Describes developments in information technology during 1988, including new telecommunications and networking services, advances in optical disk technologies, the increased use of facsimile transmissions, and new microcomputer hardware and software products. Litigation within the computer industry is reviewed, and the implications for needed…

Describes innovative applications of different types of computers and information systems considered to have had high development impact on Asian and Pacific countries. Government computer applications in the areas of clerical systems, management systems, and public systems are described, and their developmental impact is discussed. (CLB)

The first article discusses issues relating to copyrights in America, including domestic and international organizations formed to protect copyrights, court litigation, international piracy, responsibility toward developing nations, and information technology. The second and third articles describe the Berne Convention for the Protection of…

Describes the conflict between using marketplace power to determine the cost of accessing information, and the public interest, and argues that a social policy is needed to guide the information age. It is noted that such a policy would incorporate such components as human needs, computer literacy, universality, and self-determination. (20…

Surveys over 700 Iowa farmers regarding their use of teletext and videotex technologies. Finds that for younger, higher-income farmers, these technologies are emerging as a "best source" for relatively perishable or highly volatile information like market prices; otherwise, these technologies complement rather than replace existing…

Describes SeniorNet (an on-line communications network for older adults) and its evolution from a small on-line network to an expanding electronic community. Discusses why older adults connect with SeniorNet, reports network features they use while on-line, and outlines benefits and challenges of bringing telecommunications to older adults. (SR)

The Academic Computing Center at Winthrop College has gone beyond simple connectivity in linking its three local area networks to each other and the campus minicomputer. The environmental impact of the installation of bridges and gateways on systems, personnel, and end users is described. (MLW)

Describes the creation and evolution of ERIC during its initial two decades of existence; discusses a recently concluded redesign study and provides some details about changes being implemented in the ERIC system; and considers the future of ERIC in terms of expansion, new technologies, and diversification of funds. (five references) (CLB)

Provides an overview of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its publication distribution programs. Topics discussed include information collection, vehicles for dissemination, the application of information technologies, and primary users. The relationship of the EPA to the Government Printing Office (GPO) and the National Technical…

Argues that the underdevelopment of national information sectors is a major factor acting against developing nations and lists a number of problems for which developing nations must provide effective solutions if their respective information sectors are to support national development. An agenda of activities for the 1990s to address this…

As new information technology options are made available, office automation systems are being introduced and along with campus networks, and management information service requirements are evolving. Eight common strategies found in 10 American institutions are reported. (Author/MLW)

Issues surrounding the cost of Internet usage to individuals and institutions are addressed, including who currently pays for Internet use in colleges and universities, long-distance costs, how policy is set for institutional use, cost of transition to a larger system, and difficult issues to be faced in system expansion. (MSE)

Many daily and some weekly newspapers have developed online services that colleges and universities may use to their advantage for disseminating campus news. To use these public relations opportunities, campus information personnel must become comfortable with the technology, investigate commercial online vendors, forge relationships with the…

Considers the future of CD-ROM technology. Highlights include software challenges; interactive CD-ROM, including music and databases; applications on disk; print publishers' interest in CD-ROM; mail order catalogs; hardware needs; CD-ROM drives; and the information superhighway. (LRW)

Examines ways in which the Internet and other electronic publishing media have changed the intellectual, academic, and social geography. Describes the possibilities of these new methods for organizing information to create new outlets for intellectual, artistic, and educational pursuits; conceptions of libraries; and avenues of communication. (MAB)