In the Globe and Mail Technology section, Don Tapscott and Anthony Williams are running a series on the impact of mass collaboration and its effect on business and business models. In this segment referenced here, they discuss the Second Life phenomenon and how people are making money, sometimes big money, in that virtual economy. Collaborative Business is by now old hat, but the idea of mass collaboration is a new next step that merits attention. globeandmail.com: 'Second Life' is a signpost for the future

E-government has been an important initiative of many countries for several years. In Canada, the Government Online (GOL) initiative has been a successful effort of which the government is justly proud. However, Canada is falling badly behind in one important area, and this is shown most recently by the recent announcements of Chairman Cox of the US Securities and Exchange Commission. He has been pushing the use of XBRL for filing corporate reports, and this will make a big difference to the online initiatives of that government. Similar initiatives are happening arond the world. But not in Canada. Why is this? Eventually, we'll have to step up and be a part of the new world. E-Proxies to Debut in 2007 - Technology - CFO.com

Small personal technologies - cell phones, PDA's laptops, and the like are growing in use and changing in important ways. Cell phones are starting to move to VOIP. All are staying connected to the Net, meaning the internet will be more and more integated into these devices and their use. Better power sources are in the offing. All of this has serious implications for data use and data management, including security. It's a bit of a second wave revolution. Not as big as the internet itself, but nevertheless big. Technology Review: Special Reports: Personal Technology

While illegal downloading of movies continues despite the resistance of the movie industry, there are several ways to legally obtain movies over the internet. This article lists some of them. The various organizations represented are trying a variety of means to establish a workable business model, usually by placing some kind of constraint over the ability to copy the movies and even the ability to watch them for an extended period of time. Clearly, the business model will continue to evolve. Technology Review: How do I buy online movies and what can I do with them?

Knowledgable consultants and business leaders have long said that a technology strategy has to be aligned with the business strategy. Increasingly, companies are realizing the full import of this principle in an e-business world, where IT so so crucial to making strategies and business models work. IT Directors are being looked to as sources of new revenue streams rather than just cost center managers. This is an inevitable, but important development. Not Your Father’s IT

Yahoo has been losing ground in its competition with Google and sites like Youtube and Myspace. It has just engineered a major reorganization to bolster its position. Will a reorganization be enough? That's the question. globeandmail.com: Yahoo! undergoes its biggest shake-up in more than 5 years

The growing maturity, complextity and breadth of working as an Information Systems Specialist is placing an increased emphasis on formal university training and certification. It's also leading to an increased diversity in educational backgrounds. This is a positive trend for the profession. Moving Target: The Information Security Professional

New research indicates that spontaneous buying is increasing on the internet. People are logging in and then buying something before they log off with no intention of doing so when they started. The Christmas season this year is expected to benefit from this apparent trend, as growth in Christmas shopping online is expected to grow again in the double digit range. E-Commerce News: Best of ECT News: Captitalizing on 'Spontaneous Buying' This Holiday Season

Google Earth has quietly taken over a healthy chunk of the mapping industry. Who goes abroad to a strange place without taking a look at Google Earth to see where they will be - and get to know their way to points of interest? Now it is undergoing an information explosion, and quickly becoming a mapped encyclopedia. Will it become an indispensible research tool as well? Will it fit into new business models for the tourism industry? Technology Review: Annotating the Earth

Everyone who has an internet account is familiar with the Nigerian money scams. A recent UK report has said that the scams cost Britons millions of dollars a year. No doubt the same is true of North America as well. The UK report also highlights some of the reasons why Europeans would fall for the scams. Nigerian scams cost Britons millions, says study | Top News | Reuters.com

Microsoft's new Vista Operation System will include extensive new Digital Rights Management (DRM) features that will cause problems for users, especially those pushing the edge on copyright issues. Some of the new built-in safeguards were put in at the request (demand?) of the movie industry to cut down on DVD piracy. But many of the new technologies are bound to cause issues for ordinary honest users as well. Vista and More: Piecing Together Microsoft's DRM Puzzle

Wireless technology is likely to be a major factor for economic development in Africa. That's one of the big reasons why the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize went to Muhammed Yunus and Grameen Bank, who developed the idea of microloans, which are being used for such purposes as using cell phones to start small businesses. globeandmail.com: World's poorest nations new frontier for cell giants

Voting continues to try to move into the electronic age, but as evidenced in the recent US mid-term election, problems are still being experienced - technological as well as user acceptance. E-Voting Glitches Abound: Five States with the Biggest Problems

Couchsurfing is a new Web application that travels. It involves using the web to make contact with someone else where you are travelling and make arrangements to crash on their couch. It's built somewhat on the principles of eBay, including a rating system. Yes, there are risks. It's not for the faint of heart. But it is catching on with young people. globeandmail.com: 'Couchsurfing' travel takes off on Web

Google's recent acquisition of Jotspot is part of its strategy to employ a 'wiki" style approach to workplace collaboration. Garner has a short paper on this subject at: Gartner delivers the technology-related insight necessary for our clients to make the right decisions, every day.

Online trading of securities has been growing and is most likely to continue on that path. This means that the buy-side traders need to revisit their software. They are doing that by buying new Execution Management Systems (EMSs). The new EMSs, however, don't always integrate well with the more traditional and function-heavy Order Management Systems (OMSs). The traders are looking for better systems overall. Wall Street & Technology : Buy-Side OMSs Face the EMS Threat

Here's a webcase that points out how an e-commerce site can be improved with technologies like flash that weren't practical before the majority of people gained access to high speed internet.CIO Screencast

Increasingly, the Web is being used to supplement TV. MLB.com is an example of such a site, where up to the minute (second?) reporting of stats and details of ongoing games can be brought up as the game is taking place. Envisage people watching the world series with their laptop open in front of them to track the stats as they go along. Some people also use the sites of the teams and leagues to do the same thing, not only in baseball but in hockey and other sports. Eventually, when tv and computers complete their convergence, it will make for more powerful viewing experiences. It does now as well, as long as you keep both units on at the same time. globeandmail.com: Baseball's (on-line) field of dreams

We heard a lot about E-Trade when e-business got started, but it faded away with the dot-com bust. But now it's back, with some new and innovative ideas about online financial management and a new business model. How to Put the Money Where the Mouse Is - Editorial - CIO

Dr Ann Cavoukian, Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, who is a leader in Internet Innovation, has released a white paper which advocates the use of Microsoft's Seven Laws of Identity to promote a safer Internet, with less SPAM. Her white paper is at the following site: 7laws-whitepaper.pdf (application/pdf Object)