"Electronic Frontiers": Where technology, politics, and online culture meet (and sometimes collide!).
Friday, September 2 - Monday, September 5, 2005
Director: Scott M. Jones (scott@aprr.org)
Updated: Sunday, March 5, 2006
Thank You!
Thank you for another great year in 2005! Audio and pictures are now posted.
Please join us again in 2006.
Pictures
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
Monday
Our Purpose
The Electronic Frontiers Forums is a series of panels devoted to online
technology, politics, and culture. We cover pressing issues in online
media, including freedom of speech, privacy online, governance and
enforcement, new trends in technology, and the latest trends in online
culture. Please join us for our next presentation at
DragonCon.
Location: Location for all panels is the Piedmont Room in the Hyatt Regency Hotel, downtown Atlanta, unless otherwise noted.
Pictures and Audio from previous years:
Pictures and audio from previous years are available here:
2004 |
2003 |
2002 |
2001 |
2000 |
1999
Schedule for 2005:
| Friday, Sept. 2 | Saturday, Sept. 3 | Sunday, Sept. 4 | Monday, Sept. 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 AM | (Convention Closed) |
Wit & Wisdom of the Internet Elders (Morning Edition) DragonCon Yahoo Group social meeting. Grab your morning coffee and meet us face to face. Hosted by The Empooress. EmpooressRoom: Piedmont |
Life in Cybertown(.com): A 3D Virtual Community A demo and discussion of Cybertown(.com), a family-oriented 3D community of the future. Explores life in 2092, things to do in the city, and the real-world benefits of a 3D community. JolinthHawk mickey_w Wovencroft Jason_RC jdb_educator Room: Piedmont |
Hacking 301 Many folks quietly drinking coffee. Very quietly. jonnyXRoom: Piedmont |
| 11:30 AM | (Convention Closed) |
Fighting Spam and Network Abuse Through the Legal System Attorney Pete Wellborn discusses the legal aspects of stopping spammers and other network abusers, using both criminal and civil penalties, and why much of the recent anti-spam legislation is both useless and unnecessary. Pete WellbornDanhiel Baker Room: Piedmont |
Protecting Yourself Online and Offline Chris Jay Hoofnagle of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) discusses practical strategies for protecting your identity and personal information, both in the virtual world and the real world. Chris Jay HoofnagleRoom: Piedmont |
Fan Fiction, Fan Websites, and the Law There is a lot of misinformation out there about what's legal and what's not when it comes to fanfic and fan sites. Often, the law itself is a bit blurry. What are you allowed to do, and what can you do to protect yourself if you receive a cease-and-desist notice from an angry lawyer? Come discuss your concerns and find out what your rights really are. Annalee NewitzRoom: Piedmont |
| 1:00 PM |
Electronic Frontiers Gathering Join some of the founding members of Electronic Frontiers Georgia, a local activist group, for free form discussion on cyber activism and some of the policy issues we face today. Robert CostnerScott M. Jones
|
The Future of Peer to Peer The Supreme Court ruling against Grokster on Monday, June 27th, left a cloud of uncertainty around many legitimate uses for peer to peer. This decision, despite being narrowly drawn, could have substantial negative impact on the technology industry by creating legal uncertainty around any software project where content could be shared. Meanwhile, illegal downloading sites simply move overseas. We will discuss the potential fallout and possible next steps. Randal L. SchwartzAnnalee Newitz Room: Piedmont |
Kryptos and the Cyrillic Projector Ciphers Currently famous because of its relationship with Dan Brown's bestseller "The Da Vinci Code", Kryptos is a mysterious encrypted sculpture at CIA Headquarters. Though part of Kryptos still remains unsolved, the KGB code on its sister sculpture, the Cyrillic Projector, was cracked recently by an international team led by Elonka Dunin. In this intriguing multimedia session, Elonka goes over how it was done, and what hints may have been gained that could help with the solving of Kryptos. Elonka DuninRoom: Piedmont |
Famous Unsolved Codes Game designer and codebreaker Elonka Dunin describes some of the most famous and infamous codes yet to be broken, including the Kryptos sculpture at the CIA headquarters. Elonka DuninRoom: Piedmont |
| 2:30 PM |
Has the DMCA Chilled Expression on Usenet?
