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RAIN 10/30: Mormon archives, Bronx archives, OSHA rules



There are 31 stories in this posting.

Indianapolis Star 10/29/01
A Carmel medical software company says it has the prescription for paper
http://www.starnews.com/print/articles/zotec29.html

by Jeff Swiatek
In 1998, the giant Indianapolis health insurer Anthem Inc. deep-sixed its medical billing subsidiary, Allmed Financial.
About to lose his job, Allmed Executive Vice President T. Scott Law spotted a silver lining: Allmed's billing software. Law bought the software, talked its chief programmer into joining him, and set sail on the seas of entrepreneurship.
It has been a satisfying, if trying, voyage.



San Francisco Business Times 10/29/01
Actuate scales mountain of data
http://sanfrancisco.bcentral.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2001/10/29/focus19.html

by James Temple
Corporations can produce a library's worth of information in a week, so sorting the data in a way that keeps it relevant and accessible remains a constant challenge.
South San Francisco-based Actuate is turning that call into cash.
The company produces an online application, dubbed e.Reporting Suite 5, that pulls raw data from corporate databases and allows users to access, sort, calculate, compare or update it using a standard web browser. Businesses' employees, partners and customers are allowed different levels of access to the information -- which might comprise customer account information, order status or employee records -- depending on what's relevant to them and what they're allowed to see.



ComputerWorld 10/29/01
Anthrax prompts shift in Feds' e-mail policy
http://www.computerworld.com/storyba/0,4125,NAV47_STO65117,00.html

by Jennifer Disabatino
Despite a plague of anthrax in the U.S. postal system and a shift in favor of e-mail in government communications policies, many companies don't plan to mandate the use of e-mail over paper mail in order to mitigate terrorist attacks through the post office.
William Keslar, a spokesman for USX Corp. in Pittsburgh, said his company has no plans to move to e-mail.
"But if we did, our IT people told us that we have the capacity and storage space to handle a 30% increase," he said.



BBC News 10/29/01
File-swapping 'halves' in Europe
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/entertainment/new_media/newsid_1625000/1625920.stm

The number of internet users sharing music files has halved in Europe since Napster ran into legal problems earlier this year, research suggests.
But Napster remains Europe's most popular music destination on the internet, internet research analysts Jupiter MMXI found.
Although 4.5 million Europeans still regularly swap files via the net, none of Napster's many new competitors have equalled it in reach or popularity, according to Jupiter's monthly bulletin.



Boston Globe 10/29/01
High Court overturns decision on open-meeting lawsuit
http://www.boston.com/dailynews/301/region/High_Court_overturns_decision_:.shtml

AP
WINHALL, Vt. (AP) The Vermont Supreme Court has told a lower court to reinstate a lawsuit over whether the town select board violated the state's open meeting law when it met privately with representatives of Stratton Corp.
Michael Blum sued last year after Winhall town officials excluded him from meetings with Stratton officials.



National Law Journal 10/29/01
Cigarette makers must disclose product recipes, 1st Circuit rules
http://www.law.com/cgi-bin/gx.cgi/AppLogic+FTContentServer?pagename=law/View&c=Article&cid=ZZZ3MD9MATC&live=true&cst=1&pc=0&pa=0&s=News&ExpIgnore=true&showsummary=0

by Annie Hsia
A Massachusetts law that effectively requires tobacco companies to disclose trade secrets would not cause any uncompensated takings, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held on Oct. 16. Philip Morris Inc. v. Reilly, No. 00-2425.
The ruling comes in a case filed by Philip Morris Inc. and nine other tobacco manufacturers that sought to enjoin enforcement of the state's Tobacco Ingredients and Nicotine Yield Act, which requires the companies to disclose to the state all of the additives in each product in descending order of quantity. The lists become public records if their disclosure could reduce risks to public health.



Cumberland Times-News 10/29/01
New Web site may save trip to Allegany County Courthouse
http://www.times-news.com/stories/2001/october/day29/1179023.html

CUMBERLAND -- A number of forms ranging from passport applications to divorce applications are now available in Allegany County through a Maryland judicial system Web site.
"We are pleased to launch this new Web site, which offers a wealth of information conveniently and at the click of a mouse," said Dawne D. Lindsey, Clerk of the Allegany County Circuit Court.



Washington Business Journal 10/29/01
E-mail security solutions key to Internet commerce
http://washington.bcentral.com/washington/stories/2001/10/29/focus3.html

by Jahan Moreh
For electronic commerce to truly flourish, it must offer advantages over existing types of transactions. Among these advantages are a lower cost, more convenience, speed and better security. Thus, problems that have been associated with e-mail security must be examined and solved.
The basis of any electronic security is cryptography -- the system of encrypting and decrypting data.



