Bob Frankston's Writings

The Age of Telecom and Beyond

Fri Mar 27 2026 04:00:00 GMT

The age of telephony began in 1876 with the invention of the telephone by acoustics professor, Alexander Graham Bell. For 100 years it we had the "dumb" endpoints that relied on a provider to ensure the sound waves were kept intact. Today, we are in a very different world, and we must honor Bell by embracing a new world in which intelligence is in our devices and the concept of relying on a telecom "provider" is no longer tenable.

ESP32 vs ARP

Tue Mar 17 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Note this was written by Claude as we worked together to figure out why ping was failing. In the process, we (OK, Claude) wrote @bobfrankston/neoping which goes to the low-level APIs and allows parallel pinging. It addresses a problem with supporting the devices that connect the abstract world with the physical world.

AI: The Wonderful and The Frightening

Sat Feb 21 2026 05:00:00 GMT

This is a work-in-progress. AI isn't just in incremental improvement in coding. It fundamentally changes the focus of programming from coding to explaining. It doesn't so much eliminate the need for programmers as it elides functionality. The implications go far deeper than geocentrism to heliocentrism because the tokens have no inherent meaning -- something that has deep phiosophical implications.

Polemics and Policy

Sat Feb 21 2026 05:00:00 GMT

I often found myself confronted by long, seemingly well-thought-out essays, but they often turn out to be polemics with more heat than light.

The Necessity of Diversity

Mon Nov 17 2025 05:00:00 GMT

One of the big political issues is the fight against diversity because change is threatening. But without diversity, society becomes stagnant and fades into the past. Diversity is a fundamental mechanism of systems that evolve and improve.

My Dumb House … and City

Tue Nov 04 2025 05:00:00 GMT

At Home 2024

Wed Jan 29 2025 19:56:07 GMT

I started out 30 years ago with a home control framing. Today, I've moved far beyond and see the real value is in understanding a world in which all devices have IP connectivity. How do we think about the software and applications and let the networking fade into the background?

The Opportunity of Ambient Connectivity™

Mon Nov 25 2024 16:41:36 GMT

We are increasingly using software concepts to redefine our world. Rather than using a point-to-point microwave to give a fire engine priority, we use software to define the relationship over any path. This is a software principle that factors out the relationships from the hardware. The Internet itself is a byproduct of such thinking. If we are to achieve the full benefit, we need an articulate understanding of this new landscape.

From Access to Connectivity

Tue Oct 08 2024 17:34:33 GMT

When I was at Microsoft in the 1990s, I repurposed broadband to enable always-on connectivity for home networks. Unfortunately, many people missed the point that I repurposed broadband as a means rather than an end in itself. Today, policies focusing on broadband miss the point and limit our ability to take advantage of connectivity. Broadband has become the anti-Internet. We need to understand why so we can move ahead.

FB: Tesla

Mon Aug 05 2024 14:18:03 GMT

Wi-Not – Making Wi-Fi work

Mon Mar 25 2024 16:19:39 GMT

FB Discussion on 5G vs The Internet

Sun Mar 24 2024 13:14:43 GMT

Escaping the past and embracing the connectivity

Tue Mar 19 2024 17:20:54 GMT

This is an attempt at using AI to generate a video. It's a bit over the top but does it work at all? In particular, does the dragon imagery work?

Systems not (just) Networks

Sun Mar 10 2024 10:12:25 GMT

We tend to think about networks and the "pipes" between endpoints. We should be thinking about systems as wholes rather than just parts. Networking is just one engineering detail that must be factored out in our designs.

Empowering Cities

Tue Nov 28 2023 21:04:26 GMT

An Empowering City is an evolution of the Smart city which empower all the residents rather than just being used to city services. It is a resource for innovation. This is the video of a talk I gave for the IEEE in November 2023.

Home Connectivity and Control

Mon Oct 30 2023 11:01:56 GMT

An update on my home control systems as of the end of 2023

Forever URLs

Thu Oct 26 2023 22:02:46 GMT

A Forever URL is one that never expires. Such URLs can be implemented using today's DNS as-is with new tooling to assist developers in developing websites. They also support devices and can support email addresses that aren't tied to a provider. They are a resource for the Internet as infrastructure.

Devices as Webhosts

Mon Oct 09 2023 14:13:42 GMT

I rewrote my website to take advantage of newer technologies and made it act more like an app. The lessons go beyond what I did for my site. A site is simply a service used by an app. The app is note a web page. It is a program that runs locally and uses remote resources (formerly known as a web server).

Chatting up a Program

Fri Sep 15 2023 21:27:30 GMT

LLMs like ChatGPT have changed my approach to programming. They can't be trusted to simply translate intent into a working program, but they can take care of much of the detailed work. More important, then can scour examples and the literature to find examples I haven't through of or would otherwise take too much work to ferret out.

VisiCalc Programming and History

Wed Jun 21 2023 21:03:21 GMT

Dan Bricklin and I talked to BLU.ORG about VisiCalc programming and history

Floppy Days Interview

Sun May 28 2023 17:07:23 GMT

Talking about the old days of VisiCalc as well as a bit about the future. Floppy Days is "A podcast about home computers of the late 70's through the 80's. NEW SPONSORSHIPS! 8-Bit Classics is a great place to get video cables, power supplies and more for a wide variety of vintage computer platforms. Arcade Shopper has a wide variety of hard-to-find items for a large number of platforms."

Internet Concepts

Mon May 01 2023 09:01:31 GMT

Everything seems to center around the Internet these days, but it's hard to have a meaningful conversation when we have no shared understanding. It's even more difficult when the conversation is framed in the givens of the past, and the Internet is just seen as another phone company or social network or ... ??? This article is a work-in-progress, so I want feedback and questions. It is incomplete with some raw not,es but I'm posting it because we need to find a way toward a shared understanding. Far more important than a strict definition of "The Internet" is an understanding of the powerful ideas that have made the Internet what it is and allow us to think well beyond the current Internet and build upon the underlying concepts.

Connectivity Begins at Home

Tue Apr 25 2023 18:28:11 GMT

This is my talk to BLU (Boston Linux and Unix) group. It's as much a conversation as a talk. While traditional home control is framed in an automation meme (Jetsons), I see it as more about managing relationships among peer devices.

Bits of “Intelligence”

Tue Apr 25 2023 15:04:05 GMT

The AI engines tap into some powerful mechanisms, as does the Internet - -the idea that meaning comes from context and patterns and is not intrinsic -- a concept that is at odds with most people's reality. It is more revolutionary than Copernicus, who shifted a reference frame.

The Problem Of 5G Hype

Wed Apr 12 2023 19:35:05 GMT

We're in yet another cycle of 5G hype so I need to explain the problem with 5G without getting into all the technical details.

The Posters Dilemma

Sun Mar 26 2023 17:52:37 GMT

This is my experiment with posts intended for discussions with copies on other sites.

GPT Ignores Major Risks of AI

Sat Mar 18 2023 09:22:31 GMT

In response to a post on LinkedIn, I asked GPT about the risks of AI, and it's very telling that it omitted key risks of BS (blithely providing misinformation with authority) and its use for impersonation. the threats to provide by interpolation that we can't control. etc.

Forever URLs

Sat Feb 25 2023 13:38:12 GMT

Trust and Insecurity

Fri Feb 24 2023 19:31:12 GMT

We need to be wary about perimeter security and firewalls. While they seem to provide protection, they a vulnerable to the slightest breach. More problematic is that they prevent unanticipated innovation and make it difficult to try out new ideas. You can’t know all the second-guessers in the path.

Distributed Cooperation

Mon Oct 17 2022 11:10:12 GMT

I use my home as a living laboratory for connected systems. One of the goals is to avoid single points of failure by having direct relationship between endpoints.

The Public Packet Infrastructure

Thu Aug 25 2022 21:09:14 GMT

The Internet isn't just a way to access the web, it is fundamental infrastructure -- the Public Packet Infrastructure. The infrastructure has seemingly unlimited capacity because we can innovate and take advantage of opportunities instead of negotiating for passage. We need to bring public policy and public perception into alignment with this new realty. This is also available on CircleID

The Impact of Open Connectivity

Tue Jul 12 2022 17:15:12 GMT

The Internet hints at the much larger possibilities of open connectivity in enabling discoveries such as the web but for the physical world. The ideas themselves go to a deeper level of thinking about how we build systems and how we can enable the future.

The Internet as a Public Good

Mon Jun 27 2022 13:56:03 GMT

Why do we work so hard to promulgate the idea that being held incommunicado is the norm and we have to pay to communicate? The ability to communicate and connect is a right not a privilege.

Realizing the Long-Term Value of Connectivity

Mon Mar 14 2022 21:00:11 GMT

Open community infrastructure can provide enormous societal value by enabling services that we haven't dreamed of. Tesla has shown how a car you by can get features undreamed of at the time of purchase thanks to software updates. Open infrastructures enables innovation and discovery. Written for Broadband Communities Magazine (BBC)

Voice over IP–An inflection Point

Thu Feb 10 2022 20:04:37 GMT

Voice over IP (VoIP) represents a sharp break from the traditional telephony. Unlike traditional telephony (digital or otherwise), VoIP doesn't depend on a provider's reserved path. Understanding how VoIP works is key to liberating ourselves from depending on providers'. Without that dependency we are free to innovate and take advantage of a Public Packet Infrastructure own by the local community.

Empowering People … and Their Things

Wed Oct 20 2021 11:35:52 GMT

There is no separate "Internet of Things". There is the big idea of best-efforts connectivity which allows us to create the opportunity for innovation in how we build systems of things and services.

The Public Packet Infrastructure

Mon Oct 04 2021 20:31:31 GMT

Living the Beta Life

Fri Aug 13 2021 20:32:30 GMT

It feels like all the devices and software I use are in beta, waiting for me to find bugs. I'd have it no other way -- I don't need to predict the future if I can live it. Alas, products are still in beta even if they are official shipping because I go beyond the typical use case and don't handwave away failures that I know are not necessary.

The Age of Software: An Introduction

Sun Jun 13 2021 15:54:25 GMT

The combination of digital representation and software has transformed the world and our understanding of the world. The Internet as just one byproduct of this fundamental conceptual shift from meaning being intrinsic to meaning being defined by software with multiple interpretations co-existing.

Connectivity Starts at Home

Tue Apr 13 2021 22:10:24 GMT

Today's Internet is just one application of the powerful idea of best-efforts connectivity. The home router (NAT) decouples the connectivity within the home from the larger internet, enabling innovation that leverages the Internet without being limited by it.

My Turn: Broadband opportunities — internet as infrastructure

Mon Mar 15 2021 10:27:39 GMT

This is my letter to the editor in the Greenfield recorder explaining why towns can implement their own infrastructure. It is in response to a claim by cable PR saying that only a cable TV company can provide infrastructure.

My Turn: Broadband opportunities — internet as infrastructure

Sat Feb 06 2021 09:00:19 GMT

Letter to the Editor of the Greenfield-Recording responding to claims that only Comcast (or other providers) to provide broadband.

Consumer Technology vs. 5G

Thu Feb 04 2021 19:59:40 GMT

5G is often heralded as the future of communications technology. It's actually the antithesis. It is the anti-Internet clawing intelligence back into the network and limiting innovation. With 5G consumers would once again be limited to a choice of offerings and a new generation would rediscover the busy signal. Also available on CircleID.

TV is Over – Long Live Content

Sat Dec 05 2020 19:51:00 GMT

We are now in the age of "content" with Television (and movies) now available for view online just like books rather than being experiences you had to tune into on a broadcaster's schedule. We haven't cut the cord, we just forgot about it and moved on.

The JavaScript Ecosystem

Fri Oct 23 2020 12:11:56 GMT

JavaScript started out as a simple extension for the browser but has become so much more. In part this is true on building on rich concepts going back to Lisp. Along the way it has challenged the givens of programming and given us a high-performance flexible language along with rich libraries and rich tools. We're just beginning to discover the possibilities. (Also on CirlceID)

A piece of living history explains 5G without hype

Wed Sep 23 2020 12:50:54 GMT

A conversion about the hype surrounding #5G. Also on Facebook

Broadband Breakfast Live Online on July 22, 2020 — Champions of Broadband: Bob Frankston

Wed Jul 22 2020 13:34:58 GMT

My conversation with Drew Clark about the Internet as infrastructure.

Age of Software and the Public Packet Infrastructure

Sat Jul 11 2020 10:50:50 GMT

This is a recording of the talk I gave online to the World Talent Economy Forum.

Talk about the Public Packet Infrastructure

Fri Jun 26 2020 12:46:51 GMT

This is the talk I have go the IEEE Madison Wisconsin Chapter on June 25, 2020 explaining the concept of the Public Packet Infrastructure.

Relationships Among Devices: IoT 🡲 RaD

Sun Jun 07 2020 17:05:54 GMT

Instead of thinking of just devices in isolation we need to think about relationships among devices and about the meta-devices that we have.

Beyond the Interweb

Sun May 24 2020 12:42:22 GMT

Today's Internet is a network of networks and seen through the lens of the web. We need to look beyond the engineering history to see the Internet in the context of the larger vision of JCR Licklider, an acoustic psychologist, and his vision of man/computer symbiosis.

Rewiring my House … and the World

Fri Apr 03 2020 20:00:32 GMT

Using software-based relationships instead of physical wires gives insight in the parallels be-tween connectivity within my house and connectivity across the wider Internet.

Communities of Things

Wed Feb 05 2020 16:17:56 GMT

Trust issues among devices are complex. In order to address them we need to take a community-based approach rather than having to revisit the issue for each connection and each app n×n. Also available on CircleID

What I want for CES

Fri Dec 06 2019 11:04:44 GMT

CES is a time to see new products and services. Alas, my expectations might be too high.

Connecting

Sun Nov 03 2019 17:43:48 GMT

In 1986 I wrote a story for the Boston Computer Society predicting a connected future by 1997. Alas, it's 2019 and that future is still pending.

Bits vs. Things

Tue Sep 03 2019 20:13:16 GMT

This is based on my TEDx Talk in which I used the example of rebinding an SKU rather than shipping a physical object (such as a truck). This is normal practice today (logistics) and represents the ability to work with abstractions to have an effect on the physical world.

The Internet and My 53 Years Online

Mon Jul 15 2019 18:18:02 GMT

With the upcoming celebration of the 50 years of the Inter-net, I’m trying to figure out how the traditional story misses the powerful idea that has made the Internet what it is – the ability to focus on solutions without having to think about the network or providers.

As a Service?

Sun Mar 31 2019 22:31:49 GMT

The trend towards hosted services and the return of the intelligent network create risks of dependency even if well-intentioned.

Do Do This at Home

Mon Mar 18 2019 15:11:16 GMT

My February talk to the Boston Linux and Unix (BLU) group about my home control system - a work in progress.

Seeing the Light - Properties of 400-800 Terahertz Radios

Thu Feb 14 2019 20:47:36 GMT

We're used to turning light bulbs on and off. The advent of LEDs and software has given us an opportunity to rethink the givens of light and lighting in our daily lives. We can now paint surfaces with lights and manage ambience.

Found Objects

Sat Jan 26 2019 14:17:46 GMT

In the tradition of the Internet I don't build new networks nor new special environments for each application but rather repurse existing devices and services. The key is an architcture which limits complexity.

From Hi-Fi to CLI

Tue Jan 01 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Today users typically use computers through graphics user interfaces -- GUIs. Only programmers use the command line. But that is changing as more people discover the power of the command line just as they learned how to wire their own home entertainment systems in the days of Hi Fi.
It is no longer a relic of the past but rather a path to the future.

More 5G BS

Sun Dec 02 2018 17:27:03 GMT

Hill.TV has taken on the cause of 5G as Telcos try to enlist support by telling why 5G is the answer no matter what the question.

re Cybersecurity "moonshot" project to secure the internet by 2028.

Sat Nov 17 2018 19:28:13 GMT

Be wary of those who compare "solving" cybersecutiry to the well-defined challenge of sending a rocket to the moon.

From Net Neutrality to Seizing Opportunity

Thu Nov 01 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Network neutrality is important in the context of assuring the opportunity to innovate in how we communicate and connect. We can't define it in terms of specific outcomes but rather in terms of what we enable. The Internet is just one example of what we can do when given the opportunity to use software to fashion our own solutions. (Also available on CircleID and at Broadband Breakfast

From “Broadband” to “Infrastructure”

Sat Sep 01 2018 00:00:00 GMT

It's time to think about the Internet as infrastructure rather than broadband. There is also a companion FAQ. You can also read this at CircleId

Re So What The Heck Does 5G Actually Do? And Is It Worth What TheCarriers Are Demanding?

Wed Jul 04 2018 00:20:58 GMT

A reminder the 5G is a throwback to the pst

Got API?

Sun Jul 01 2018 00:00:00 GMT

If your home control product doesn't have an open API, then it's a niche product and not part of the future of connected devices.

Broadband Providers?

Sun May 20 2018 18:31:00 GMT

What does a broadband provider provide and what does it mean to have competing providers?

Re No “Material Difference Between 5G & LTE”

Fri Apr 20 2018 15:57:42 GMT

5G may be reheated 4G but victory will be declared

Re EarthNow to Deliver Real-Time Video via Large Satellite Constellation

Fri Apr 20 2018 12:07:20 GMT

Detailed photos of Earth are very big data with no opt out.

Re Is Science Hitting a Wall - it's not just about science

Sun Apr 08 2018 13:49:11 GMT

We need to think of the future in terms of discovery and opportunity and not just the past a little faster and better. We see an example of this in public policies pushing faster old style telecom networks instead of creating new opportunities for connectivity.

Connectivity as a Vital Consumer Service

Tue Mar 27 2018 11:10:49 GMT

Today we retreat the Internet as if it were another television channel. If the service goes out we are fully dependent upon a provider to diagnose and fix the problem. Today we are increasingly dependent upon connectivity and must meet the challenge by empowering consumers to work with providers to address issues and assure connectivity. ((Also avalable on CircleID)

Re A start-up says it can back up your brain. However, there’s one small catch. - The Washington Post

Fri Mar 16 2018 14:58:35 GMT

Why do people think they can easily digitize the brain?

Progressive Web Apps

Thu Mar 01 2018 00:00:00 GMT

The browser is now a full fledged platform for apps. The major benefits of using the browser as a platform includes ease of universal deployment and avoiding concepts such as having to install software. It's also a very flexible and powerful environment. (Also available on CircleId)

Cockamamie #broadband pricing from #Cox.

Tue Feb 20 2018 15:43:37 GMT

Another reminder of perverse pricing of broadband

Re Stop Saying 'Smart Cities'

Sun Feb 18 2018 16:39:35 GMT

Smart Cities are like intelligent networks. Instead we need empowering cities.

House Republicans Just Voted to Eliminate the Only Federal Agency That Makes Sure Voting Machines Can't Be Hacked

Thu Feb 15 2018 00:56:05 GMT

Another attack on the credibility of our basic institutions.

Nationalizing the imaginary 5G Network?

Tue Jan 30 2018 15:07:13 GMT

The proposal to nationalize 5G may be spurious but it is an opportunity look at how we think about networking.

My Facebook Posts and More …

Sat Jan 20 2018 16:45:10 GMT

An attempt to catalog my Facebook Posts until when and if I use the ideas in formal essays and columns

Interconnected computing

Tue Jan 02 2018 22:19:14 GMT

It's useful to think of the internetworking effort as a way to weave end points, initially computers, into a whole. The network is just a means. We need to look beyond neutrality to infrastructure.

Assembly Required

Mon Jan 01 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Increasingly consumer devices are not just become smart but connected. We are only at the earliest stages of understanding this connectivity and how to give users the ability to manage the connections.

It's time to move from "Broadband to Infrastructure"

Wed Dec 13 2017 22:22:31 GMT

Network Neutrality is about the business of telecom vs. a future in which we can assume Ambient Connectivity.

The Internet as Infrastructure FAQ

Mon Dec 04 2017 14:35:05 GMT

When I write about the Internet as infrastructure I find some questions keep reappearing - hence this FAQ

Bob Frankston interview at ICCE Asia October 2017

Sun Nov 19 2017 17:13:26 GMT

Interview by IEEECSocTV after my keynote.

Re Is New York's preternatural calm a sign of resilience or is terror the new normal? | US news | The Guardian

Sat Nov 04 2017 18:56:35 GMT

Terror loses its impact if we don't panic

Interview with Factor Daily in Bengaluru India

Sun Oct 15 2017 12:47:31 GMT

Thoughts while I was in town to speak at ICCE Asia

Whither Consumer Electronics

Sun Oct 01 2017 00:00:00 GMT

What is consumer electronics in an age where we use software rather than (just) electrons to create value. And when devices are defined by apps rather than hardware?

Re Why Google Fiber Failed to Disrupt the ISPs

Wed Jul 26 2017 10:44:34 GMT

A reminder that Google FIber is still in the old ISP model.

5G: Telecom Versus The Internet

Sat Jul 01 2017 00:00:00 GMT

My July 2017 IEEE CE Magazine Column: Overview of the contrast between 5G and the Internet. Also, why ATSC 3.0 is a complex solution to a nonproblem.

An Alien “Drove” my car

Sat Apr 01 2017 00:00:00 GMT

AI and applications like self-driving cars are exciting but we need to wary about treating them as if they think like we do. It is normal to see new technologies just replacing existing technologies or, in this case, human drivers. While there is some overlap in roles we get the most benefit by recognizing how they are different from us and not just replacements.

Bots and Conversations

Sun Mar 26 2017 09:17:14 GMT

Monage 2017: Bots and Conversations. With the Internet our conversations take place outside the networks.

What is special about an Internet of Things

Tue Mar 14 2017 18:53:12 GMT

I've been reading reading papers about an "Internet of Things" but they tend to be old engineering approaches relabeled. What makes the Internet special is our ability to build on the big idea of "just works" or ambient connectivity and the ability to mix and match end points using this common facility.

5G (and Telecom) vs. The Internet

Sun Feb 26 2017 10:20:11 GMT

5G sounds like the successor to 4G cellular telephony and indeed that is the intent. While the progression from 2G to 3G, to 4G and now 5G seems simple, the story is more nuanced and gives us a chance to better understand the what and, more important, the why of the Internet.

re [Internet Policy] Why is ISOC's PIR promoting a private globalcopyright censorship court for domains?

Tue Feb 14 2017 12:24:31 GMT

Again the problem of semantics in the DNS

Re 5G (Spectrum article)

Thu Feb 02 2017 18:21:37 GMT

Spectrum doubles down on the 5G as the future though it's relaly the past.

Re: 5G (and Telecom) vs. The Internet

Wed Feb 01 2017 18:25:01 GMT

Overview of the contrast between 5G and the Internet.

The real reason why Trump using an old Android phone should freak youout notsp

Fri Jan 27 2017 00:11:50 GMT

The President is using a phone that makes it easy to tap into any conversation! Uh oh

TEDx 2016 Talk -- The Abundance of the Internet

Wed Jan 25 2017 00:00:00 GMT

My talk from TEDx November 2016. Having grown up from when the technology was simple I see can see beyond the Internet and how it is so much more than just a network and just the web. It gives us the raw materials to create our own abundance.

Interview at StartupCon 2016

Sun Jan 22 2017 09:36:16 GMT

Talking about my experience as a co-founder.

Techdirt's First Amendment Fight For Its Life / Ayyadurai again

Thu Jan 12 2017 09:37:44 GMT

Ayyadurai's deep pocket fight over email continues to do collateral damage.

Time to Retire the Leap Second

Tue Jan 03 2017 14:04:17 GMT

The leap second creates many problems in return for essentially no benefit. It is a leftover from the days when computers used the same notation people did for writing dates. Now that computers separate the representation from the presentation it's time to move on.

Trump questions quest for cybersecurity: 'No computer is safe'

Mon Jan 02 2017 08:29:51 GMT

Normalizing Russian Cyberattacks is extremely dangerous. See also this and this follow up.

Site Insites

Sun Jan 01 2017 00:00:00 GMT

This past summer I decided my website need to be refreshed. Rewriting the site from scratch in JavaScript (actually TypeScript) gave me a chance look beyond the façade of the web and better understand how the Web works and the simple mechanisms it is built on.

Parking apps are tied to cars not location

Tue Dec 20 2016 10:32:45 GMT

Parking meter apps are tied to the car rather than just the location. Making implicit explicit requires adjustment.

The Internet as infrastructure - IGF 2016

Tue Dec 13 2016 14:27:28 GMT

A link to my IGF 2016 video. There is also a live transcript of the session here.. I'm planning to do an associated essay.

Culture Vs. Facts

Tue Dec 13 2016 09:18:15 GMT

Culture vs. Facts

Re Pittsburgh's new artificially intelligent stoplights could mean no more pointless idling

Sun Oct 23 2016 20:54:41 GMT

Experiment in intelligent stoplights offers hope for APIs

Re Question. Re Today is a remarkable day for the Internet!

Tue Oct 04 2016 16:58:12 GMT

The end-to-end argument is about being to ignore the network rather assuring a connection between end pointts.

Mobile Edge Computing

Sat Oct 01 2016 00:00:00 GMT

When we frame local computing as being at the edge of a network we lose the big ideas of connectivity by framing the Internet in terms of tele-communications.

Trump’s Financial Naïveté

Tue Sep 27 2016 15:43:08 GMT

Trump has a very simplistic view of money. [From Facebook]

Infrastructure for a Connected World

Mon Sep 19 2016 11:02:07 GMT

Connected devices need a free-to-use infrastructure that allows for innovation beyond the needs of a provider or other intermediary. Also available on CircleID here

re Lauren's Blog: "Network Solutions Still Operates Like a Bunch ofCrooks"

Wed Sep 07 2016 10:42:32 GMT

re Tales from Comcast's data cap nation: Can the meter be trusted?

Tue Sep 06 2016 10:05:50 GMT

Data caps are tolerated because of false analogies.

ANTIC Interview 226 - Bob Frankston, co-developer of Visicalc

Mon Sep 05 2016 11:04:59 GMT

Interview with Kevin Savetz about the history of Atari and more ... You can go to YouTube for the video.

What is a "Neutral Network"

Sun Jul 24 2016 12:19:24 GMT

Panel at HOPE 2016 where I talk about infrastructure as an alternative framing to network neutrality.

Re US, NSF to put $400M into Advanced Wireless Research Initiative for 5G networks

Tue Jul 19 2016 01:39:20 GMT

The NSF is funding a new wireless effort that fails to address the need for ambient connectivity as infrastructure. It's just same-old albeit a little bit faster. Like a 600HP car in rush hour solving traffic problems in a city.

Re How the internet was invented

Fri Jul 15 2016 00:00:00 GMT

The popular view is that the Internet is just another network. It's not -- it's represents a very different approach to how we communicate. One that is resilient rather than dependent on carriers.

The Internet as Our New Infrastructure

Mon Jul 04 2016 12:31:50 GMT

The Internet is our new infrastructure. It is a basic facility just as roads and sidewalks available as a basic elements of infrastructure. I use the term "infrastructure" rather than "utility" to distinguish it from metered utilities like gas and electricity that are provided only at a price. This is the talk I gave at FGV in Rio on April 29^th 2016.

The Stories of Software

Fri Jul 01 2016 00:00:00 GMT

The concept of software has evolved from the early days of programming when each minute step of had to be described in detail. Yet the challenges remain because, ultimately, software is about sharing our understandings with devices that will act as our agents. I learn a lot writing these columns. This one made me think about what software is and why automatic programming succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations yet has seems to have succeeded at all.

Re This dark side of the Internet is costing young people their jobsand social lives

Sat May 21 2016 00:00:00 GMT

"Internet addiction" is simply addiction that happens to manifest itself in a particular way. Saying that it is new or special trivializes real problems.

Once Again, Thieves Enter Swift Financial Network and Steal

Fri May 13 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Another reminder that security is about trust relationships and people. There isn't a magic fix.

