January 28th celebrates the anniversary of publishing the most important international law for privacy – the European Convention on Data Protection (No. 108).

Also this year, North America joins 27 European countries to celebrate Data Privacy Day. Beginning  today -January, 28th, the week-long event is punctuated by several efforts looking to raise the visibility of privacy issues at home and abroad.  The aim of the action is to raise the awareness of the privacy problems and bring up the solutions to them. Remember the last years problem in Serbia on Internet privacy when Republican telecommunication agency tried to implement the law of massive tracking and archiving electronic data of citizens? At the end, hopefully that law wasn’t brought up in the Government as Web activism and Net citizens raised their voices.

What you can do is to support International privacy protection day, request that your government sign on Council of Europe Convention 108 (if not already), and join the global enforcements of our privacy rights and protect the privacy of all Internet users.

The Public Voice suggested some actions:

1. Invite people to join the FB Group: “Add the note of the paragraph above ” and ask them to support the campaign

2. Blog about “January 28: International Privacy Day. Real Problems, Real Solutions” and celebrate the anniversary of the Council of Europe Convention on Data Protection.

3.Discuss a Real Privacy Problem (e.g. data retention) and a Real Privacy Solution (e.g. privacy enhancing techniques)

4. Invite more bloggers to write about January 28 and Real Privacy Problems and Real Privacy Solutions

5. Post the Facebook Event as an article in your Facebook profile.

6. Promote the ¨Privacy – January 28¨banner.

7. Post a Privacy Video.

8. Organize a campaign.

9. Watch a privacy movie with friends. Here are a few of our favorites -”Gattaca,” “Enemy of the State,” “The Lives of Others,” “Eagle Eye¨

Remember when I’ve asked you “Can social web services be used for science and research causes?” and when I put on the test for seven weeks a widget with the cause for getting me a new laptop?  The idea is realized last week when I bought new super computer for my needs with great features. The photos of perfect ideapad you can find here, here and here.

In 7 weeks, during the hectic time of US elections and later the Christmas – I’ve reached 35% of the final goal ($1200 for new MacBook) with over 20 donors, which is more than great! Beside 35% of donations, I’ve added my personal birthday monetary presents/funds and bought brand new super speed computer with great characteristics. It is not Mac, it is Lenovo Ideapad and I am more than satisfied (14”, 4GB of RAM, 250GB, lot of super thingies and features). I am thinking about to change the operating system as I got it with installed Vista (pardon me, but I really loathe Vista and can’t get around), that will satisfy and serve the needs for my current and future projects.

I never thought that my initial idea will get into serious cause/action as  according to the other social media consultants  I’ve reached great donations in such short time. Here I want to thank to the friends of Digital Serendipities, those who participated in the cause, and helped the idea come true. The list of those without web site is because they didn’t left URL information, and there were many philanthropic people who just wanted to help out, but also by this cause I’m convinced in the power of Twitter as unknown random people donated at certain point. I am blessed to have met many great people lately and those are real serendipities – as well as those I will meet very soon and be happy to get involved! Thank you, and definitely social web services, software and media can be used for education, research, science, business and many other causes!

Hello from the other side of the pond! I am overwhelmed with positive energy. Finally found a bit of time to blog as the previous days and weeks were hectic, super adventurous and busy. Conference/unconference ScienceOnline09 is finished and my thoughts and feelings are extremely positive, warm and fuzzy at the moment as I’m trying to get together the highlights. First, wonderful organization of Bora and Anton, great number of super smart, creative, wonderful, inspiring people at one spot (research triangle park, Sigma Xi), variety of sessions, amazing brainstorms, interactions, serendipities, shiny happy people, what can I say? Make it happen next year to last a day longer! Beside my session on the open access, the issue of notworking vs networking in the networked world as well as on information society in Serbia and countries in transition I’ve been giving, here are some sessions that draw my attention: Open access publishing, Semantic web publishing session moderated by John Wilbanks from Science Commons, Web and history of science, Open notebook science, very interesting one on Reputation, authority and incentives / or how to get rid of Impact factor. Of course, there were many others interesting events going parallel in four rooms, so I was jumping for the rest of the conference from one to another – not to miss anything. The best part, beside interactive discussions and brainstorms were unconference discussions and brainstorms in the hall of Sigma xi and the lobby of the hotel – I’ve met again with old friends and colleagues, twitterati and also new wonderful, super smart, innovative, creative people that I’ve not only exchange information and ideas with, but made some plans in the future.

If you were present at the conference, upload your photos on Flickr pool and fill out feedback about ScienceOnline09. For others: check out blog and media coverage, follow livestream on Friendfeed.

As i believe that good things come in two, three, four … and infinite, I was in the meantime invited to legendary South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in March this year for the Interactive section (w00t!).

Don’t forget that the 2009 keyword is change! As so it is.

In less than 24rhs I’m leaving old continent and heading to USA, East coast to have a great time, brainstorm, network, meet old and new folks at ScienceOnline09 conference/unconference/ where I’ll be giving a session and brainstorm with super-smart people, evangelizing open access, jogging the minds with Web issues. My route is very excited and interesting and if I grab a chance I may blog from the spot, edit conference wiki, but it’s very likely to catch me via my LifeStream and Twitter.

Science blog: IpScientia is launched as Serbian Science blog, and I am inviting you here to contribute and collaborate. If you have a blog that covers the topics in science, IT emerging technologies, popular science, education – contact us to add you within Blogroll network of blogs. Also, if you are using Twitter,  follow us at IpScientia.You can join our team and be a guest blogger, collaborate on IpScientia as blog author; use email form.

If you are Friendfeed user check/join the conference room, this is me at FriendFeed, more information on the way. If you are using Dopplr, you can certainly stop me for a tea at any EU/US airports, follow the schedule. Thanks to all donators for laptop cause, I will keep you post-it about my final action and decision. This and next week is full of travels, flights, meetings, and b-days (read: moi, w00t!). The later, as next week is my- oh- my, I’ve  managed to celebrate burfday on several spots in a single day, including both continents, airports, and who knows – expect unexpected. If you notice tall girl in a jeans &hoodie with PDA, mobile, books and magazines under the arm and a backpack, feel free to poke me (not superpoke accepted!).