Gainesville Sun 10/29/01
Find Florida library, museum files online
http://www.gainesvillesun.com/BUSINESS/articles/2001-10-29meek.shtml

by Tom Meck
One of the greatest uses of the Internet is its ability to make available huge collections and libraries of material. These efforts can bring thousands of pages of material usually reserved for only the most diligent students and researchers out for use by the general public.
Although instant access to information worldwide is one of the Web's best assets, local Florida information can also be found on the Web. One of the best collections of such material is PALMM (Publication of Archival, Library and Museum Materials) at palmm.fcla.edu. PALMM is a collaborative project of Florida's 10 state universities.



Washington Business Journal 10/29/01
Firms make sure workers get message about e-mail
http://washington.bcentral.com/washington/stories/2001/10/29/focus2.html

by Timothy Mazzucca
Managers and their employees have found that corporate e-mail accounts can be used to communicate important business information, transmit documents, check in with friends or family members, forward jokes to co-workers -- and get in trouble if they're not careful.
Bill Gates has seen several of his old e-mails show up in Microsoft's antitrust case.
In 1987, Lt. Col. Oliver North thought he deleted all of his electronic messages at the National Security Agency that linked him to the Iran-Contra scandal. But he forgot the backups, which were eventually published as a book.



Florida Today 10/29/01
Editorial: State lawmakers' stampede threatens open government
http://www.floridatoday.com/news/editorial/stories/2001/oct/edit102901a.htm

Panic has made its way into the Legislature, where the state Senate has taken dangerous and probably unconstitutional action to close meetings, seal records and even keep its votes secret in the name of fighting terrorism.
No one questions the need for tighter security following the terror attacks, but there is an enormous difference between carefully considered, responsible measures and the reckless stampede that is going on in the Senate.
The result threatens Florida's long tradition of open government, and democracy in our state will be harmed if it happens. That is why the move must be stopped.



The Globe and Mail 10/29/01
PM's papers spark costly legal battle
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/GIS.Servlets.HTMLTemplate?tf=tgam/common/FullStory.html&cf=tgam/common/FullStory.cfg&configFileLoc=tgam/config&vg=BigAdVariableGenerator&date=20011029&dateOffset=&hub=headdex&title=Headlines&cache_key=headdexNational&current_row=8&start_row=8&num_rows=1

by Daniel LeBlanc
OTTAWA -- The Prime Minister and other federal officials have racked up $152,000 in legal bills in efforts to prevent the government's own Information Commissioner from seeing Jean Chrétien's agenda books, invoices obtained by The Globe and Mail show.
The Prime Minister's case, which is being handled by $200-an-hour lawyers, is a bitter battle between the government and Information Commissioner John Reid.



The Herald Journal 10/25/01
LDS papers in dispute
http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpid=672&show=archivedetails&ArchiveID=394317&om=1

by Arrin Brunson
When the Leonard J. Arrington Room and Manuscript Collection was dedicated and opened on Oct. 11 at Utah State University, some people didn't like what they saw.
Now, parts of the former LDS Church historian's estate have been "sequestered," according to a press release from Utah State University.
University officials did not indicate the nature of the documents in question nor did they say how many items were involved.
Craig Simper, USU legal counsel, said that some of the collection has been temporarily removed because LDS Church officials requested a review of property ownership of the documents. Simper called a press release which was issued late Wednesday afternoon by USU "a negotiated, joint statement."



The Herald Journal 10/26/01
LDS papers for a few eyes only?
http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpid=672&show=archivedetails&ArchiveID=394785&om=1

by Arrin Brunson
Historical LDS manuscripts, minutes of meetings, letters, diaries, autobiographies and patriarchal blessings are among the hundreds of items removed from public display at Utah State University this week at the request of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Officials from the church intend to make sure certain documents from the recently debuted Leonard J. Arrington Manuscript Collection are not returned to the public domain at the Utah State University Special Collections and Archives department in the basement of the Merrill Library.



The Herald Journal 10/27/01
Archives dispute turned up a notch
http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpid=672&show=archivedetails&ArchiveID=394961&om=1

by Arrin Brunson
Officials from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints showed their hand Friday afternoon by releasing copies of two agreements signed by church historian, Dr. Leonard J. Arrington. But officials at Utah State University say the issue of ownership of historical documents is still up for debate.
A dispute between Utah State University and the church went public Wednesday after the two parties negotiated a joint statement saying that certain materials in the Leonard J. Arrington Manuscript Collection may belong exclusively to the church. Arrington died in 1999.