Broadband Data Caps Pressure 'Cord Cutters'

Fri Apr 22 2016 18:20:29 GMT

FCC should be addressing data caps rather than just focusing on the legacy set top box.

80/20 Consumer Electronics

Fri Apr 01 2016 00:00:00 GMT

I learn by doing and creating my own solutions. This gives me a chance to experience the future and see beyond the present. Join me in exploring the possibilities.

End-to-End Arguments in System Design

Sun Mar 20 2016 11:23:27 GMT

A seminal paper about the design point of the Internet by Saltzer, Reed and Clark

VisiCalc History and more

Sat Mar 12 2016 10:16:53 GMT

Dan Bricklin's VisiCalc repository

Before Excel there was VisiCalc: An interview with its creators

Sat Jan 23 2016 22:06:27 GMT

Interview by Business Insider with Dan Bricklin and myself talking about the history of VisiCalc.

VCF East 10 - History of VisiCalc - Bob Frankston

Sat Jan 23 2016 16:59:23 GMT

I had fun talking to the Vintage Computer Festival in New Jersey last spring - VCF 10

A Hackers Vacation

Fri Jan 01 2016 00:00:00 GMT

What I learned on my summer vacation.

Netflix vs. Caps vs. Neutrality vs. The Internet

Sat Dec 19 2015 09:41:15 GMT

Issues like capacity limits and network neutrality are framed in terms of telecommunications. We need a different narrative if we are to understand the Internet. (See further comments here)

Blinky Source Files

Thu Dec 17 2015 00:37:45 GMT

Blink Source Files

The Frankston Challenge

Tue Nov 10 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Dan Bricklin does a great job explaining the need for Ambient Connectivity.

Zero-Rating vs. The Internet

Wed Nov 04 2015 21:02:42 GMT

The idea of setting the rate for a given class of content is a concept that comes from the traditional world of telecommunications. It doesn't map into the raw packets of the Internet that are carried apart from their context.

Identity Chaos, Courtesy of Your Federal Government - The New YorkTimes

Sat Oct 17 2015 00:00:00 GMT

If we're going to use the SSN as a primary identify we should update it from the 1930's design point.

This guy bought Google.com for $12 - CNET

Fri Oct 02 2015 11:40:20 GMT

The DNS -- yet another oops.

Undercover New Hampshire police nab cellphone ban violators / AKAbanning photography

Thu Oct 01 2015 15:32:00 GMT

If your camear can run a telephony app does that make it illegal to use in a car even if it's stopped?

The Internet is about Relationships

Thu Oct 01 2015 00:00:00 GMT

A big idea of the Internet is that we can focus on the relationships between two end points (devices) and not worry about what is between.

The Engineers "Dilemma"

Sun Sep 27 2015 18:24:00 GMT

The telecommunications business model has problems. The FCC's well-meaning efforts to make that business work has the unintended consequences of protecting it from alternatives approaches that can work far better. This extends to protecting it from better engineering.

Snake Oil for the Innovation Age: Problems with Clayton Christensen's "Disruptive Innovation"

Sat Sep 19 2015 20:28:00 GMT

We need to be wary of claims that we can manage our way through disruptive changes. But nostrums and solutions sell books so we tend to try to tame disruption rather than embracing the new opportunities. We should read the The Innovator's Dilemma as descriptive rather than prescriptive.

Let Consumers Use Better, Cheaper Cable Boxes - The New York Times

Mon Aug 31 2015 00:00:00 GMT

The FCC may be getting ready to encourage set top box competition but that only fixes a symptom. It doesn't address the problem of silos.

For Sympathetic Ear, More Chinese Turn to Smartphone Program - The New York Times

Tue Aug 04 2015 11:56:29 GMT

Eliza -- now in Chinese as 小冰

Why Can't We Be Like South Korea?

Sat Aug 01 2015 17:27:59 GMT

We need to be careful about what we ask for and heed the lessons of Minitel which was the future in 1980 but lacked the dynamic of the Internet.

For .sucks Web domains, the currency seems to be paid in reputations| BetaBoston notsp

Thu Jul 23 2015 18:54:00 GMT

What sucks is the idea that you can't owner your very identity nor reputation!

When Algorithms Discriminate

Mon Jul 13 2015 19:31:03 GMT

We tend have faith in algorithms as if they represent a divined truth.

A Software-(re)Defined World.

Wed Jul 08 2015 21:35:36 GMT

My Keynote from the ICCE conference in Taiwan June 2015

For Start-Ups, How Many Angels Is Too Many?

Tue Jul 07 2015 19:01:46 GMT

Is angel investing become too much like a lottery?

Re: Where is Google taking us?

Mon Jul 06 2015 09:46:00 GMT

Google is doing interesting projects but let's remember that they have a neat trick and not a crystal ball.

Chicago’s cloud tax

Thu Jul 02 2015 09:55:00 GMT

The idea of an "Internet Tax" misses the point that the Internet is just the latest face of ecommerce going back to Sears selling from a catalog over the phone.

#APIFirst: How Things Speak to Each other

Wed Jul 01 2015 00:00:00 GMT

If we are to understand the world of connected devices we need to look behind the surface of the web to the APIs (Application Program Interfaces) that are the building blocks for the services we use and the ways devices “listen”. The hashtag #APIFirst emphasizes the importance of this foundation.

Why ICANN's Whois Accuracy Program is a disaster | Security contentfrom Dev Pro

Thu May 28 2015 17:07:00 GMT

Yet another reminder of how ICANN is more about classic telecom providing services rather than empowering us.

Re how to Beat a Polygraph Test - NYTimes.com

Mon Apr 13 2015 00:00:00 GMT

In our search for swift and sure justice we imbue hacks like polygraphs with magical powers far beyond those of mortal devices.

Surprise! Cell calls that sound superb ... but why?

Thu Apr 09 2015 10:23:00 GMT

Verizon is selling VoLTE with the promise that one day it will be as good as Skype but that claim misses the point of VoIP which gave us the ability to do a Skype.

Product that do their own reorders

Wed Apr 01 2015 13:16:03 GMT

Products that do their own reorders may create ecosystems that may give a strong advantage to incumbents.

Deconstructing Television: Delivery, Content, and Policy

Wed Apr 01 2015 00:00:00 GMT

The business “Television” as we know it is very much tied to the accidental properties of 1930’s vintage technology. We need to rethink very part of the technology and the industry.

re Caught on camera: ICANN CEO slams team probing who will hold internet's keys of power

Wed Mar 25 2015 21:48:21 GMT

More DNS gaming of names for profit

In science, irreproducible research is a quiet crisis

Sun Mar 22 2015 12:29:00 GMT

IPIrreperoducible

Quora Question: What Is It Like to Have Been Programming for the Past Fifty Years?

Sat Mar 21 2015 22:03:17 GMT

My response to the Quora question about what it's been like to have been programming for half a century. You can also see the answer on Quora.

Cancer genetic tests offered on websites often not all they promiseto be, Dana-Farber study finds - Metro - The Boston Globe

Sat Mar 21 2015 09:26:00 GMT

While there is value in big data many of the expectations are driven by marketing rather than real science.

DL- GOOGLE Makes Us GODS (via Iona Miller) like Icarus

Fri Mar 20 2015 18:02:40 GMT

The idea that we can gain by connecting our brains to the Internet. But our brains have never been isolated. They have always been connected to the rest of society and the intelligence outside the brain and inherent in its architecture have always been our source of smarts. We need to be careful lest this hubris lead us think this time we have the one true answer.

Kill Chain: The Rise of the High-Tech Assassins

Mon Mar 16 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Another example of hubris in assuming that we can automate warfare ... and the rest of society.

"The Computer Utility and the Community" - Prescient 1967 paper byBob Fano at MIT

Mon Mar 16 2015 00:00:00 GMT

A prescient paper by Bob Fano from 1967 on the information utility.

Internet-Native Policies

Tue Feb 17 2015 23:22:40 GMT

Amid all the recent discussion about "Network Neutrality" a concern is that we may be losing the soul of the Internet – the ability to create our own solutions. Our "flow" metaphors fail us when dealing with the tolerant and bursty nature of the Internet. The Internet is not a utility, nor is it a consumable we can meter like electricity or water.

Now that the Internet has begun to "grow up" we need to move beyond policies appropriate for a nascent Internet seeking passage through a telecommunications network and start to adopt Internet Native Policies to facilitate connectivity

Connectivity Site

Sat Feb 14 2015 14:01:11 GMT

I will be setting up a site for sharing approaches to sharing connectivity with our neighbors and communities at Connectivity.xyz

Verizon nears "the end" of FiOS builds | Ars Technica

Tue Jan 27 2015 14:36:00 GMT

Verizon looks to wireless for profits but that may not last long

Putting it all Together?

Thu Jan 01 2015 00:00:00 GMT

The idea of an automated home is premised on the idea that we can just put together any number of programs and they would auto-magically compromise a coherent whole. After a half a century of programming I know we still have a lot to learn.

Silicon Valley's Mirror Effect - The New Meritocracy

Sat Dec 27 2014 09:21:39 GMT

The rise of the meritocracy risks policies based on the hindsight bias.

What infrastructure is needed for positively disruptive technology

Sun Nov 30 2014 13:39:27 GMT

The talk I gave to ISOCNY November 11 2014 aimed at helping policymakers revisit their "givens".

Trying to talk about the future using the vocabulary of the past

Fri Nov 21 2014 15:33:15 GMT

It is very difficult to talk about connectivity policy when the very vocabulary implicitly assumes the 19^th framing of telecommunications.

House Republicans just passed a bill forbidding scientists fromadvising the EPA on their own research

Fri Nov 21 2014 14:36:00 GMT

If you don't like reality pretend it doesn't exist.

Re NYC to blanket the city in free public Wi-Fi with 10,000 stations

Mon Nov 17 2014 21:09:00 GMT

Another chance to play "Web or Internet".

Re: The Creepy New Wave of the Internet

Mon Nov 17 2014 14:04:14 GMT

There is a tendency to project our world views on the Internet. To some it is a way to centralize power and control. But the origins of the Internet are just the opposite -- something that emerged from our ability to use computing to create our own solutions.

Community Broadband Podcast

Mon Nov 03 2014 18:09:28 GMT

“In this episode, we talk a lot about how to think about what he terms "connectivity" rather than telecommunications. Telecommunications are a train track - the network owner determines when to move the trains and at what capacity. Our goal for networks is more akin to the roads, where we have more capacity to move around and pick our own routes on our own schedule”

Beyond Neutrality - Enabling a World of Connected Things

Fri Oct 24 2014 14:28:29 GMT

The Internet is about much more than accessing web sites. Today we have "Things" that are using the Internet to connect with each other and things need more than "access" -- they need unfettered (borderless) connectivity.

Connected Things

Wed Oct 01 2014 00:00:00 GMT

The power of the Internet comes from our ability to build connected applications. We use the term “Internet of Things” to extend this concept beyond computation to include the objects in the physical world.

There are far more fundamental changes coming to discoverability

Sun Sep 28 2014 13:02:00 GMT

As the Internet evolves it will be difficult to track what is happening as a byproduct of decentralization.

Re AT&T and Verizon defend data caps on home Internet service

Tue Sep 23 2014 16:39:00 GMT

Again with the caps that don't apply to the carriers' own content.

Science’s Sexual Assault Problem

Sun Sep 21 2014 12:06:14 GMT

This story of scientists faced with harassment (and worse) makes me think of my mother's experience in trying to get her PhD in geology in the 1930's.

Verizon's mañana policy - I now have a zero gigabit connection

Sat Sep 13 2014 14:53:00 GMT

Connectivity is not a luxury so we do we have public policies that leave us disconnected for days?

Re Powers that be Buy Influence at Think Tanks

Mon Sep 08 2014 00:00:00 GMT

We should worry when research is considered a product rather than an effort to broaden our understanding.

Two Cities With Blazing Internet Speed Search for a Killer App

Sat Sep 06 2014 15:07:06 GMT

Another reminder why speed is the wrong focus for connectivity policy.

QoS -- the Intelligent network redux

Sat Aug 30 2014 00:00:00 GMT

The idea that you can make promises in the network (QoS) is a retreat from the Internet and innovation outside the network.

Time Warner Cable Internet Outage Affects Millions

Thu Aug 28 2014 16:17:07 GMT

If you repurpose an entertainment system expect it to be treated as a noncritical distribution system

Massachusetts licenses rejected in parts of Washington, D.C. - Nation - The Boston Globe

Tue Aug 26 2014 10:21:46 GMT

The battle over identity continues

Hands On with the HTC One M8 for Windows: The first OS-agnostic phone | Ars Technica

Fri Aug 22 2014 10:39:37 GMT

Now that we have a phone that can run more than one operating system the user should be able to choose which to boot.

re Humans Need Not Apply, and Robot Swarms

Mon Aug 18 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Jobs are an increasingly anachronistic method of wealth (re)distribution.

"Fast Lanes" Saved the Internet - not

Mon Aug 04 2014 00:00:00 GMT

We need to be aware of proof by example. We connect despite teleom rather than because of it.

Connectivity Policy

Thu Jul 17 2014 10:38:04 GMT

The internet is a different way of using the same facilities (wires, radios etc.) used for telecommunications. The big difference is that the Internet approach is not limited to provider-defined for-profit offerings. The differences go far deeper. I use the term "borderless connectivity" for the new concept. The approach is being adopted from the edge -- driven by market forces. Telecommunications becomes just another resource as one way to extend connectivity as we shift from being dependent upon service providers to creating our own solutions. Today's Internet gives a hint of what we can do with the new opportunities.

Connectivity problem

Thu Jul 10 2014 18:03:33 GMT

We are still dealing with the legacy of circuits using protocols and approaches which presume a common pipe for all packets and purposes.

re Is the End to End Principle of any use going forward?

Thu Jul 10 2014 14:13:55 GMT

I'm amazed at Internet-denialism. The end-to-end is about innovation outside of a network and opportunity. The old telecom metrics don't apply.

(Not) Getting the Message Across

Tue Jul 01 2014 00:00:00 GMT

If we are to get the benefits of the Internet's connectivity we need transparent paths without intermediaries either to press "agree" or having protocols like Bluetooth which insist on "understanding" the messages before passing them on.

The Troubling Truth of Why It’s Still So Hard to Share Files Directly

Mon Jun 30 2014 10:32:16 GMT

Today's Internet as too many twisting winding passages rather than simple connectivity

'Wi-Fi First' - What still needs to happen --

Sun Jun 29 2014 12:08:39 GMT

Questions about "Agree" screens and their ilk.

'Wi-Fi First' - What still needs to happen --

Sat Jun 28 2014 21:46:56 GMT

As calling over Wi-Fi becomes more common we need to think about Wi-Fi as a primary transport rather than an offload for cellular. Instead cellular is simply a backup transport.

Over-provisioning bandwidth doesn't solve QoE problems

Mon Jun 23 2014 00:00:00 GMT

We need to wary about using backward looking Telco-based metrics when trying to understand the Internet's connectivity.

RE: [IP] Over-provisioning bandwidth doesn't solve QoE problems

Sat Jun 21 2014 20:07:00 GMT

Let's be careful about using old telecom measures when we try to understand the Internet

Blast from the past?

Mon May 19 2014 16:24:00 GMT

Same group of us arguing the same issues for 35 years. Sigh.

Re Comcast plans data caps for all customers in 5 years, could be 500GB

Wed May 14 2014 22:47:58 GMT

Broadband Competition is a filed approach. We need to have competition for providing common facilities rather than vying for favors from gatekeepers

Re White House opposes Aereo streaming TV service in Supreme Court battle

Sun Apr 27 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Sure Aereo is a workaround copyrights but such workarounds are nothing new.

Heart bleed Highlights a Contradiction in the Web - NYTimes.com

Sat Apr 19 2014 15:37:00 GMT

There's a lot of magical thinking iin expecting systems to work simply becuase they are supposed to.

Comcast: A simple remedy?

Wed Apr 16 2014 20:52:05 GMT

We need to take a creative approach to new infrastructure

The Language of Smart Cities

Sun Apr 13 2014 05:15:00 GMT

Another reminder of how much "smart cities" miss the lessons Jane Jacobs tried to teach us.

Re; Comcast: A simple remedy?

Mon Apr 07 2014 00:21:01 GMT

We need to take a creative approach to new infrastructure elaborated

HTML5

Tue Apr 01 2014 00:00:00 GMT

HTML5 is becoming the very portable virtual machine that makes it easy to create and share rich interactive applications.

Yet more on Big Data...and IoT

Sun Mar 30 2014 15:16:00 GMT

Big Data and IoT are exciting ideas but has the hype outstripped reality ... again?

Comsos - Science and motivation

Sat Mar 08 2014 12:51:14 GMT

We should applaud efforts to broaden interest in science. The reason science funding is often driven by the military is not because we like war but because we fail to appreciate the value inquiry.

Thinking Outside the Internet

Fri Mar 07 2014 21:47:43 GMT

In order to understand the importance of connectivity we have to think outside the paradigm of pipes or channels that characterized classic period of networking dating back to Shannon. The Internet itself is about borderless connectivity with the value and meaning outside the channels. This has strong implications for how we provide (and fund) the opportunity we associate with "The Internet"

The Internet Of Things: The Real Money Is The Internet, Not The Things

Mon Mar 03 2014 18:45:29 GMT

Today's focus is on 3rd capturing value. We need to recapture the innovative spirit of the Internet by creating enabling technologies at the edge.

Re The myth of the fall

Mon Mar 03 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Open source isn't entirely new. Sharing software has a long history.

The problem with Netflix/Comcast is SS7 all over again

Mon Feb 24 2014 17:20:20 GMT

Having Netflix pay for getting guarantees for their performance brings us back to the days of SS7 when one had to make sure that each service was built into the network. It is a very worrisome precedent.

The Building Blocks of IoT: Borderless Connectivity and Generic Computing Devices

Sat Feb 22 2014 12:08:13 GMT

This is the talk I gave at the Internet of Things Festival in Cambridge February 22nd, 2014

Re Streaming Video Isn't Playing Nice with the Internet

Wed Feb 19 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Another example of what happens when we have an inherent conflict of interest.

MAC addresses and Tracking

Thu Feb 13 2014 00:00:00 GMT

We need to remember that many of the constraints we try to work around are simply engineering and policy decisions. We could revisit them rather than trying to work around the problems. The MAC addresses and the channels we use to communicate are just constructs.

House to passengers: Shut up!

Wed Feb 12 2014 09:50:00 GMT

Why is congress legislating the etiquette of airline passengers? WTF?

Heat System Called Door to Target for Hackers

Thu Feb 06 2014 16:46:39 GMT

Yet another reminder of the dangers of perimeter security

re Kevin Kelly Talks About China's Failure to Invent Science!

Mon Feb 03 2014 14:10:43 GMT

Ideas are valuable when we have a discontinuity.

Bitcloud developers plan to decentralise internet

Mon Jan 27 2014 11:34:52 GMT

Bandwidth is a construct -- not a thing!

Re Why I'm Glad Net Neutrality Is Dead (for the dead tell no tales)

Sat Jan 25 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Neutrality about the old framing ...

The Understanding Stops At The FCC

Fri Jan 24 2014 15:00:15 GMT

Another reminder that the Internet is a paradigm beyond the scope of the FCC

Routing (Packets) vs. Gatewaying (Messages

Thu Jan 23 2014 00:34:16 GMT

Our smart phones are wonderful devices with many functions built-in. This is in contrast with the simplicity of the Internet in which we simply route packets of bits rather than having to wait for third parties for each message. I contrast the simple routing of packets with the complexities of gatewaying messages with service providers attempting to “add value” to our relationships.

Evolution and the Internet

Mon Jan 06 2014 19:12:23 GMT

Understanding how systems evolve is as much about the Internet as biology. We need to understand that the Internet wasn't designed as much as evolved as we discovered how to communicate without depending on a third party in the middle of the conversation.

Life (yet to be) Scripted

Wed Jan 01 2014 00:00:00 GMT

The goal of "home automation" seems to write rules to control our homes (and our lives) as if we were setting rules for a very smart butler. But the real world is more complicated and computers aren't omniscient butlers who can read our minds and anticipate every eventuality.

The Framing of "IP Transition" Fails to Come to Terms With Real Impact of the Internet

Wed Nov 27 2013 16:38:05 GMT

The framing of an "IP Transition' is an attempt to fit the Internet into existing telecom policy. We need a fresh start - a Department of Connectivity -- that can take a zero-based approach to connectivity policy.

A Permanent Slump?

Sat Nov 23 2013 15:39:20 GMT

When looking at the changes in today's job climate we need to understand how various factors interact rather than just treating each element in isolation.

re My blog today on "Permissionless Innovation"

Thu Nov 14 2013 15:31:47 GMT

Verizon wants freedom from regulation. But, in return, they would have to cede control of our common facilities.

re How anti-NSA backlash could fracture the Internet along national borders

Sat Nov 02 2013 18:25:39 GMT

Trying to control the meaning of bits is just more collateral damage from the NSA debacle.

Trouble at the lab ... and beyond

Tue Oct 22 2013 19:06:00 GMT

"Science" has been a very successful methodology but we must be careful when we use the word for the business of science.

Smart meter deployments to double market revenue of wireless modules

Thu Oct 17 2013 00:22:11 GMT

The use of a separate network for reading meters appears to be more about revenue than security or other concerns.

Re Let's Build a More Secure Internet

Thu Oct 10 2013 09:40:00 GMT

A "secure internet" is like "secure copper". Security is a social/usage issue, not a property of the raw materials.

The End of History?

Tue Oct 08 2013 19:52:17 GMT

Economists want to believe they can and need to predict the future. This can lead to policies that limit opportunity.

Good Koch/Bad Koch and the United States of Koch

Sun Oct 06 2013 18:46:18 GMT

How does one reconcile the philanthropy from the Koch brothers with their opposition to the idea of public good?

Memes that define us

Thu Oct 03 2013 10:54:45 GMT

Today's political debates and policies are defined by our use of words that we use in lieu of having to understand what they mean.

Deconstructing “the Smartphone”

Tue Oct 01 2013 00:00:00 GMT

As exciting as mobile may be, the parts are far more than the whole. This excitement is understandable. The devices have evolved to the point where computing is personal and available. “Mobile” is what I call marketecture – putting together disparate concepts into a neat package that defines a market.

Why do we still have "phone companies"

Tue Sep 03 2013 10:22:15 GMT

With VoIP telephony is no longer a network service. So why do we still have phone companies?

Cox opens the gates to the country's largest Wi-Fi hotspot network

Wed Aug 28 2013 10:00:47 GMT

The Cable industry is attempting to compete with cellular using engineering principles that no longer work.

Homeopathic Policy

Thu Aug 22 2013 12:08:04 GMT

Just because we can "run the numbers" doesn't mean that the results are meaningful. Information theory uses the word information but excludes understanding. Just because 2+2=4 doesn't mean a Tutu has four legs.

RE: [IP] re Google Fiber Continues Awful ISP Tradition of Banning "Servers"

Wed Aug 14 2013 10:16:00 GMT

More reminders of how the disconnect between the world of broadband from carriers vs. the Internet's connectivity.

The reason for gigapipes

Thu Aug 01 2013 01:14:26 GMT

Perhaps the reason that Google feels a need for speed is that quick bursts drive ad revenue.

Re : "The Future of Programming" talk by Bret Victor

Wed Jul 31 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The 50's, 60's and 70's were very a innovative in software (and hardware) as we filled a new continent that had been opened up.

Re OSI: The Internet That Wasn't

Tue Jul 30 2013 00:00:00 GMT

History, like a fine wine, takes time to mature. The Internet represents a break from the past. We need to be wary about framing it in terms of networks and layering.

The Fate Of The Internet Is The Story

Sun Jul 28 2013 11:56:59 GMT

Decentralized connectivity gives us an alternative to the pipes that make it all-to-easy for those want to do us good to butt in.

The Internet: Missing the Light

Fri Jul 26 2013 16:16:18 GMT

We tend to think of the Internet in terms of high profile applications like the web. The future lies in those applications that aren't yet valuable enough to get so much attention. Yet today's Internet fails us for the simplest things such as connecting a light switch to a light bulb. There is no mechanism for stable relationships and the telecommunications business model works at cross-purposes with "just works" ambient connectivity.

re NYTimes: Detroit Goes Bankrupt, the Largest City to Do So in U.S.

Fri Jul 19 2013 11:07:26 GMT

A nation of parts and no larger community.

re Kosher war over proposed .kosher gTLD

Fri Jul 19 2013 11:00:44 GMT

Oy, the DNS rent-seekers are at it again as if nothing's been learned since the Domesday book.

re TSA searches valet parked cars at airport

Fri Jul 19 2013 01:31:48 GMT

Another reminder of "security" as theater performances at airport.

When a hypothesis is neither true nor false

Wed Jul 17 2013 10:25:16 GMT

Switching away from the horse-based transportation system .....

Fri Jul 05 2013 20:17:13 GMT

There is a lot of talk about an IP-based PSTN but the Internet is an entirely different concept from the PSTN.

I now need to provide my SSN to print postage stamps!

Wed Jul 03 2013 11:00:18 GMT

Another reminder of how much tracking there is. (also a follow up

The Internet of Things versus the Access Framing

Mon Jul 01 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The Internet is a technique for using any available facilities to exchange bits and implement relationships between end points using whatever facilities are available. There is no border. When we talking about "accessing" the Internet we isolate ourselves from the abundance by treating the Internet as something apart.

The Internet Is Designed for Surveillance

Wed Jun 26 2013 13:18:55 GMT

The hierarchical implementation of the current Internet is an initiation for snooping. It misses the big idea of the Internet -- the escape from hierarchy.

A counter-example to - "if you've done nothing wrong"

Fri Jun 21 2013 23:24:06 GMT

Society depends on tolerating "wrong" behavior.

Why Big Data Is Not Truth - NYTimes.com

Sat Jun 01 2013 15:26:57 GMT

Big data can is useful but it can also be profiling and prejudice. Be wary of applying findings to individuals.

Re: Risks of spreadsheets

Fri May 31 2013 18:54:34 GMT

Evaluating spreadsheets from the perspective of traditional programming misses the point of their use for exploring ideas.

Re: The Internet is no place for Critical Infrastructure

Fri May 31 2013 18:53:43 GMT

The Internet isn't a place but a way of using available infrastructure that is appropriate for "critical infrastructure"

The Risks of Public Wi-Fi [sic]

Fri May 31 2013 18:52:09 GMT

Public Wi-Fi access is typically about the web and breaks apps.

Another reminder that Google is a Telco

Thu May 30 2013 17:15:00 GMT

Google "broadband" is still billable pipes.

The limits of surveillance

Mon May 20 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Cameras can invade our privacy while those we are afraid of can still hide in plane site.

Re DOJ Spectrum Plan Is Not Supported by Economic Theory or FCC Findings

Sun May 19 2013 11:13:14 GMT

Economists continue to play fantasy policy by treating a construct, spectrum, as a real resource. Thus they do has harm in pursuit of theory.

Teacher Suspended for Showing Garden Tools in School

Sat May 04 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The Shame of Boston's Wireless Woes

Tue Apr 23 2013 21:23:50 GMT

RISKS: Congestion problems in an emergency are typically a result of telecom policy

Re The risks of/when not releasing your code & data: Shocking Paper Claims That Microsoft Excel Coding Error Is Behind The Reinhart-Rogoff Study On Debt

Wed Apr 17 2013 00:00:00 GMT

A reminder to beware of advocates proving their point

This 1998 Paul Krugman Column Perfectly Explains The Design Flaw At The Heart Of Bitcoin

Fri Apr 05 2013 14:28:34 GMT

Bitcoins have an avid following but is it magical thinking?

(Not) In Control of your Home

Mon Apr 01 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Everyone wants to sell us tools to automate and control our homes but that won't happen till we have common protocols and open connectivity. (My April 2013 IEEE/CE Column)

Multiple Subsea System Failures

Wed Mar 27 2013 10:45:47 GMT

Another remind of the risks of making our ability to communicate profit center

ICANN Trademark Clearinghouse launches today

Tue Mar 26 2013 17:21:43 GMT

ICANN is attempting to extend it's problematic DNS into the realm of trademark.

