Notes In reality though, most of the large tech companies that exist today were once very small and very fragile. If SOPA was in place, those companies would have never grown up, since the two guys in a garage would have required four lawyers to survive. Dropbox is a perfect example. Created by some college students, the company provides shared online storage space for a fee. Under SOPA, the company would have been cut off from its revenues as soon as a single accusation was made that it was hosting copyrighted material. As a small company this could have been crippling. Today though, I know that Dropbox is one of the most popular tools in the movie industry, since it allows easy sharing of new daily shots, music cues, draft movie posters and more. The innovative tech companies of the future will be extinguished before they have a chance to even get out the door. FeedEmbedUnfurl
NotesDodd, a Connecticut Democrat who served three decades in the Senate, is looking for a win in his new role as head of the MPAA, which grew powerful in Washington under the 38-year leadership of Jack Valenti, a onetime aide to Lyndon Johnson. The groupâs members include Walt Disney Co. (DIS), Viacom Inc. (VIA/B)âs Paramount Pictures, Sony Corp. (6758), News Corp. (NWSA), Comcast Corp. (CMCSA)âs NBC Universal and Time Warner Inc. (TWX)âs Warner Bros. Unfurl
NotesThis Wednesday, November 16, the disastrous "Stop Online Piracy Act" (SOPA) heads to the House Judiciary committee. In case you need a refresher, SOPA could allow the U.S. government and private corporations to create a blacklist of censored websites, and cut many more off from their ad networks and payment providers. This bill is bad news, and its supporters are trying to push it through before ordinary citizens realize just how much damage it can cause.Unfurl
NotesThe bill is, by nearly any sane measure, overreaching and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) says that the bill targets Mozilla specifically for refusing to comply with Homeland Security's ICE unit.Unfurl
NotesIn this new bill, Hollywood has expanded its censorship ambitions. No longer content to just blacklist entries in the Domain Name System, this version targets software developers and distributors as well. It allows the Attorney General (doing Hollywood or trademark holders' bidding) to go after more or less anyone who provides or offers a product or service that could be used to get around DNS blacklisting orders. This language is clearly aimed at Mozilla, which took a principled stand in refusing to assist the Department of Homeland Security's efforts to censor the domain name system, but we are also concerned that it could affect the open source community, internet innovation, and software freedom more broadly:Unfurl
NotesWhy have we all been sitting idly while the movie and music lobbyists have been systematically advancing legislation that strips freedoms, blocks innovation, and exclusively advances Hollywood's financial agenda?FeedUnfurl
Notes These bills represent a major blow to openness and freedom on the Internet, free speech rights, and the fabric of the Internet itself. If SOPA is allowed to pass, the Internet and free speech will never be the same again. FeedUnfurl
Notes"Itâs unclear whether SOPAâs authors intended it to cover these websites that are vital to whistleblowing and human rights. If they didnât, they need to press re-set; and next time, consult with the numerous Internet communities the bill could affect, rather than exclusively Hollywood lobbyists. But the immediate need is clear: the bill must be killed. If you care about free speech and a free Internet, act now!"Unfurl
NotesIâm all for sorting out the rules that govern the entertainmentâs supply chain, but letâs keep some perspective here: when we ââsolveââ copyright problems at the expense of the Internet, we solve them at the expense of 21st-century society as a whole.FeedEmbedUnfurl
NotesThis sounds so much more funny when read with a REALLY sarcastic voice. "Baloney. Do our computer pundits lack all common sense? The truth in no online database will replace your daily newspaper, no CD-ROM can take the place of a competent teacher and no computer network will change the way government works."Unfurl
Notes"The final freedom, one that was probably inherent in what both President and Mrs. Roosevelt thought about and wrote about all those years ago, is one that flows from the four Iâve already mentioned: the freedom to connect â the idea that governments should not prevent people from connecting to the internet, to websites, or to each other. The freedom to connect is like the freedom of assembly, only in cyberspace. It allows individuals to get online, come together, and hopefully cooperate. Once youâre on the internet, you donât need to be a tycoon or a rock star to have a huge impact on society."Unfurl