Computerworld 10/29/01
Hospital taps biometrics for single sign-on
http://www.computerworld.com/storyba/0,4125,NAV47_STO65119,00.html

by Dan Verton
St. Vincent Hospital and Health Services in Indianapolis has rolled out a biometric authentication pilot project that combines the practicality of single sign-on workstations with biometric authentication devices for roaming enterprise users.



Austin Business Journal 10/29/01
How high tech companies can avoid litigation
http://austin.bcentral.com/austin/stories/2001/10/29/focus5.html

by Austin Tighe
High tech and other "new economy" companies increasingly find themselves involved in business disputes that end up in litigation. These companies can take certain steps today that might help prevent, or at least manage, such potential litigation.
Retaining documents
Establishing a written document retention policy can result in both practical and legal benefits to your company. In general, these policies minimize the time and expense of record-keeping and handling, and maximize accessibility and efficiency.



Infotech 10/29/01
StarOffice shaping up as true Office alternative
http://www.mb.com.ph/INFO/2001-10/IT103010.asp

With IT managers angered by Microsoft's new software licensing plan for Windows and Office XP, many are seeking a viable, affordable alternative to the Microsoft Office suite. One suite that shows enterprise potential at an unbeatable price is Sun Microsystems' free StarOffice.



New York Daily News 10/29/01
For the record,  these papers should be kept
http://www.nydailynews.com/2001-10-29/News_and_Views/Media_and_Business/a-130158.aspa

by Asa Aarons
J anet Wildow feels comfortable collecting a paper trail of bills, tax forms and other records. Her husband thinks they should throw it all away.
"We're always bickering about the amount of paper we should keep. He wants to toss out all paperwork two months after we pay a bill, but I say documentation should be kept a year," she explained.
Wildow said she managed to persuade her husband to keep all checking account paperwork for a year - "but it was a struggle!"
What she wants are some guidelines for recordkeeping - a list of what to save and what to throw away.


St. Petersburg Times 10/29/01
Denied access to records, Stauffer sues
http://www.sptimes.com/News/102901/NorthPinellas/Denied_access_to_docu.shtml

by Robert Farley
TARPON SPRINGS -- The company responsible for cleanup of the Stauffer Superfund site has filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The suit contends that the company was unfairly denied access to documents on which a federal watchdog official based a scathing report about the site.
The 196-page report, issued by Ronnie Wilson, ombudsman for the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, or ATSDR, criticized public health officials for failing to use all available data when the agency previously downplayed the public health hazards posed by Stauffer.


Norwood News 10/25/01
New archives give Bronx history a home
http://www.bronxmall.com/norwoodnews/news/page1.html

by Jordan Moss
A ny visitor to The Bronx County Historical Society library or museum knows they are wonderful repositories of Bronx memories.
After all, where else would you be able to find a confirmation dress worn by a Bronxite, a 1950s dinner invitation, or the collected press releases of former borough president Robert Abrams?
But now Bronxites are going to have access to even more of those memories in the form of original documents, photographs, maps and other critical archival material. After five years of planning and fundraising, 2,300 cubic feet (roughly 2,300 file boxes) of papers and documents will have a permanent home in the Historical Society's new, renovated archives, only two doors up from its library and administrative offices at 3309 Bainbridge Ave. in Norwood.



New York Times 10/29/01
Page by Page History of the Web
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/29/technology/ebusiness/29NECO.html

by John Schwartz
When I was a little boy growing up in Galveston, Tex., there was no more amazing place to me than the Rosenberg Library, a haven where a young reader could imagine spending many happy years of discovery. It seemed vast, but also personal: in front of the building, a child could clamber up the side of the seated statue of Henry Rosenberg, the library's patron, and sit in his bronze lap.
Brewster Kahle wants to create within the Internet a library that is as vast as the infinite library of my dreams, and as personal as old Mr. Rosenberg's lap. And at the same time, he is teaching us a parable about what we used to call the new economy.



Sacramento Business Journal 10/29/01
OSHA delays recordkeeping rules for ergonomics injuries
http://sacramento.bcentral.com/sacramento/stories/2001/10/29/smallb7.html

by Kent Hoover
Washington Bureau Chief
Despite objections from the AFL-CIO, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has delayed by one year the effective date of recordkeeping requirements for musculoskeletal disorders.
As a result, employers will not have to check the musculoskeletal column on OSHA logs until Jan. 1, 2003, instead of Jan. 1, 2002, as originally planned. The recordkeeping rule's definition of musculoskeletal disorders also will be delayed.


Providence Journal 10/29/01
ACLU seeks records on surveillance cameras
http://www.projo.com/cgi-bin/story.pl/metro/06438511.htm

by Karen Lee Ziner
PROVIDENCE -- If a newspaper reporter can get copies of so-called "cruiser-camera" policies from the Providence Police Department, why can't the Rhode Island Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union?
Tomorrow, the ACLU is scheduled to raise that question in Providence County Superior Court.
Arguing that the police department's conduct in this matter constitutes "willful violation of the Open Records Law," the ACLU filed papers Friday that ask the court to force the department to turn over records governing the use of surveillance cameras in cruisers and public locations.