Re PR watch: Community-Owned Internet, Long Targeted by ALEC and Big Telecom, Under Fire in Georgia

Wed Mar 20 2013 11:55:00 GMT

What does it mean to own a community network -- is the owner an excluder?

Re "Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the InterWeb"--

Sat Mar 09 2013 07:30:00 GMT

To many people the Internet and the web are synonymous. We have to understand that if we are to explain the technology.

Re: Criticism Of Copyright Alert System Mounts

Sun Mar 03 2013 20:11:00 GMT

Having your the provider of the only means by which you excercise your right to free speech snooping in case you are annoying the RIAA is a direct afront to the US First Amendment. Yet the sheep are silent.

Re: Automakers Oppose FCC's Proposal to Free Up Wireless Spectrum for Wi-Fi

Fri Feb 22 2013 22:04:00 GMT

Fights over "Frequencies" are framed in terms of everyone having their own private Internet. And that's indeed the way the FCC sees it.

When Will the Internet Reach Its Limit (and How Do We Stop That from Happening)?: Scientific American

Wed Feb 13 2013 09:00:25 GMT

Bell Lab head confuses Claude Shannon's measure with information that humans care about.

When Will the Internet Reach Its Limit (and How Do We Stop That from Happening)?

Wed Feb 13 2013 09:00:25 GMT

More fears of "running out of Internet". WTF does that even mean?

re A telecom service provider using the Internet is just dandy with NATs

Thu Jan 24 2013 12:21:01 GMT

Don't confusing providers using the Internet to provide services with providing connectivity for your own innovations.

Montana family accused of swindling $70M via customer phone bills | World | News | National Post

Mon Jan 21 2013 16:08:48 GMT

Do you really want the a phone company "buying" stuff for you you don't want?

Re not, Re: [IP] LOOKS LEGIT. Online Banking Interruption

Sun Jan 06 2013 08:57:49 GMT

The hueristics that worked for pMail doesn't work as well in vouching for eMail

Refactoring Consumer Electronics

Tue Jan 01 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Article in the January 2013 issue of the IEEE Consumer Electronics magazine. The concepts behind the Internet -- the best efforts exchange of raw bits -- represents a basic shift from a framing of electrons and pipes to one in which we can focus on relationships and applications.

USB Rubber Ducky Online Payload Generator

Tue Dec 18 2012 22:32:34 GMT

A worrisome attack vector via low level device interfaces.

Re Seattle is the latest city to go around ISPs to get a gigabit network

Sat Dec 15 2012 14:43:00 GMT

One day a Gigabit may matter but today such connections are simply PR fodder deverting our attention from demanding availability.

re ITU gone wild -- an invited (by me) note from Tony Rutkowski (comments welcomed :-) )

Fri Nov 23 2012 18:07:36 GMT

Re ITU gone wild

Wed Nov 21 2012 21:02:09 GMT

We need to remember that the problem with the ITU is not the details of their proposals but in the fact that telecommunications is a very different paradigm from the Internet.

ALEC-ATT-Verizon-FCC vs. what we want vs. what we need

Sun Nov 18 2012 16:07:36 GMT

A post about choices in connectivity based on a Kushnick proposal

Internet Connectivity: Toward a Sustainable Funding Model

Mon Nov 05 2012 12:28:22 GMT

I wrote this for an Internet Society discussion on policy issues. ITU gives us a Hobson's choice for sender or payer pays. There is another option -- paying for a common infrastructure. This avoids the problems with traditional telecom funding modes. (Also available on CircleID)

The Risks of Telecom

Sun Oct 21 2012 22:55:05 GMT

The recent New Yorker story about an accident on the Chinese railroad mentioned a passenger upload a picture to the web while the train's engineer couldn't communciate because he had to use a traditional communications system.

Fwd: [IP] Who Made That Escape Key? - NYTimes.com

Sun Oct 07 2012 14:46:55 GMT

A light hearted piece on the ESCape key in the NYT Magazine.

Podcast with Chris Mitchell of Muninet

Thu Sep 27 2012 12:35:54 GMT

We talk about how to make connectivity more available to communities.

Re: The disappearing web: Information decay is eating away our history

Sun Sep 23 2012 16:18:00 GMT

Too bad the DNS assures the Internet will unravel.

Re Who Benefits From iOS6's Crappy Maps and other business models

Sat Sep 22 2012 11:46:00 GMT

If we are to understand why Apple wants to own their maps and why telecommunications companies are what they are we need to look at how the various markets work.

T-Mobile Closed my Local Store

Sun Sep 16 2012 22:23:02 GMT

My local T-Mobile store had knowledge staff -- that's why I know and use T-Mobile. Now they are devolving into simply a second tier carrier. Their ads don't do much to tell me what is different (actually selling phones instead of just leasing).

The Signal has Left the Network

Fri Sep 07 2012 22:18:46 GMT

The power of the Internet comes from radical simplicity as I explain this talk I gave to the IEEE Communications Society.

Owning blue?

Tue Aug 14 2012 17:15:22 GMT

Frank posted some of my comments about the business of owning colors.

GlobeCom 2012 Webinar

Sun Aug 12 2012 21:40:52 GMT

Webinar to preview my GlobeCom 2012 presentations.

Grand Debate:The Internet vs. Telecom

Wed Aug 08 2012 18:41:21 GMT

Announcement for the preview for the GlobeCom event.

The PSTN vs. the Internet

Mon Aug 06 2012 13:21:00 GMT

The PSTN and Internet are different ways to use the same resources. We should look the post-PSTN era as an opportunity rather than a threat.

AT&T to Discontinue GSM and EDGE 2G Networks by 2017

Sun Aug 05 2012 14:47:42 GMT

How do we build persistent devices when we are dependent upon the whim of a path provider?

Wi-Fi and Smartphones Make Homes a Little Smarter - NYTimes.com V2

Thu Aug 02 2012 13:56:00 GMT

We're starting to see devices that take advantage of connectivity with the whom. It's a reminder that the Internet isn't just about the web and a reminder of how much further we have to go.

More ‘wireless’ Internet” begs the question.

Fri Jul 27 2012 09:32:56 GMT

If we are to best support the needs of society and the economy we need to first ask the right questions.

re Who Really Invented the Internet? -WSJ

Mon Jul 23 2012 14:06:55 GMT

The problem with this attempt to make up a political myth is not just that it gets it wrong but it confuses an idea with an implementation.

Re Making the Most of the Wireless Spectrum

Fri Jul 20 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The governments PCAST's embrace of "spectrum sharing" misses the point of the Internet.

The light bulb as an end point.

Fri Jun 22 2012 12:11:45 GMT

You can buy LED bulbs that be act as network end points in themselves rather than depending on the light fixture.

re Leaked proposal reveals UN/ITU plans for Internet taxes - again

Sun Jun 10 2012 10:34:09 GMT

The question shouldn't be how to govern the Internet, it should be what does it mean to govern our very ability to communicate.

Verizon's 300Mbps FiOS vs LTE

Sun Jun 03 2012 14:16:00 GMT

What if Verizon add a Wi-Fi/LTE access point at each FiOS drop -- we'd have essentially unlimited capacity without "consuming" spectrum. It's such a powerful solution we have to wonder why they prefer scarcity.

Ford, State Farm team up to offer auto insurance using in-car telematics | TelecomEngine.com

Fri Jun 01 2012 13:08:08 GMT

State Farm as big brother?

New Comcast service turns TV into data center - silos and priorities

Tue May 22 2012 00:00:00 GMT

As each service provider redoubles its effort to lock users into their world we get the kind of lock-ins we associate with monopolies.

Re: Calculating Data Network's Total Capacity Notoriously Difficult, but Theorists Making Some Headway

Mon May 21 2012 10:21:00 GMT

Measuring capacity in channels misses the point of the Internet in decoupling meaning from bits.

Halting the future?, Re: [IP] Video: "Challenge of Change" (1961)

Mon May 14 2012 16:28:00 GMT

Little has changed since this 1961 ATT promotional video -- as ATT continues try to take credit for value created outside of their network.

Re Speech by ITU Secretary-General - Canadian Wireless Telecommunication Association Wireless Antenna Sitting Forum : Closing Keynote Speech

Sat May 05 2012 00:00:00 GMT

It isn't rational to invest in today's telecom industry. It is rational to invest in infrastructure. Today's problems with attracting capital are simply symptoms that we should heed rather than redoubling our effort to live in the past.

Fwd: RE: OpenRadio changes what it means to be an ISP

Fri Apr 20 2012 13:20:00 GMT

OpenFlow and OpenRadio seem like throwbacks to the days of circuits.

Seizing the wrist and re-understanding the Internet

Fri Apr 13 2012 20:55:02 GMT

Wrist-based programmable devices (AKA watches) and other devices give us a reason to rethink the design point of the Internet.

New watch. WIMM ONE

Wed Apr 11 2012 08:56:40 GMT

Dave Farber tries the WIMM watch.

Re Comcast Exempts Itself From Its Data Cap -- going over IP makes policies such policies more visible

Wed Mar 28 2012 16:02:00 GMT

In substituting an XBox for a set top box Comcast is moving their core functions outside their network. Same for Verizon/FiOS and others.

DIY to Connectivity -- The Slides

Wed Mar 14 2012 17:38:27 GMT

The Slides Corresponding to the ISOC DC talk

DIY To Connectivity --the Video

Wed Mar 14 2012 17:33:24 GMT

My presentation at the ISOC DC March 1st 2012 meeting on Connecting Everyone.

From DIY to the Internet

Sun Mar 11 2012 21:55:35 GMT

The Internet has become a phenomenon because if empowers us. To understand how to get "more Internet" we must recognize that we got the Internet by doing things ourselves (DIY) and if we want more connectivity we need to start locally rather than petitioning the telecommunications providers. The Internet is not a layer on top of telecommunications but an entirely different concept.

Re Verizon launches faster[sic]-than-wired wireless broadband for homes; starts at $60/mo V2

Thu Mar 08 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Again Verizon is attempting to recycle old products to new markets. Why should Verizon make more money than Netflix just for deigning to let a few bits reach customers?

Plans for 'TV Everywhere' Bog Down in Tangled Pacts

Tue Mar 06 2012 18:29:48 GMT

TV anywhere is caught in the web woven to keep content under control.

For the Internet, No More Innovation for the Fun of It

Tue Mar 06 2012 17:54:00 GMT

A well-written piece by Nick Bolton on the dangers of managed innovation.

Mobile to go Wi-Fi within a year: Cisco — and we can’t do it now?

Sun Mar 04 2012 18:03:51 GMT

"Mobile" has already gone "Wi-Fi". Are the carriers trying to lockdown Wi-Fi so they can sell it back to us? WTF! But then, what's now -- they have nothing to sell that we don't already have.

$51 for 2 Minutes: German Pay Phones Anger Troops

Fri Mar 02 2012 10:29:00 GMT

The story about overcharging GI's in transit is framed as if nothing has changed in telecommunications other than a small change in the cost of phone calls.

re Comcast and other providers rush to impose data caps

Fri Mar 02 2012 10:10:22 GMT

Comcast's caps go against the trend to move all content over IP

Bell Labs Innovation in perspective

Sun Feb 26 2012 16:22:03 GMT

We should applaud the transformation changes that came from work done at Bell Labs. When we do so we must make sure we take away the right lessons rather than expecting innovation magic.

The Internet as DIY -- DC March 1st 2012

Sun Feb 26 2012 09:55:27 GMT

The Internet's importance comes by providing opportunity for individuals and groups to create new value without being dependent upon service providers.

Re Canada is ordering all IP Interconnetion for Core Realtime Communications

Fri Feb 10 2012 10:04:00 GMT

Trying to reconcile VoIP with traditional telecommunications may be a noble effort but we need to face up to the fundamtel difference in the concepts.

CES 2012: In Perspective

Tue Feb 07 2012 12:19:16 GMT

Observations from the Consumer Electronics Show. While I do describe some of the products this is more a view of the ongoing changes in consumer electronics and more.

ICCE 2012: A Software Perspective

Mon Feb 06 2012 19:04:50 GMT

The founder of Broadcom gave an interesting talk on this history of the hardware used in networks. While the chips are important I'm a software guy as see them in the context of applications and larger market forces.

It’s about Capacity not Speed

Mon Jan 30 2012 16:22:49 GMT

Electrons all go at the same speed so we do we talk about speed when it's really about capacity?

re BT plan puts 300Mbps in apartment blocks

Mon Jan 30 2012 14:01:24 GMT

300Mbps per apartment sounds great until you think about it.

Jobs, Jobs and Cars ... and Speech

Fri Jan 27 2012 10:17:19 GMT

"Creating" jobs requires creating a supportive environment. Part of this is the ability to communicate. The US First Amendment creates an atmosphere the encourages experimentation. We also need the ability to exchange bits and today's idea of making speech a profit center does great harm to our ability to do business.

Hotspot 2.0 and or X.400 Redux

Thu Jan 12 2012 11:18:00 GMT

Another attempt by the incumbent carriers to try to hold back connectivity.

SOPA, DRM and Strange Bedfellows

Mon Jan 09 2012 16:19:05 GMT

Politics makes for strange bedfellows because seeming agreements often mask radically different understandings beyond the agreement. This is why "friends of the Internet" can support bad ideas like SOPA and DRM.

Top 1% NYT Readers are Consuming 50% of the text! (was Top 1% of the Mobile users are consuming the world)

Sun Jan 08 2012 10:23:49 GMT

Once again we see the false meme that the Internet it something we can use up. In this case it's compounded by hijacking the 1% meme. More disturbing when the NY Times gives such false ideas credibility.

Missing the point of the Internet

Mon Jan 02 2012 20:40:42 GMT

We continue to force the Internet into the mold of telecom rather than recognizing it is something completely different.

Risks of Focusing on risks

Mon Jan 02 2012 14:38:14 GMT

Too many institutions are focused on avoiding risks. How do we adopt a balanced approach to risk?

The Un-Internet and the war on general purpose computing

Mon Jan 02 2012 14:14:00 GMT

It's hard to see past discontinuities and thus we tend to fear them. Thus we tend to deny ourselves the benefits despite examples like the Internet and general purpose computing.

Re an Uproar on the Web Over $2 Fee by Verizon

Fri Dec 30 2011 00:00:00 GMT

It's easier to grasp small insults than asking why we have to pay to talk among ourselves

Re: Verizon to charge $2 for each credit card payment without autopay

Thu Dec 29 2011 17:37:00 GMT

Verizon's customers are already captive which makes nuisance charges predatory.

Why Gigabit DSL matters

Sun Dec 18 2011 11:31:00 GMT

Gigabit DSL is one more reminder that it's about how we use our physical infrastructure and not copper vs. fiber vs. wireless.

The benefits of bad architecture

Fri Dec 09 2011 16:46:00 GMT

Good architecture decouple system elements in order to facilitate evolving the design. But the telephone system is designed badly and as a result it's difficult to dislodge the incumbents. Bad user experience is one result. Economic stagnation is another.

Whose communicator is it anyway?

Mon Dec 05 2011 09:36:03 GMT

When a carrier puts monitoring software in a device they are assuming it is really their device and their software even if you have all "phone" conversations over IP. Another reminder that something is very wrong.

re Verizon API To Give Apps 'Turbo' Bandwidth Boost | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

Tue Nov 15 2011 13:17:50 GMT

Verizon's attempt to charge users for less-crappy service reminds me of Bank of America's attempt to charge people for using credit cards in terms of being tone deaf. It's also a stupid idea but that's more subtle.

VisiCalc 32nd Anniversary hangout

Wed Oct 19 2011 13:05:40 GMT

Dan and I talk about VisiCalc with the Google Docs team and others.

It’s pipes all the way down

Wed Oct 19 2011 10:24:11 GMT

The "pipe" model of communications is akin to assuming the meaning is intrinsic and exists in each atom.

Thinking outside the pipe

Mon Oct 17 2011 20:01:43 GMT

The idea that bits must flow through wires or virtual pipes makes it hard to think of the Internet as infrastructure like roads. We communicate by exchanging bits. We need to move beyond the pipe or railroad metaphors if we are to take advantage of the abundant opportunities all around us.

The Internet as Infrastructure

Mon Oct 17 2011 14:57:26 GMT

An in-depth discussion of the Internet as our new infrastructure. The lessons we learn from the Internet can also be applied to other markets and systems. The value of infrastructure such as the Internet comes from the opportunity it provides and what we do with that opportunity. It's a lesson for policymakers that extends beyond the particular technology.

Re Big Brother is watching you: Voice of Russia

Thu Sep 29 2011 18:01:13 GMT

Fighting for our liberties shouldn't be like playing Whack-a-Mole

ISOC Talk: (Video) The Internet as Infrastructure

Tue Sep 20 2011 23:07:39 GMT

My September 22^nd, 2011 to the New York Chapter of the Internet Society explaining that the Internet is really infrastructure rather than a set of service you access.

Re: Researchers' Typosquatting Stole 20 GB of E-Mail From Fortune 500

Sat Sep 10 2011 14:29:00 GMT

Yet more reason to use normal social mechanisms rather than the DNS for social functions like reaching sites using human-oriented names and symbols that aren't easily subverted by simple typos.

Re: Losing on the Facts, AT&T Turns to Smears

Fri Aug 26 2011 23:59:00 GMT

ATT ads continue to claim credit for what others due, often despite ATT.

Re: FCC upset about "cell phone logjam" after D.C. quake

Fri Aug 26 2011 09:33:00 GMT

We need to remember that the cellular system is designed to fail if the billing system fails.

Turnpikes and Toll Roads in Nineteenth-Century America

Wed Aug 24 2011 11:29:18 GMT

Profs Klein and Majewski's history of our path from private pikes to public roads from 1792 to the twentieth century.

Remembering Divestiture.

Mon Aug 22 2011 16:06:00 GMT

When you look back at the history of MCI we should also think about the technologies that enabled MCI and eventually doomed telecommunications as an industry.

Re: IBM PC @ 30: Original review of the Personal Computer Model 5150

Fri Aug 12 2011 12:32:00 GMT

When we remember the IBM PC we should also remember the openness of the Apple ][

Colleges Join Plan for Faster Computer Networks

Wed Jul 27 2011 13:12:14 GMT

Once again we see an emphasis on speed rather than availability.

WSJ TECHNOLOGY ALERT: Verizon to End Unlimited Data Plans for New Customers

Wed Jul 06 2011 18:16:22 GMT

We are losing our right to communicate. Why is there so little outrage?

Verizon/Android Tethering and ATT/Cellular-over-IP

Sat Jul 02 2011 12:06:00 GMT

Cellular over IP, Tethering and other technologies are vital elements of our right to communicate. Today the carriers are trying to impose restrictions just as they did in days they tried to ban webcams and home servers. They can't have it both ways -- they can't argue that they are trying to create abundance when doing everything within their power to assure scarcity. Even more so when it comes at the cost of our safety as well as our economy.

ATT’s Plight is our Plight

Thu Jun 23 2011 20:32:37 GMT

ATT’s planned acquisition of T-Mobile is an occasion to look at the fundamental issues facing the entire telecommunications industry. Very simply – we are asking providers to add capacity but we’re not willing to pay them a portion of the value created. Skype gets the benefits without paying the carriers. Worse, the more capacity there is the less valuable the carriers’ own services are.

Itunes and everything as a Service

Thu Jun 23 2011 15:39:54 GMT

"iTunes" as part of the "as a service" trend which puts us at the mercy of third parties.

ICANN Financial incentives?

Wed Jun 22 2011 12:37:20 GMT

ICANN seems focused on creating source of revenue even if that means assuring the web will unravel. We need to assure that ICANN's incentives are consistent with the needs of society.

Dropbox Files Left Unprotected, Open To All -- InformationWeek

Tue Jun 21 2011 18:38:25 GMT

Does Dropbox need adult supervision?

Re: United blames 5 hour computer outage on "network connectivity issue"

Sat Jun 18 2011 17:22:00 GMT

Another reminder of the need for resilient engineering.

The DNS may be being mooted

Fri Jun 17 2011 16:55:00 GMT

New TLDs are being introduced just as browsers shift the emphasis from the DNS to searching. The new TLDs seem aimed more to extract money from users than to help them.

The National Broadband Map: a $350 million “boondoggle”!

Tue Jun 14 2011 23:27:21 GMT

What does it mean to map "broadband"?

The Wrong Stuff

Mon Jun 13 2011 17:50:50 GMT

When trying to think rationally we have to be aware that we don't have all the facts. Some seemingly foolish optimism is necessary to counter the possibilities we cannot anticipate.

Wisconsin Omnibus Budget Bill Kills Wisconsin Networking

Tue Jun 07 2011 15:14:00 GMT

An attempt to return the Internet to the status of just another telecommunications channel. Corruption or ignorance -- the harm is the same.

ATT Admits there is no bit exchange business

Mon May 16 2011 14:34:00 GMT

A senior ATT executive comments that there is no business in mobile data. And if all business is data the implications are stark. Fortunately infrastructure is a viable and stable alternative funding option.

Why Isn’t Wi-Fi Better?

Sun May 15 2011 23:22:42 GMT

The problem with Wi-Fi is not technical. It's the idea that we need to make billing and authentication level zero. That can't work -- instead we can simply fund a common infrastructure.

The Internet’s generativity stems from a paradigm antithetical to telecom

Sat May 07 2011 17:07:45 GMT

The very concept of telecommunications is based the idea that we are transporting valuable messages. We’ve applied that model to phone calls (“message unit” and now “minutes”). It’s about creating billable events.

Information versus Telecom

Thu May 05 2011 17:35:18 GMT

If you think that the Internet is important because it's a network you're missing the point. Today's telecommunications industry exists in defiance of all we've learned about "information" in the last 100 years. In 1897 the British Copyright office warned us about the danger of creating scarcity by taking our abundance and converting it to private property. In 1949 Claude Shannon gave us a science of "Information" that helped us understand the distinction between bits and what we do with them. The generativity of today's Internet demonstrates the power of the idea. We need to build on this understanding and experience to create an infrastructure that supports the exchange of bits. We can then focus on relationships and creating value rather than getting lost in the constricted pipes of today's Telecom.

The Internet Lost in Translation

Thu May 05 2011 13:31:54 GMT

If all we need is a way to exchange some bits then we can adopt a simple model using any and all paths available without even a need to assure all bits get through. By funding it as a whole we don’t need to assure billing relationships between every device and every element of the path. It’s not just that you don’t know what to bill for. It’s hard to innovate when even a pacemaker must have a bookkeeper as the critical design element. While we do need to deal with some of the problems with today’s telecom our major focus should be on the future – creating generative opportunity rather than fighting over scarcity.

Re: [Dewayne-Net] How To Fix 911 -- a threat to the entire nation!

Sun Apr 17 2011 18:41:00 GMT

A more "Intelligent" and centralized 911 is easy abused.

Re: [IP] Gets worse Epsilon breach website fraud

Sun Apr 17 2011 14:36:00 GMT

The Epsilon break-in should be a warning about the risks of centralizing identity.

FCC Rules VoIP Provider May Not Collect Access Charges

Tue Apr 12 2011 00:51:21 GMT

Once again we see people assuming that a VoIP provider must be cheating. Gaming the Regulatorium is the essence of telecom.

Re: 133 US cities now have their own broadband networks

Mon Mar 28 2011 21:39:00 GMT

Another reminder that the funding model matters and that muni-bells aren't necessarily infrastructure providers.

Re: ATT: After merger your T-Mobile phones will have to be replaced -- Carterfone undone

Mon Mar 21 2011 20:05:00 GMT

Is ATT returning us to 1950?

Simple and Stark -- the telecom death spiral

Mon Mar 21 2011 10:16:46 GMT

ATT's acquisition of T-Mobile is a symptom of a far deeper problem with the concept of telecommunications.

The First Amendment for sale for $39 billion dollars plus a tax on innovation

Sun Mar 20 2011 13:25:00 GMT

It's time to revisit the First Amendment compromise that created the scarcity of spectrum.

Re: How the Assault on Netflix Will Shake Out

Thu Mar 17 2011 12:00:00 GMT

More and more companies, including old-line "cable" companies are streaming over IP and will be hurt by companies.

Re: Fight over municipal broadband rules in North Carolina

Tue Mar 15 2011 19:28:00 GMT

Is the ITIF only a shill for cable companies or can it take a positive stance in support of infrastructure?

Re: Fight over municipal broadband rules in North Carolina

Tue Mar 15 2011 13:51:00 GMT

We need to be careful about framing the issue of "municipal connectivity" as infrastructure rather than as a broadband service.

Re: AT&T imposing DSL and U-verse bandwidth caps, fees for "excess" use

Tue Mar 15 2011 11:00:00 GMT

Usage caps are about bad accounting and not exhausting resources.

Re: AT&T imposing DSL and U-verse bandwidth caps, fees for "excess" use

Mon Mar 14 2011 10:50:00 GMT

Caps are a way to prevent innovation as well as competition.

The ability to bill for speech is the ability to deny access

Sat Feb 19 2011 16:07:14 GMT

When "Building the Technology Stack for Internet Freedom" we need to make sure that the foundation supports freedom.

The iCology

Mon Feb 14 2011 16:36:43 GMT

Apple has its own iCology in which you use Apple tools to develop products for Apple platforms for Apple users

Twit TV: Beyond Neutrality Parts 1 and 2

Sun Feb 13 2011 16:11:52 GMT

First part of Leo Laporte interviewing me about connectivity technical and policy issues.

Re: The Death of Speed – Extreme Malthusianism

Sun Feb 13 2011 15:45:52 GMT

We need to remember that abstractions are real and real objects can be abstracted. That's how markets work.

Re: The End of the (Nokia) Raj

Sat Feb 12 2011 13:49:18 GMT

Nokia needs to adjust to a new landscape and figure out what business it is in.

The Information not-so-super Highway

Mon Feb 07 2011 13:11:09 GMT

It doesn't matter whether we're stuck in the slow lane or the fast lane. What matters is that we're confined to lanes.

Re: Washington Post: "Rush is on for custom domain name suffixes"

Sun Feb 06 2011 23:29:00 GMT

It is naive to assume that names are globally unique.

Verizon Restrains Video Downloads as IPhone Debuts - Bloomberg

Fri Feb 04 2011 14:29:00 GMT

Verizon's decision to second-guess content shows it doesn't yet grasp the idea of the Internet and users defining the meaning of the bits

Re An Apple E-Book Rule Tightens -- Ed Whitacre redux?

Thu Feb 03 2011 10:09:25 GMT

Apple's policy limit how much each of us an innovate.

An Apple E-Book Rule Tightens -- Ed Whitacre redux?

Wed Feb 02 2011 09:05:05 GMT

Apple's attempt to take a cut of the money made using the iPhone is worrisome. ATT had a similar attitude.

WorkingRe: Egypt's Internet shutdown (RISKS-26.32)

Mon Jan 31 2011 19:07:16 GMT

It's easy to shutdown today's Internet because the protocols are aligned with authority.

Re: ICANN, Bill Clinton, and Mr. Magoo

Mon Jan 31 2011 10:51:00 GMT

ICANN has value as a travel agency.

Re When will ISP like Comcast understand they are running a utility

Thu Jan 27 2011 08:34:30 GMT

Another reminder why we need an infrastructure business model rather than billable pipes.

Re: More on UMA - Unlicensed Mobile Access

Sun Jan 23 2011 19:01:00 GMT

We need to be careful about perpetuating myths like the idea that we can only communciate because we bake-in particular services.

More on UMA - Unlicensed Mobile Access

Sun Jan 23 2011 17:24:00 GMT

UMA Liberates us from the physical cellular infrastructure. Next step is liberating us from the business model.

Wi-Fi Calling!

