FT on Wikipedia: “Wikipedia: Fact and friction

It is one of the great paradoxes of the internet: an essentially open medium has created deeply entrenched information powers. Within a remarkably short time, companies such as Google, YouTube and Facebook have come to dominate the business of search, user-generated video and social networking ? even though barriers to entry in theory remain low.

Source: Imprisoned, Attacked & Dead Bloggers Increases Worldwide in 2009

Update on bloggers threatened by TSA over security directive leak

Update, 3:50pm PT: One of the two bloggers reports that the TSA has dropped its subpoena against him.

An update on the case of the two travel bloggers who received holiday visits by armed TSA agents (with matching Homeland Security subpoenas!) after publishing a leaked copy of the “Christmas Day incident” security directive.

Chris Elliot has an attorney now, and more time to respond to the subpoena.

Steven Frischling got his laptop back from the Special Agents who demanded it, then imaged his hard drive, but the laptop no longer works (paranoid commenters suggest one explanation could be the installation of keylogger software, but that’s just one of many possibilities.)

TSA Backs Down, Withdraws Legal Threats Against Bloggers

In the wake of last Friday?s unsuccessful attempt to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) began to impose some temporary security screening measures, including thorough pat downs and limitations on what passengers can do during the last hour of flight. However, for two travel bloggers, posting the unclassified details about these procedures (which expired on December 30) resulted in home visits and civil subpoenas from TSA agents.

10 Awesome Uses for Blogs

from Freelance Writing Jobs by Deb

Caucasus: 2009 Blog Review

If the Armenian and Georgian blogospheres attracted most interest during 2008 after one bitterly disputed presidential election in the former and an albeit short war with Russia in the latter, Azerbaijan was the undoubted focus in 2009. In particular, youth activists quickly embraced both new and social media to spread their message online, especially following a ban on foreign radio stations using local frequencies ahead of a controversial referendum to remove restrictions on presidential term limits.