Global E-Government, 2007 http://www.insidepolitics.org/egovt07int.pdf
The “Inside Politics” website is maintained by Professor Darrell West of Brown University, and visitors to the site will find some of his publications, lectures, and related materials. One of his recent additions to the site is this paper on the state of global e-government from August 2007. This is actually the seventh annual update on the state of global e-government from Professor West, and within its 25-pages, there is a wealth of valuable information. For this work, Professor West analyzed 1,687 national government websites for 198 nations around the world. Some of his findings include the observation that 96 percent of these websites provide access to publications and 80 percent have links to databases. The report includes a number of tables, graphs, charts, and several useful appendices. Given the scope of this work, it will be very illuminating to persons with an interest in political science, information science, and governance studies.
Human Rights Watch: Beijing 2008 http://china.hrw.org/
The Human Rights Watch is involved with a number of ongoing projects exploring media freedom in different parts of the world. This particular site offers up a broad look at the human rights situation in China as the country is preparing to host the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. After viewing a brief introduction to the site, visitors should click on the “Issues” section, which provides a multimedia presentation that explores some of the rather contentious issues surrounding media freedom in China in the past and present. Moving along, the “Timeline” area provides additional perspective on the suppression of certain news stories in China dating back to 1996. Finally, the site includes an “Agenda for Reform” area which details some of the major issues that China faces in the coming year, including dealing with labor rights abuses, forced evictions, and the repression of ethnic minorities.
Green Energy News http://www.green-energy-news.com/index.html
Bruce Mulliken has been covering news and commentary on the world of clean, efficient, and renewable energy since 1996. His Green Energy News site is geared towards a broad audience that includes the general public, industry professionals, and government officials. First-time visitors will want to look at the “News Stories” on the front page which in recent editions have included pieces on the growing hydrogen economy, the potential of parking lots as a form of solar power, and the possibility of a zero emission electric vehicle with two wheels. Those looking for previous news features can browse the “Archives and Resources” area, which dates back to April 1996. Those looking for “green” events should browse over to the “Events Calendar” section, which provides links to upcoming events such as renewable energy conferences and clean vehicle expos.
The Paley Center for Media http://www.mtr.org/
Founded in 1976, The Museum of Television & Radio recently changed its name to The Paley Center for Media. The inspiration came from the life and legacy of noted television pioneer and CBS chairman, William S. Paley. The Center for Media has locations in both New York and Los Angeles, and it is primarily interested in examining “the intersections between media society.” To this end, they have worked on providing a number of forums for media professionals to discuss the evolving media landscape and they also have a collection that contains over 140,000 television and radio programs in their archives. On their site, visitors can learn about visiting either location in person and they can also watch past events in the “Inside Media Videos” area. These videos are quite a treat, and they include talks with Madeleine Albright and Warren Christopher as well as other titles like “The Unseen Dylan” and “Blogging and Elections”.
Copyright 2007 Internet Scout Project - http://scout.wisc.edu