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Net Neutrality 6-26-2006

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Net Neutrality Links

I’ve added these links to the Net Neutrality Page today.

A Simple Net Neutrality Message: It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It

I’m very much an ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ guy.

The Web ain’t broke, not one bit. In fact, it’s thriving, growing by leaps and bounds, producing more cool innovations in a day than you could try out in a year. And the Net has been neutral since its beginnings. . . .

Are You Among The Seven Million?

“Privacy advocates slammed AT&T on Thursday for declaring that it owned its Internet and video customers’ account information and could hand the data over to law enforcement if needed.”

Owned!!! That’s right – owned!!!

Think about this – read this – see this – hear this – know this;

“In the policy update, which applied to AT&T’s more than 7 million Internet and video customers, the company said it could collect usage information from subscribers, including the Web pages they view, the programs they record, and the games they play.”

After they’ve collected that information, they OWN it! They own your information, about you!

And they do wonderful things with the information they own about you;

They Share It

On Monopoly (and a little bit of net neutrality)

The irony is that the people arguing that, say, the government should breakup monopolies in the name of innovation tend to be plagued by a lack of imagination. They couldn’t imagine that anything beyond the desktop OS would matter in computing. If they had seen a future whereby the web might supersede the desktop, they might not have worried. On a personal note, I wouldn’t argue that I have any foresight whatsoever, but hindsight works just fine. Simply looking at history should be enough to realize that one company can’t dominate and seek rents on a market for too long. Simply the act of exploiting a dominant position prompts more effort and energy in the direction of beating it.

And on that note, let me segue into the current arguments about net neutrality, and why I suspect that legislating the principle would be a bad idea. If the telcos really do try to stifle what happens on the internet, there will be a lot of effort put forth to try and circumvent their grip. . . .

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

WordPress Theme and Plugin Challenge

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Meet David, at Blogging Pro

David Peralty at Blogging Pro is someone you might call a Blogging Evangelist. Blogging Pro keeps track of the latest news, particularly in the world of WordPress and Movable Type. They’re a resource for themes and hacks and tips for bloggers. Today’s post is a typical example. Click on the title to get the the article.

Askimet Worst Offenders Extension

David has a deep interest in blogging and bloggers. He’s also a bit concerned.

Are You Up for a Challenge?

This week David and I exchanged emails. He told me about a challenge he’s laid down. He’s hoping to reinvigorate the WordPress community and perhaps encourage some new theme and plugin creators.

I recently posed a challenge on BloggingPro.com to WordPress theme and plugin creators in hopes of getting those sitting on the sidelines to get working on something new for WordPress. I was wondering if you would mention the challenge on your site, as many of the people that read your site might be those on the sidelines, looking for extra exposure, and posessing the talents to really produce something great.

I’m not only mentioning the challenge. I’m going to be talking about it, when I interview David in the next post about it.

You can read more about the challenge in this post at BloggingPro. While you’re there, bookmark the site. It’s a great reference for any blogger’s toolkit. Click on the title to get the the article.

WordPress Slowdown and a Challenge

David is one interesting, dedicated blogger. I think you’ll enjoy getting to know him.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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Introducing Manage to Change

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SOB Hall of Famer: Manage to Change by Ann Michael

“Manage to Change” provides a forum to discuss how change impacts people and businesses. By sharing observations and asking questions, we try to develop strategies for anticipating change, viewing it positively, adapting, and even changing the rules of the game as often as possible.

To some degree the focus is on information management: What will happen in the world of content creation, marketing, distribution/delivery, and the
business models of media and publishing, as technology advances and consumer demands change?

Notes from Liz: Ann Michael thinks of change in context. Change to her is part of a process.Ann approaches her life and her work with determination, energy, and constant attention to what might move things forward in a positive, supportive fashion. Read her comments, on this blog or the many blogs that Ann visits, and you’ll know that Ann likes to laugh and likes to study business — how it works and how people think. She is an intringuing and powerful combination of likeability, laughter, and downright competence. Read her blog and you will see what I mean.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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Net Neutrality 6-25-2006

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Net Neutrality Links

I’ve added these links to the Net Neutrality Page today.

Amanda does it again

AMANDA COGDON AND ROCKETBOOM ON NET NEUTRALITY. [via Chris J. Davis]

Does the Internet really need the US?

So anyhow, for my theory de jour (nope sorry, not French) I reckon if the deep-corrupt US politicians and marketeers want to take their county’s technology back to the dark ages (as they appear to have done with foreign policy), and the people in that country are fool enough to swallow that line, then I say f**k ’em [my edit]. It’ll be a shame to lose such an innovative population from a unified, global, open net, but if that’s the way it’s going – friends, check your passports are up to date. . . .

Even within the mindset of US capitalism, the idea is broken. Other nations (and corporates) with a clue will thrive in an environment where Americans have lost net neutrality. Yep, sit back and use your PC as a glorified DVD player, your mobile for ordering a burger, while your economy gets left in the slow lane.

The world has a huge amount to be grateful for to American people for the work behind the Internet, behind the Web. But this is the human race we’re talking about, if some nation decides to go tinpot for dollars then it isn’t any one else’s responsibility. The Internet is bigger than the United States. The Internet was designed (in the US) to work around breakage, no matter where it happens.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

Great Find: 2 Standalone Trackback Tools

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Trackback Troubles

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A few months ago, I was having a problem with trackbacks. It occurred right after a server move. Everything seemed to be working, yet the trackbacks weren’t appearing. I found the situation somewhat distressing. What I was writing was important and incredibly cool — as everything we write is.

This week I am having a problem with my trackbacks again. It just started happening for apparent reason. I haven’t had the time to play detective, but I know the value of well-placed trackbacks.

Trackbacks show other writers that I’ve thought about what they’ve written. They offer my work on the same sujbect to another conversation. People notice trackbacks. Sometimes they even follow one home.

Being without my trackbacks is a lot like being without. [Read more…]

9 + 1 Things Every Reader Wants from a Writer

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Where to Start

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It can seem complicated to write for a readership that includes beginners to experts. I’ve done it for over two decades. It can seem like there’s too much to consider to meet them all at their own level.

My experience is that beginners and experts are not that different when they read. They might choose to read different things, but we all do. Beyond that difference of content, beginners, experts, and those of us in the middle — all readers — want the same things from a writer. [Read more…]