internet, or merely want to get a clue about what’s legal and what’s
not in terms of your web site content and activities, it's a fertile place to troll.
The home page tells you up front how "excited" they are "about the
new opportunities the Internet offers individuals to express their views,
parody politicians, celebrate their favorite movie stars, or criticize
businesses."
Thankfully, the site provides plenty of ammo for staying on the right side
of the law (or at least steering clear of controversy) while enjoying
your online freedoms to the fullest. For policy reasons, the site
closely monitors the types of Internet activities that receive
a "chilling" reception from the courts and other powers-that-be.
What better way for web site owners to stay on top of legal developments
in the rapidly-changing area of Internet law? The site allows you
to quickly get up to speed on a variety of mostly content-related topics like copyright,
domain names, trademarks, anonymous speech, and defamation. Users whose online
rights have been offended or infringed are encouraged to contribute the
telltale documents (mainly cease and desist letters) to a searchable database
for all to share. The ability to review the actual letters, aided by
incisive commentary written in plain English, helps put the law--and your own
online liability--into perspective.
Kathryn Thompson
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Legal Services Tech Information
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Legal Services Technology Network
Legal Services providers now have another resource to help them with technology issues. That resource is the Legal Services Technology Network Web site which focuses on issues specific to legal services and poverty law providers.
Divided by topic, the home page provides a clear and understandable starting point. Among the categories at the Web site are tech management, workgroups and projects, Internet, tech assistance project, Legal Services Corporation grants, hardware, and software information. Although not all of the links are live, the site has useful content.
The sections of the site that have the most content are the workgroups and projects section and the side navigation bar. The workgroups and projects section has a listing of the workgroups, project listings, information from the document assembly group, and details about the NTAP/LSTechNet Advisory Board. Located on the navigation bar are links to TechSoup (a Web site focused on non-profit technology), LegalMeetings (a virtual conference center), Tech Inventory Tool (a technology inventory tool), Legal Services technology news, and other technology news.
In the Tech Assistance Project section you will find information about a program designed to help legal services offices with technical questions and issues. As you move on to the Tech Initiative Grants section, there is a directory of the Legal Services providers that received technology grants. Although unpopulated, this directory will enable legal services providers to connect and communicate with one another.
Next you can go to the hardware and software section where you see a list of software and hardware that will be discussed. Unfortunately, many of the links are not live yet. Likewise, the Tech Management and Internet sections show tremendous promise, but are unfinished.
Although this Web site is a work in progress, it has the potential to become a repository of technology information for legal services providers. For now, visitors will find a site that is half-full of content, but full of possibility.
Evie Kalnins
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Stay Just the Way You Are
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lexisONE
LexisNexis has revamped and redesigned its lexisONE web community Internet site. lexisONE aims "to meet the day-to-day practice demands of small firm attorneys". lexisONE still boasts free case law, legal forms, breaking legal news, a web directory, and legal articles. While it continues to be a valuable source of information, the new design has made it more difficult to locate the "good stuff".
Users will immediately notice that LexisNexis has toned down the pervasive red in the design scheme that was the trademark of the previous version of lexisONE. This web site is far more pleasing to the eye. However, users will have to work to find the resources that distinguish lexisONE from the pack. One of the most valuable features of lexisONE is its Legal Web Site Directory, which was more prominently featured in the previous design. This directory can now be found by clicking on the "Locate a Legal Web Site" link on the redesigned home page. The new interface also makes it easy to miss the recent legal news section. This section is quietly tucked away on the right hand side of the main page, with no change in font or design to visually separate it from the rest of the page. There is also a recurring hyperlink problem throughout the web site. Hyperlinks can only be found by running the mouse over the text. Since this may not be intuitive to the average user, it would be more user-friendly to underline or change the color of the hyperlinked text. Articles are now located within subject matter libraries. These articles can be difficult to find when browsing the site. Users should be advised to use lexisONE's search feature when looking for this type of content.
Despite these minor shortcomings, the content on lexisONE is hard to beat. It continues to be one of the most valuable free resources available to legal professionals. Users who take the time to acclimate themselves to its new design will be rewarded with excellent and mostly free content.
Molly Kilmer
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I Spy
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Spyonit.com
Spyonit.com is a free service that allows Internet users to "spy" on webpages, receiving alerts when content has been changed or updated. Although Spyonit has been around for awhile, the site has become especially relevant due to the recent shift from free to fee by some of its competitors. The site is owned by 724 Solutions, a provider of mobile Internet solutions. This alliance is illustrated by the number of ways a user can get updates from Spyonit: e-mail, a personal "My Spies" webpage, Palm VII/Omnisky devices, e-mail enabled pagers, webphones, or any number of Instant Messenger products (AOL, Yahoo, MSN, ICQ).
Sign up is simple - just create a username and password. Spyonit doesn't require any personal information for registration, however your browser must accept cookies to use the service. After registration users get a personalized home page with an "update" bar at the top to let you know what new Spies you have created, what new reports are available, and any other account activity. To create a Spy users have multiple options. One way to create a spy is to pick from the pre-set categories, ranging from auctions to stocks to bad weather to usenet groups to FedEx package tracking. Another choice is to create an "Instant Spy" by merely typing a URL into the text box at the top of the screen. For more elaborate Spies, users have the option to receive notification of any changes to the site, or whether keywords have been added or removed. If the site you are Spying on is password protected just tell Spyonit - they'll log in for you.
Once a user has created a new Spy it is easy to maintain the account. From your "My Spies" page you can edit or delete your Spies or your Spy reports with an easy click. From the "My Account" page users can change their password, add new wireless notification devices, or go into "vacation mode" to set your account to only add Spy reports to your "My Spies" page and not to send reports to e-mail or mobile devices. The site navigation is very clean, and although most features are imminently intuitive, there is a FAQ section for users who get lost.
Additional features of Spyonit broaden the scope of the service. One feature available to registered users is the "HTML" feature, available by clicking to edit a Spy and choosing the "Spy Details" tab. The HTML feature allows a user to add the code to his/her website, and share the Spy with site visitors. Spyonit allows for Shared Spies on their website as well. Another feature is a browser tool available for Internet Explorer or Netscape. Simply drag the icon to the browser toolbar and voila! users can click on "Spyonthis!" to add a Spy on the fly. Finally, Spyonit invites website developers/web managers to get the HTML code to add Spyonit functionality to their website. Simply follow the links to the developers' site and walk through a two part wizard to let your website visitors monitor changes to your site.
With all its free functions, easy navigation, and user-friendly instructions, Spyonit is a great service. Now users don't have to remember to check back to a website for new information. Websites that don't offer e-mail updates or newsletters can gain new life and functionality by the addition of a Spy. "Swiss Army" spies that track packages or notify when another website links to your website are indispensable for business. Not since childhood has playing "I Spy" been so easy and fun!
Catherine S. Reach
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