INTERNET LEGAL
RESEARCH WEEKLY
April 24, 2005
Tom
Mighell
Welcome to Issue #188 of the Internet Legal Research Weekly, a newsletter that delivers relevant and timely legal research information, and other fun stuff, to your inbox every Sunday. If you like what you read, please forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be interested, and encourage him or her to do the same! To subscribe, all you have to do is visit Inter Alia and fill out the subscription form -- it's free!
And away we go....
Google Local, To Go
Google Local is now offering mobile results at its new Google Mobile Local site. Just type in what you're looking for (pizza, electricians, etc.), and where you're looking for it (zip code, city, street). You'll get a Google Map along with a list of 10 nearby locations. You can click on one of the results to get more detailed information, as well as a link for driving directions, or you can just click on the phone number (if your cell phone supports it) to call. Read more about the new service at Google Debuts Local Mobile.A Giant Step for Personalized Search
The big news on Wednesday was that Google has rolled out a beta version of My Search History, which allows you to easily view and manage your search history from any computer on the Internet. It's free to use, but you have to be logged in for your search queries to be recorded. You can run your search from the main Google page or the Search History link mentioned above. The Search History page displays a list of your searches, by date or relevance. As your search queries start to build, Google tries to group them together, to make it easier for you to find related concepts. As Chris Sherman says in Google Personalizes the Web, this is one seriously cool search tool.Blawgs of the Week
Here's a helping of new law-related weblogs for you. First, Brandon Rash is a 2L at the University of Richmond School of Law, with a background in electrical engineering. That's why his blog is called EEJD, "where law and technology intersect." The University of San Diego Pardee Legal Research Center has its own blog, LRC Orbit, with legal research and other helpful information. Michel-Adrien Sheppard is a former web producer and current law librarian at a Canadian law firm, and he's blogging about it at Library Boy. The Law Professor Blogs just keep on a-comin'. Please welcome the Law School Academic Support Blog, published by Richard Litvin (Quinnipiac University) and Dennis Tonsing (Roger Williams University). An attorney from Richmond, Virginia is the Jaded JD, where you can see his occasional wit, infrequent wisdom, and random displays of mental illness. Here's a great niche for a blawg: the Litigation Support and Industry News and Information blog. Here you'll find "Business information about the litigation support industry, including acquisitions & mergers, funding news, significant business successes, new alliances, product announcements and relative links." Finally, the students at the University of Illinois Business Law Society are taking their opinions public, and making the Journal of the Business Law Society into a great blog.
Caught in the 'NetLiving with Spam
A few months ago Larry Bodine proclaimed (admittedly prematurely, as it turns out) that "e-mail is dead," primarily due to the crushing effect of spam on our respective Inboxes. I am glad to see that a recent survey from the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that computer users are becoming less annoyed by spam. A summary of the report finds that:-- 53% say spam makes them less trusting of e-mail (compared with 62% a year ago)
-- 22% say spam has reduced their overall use of e-mail (compared with 29% last year)
-- 67% say spam makes being online unpleasant or annoying (compared with last year's 77%)I have always maintained that spam should be treated like a chronic illness, or like allergies -- it's never going to be completely eliminated, but with precautions we can reduce its impact on our day-to-day living to that of a mere annoyance. It looks like more people are coming around to that viewpoint -- although we still have a long way to go.
A Note to My Outrageous Readers
Readers of this newsletter know I don't often (or ever) wade into the murky, contentious waters of politics in my posts. But this is too good to pass up. On Tuesday, House Majority Leader Tom Delay was interviewed on Fox News Radio, and after criticizing Supreme Court Justice Kennedy for citing international law in his opinion, said:"...and not only that, but he said in session that he does his own research
on the Internet? That is just incredibly outrageous."Huh? It's somewhat elitist to assume a judge's clerks or staff should be responsible for Internet research -- I think a judge using the Internet for research can only be a positive, assuming the judge is using proper search techniques. I'm sure the judges who currently subscribe to my newsletter would agree.What a crazy thing to say.
When some of my friends have computer problems, often the first thing they do is call me for help. While I certainly don't mind, many times my assistance is not necessary. For the next ten issues (yes, 10), I'll suggest things you can do before you call me (or a techie) to solve your computer problems.
#1: Update your system. Make sure you're running Windows Update, and that all new patches have been downloaded and installed. It's also a good idea to configure Windows Update to download critical updates automatically, without your involvement. To get to Windows Update, just select Start, then All Programs, then Windows Update. If it's not there, check under the Tools menu of Internet Explorer.
Part of updating your system is also making sure that all of your computer drivers are up to date. I use the Belarc Advisor to keep track of my software, and regularly go through it to make sure all of my software is up to date.
Next week: it's all about connections.
Do you have a question about searching the Internet or your computer in general? Drop me an e-mail at tom(at)inter-alia(dot)net – I’ll post your question (don’t worry, I won’t use your real name) and try to get an answer for you!
Legally Relevant – Sites on the Internet
The Home Energy Saver
This site isn't really for legal research, but it will help you out just the same. It's billed as the first web-based do-it-yourself energy audit tool. You can enter information pertinent to your house, and receive a customized report on how to be a more efficient energy user. But that's not all; there's a library of helpful information related to home energy, a glossary of relevant terminology, helpful tips, remodeling help, links to local resources, and much more.TheCorporateCounsel.net ($$)
This is a very busy page, with lots of links. Unfortunately, most of them require a subscription, which will cost you $695/year for a single user. For subscribers, it looks like the links are quite extensive -- a lengthy list of practice areas, from Accounting to Work Papers. There are links to audio broadcasts, surveys, forms, and other resources. You can also subscribe (for free) to the monthly E-Minders newsletter.Cities Online
Part of the U.S. Conference of Mayors web site, this is a simple map that will get you to the online presence of just about any city in the country. Just click on a state, and you'll get a list of links to those cities. That's all there is to it, but it does exactly what it says it will.New York Criminal Court Search
This is an internal page of the New York State Unified Court System, which provides case searches and calendars for criminal cases in thirteen New York counties. For a case search all you need is the docket name, or a portion of the Defendant name. You'll get a full description of the charges, as well as a listing of the currently-scheduled court appearances. You can also sign up for e-mail notification of the court appearance up to 4 weeks in advance.American Bankruptcy Institute ($$)
The American Bankruptcy Institute is one of the best bankruptcy resources on the Internet. Here you can read recent news, review bankruptcy legislation, order publications, and learn more about the organization. You can also join the Institute (for $225, or $95 for government/non-profit subscriptions), if you'd like access to some of the better content, including court opinions, a member directory, and more.
Finally, some fun and useful sites to jump-start the week:
Show your co-workers that you are the Tiger Woods of the PC with Mini-Putt III.
The Symantec Security Check allows you to scan your computer for security risks, viruses, and trace potential attacks -- all for free.
Well, that’s it for Issue #188 – I hope you liked it! If you did, pass this along to anyone you think might be interested, and encourage him or her to subscribe. Also, feel free to drop me an e-mail any time if you have questions, or if you have websites or other topics you want included in a future issue.
Tom Mighell
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