8/31: Open access at risk as Internet turns 40

Clarion Ledger -- Open access at risk as Internet turns 40

The researchers who created the Internet (no, not Al Gore) intended the open network to be a place for freely exchanging information. Now, 40 years later, despite developments in social networking like the World Wide Web and Facebook, the openness may be breaking down.

To blame: Spam and hacking force network operators to put up security firewalls. Some governments block access to the Internet within their borders. And some commercial applications create policies to thwart their competition, further limiting what some devices can do.

Already, there is evidence of controls at workplaces and service providers slowing the uptake of file-sharing and collaboration tools. Video could be next if consumers shun higher-quality and longer clips for fear of incurring extra bandwidth fees. It'll be interesting where the Internet goes in the next 40 years.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: H1N1 virus hits Alabama college campuses

ARKANSAS: Arkansas Medicaid launches adult dental program

FLORIDA: Little done to enforce state hotel regulations on pest infestation

GEORGIA: Average global temperatures up, but not in Georgia

KENTUCKY: Reclaimed coal strip-mining sites being used for agriculture

LOUISIANA: Gov. Jindal orders state agencies to buy Louisiana shrimp

MISSISSIPPI: State to pilot civil rights courses for K-12 students

NORTH CAROLINA: OLF environmental impact study delayed in the state

SOUTH CAROLINA: State seeks innovative way to rebuild reefs for oyster beds

TENNESSEE: Cigarette waste the target of a new pollution study in the state

VIRGINIA: 19-tower wind tower project in Virginia draws criticism from neighboring state

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