A new study finds computers have become a fixture in many kid's lives at an unbelievable pace -- 72 percent of U.S. households with kids now have computers, many times the number five years ago. But the study by the Packard Foundation also finds an outrageous gap in computers and Net access between rich and poor kids at home and in schools, an issue that has so far failed to arouse campus activists, the tech industry, or President Bush, who outlined his educational initiatives this week without once even mentioning computers or technology. The study also has new stats on kids and computer use by age and activity. (Read more).

Yet another topical censorware report by Bennett Haselton and myself. Is this getting repetitive? It turns out that politicians' websites are being blocked in schools and libraries as inappropriate for viewing by children (and, in many cases, adults). The report, "Blind Ballots", takes a look at two dozen candidates whose campaigns have been censored in our public schools and libraries. One of the products blocks pretty equally across the political spectrum; the other takes a big chunk out of Republicans, Libertarians and conservative third parties. One Republican candidate (so far) has changed his position on filters because of this report.

Like the late Romans, says author Margaret Wertheim, our civics are no longer sustained by a firm belief in our society; we are no longer sure of its purpose. This is clear enough from the presidential campaign to date. Cyberspace, she writes, will fill the void. The Net, she says, is the New Jerusalem, our new common and profoundly spiritual space. (First of two parts.)

Okay, here we go. The first two candidates who responded to our questions were the Libertarian Party's Harry Browne and David McReynolds of the Socialist Party USA. Enjoy!

"The Congressional Budget Office, with the surprising help of some Congressional Republicans, is angling to get its hands on Census Bureau files," reports the New York Times today (free reg. req.). Here's the interesting thing. A staffer for Rep. Dan Miller (R-Fla.) told the NYT that there is no problem with doing a little cross-correlating of your census, Social Security, and IRS files: "The Census Bureau is the government, and Congress is the government." Last April, that same Dan Miller was blaming the Clinton adminstration for making the American people distrust their government through mishandling of sensitive files.

A note from Hemos: The following piece came to me as a personal letter from David Brin. David is a prominent scientist and author of best-selling novels like The Postman, who has shared entertaining and provocative views with us in the past. His letter struck us as so biting and timely that we asked permission to post it before the whole Slashdot community, in order to provoke your rambunctious discussion. David graciously agreed, on condition that you all remember, it was written first of all as a private person sharing his "cranky political opinions" with a few friends. "It goes over the top in a few places," he warned. "First draft expressions of outrage tend to be that way." So as friends, let's not get too vexed with him. Above all David is interesting, as usual....

MSNBC has a good story about the filtering bill which will almost certainly soon pass. "It's curious that Republicans - typically fans of decentralized government - would be interested in this bill, which puts an educational decision into the hands of the federal government, a power that typically rests in the hands of the locals. It would essentially hold schools and libraries that use subsidies to get online (25,000 to date, according to the Web site of the company that runs the program for the government) hostage to the notion that filtering weeds out all evil on the Net." Well said. Welcome to the 21st century, where all public institutions will be censored by unaccountable corporations.

Attack Pirate writes: "The Washington Post is reporting that Republicans in the Senate are pushing major expansion of guest worker programmer bill. The Democrats are trying to 'poison pill' the bill by giving limited rights to Hispanics who have been in the country for decades. It says Clinton might veto the bill, but he said that in 1998 but let it pass just before a fundraising trip to Silicon Valley."

(Note: First in a series.)Maybe those manifesto-spouting Wired gurus were right after all. The modern political campaign as an entity is increasingly surreal and remote, especially from the perspective of this corner of the world, where nobody seems to be paying any attention and virtual reality is taking on a whole new meaning. Are these the last days of politics? I think so, and I'll be posting (with permission) your e-mail and threads responses and thoughts in subsequent columns.

Salsaman writes " 2600 has just posted this article about how one of their staff members (ShapeShifter) has been arrested in Philadelphia during the Republican convention. According to 2600 he was 'arrested while walking down a street talking on a phone.'" There's a ton of information there on the protests and folks being arrested and mistreated. Of course there were extremists who deserved it, but a lot of folks were protesting peacefully. (This has no relevance, but I'm abusing Slashdot to say that I think Bush is a rotten candidate, and while I don't like Gore, I would vote for a inanimate carbon rod for president before I would vote for GWB).

You think your community is conservative? Holland, Michigan, home of the Slashdot Geek Compound, is a conservative community. "Y2K," according to yard signs on my way to last night's library meeting, stands for "Yes 2 King Jesus." Supposedly the city has gone to every Republican presidential candidate but one (Abraham Lincoln). Now the American Family Association has brought mandatory library censorware to a vote on Feb.22, and the measure's opponents have a tough six weeks ahead of them. This is the first time the battle over library filters has come near my community, and my first close look at the grass roots of a First Amendment struggle. Click for more.

SkrewBawl, among others, notes that Shays-Meehan, aka the campaign finance reform bill, passed the House recently. The New York Times ran an interesting story on it, discussing the possible effects on web sites. The problem is, existing campaign finance laws already cover the internet.

Charles Wu has written an essay about the Microsoft Monopoly on office applications, as well as the importance of file formats and the irrelevance of browsers. Click below to read it.

As the Middle-Aged White Guys in Suits dig in in D.C. for what is hopefully their last stand, the idea of Digital Democracy never looked better. If it's a good idea (and it is) to empower individuals by teaching them how to master their own technology via movements like OS and free software, isn't it past time to use the technology of the Net and the Web to reverse the flow of power, away from the entrenched and increasingly lunatic journalists and politicians in Washington and back to the individuals staring from a distance in shock and horror and what they're seeing on their TV screens? Forget Wag the Dog. Joseph Conrad, Oliver Stone, Francis Ford Coppla (maybe Fellini, too) have seized the capitol. Only we can't leave the theater.

Fresh from the world's first known Media Gasbag Referendum, the (somewhat) Humbled, Bloodied but Unbowed Gasbag Stays On.

Surviving the World's First Interactive Media Vote.

Or: How I Was Supported Within An Inch of My Life.

JobSeeker writes "Yesterday, key House and Senate Republicans reached a final agreement on the bill to hire as many as 190,000 foreign professionals over the next six years. It is scheduled to be voted on in the House this afternoon, even though the White House administration threatens to veto it on the groups that US worker protections have been watered down. Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass) plans to block debate on this bill in the Senate. This weekend the Senate will recess until the end of August but by then re-election campaigns will be in full swing. "

ZaMoose writes "The FCC is pursuing the idea of taxing private 'Net users in order to fund the cheap hook-ups for schools that the Clinton Administration has promised. This would hit ISPs, telephone companies and ordinary Netizens right in the pocketbook. Gingrich and the Republicans in Congress are set to block such a measure." USAToday has the rest of the story.