Sat Jan 22 2011 15:56:00 GMT

Why isn't "cellular over Wi-Fi' the norm. Why do we need a special cellular network?

Re: Wireless carriers claim it violates their "First Amendment Rights" to warn of overuse

Sat Jan 22 2011 14:32:00 GMT

The idea of using the First Amendment to hide information is strange but it's a reminder to think about why we have cellular pricing cliffs.

Re: Google Voice permitting porting of mobile phone numbers

Thu Jan 20 2011 12:05:00 GMT

On limitations of number porting policy.

The Residential Gateway is back

Tue Jan 18 2011 18:55:00 GMT

Rolling back the clock to the 1990's?

Verizon’s Internet Gateway

Tue Jan 18 2011 16:29:28 GMT

Verizon's limitations on what I can do with in my own home seem to violate the spirit if not the specific rules of neutrality.

F.C.C. to Study Retransmission Fees

Tue Jan 18 2011 14:52:03 GMT

The should focus on eliminating choke points rather than negotiating passage.

CES 2011: An Interpretation

Mon Jan 17 2011 16:14:24 GMT

On the surface the Consumer Electronics Show is about artifacts of technology. If we look under the surface it's a far more interesting show.

Won't You Be My Wireless Neighbor

Mon Jan 17 2011 11:44:57 GMT

Sharing connectivity is a feature that enriches society. It's not like stealing a consumable but more like joining the commons.

Comments on the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace

Sat Jan 15 2011 11:20:00 GMT

Trusting "identity" is a very seductive idea fraught with consequences.

YouTube – House of the future

Thu Jan 13 2011 22:23:55 GMT

The 2011 and 1950 homes of the future aren't very different

What is 4G and who has it?

Tue Jan 11 2011 09:06:59 GMT

There may be one Internet but why is it always on the far side of a tollbooth?

The FCC and Neutrality in Perspective

Sun Dec 26 2010 17:31:17 GMT

The FCC can try to keep the "Broadband Internet" open but that's not the same as enabling the "generative Internet"

FCC Chief Backs Usage-Based Broadband Pricing

Thu Dec 09 2010 09:35:07 GMT

It's unfortunate the the FCC is taking a stance that is contrary to the very idea of the Internet -- value being created outside the network.

How do we create opportunity?

Mon Dec 06 2010 16:32:57 GMT

Four minutes on creating opportunity. Today's Internet is just a hint of what is possible. How do we talk the idea further?

Comcast vs. Level Three vs. the Rest of Us

Wed Dec 01 2010 21:36:28 GMT

Comcast seems to be at center of a set of tiffs all centered around their role as a service provider.

Re: [IP] FCC chairman to propose plan for net neutrality

Wed Dec 01 2010 20:22:57 GMT

The FCC may be trying to do what is right but can't quite get there.

Re: [IP] FCC chairman to propose plan for net neutrality

Wed Dec 01 2010 11:00:00 GMT

No surprise that the FCC frames it's policy within the limitations of telecom.

Re: "Is a more expensive Internet a good thing? About Comcast and Level 3"

Tue Nov 30 2010 10:45:00 GMT

The problem is not the cost of transport but the conflict of interest inherent in the current concept of telecom.

Re: Mall's Wi-Fi blocks "adult" content -- is 900 a synonym for "adult"

Tue Nov 30 2010 10:38:00 GMT

More discussion on censorship and also the implicit association of pornography and 900 numbers.

Demystifying Networking

Mon Nov 29 2010 18:39:24 GMT

Exchanging bits is a simple idea but one that is shrouded in misunderstandings that keep us dependent upon service providers. If see past the mystery and understand networking we can fund infrastructure as a public good. It would give us the kind generative opportunity that a service provider can't give. In fact the service providers very existence depends upon keeping their users dependent and limited.

Re: Mall's Wi-Fi blocks adult content related to their own stores

Mon Nov 29 2010 12:47:00 GMT

Trying to manage social behavior by constricting the plumbing of the Internet is another reminder of the misunderstanding that abound.

Re: If this had been an actual emergency ...

Mon Nov 29 2010 12:44:00 GMT

Another reminder that cloud can be very useful but we need to be wary about dependencies. Whatever people think they mean by "the cloud"

If this had been an actual emergency ...

Mon Nov 29 2010 11:40:00 GMT

Comcast's outage shows they aren't building infrastructure.

Re: Ars technica on BGP concerns

Tue Nov 23 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Today's Internet routing protocols assume that we can trust everyone in the world to do everything just right. Oops.

Maker Faire and (disconnected) Things

Mon Nov 22 2010 11:29:38 GMT

I was excited by Maker Faire in New York. It gives us the opportunity to go beyond the glass screen into the real world.

Re: U.S. may require jamming of cell phone use inside vehicles

Thu Nov 18 2010 16:31:00 GMT

The idea of making driving safer by jamming cell phones show show the danger of patching rather than thinking.

Re: [IP] My first week with Google TV

Sat Nov 13 2010 08:24:00 GMT

Google TV is an interesting beta.

What is TV?

Fri Nov 12 2010 17:07:41 GMT

In order to understand Google TV we need to think about we mean by "TV".

Sociotechnopathia

Thu Nov 11 2010 17:24:52 GMT

Is "social" really a technology?

Flexview

Tue Nov 09 2010 19:44:00 GMT

Is Verizon taking on Netflix and reducing our dependence on the physical cable?

Clearwire in deep financial trouble, may not survive

Tue Nov 09 2010 18:26:00 GMT

What did Clearwire's investors expect in building yet another commodity bit-pipe?

Bandwidth vs Capacity

Fri Nov 05 2010 21:11:18 GMT

We must not confuse provisioned capacity, AKA telecom capacity, with the potential capacity of "The Internet".

Dish exec says Hulu is killing TV industry

Thu Nov 04 2010 11:27:35 GMT

Let's be careful. When people say that Hulu is killing TV we need to understand that it's really forcing a change in the business model.

Why it’s hard to understand the difference between the Internet and Telecom

Fri Oct 29 2010 19:49:30 GMT

The Internet is something very different from telecom so why do we keep treating the Internet as just another telecom service?

ATT et al are simply doing what they said they would do

Wed Oct 27 2010 17:10:33 GMT

The faux controversy of the use of Bit Torrent at hotspots is another example of blaming the victim when the real problem is the constrictions caused by the carriers publicly stated need for scarcity.

Re: [IP] Effects of BitTorrent on a wireless hotspot -- blaming the victim not the unprovider!

Tue Oct 26 2010 10:30:00 GMT

Before we blame the victim for cellular capacity we should ask who put the limits there.

Authentication vs. Vouching

Sun Oct 24 2010 11:50:00 GMT

We need to understand the difference between who you are and what you do lest we judge people rather than actions.

Re: Internet Becomes Weapon in Fox-Cablevision Fight

Wed Oct 20 2010 11:30:00 GMT

We need to distinguish between ISPs censoring and content providers limiting availability according to the path.

Verizon Cedes Control of the Value Chain

Mon Oct 18 2010 14:55:21 GMT

Verizon announced that they are selling a generic iPad and are bundling it with a MiFi unit. This is very different from the impression they want to give of having a "Verizon iPad".

Re: "There is no Plan B: why the IPv4-to-IPv6 transition will be ugly"

Thu Sep 30 2010 12:35:00 GMT

Re: NYTimes: U.S. wants access to all encrypted Internet communications

Mon Sep 27 2010 19:34:00 GMT

It's hard for policy makers to understand that the Internet is an idea and not just another network.

Hey Cable Guys! Cord Cutting is real, and It's a Problem Says Verizon CEO

Thu Sep 23 2010 11:08:00 GMT

Verizon is admitting that the money is to be made using the network rather than owning it.

Fwd: Y2K and the Dot Com implosion.

Thu Sep 23 2010 10:40:15 GMT

Could exaggerated fears of Y2K caused the dotcom bubble and then the collapse?

Re IPV6 reality starts dawning on ISPs - Really?

Thu Sep 16 2010 11:36:24 GMT

For the short term we need additional IP addresses and V6 does help address that need. Longer term we need new ways to connect end points.

Re: Google announces a white spaces trial -- (and a reality check from me)

Tue Sep 14 2010 10:59:00 GMT

Is "whitespace" the panacea so many think it is?

ATT Policies and other stuff from the whacky world of the cellularity

Mon Sep 13 2010 14:48:00 GMT

Why I can't buy a SIM card from ATT? Why do I pay most carriers even if I bring my own phone. More from the irrational marketplace we call cellular.

Did Internet Founders Actually Anticipate Paid, Prioritized Traffic

Sat Sep 11 2010 13:24:00 GMT

History is our understanding of the past informed by the present. Science and engineering are informed by the but not prisoners of history. It doesn't matter what the "founders" said as much as what we learn from them.

Re QoS vs. Neutrality -- the crux of the matter -- why the attraction and where's the network?

Thu Sep 02 2010 18:43:14 GMT

We can provide various measures of "quality" as marketplace offerings rather than building it into the public infrastructure and avoid the naive assumption that there is only one measure of quality and that we must pay any price for it.

QoS vs. Neutrality -- the crux of the matter

Thu Sep 02 2010 12:48:00 GMT

Bits are inherently neutral but services are not. This why carriers want us to believe we need their services even though we don't.

Re: Thomas Edison's plot to hijack the movie industry

Thu Sep 02 2010 09:11:00 GMT

A reminder of why Silos are the new Trusts and why we need to create opportunity rather than more managed innovation.

Re: Additional or differentiated services (QoS as an expensive option)

Fri Aug 27 2010 15:20:00 GMT

The idea of Quality of Service continues to create confusion because it seems necessary but really just creates unnecessary costs while undermining our ability to communicate.

Re: Additional or differentiated services

Fri Aug 27 2010 09:15:00 GMT

Verizon holds aside capacity so I can't even watch NECN HD broadcast down the street from my house.

Re: [IP] VZ Google Announcement worth reading -- and worth challenging

Mon Aug 16 2010 13:58:00 GMT

Before we have a group to advice on broadband implementation shouldn't was ask if broadband is the right answer?

Risks of network managers

Sat Aug 14 2010 14:05:00 GMT

Why we should be wary of trusting network management by those who think it's about the network and not what we do with networking.

On NOT Baking in Special Services

Sat Aug 14 2010 13:45:11 GMT

The idea that some content type, like video, is more equal than others and that provider bits don't count undermines the ability of the Internet to continue to be a dynamic generative environment.

Re: Irish Times: "A modest proposal on internet neutrality"-- the dangers of baking in our naive assumptions

Sat Aug 14 2010 11:40:00 GMT

Even if you wanted to implement policies that favor "good" behavior can you even do it without causing even more harm?

Re: Is a CDN Non-Neutral?

Thu Aug 12 2010 12:56:00 GMT

The Internet isn't just about "content delivery"

Are Google and Verizon basically the same?

Tue Aug 10 2010 10:11:00 GMT

Both Google and Verizon delivery content using their own and others' pipes.

Re: Google / Verizon "net neutrality" conference call complete - quick summary

Mon Aug 09 2010 12:06:00 GMT

As long as we insist on the irrational and dysfunctional business model the Internet as just another broadband service any talk of neutrality is pointless.

Re: Google, Net Neutrality, and Fairness

Sun Aug 08 2010 20:28:00 GMT

Neutrality and QoS don't mix. Another reminder that NN is a problematic framing.

Just another Thursday

Sun Aug 08 2010 14:57:15 GMT

A trip to fetch a bike becomes an adventure

inSecurity on Cell phones

Fri Aug 06 2010 12:31:00 GMT

Do the cell phone companies understand connectivity?

Re: Upcoming Fifth Amendment argument against Net Neutrality

Mon Aug 02 2010 10:18:00 GMT

If the carriers can claim neutrality diminishes the value of their assets then we are only quibbling over price and they may not have much to bargain with.

The First Amendment and the FRC

Mon Jul 26 2010 16:07:00 GMT

In the 1920's the Federal Radio Commission was created as a reluctant exception to the US First Amendment

Smart Grid vs Copernicus

Wed Jul 14 2010 15:27:00 GMT

The Smart Grid policies seem show little learning from the lessons of the Internet and that costs us dearly.

Re: Why it's hard to hack the power grid, and why NSA is the wrong choice to protect it

Tue Jul 13 2010 16:11:00 GMT

We keep making policy based on a naive understanding of how systems work.

Re: Major UK ISPs challenge Digital Economy Act

Fri Jul 09 2010 09:41:00 GMT

What is the cost of trying to prevent "piracy"?

Re: Garmin: The Shocking Costs of "Free" Navigation and Billable Events

Thu Jul 08 2010 19:31:00 GMT

Another reminder of the problems with counting bits.

Zombies Ahead

Sun Jul 04 2010 14:25:00 GMT

Hardening the Internet plumbing and have government sponsored identity doesn't address the complex concept of trust. How do we know to ignore signs saying "Zombies Ahead"and pay attention to signs saying "US-1".

Re: Irresponsible science and academic fraud

Tue Jun 29 2010 09:04:00 GMT

Is education simply about maximizing test scores?

Irresponsible science and academic fraud

Mon Jun 28 2010 16:44:00 GMT

Broadband - from bad science (AKA, bad methodology) comes bad policy

Re: USPTO grants (inappropriate) patent to Amazon's Bezos

Sat Jun 26 2010 16:41:00 GMT

Charging for services. What a novel idea ... 40 years ago.

Re: AT&T's 1993 "You Will" Commercials

Sat Jun 26 2010 08:27:00 GMT

ATT had ads that foretold a future that ATT would bring you. That future sort of happened but despite ATT and not because of it. Beware the temptation to pick winners.

Re: [IP] re ICANN Likely to Approve "Dot-Ex-Ex-Ex" Domain for Chumps! but it's the DNS itself that does the damage

Thu Jun 24 2010 21:40:00 GMT

XXX is another reminder that the DNS is a source of revenue for ICANN even as it threatens the future of the Internet

Re: [IP] Expensive malware appears for Microsoft's Windows Mobile -- Be very afraid of those who want to make you afraid

Sun Jun 06 2010 21:59:00 GMT

Once more we're told we should be afraid of computing and let others make decisions for us.

Re: [IP] Steve Jobs: Google TV Will Go the Way of TiVo and Roku. And other twisting and winding paths

Fri Jun 04 2010 21:52:00 GMT

ATT's woes with providing adequate capacity and the complexities of the set top box are symptoms of the 19th century roots of telecom. We need to change the context in order to discover capacity and find simplicity.

Re: 4G -- reality vs. hype

Mon May 31 2010 07:12:00 GMT

So what is 4G, what are the numbers?

Re: DNS vs. CDN

Sat May 29 2010 09:57:00 GMT

The less we assume we know what the Internet is the more that it can be.

3D in Perspective – First Thoughts

Sun May 23 2010 00:16:22 GMT

I'm excited about the possibilities for stereoscopic (3D) viewing but we need to step back to understand the possibilities. It may be far more about your family photo album than big budget movies.

Verizon Wireless: 900 Redux

Sat May 22 2010 20:57:30 GMT

Once again Verizon is acting as a conduit for fraudulant charges and insisting on being paid while disclaiming all responsbility.

Re: How Lafayette, Louisiana built fiber, with dominant ISPs fighting them every step of the way

Thu May 13 2010 03:25:00 GMT

Congratulations to Lafayette. Next step is to go from the Telco model to infrastructure.

Re: German court orders wireless passwords for all

Thu May 13 2010 01:54:56 GMT

Too bad the German courts are making simplifying connectivity illegal.

Is the RIAA carrying out its threat to destroy the world's economy?

Thu May 13 2010 01:51:39 GMT

We risk continue grave economic harm by trying to lock down our infrastructure lest a few bits go unmonitored.

Re: Electrical Analogy for Peak-Demand Pricing

Sun May 09 2010 10:24:00 GMT

Again confusing bits with electrons

Re: [IP] US: Hollywood can disable TV set features

Fri May 07 2010 17:51:00 GMT

Why is the FCC micromanaging business models?

Canada goes crazy

Fri May 07 2010 07:33:00 GMT

With the government endorsing charging for bits what's next, charging for words? The problem is in the business model for telecom rather than infrastructure. Follow up discussion here, here and in more detail.

Re: Predicting a black market in IPv4 addresses

Thu May 06 2010 10:22:00 GMT

We worry about running out of IP addresses but we should instead as whether we're focusing on the right problem.

re Ariz. college using RFID for the appearance of class attendance

Tue May 04 2010 20:41:24 GMT

We get enamored with the theater of technology while forgetting about substance.

iPad ATT ToS and Verizon's lottery -- bet $30 or pay $18, 000

Sat May 01 2010 12:52:00 GMT

Is Telecom the world’s biggest Casino?

eBooks are not worth the paper they aren't printed on

Sat May 01 2010 10:43:58 GMT

eBooks with DRM reduces their value by limiting our ability to use them.

Personal Information on the Copy Machine

Thu Apr 22 2010 21:22:14 GMT

We are leaving tracks all over -- can the legal system reconcile this trail with our expectations of privacy?

WSJ: Cash Is Turning Into a Hang-Up for Verizon

Mon Apr 19 2010 16:03:00 GMT

It's difficult to make money selling a superabundant nonconsumable

Web Coupons Know Lots About You, and They Tell

Sat Apr 17 2010 10:31:19 GMT

NY Times story reminding us how we're being tracked

Privacy Questions About the New "Google Cloud Print" Service

Fri Apr 16 2010 17:30:00 GMT

While cloud-based services can play a valuable role we need to be wary about over-dependence upon providers.

The myth of Title II reclassification

Thu Apr 15 2010 16:59:00 GMT

Applying telecom regulations to the Internet is severe cognitive disonnance.

the future .. DNS National Security and the ICANN clowns

Tue Apr 13 2010 17:20:00 GMT

Trying to make the DNS security is like locking the barn door in the open position.

Could it happen here?

Tue Apr 13 2010 12:26:00 GMT

The British Digital Economy bill is an example of the damage that comes from view the Internet as the enemy.

Re: Comcast removes key VCR-compatibility feature from cable boxes (or pay $20 extra!)

Sun Apr 11 2010 18:16:00 GMT

That's what you get for relying on a third party's benevolence.

Re: [IP] The Press Realizes The FiOS Party Is Over

Sat Apr 03 2010 19:30:00 GMT

Now that the FiOS party is over Verizon now has to figure out how to pay the bill.

Unwanted phone charges raising consumer ire

Tue Mar 30 2010 10:29:41 GMT

A billing system designed for telegraphy continues to annoy us.

Re: [IP] WORTH READING This Is Why People Hate the Phone Company, AT&T - Tested

Sat Mar 27 2010 11:48:00 GMT

We shouldn't have third parties in control of our very identity and presence.

Re: ICANN helps China censor Internet. Root servers leak censored DNS replies outside Great Firewall

Fri Mar 26 2010 13:33:00 GMT

We shouldn't have third parties in control of our very identity and presence.

Google Is Hiring Bond Traders

Tue Mar 23 2010 19:37:56 GMT

Google's bond trading is a reminder that others own a lot of our data.

Re: Government webpage for every citizen in the race to create a paperless society

Sat Mar 20 2010 13:48:00 GMT

Slowly the courts are coming to terms with the idea the Internet access is fundamental.

Re: Atlantic article claims "Cable TV is Doomed"

Sat Mar 20 2010 13:42:00 GMT

"Cable" TV is about business models not any particular technology.

Re: Why Networks Want to Kill Hulu?

Fri Mar 19 2010 12:50:00 GMT

Hulu has played an important role in moving TV to the Internet but we should think of it more as an example than a necessity.

FW: FCC plans spectrum-flog to fund broadband

Wed Mar 17 2010 16:13:00 GMT

Another source of much effort and few results.

Re: 3G-Ready Nexus One Now Available Unlocked on AT&T - Google - Gizmodo

Tue Mar 16 2010 21:18:59 GMT

Why do I need a phone just to use a different 3G frequency?

Exec Summary Broadband plan -- a personal perspective

Mon Mar 15 2010 18:50:28 GMT

Broadband Redux

Broadband – DRM and Purpose

Sat Mar 13 2010 10:38:09 GMT

At $1000/household/year the ability to communicate seems more like a privilege than a right. It doesn't help that the broadband claims sound more like snake oil than technology.

Former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt: Internet Trumps TV

Sat Mar 13 2010 10:02:02 GMT

The Internet is more than another television network.

Cisco returns us to yesteryear with IMS and the PSxN?

Tue Mar 09 2010 23:43:32 GMT

Cisco seems to identify with its large customers in trying to maintain their control over our ability to communicate.

Re: [IP] ] Laptops in the classroom -- a reverse of direction

Tue Mar 09 2010 10:36:00 GMT

Wouldn't it better to teach students how to learn rather than forcing them to listen to boring lectures?

Apple's New Stance On 'Cookie Cutter' Apps: Add More Features Or Perish

Sun Mar 07 2010 17:14:00 GMT

While many apps should be just web pages should Apple be deciding that for us?

Re: [Dewayne-Net] Verizon to FCC: Let Us Retire Copper

Thu Mar 04 2010 08:27:00 GMT

If Verizon is going to "retire" our copper shouldn't we get it back?

Re: [IP] Nuclear War' in Patent Fight With HTC -- you can't run that App

Wed Mar 03 2010 18:12:00 GMT

Patents are weapons that can have collateral damage.

Nuclear War' in Patent Fight With HTC -- you can't run that App

Wed Mar 03 2010 16:47:16 GMT

Apple is trying to control what it's users do while preventing others from competing.

Re: Microsoft's suggestion to help clean up the Net: A New TAX!

Tue Mar 02 2010 18:52:00 GMT

How do you tax "the Internet"?

Where’s the Internet?

Sun Feb 28 2010 15:22:04 GMT

If the Internet is about fungible bits and packets why do we distribute via a system that denies us the benefits of simplicity?

Re: NY Times on U.S. vs. Europe on Privacy and Google (and fragility)

Sun Feb 28 2010 11:26:00 GMT

It's interesting to look at the basic issues like privacy vs. free speech in terms of how it affects society and economics

Re: Wi-Fi owner flips images for unwanted neighbors

Fri Feb 26 2010 21:22:00 GMT

It's bad enough to characterize using an available path as stealing "Internet". It's far worse when clueless sociopathic vigilantes create the law with their own hands.

FW: [IP] So Where Else in the World Can You Get 1 Gbps to the Home?

Sun Feb 21 2010 23:13:00 GMT

Once again a fixation on speed rather than availability leaves us disconnected almost everywhere.

re: So Where Else in the World Can You Get 1 Gbps to the Home?

Sun Feb 21 2010 19:33:10 GMT

Another reminder not to be blinded by the speed.

HBO Shows Online Video Service HBOGO -- the world has changed

Wed Feb 17 2010 12:04:00 GMT

HBO is now available over IP. I subscribe to HBO via Verizon but can use a Comcast connection to view the content. Content over IP is not new but until now HBO was available exclusively through silos.

Google Plans to Build Ultra High-Speed Broadband Networks

Mon Feb 15 2010 06:56:05 GMT

Comments on Google's plan for 1GBps (a problem with mailing lists is that my response to this didn't get posted)

(Wireless) Innovation

Sun Feb 14 2010 12:25:22 GMT

(Wireless) innovation can't depend on grudging permission from the FCC.

Google Plans to Build Ultra High-Speed Broadband Networks -- my own analysis

Wed Feb 10 2010 22:42:00 GMT

Google is pushing the edge of today's "telecom" business model.

Frankston’s Imperative

Wed Feb 10 2010 20:28:32 GMT

I was challenged to explain my concepts in five minutes. Sheldon Renan came up with the term "Frankston's Imperative". I plan to post a written version of this talk in the near future. Very simply people communicate using a common infrastructure. It was different in the 1800's when private companies built a special infrastructure just to send telegrams. Today people use their own devices to communicate. The devices just exchange bits but the meaning is external to infrastructure. In the 1860's we sold telecom as a service. Today we need a common infrastructure funded as a whole.

As Data Flows In, the Dollars Flow Out

Tue Feb 09 2010 17:25:31 GMT

NY Times story that highlights the burden "telecom" places on on famlies

Re: Broadband truth in advertising, redux

Tue Feb 09 2010 15:29:51 GMT

Yet another reminder of how the cellular architecture might create scarcity.

FW: [IP] AT&T forcing data plan changes

Tue Feb 09 2010 10:09:00 GMT

Must we keep count bits?

A fight over freedom at Apple’s core

Thu Feb 04 2010 21:22:37 GMT

A reminder of the "old" days when Apple was very open.

Re: The balance of power in airport security screening

Thu Feb 04 2010 12:59:13 GMT

While we can lament the theater of airport security we become inured to each incremental change.

Things vs. NN

Sun Jan 31 2010 18:02:47 GMT

We should be focusing on the future beyond telecom.

A bit of cellular pricing transparency

Thu Jan 28 2010 08:04:13 GMT

T-Mobile gives you the option of transparent financing

Still kicking -- SNOBOL

Sun Jan 24 2010 09:18:38 GMT

SNOBOL -- I remember it well

Re: [IP] Internet security flaw exposes private data

Sat Jan 16 2010 11:37:00 GMT

Speaking of jobs

Fri Jan 15 2010 11:20:32 GMT

We need to come to terms with the changing nature of jobs as we did in the 1800's when sewing machines came on the scene.

re Who Confirms The Accuracy (or is it precision) Of ISP Usage [sic] Meters?

Wed Jan 13 2010 14:18:36 GMT

We can measure bytes but that isn't the same thing as managing congestion. But focusing on the laments of the carriers ignores the larger issue of why we accept their framing of the problem.

On Ambient Connectivity (and 3G towers)

Wed Jan 13 2010 09:56:00 GMT

Another reminder that cellular pricing is more about stories than costs.

re Reports of Google Nexus One 3G and Support Problems

Sun Jan 10 2010 18:23:01 GMT

Too bad Google Voice doesn't go over IP

Understanding Ambient Connectivity

Sat Jan 09 2010 05:17:26 GMT

You walk around and you find Wi-Fi everywhere connected to abundant fiber and wires. Yet this abundance is locked away by a business model more suitable to 19th century telegraphy than 21st Internet Connectivity.

ATT tells FCC it wants to ditch land-line services -- let's assist them!

Mon Jan 04 2010 17:36:00 GMT

We indeed do we need two or more broadbands?

Mythbusting the Obama Magic

Mon Jan 04 2010 14:33:48 GMT

The myth that we can predict the future

Mythbusting the Obama Magic

Mon Jan 04 2010 14:02:00 GMT

Leadership vs. dealing with complex problems

Re: U2's Bono suggests Chinese-style tracking of P2P users, etc.

Mon Jan 04 2010 11:34:00 GMT

OhNo! Protecting free speech by violating it? Comstock redux.

DEC celebrating its victory in personal computing

Sun Jan 03 2010 09:45:00 GMT

It's useful to remember that DEC did indeed produce the best PC -- if by best you meant personal PDP-11.

Re: [BarryDGold@ca.rr.com: Re: AT&T Asks FCC to Kill Conventional (POTS) Phone Service]

Thu Dec 31 2009 18:48:01 GMT

Let's make a deal. If ATT gives up their copper I'd be glad to convert it to infrasttructure.

Re: Example of how "de-Latinized" domain names can be subverted

Tue Dec 29 2009 14:16:00 GMT

The joys of http://方思腾.com.

Re: Why Apple Can't Kill Cable

Wed Dec 23 2009 15:31:00 GMT

And let's remember the conflict of interest in the current idea of content providers own their, not our, infrastructure.

Re: Why Apple Can't Kill Cable

Wed Dec 23 2009 10:11:00 GMT

Let's not forget that cable pricing is a small part of a larger picture.

Re: AT&T defender switches sides

Sun Dec 20 2009 17:58:00 GMT

ATT closed a loophole. Let's not focus on details and ignore the larger picture.