Legal Times 10/29/01
State of the Art: Computes in Litigation
http://www.law.com/cgi-bin/gx.cgi/AppLogic+FTContentServer?pagename=law/View&c=Article&cid=ZZZIYMVY7TC&live=true&cst=6&pc=0&pa=0&s=News&ExpIgnore=true&showsummary=0

by James H. Johnston
If there is an art to litigation, it is the art of Georges Seurat. The 19th century French painter used the science of optics to pioneer a style called pointillism in works like "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte." His paintings are a study in perspective. They consist of tiny dots of color on canvas that, when viewed from a distance, appear as a vibrant scene rather than a collection of points.
The litigator works with different media. He uses evidence in a courtroom rather than paint on canvas. Yet, like Seurat, the litigator faces the problem of perspective: how to make judge and jury see the picture as a whole when it, too, is just a collection of points. Computer technology has come along to make the lawyer's task easier and his pictures more powerful, and with it have come questions about whether the law is ready for multimedia trials and whether they may become too expensive and too powerful.



Sun-Sentinel 10/29/01
Critics fear terrorism measures will erode Florida's open government laws
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-fsecurity29oct29.story?coll=sfla%2Dhome%2Dheadlines

by Mark Silva
TALLAHASSEE · Legislators say they want to make Florida safe from terrorism, but advocates of open government say the state's honored Government in the Sunshine Law faces the gravest threat during the special session nearing its conclusion.
The terrorist assaults of Sept. 11 and unexplained anthrax attacks since then have created a sense of emergency about protecting everything from seaports to water utilities, says Tim Moore, Florida Department of Law Enforcement commissioner.


The Scotsman 10/29/01
Protection of data just got more complex
http://www.thescotsman.co.uk/business.cfm?id=119486

by Alan Masson and Stephen Harte
DATA protection continues to be a hot topic and, following the broadening of the scope of the Data Protection Act 1998 last week, employers now need to ensure that their paper records, as well as computer records, comply with the data protection principles.
When the first Data Protection Act was introduced in 1984, the law applied only to the computer records that employers, for example, may have held about employees, customers or suppliers.


The Business Journal of Kansas City 10/29/01
Waste not, want not: Boost efficiency by charting processes, cutting slack
http://kansascity.bcentral.com/kansascity/stories/2001/10/29/smallb4.html

by Quarterman Lee
Most administrative operations, such as purchasing, accounting or claim processing, contain hidden waste. In some firms, 80 percent of expended time, energy and cost add no value for the customer. Firms can identify and remove much of this waste -- reducing cost, speeding service and pleasing the customer.
People often confuse activity with useful work. Most managers and workers are active most of the time. They perceive their activity as useful and productive. Process charting gives a different perspective. It views work as a sequence of events on a particular product and highlights events that add no value. Process charting is the heart of waste-reduction efforts and is especially effective with a cross-functional team. Here is a simple, four-step approach to waste reduction and an example from a real project:



Wired 10/29/01
Wayback goes way back on Web
http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,47894,00.html

by Kendra Mayfield
Imagine being able to travel back in time to an era when the digital publishing euphoria had just begun and the dot-com boom was in full swing.
Now that may be possible with a new digital library tool called the Wayback Machine, which goes "way back" in Internet time to locate archived versions of over 10 billion Web pages dating to 1996.


Washington Business Journal 10/29/01
XML standard is the talk in computer circles today
http://washington.bcentral.com/washington/stories/2001/10/29/focus7.html

by Gary Voight
At the core of information technology departments in Global 2000 companies, government agencies and universities, diverse computers are learning to speak to each other.
XML (extensible markup language) is quickly becoming water-cooler talk for e-business executives from the C-level down to the operational staff who make computer systems run.



ZDNet UK 10/29/01
Virgin Mobile admits storing customer location records
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t269-s2098193,00.html

by Graeme Wearden
Every Virgin Mobile phone call is tracked to within a few hundred metres. Virgin plans to keep the data 'indefinitely', and privacy advocates are not happy
Virgin Mobile admitted late last week that has been storing information that records its customers' movements around the UK since November 1999, and has no plans to delete the data.
According to a report in The Guardian on Saturday, Virgin Mobile has been saving user location records since it launched nearly two years ago. This information tells a mobile operator the location of a customer each time they made a call, and is accurate to a few hundred metres.



Peter A. Kurilecz CRM, CA
pakurilecz@aol.com
Richmond, Va