Has the DMCA chilled expression on Usenet? Usenet expert Danhiel Baker talks about copyright infringement cases significant to Usenet, the gritty details of who sends DMCA takedown notices and their common misconceptions, and why it matters to the average Usenet user. (Usenet is a massive distributed worldwide message board system and is now more than 25 years old.) Danhiel BakerRoom: Piedmont |
Sales Tax and the Internet: The States' Great Revenue Grab Wonder why you are now being charged sales tax on Internet purchases when you never were used to? Curious why state legislators say new laws are voluntary yet if you do not comply immediately you will be held liable for the taxes and penalties. Are you wondering how far back in years the states will go back to collect their money on your Internet purchases? Did you ever consider that the Internet moratorium is just a paper tiger? These questions will be discussed in this forum as well as what you can do to possibly stop what is happening. Peter H FriedmanRoom: Piedmont |
Blogger's Rights Can you be fired for blogging? What happens if somebody sues you for libel for something you've written in your blog? Are bloggers journalists? Answers to these questions, plus advice about what you can do to protect your privacy while blogging. Scott McGowanMystrys Cherie Priest Room: Piedmont |
Writing for Online Media: If You Chat, You Can Write! John D. Boyden, a long time web writer, photographer, teacher, consultant, researcher and six year online editor and publisher shares and invites others to share their stories of life on the Internet. Discussion and free handouts center on net writing resources, networking, and making money and includes short tutorials on how to write Internet news and flash fiction to prove his workshop thesis. John D. BoydenRoom: Piedmont |
| 4:00 PM |
Patents and the Threat to Open Source Software Most open source advocates believe that the mere existence of software patents threatens the open source movement. But even the well-known open source company Red Hat, Inc. has admitted that it is developing a portfolio of software patents for defensive purposes, and has a published policy about patents. This talk will explore the issues involved with patents and the open source movement, and enable programmers, software developers, and companies that utilize open source software to better understand the pros and cons of patents and of open source software. John HarrisRoom: Piedmont |
Data Vendors, Data Stewardship, and Your Privacy 2005 has turned into the year of database security gaffes, with an unprecedented number of ordinary citizens having their private information leaked by information vendors, banks, and others. Chris Jay Hoofnagle of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) discusses the problem, solutions, and what you can do to help protect your personal information. Chris Jay HoofnagleRoom: Piedmont |
Nuts and Bolts of Producing a Webcomic A behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to produce a successful web-based comic strip series, given by established artists and authors. From artwork to servers, see how it's done. Jennie BreedenRob Balder Erin Lindsey Jeff Darlington Bill Holbrook Chris Impink Room: International Ballroom North |
Wrap-Up and Comments Give us your comments, questions, and ideas for future panels. Now excuse me while I go take a nap. Scott M. JonesRoom: Piedmont |
| 5:30 PM |
Gaming and Free Expression Can the government make violent videogames illegal? Are you allowed to use copyrighted characters and trademarked universes in your RPGs? What the heck is a trademarked universe, anyway? Get some of the latest dirt on these issues and more in a panel about how today's laws affect tomorrow's games. Annalee NewitzElonka Dunin Brian 'Psychochild' Green Kiska "Ma'at" Baker Room: Piedmont |
MMORPG's: Playing During Development Star Wars Combine is a free online role playing game developed by amateur enthusiasts. Since day one it was decided that players would play the game while it was being developed. This approach provides immediate feedback and a pool of possible recruits for new developers, and has been commonly adopted in the industry. Advantages and disadvantages will be discussed from the developer's and player's point of view. Annette PohlkeWalker Schlundt Room: Piedmont |
Cryptographic File Systems There's nothing closer to reading a person's mind than scanning their hard drive. Cryptographic file systems protect your information by using encryption to scramble information written to your hard drive, thus protecting your privacy. Learn about practical issues and limitations of this technology. aestetixRoom: Piedmont | (Convention Closed) |