FiOS – a Reality Check

Tue Dec 15 2009 22:41:32 GMT

People still find magic in fiber. Judging by my FiOS experience fiber is nice but so is Coax. Let's not be blinded by the light and recognize the problem of putting old line companies continuing to build upon business models that are at odds with the Internet. You can also read a prettier version on CircleID

Re: ATT suggests [iPhone] heavy data users overloading cell sites, must stop or pay?

Sat Dec 12 2009 17:09:59 GMT

What about other connected phones?

Re: CDT (Leslie Harris) Op-Ed on "Three Strikes" Internet Laws

Sun Dec 06 2009 09:17:00 GMT

What does it mean to be banned from the Internet?

Re: Television's Money Complaints - 2009 and 1974

Sun Dec 06 2009 09:15:00 GMT

In the 60's TV was just TV. Today it is transport and content.

Re: Some thoughts on Google Public DNS from David Ulevitch OpenDNS founder

Thu Dec 03 2009 16:39:00 GMT

If we care about critical infrastructure let’s not forget the DNS is a source of designed-in failure.

Comcast's Data Usage Meter is far from benign

Tue Dec 01 2009 13:03:00 GMT

Measuring "broadband" usage begs the question. We shouldn't be surprised in seeing the status quo confirmed rather than challenged.

Re: Comcast Launches Data Usage Meter

Tue Dec 01 2009 13:03:00 GMT

Erik Cecil:Moving beyond "neutrality"

Fri Nov 27 2009 23:07:04 GMT

Conversation with Erik Cecil on escape from the false dichotomy of Network Neuetrality:Yes or No

Background Audio on Web Sites

Fri Nov 27 2009 21:15:42 GMT

Web pages not seen should not be heard.

Re: Comcast/NBC Merger would pose new challenges for FCC

Fri Nov 27 2009 10:25:00 GMT

Comcast's purchase of NBC Universal is a sign that industry is moving faster that the FCC in recognize bit transport is not a viable business in its own right.

Today's peering system is a perverse tax on innovation

Thu Nov 12 2009 09:40:01 GMT

Today's system of settling accounts among network service providers creates a maze of twisted passages which deny us simple and abundant connetivity.

Identity give-away

Wed Nov 04 2009 21:34:16 GMT

The banks blame identity theft on the victims. We mustn't accept this -- the responsibility is with the institutions which should work to earn our trust. Instead they seem complicit in giving way our "identity". I'm particulary annoyed at Bank of America's practices.

Purpose vs.. Discovery and the Internet as a dynamic

Tue Nov 03 2009 16:20:48 GMT

I wrote this essay in response to all those who are trying to manage the Internet in order to assure their favorite applications work. In doing so they threaten the very dynamic that has made the Internet what it is.

Untethering and new connections

Sun Nov 01 2009 10:25:18 GMT

Once we start thinking about dependencies on the cloud we should also think about other implicit dependencies and limitations. For example why must I have line of sight to a satellite to find my location.

Europe Moves to Winter Time, U.S. Changes Clocks Next Weekend

Sun Oct 25 2009 16:06:02 GMT

Time zone changes raise interesting issues.

bit.ly vs. China?

Mon Oct 19 2009 20:07:30 GMT

Small URLs are a problematic point of failure

IPV6 Failure as a Market Success

Fri Oct 09 2009 12:40:49 GMT

IPV6 advocates blame the "market"for failing to transition to the new protocol.Perhaps the market recognizes it is too little for too much effort.

The Myth of Isochronous and the Risk of Baking-in the Past.

Sun Oct 04 2009 15:44:01 GMT

Too much of the discussion about network issues presumes constraints that aren't necessary and favor the past over the future.

Re: "Entry level pricing" as social policy v2

Fri Oct 02 2009 23:45:48 GMT

We need to avoid confusing large providers with small ISPs.

Re: "Entry level pricing" as social policy v2

Fri Oct 02 2009 11:51:37 GMT

When we look at prices for "broadband" we should look at cost per user. Getting friends to join us reduces the price, getting everyone to join ...

Ambient Connectivity: An Introduction

Sun Sep 27 2009 20:28:15 GMT

“Ambient Connectivity” is the ability to assume connectivity anywhere and anytime. It's the result of having an infrastructure that facilitates our ability to communicate

What About the Right to be Connected?

Mon Sep 21 2009 18:38:00 GMT

Connectivity via the postal service is a basic right. Today electronic connectivity plays that role and is even more vital.

Re: Turning Research into Inventions and Jobs - BusinessWeek

Mon Sep 21 2009 12:03:45 GMT

Encouraing entrepreneurship and innovation is good.But I worry when the purpose of the university seems to be to maximize the endowment.

From an Economist -- How Did Economists Get It So Wrong? And still getting it wrong!

Mon Sep 07 2009 15:25:12 GMT

Just because we want to know the future doesn't mean we can.

Re: Internet still reshaping history

Mon Sep 07 2009 12:18:30 GMT

The ARPANET and the Internet are different but then the Internet from the 80's is different from today's.

Future of the Internet and How to not Disable It

Fri Sep 04 2009 12:00:10 GMT

The ITIF may have inadvertently made a case for reinventing the Internet

IPhone Users Love the Device, but Hate Its Slowness - NYTimes.com

Thu Sep 03 2009 23:04:48 GMT

Let's try to understand the cellular system more before we jump to conclusions about apparent performance issues.

Mistranslating Broadband

Wed Sep 02 2009 21:44:13 GMT

We are mistranslating "The Internet" as "broadband".

Robert Fano film

Tue Sep 01 2009 11:46:58 GMT

The idea of information sharing goes back decades.

That Darn Internet -- questions with an attitude

Mon Aug 31 2009 23:34:32 GMT

If we are to have a real discussion rather than posturing we need to decompose the problem.

We need to put the lie to the just-so stories that carrier networks are "the Internet"

Sun Aug 30 2009 16:17:09 GMT

I wrote this in a response to a discussion thread on NNSquad claiming that the Internet depends on some bits being more special than others.

Re: L.A. Times Biz Section/Lazarus: "We can't be neutral on net neutrality"

Sun Aug 30 2009 10:28:00 GMT

Neutrality is an emergent property.

We need to put the lie to the just-so stories that carrier networks are "the Internet"

Sun Aug 30 2009 09:35:00 GMT

Once again we need to understand the nature of "The Internet"

Defining Broadband

Thu Aug 27 2009 23:11:24 GMT

Comments submitted in response to the FCC request for how to define broadband.

Re: BT NGN runs into difficulty

Wed Aug 26 2009 12:15:00 GMT

Next generation networks attempt to move value back into the network and are in conflict with the dynamic of the Internet.

Re: H.R. 3458, Rep. Markey's third bill to stop telecom from mismanaging our basic infrastructure.

Tue Aug 25 2009 23:51:23 GMT

Responses to some of the standard objections to separating infrastructure from services.

Re: H.R. 3458, Rep. Markey's third bill proposing to DEregulate the Internet

Tue Aug 25 2009 16:43:45 GMT

As I read it this bill, in effect, deregulates the Internet by freeing it from the strictures of telecom. It is a step in the right direction.

Re: Setting the price of a free press

Sat Aug 22 2009 23:33:44 GMT

Before we try to save newspapers we need to think a bit about what journalism is.

Re: Apple FCC response WELL WORTH READING

Fri Aug 21 2009 20:03:38 GMT

Apple:Think different is not an option.

Cellular history -- Past and Perfect - but what about the future?

Wed Aug 19 2009 15:27:56 GMT

More about the accidental history of "cellular" and why need to move ahead to generic connectivity.

Re: Hacker-run GSM network vs the current hack we call cellular

Wed Aug 19 2009 11:43:03 GMT

Today's cellular phone system is fragile and more of a hack then a well-designed system ...

Hub to get early look at next-level Web link ... AKA, the past all over again

Thu Aug 13 2009 16:25:44 GMT

I've been excited about "3G" so I was surprised to realize how annoyed I was at "4G" -- another generation of being captive to providers.

Re: The Case Against [FOR] Apple - Hush-A-Phone revisited

Mon Aug 10 2009 11:51:56 GMT

Apple's effort to manage the user experience are very remiscent of ATT's Hush-A-Phone policy half a century ago.

Re: FCC Announces Senior Staff for Development of National Broadband Plan

Sat Aug 08 2009 23:34:31 GMT

The problem with the FCC is not so much whether the individual appointees are capable, the problem is in the defining premises of the FCC.

QR Codes

Sun Aug 02 2009 12:51:57 GMT

QR Codes are a way of encoding text that can be read by apps on devices such as iPhones and the Android without requiring third party services.

The Internet Story

Thu Jul 23 2009 16:47:39 GMT

The Internet is a wonderful story but we confuse it with the old story of telecom. In my talk about GlueCon I dig beneath the surface to understand how the two stories differ.

Re: "Web Video Widgets" added to FiOS

Sun Jul 19 2009 08:13:00 GMT

Zero Marginal Cost!

Thu Jul 16 2009 14:24:49 GMT

There is essentially no ongoing cost to running an existing wire as DSL or lighting up a fiber at higher speed. Imagine if we could take advantage of the abundance inherent in our physical infrastructure!

Post-Telecom Connectivity WIll Spur Innovation

Wed Jul 15 2009 16:16:16 GMT

Short video on how the future beyond telecom.

Re: WSJ TECHNOLOGY ALERT: Justice Dept. Launches Informal Review of U.S. Telecom Industry

Mon Jul 06 2009 17:05:17 GMT

We'll see if this is about the symptoms or an opportunity to address the inherent dysfunctions in the industry.

Is telecom contributing to climate change?

Fri Jul 03 2009 14:34:59 GMT

As if we didn't have enough problems with today's telecom -- there is an energy cost to staying within silos.

ICANN – moving on from the DNS

Thu Jul 02 2009 22:06:37 GMT

ICANN seem makes it difficult to move ahead. See DNS Failed to better understand why today's DNS is a failed idea.

DNS – A Failed Idea

Thu Jul 02 2009 13:12:08 GMT

Why today's DNS is a failed idea.

Opportunity for Innovation

Tue Jun 30 2009 22:24:30 GMT

We need to look beyond the simplistic notion that "innovation" is what drives our economy and understand the importance of opportunity as a prerequisite.

Re: Icann Hires Former Cybersecurity Chief as New C.E.O. [with comments]

Tue Jun 30 2009 11:59:08 GMT

New Boss, same ICANN. Mistakes to be repeated?

Re: TV Anywhere Gets A Boost: Paging Christine Varney! (and Jon Lebowitz and, eventually, Julius Genachowski)

Wed Jun 24 2009 22:53:08 GMT

You have to wonder what the cable industry is thinking when they wrest back control of content that has escaped their grasp. It's as if they feel the market owes them something.

Cell phones are tools of the establishment

Tue Jun 23 2009 18:44:56 GMT

As much as we are excited about the potential for the new technologies let's not lose sight of the fact that they are designed to follow established rules of 19th century telecom.

Re: The iPhone 3G S (I have never been less excited djf)

Fri Jun 12 2009 14:05:19 GMT

We should have transparency - carrier funding of cell phones should be explicit.

Re: It's the Internet Stupid

Sun Jun 07 2009 19:02:43 GMT

As we shift the funding model from services to intrastructure current networking practices will become moot.

Pipes – The Dumber the Better

Wed Jun 03 2009 21:28:16 GMT

The carriers fear becoming "dumb-pipes". We must seize the moment to transition to a post-telecom economy.

Policy beyond the potholes

Mon Jun 01 2009 18:21:27 GMT

One of the more mindless arguments against connectivity as infrastructure is that cities can't fix potholes. This is childish at best. Instead we should be asking why we are denied access to the "dumb pipes" we need.

Re: Local forums to Implement High-speed Broadband

Sun May 24 2009 21:52:02 GMT

Open government is not necessarily serviced by empahsize speed over infrastructure. It's hard to build apps when you have to negotiate the path.

Re: Apple's iPhone Channels the Prudes -- "Pick a Little, Talk a Little!"

Sat May 23 2009 20:58:40 GMT

Another reminder of the dangers of forcing corporations to take responsibility for your services.

Phone tax on a wifi

Fri May 22 2009 01:37:15 GMT

Another reminder of how difficult it is to recycle old companies -- so we are we trying so hard to prevent the birth of new industries based on connectivity?

Re: Cisco: Smart grid will eclipse size of Internet

Tue May 19 2009 20:06:08 GMT

Is the "Smart Grid" really about all the new opportunities to sell expensive gear?

Re: WashPost on Death of TV by Internet (no mention of bandwidth caps, natch)

Sun May 17 2009 10:01:00 GMT

Another sign that television industry is moving away from "cable" and "OTA".

Re: WashPost on Death of TV by Internet (no mention of bandwidth caps, natch)

Sun May 17 2009 10:01:00 GMT

Re: Stricter rules regarding use of middle/maiden name on airline tickets

Fri May 15 2009 17:38:31 GMT

It's troubling that policy makers seem to think that a person's name can be a simple unique identifier.

Spectrum as Farmland?

Sun May 10 2009 18:23:43 GMT

I can understand why the idea of spectrum auctions are so attractive to economists. But is it good policy? Is spectrum really like "40 acres and a mule"? Spectrum is not dirt.

Re: British libel law strikes again

Sun May 10 2009 01:52:16 GMT

What happens if we can't call nonsense nonsense?

Shovel-ready broadband stimulus

Fri May 08 2009 01:08:55 GMT

Economists are Plato's children living in their ideal world. Be cautious about letting them define our reality.

Licensed vs. Unlicensed Wireless Spectrum and Plato's Children

Thu May 07 2009 22:34:36 GMT

We need to stop thinking in terms of telecom and think in terms of the resources locked up in the value chain of Regulatorium-defined services. Trillions of dollars in value were created by liberating IBM's hardware by decoupling it from software. The Internet has demonstrated that we can apply this to connectivity. So do we keep slipping back into the outdated and outmoded language of "telecom'?

Re: New Kindle DX introduced - is bigger better?

Thu May 07 2009 16:22:45 GMT

The Kindle is a very clever design but clever has its limits.

All networks are not considered equal

Thu May 07 2009 12:12:00 GMT

One if by Wi-Fi, Zero if by 3G? Path-dependency vs neutrality.

All networks are not considered equal

Thu May 07 2009 12:12:00 GMT

ICANN: Billions for the DNS and not a penny for stability

Wed May 06 2009 19:51:40 GMT

ICANN seems to be in the business of creating artificial scarcity rather than assuring the Internet functions over the long term.

The Economic Crisis and its Implications for the Science of Economics

Wed May 06 2009 12:36:08 GMT

Much of economics appears to be about trying to predict the future even though it is inherently unpredictable. Instead we need to work with that dynamic instead of trying to outsmart it. We need to embrace the nuance and sharp distinctions I call "digital". We'd rather see nice analog lines trends than accepting the digital discontinuities.

Re: Op-Ed Contributor - End the University as We Know It - NYTimes.com

Wed Apr 29 2009 01:45:03 GMT

While the department boundaries at universities may be problematic it's not likely that increasing top-down management is a better solution.

Cost (price!) of 1 gig - and other tales of structural corruption

Tue Apr 14 2009 12:23:14 GMT

Byte caps are another consequences of charging for bits or minutes or other measures that are most valuable when scarce. They are accounting fictions and don't even reflect an underlying reality! We need a structural solution to a structural problem.

The Internet: Everyday Magic

Tue Apr 14 2009 10:29:47 GMT

We're so used to working with ideas that we forget that we are accomplish real results simply by manipulating abstractions. Why can't we accept that the Internet is about an idea and not the fiber and other physical objects?

Telecom: A Prison of Our Own Devise

Fri Apr 10 2009 20:45:00 GMT

By using physical metaphors for telecom we create our own limits and scarcity. The Internet is an idea and not just fiber and radios that we use to express the idea.

Re: Thousands cut off from phone service (land AND cell)

Thu Apr 09 2009 16:29:58 GMT

Is failure due to someone who cuts a fiber or due to a policy that creates the vulnerabilities?

Re: How the Internet got its rules

Wed Apr 08 2009 01:56:37 GMT

The success of the IETF may owe more to technology than sociology.

Re: How the Internet got its rules

Tue Apr 07 2009 17:00:33 GMT

Twitter vs Telecom and the RIAA vs Newspapers.

Sun Apr 05 2009 01:05:22 GMT

We need to be careful about our metaphors. High-speed is about HD not twitter and the Internet. If we care about intellectual property shouldn't we worry more about newspapers than music?

Register.com suffers further DOS attack

Fri Apr 03 2009 11:17:55 GMT

Another reminder that we need to look beyond the DNS if we are to have a resilient Internet.

Reflecting on regulations and markets and (cyber)security

Wed Apr 01 2009 22:56:02 GMT

Let's not confuse simplistic notions of markets and "good" with the complexities of real markets and business.

Hedges and Perpetual Motion

Wed Apr 01 2009 14:11:30 GMT

The origins of our financial crisis may be as much in naïveté as malevolence.

Walgreens pricing vs Telecom Pricing

Sun Mar 22 2009 12:30:19 GMT

It's useful to compare two different kind of markets to better understand why the concept of telecom is problematic.

Shuffling Markets – Coupling/Decoupling

Sat Mar 14 2009 17:00:00 GMT

It's useful to compare two different kind of markets to better understand why the concept of telecom is problematic.(also see the previous post

Re: User sues AT&T after $5000+ bill for exceeding 5 GB bandwidth cap

Tue Mar 03 2009 18:44:00 GMT

Companies have wide latitude in pricing but are limited by market forces and people's expectations. Why do we get the pricing anomolies in telecom?

Re: Credit card #s plucked out of air at FL Best Buy

Mon Mar 02 2009 09:39:53 GMT

Again we have a story of "identity theft" but we need to look deeper to understand what is really happening.

DPI -- Protecting the past from the future

Sun Mar 01 2009 10:18:09 GMT

The idea that we can distinguish between good uses and bad uses of networks isnot just naive but dangerous

Indirect vs Direct

Sat Feb 28 2009 10:19:28 GMT

Information science challenges our distinction between direct and indirect action.

The (Kindle) Value Chain

Fri Feb 27 2009 15:31:10 GMT

Authors are worried about losing control if they permit the kindle to read books. A mothers going to have to pay a royalty if they read to their children?

25 Years after ATTv1 -- it's not good vs evil -- it's Telecom vs the Internet

Fri Feb 27 2009 09:59:23 GMT

25 years ago ATT was the telecom industry. Today's telecom is structurally similar to that version of ATT. The lesson of divestiture is that he industry can reconfigure itself. We now must apply the real lesson so we can communicate without having to petition the king be it ATT or today's telecom.

Re: Proposed data retention law WAS Republicans propose data retention laws etc

Mon Feb 23 2009 09:42:16 GMT

Once again we see legislation that is technically naive with the potential to do great harm in its attempt to protect us from those bad people.

Lies .. Verizon FiOS Follies and destructive competition and SVC!

Thu Feb 19 2009 09:50:06 GMT

We confuse broadband competition with Internet competition even as new protocols like SVC make it clear that owning private video networks is costly and foolish.

Re: The slow convergence of Internet and TVs

Mon Feb 16 2009 13:16:00 GMT

Once again we get a confused story about the Internet vs TV as if the two were comparable rather than TV being just another application over the Internet.

Re: The slow convergence of Internet and TVs

Mon Feb 16 2009 13:16:00 GMT

Re: CNN's use of "Octoshape" slips live video P2P into users' PCs

Thu Feb 05 2009 09:28:08 GMT

Once again we're being warned against using up the Internet and violating the conditions of our bandwidth bondage.

Re: CNN's use of "Octoshape" slips live video P2P into users' PCs

Thu Feb 05 2009 08:56:00 GMT

Verizon Deep-Fries VoiceWing

Wed Feb 04 2009 09:34:34 GMT

Another reminder of how weak the carriers' business models are as they retreat from the present into the past

Ensuring Effective Broadband Stimulus — Analysis of Draft Economic Stimulus Legislation

Mon Jan 26 2009 17:53:04 GMT

There are indeed issues with reducing "broadband stimulus" to practice but we need to setp back before we get lost in the details.

The Broadband Internet?

Mon Jan 26 2009 00:05:11 GMT

Achieving Simple Connectivity.
We ask for more "Internet" but it gets lost in translation from "broadband". We're so inured to the difficulty of getting connected that few people even realize the importance of making connectivity simple. We should be able to assume we are connected everywhere without having to make deals with every provider. Today's telecom is all about billing and not about empowering us. We need to make sure that our demand for broadband doesn't get lost in the 19th century idea of telecom. We can achieve connectivity with our existing resources -- we needn't settle for more of the same.

In-flight confrontations can lead to charges defined as terrorism

Sat Jan 24 2009 17:28:22 GMT

A reminder of the danger of PatriotAct mission creep.

FCC Probes Comcast's Phone Practices - NYTimes.com

Wed Jan 21 2009 09:41:24 GMT

Another reminder that we have a structural problem.

The Carriers are trying to take back control of the home network

Mon Jan 19 2009 17:16:12 GMT

Connectivity begins at home -- and the carriers want back in.

The Carriers are trying to take back control of the home network

Mon Jan 19 2009 16:37:00 GMT

Our world may be a giant hologram -- scientifically inclined friends. What's goin' on here? Not much

Sun Jan 18 2009 16:35:20 GMT

We need to beware of settling for mysticism and filing to find the true wonder in our universe.

Our world may be a giant hologram -- scientifically inclined friends. What's goin' on here? DIGITAL!

Sat Jan 17 2009 12:12:35 GMT

I've long argued that the universe must be fundamentally digital. Perhaps this is some sort of confirmation?

Fiber Showdown Tests the Viability of “Telecom”.

Mon Jan 05 2009 20:13:33 GMT

As Verizon and ATT start to compete head on we need to wonder about wether the business model can survive real competition?

Re: Swisscom to deploy multiple fibers per home to enable FAUX competition

Sun Dec 14 2008 23:12:47 GMT

The Office of Connectivity Advocacy

Fri Dec 05 2008 20:04:46 GMT

We need a connectivity advocate as part of a proactive agenda to assure connectivity and provide our economy with new opportunities. The Internet isn't a telecom service so we're not going to get there by fixing telecom. Instead we need a fresh start that can find value in our existing infrastructure and take the lead in providing new opportunity.

Hi-Speed Broadband vs Connectivity

Thu Dec 04 2008 21:52:01 GMT

We need to be wary about a "broadband strategy" and recognize that it diverts our attention from the vital focus on connectivity using the resources we already have.

Amazing and appalling at the same time -- finding excitement in enabling technologies

Thu Dec 04 2008 20:43:35 GMT

Too bad so few people are excited by mundane but vital projects. The result it

Re: amazing and appalling at the same time

Thu Dec 04 2008 16:08:12 GMT

I welcome any advance in medicine -- even if only the use of clip boards. But we should expect so much more.

Repiking the pike and magical thinking -- and Verizon Wireless again!

Thu Dec 04 2008 15:21:55 GMT

Why do we want to go back to the days when men turned pikes to allow you on their private highways. We should learn and liberate our information highways instead of privatizing our streets.

Re: Amazon iPhone App Lets You Buy Anything You Take a Picture Of

Wed Dec 03 2008 10:03:06 GMT

Reading barcodes is just a start -- I want help in recognizing faces.

Becoming an Internet Native

Fri Nov 21 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Become an Internet native is about more than seeing it as the "e-" version of the familiar. It is a chance to rethink the basic design of systems and see new opportunities.

The Internet and Opportunity

Tue Nov 04 2008 13:04:04 GMT

We need to get past the very corrosive idea that the Internet works because the carriers know what's best for us. It's just the opposite -- it works despite their efforts. But as we see in this response to my further comments those who defend the carriers seem to find it necessary to attack the messenger rather than the message -- after all they insist they own the message.

Re: NY Times: People are watching much more online video

Fri Oct 31 2008 11:49:00 GMT

Another reminder that we need to be aware of giving into our Malthusian fears of scarcity and deny ourselves our future. more on this topic

Re: ICANN proposes new way to buy top-level domains - Network World

Thu Oct 30 2008 01:31:06 GMT

ICANN seems to be in the commercial web business rather than keeping to the task of supporting the Internet as infrastructure.

retro-spective (on the current Internet trajectory) and moving on

Wed Oct 29 2008 17:34:50 GMT

Another reminder that we need to move beyond fixing today's prototype Internet and get to working on taking advantage of connectivity.

Whitespace is about Policy more than Physics

Mon Oct 27 2008 14:47:24 GMT

When I read complex explanations of "whitespace" policy in terms of physics I'm tempted to correct the facts but then I realize that the physic is secondary. It's really about policy.

The Great Firewall of China

Sun Oct 26 2008 21:57:30 GMT

Just back from a wonderful trip to China -- I was surprised how easy it was to connect back home.

Re: Beware: T-Mobile's Voicemail Paging Trap

Sun Oct 26 2008 21:52:53 GMT

The Google/Android G1 is a step forward but still hobbled by being trapped within the world of cellular.

Re: Sour Grapes: Missing the Point About Google Android and the G1

Tue Oct 07 2008 11:06:53 GMT

The Android is another opportunity to discover what we can do with technology. But it's also are reminder of how much more we need to do to give people the tools to take advantage of these opportunities.

Re: read both Google Phone "NORMAL" Data Users May be Throttled

Sat Oct 04 2008 15:19:13 GMT

Sometimes a phone is just a phone but increasingly telephony is just another app. We need to be careful about basic policy on the assumption that it's all about phone calls.

Re: what is the cost of bb deployment

Thu Oct 02 2008 23:43:14 GMT

Let's be careful we are asking the right questions before we ask for costs lest we just get prices.

Stock bounces

Wed Oct 01 2008 17:44:43 GMT

How do you say oops when you don't control all consequences?

British Telecom says bandwidth costs PRICES unsustainable. True! So why haven't they collapsed?

Wed Sep 24 2008 15:22:21 GMT

Telecom is indeed very expensive but that doesn't mean that it needs to be expensive. After decades of Moore's law style hypergrowth we should recognize an extreme violation of Moore's law as a symptom that something is very wrong. Also this

FW: [IP] British Telecom says bandwidth costs [price!] unsustainable. True?

Wed Sep 24 2008 09:56:00 GMT

The CEO of British Telecom recognizes there is a problem with the telecom business model but the finger is still pointed at others rather than at the idea of telecom itself.

Re: How a few inches become 500 miles.

Sun Sep 21 2008 16:00:46 GMT

The fact that a simple connection between two devices six inches apart in my house has to travel 500 miles is a good starting point for thinking about connectivity. You can also read the follow-up discussion

Re: Comcast's FCC Bailout Filing Today -- 911 and beyond

Sat Sep 20 2008 09:05:00 GMT

Allowing Comcast to continue to operate a "broadband" network is akin to giving them a bailout. In return we should require a transition to an infrastructure appropriate for connectivity

Beyond ITU and the Internet -- neutrality as to purpose

Sun Sep 14 2008 02:13:45 GMT

The importance of the Internet is that it is neutral as regards to purpose. We must not allow ourselves to be defined by providers' failures of imagination.

Re: Official Message From Comcast

Sun Sep 14 2008 01:23:56 GMT

Comcast acts as if we can't possibly need more than 250GB by citing bogus examples. It doesn't make much imagination to see that 250GB of traffic isn't not all that much.

The ITU vs The Internet

Sat Sep 13 2008 13:52:21 GMT

Sometimes policy goals and engineering realities are in conflict as is evidenced in talk of the ITU requiring protocols supporting traceability.

At the mercy of The Inscrutable Verizon and telecom itself

Sat Sep 13 2008 13:28:14 GMT

I think I've resolved my problems with Verizon but I can't be sure because sometimes you need to see the data not hear about it. This confusion is indicative of larger problems with the concept of "telecom".

A comment on UAL stock price vs an old news story

Thu Sep 11 2008 14:15:01 GMT

The price of United Airlines stock plummeted for a while due to an old story appearing as a new headline. Such is the nature of a marketplace in which the winner is the first one to hit the buzzer.

