Sticks and stones and words that harm: Liability vs. responsibility, section 230 and defamatory speech in cyberspace

This article explores recent developments inthe regulation of Internet speech, inparticular, injurious or defamatory speech andthe impact the attempts at regulation arehaving on the `body' in the sense of theindividual person who speaks through the mediumof the Internet and upon those harmed by thatspeech. The article proceeds in threesections. First, a brief history of the legalattempts to regulate defamatory Internet speechin the United States is presented; a shortcomparative discussion of defamation law in theUK and Australia is included. As discussedbelow, this regulation has altered thetraditional legal paradigm of responsibilityand, as a result, creates potential problems forthe future of unrestricted and even anonymousspeech on the Internet. Second, an ethicalassessment is made of the defamatory speechenvironment in order to determine which actorshave moral responsibility for the harm causedby defamatory speech. This moral assessment iscompared to the developing and anticipatedlegal paradigm to identify possible conformityof moral and legal tenants or to recognize theconflict between morality and law in assigningresponsibility to defamatory actors. Thisassessment then concludes with possiblesuggestions for changes in the legal climategoverning the regulation of defamatory speechon the Internet, as well as prediction of theresult should the legal climate continue todevelop on its present course. This is not tosuggest that all law, or even the law ofdefamation, be structured to reflect thesubjectivity of a moral construct, but since itis the authors position that the legalassignment of liability in online settings ismisaligned, this reflection can serve asbeginning reassessment of that assignment.     

Skating to Armageddon: Canada,Hockey and the First World War

The founding of the Korean Women Taekwondo Federation means the fetal movement of women taekwondo in Korea and it can be said to have been quite significant in that it increased women's confidence in their statuses and activities in the environments of the times when women's social activities were increasing. The development of women taekwondo competitions began in earnest when the first women taekwondo hall in the world was opened as a result of passionate activities of early female taekwondo practitioners and the first taekwondo club was established in Ehwa Woman's University. Women's aspiration towards the challenge to the Olympic Games as well as international competitions is gradually increasing through the expansion of the base of women taekwondo. The status of women taekwondo in Korea that has been enhanced through challenges to various international competitions thus far beginning with the single taekwondo championship of foreigners in Korea in 1968 can be said to have contributed to the enhancement of the status of Korea as the birthplace of taekwondo and it is considered that women taekwondo could have continuously developed through diverse taekwondo championships by age held with women's steady effort and the expansion of the base of women taekwondo instructors.     

Foreword

With the development of new information and communication technologies, the right to communicate assumes new dimensions, since it is almost impossible to fully participate in the globalized world without access to modern information and communication technologies. South Africa held its first democratic elections in 1994 and has subsequently returned to the international arena. Its citizens should rightly expect to be able to participate in all that this return offers, not only politically, but also economically and socially. Telecommunications are vital to making such participation possible. In recognition of this fact, the newly elected government developed policies and enacted legislation to ensure that the telecommunications sector, and specifically the sole fixed line service provider Telkom, provides South African citizens affordable access to the telecommunications infrastructure whilst providing acceptable levels of service. However, rather than meeting its obligation to the government and the people of South Africa, Telkom has misused its monopoly. The social injustice that this situation creates is critically examined against the background of the right to communicate based on Rawls' principles of social justice and Sen's capability approach.     

Can information ethics be conceptualized by using the core/periphery model?

The term ‘information ethics’ (IE) is rapidly diversifying as new technologies enter the milieu and add to already existing ‘entanglements’. Unsurprisingly, the term lacks a universally accepted definition, although there is some common ground as to its constitution. This paper explores the term using the most commonly co-occurring terms in IE literature as indexed in nine databases, namely the EBSCO-hosted Academic Search Premier (ASP); Communication and Mass Media Complete; ERIC; Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts (LISTA); Newspaper Complete; Business Premier; and Master File Premier, and Wilson's Library Literature and Information Science (LLIS) Full Text. Core/periphery analysis, the co-occurrence of words as subject terms, and social network techniques were applied using UCINET for Windows, text STAT and Bibexcel computer-aided software to analyze data. The paper identifies the most common terms used to describe IE and the core terms with which IE can be defined. Other than informing LIS research and education, the results could potentially assist with the development of IE taxonomy and definitions (e.g. in understanding IE content and development) that may apply to the intercultural and global understanding of IE.     

Medical Library Association Diversity and Inclusion Task Force Report

The Medical Library Association (MLA) appointed a Diversity and Inclusion Task Force (DITF) in 2017. Sandra G. Franklin, AHIP, FMLA, chaired the task force and guided initiatives. From 2017 to 2020, the task force completed a review of MLA defining documents—including the mission, vision, values, and code of ethics—resulting in language updates to these documents. As MLA transitioned through the communities process, the DITF contributed to the transition. Other recommended essential changes to MLA profiles to promote awareness included updating pronouns to promote gender inclusivity and suggestions for the Annual Meeting Innovation Task Force. DITF members actively brought diversity and inclusion programming and engagement to MLA members at annual meetings. The task force held a fish bowl conversation, an open forum, and a Diversity Dialogues roundtable discussion; provided interactive discussion boards; and designed an MLA diversity button. Beyond MLA annual meetings, the task force hosted two critical librarianship meetings and a Twitter chat to engage MLA members with diversity and inclusion topics. Task force members promoted diversity and inclusion beyond their task force appointments with presentations at chapter meetings and other non-DITF MLA annual meeting programming. A notable task force accomplishment included completing a survey of MLA members to gather baseline demographic characteristics, including never before collected data about disability, socioeconomics, and caregiver status. This report provides an overview of DITF activities from 2017 to 2020.