Ashburn Man Charged with Soliciting Minor

The Leesburg arrest, for which the suspect is accused of allegedly using a computer to meet an underage female, comes about a month after the investigation began.

An Ashburn man was arrested last week in Leesburg and charged with one count of using a computer to solicit a minor after investigators set up an operation at a local hotel. A detective with the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Unit in December learned of allegations of an adult male sending inappropriate messages to an underage female, according to an LCSO report. The detective – who happens to be assigned to the NOVA/DC Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force – posed as an underage female during online communications with Lazaro C. Hernandez, 49, and arranged a meeting at a Leesburg hotel, according to the report. The report also states that the purpose of the meeting was sexual activity. LCSO deputies arrested…

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Public Discourse in the Internet Age

Internet commenting and social media posts can bring the brilliant, the hilarious and sometimes offensive and ignorant voices into the conversation.

The truly revolutionary aspect of the Internet is the ability for people around the world, from almost every walk of life, to connect online. You learn what people think, from celebrity gossip to scientific innovations and ancient philosophy. Anyone can watch an eyewitness video of breaking news, how to use folk wisdom on dealing with squirrels and find tutorials on solving Algebra problems. What a comeback! The Internet is also a place where people can debate one another, weigh in on the worthiness of a piece of art or try out their schtick as an insult comic. In many cases the commentor is anonymous so they are freed from any fear of real-life repercussions or loss of social status. This anonymity, unfortunately, can bring out the worst …

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All 'Tubes' Run Through Ashburn

Andrew Blum takes readers on a 'journey to the center of the Internet.'

Letter to the Editor

OpenBand, MC Dean Campaign Contributions

A Letter to the Editor from the Southern Walk Homeowners Association.

During the June 13, 2011, public hearing on OpenBand Communications, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors made it abundantly clear that the board expected OpenBand and their representatives would meet with their customer communities to resolve the current service issues and contract differences through compromise. In the weeks following the June 13 hearing, the Southern Walk at Broadlands Homeowners Association waited to hear from OpenBand in the hopes that a mutually beneficial compromise could be achieved. As expected, neither OpenBand nor their attorneys made any attempt to contact our homeowners association, or the association's attorneys. What OpenBand and their executive leadership did instead was dole out thousands of dollars in …

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OpenBand Pushes Back on Complaints, Lawsuits

Proposed changes to franchise agreements are not acceptable to the video, Internet and telephone service provider.

This week, representatives for OpenBand Communications responded to criticism of the company that has grown over the past two years while it has attempted to renew its franchise agreement in Loudoun County. The Loudoun Board of Supervisors voted Aug. 7 to reduce the term of the pending franchise agreement from 12 years to 2, essentially tossing to the next board of supervisors the ultimate decision about whether OpenBand continues to operate in Loudoun. An Oct. 11 public hearing offers residents another chance to voice their opinions about the franchise. Supervisors also voted to add a termination clause to the franchise agreement that permits the county to dissolve it if OpenBand loses two pending court cases or is found by the Virginia …

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Supervisors Ponder 2-Year Deal with OpenBand

Company not likely to accept terms proposed in amended franchise agreement.

While the board of supervisors voted Wednesday to ask OpenBand to consider changes to its franchise agreement with the county, the company said it probably would not commit to the new requirements. “The company is not inclined to accept those provisions,” said Ben Young, an OpenBand spokesman. “They’re not fair.” Among the new provisions considered during the Sept. 7 board meeting was Termination Clause that would allow the county to end the franchise if the company loses lawsuits filed by two communities, or the state Attorney General takes action against the company. Further, the county would agree not to terminate if OpenBand eliminates bulk-billing agreements and allows competitors to serve the same communities. “I think this is a very…

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Today’s Students Need Help With Researching

A recent study highlights a gap in how college students use the Internet as a research tool. We can't assume that a generation that grew up with the Internet knows how to use it effectively.

The amount of information available on the Internet is almost inconceivable. According to the figures on Royal Pingdom's Internet by the numbers 2010, people visited more than 255 million websites and some 2 billion YouTube videos each day. When students need to do research for their assignments they have access to more than what a physical library collection has to offer them. It shouldn't be assumed, however, that just because good information is out there that all students know how to find it. Inside Higher Ed recently published an article, "What Students Don't Know" that states many college students need help with how to approach online research. The researchers say that the majority of students experienced problems at every step in …

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OpenBand Critics United at Hearing

Residents from communities served by company share frustration.

Verizon, Comcast and Direct TV each offer something in the range of 150 HD channels and the possibility of 3-D TV is working its way into some of their planned upgrades. Later this year, OpenBand customers are promised, they might get as many as 91 HD Channels, and maybe even HD Video on Demand. Technology, however, was just one branch of OpenBand’s company tree that customers attacked during a public hearing Monday, June 13. From its technology and competition to video quality and customer service, more than 30 speakers, many who waited hours for their turned to speak, were united in their dissatisfaction with the video, telephone and Internet provider. While some residents were clearly more upset than others, without exception each …

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