Re: "Regulating" the Internet -- and Distinctions -- ATM vs IP

Thu Sep 11 2008 12:02:00 GMT

Network neutrality requires a structural change to telecom and it would also help to improve the IP itself.

Congress asks phone companies: Why are text prices rising?

Wed Sep 10 2008 21:34:17 GMT

Congressman Kohl is asking why SMS prices have been raising. Perhaps he'll go further and ask why the telecom industry is able to take advantage of it's role as gatekeepers.

History note -- 1960's prices

Wed Sep 03 2008 11:17:59 GMT

In 1960 transisters were expensive but so were computers.

It's hard to dance if your feet are bound

Mon Sep 01 2008 23:52:29 GMT

Giving control of the infrastructure to the incumbents is akin to trying to dance with our feed bound.

Re: Do the Happy Dance people... strike 3 and you're out

Mon Sep 01 2008 18:42:00 GMT

Comcast simply doesn't get it. They lie to the FCC about what they are doing and they promulgate arbitrary and seeming perverse policies. At some point we need to call them out. What if Comcast Transport and Comcast Content were separate companies. What if it had to follow the same rules as the rest of us?

Time to understand accounting rather than just bookkeeping V2

Sat Aug 30 2008 22:41:55 GMT

It's useful to think of telecom industry in terms of accounting. Real accounting gives us measures used to guide decision making and set policy. Today's telecom is based on measures antithetical to the dynamic that is the Internet and one result is that the more connectivity we have the more the measures our out of kilter.

Re: Comcast's New "Two Strikes and You're Dead" Internet Usage Policy -- and More

Fri Aug 29 2008 21:47:00 GMT

Today our cable TV system might seem like the natural and efficient way to distribute video content.. We need to remember the lesson of VoIP. Given a chance the Internet can be a far better allow us to do so much more than TV as it used to be. And we can do so at a far lower cost with far more capacity.

Re: Comcast's New "Two Strikes and You're Dead" Internet Usage Policy -- and More

Fri Aug 29 2008 21:47:00 GMT

We keep getting told about what we can't do with the Internet and again and again we do better than that by innovating. One reason is that telecom uses measures to maximize the value to the industry and the Internet gives us a chance to maximize the value to those of us who use the network.

250GB: More Collateral Damage

Fri Aug 29 2008 03:00:00 GMT

Comcast wants to limit the amount of content we use but the Internet isn't just about video.

Bob raises an interesting and key question -- djf do read Comcast confirms 250GB cap effective October 1

Fri Aug 29 2008 01:00:32 GMT

Having a limit on how much we can communicate with the rest of the world is bad enought but putting a limit on local connectivity is outrageous.

Re: Broadband competition: Is this as good as it gets?

Tue Aug 26 2008 19:38:23 GMT

Again -- facilities operators not service providers.

Re: Kennard: FCC on Shaky Ground in Comcast Decision

Fri Aug 22 2008 16:23:10 GMT

We need to restructure the industry to separate facilities management and services if we are to have any hope of open opportunity.

Comcast Will Slow Heavy Web Users' Traffic for Up to 20 MinutesCan anyone define --

Thu Aug 21 2008 11:35:23 GMT

Legislating neutrality is frustrating -- rule out one outrage only to find another.

Re: more on the birth of the internet -- J C R Licklider

Thu Aug 21 2008 11:28:06 GMT

The real history is more fascinating than the "simplified" history of the Internet.

Re: NSF and the Birth of the Internet

Tue Aug 19 2008 14:05:49 GMT

I do believe in funding science but we need to be careful to find a balance between selling science and encouraging it

Re: California Declares Free Market Broken, Recommends Price Controls For Phone Services

Sun Aug 17 2008 19:32:32 GMT

Why are we willing to argue for a lower charge for phone calls? The very idea of paying for phone calls is offensive. Would you put a postage stamp on email?

Re: US Internet speeds won't catch up with Japan in 100 years

Sat Aug 16 2008 15:52:29 GMT

Higher speed from Comcast coming soon? Alas, we still need better protocols for scaling connectivity

Re: US Internet speeds won't catch up with Japan in 100 years -- that ISDN, oops, I mean broadband gap again

Thu Aug 14 2008 11:51:25 GMT

Once again the broadband gap ... instead of the ability to create our own solutions.

Re: U.S. broadband adoption hits 7-year low

Tue Aug 12 2008 21:47:00 GMT

A slowdown in the adoption of "broadband" is an indication that we are failing to take advantage of the potential of this infrastructure.

Re: Cablecos ponder networked DVRs in wake of Cablevision ruling

Fri Aug 08 2008 15:51:34 GMT

It's nice the courts have endorsed the idea that we can cache bits remotely but why would we want a cable company to do it for us?

Re: That 5 gigabit cap is pulled back

Wed Aug 06 2008 21:35:55 GMT

And yet another lesson -- why must be pay to use existing facilities that have no incremental cost just to talk to our neighbors or get emergency services or to get an education?

Re: When "free" is no longer free and other yarns

Sun Aug 03 2008 16:49:32 GMT

Another lesson in why you don't make infrastructure a profit center

Re: Check out Essay - If You Run a Red Light, Will Everyone Know? - NYTimes.com

Sun Aug 03 2008 12:03:41 GMT

Another reminder you are never innocent in the eyes of your neighbors.

Re: OPEC 2.0 -- Barrels vs Bandwidth

Wed Jul 30 2008 12:48:22 GMT

We need to be careful about our analogies. Bandwidth is a measure and not a resource in itself. If we have bandwidth based pricing we create constrictions that limit our ability to connect and communicate.

We didn't need all that DRM after all??

Tue Jul 29 2008 10:53:56 GMT

It's encouraging to see P2P usage is down while getting content from original sources is increasing. While there may be value in controlling content we don't need the extreme control inherent in controlling the path from the source all the way to the screen.

Thought-provoking musings about decentralization and cypherpunk, from Danny O'Brien

Fri Jul 25 2008 17:00:26 GMT

Just a reminder that the Internet wasn't built by using existing infrastructure. The goal was to be full decentralized but today's implementation falls short of that goal.

The Carriers' Perspective

Thu Jul 24 2008 13:52:38 GMT

If we are to understand the issues behind the controversy over network neutrality we need to understand the carriers perspective. They are stuck with a business model that depends on sharing in the value generated using their wires. This puts them in conflict with the Internet and the creation of value using the network but outside the network. I a could argue that the carriers should've known better and that we paid for much of the infrastructure but better to encourage moving forward than being vindictive.

Re: Dueling broadband policies

Wed Jul 23 2008 20:09:00 GMT

We need to recognize that our "broadband" policies are very confused and driven by perception rather than technology.

What if STBs accepted bits over IP vs the parallel universe of RG-6?

Tue Jul 22 2008 17:29:36 GMT

We have two parallel universe. One in which content is locked into broadband silos and the other in which content is delivered using IP over any path. They are both fully function. Once we recognize this we can complete the transition and liberate ourselves from the constraints of broadband silos.

Cellular Scare -- byte caps extreme

Tue Jul 22 2008 14:13:29 GMT

With all the talk about "byte caps" it's useful to look at what happens when you exceed your cellular minutes or, far worse, you pay for data by the byte. A simple error of being on the wrong plan could result in a $1000 charge for a $50 ... or worse.

Abducted!

Sun Jul 20 2008 15:51:06 GMT

The efforts to do good often come at a price. Even more problematic then the real agenda is different as in trying to limit the Internet because it spread ideas and not all are "good".

A very strong reason universities should require students use P2P protocols.

Mon Jul 14 2008 12:35:59 GMT

It's strange to see universities claiming that P2P is the enemy when the goal was to prevent the very problems it is supposedly causing. We should encourage more local P2P traffic rather than forcing us to fetch bits from afar again and again.

Telecoms Sue Over High-Speed Links

Mon Jul 07 2008 18:48:48 GMT

The carriers can't allow people to create their own solutions.

MIT Tech review vs the Internet

Sun Jul 06 2008 11:12:15 GMT

Too bad MIT's Technology Review is perpetuating the tired idea that the Internet is a clogged highway. (also see)

Re: BitTorrent now being used for piracy of textbooks

Thu Jul 03 2008 12:01:37 GMT

Text books are a mechanism and not an end in themselves.

Re: Japan's upload caps at 30GB...per day

Thu Jun 26 2008 04:22:31 GMT

The 100Mbps miracle is a demo -- the reality is that you can't really make use of it. Be careful that you fully understand the illusion you are chasing.

Re: Priorities Amuck: ICANN Poised to Trigger Naming Quagmire

Wed Jun 25 2008 11:22:00 GMT

Again people are piling on top of the DNS rather than addressing the basic problem of persistent relationships.See also this and this.

Re: Chrysler announces the rolling WiFi hotspot automobile

Tue Jun 24 2008 00:07:36 GMT

It's great to see connectivity in cars but it's also a reminder to think more generally about connectivity.

Re: Net Neutrality: A Radical Form of Non-Discrimination by Hal Singer vs Hal Singer

Sun Jun 22 2008 17:19:04 GMT

Follow up -- relying on QoS makes performance worse when the promise can't be kept.

Re: Net Neutrality: A Radical Form of Non-Discrimination by Hal Singer vs Hal Singer

Sun Jun 22 2008 14:37:24 GMT

Once again we have an academic paper that makes arbitrary assumptions -- in this case the need for QoS -- and then proceeds to make policy recommendations as if the assumptions were facts. It's all-too-easy to accept conclusions that serve ideological needs and thus reinforce their private reality

FW: [IP] Net Neutrality: A Radical Form of Non-Discrimination by Hal Singer vs Hal Singer

Sun Jun 22 2008 10:21:00 GMT

It's too easy to setup a strawman and then criticism a particular characterization of Network Neutrality.

Re: NebuAd Forges Packets, Violates Net Standards | Threat Level from Wired.com

Fri Jun 20 2008 11:01:12 GMT

What's the difference between reading people's web traffic and reading their mail?

The Tiger Effect vs byte pricing?

Thu Jun 19 2008 07:36:35 GMT

Did Tiger Woods "congest" the Internet?

ISOC France - asking for your backing

Wed Jun 18 2008 12:59:00 GMT

There's an effort in France to apply social policy to something they call "The Internet". It's a reminder that NN issues are symptoms of deeper misunderstandings.

Re: Fw: [Chapter-delegates] ISOC France - asking for your backing

Wed Jun 18 2008 12:59:00 GMT

getting to be interesting -- a scarcity-creating model

Sun Jun 15 2008 17:42:11 GMT

When looking at economic models it's important to question the premises as well as the model. A clever model shouldn't lead us to accept false premises. Congestion pricing decreases supply when value comes from scarcity. (Note typo at end -- I meant to say increasing capacity is more efficient than managing scarcity)

Re: ALSO MUST READ NYTimes.com: Charging by the Byte to Curb Internet Traffic "People seem to be missing the point."

Sun Jun 15 2008 15:10:06 GMT

The carrier-created scarcity pits us against each other and diverts us from addressing the source of the scarcity -- the artifact of telecom.

Re: NYTimes.com: Charging by the Byte to Curb Internet Traffic

Sat Jun 14 2008 20:36:29 GMT

The carriers continue to try to create value through scarcity -- why are they in the position to keep us impoverished?

Update on ISP Actions Regarding C-Porn and Usenet

Wed Jun 11 2008 09:36:36 GMT

Carriers that have policies defining what content is acceptable may find themselves having to choose between the content and transport businesses.

Re: Update on ISP Actions Regarding C-Porn and Usenet

Wed Jun 11 2008 07:46:00 GMT

Carriers that have policies defining what content is acceptable may find themselves having to choose between the content and transport businesses.

Re: Update on ISP Actions Regarding C-Porn and Usenet

Wed Jun 11 2008 07:46:00 GMT

The ID Divide

Mon Jun 09 2008 12:55:24 GMT

Once again a word, in this case "identity", makes it too easy talk about a complex concept without understanding what we don't understand.

Microsoft patents mandatory social policy??

Thu Jun 05 2008 19:41:11 GMT

Is Microsoft planning to implement mandatory social policy in our digital infrastructure?

Two Sides but Different Coins

Mon May 26 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I applaud the call for civility in the debate over Internet policy issues vs telecom interests but there aren't two sides of a debate -- we have two different dynamics. The Internet is about creating solutions independent of what's in the middle. Telecom is all about what's in the middle. We need to come to terms with this fundamental difference if we are to have a productive discussion.

Why do we have to care so much about how to interpret what Comcast says and does?

Sat May 24 2008 17:29:50 GMT

As long as we are distracted by trying to micromanage carriers into behaving we are missing the bigger issue -- why do we need to beg for permission to speak?

Network Neutrality: It's not just Common Carriage and Antirust

Wed May 14 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I wrote this essay after a complex legal discussion about this history of common-carriage and antitrust and how it applies to telecom policy and antitrust. As I've written, those policies make sense when we are taking about Railroads. If we want to talk about the Internet we need to question precedents based on premises that no longer make sense.

GIOVE-B Transmitting its First Signals

Tue May 13 2008 12:11:53 GMT

Getting more sources of location information is good but we need to more than rely on satellites. If we are to get the benefits of knowing the location of device and people we need better protocols and better availability of the data even when satellites are not directly visible.

Linux Journal Interview

Thu May 01 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Doc Searls interviewed me for the May 2008 issue of Linux Journal.

More on the Internet vs TV and beyond

Thu Apr 24 2008 12:47:28 GMT

The revolution has happened already. The Internet can already displace the current TV distribution system. Imagine if we took advantage of this abundant capacity for peer connectivity.

An LA Times interview on South Park and the Internet or, an Internet

Thu Apr 24 2008 10:27:34 GMT

Some more background on South Park and the Internet.

How carriers mismanage traffic and then blame us

Tue Apr 22 2008 12:47:53 GMT

We need to be careful to avoid getting so focused on the problems in trying to repurpose a content delivery system as peer infrastructure that we forget that it's a transient problem. If start by assuming a common infrastructure and then remove the bottlenecks we'll find we have abundant capacity at a very low cost.

South Park says it better

Mon Apr 21 2008 19:40:20 GMT

This episode parodies the popular notion that the Internet is something that can crash. Perhaps more telling is the meta-message -- they very idea that I can simply give you a URL to a TV show bypasses the entire broadcast and telecom infrastructure as if it added no value. Alas, you can't watch the show from outside the US as the infrastructure is used to limit the availability and value of the content (or to create artificial value through synthetic scarcity).

Re: how does one define "capacity"

Sun Apr 20 2008 11:57:12 GMT

We typically think of capacity in terms of bits per second or a technical measure? But that misses the point - shouldn't we think of capacity in social terms or human terms such as the entertainment value we can deliver or the learning we do?

Re: AT&T: Internet to hit full capacity by 2010

Sat Apr 19 2008 00:00:00 GMT

An ATT spokesperson warns us that the "Internet" will run out of capacity ... what does that even mean?

Interview in the May 2008 issue of Linux Journal

Fri Apr 11 2008 23:41:20 GMT

Re: Comments by American Consumer Institute -- misunderstandings in masquerading as facts.

Fri Apr 04 2008 15:16:00 GMT

The ACI policy statement presents common misunderstandings as "facts". These aren't facts at all but they do reflect how people think about connectivity policy issues. For this reason it's important to respond and explain how the Internet is not a thing that we must divvy up according to arbitrary management rules.

"Every Click You Make " Re: [IP] BT admits tracking 18,000 users with Phorm systems in 2006 - and every swipe

Fri Apr 04 2008 10:19:00 GMT

Issuing rebates via credit card creates another opportunity for tracking my behavior while making it difficult to spend the full amount of the rebate.

Re: Comcast increasing compression of some HD sources

Wed Apr 02 2008 14:26:00 GMT

Our fixation on speed as the primary measure of "broadband" value we've lost sight of the importance of connectivity itself. In turn we look to something we can do with speed -- video. In particular HDTV. Yet even for video innovation is far more important than arbitrary standards. It's as if we confused typing speed with the ability to write and think. Speed is easy – we should be demanding ubiquitous (wireless) connectivity rather than more 1950's style TV.

FW: [IP] Comcast HD Quality Reduction: Details, Screenshots - AVS Forum

Wed Apr 02 2008 10:20:00 GMT

Dividing a common medium into separate paths decreases effective capacity as we see with Comcast resorting to compression to fit more channels into their broadband pipes. It's difficult to add compression as an after-the-fact solution. We can indeed compress video signals if we due sufficient computation but it requires stepping back from the isochronous streaming constraint of traditional television.

Re: Hope for Wireless Cities. (revised for clarity)

Mon Mar 31 2008 11:45:32 GMT

Another perspective on how the Internet isn't an improved version of traditional telecom. Internetworking is a pragmatic approach do creating our own solutions. We need to be careful to avoid confusing the bits with their meaning – the problem is not in the network but in ourselves. Given this confusion it's useful to look at the premise that HD is just about lots of bits at high speed. This focus on technical measures misses the point of television as entertainment for humans. It's as if we confused the ability to type with the ability to tell a compelling story.

Re: Hopes for Wireless Cities Fade as Internet Providers Pull Out

Fri Mar 28 2008 08:25:58 GMT

This is part of an ongoing attempt to explain how the Internet is very different from the traditional telecom view of the world. Many efforts to provide local connectivity, including municipal Wi-Fi are simply local version of traditional carriers (I use the term muni-bell). I wrote about this in WiFi Edge. This goes into more detail in responding to counter-arguments.

Re: Economics is Dismal

Sat Mar 22 2008 12:38:43 GMT

When you listen to economists you must examine the presumptions. We shouldn't accept a dismal conclusion based on the presumption of scarcity when know that measures like bandwidth are arbitrary and don't represent the potential capacity available.

Re: Misplaced Hopes for Wireless Cities Fade as Internet Providers Pull Out

Sat Mar 22 2008 12:36:49 GMT

These failures give me hope because I see them as a confirmation that they are the wrong model. Ubiquitous coverage is important but it must be infrastructure and not a patchwork of billable paths and without perverse distinctions between wired and wireless bits.

Re: Comcast claims FCC can't control Comcast's Internet practices

Thu Mar 20 2008 19:19:00 GMT

As long as Comcast is trusted with our ability to communicate they must respect our rights.

Pacman or sheet music and ESPN strong-arming

Sun Mar 16 2008 11:24:20 GMT

The more I think about the idea of taxing "The Internet" (whatever that is) to pay for someone to play music the more absurd it gets.

Emergency Broadcasting via Cellular -- our lives held hostage?

Sat Mar 15 2008 18:12:16 GMT

Cellular systems seem to have an emergency alert capability but it's not turned on because the carriers supposedly have no business case for saving lives.

Re: DNS Redirection: The Plot Thickens

Sat Mar 15 2008 14:28:00 GMT

The carriers shouldn't be second-guess application protocols. It make it difficult to move beyond the past.

911 vs Airplanes?

Sat Mar 15 2008 09:02:00 GMT

Re: Music industry proposes a piracy surcharge on ISPs

Thu Mar 13 2008 18:47:49 GMT

Why do some people think the music will stop unless they can get a cut of the action from our Internet? It's not all about them.

Achieving Connectivity from the Edge

Thu Mar 13 2008 17:05:50 GMT

Very simply the Internet is about relationships that are independent of the path and intermediaries. This is what makes it easy to create new value and our own solutions. The telecom industry is just the opposite - it's all about making sure intermediaries can charge a fee even if they not only don't create new value but work hard to prevent it.

Re: VoIP competitors try to avoid spitting on their subscribers

Tue Mar 11 2008 11:36:35 GMT

It's nice that the carriers, VoIP or otherwise, want to protect me from voice SPAM but I'd much rather get the ability to protect myself. They are using IP but it's still telephony.

Re: INTELLIGENT network management? (far from IP)

Wed Mar 05 2008 21:34:00 GMT

Re: [IP] Informal translation of Report on Network Neutrality Working Group on Network Neutrality Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications,

Wed Mar 05 2008 12:08:00 GMT

Re: [IP] Optical Data Transmitted Over 1, 500 Miles At 16.4 Tbps

Mon Mar 03 2008 09:40:00 GMT

Another reminder that the problem with speed is that it is too easy to move bits quickly and in doing so they threat the business model of those who want to make us pay high prices for networking. Those who cite the "broadband gap" contribute to the idea that it's expensive and difficult.

Re: INTELLIGENT network management? (far from IP)

Sun Mar 02 2008 20:48:00 GMT

"Intelligent" network management misses the point of the Internet

Re: Competition

Sat Mar 01 2008 09:53:00 GMT

Maybe we need a new term "natural commons" for cases where it's hard to have competing exclusive ownership but we want to encourage everyone to contribute.

INTELLIGENT network management? (far from IP)

Fri Feb 29 2008 11:34:00 GMT

If you require QoS for VoIP then you have the PSTN not the Internet. Period.

Re: FCC paths to Internet network management? A thin thin slice of pie anyone?

Fri Feb 29 2008 11:14:00 GMT

What is this concept of "disrupting others"? Isn't that the whole point of the first amendment and any marketplace? By its very nature we have competing interests. The question is how these competing interests are resolved.

FCC Hearing today (Monday, 25-02-2008)

Tue Feb 26 2008 03:44:48 GMT

I was encouraged by the FCC hearings on network neutrality. I'm now focusing on moving ahead to argue for infrastructure rather than settling for neutrality.

FCC: Moving Beyond Neutrality.

Tue Feb 26 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The FCC is holding hearings on "Network Management" in response to the concerns over network neutrality. I've been pleased to see that the FCC is taking steps to limit the carriers' practices but ultimately the problem of neutrality cannot be solved in isolation. The basic problem is that service-based regulator system forces the carriers to take advantage of their control to finance their infrastructure. This is true whether we have a traditional phone company or a municipal system (a "muni-bell"). The FCC can play a positive role in removing the impediments to local ownership and work with the carriers to revisit divestiture but this time effect real restructuring so we can have a shared infrastructure.

FCC Hearing today (Monday, 25-02-2008)

Mon Feb 25 2008 19:05:00 GMT

A routing question

Fri Feb 22 2008 12:28:00 GMT

Re: As predicted: The BitTorrent vs. "traffic shaping" arms race

Wed Feb 20 2008 13:01:00 GMT

BS and FCC v Us and Comcast v ATT

Sat Feb 16 2008 21:16:00 GMT

The carriers' network management policies seem to belie their claims of a crisis. There is not consensus that there is a long term problem. Instead their short term strategies highlight the fundamental problem -- they are managing their network rather than fulfilling their mission of serving our communities. The problem isn't a question of network management - it's about whose network they are managing.

NN is about users, not providers!

Fri Feb 15 2008 13:21:25 GMT

Focusing too much on the plight of small ISPs or even large ones misses the point of the Network Neutrality debate. It's not about how they manage the networks -- it's about our ability to communicate without having to serve the business needs of providers we are forced to use.

Re: Selected comments on the FCC case

Fri Feb 15 2008 09:07:00 GMT

Re: "Deep Packet Inspection" Trade Group

Tue Feb 12 2008 20:18:00 GMT

The post office doesn't inspect my letters -- it just follows the instructions on the envelope. Why do network operators decide they can and should snoop?

Re: "Deep Packet Inspection" Trade Group

Tue Feb 12 2008 18:15:00 GMT

The idea that you must peek at every packet to determine how to handle it misses the point of the Internet. Unfortunately such assumptions go unquestioned by many of those who see telecommunications from a network-centric perspective.

Re: More on Verizon's rejection of AT&T's attitude toward filtering

Wed Feb 06 2008 17:01:00 GMT

Re: More on Verizon's rejection of AT&T's attitude toward filtering

Tue Feb 05 2008 21:54:00 GMT

That Olde Tyme Broadband -- again.

Fri Feb 01 2008 23:03:35 GMT

Another demand for more broadband. Inarticulate rage has risks. Broadband is just a package the Internet comes in. And it comes despite the package not because of it! It's a testament to the power of the ideas behind the Internet that we can get value even though the very idea of telecommunications is dysfunctional -- the more we get the less viable the carrier business is.

Re: Holy War! Researchers say EEs have a 'terrorist mindset'

Thu Jan 31 2008 15:46:30 GMT

The issue is not so much "Terrorist Mindset" as "Engineer's Mindset". That's a naming calling and rather than observation.

Imagine no FCC

Wed Jan 30 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Imagine a world without the FCC and without a telecommunications industry. How would we communicate? The FCC is supposed to assure we can communicate but instead has become agency that has assured scarcity rather than abundance.

Re: Holy War! Researchers say EEs have a 'terrorist mindset'

Tue Jan 29 2008 21:24:51 GMT

Simple theories for simple minds?

Re: Speculation, how AT&T can implement "copyright filtering" without wiretapping/dpi...

Tue Jan 29 2008 16:24:00 GMT

I consider multicast to be more of an application protocol than a network protocol. It's attractive because it seems just like broadcast TV. But without the constrains of today's telecom policies why would we want to broadcast the same content to everyone everywhere at the same time?

Re: the idiots at comcast suddenly started

Fri Jan 18 2008 03:30:17 GMT

Port 25 blocking is annoying and problematic but, for now, I've come to terms and find advantages in relaying my mail through third parties that can vouch for me.

Re: Regulating the Invisible Hand: A Contradiction?

Thu Jan 17 2008 08:17:58 GMT

We must be careful when talking about (de)regulation to recognize when we are trying to manage the results vs. managing a dynamic that we can't fully control. What we can do is try to prevent obvious dysfunctional behavior (as we see with telecom) and find a balance between cooperation and collusion that frustrates marketplace dynamics.

Re: F.C.C. to Look at Complaints Comcast Interferes With Net - New York Times

Wed Jan 16 2008 05:06:19 GMT

A reminder that traditional telecommunications is about solutions provided by a network operator. The Internet is about finding solutions without depending on there even being a designated "network".

Re: [ NNSquad ] Richard Bennett on Comcast and Fairness (from IP)

Mon Jan 14 2008 18:21:28 GMT

A good engineer works within the constraints given -- a great engineer questions the constraints and gets fired because the constraints serve a policy need higher than mere science or reality. One can argue about Comcast's approach but far more important to question the constraints and focus on making the inherent abundance available to all.

Re: Your Thermostats or Your Life!

Sun Jan 13 2008 16:54:09 GMT

The real lesson of the Internet in understanding how to create distributed solutions. Too bad we still try to impose arbitrary "intelligent" solutions rather than working with dynamic marketplaces that can evolve.

Net Neutrality vs Moral Court

Sat Jan 12 2008 06:29:14 GMT

The very idea of that a network provider gets to decide what the nature of our communications is problematic (and offensive). It's not simply a matter of treating everyone equally because still leaves the measure in the hands of carriers whose arbitrary assumptions cannot be challenged. We needn't settle for "equally bad".

Re: Can You Go to Prison for Lying to a Web Site?

Fri Jan 11 2008 20:36:25 GMT

When reading about a new outrage associated with the Internet we have every reason to worry as our laws are stretched to achieve immediate emotional satisfaction as it creates future hazards.

CES Rap -- In the net no net

Thu Jan 10 2008 15:15:40 GMT

This year's CES has a swallowed the Internet with 'nary a burp. None of that annoying distruption.

Re: Brain Doping, or, The Futurological Congress

Thu Dec 27 2007 06:06:42 GMT

It's reasonable to be cautious about so-called cognitive enhancement drugs but we also need to be wary when such concerns seem to be driven by a moral agenda

Re: On the Cusp of the Future

Wed Dec 26 2007 17:06:31 GMT

We tend to envy farsighted governments that set an agenda for the future but somehow these agendas go off the rails whether it's in Japan in the 1990's or the US in 1934 with it's telecom act.

Re: Details of Unlisted Number Address "Exploit" Revealed

Fri Dec 21 2007 23:36:10 GMT

Another example of building upon implicit assumptions. In the early days of telephony forcing people to list their numbers seemed to make sense to capitalize on the network effect. Today we've forgotten why land line (but not cellular!) numbers are listed. Worse, we still limit the network effect to wires and fail to see that it's a social phenomenon and not a technical issue!