Notes"Yet what the media has failed to grasp is what 4chan can tell us about where we're headed. The Chans aren't the freak sideshow of the Internet. They are the heart and soul of the Internet. And they are the ones furthest ahead of the pack, leading us. At this point there should be little doubt that the Internet is mutating the human species into something completely different. Therefore it's instructive to look at the most extreme, freebased forms of the Internet to see where we're going -- and 4chan is that freebased version of mankind's new drug of choice."Unfurl
NotesDid sharp rocks warp our brains? Did cooking warp our brains? Did speech warp our brains? Did writing warp our brains? The net is the sharpest, hottest, chattiest, wordiest thing to hit since all the above.FeedUnfurl
Notes"Thereâs risk in confusing broadband and Internet. If the National Broadband Plan starts from the premise that the U.S. needs the innovation, increased productivity, new ideas and freedoms of expression that the Internet affords, then the Plan will be shaped around the Internet. If, instead, the Plan is premised on a need for broadband, it fails to address the ARRAâs mandated objectives directly. More importantly, the premise that broadband is the primary goal entertains the remaking of the Internet in ways that could put its benefits at risk. The primary goal of the Plan should be broadband connections to the Internet."Unfurl
Notes"A week and a half ago, Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton made some news for saying that nothing good had come from the internet, period. Plenty of online sites (including ours) took him to task for that, wondering how one gets to be the CEO of a major content company without understanding the internet. Today, Lynton hit back at critics -- not by saying he was quoted out of context or misunderstood, but by standing behind the statement and adding some gems to it as well. Let's take a look..."Unfurl
Notes"The Internet is the greatest development of our lifetimes. Mozilla exists to foster the Internet such that all people are able to realize its full benefit. We are a people-driven movement to protect choice and freedom on the Web. Join us!"FeedEmbedUnfurl
Notes"As it has been mentioned before on this blog and will continue to be addressed, the single greatest hindrance for the remote revolution is simply tradition. With an influx of highly skilled information-ready workers who can present a compelling case for telecommuting, resistance will become increasingly difficult."Unfurl
Notes"In its most fundamental form, the BBS was simply a computer connected via a modem to a phone line. On the computer was software that, when it detected that someone was calling the modem, would pick up, connect, and then provide the calling person with a menu. From this menu you could post and read messages from other users, send or receive files, or play games. What happened to BBSes, especially as it looked like theyâd be around in some form forever, was multi-threaded connection to the Internet, especially Trumpet Winsock, a program that allowed PPP (Point to Point Protocol) on Windows systems."Unfurl
Notes"The PHS300 creates a fully portable WiFi Hotspot from broadband-enabled cellular phones and modems. Take WiFi to a new level by 'bringing it with you'."Unfurl
Notes"Yesterday, wireless networking provider Meraki started shipping the worldâs first solar-powered WiFi mesh device. Merakiâs groundbreaking energy-independent device is powered by a single solar panel and solar-charged battery. Since the unit requires no grid-derived energy, it can be set up in areas lacking power suppliesWith a price range of $848 to $1,497, Merakiâs set-up isnât exactly cheap. It is, however, cheaper than most other outdoor wireless network installations. The most expensive item in outdoor wireless networks is often the electrical cabling installationâ a step that isnât necessary for the Meraki unit since it uses a solar-powered battery."FeedEmbedUnfurl
Notes"Google and Yahoo! (and likely Microsoft to follow) are ultimately competing with one another to become the branded single sign-on solution for the web. The good news for users is that by using the same underlying technology, most relying parties will able to turn on support for any new OpenID provider fairly easily. The bad news for users is that since none of the major providers are also relying parties, using services at each of these site still requires multiple accounts. Further, a sign in box with 100 different logos for 100 different providers isnât a great user experience."FeedUnfurl
Notes"Or, for the sheer geeky joy of it, he could reroute all of .com into his laptop, the digital equivalent of channeling the Mississippi into a bathtub. It was a moment hackers around the world dream ofâa tool that could give them unimaginable power. But maybe it was best simply to close his laptop and forget it. He could pretend he hadn't just stumbled over a skeleton key to the Net. Life would certainly be less complicated. If he stole money, he'd risk prison. If he told the world, he'd be the messenger of doom, potentially triggering a collapse of Web-based commerce."Unfurl