| 7:00 PM |
My So-Called LiveJournal (.com) LiveJournal.com is more than just a web site. It has quickly evolved into a major social phenomenon on the Internet. This will be an open roundtable for web diarists to discuss writing, the shock of having a fanbase, and interesting tales of journaling. Cherie PriestMystrys Kimiko sohma g. dawling el Gorgo Zeppo Room: International Ballroom North |
Hacking 101 A repeat of the popular panel from previous years. Just what is a hacker anyway? Culture, history, contacts, resources, and pointers for more info. Dispelling the myths from the media and the courts. Brought to you by se2600.org jonny Xaestetix Elonka Dunin Randal L. Schwartz Room: International Ballroom North |
HR 1201: The DMCA 'Fix' Bill Robert Costner, Executive Director of Electronic Frontiers Georgia, brings us up to date on the DMCA 'fix' bill, HR 1201. Will this bill bring much needed reform to the DMCA, including guaranteeing fair use rights, or will it be changed at the last minute into something more sinister, such as a vehicle for requiring the broadcast flag? Robert Costner explores the fascinating and sometimes scary process as a hotly contested bill moves through Congress. Robert CostnerRoom: Piedmont | (Convention Closed) |
| 8:30 PM |
18 USC 2257: New Regulations Threaten Free Speech A law designed to protect minors from exploitation by the adult entertainment business was dramatically expanded for Internet sites by the Department of Justice in a memo in the Federal Register. Sweeping new record keeping requirements place a heavy burden on any web site with adult content and may threaten freedom of speech for bloggers and web cam girls. In addition, the DOJ may have overstepped boundaries by not getting Congressional approval. Activists discuss the issues. MystrysAnnalee Newitz Tatsumi Kiska "Ma'at" Baker Scott McGowan Room: Piedmont |
Web Cam Girls Thanks to the advent of inexpensive web cameras, you can show just about anything you want to online and still remain anonymous. What better way to develop a fan base! Why would anyone let strangers view their private lives? Many cam sites are totally free. Explanations, observations, and experiences from this cultural phenomenon. MystrysKimiko sohma g. dawling Room: International Ballroom North |
Interesting Times for Internet Radio Internet radio exploded onto the scene a few years ago, then was attacked by a music industry that took out their frustration with file sharing on legitimate Internet radio operators who were already paying license fees. A battle over "CARP" (royalty) rates ensued and many independent operators went bust. Michael Monahan of atlantabluesky.com tells his back-from-the-brink story. Is this a pattern we will see repeated with podcasting? Michael MonahanRoom: Piedmont | (Convention Closed) |
| 10:00 PM |
MMORPG's: Old is Beautiful, Future Trends How games change as they age, often online RPG's do better than their single player counterparts. Also, a discussion of future trends and what it's really like to be a game developer. Brian 'Psychochild' GreenTrevor Legg Elonka Dunin Terri Perkins Jorgen Tharaldsen Room: Piedmont |
How Sex is Changing Technology Every new technology has been immediately put to use for salacious ends. Electricity, photography, telegraphy, and even cars have all changed the way people have sex. But how do new sexual needs change the way technology is created and marketed? We'll talk about how sex is transforming our machines in the age of networked computers, and speculate about the future sexual uses for your favorite high tech devices. Annalee NewitzRoom: Piedmont |
Hacking 201 Q&A from our panel of experts. Play "stump the hacker", maybe you'll win a prize! Brought to you by se2600.org. jonny Xaestetix Randal L. Schwartz Room: Piedmont | (Convention Closed) |
| 11:30 PM |
Podcasting: The New Kid in the Sandbox Podcasting celebrated its first birthday in August, and yet many people still don't know what it is. Internet radio? Do you need an iPod? Several seasoned podcasters are here to let you know what it is, where it's been, where it's going, and how to do it yourself. Come with questions and learn how to create your own podcast for the world to hear. Mur LaffertyJason Adams Steve Eley Jim Van Verth Room: Piedmont |
Movie: The BBS Documentary Before the Internet, back in the days of 300 baud, many of us cut our teeth on computer communications with 'bulletin board systems', or BBS's. This documentary covers the history of BBS's, how they nearly disappeared after the Internet became popular, and what people are doing with them today. Scott M. JonesRoom: Piedmont |
Hacking 201 continued...
| (Convention Closed) |