[cross-posted on Information Management Now]

For the past several months, I have been diligently exploring how Web 2.0 technologies could better support the work of lawyers. I’m happy to report my findings in this discussion paper, albeit in a particular context, using a TiddlyWiki. If you are interested in what it takes to write a document like this, make sure you check the About section in the paper.

Comments and suggestions are welcome. . . . [more]

I’m happy I get to post this, especially after Simon’s kind words on last month’s KM article.

Fellow Slawyer, Simon Chester makes a number of inciteful quotes in this month’s National article on the Commoditization of legal services. The article addresses the concept of commoditization generally, as well as some of the current trends in outsourcing. It’s well worth a stop & gander. :-)

Readers might also be interested that Commoditization is one of Ross Dawson’s Seven MegaTrends of Professional Services. As information and technology professionals, we should remember that these things do affect us.

Well done Simon! We’re . . . [more]

I received a flyer today from UVic’s Technology Transfer Office giving me some information about a research database called “flintbox”. It appears to be designed as a central place for all Canadian universities to disseminate, download, and licence research. Individual researchers post descriptions of their research.

I could only find one project that interested me – an open journal system” project developed at UBC which gives open sources access to the public.

Technology transfer is not particularly new to academic institutions and research centres, and I’m sorry this is so university-centric, but it brought me back to an idea I . . . [more]

Have any SLAWyers knowledge of Supreme Court plans to make the full-text of transcripts of argument available via the Web? The information on their Web-site simply notes that copies may be requested for a fee. This is something that the High Court of Australia has been making available via AustLII for over ten years now and is tremendously useful for researchers. Not only do you get an idea of the judges’ thinking from their comments, but the transcripts are a goldmine of useufl information and insight into complex issues confronting the highest appellate courts. Perhaps SLAW could take a role . . . [more]

According to AP, a class action has been launched by a group of websites claiming that Google’s techniques for weeding out dubious content and those who deploy tools to manipulate search algorithm to move up the rankings chart. This is a matter of some detached amusement to Slaw since a Google Search for Justice Marshall Rothstein brings up the Slaw website higher than the Supreme Court of Canada’s or the Federal Court pages.

The civil complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in San Jose by KinderStart.com, seeks to be certified as a class action representing the owners of all

We are very open to comparative law.
Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin

Given the extent to which the Supreme Court of Canada routinely cites comparative law, and all law students are taught as much English law in first year as Canadian, it is fascinating the passions aroused by comparative law elsewhere.

We’ve discussed this before, but a piece in the Post on Friday and in yesterday’s Times, really brought it home.

Death threats have been made to two justices of the USSC, because they’ve stated publicly that it may, on some occasions, be helpful for the Court to . . . [more]

I came across an article in the Financial Times after AT&T announced their intended acquisition of BellSouth that questioned the impact of this acquisition on ‘net neutrality’. [See the Wikipedia entries on Network Neutrality and Net Neutrality].

I became interested in the subject and did my usual routing around on the Internet to see what the buzz was. To my surprise, the buzz is alive and well in the US and Canada.

In the US, the camps have lined up on one side or the other. The telcos, large ISPs and equipment vendors claiming there is no need for . . . [more]

1. Integrated Taxonomic Information System
2. Google Earth
3. Google Mars
4. Mars Odyssey Themis project
5. About Google Mars
6. Google Video: Flight Into Mariner Valley
7. Google News search: google mars
8. LinuxInsider: Code to Run XP on Mac May Become Open Source
9. LLRX.com
10. beSpacific
11. Library Journal
12. Library Journal: Indefatigable – Sabrina Pacifici
13. Conference: Computers in Libraries 2006
14. Computers in Libraries 2006: Free Cybertour: “Blogs for Managing Content” – Thurs. March 23, 12 – 2 pm
15. Computers in Libraries 2006: Post-Conference Workshop: “Mining Blogs & RSS for Research” – Sat. March 25, 1:30 – 4:30 pm
16. Special Libraries Association conference in Baltimore, June 10, 2006
17. Google

What with maps of Mars and maps of parades, there’s hardly any need for a Friday Fillip.

But I’m going for something a bit more down-to-earth than Mars and more colourful even than Irish green: the early crocus, a.k.a. Crocus imperati Ten. Spring will soon be here (folks in the far, far, far West will please put their hands down) and when that particular member of the Iridaceae family graces lawns and flower beds, we know we can start to unclench. We also know that other members of the Liliales order will follow in quick succession, until even the chillier . . . [more]

In yet another first, the wonderful Google Earth has been matched by an experimental map of Mars with the same ability to zoom in, but this time in unworldly opulent colourMedia coverage can be found in the usual places.

It’s not the Mars of our grandparents, but taken from the Mars Odyssey Themis project.

The explanation behind the project is quite wonderful but check out the simulated fly-over on the new Google Video service. Or visit the volcanoes.

Welcome earthlings.

. . . [more]

Those who like to see bridges built between islands will be encouraged by the news that Windows XP can now be run on a Macintosh. The story is here. . . . [more]

Sabrina Pacifici, editor and publisher of legal research e-zine LLRX.com and blog beSpacific is the subject of an article in the Library Journal, “Indefatigable – Sabrina Pacifici” (March 15, 2006).

I have had the extreme pleasure of getting to know Sabrina over the last several months, and can vouch for the assertion that she does all these projects in her spare time, getting little sleep. On a personal basis, she has been an inspiration, and has given me an immense amount of moral support and encouragement.

She is speaking at the Computers in Libraries conference coming up . . . [more]