Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

Thinking, writing, business ideas … You’re only a stranger once.

Net Neutrality 01-30-07

Filed Under Business Life, Community, SOB Business, Successful Blog, Trends | 2 Comments

Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding this link to the Net Neutrality Page.

Is Net Neutrality A Myth? [via Light Within]

The advocates of net neutrality have, at first blush, one overwhelming argument in their favor. The Internet was designed to be a dumb network, with all the brains and innovation residing at the ends of the system. As such, all bits of data traveling over the Internet would be treated equally. This “end-to-end” design principle is the essence of network neutrality and, the proponents of mandated net neutrality argue, must be maintained to secure the Internet as we know it.

This essential characteristic, it is argued, precludes the owners of the Internet’s “pipes” from engineering any intelligence into the network’s architecture–and thus any differential pricing–since all the intelligence must reside at the edges. Proponents of mandated net neutrality managed to force the adoption of some net neutrality provisions into the recent merger agreement between AT&T (nyse: T - news - people ) and Bell South.

But in ” The Myth of Network Neutrality and What We Should Do About It,” Robert Hahn and Robert Litan of the AEI-Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies argue that, contrary to the claims of regulated neutrality proponents, “all bits of information are not treated equally from an economic standpoint.” They argue that “the Internet is not end-to-end now and was never designed to be strictly neutral.”

How can this be? The engineering architects of the Internet drafted the technical rules in informal papers called Requests for Comment. The early drafters of the Net’s architecture, according to Hahn and Litan, “recognized the need to offer priority to some packets over others.”

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

A Question about Blogging in January

Filed Under Successful Blog, Trends | 14 Comments

Strange Behavior

It’s not you, It’s not the quality of your posts. Its the U.S. winter. It happened last year. From what I read it happened the year before too.

Still it seems strange behavior.

Why do you suppose that in January and February stats act silly and bloggers, as a group, seem unpredictable?

Blogging seems like it should be a perfect winter sport.
–ME “Liz” Strauss

Net Neutrality 01-02-07

Filed Under Business Life, Community, SOB Business, Successful Blog, Trends | Leave a Comment

Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding this link to the Net Neutrality Page.

AT&T Concession Thoroughly Debunks Key Anti-Net Neutrality Myth [via Anything They Say]

NEWS RELEASE

AT&T’s agreement to Net Neutrality as a condition of their merger with Bell South was a huge victory for Internet freedom. It also debunks a top myth told to the public by Internet freedom opponents like AT&T: that Net Neutrality can’t be defined. It can be – AT&T just did it.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Read on to see how AT&T found a way to do it when it served their financial interests.

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NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

The Cool Kid’s Guide to Blogging in 2007

Filed Under Successful Blog, Trends, ZZZ-FUN | 25 Comments

The Baton and Disclaimer

Finding Ideas Outside of the Box logo 2

A friend and reader, and very intelligent person, Amrit Hallan, who writes the Content and Copywriting Blog made 6 Predictions for 2007. At the end of his post he passed the baton for predicting the future to four others. I was one of the four that he chose.

The Disclaimer: Anyone who wore brown knee socks in high school — as I did — cannot claim the title of “Cool Kid.” However, it is just that fact that makes me “acool” — as in apolitical or asymptomatic — the right person to write this guide. You see, the inherently acool become great observers. We watch the cool kids to see what makes them tick and how their rules of survival work. That said, I move on to the guide.

The Cool Kid’s Guide to Blogging in 2007

Who exactly are the cool kids of blogging? Who will be the cool kids in 2007? What do cool bloggers do? What won’t they have time for? I talk to several bloggers every day on my cell phone. I read their blogs and have conversations in comment boxes. What pattens come through from all of that fodder?

Here’s what I’m finding from this informal data. Things this year are different from last year. Things next year will be a new again. Cool kids don’t let things stay the same for long.

Cool kids have a beginner’s mind and an independent, helpful spirit. They love, listen, and learn all at the same time.

If you want to be a cool kid in blogging in 2007, it isn’t hard to do — just keep a couple of things in mind. No one makes the blogosphere run and no one needs to make that sure it does. Being helpful, not hypeful still wins respect, and respect is still how relationships thrive.

It’s awfully nice to be in a place where everyone can be cool, by showing respect. I guess that’s why it’s called the IN-ternet.

To the IN-credible, IN-telligent, IN-sightful readers of Successful-Blog, may your 2007 be ever so very cool.

Liz's Signature

Net Neutrality 12-29-2006 — AT&T Gives Way On Net Neutrality

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Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding this link to the Net Neutrality Page.

AT&T compromise may get merger approved

WASHINGTON — AT&T Inc. has offered a new set of concessions that are expected to satisfy the two Democrats on the Federal Communications Commission and lead to approval of the company’s $85 billion buyout of BellSouth Corp. Approval by the full commission could happen as soon as Friday.

AT&T filed a letter of commitment with the agency Thursday night that adds a number of new conditions to the deal, including a promise to observe “network neutrality” principles, an offer of affordable stand-alone digital subscriber line service and a promise to give up some wireless spectrum.

Final approval still requires a vote of the commissioners, which can happen at any time via computer. The proposed deal is the largest telecommunications merger in U.S. history.

[ . . . ]

Among the promises made by the company:

_An offer of stand-alone, high-speed Internet service to customers in its service area for $19.95 per month. The “naked DSL (digital subscriber line)” offer would allow those who live in AT&T and BellSouth’s service areas to sign up for fast Internet access without being required to buy a package of other services.

_A greater commitment to network neutrality, or nondiscrimination involving Internet traffic. AT&T said it would “maintain a neutral network and neutral routing in its wireline broadband Internet access service.”

_To freeze rates for “special access” customers, usually competitors and large businesses that pay to connect directly to a regional phone company’s central office via a dedicated fiber optic line, for 48 months.

_To “assign and/or transfer to an unaffiliated third party” all of its 2.5 GHZ spectrum currently licensed to BellSouth within one year of the merger closing date.

_To “repatriate” 3,000 jobs that were outsourced by BellSouth outside the U.S. by Dec. 31, 2008, with at least 200 of those jobs to be located in New Orleans.

Ben Scott, legislative director for Free Press, a reform group that has fought the merger, said the network neutrality provision was a “big step forward for the supporters of an open Internet.”

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

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