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The local magazine about information technology “Infocom” explains the software for control over the information availability in the Internet: “Software for filtration of unpleasant content on Internet”. The main goal of the system is to advance the filtration system for specific users, such as school children and young population of the country who are influenced by negative content of Internet information. In the article examining the use of this system in Uzbekistan, news source Fergana.ru states that such a system could be potentially used in the Internet cafes and educational places to block “suspicious” resources and benefit Internet censorship. Such a system can be used on each computer and there is no way to avoid the blocking once it is installed. web links: http://ru.infocom.uz/more.php?id=1568_0_1_0_M http://www.ferghana.ru/article.php?id=4529

On November 2, several main Kyrgyz internet providers were attacked by unknown hackers. Specialists from ElCat have stated that whole 16-megabite channel was blocked and none of the users could go to the server from outside. Because of the attack many electronic media could not function properly. The event is implied to be affiliated with the rally that took place in Byshkek on November 2 where protesters demanded resignations of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and Prime Minister Felix Kulov and change of constitution. According to one of the versions, the hacker attacks were organized by special services that tried to hinder Kirghiz independent mass media. The attack on the providers' resources was made from servers outside the Republic. Web links: http://centrasia.org/newsA.php4?st=1162454940 http://www.ospint.com/text/d/3488924/

Russians like the Internet, but doubt it will replace traditional mass media - poll MOSCOW. Nov 12 (Interfax) - The percentage of citizens who know nothing about the Internet has shrunk by more than 50% in Russia over the past five years, the Yury Levada Analytical Center told Interfax. Only 14% of the 1,600 respondents polled recently confessed they had no idea of what the Internet was about, compared to 34% in 2001. But the percentage of respondents who remain in touch with the world through the Internet and learn the news from the web has grown from 4% to 17%, according to the poll. Managers have been the most active Internet users in the past 30 days (60%,) followed by school and university students (49%,) experts in various fields (32%,) the military and law enforcement (30%,) and business people (29%.) Men deal with the Internet 1.5 times more often then women, and young users 11 times more frequently than older citizens, sociologists have reported. Most of those, who are not familiar with the Internet are pensioners (45%,) people who have retired on pension due to a disability (23%,) women, and citizens over 55 years of age and with an incomplete general education (34%.) More than half of those surveyed (53%) said the Internet would not be able to replace traditional mass media. Thirty-four percent of respondents said this could happen and the rest were undecided.

Shops.uz--Catalogue of Goods and Shops in Uzbekistan 10/26/06 Ferghana.ru Excerpt: The majority of active Internet users in Uzbekistan have already long known about and successfully used the trading site "Torg.uz". More than 350 announcements each day, simple and comfortable to use, high effectiveness, and much more attract more than 3000 visitors daily. Thanks to the results of the internet-festival in 2005, "Torg.uz" became the leader in the area of digital services of Uzbekistan and Uznet's most popular business resource. .... Torg.uz has opened a new project--Shops.uz--a catalogue of goods and services of Uzbekistan. For full article in Russian, see http://www.ferghana.ru/article.php?id=4667.