Re: The Once and Future King: Multicast looks to (finally) be the future of television.

Fri Dec 21 2007 22:35:00 GMT

F for Fake

Mon Dec 10 2007 00:00:00 GMT

David Strom mused about fake blogs -- but how do we know something is not "fake" -- a surprisingly ambiguous concept.

Rural Broadband Gets Boost From Phone-Fund Proposal

Mon Nov 26 2007 19:03:09 GMT

The Universal Service Fund is caught up in the past when the goal was more telephony. Making the money available for connectivity is an incremental improvement though it would be better to close the fund down.

Re: Edge Bandwidth: 18mbps connectivity widely available in U.S., we just don't realize it.

Sun Nov 25 2007 04:36:15 GMT

Today's Internet protocols are path dependent but we can add a layer on top that allows us to bond multiple paths together to improve performance, reliability and mobility without depending upon the network providers.

Re: Characterizing broadband networks without client software

Sat Nov 24 2007 10:48:00 GMT

No surprise that Telcos try to fit the Internet into their mold.

Re: Internet could clog networks by 2010, study says

Wed Nov 21 2007 03:00:00 GMT

Again we see stories about how the Internet or the phone system would collapse unless the carriers get more money. And again if you look at the claims they make no sense.

More on Internet Clogged 2010? Report doesn't say that.

Wed Nov 21 2007 02:00:00 GMT

More Detail on the "clogged" Internet report and the risk of making recommendations based on a whole pile of conjectures.

Re: "How to Patrol Your ISP"

Sun Nov 18 2007 15:24:00 GMT

Should the router/NATs we use to connect to the Internet also serve as guardians on our behalf?

Re: Comments on NNSquad Purpose

Sat Nov 17 2007 19:05:00 GMT

EVDO Observation

Sat Nov 17 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Re: Is network unneutrality necessarily bad?

Fri Nov 16 2007 23:05:00 GMT

Re: Protocol transparency vs performance

Wed Nov 14 2007 18:27:00 GMT

Read and watch the activities of IPSphere

Wed Nov 14 2007 16:01:21 GMT

IPSphere is an attempt to take the carriers' presumption that it's their network and carry it to the Internet even as they acknowledge there is no longer relationship between the services and the transport.

Re: Neutrality in Perspective

Tue Nov 13 2007 20:02:00 GMT

Re: Neutrality in Perspective

Tue Nov 13 2007 14:35:00 GMT

U.N. forum: Should U.S. give up Web control?

Mon Nov 12 2007 15:15:23 GMT

Once again people seem to think the Internet is something ruled by ICANN. Instead of recognizing that the whole point is that they can create their own solutions they demand their turn to control it.

Re: Comcast limits on outbound e-mail traffic?

Mon Nov 12 2007 13:07:00 GMT

Re: "Network Neutrality Squad": Users Protecting an Open and Fair Internet

Tue Nov 06 2007 20:54:36 GMT

NNN (Network Non-Neutrality) can be obvious as when Comcast spoofs packets. But the more insidious kind is built into the architecture of the network.

Is That a Phone in Your Office?

Thu Nov 01 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The kids today don't see why we need landlines and they are right. So why do we still have an old-style telephone on the desks in our offices?

Video Tipping Point Near?

Sun Oct 28 2007 00:00:00 GMT

As long as people see the Internet as just another "channel" on their broadband pipe it will be hard to explain why we should invest in a common infrastructure. But we are nearing the point at which we'll see TV itself transform into content we view on the Internet. This change in how we think about viewing will make it easier to justify direct investment in infrastructure instead of being suckered into paying forever"cable".

Re: AT&T says there is no duopoly, net neutrality is bad

Thu Oct 25 2007 01:00:00 GMT

NN is not enough -- everyone equally disadvantaged is not enough. I want there to be every incentive to increase capacity…

Re: AT&T says there is no duopoly, net neutrality is bad

Thu Oct 25 2007 00:46:48 GMT

Network Neutrality is a great meme but must be used to help people understand that there is a fundamental problem with telecom. NN legislation runs the risk of legitimizing the status quo.

Re: The Top Five Misconceptions About the Success of Municipal Wireless Networks

Sun Oct 07 2007 21:09:45 GMT

As I've noted the idea of municipal wireless is flawed. We do need ubiquitous wireless connetivity but municipal Wi-Fi is often modeled as a phone service and not connectivity.

The Internet vs The Internet Dynamic

Wed Sep 26 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The thing we call the "Internet" is an artifact. The value of the Internet is in the dynamic that is akin to Moore's law for hardware. When we confuse the artifact with the Internet and ask more of the thing and confuse it with broadband we are in effect asking more of the past. The tragedy is that in asking for more "Internet" we lose it's soul.

A Fine Way to Run a Railroad but not an Internet

Fri Sep 07 2007 10:00:00 GMT

We tend to find ourselves trapped by bad metaphors. The Internet has had such a transformational effect because it has given us the opportunity to create our own solutions by doing our own networking. But we continue to act as if the Internet were a railroad with finite capacity and we must pay others to do our networking for us -- even if that creates a fundamental conflict of interest. We are forced to become dependent upon broadband. The Internet grew rapidly in the US because we could use the phone network as a transport without paying a premium to stay online. Riding the broadband railroad puts an end to that and leaves us firmly dependent upon companies that exist only in the fictional world of the Regulatorium. It's as if instead of enacting antitrust laws we handed the economy over to the robber barons 100 years ago.

If There be Pirates There be Heroes

Fri Sep 07 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Those who have a stake in scarcity vilify Bit Torrent users as Pirates. Those who advance the technology and use what is available or those who take control over our infrastructure for their own benefit while leaving us impoverished and with only a limited ability to communicate.

Re: P2P responsible for as much as 90 percent of all 'Net traffic

Wed Sep 05 2007 12:46:53 GMT

Lies, Damn Lies and Traffic Reports. We need to be very careful in interpreting these studies. What does it even mean to measure traffic in a decentralized system. Who is asking and why?

Re: Comcast Cuts Off Heavy Internet Users and Modems and Webcams and VoIP and web servers and ...

Mon Aug 27 2007 13:11:20 GMT

Remember the modem scare and all the other dire warnings about how the best users are the worst threats?

Re: AT&T's 1993 "You Will" Ads -- no thanks to ATT!

Sat Aug 25 2007 14:58:07 GMT

The idea that only a phone company can delivery services is at the heart of regulatory policy. Unfortunately reality is just the opposite!

Lampposts vs the Internet

Sat Aug 25 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The Internet is about taking advantage of opportunity. Instead of having to find a special place for sensors, such as lampposts, we can take advanate of all the opportunity offered by the distributed nature of the Internet.

Fortunately Minneapolis didn't have a 700Mhz system

Sat Aug 11 2007 18:36:11 GMT

The FCC claims that the 700Mhz auction is a way of funding public safety but they are putting us at risk by failing to learn the lessons of the Internet and the interstate highway systems in the value of a common infrastructure.

Re: You might be paying $1,000 per MB of SMS

Mon Jul 30 2007 13:47:39 GMT

While $1000/MB for SMS is a symptom of larger problems.10¢ may not seem much but such charges on European phone service were enough to discourage use of the Internet and cede the advantage fo the US.

Re: Vint Cerf on Google spectrum and the new "Die Hard"

Tue Jul 24 2007 15:28:37 GMT

We keep talking as if price and cost were well defined. Buying telecom services seems a lot like having to buy a ticket on the railroad rather than being allowed to just drive there ourselves.

Re: iphone and 2 year servitude

Sat Jul 07 2007 18:30:01 GMT

Another reminder that we don't have a real marketplace. The wireless service providers are essentially identical. No matter which we choose we still don't get access to the basic transport and it's even worse when we can't even mix and match technologies and are forced to make choices of entire packages.

Re: Several AT&T Stores Forced Customers to Buy Accessories With iPhone - Gizmodo

Sun Jul 01 2007 00:45:26 GMT

The carriers told us they need to charge a "termination" fee to cover the cost of financing our telephones. Now it's obvious that they are doing it just because they can force us to pay.

Re: Europe opens the door to in-flight phoning

Tue Jun 19 2007 18:42:23 GMT

Too bad we are stuck with cellular technology when we fly rather than getting real connectivity like we had for a brief period with Boeing's Connexxion service.

What does Telecom have to do with the Internet anyway?

Sat Jun 16 2007 17:37:29 GMT

Network neutrality is not an issue in itself. It's a symptom of the larger problem being forced to buy services when we can do far better by creating our own solutions. As long as we keep talking about the Internet as something "out there" we won't be able to take advantage of the bountiful capacity right in our own neighborhoods.

First Square Mile is not the Last or First Mile: Discovery not Just Choices!

Sat Jun 16 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The fights over network neutrality and the demand for more broadband have little to do with the Internet itself. They are only attempts to reform telecom. It would be far better to focus on a positive agenda of connecting our neighborhoods and then inter-connect them. After all, that's what the Internet is really about -- our interconnectedness. Telecom is just a minor application alongside the web and what may lie in the future.

FSM – The First Square Mile, Our Neighborhood

Fri Jun 15 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Telecom is about services delivered over the last mile. Our connected neighborhood gives us the opportunity to discover the unanticipated. Instead of waiting at the end of the last mile we should look within our first square mile and see the possibilities, not just the choices offered.

Re: One of four U.S. jobs headed overseas 1 and comment on

Thu Jun 14 2007 00:13:18 GMT

It's troubling to find the chairman of the Federal Reserve treating technology as a little more than trade. He complains that the best jobs are going overseas and then seems to want to make sure that Americans are qualified to do little more than act as the sideshow for the rest of the world.

NSF announces GENI Project Office and no threat from P2P

Tue May 22 2007 01:54:58 GMT

Project GENI is a throwback to the old days of projecting all our hopes and fears on the network. It's in sharp contrast to the importance of the Internet in recognizing that responsibility and solutions are determined by how we use the transports. Once again, Intelligent Design finds its counterpart in the Intelligent Network.

GENI discussion

Tue May 22 2007 01:00:00 GMT

While project GENI is not the "next Internet" it's worth looking at it because of what is not being done. The approach is inherently biased towards trying to solve social problems inside the network. That's more like the old phone company than the Internet. What seems to be missing from Internet research is the real spirit of the Internet which is to reduce our dependency on the network itself. No surprise that large institutions empower institutions not individuals.

Re: It's Silicon Valley vs. Telcos in Battle for Wireless Spectrum

Wed May 16 2007 15:09:02 GMT

We keep reading about battles for the spectrum -- a fictional construct dating back to our primitive technologies of the early 1900's. Yet we seem to be mesmerized by the spectacle and unable to free ourselves to take advantage of what we have learned in the last century. The world's economy is deprived of trillions of dollars in value and we are barred from creating our own solutions

The Nation's Borders, Now Guarded by the Net

Mon May 14 2007 15:14:14 GMT

It seems as if we are increasingly succumbing to fundamentalist idea such as the notion that morality is absolute and intrinsic. If you used LSD in the 1960's it means your are tainted and this country would rather do without your contributions than accept the idea of evolution. This is the kind of intolerance we profess to be fighting against but instead we seem to fighting over which intolerance will be used to prevent the future from being better than the past.

The Internet is Not Telecom

Mon May 14 2007 00:00:00 GMT

We tend to treat the Internet as another communications network. It isn't -- it's the idea that we can create solutions independent of the telecom services

Re: Customers slow to tune into AT&T's and Verizon's TV over fiber and through retro RG-6

Sun May 13 2007 14:51:02 GMT

The real competition is not between the Telcos and the Cablecos -- the real competition is telecom vs us.

Re: Harvard, BBN Use Streetlamps to Light Up Wireless Network

Sun May 13 2007 14:42:50 GMT

Sensor networks are exciting but it seems that there is more interest in reinventing the wheel than driving anywhere

Re: We're Stuck In The Slow Lane Of The Information Trollway -- it's all about the billing relationship

Tue May 08 2007 18:03:11 GMT

Once again we have the broadband gap … and once again I have to explain that broadband is old telecoms antiInternet. We know how to ask for what was even if it prevents what can be.

Re: The House of Representatives on campus downloading

Fri May 04 2007 19:23:55 GMT

The Internet is intrinsically peer to peer but once again we're seeing people projecting their misunderstandings on the Internet by assuring we can do no harm even if it all also assures that we cannot do good. And that does real harm.

Facing economic realities of muni Wi-Fi Re:

Fri May 04 2007 13:00:59 GMT

As I've tried to explain, much of the enthusiasm over muni Wi-Fi seems to faddish. Wi-Fi has a real potential to add value but instead we're seeing it treated as a way to seem "with it".

more on FCC wants to regulate "violence" on broadcast and basic cable TV

Tue Apr 24 2007 18:46:52 GMT

The concept of a la carte programming is stuck in the idea of channelized television? Why not real choice instead of a limited slate of options?

Re: Researchers explore scrapping Internet - Yahoo! News

Sat Apr 14 2007 22:10:58 GMT

The Internet continues to be a work in progress. Today's Internet is a prototype that made pragmatic compromises in order to allow us to discover what is possible given the constraint of the end-to-end principle. Today too many people believe we now know what the Internet is good for and want to make it better for those applications. This misses the whole point -- the goal was to enable us to continue to discover new possibility, not to find the one answer. If anything we need to remove the scaffolding that has tied to a single infrastructure and encourage more innovation from the edge independent of the governance of ICANN and the dependency on the IP address and the DNS.

Whose Network is it Anyway?

Sat Apr 14 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Verizon says it listens to its customers and responds. What more can one ask? A lot more -- we can demand the ability to create our own solutions instead of petitioning a service provider. It's another lesson in the difference between the world of telecom and its services and the world of the Internet with us, the users, in control. I don't want favors, I want freedom to do it myself!

Forget about it and Oyffice 2k7

Wed Apr 11 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The blog post feature in Office 2007 but it also illustrates the problem as I come to terms with office 2007. All these features are nice but some fundamental problems still remain and patches to an aging product come at a price.

Homeland Insecurity—911 vs the concept of the Internet

Wed Apr 11 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Once again we see an effort to "improve" 911 by taxing phone calls. And all in the name of "Homeland Security". And yet I feel even more insecure.

A system for transferring gasoline ...

Fri Apr 06 2007 16:49:00 GMT

Do patents trump antitrust?

Judge Bars Vonage From Seeking New Customers

Fri Apr 06 2007 15:17:48 GMT

Again Verizon seems intent on using the patent system as a weapon to protect its privileges. (See the followup stay)

Re: Senator Clinton Introduces Rural Broadband Bill

Wed Apr 04 2007 12:16:43 GMT

And once again broadband and other naïve policies feed upon themselves leaving us impoverished and dependent.

more on FCC adopts new phone privacy rules

Tue Apr 03 2007 11:32:11 GMT

Taxing phone calls is necessary to pay for taxing phone calls and round and round we go.

Re: cellphones on planes

Sun Mar 25 2007 12:16:52 GMT

NYT: "No Phones on Planes, Please" and the tyranny of the majority

Sat Mar 24 2007 16:34:32 GMT

Jet passengers may not get to chat on cellphones after all -- but …

Fri Mar 23 2007 03:21:37 GMT

Why is the FCC in the business of regulating social behavior? The FAA has no problems with cell phones in planes but the FCC seems to working hard to find a cover story for what amounts a social policy. (See also my previous post on this topic

Researchers Track Down a Plague of Fake Web Pages

Mon Mar 19 2007 20:41:51 GMT

This is a confirmation of my sense that a significant amount of the spam we see comes from a small number of alpha sources.

[IP] Beyond evil twin hotspots -- the pervasive retaking of control

Sat Mar 17 2007 15:40:19 GMT

The issue with hot spots is just one aspect of the larger battle between the world of telecommunications and the essentially unrelated world of the Internet. Link-level security protects are particular path and makes us more reliant on service providers. End-to-End security is important but ultimately it's about taking responsibility for our networking but ultimately it's about who owns the infrastructure. Ownership is a defining assumption for tele/com being treated as a single industry. Users owning their own infrastructure challenges the basic concept of telecom.

[IP] Re: thieves stealing data thru "evil twin" hotspots

Sat Mar 17 2007 11:00:00 GMT

Another lesson -- the importance of end-to-end security. Link level security between computers and access points is another example of complacency. It works just well enough for the naïve to treat the problem as solve. The result is to leave us vulnerable and surprised.

Let Them Eat Bandwidth?

Wed Mar 14 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The Boston Globe reported that Comcast cut off a user for too much downloading. I applaud Globe calling attention to these kind of abuses by Comcast and other providers and I encourage them to pursue this topic and ask why we have to ask permission to communicate.

[IP] More DST fall-out

Sun Mar 11 2007 18:43:16 GMT

More on DST as a reminder of the importance of proper representation. Even something seemingly as simple as a date is fully of subtle surprises.

[IP] DST and related foibles

Fri Mar 09 2007 12:31:30 GMT

DST is round #2 of Y2K. It's useful to stress the system from time to time so we assure our systems are resilient rather than brittle. Change is the norm so we need to stress systems to help them stay resilient.

Looking Behind the Curtain

Thu Mar 01 2007 23:08:14 GMT

The telecom industry appears to be very large and imposing but in reality it's all very simple.

FTC Broadband Workshop Comments

Sun Feb 25 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The title of the FTC workshop on “Broadband Con-nectivity Competition” assumes that the status quo makes sense and we only need to fine tune it. What struck me most about the workshop is the lack of a crisp insight. There was a lot of talk about how complex the issues are and lots of fascination with the details of the current Internet. But there was a stunning failure to see though the complexity. We can argue all we want about neutrality or we can recognize that bits are inherently neutral and reframe policy in terms of basic connectivity. Basic connectivity means we can create our own solutions rather than being required to buy services from a provider. We would not need to petition the FCC nor the FTC for neutrality. Attempting to bring a service-based model in line with the principles of neutrality is futile and counter-productive.

[IP] The MP3 patent debacle

Sat Feb 24 2007 13:17:27 GMT

Microsoft finds itself having to pay again for the MP3 patents. Too bad MP3 has become a generic name and thus people demand it when they really don't care about the particular compression scheme. Everything is labeled "MP3" these days. It's not even a good scheme.

[IP] Re: Windows Vista Flunks At MIT

Mon Feb 12 2007 10:34:28 GMT

Transitioning to Vista can be a challenge when user code is too smart or the operating system is too specific. Static friction slows development and makes it difficult to take advantage of new capabilities.

[IP] Re: It's just CFR -- Copper Fiber and Radios vs Telecom?

Mon Feb 12 2007 00:26:32 GMT

Deploying our CFR as a community activity

The Perspective of History

Mon Feb 12 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The Internet in Perspective

Sun Feb 11 2007 00:00:00 GMT

With all the discussion about VoIP and the two-tiered Internet and Broadband policy you'd think something is being said. But the words have no common meaning. The biggest problem, perhaps, is that the Internet itself is little more than a demonstration of what is possible when one is forced to come up with solutions that are not beholden to third parties who cannot help but use their control to limit our opportunities to create different of solutions.

[IP] Re: An Alternative To San Francisco's Wi-Fi Deal

Thu Feb 01 2007 15:11:45 GMT

Applying CFR principles. Can San Francisco transcend broadband and create real infrastructure?

[IP] It's just CFR -- Copper Fiber and Radios vs Telecom?

Mon Jan 29 2007 08:21:42 GMT

CFR: Our Copper Fiber and Radios

Mon Jan 29 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Our Copper, Fiber and Radios are a simple fixed asset. Why are we paying a service fee to privileged services providers when we can do it better ourselves. Our home networks run at a gigabit bit without a service charge yet we can on thousandth the capacity when we go outside our homes and pay a high fee for the "privilege". I was reminded of this as I saw Verizon installers running RG-6 cable for FiOS TV when I already had a perfectly good gigabit network and then they told me I had to use their router …

Be Careful Lest You Get What You Ask For

Sat Jan 20 2007 00:00:00 GMT

If we want more Internet connectivity we must not ask for broadband. They are not the same thing. We've managed to salvage broadband as transport but the price we pay is that we are disconnected unless we are near our TVs and PCs.

[IP] more on Visual VM

Sun Jan 14 2007 11:21:10 GMT

The idea of a visual UI for voice mail is obvious. The problem is that it took a billion dollar company to get a cellular carrier to let them do it. We should demand real interfaces and not just a choice of arbitrary facades that hide the underlying opportunities.

[IP] more on dot "ex-ex-ex" domain boondoggle, err, proposal, back again -- so much for ambiguity

Sun Jan 07 2007 08:14:41 GMT

.XXX again! It's not just that it's a bad idea, .XXX is loaded with very dangerous political agendas.

[IP] Ailing music biz set to relax digital restrictions

Tue Jan 02 2007 15:46:42 GMT

No surprise that DRM is working so well that it is preventing people from watching movies and this is showing up in slow sales. Tellywood seems to be slowly waking to up the realization that better to make a few sales than none at all.

Power Distribution to be like Telecom Distribution

Sun Dec 31 2006 00:00:00 GMT

If the telecom companies can get us to pay for their private distribution systems when why should the power companies have to share a wires. They too should be able to running billing paths to every house!

[IP] RE: The AT&T/BellSouth Deal and Hollow Net Neutrality

Sat Dec 30 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The fATT/BellSouth merger is papered over with empty Network Neutrality promises. But the real problem is the underlying assumption that the transport is to be funded by services. We need to fix the basic funding model rather than pretend we can keep a broken model as long as we naïve enough to believe in vague promises to be neutral. (until bugs is fixed see this for a more readable version.

[IP] Inflight Web in Holding Pattern Inflight Web in Holding Pattern

Sat Dec 23 2006 19:15:56 GMT

Once more we are going to be disconnected when in flight. Apparently we're to be kept isolated and out of touch because it's not profitable to the airlines. Alas, once again nanoeconomics and a lack of perspective.

[IP] Moving beyond IPV6

Fri Dec 15 2006 16:33:49 GMT

The has serious scaling problems and while IPV6 might help we have to go back to the edge and communicate despite the center rather than put all our effort in fixing the middle.

[IP] NY Times coverage of T-Mobile dual mode phone trial

Fri Dec 15 2006 03:01:37 GMT

T-Mobile is happy to charge you extra to send some of your cell phone calls over Wi-Fi. You pay to reduce their traffic? Is Wi-Fi magic? Am I missing something?

[IP] Kindergarten Cam Redux

Thu Dec 14 2006 18:26:20 GMT

The price has once more discovered and example of using the Internet to view remote cameras. What is old is new again if you don't recognize the common theme and view each instance in isolation.

(Wireless) Connectivity from the Edge

Thu Dec 14 2006 00:00:00 GMT

While I applaud the idea of municipal Wi-Fi in spirit, in practice it is problematic and we have a far better alternative in connectivity from the edge by taking advantage of existing paths and building from there. The danger is that these well-meaning efforts will give us more of the past rather than the opportunities inherent in a dynamic and ever-changing Internet.

Our Internet!

Thu Dec 14 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The Internet is not something we connect to. It's not even a network like the phone network. It simply the name for the community that can connect using common protocols. Instead of thinking about networks and broadband we must look for transports that create the opportunity to connect. We should pay for copper and glass and radios and not have funding by buying service we can do ourselves. It's not about the money -- it's about the lack of opportunity.

The FTC Must Look Beyond Broadband

Thu Dec 14 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The FTC is going to hold a workshop on broadband competition. Broadband competition is a charade. We need the real competition that will come from having a transport that is not beholdent to those whose business is selling billable services.

The HP-HW6945: Mobile Computing w/Telephony

Sat Dec 02 2006 00:00:00 GMT

I don't think of the HP-HW6945 as a telephony. The addition of a built-in GPS and the ability to run multiple applications has made telephony one of the applications. It's a taste of mobile computing and a chance to learn the value of ubiquitous connectivity.

Mulling about Writing about Mulling.

Sat Dec 02 2006 00:00:00 GMT

It's easy for me to write quick email posts but far more difficult to write without the safety of the small group and the lists context. And then there are those typos. Maybe if I confess I can feel freer to write more freely but probably not.

[IP] Microsoft Enters Municipal Wi-Fi Realm

Wed Nov 15 2006 15:57:41 GMT

I appreciate Microsoft's interest in providing municipal connectivity but it's still locked within the billable service model. Microsoft should be at the forefront in assuring we have a connected infrastructure.

A Real Marketplace

Wed Nov 01 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Alfred Kahn, the architect of airline regulation argues against heavy handed network neutrality legislation. While I agree that additional regulation is unwise the solution is not status quo but a real marketplace which is self-regulated. Transport and content are distinct industries yet the FCC and its Regulatorium seem desperate to maintain the fiction that they one and the same. What we need is a dose of reality.

The Internet as Design Principle

Mon Oct 09 2006 00:00:00 GMT

We tend to think of the Internet in terms of what we can do with it. But the design principles that have allowed the Internet to become what it is are far more important than each application. The Internet is a lesson in how to build resilient sytems.

[IP]. stalling Wi-Fi plans -- obviously Wi-Fi is not considered useful in itself.

Fri Sep 22 2006 09:06:41 GMT

Muni Wi-Fi is a nice idea -- we should be able to assume ubiquitous connectivity. Unfortunately such efforts aren't as if they are worthwhile products. Instead they are often given grudging acceptance as long as they can pay their own way. It's akin to funding roads only out of the revenue of the restaurants along the way and seeing no additional value in having at transportation system.

[IP] Spectrum Allocation and the Burden of Proof

Fri Sep 08 2006 19:29:04 GMT

It's nearly 80 years since the US Supreme Court accepted limitations on First Amendment and gave Federal Radio Commission control over our speech. After 80 years of advances in technology the onus is on those advocating spectrum allocation to justify the extraordinary exception to the First Amendment.

[IP] Understanding Robots.txt

Mon Sep 04 2006 00:00:00 GMT

People need to learn to live in a world in which you can't undo. Robots.txt is just a convention and the failure mode is to copy everything.

[IP] company refuses to sell Internet services or other contract-based plans to people over 70 or under 70?

Sun Sep 03 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Yet another example of confusion of this "Internet" thing.

Whatever on Whatever

Fri Sep 01 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The VON conferences are moving beyond Voice on the Net. In fact, we can send pretty much whatever we want over any transport available.

[IP] more on YUP!! results of uk ban

Thu Aug 10 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Once more our lives become more narrow and less pleasant as we focus on walling ourselves off from danger.

[IP] more on search experience on "border"

Thu Aug 03 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Our use of secret ballots is a recognition of the need for having some escape from others' judgment and scrutiny. If we expect to be watched all the time we will learn to avoid taking the risks necessary to discover new ideas.

[IP] An Identity Protection Racket?

Wed Jul 26 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Another reminder that identity theft is a profit center for the financial industry. They want you to pay for protection from their sloppy procedures.

[IP] more on snobol & java

Wed Jul 26 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Today's computing isn't all that new. In fact, when I was a kid . . .

FCC vs Us

Fri Jul 21 2006 00:00:00 GMT

As much as one can fault the phone companies and cable companies for their behavior, the are acting within the rules of the Regulatorium. It is a folie à deux -- a shared madness in which the participants create their own reality. The carriers are behaving rationally in responding to the demands of the Regulatorium rather than their customers. In fact, the customers are a threat as they seek to wrest control from the gatekeepers.

It's Our Infrastructure

Fri Jul 21 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Continuing on the theme of understanding our infrastructure vs the carriers' assumption all those fibers exist only for their benefit. They want consumers not users who can be participants and thus competitors.

A Folie à Deux—The FCC and Telecommunications!

Fri Jul 21 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The FCC and the telecom industry live in their own little world … the rest of us are disinvited.

