'Internet' - tagged features

A new website which explains sex - in graphic detail - to teenagers in the Netherlands has come in for both hefty criticism and loud applause. Some say it fills a niche between formal sex education at school and the pornography readily available elsewhere on the net. Others think the site is too explicit. Radio Netherlands' reporter Marijke van den Berg talked with the site's creator. 

What is second life ? Well, It’s a world where you can make up a new identity. One where you can launch that business you always dreamed of, have the partner of your dreams, change the colour of your hair, wear crazy clothes, buy property, anything you like, on your computer, in 3-D quality. It was launched four years ago, and around 6 million people worldwide have already taken up residency in Second Life. They can do things that they’re afraid of doing in real life. Now what happens if they break the law….if they’re dangerous? There are fears that this virtual world is becoming a haven for paedophiles and child pornography. 

On Wednesday the much-heralded, long awaited Swedish Embassy opened in Second Life.. The ceremony took place both in the real world, at the Swedish Institute in central Stockholm, and within Second Life. Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt cut the virtual ribbon at the real world press conference. An added attraction is that people in the embassy can listen to Radio Sweden’s daily broadcasts! 

Placing a bet on the Web is easy. You don't even have to pick up the dice or flip a card. With just a few clicks of the mouse, you can win – or what’s more likely – lose a lot of money. The Internet is bringing gambling into every living room, every school, and every place of work. It’s a 12 billion euro industry. The poker and slot machines are virtual, but the money lost and the damage are real…to the extent that compulsive betting on the Net has caused people to lose their homes and families. In France, a new Website – adictel.com – is helping people to overcome their addiction. 

In Poland teenagers cannot imagine life without the web. After all personal computers were almost common place when they were born. Does that mean that they’re blasé though? And what are the reasons why they go online? 

The internet is such a huge part of our lives it's hard to imagine a time before it existed. But it is of course a relatively new phenomenon. In Prague this month they are marking the 15th anniversary of the day the Czechs officially hooked up to the net - few would have imagined in 1992 just how big a step they were taking. The man who connected the then Czechoslovakia to the web was Jan Gruntorad. He spoke to Radio Prague's Dita Asiedu. 

Swedish Police have closed down one of the biggest file-sharing websites on the net, dealing a huge blow to internet users who download music, films and games, for free. Three people were detained in several raids across the country. It is being claimed that powerful US lobby groups, forced the hand of the Swedish authorities. The justice minister is under fire, and so too it seems is the Swedish government's website, which has been subject to attacks over the internet. Radio Sweden reports.