Notes"Obama comes into office as the first President both knowledgeable about and comfortable with the technology that runs today's world. This is actually an important and promising development and the worst thing we can do is try to force him into a technology-free cocoon in the name of security or whatever. Mr President-elect, if you want to keep that BlackBerry, please do so. Besides, we don't want a new President going through his difficult first weeks in office suffering from BlackBerry withdrawal."Unfurl
Notes"Obama comes into office as the first President both knowledgeable about and comfortable with the technology that runs today's world. This is actually an important and promising development and the worst thing we can do is try to force him into a technology-free cocoon in the name of security or whatever. Mr President-elect, if you want to keep that BlackBerry, please do so. Besides, we don't want a new President going through his difficult first weeks in office suffering from BlackBerry withdrawal."Unfurl
Notes"I like to think I'm resistant to neophilia, the fetishistic embrace of new technology endemic to Silicon Valley. And yet I felt a rush when I logged on to Gogo's inflight Wi-Fi service on the American Airlines flight I'm currently taking from San Francisco to New York. "Unfurl
Notes"PS: Try searching for quadriplegic and computers. It's a hint. Amazing progress has been made in making computers accessible to people with disabilities. Seriously."Unfurl
Notes"It's a permanent Town Hall, everyone's invited, and in this year, and in this election, it's becoming real. If you want to be President, you need to be in touch with people, and that's one of the best things you can use the Internet for."Unfurl
Notes"âYou donât actually have to use a computer to understand how it shapes the country,â said Mark Soohoo, a McCain aide for online matters, at a conference on politics and technology. âYou actually do,â interrupted Tracy Russo, a former blogger for John Edwards."Unfurl
Notes"It's simple. First, I squeeze this lifelike silicone neck. My choke is then transmitted - in real time - to a set of powerful titanium hands that close around my opponent's throat."Unfurl
Notes"NO ONE ON THE INTERNET CAN EVER USE THAT NIEMĂLLER BIT EVER AGAIN. IT'S PLAYED. IT'S THROUGH. FUCKING STOP IT, OR I'LL MOTHERFUCKING COME FOR YOU."Unfurl
Notes"How can a candidate who admits he is stuck in the 20th century lead a country in the 21st, when he lacks even the most basic understanding of how this brave new century operates? He doesn't know how people interact and communicate. He doesn't know have tUnfurl
Notes"This literally threatens our children, and there can be no higher priority than keeping our children safe." Just Usenet? Why not just shut off the whole net?Unfurl
Notes"This is one reason why there wasnât any bass in British pop music for years and years. It didnât broadcast all that well. ... Mp3 preserves the top and the bottom, but the centre loses nuance in the compression. And now Iâm hearing people record foUnfurl
Notes"It's time to start talking about what the Internet will be like in a future where we abandon all our efforts toward the IPv6 transition. Because the transition isn't happening."Unfurl
Notes"After da Vinci, thanks to the Renaissance which he personified, the efflorescence of human knowledge outpaced any one individual's ability to understand it all."Unfurl
Notes"There are troublemakers in all sorts of settings, in all sorts of mythologies - a troll can be equated to Loki or Anansi just as easily as they could a vitriolic bigot. Who knows? All I understand is that the Internet troll exists by the grace of those wUnfurl
SOPA Gives Me Powers That I Don't Want | Techdirt
American Censorship Day is this Wednesday â And You Can Join In! | Electronic Frontier Foundation
Hollywood's New War on Software Freedom and Internet Innovation | Electronic Frontier Foundation
Fight For The Future
5 Things I Learned by Quitting the Internet | Cracked.com
Proposed Copyright Bill Threatens Whistleblowing and Human Rights | Electronic Frontier Foundation
Locus Online Perspectives » Cory Doctorow: Itâs Time to Stop Talking About Copyright
Sprint to nix 'unlimited' from mobile broadband and hotspot plans in November
LOLDWELL.com - A Very Angry Infographic
Remarks on Internet Freedom
Is the Internet Warping Our Brains? | LiveScience
Mozilla in one sentence « commonspace
Meraki Releases Worldâs First Solar-Powered WiFi Device : CleanTechnica
SitePoint » The Single Sign-On War Will Ruin OpenID
Schneier on Security: The Future of Ephemeral Conversation