Anti-Americanism is growing at a startling rate in South Korea, potentially escalating into a serious problem that could jeopardize the future of the U.S.-Korean alliance.

An interesting look at the sources of Anti-American feelings in South Korea. Essentially, South Korea doesn't feel that it is respected by Americans. It is right. In this case, disrespect will ultimately cost the Americans a lot.

I think that the conclusions in this article are a little one sided. Americans could benefit from a better understanding of South Korea, too. I think many Americans mistake a number of Korean products as being Japaneese (Ask a random friend what country Samsung is from). Furthermore, products that have been specifically marketed as Korean have been low end products like Kia cars. Americans tend to respect countries that produce technology that they preceive as being superior in some ways to domestic counterparts. If there was an effort to illustrate some of the high end, high quality consumer products that Americans use that come from South Korea this would likely raise South Korea's profile in this country. This would make racial slurs and similar banter on television a lot less popular.

I'll also add that this article has the undertones of strategic psy-ops and is interesting from that perspective as well.

Anti-Americanism in Korea [PDF]

I began by aiming an inexpensive laser pointer directly into the lens of a video camera. The results were striking.

This work has a certain "Steve Mann meets Ross Anderson" appeal to it.

Camera Zapper

"I am happy, although a tad superstitious, to announce that the 13th Annual Conference on Computers, Freedom, and Privacy will begin on April 1 and run through April 4, 2003 in New York City. "

This would be a really good excuse to get to hang out in New York for a week. On the other hand, April 1st plus 13 plus NYC = a hell of a lot of bad mojo...

Computers, Freedom and Privacy 2003

Toffler's most pressing concern is the moral and ethical specter of genetic engineering. Such a powerful technology carries with it deep social implications that could rip the fabric of a nation into shreds.

Tom mentioned that he saw the Tuesday overnight airing of this segment on TechTV. Set your TiVo for the next showing, on Wednesday at 11 a.m. Eastern. Tune in again on Sunday and Monday for more Big Thinkers, including Tod Machover, Steve Jones, Tom Kelley, Stewart Brand, Rodney Brooks, Sherry Turkle, and David Gerlenter.

TechTV | Alvin Toffler and the Information Revolution

I'm astonished that anyone's astonished.

What strikes me about this article is that there is no need for the government to set up such an entity. Why do you have to be a state? Stratfor is the model here. Start a company. Sell the intelligence. Sell it to the US government. Don't sell it to people you don't like.

Governments are very risk adverse. The reason you are having so much trouble changing the culture there is because people are AFRAID that if they think for themselves rather then following the time honored methods they will fail and people will die. People trust established methods and they fear the uncertainty this sort of thinking brings. For these reasons such an effort is far more likely to work if it is established outside of the control of the government, where risk taking is OK and fear will not dominate decision making.

'Why Spy?' | John Perry Barlow in Forbes ASAP

ACLU: "Once privacy is gone, you can't get it back." ... "It's been so incremental, we almost didn't notice [the surveillance]."

There is so much ignorance in this article its hard to know where to start. Its almost artful. A crescendo of fear and power. A spinning cycle of action and reaction that can only end in cataclysm. When I was in high school people who felt hopeless committed suicide and artists predicted shootings. Now people who feel hopeless commit shootings. What do the artists predict?

Los Angeles Times: A High School Where the Sensorship Is Pervasive

The 13 record labels that filed the suit in Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan say the site, Listen4ever.com, is "even more egregious" than the music-sharing service Napster, which was shut by a court order.

Through the AT&T network, the following comment appears on an otherwise blank web page: "No web site is configured at this address."

Record Labels Want 4 Internet Providers to Block Music Site

In the end, the key to creating effective Internet communications is understanding that it's not about the technology. It's about connecting people to other people... and facilitating further connections.

Connect the dots and win!

It's Not About the Technology

Swarming is a classic example of how once-isolated individuals are discovering a new way to organize order out of chaos, without guidance. It reverses the idea that geography, in an Internet age, has become irrelevant -- the whole point is to bring people together in one location for face-to-face contact. Swarming is also leading to such wondrous social developments as "time-softening," "cell dancing," "life skittering," "posse pinging," "drunk dialing," and "smart mobs."

Cell Biology (washingtonpost.com)

Howard Rheingold has a new book coming out in October. (Amazon claims it will be November.) Included here is Howard's summary of the concept. There are links to a recent NYT article and a longer article at Edge.org. Also included is the table of contents for the new book. There is an entire chapter on "the evolution of reputation."

Smart mobs emerge when communication and computing technologies amplify human talents for cooperation. The impacts of smart mob technology already appear to be both beneficial and destructive.

The people who make up smart mobs cooperate in ways never before possible ...

Media cartels and government agencies are seeking to reimpose the regime of the broadcast era. Are the populations of tomorrow going to be users or consumers?

Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution, by Howard Rheingold