{"id":11545,"date":"2005-01-13T20:32:41","date_gmt":"2005-01-13T20:32:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.library.illinois.edu\/funkaces\/?p=11545"},"modified":"2018-03-13T20:37:51","modified_gmt":"2018-03-13T20:37:51","slug":"acdc-news-issue-05-06","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.library.illinois.edu\/funkaces\/acdc-news-issue-05-06\/","title":{"rendered":"ACDC News \u2013 Issue 05-06"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>Digital can of worms.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

That is the title of an article we added recently about Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, \u201cknown as a disruptive technology in the telecommunications industry.\u201d This less-expensive alternative to traditional telephone service is cited as presenting a host of problems for local cities and counties, including rural areas.<\/p>\n

\u201cCities and counties stand to lose billions of dollars in rights-of-way and franchise fees if VoIP remains unregulated and displaces traditional telephone service. Additionally, the technology does not connect seamlessly to emergency call centers; law enforcement agencies cannot tap into it; and users do not have to pay into the Universal Service Fund USF, which subsidizes telephone service in rural areas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reference:\u00a0Digital can of worms<\/a>
\nPosted @\u00a0www.americancityandcounty.com\/mag\/government_digital_worms\/<\/a><\/p>\n

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<\/a>Rural community celebrates <\/strong>arrival of telephone service.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Mink, Louisiana \u2013 one of the nation’s last rural areas without regular phone service \u2013 finally got connected during late January.<\/p>\n

According to an Associated Press report, \u201cBellSouth Corp. spent $700,000\u2026to extend about 30 miles of cable through thick forests to Mink, about 100 miles south of Shreveport .\u201d The community of 15 households is in the Kisatchie National Forest near the Texas line.<\/p>\n

Reference:\u00a0Tiny Louisiana community finally gets telephone service.<\/a>
\nPosted @\u00a0http:\/\/news.lycos.com\/wired\/story.asp?section=Breaking&storyId=983091<\/a><\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/a><\/b>Students launch new international exchange.<\/h3>\n

Agricultural communication students from Canada and the U.S. joined forces in piloting a new international exchange from February 19 to March 5. This program, reported in a recent news release, involved Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) members from the University of Guelph and the University of Florida.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo matter which side of the border you’re on, we must communicate with each other,\u201d said International ACT President Kim Waalderbos, referring to shared challenges facing agriculture.<\/p>\n

Reference:Exchange program connects future leaders<\/a>\u00a0For more information, including daily diaries from the exchange, visit:
\nPosted @http:\/\/www.uoguelph.ca\/~canact<\/a><\/dt>\n

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<\/a>When activists confront food companies.<\/h3>\n

A recent article in the\u00a0Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics\u00a0<\/em>shed light on that scenario. Using a game theoretical model of sequential bargaining, researchers examined the strategic interaction between food companies and activists. They observed:<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a rather confined set of circumstances, findings indicate it is always in the best interest of the food company to comply with activists’ demands. More frequently, however, there will be cases where compliance is not optimal\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Reference:\u00a0Activists and corporate behavior in food processing and retailing\u00a0<\/a>.<\/strong><\/dt>\n

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<\/a>A great year for collecting documents.<\/h3>\n

We think any year is a great year for collecting information to improve agriculture-related communicating. However, 2004 seemed particularly noteworthy here. Our review of progress during 2004 revealed what may be record-breaking progress in the ACDC collection. Among the steps forward:<\/p>\n