[IP] more on "Strong" AI to be here within 25 years

Sat Jul 15 2006 00:00:00 GMT

It's important to understand how systems evolve. In some situations we get the kind of hyper-growth characterized by Moore's law. It's not magic -- it's co-evolution as long as you don't care about the particular results. I doesn't occur if you have a particular goal as there is nothing to be intelligently designed. And that includes so-called intelligence. The issue is important because understanding how complex systems function is essentially for those making policy decisions -- unfortunately there is a tendency to take an authoritarian approach as if those who want to do us good are proxies for the grand intelligent designer.

[IP] more on Initial experience with Win XP VM with Parallels Desktop for [Intel] Mac

Tue Jul 11 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Virtualization and end-to-end go very well together. Unfortunately USB is a bucket brigade protocol that puts too many constraints on each element in the feeding chain.

[IP] more on fbi plans new Net-tapping push

Sat Jul 08 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Is the unexamined conversation going to become illegal?

Convergence?

Sat Jul 01 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Convergence – it’s an attractive idea – all networks using common IP protocols. Instead of having a special network for each form of content we have a single converged network.

Cringely: If we build it they will come

Fri Jun 30 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Robert X Cringely's PBS column does a better job that I can in articulating why we should be thinking about infrastructure rather than simply trying to get the carriers to behave better.

[IP] more on Verizon "Broadband Router" the perfect Trojan Horse

Fri Jun 30 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Network Neutrality or NN is a way to articulate the principle of unfettered connectivity with the rest of the Internet. It gives us a way to say No No to carriers that are very tempted to use technology to limit our ability to make full use of the Internet.

[IP] more on Broadcast flags pass Committee markup, net neutrality to be voted on tomorrow.

Wed Jun 28 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The broadcast bit again … how can anyone create new economic value if we must prove the worth of every new idea to who think bits have intrinsic meaning and morality?

[IP] more on skype

Fri Jun 23 2006 00:00:00 GMT

As I noted in previous comments on Skype it represents the future of connectivity. A layered dependency upon End-to-End misses the point of End-to-end. Another reminder that the current Internet is a just prototype.

It's about Infrastructure!

Thu Jun 22 2006 00:00:00 GMT

It's often far easer to explain a point in response to a question than try to write a general position paper. This is a good start before you read the related essays. It's about our infrastructure not the Regulatorium's notion of services.

[IP] more on Hub & Spoke or P2P Mesh? That is the question.

Thu Jun 22 2006 00:00:00 GMT

A reminder to be careful of what we ask for. It is more important to work with the marketplace dynamic than specifying a specific result such as "high speed broadband"

Response to Infrastructure Questions

Thu Jun 22 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Response to questions about my infrastructure comments.

[IP] Senate Commerce Committee reprieve for broadcast flag, net neutrality decisions

Thu Jun 22 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The broadcast flag may be worse than nonneutrality.

Connectivity Sound Bites

Wed Jun 21 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Sometimes, perhaps most of the time, all you have is a chance to say one or two sentences. Here are a few for your framing pleasure.

Opportunity, not Services

Sun Jun 18 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Today's debate about our infrastructure is framed in terms of network neutrality. We must articulate the concept of an open transport but the real debate will be about owning our own infrastructure. It is more than just means for carriers' to deliver services. You may want to read Infrastructure! first to better understand the context.

Carriers: Their Services vs Our Infrastructure

Fri Jun 16 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Read Opportunity for an overview. The whole concept of "telecommunications" seems to be fundamental and necessary. But if you step back you see how all the pieces fit together but they are in a world of their own. We are able to create our own solutions. The question is not whether carriers will permit us to communicate, it's only a question of how long will we allow our economy and safety to be held out bay in order to support an obsolete and business model that preserves scarcity rather than allowing us to get the benefits of abundant connectivity.

[IP] Who they're spying on

Wed Jun 07 2006 00:00:00 GMT

It's easy to try to justify bad policies by pointing to examples of good results. The current administration's contempt for our rights and any restraints on its activities gives us added reasons to object to its spying on its own citizen. It's public statement shows a dangerously warped and naïve view of the reality. The contempt it has shown for legal constraints on its activities shows contempt for our freedoms.

[IP] more on EU to tax e-mail, text messages?

Sat May 27 2006 00:00:00 GMT

One more attempt to tax email. While I don't expect it to go anywhere it's a reminder that bad metaphors keep getting rediscovered.

Sidewalks: Paying by the Stroll

Thu May 25 2006 00:00:00 GMT

We've gotten used to paying for phone calls as a service. It almost seems normal. Why not take this concept further. Why not regulate Transport Service Providers in order to assure Quality of Stroll?

[IP] more on Cell Carriers to Web Customers: Use Us, but Not Too Much -- Modem "Crisis" Redux

Thu May 11 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Once again we see the carriers raising alarms about customers using too much of their network. It's another reminder that we have an industry whose incentive is maintain scarcity so they can exert control. Why does Congress seem to want to reward the carriers for this behavior rather than punishing them?

Tele/Communications

Mon May 01 2006 00:00:00 GMT

In the last column I asked what a Phone Company does and why we need one. In this column I continue the theme by questioning the assumptions implicit in the word “telecommunications”.

Beyond Buggy Whips

Wed Apr 26 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Frank Coluccio reposted comments I made on a mailing list. People are starting to think beyond the current carriers. This is a trend that is gaining momentum.

[IP] Out At Sea

Mon Apr 17 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Before we had offshoring we had Britain and its East India Company. Are today's carriers the modern version of the global monopolies?

[IP] more on In Silicon Valley, a Man Without a Patent

Sun Apr 16 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Patenting away huge swaths of the future is a risky policy for society. Patents do have value but today's tendency towards preempting patenting has gone too far. Even more troublesome is that patenting of old ideas simply because they weren't locked done.

Telecom is Just a Phrase We're Going Through

Fri Mar 31 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Telecom is just a phrase. Tele (over distance) is distinct from Communications (Talking). The entire telecom industry is premised on the notion that they are a single concept and thus normal marketplace forces don’t apply. But transport is simple infrastructure. Today's regulatorium is premised on a compromise made in 1927 to support spectrum allocation and its inefficiencies. In 2006 we must correct the misunderstanding and allow for abundance and opportunity.

FAQ for Telecom is Just a Phrase

Fri Mar 31 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Some background for Telecom is Just a Phrase We're Going Through"

[IP] more on for Californians AB 2231 Emergency alerts

Fri Mar 31 2006 00:00:00 GMT

It's tempting to use the SMS capabilities of cell phones for emergency messaging but it's a problematic system. More troubling is the tendency to confuse the retail price of such services with cost.

Skype as the Future of Connectivity

Thu Mar 23 2006 00:00:00 GMT

It is Skype, not Internet 2, that represents the future of connectivity. Skype provides stable connectivity despite the Internet. The report on an investigation of Skype's code makes this even more clear.

[IP] Companies That Fought Cities On Wi-Fi, Now Rush to Join In

Mon Mar 20 2006 00:00:00 GMT

It's no surprise that carriers want to bid on the franchises to control municipal Wi-Fi. But that's the wrong model -- we shouldn't cede control of the commons to companies whose only goal is creating billable events.

[IP] TV Stations Fined Over CBS Show Deemed to Be Indecent

Fri Mar 17 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Our Federal Speech Commission is complicit with Astroturf campaigns in their pursuing a moralistic agenda. Too bad the press is complicit in failing to do more than hint that the 300,000 letters the FCC received are Astroturf rather than representing mandate. The theme of "Good night and good luck" is even more relevant now than it was in the 1950's.

[IP] Cell Phones Airplanes and all that]

Tue Mar 07 2006 00:00:00 GMT

After all the serious discussion of the issues it's useful to remember that this is about how we live our lives. The technology can be used to make traveling fun rather than something to be endured.

[IP] a good discussion more on worth reading the economic arguments djf The High-Speed Money Line]]

Mon Mar 06 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Today's telecom industry assumes that the transport and the content are the same so we can tax the value of communications to pay for transport. This is no longer possible and doesn’t make sense. We must shift to creating a real infrastructure and a real marketplace rather than continuing the failed experiment in state socialism.

[IP] Maybe the cause is bad design of aircraft cell phones and electronic devices are a risk to planes]

Sun Mar 05 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Another warning about the dangers of cell phones rather than wondering why aircraft are so vulnerable.

[IP] TECHNOLOGY ALERT: AT&T Plans to Buy BellSouth v2]

Sun Mar 05 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Another tragic consequence of a failed experiment in state socialism from the 1930's. The real question is why this chimera is tolerated when its own research demonstrates that communications and transport have no intrinsic relationship. If Whitacre says his business isn't viable then he seems to be doubling up the bet in the same way that Ebbers did.

What’s a Phone Company? And Why?

Wed Mar 01 2006 00:00:00 GMT

You no longer buy light from a light company, you buy electricity. Why are people still buying phone calls from a phone company?

[IP] more on Plug-In Internet Connection to Get Test on Long Island]

Mon Feb 27 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Broadband over Powerline is a strange beast because it's be brought to you by an industry that is even more encumbered than the current carriers. While I welcome additional paths, I'm concerned about the mired in problematic regulations and economic models. (See the previous post)

[IP] mo Plug-In Internet Connection to Get Test on Long Island

Sun Feb 26 2006 00:00:00 GMT

[IP] Flash TV -- the broadcasters'' nightmare

Fri Feb 24 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The new show Kappa Mikey is done using Flash. Sending flash through the standard broadcast channels destroys the integrity of the original flash. It's a harbinger of content which is done far better outside the broadcast channel. Their role is shipping from facilitator to a bottleneck

infoTalk Podcast form Mashup Camp 20060220

Wed Feb 22 2006 00:00:00 GMT

A podcast from David Berlin's Mashup Camp at the Computer History Museum. John Furrier interviewed me on various topics including my current fixation on liberating the infrastructure.

So Why Say Infrastructure?

Sun Feb 19 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Dana Blankenhorn posted some of my comments about what it means for our infrastructure to be held hostage. It's the kind of short post that I should do more often -- I tend to try too hard to explain rather than posting short comments.

[IP] Google Video DRM: Why is Hollywood more important than users?

Tue Feb 14 2006 00:00:00 GMT

DRM is about far more than just protecting "content". It's about controlling technology. I am not allowed to take advantage of my 2500x1600 display until Tellywood gives me permission. This is offensive and nutty -- allowing the clowns to tell us what we are allowed to do!

9-1-1 – Better Safe Than Live?

Sat Feb 04 2006 00:00:00 GMT

What's the good of 9-1-1 if it fails in an emergency because you have to first tell it that you haven't changed your location. Too bad 9-1-1 is more about politics than safety.

Achieving Connectivity

Wed Feb 01 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Abundant connectivity is here but the cellular carriers want to Assure Scarcity because it threatens their business. They agree that the Internet is going to give us plentiful and cheap bits. We shouldn't be negotiating to get the carriers to behave better, they can't and even if they did, the Internet is more than faster phone lines. We should focus instead on Getting Connected by shifting the basis for policy from predefined and limited services to the opportunity afforded by connectivity.

QoS as per the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India

Wed Feb 01 2006 00:00:00 GMT

A "Next Generation Report" for the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has a nice statement saying that QoS is a nonissue. QoS is a big issue because it's gives the transport owner to define service policies. If QoS is moot, then they lose the ability to choose the winners and charge a premium for "quality" bits.

[IP] more on Looking for "futurists"

Tue Jan 31 2006 14:15:37 GMT

Companies don't want to know about futures in which they don't exist.

Assuring Scarcity

Tue Jan 31 2006 00:00:00 GMT

I've been trying hard to explain that the Internet gives us abundant capacity to connect and create new value but it is being thwarted by the telecom industry. The cellular companies are so confident that they are willing to make my case for me. They are warning each other about the danger of abundance and lay out their strategy for assuring scarcity. They are bragging about maintaining monopoly control. They pride themselves in stalling the global economy. Why do we stand for this?

Getting Connected

Mon Jan 30 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The telephone and cable TV networks are fundamentally different from the Internet. Asking the carriers is a losing proposition -- they can honor the rules while violating the spirit. More important they are trying to provide wide area phone service and they are inherently unable to provide abundant local connected. We need a policy based on connected rather than treating the Internet as something the carriers will deign to allow.

[IP] Government study: VoIP, video can be taxed

Fri Jan 27 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The topic of "Internet" taxation keeps coming up but that's a meaningless concept. Commerce is commerce independent of the Net. VoIP is a technology. You can tax people providing phone services but not SIP. It's hard to have a rational discussion among people who are using meaningless terms. Worse are laws that embody misguided assumptions.

[IP] more on STUPID STUPID High-Def Forced To Down-Convert

Wed Jan 25 2006 00:00:00 GMT

It's difficult to discuss the DRM issues because we have a conceptual device between those who view bits as bits and those who view each instance and form of their product as an new product. Current DVDs and HD DVDs are seen as different products -- not just an increase in capacity.

And Now with Billability

Sun Jan 22 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The new big thing for the telephone companies is IMS. It is supposed to be a way to delivery all sorts of new service but in reality it's real purpose is to assure that they can bill for services and prevent their users from competing with them. It's an attempt to prevent the Internet from growing. It's doomed and their investors are going to learn that you can't find an idea. But for the carriers it's their last desperate attempt to have a reason to exist and we are paying the price for their intransigence.

[IP] more on Steve Gibson: MS WMF is a Backdoor, Not a Coding Mistake

Fri Jan 13 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Microsoft's WMF bug may be serious but it's seems like a classic bug but not an intentional backdoor

[IP] more on Spielberg loses out at the push of a button

Wed Jan 11 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Another example of why DRM-based systems are so fragile. Unfortunately people seem to generalize from examples in isolation and thus fail to see the systemic consequences of their policies. This is not just about DRM -- it affects medical care and our safety. The wisdom embodied in the US Constitution is not to be found in today's "leadership".

[IP] more on Spielberg loses out at the push of a button

Wed Jan 11 2006 00:00:00 GMT

More on the DRM issues. The computer industry creates value by decoupling system elements which allows us to create new and valuable combinations. Tellywood is just the opposite -- everything is a unique product and little of the value is available to the future.

[IP] more on response from Google to yet another twist

Tue Jan 10 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Google is cooperating with researchers measuring network performance. It would be wonderful if we could scale this effort with a SETI-like approach that allows us all to contribute a small amount of our networking and computing capacity to give us a better understanding of the dynamics of the Internet.

[IP] more on WI-FI RUN BY CITIES: YEA OR NAY?

Mon Jan 09 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The so-called "Progress and Freedom Foundation" seems to be driven by ideology unfettered by understanding. It's trying to preserve a fictional telecom industry against the threat of a fictional municipal telecom industry. Unfortunately many accept this argument because they do not understand the concept of connectivity and the opportunity it providers.

[IP] more on [I agree djf] an acurate description of this behavior is unprintable in polite company

Sun Jan 08 2006 00:00:00 GMT

As I discovered when I first got my Samsung i730, Microsoft and Samsung have been cooperating with Verizon by crippling the Bluetooth capabilities and also crippling the browser. I share the strong aversion to such odious behavior.

[IP] worth reading more on : Telco's Arrogant Stand on Content

Sat Jan 07 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The story of IPTV is very confused. If you start asking questions you find that the story falls apart. The carriers claim that they deserve special advantages in delivering video content but what they are really asking for is special treatment for assuring scarcity. When offered abundance they get afraid. Additional comments in a followup posting.

Gearlog Radio: Bob Frankston -- Make The Internet More Like Interstate Highways

Fri Jan 06 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Talking to David Coursey at CES about the Internet as infrastructure

[IP] Leap second considered harmful

Tue Jan 03 2006 00:00:00 GMT

I'm glad to see I'm not alone in questioning the idea of a leap second. This 21 page reports goes into detail but concludes that the leap second is not necessary while creating problems of its own. Now, we can chuck the whole thing and move one?

[IP] more on Huge virus threat rocks Microsoft

Tue Jan 03 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Another reminder that the world has its toxic elements. Technology is not perfect and even solutions come with risks.This is as much a social problem as a technical one. We must go after those who exploit these vulnerabilities. Too bad the fixation on terrorism blinds us to real and immediate threats.

[IP] Student sues over mistaken drug bust

Fri Dec 30 2005 00:00:00 GMT

If the "authorities" can't distinguish between flour and cocaine can we trust them when they have all that mined data to misinterpret?

Speed is nice, connectivity is vital

Tue Dec 27 2005 00:00:00 GMT

There is a temporary glut of high speed connections but we shouldn't confuse the current applications with what we can do with abundant connectivity. 30cps (300bps) was wonderful and 1200bps was faster than we could read. And we soon found that we needed more. We are still confusing fast broadband with the Internet and simply replacing the television isn't that exciting but we'll get past that. Universal connectivity is far more important than speed just as universal service was an important idea (even with a bad implementation) in the early days of telephony. We need to shift our emphasis to connectivity. The billions spent on redundant infrastructure is more than sufficient to provide 24x7 connectivity to everyone with or without a wire. The problem is that the carriers' business model presumes scarcity. Abundant connectivity means that they are no longer in a privileged position in creating services and thus can't repay the costs of that infrastructure. Ironically the only way they can compete in providing "broadband" is to emphasize speed.

[IP] more on Leap second fight brewing

Mon Dec 26 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Leap Seconds again … no programming language can handle it because seconds are fungible but apparently rocket scientists are too dumb to handle correction factors.

[IP] more on Cellphone 911 calls failed in big storm: Prudence

Thu Dec 22 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Once again an attempt to impose a narrow solution. Providing location information would allow the creation of new services in place of an anachronistic E911 system.

[IP] more on Talking Points: The So-Called War on Christmas - New York Times

Sat Dec 17 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Those who claim that there is a "war on Christmas" are aligned with those who want to use the FCC as a Federal Speech Commission as an ally in a fight against tolerance.

Why not just save as XML?

Fri Dec 16 2005 00:00:00 GMT

When I save settings from a device or a program it's typically in some inscrutable binary format. That's just dumb. Save in XML unless there is a strong reason not to. Just do it!

[IP] GOOD QUOTES IPTV quote

Fri Dec 16 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Microsoft is proud that IPTV boxes are closed boxes that allow the carriers to control your browsing as well as choosing what you can watch and when you can watch it. Good this monstrosity is going to fail of its own weight. (See follow-up comments

[IP] more on eBay faces up to online fraud The online auctioneer eBay has admitted an "extreme growth" in the number of personal accounts being hijacked by fraudsters.

Fri Dec 16 2005 00:00:00 GMT

More phishing -- why just treat the symptoms? Are governments ready to take this seriously?

[IP] Student-run radio station fighting for air

Fri Dec 16 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Scarcity is an opportunity to impose social policy. Rather than fighting to assure everyone has a voice why don't we just make IP connectivity available and stop this nonsense?

[IP] more on Telecoms want their products to travel on a faster Internet

Thu Dec 15 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Fancy words for simply pigging out on our connectivity. Also see One Percent.

Looking Back from Above

Sun Dec 11 2005 00:00:00 GMT

I've found fun playing with the new bird's eye view available with Microsoft's Virtual Earth. I can look back to where I lived when I first moved to Boston.

[IP] credit card rip-off (fwd)

Sat Dec 10 2005 02:00:00 GMT

And the companies doing snookering are proud -- they call them loyalty programs! Does marketing work best when sociopathic? I hope not.

[IP] credit card rip-off (fwd)

Sat Dec 10 2005 01:00:00 GMT

Scam or not a scam? Where is the boundary between "clever" marketing and outright fraud? Beware clicking the "rewards" button after making a purchase -- you might find yourself getting build monthly.

[IP] more on Comcast plans 6% rate hike / Increase comes as phone firms prepare to enter cable market

Wed Dec 07 2005 01:00:00 GMT

Comcast is raising it's rates at the same time that I find I can get reasonable quality using only 5% of the capacity of my Internet connection. Phone companies kept raising their rates until VoIP put an end to such nonsense.

[IP] A follow up comment about PC streaming

Wed Dec 07 2005 00:00:00 GMT

In thinking about it the real problem is not that I can bypass the carriers but that while they've been guarding their castle a vibrant and larger city is growing up outside not hobbled by their business model nor DRM.

VoIP–A Life Saver!

Wed Dec 07 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Once again in a disaster resilient connectivity has showed it's value. It allows anyone to contribute to the solution. Tradiitional networks create brittle dependencies because the business model requires that everything be captures and billed. Can we really afford to put ourselves in peril to conform to an obsolete business model that exists only because of a regulatorium that disserves us?

[IP] more on Google search and seizure, etc. vs. technologists

Sun Dec 04 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Techies seem to view each no threat with grave concern while accepted the myriad of present threats to privacy with indifference.

[IP] more on re: 2029, A Worldwide Mesh?

Sun Dec 04 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Another example of attempting to do us favors by creating a smarter network rather than giving us enabling technology. It's no surprise that people solving low level technical problems will want to present in terms of visible benefits but we must not confuse that with giving us the ability to create new solutions. The problem with these approaches is that they divert us from solving the real problems of a connected infrastructure. The current Internet doesn't support local solutions because of dependencies on mechanisms such as the DNS. Today's telecom companies are a major impediment to any improvement because they threaten those who try to solve their own problems. This is not just business as usual but malevolence and clear and present danger.

[IP] more on Amazon Phishing scam - BEWARE!

Sat Dec 03 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Phishing is more of a social problem than a technical one it prays on our trust "cues". We need to develop a way to come to terms with this problems rather than looking for absolute protection.

[IP] The RBOC's next move (blocking)

Sat Dec 03 2005 00:00:00 GMT

With all the concern about carriers blocking access to Internet services there has been remarkable little blocking. The real threat is far simpler -- the withholding of capacity and the lack of ubiquitous connectivity.

[IP] Telecoms required to save logs of e-mail

Fri Dec 02 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The EU is requiring telecom companies to save email logs. While this may help catch some unwanted behavior it seems to be another example of an inability to come to terms with "edge-to-edge" architectures.

[IP] more on Chinese hackers

Fri Nov 25 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Once again we see an attack on a supposedly vital system. We can't simply put up new walls -- we need to understand how to be effective participants in a complex ecosystems rather than hermits limited by fear.

[IP] more on Renewed Warning of Bandwidth Hoarding

Fri Nov 25 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Once again we see carriers trying to demonize their best customers. Rather than responding defensively we should question the fundamental premises of the current telecom industry.

[IP] more on Coming to TV: ads about you -- 2

Wed Nov 23 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Once again we have advertisers salivating over technology. Such efforts do represent a threat to privacy but the real losers may be advertisers who look backwards rather than ahead.

[IP] more on TiVo to Bring TV to iPod and PSP

Tue Nov 22 2005 00:00:00 GMT

We shouldn't confuse sharing degraded or low resolution versions of content with the ability to control the bits we have.

[IP] Cisco Agrees to Buy Scientific-Atlanta for $6.9 Bln

Fri Nov 18 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Cisco's purchase of Scientific-Atlanta may open the way for video content to be distributed over the IP infrastructure. The walled garden may be still be implemented using encryption but the ability to share a common infrastructure would be a major step forward. I await to see what happens.

[IP] Verizon's EVDO terms of use

Thu Nov 10 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Whose network is it anyway? Verizon's EVDO policies seem to be out odds with the service they really sell. These kind of restrictive policies are endemic to the ISP model. Since they are at odds with reality enforcement is only sporadic and even perverse. The danger lies in the danger that the carriers might actually be so foolish as to impose these policies as they see their business threatened.

[IP] THEY STOOPED TO CONQUER

Tue Nov 08 2005 00:00:00 GMT

A book review from the Economist -- we must be careful about mixing morality and politics..

[IP] more on The U.N. Isn't a Threat to the Net

Sun Nov 06 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Beware those who want to do us good. Those whose background is social policy find it difficult to leave technology alone lest it not produce the desired results.

more on How the MPAA killed the movie theater experience: a first-hand report [ip]

Sat Nov 05 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Another example of the problem of seeing all devices as unambiguous threats. Attending a movie shouldn't require giving up ones connections to the world such as the ability to be available to ones' babysitter in an emergency.

Reality vs the Regulatorium

Thu Nov 03 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The discussion about SBC's whining about how the deserve to be paid just because they spent money is a reminder about how far the Regulatorium has drifted from the realities of today's marketplace. The issues are coming to a head. The Regulatorium is becoming more obviously dysfunction and as ideas like municipal Wi-Fi become accepted the carriers are going to find their "story" is no longer accepted. The new story of the utility model for connectivity is starting become too obvious to ignore.

[IP] more on Trying to Plug the Analog Hole -- An Exercise in Futility

Wed Nov 02 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The increasing effort to create technical solutions are born of the attitude that one must prevent bad things from happening even if that means disallowing innovation and creativity. It is a zero-sum philosophy that encourage evasion in order to get anything done. The alternative is to find a balance and encourage users to see their self-interest lies in cooperation. Instead evading restrictions becomes illegal and necessary -- a sign of a dysfunctional kleptrocracy.

[IP] PC Makers Facing a Flop In Home Entertainment {corrected}

Wed Nov 02 2005 00:00:00 GMT

No surprise that computer companies are failing to become consumer electronics companies. Instead of playing to the strengths of personal computing they are hobbling themselves by imitating old line consumer electronics while coupling it with the complexity of personal computing. At a dab of DRM and you have a perfect formula for failure.

[IP] Comments on PPOE

Tue Nov 01 2005 00:00:00 GMT

PPPoE (point to point protocol over Ethernet) is a strange creation. It's a strange protocol that exists only to confirm to a particular billing regimen. It requires that the packets travel an expensive phone network rather than getting the benefits of connectivity for the first leg.

[IP] more on SBC to raise DSL pricing 25-43% (unless you bundle)

Mon Oct 31 2005 00:00:00 GMT

SBC's CEO was interviewed in Business Week. Carriers seem to whine a lot about the state of affairs. It's a tactic used to gain the sympathy of Congress as they try to retain their privileged position. Normal business blame themselves when they fail to stay profitable. The carriers tend to blame their customers and see them as competition.

[IP] Don't let your ISP muck with your PC

Mon Oct 31 2005 00:00:00 GMT

DSL and Cable modem providers want you to run special software as if you were buying a service rather than a utility. Their benevolence can do more harm than good.

[IP] more on IPTV deployment in major cities

Sat Oct 29 2005 00:00:00 GMT

IPTV is another attempt by the Telcos to take advantage of their right of way to choose what we can watch and have us pay for it. They have counterparts in municipalities that want to share the booty. The 15mbps providing for IP connectivity is less than 1% of capacity but is enough for video. How long before Tellywood goes direct and stops letting the carriers keep most of the fees and all of the control?

[IP] more on French government bans Skype at Universities

Tue Oct 25 2005 00:00:00 GMT

France is attempting to ban the use of Skype at universities with a cover story about security. Can you spell "doesn't get it"?

[IP] more on Locked In a Cell: How Cell Phone Early Termination Fees Hurt Consumers

Sun Oct 16 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Responses to Gerry Faulhaber's question about why cellular companies try to lock their customers into contracts that frustrate marketplace dynamics. I go a step further in a followup discussion I point out that the fees are relatively minor compared to the larger issues including capital at risk as the CellCos lose their tight control over wireless connectivity.

[IP] Paranoia and George Orwell

Wed Oct 12 2005 00:00:00 GMT

I'm amazed how little people seem to care about their inability to own knowledge and information. The so-called Progress and Freedom Foundation seems to see freedom as something for corporations so they can give us what we want as long as we ask nicely and they see money in it. It's freedom from choice. We see Kodak taking control over your pictures only reluctantly sells them back to you. See a followup response and more

[IP] The Blackberry patent debacle is in the news again

Sun Oct 09 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The patent wars over the "Blackberry" are in the news again. I followed up and looked at the patents. They demonstrate the tragedy of a system that disdains science. Doing the same old thing but over RF seems to make it patentable? Of course that ignores that 802.11 puts everything over RF and RF has been used for Ethernets for more than 30 years!

Making Connections

Mon Oct 03 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Connectivity is the vital resource. Voice is just one of the applications enabled by connectivity.

Those Orifices!

Mon Oct 03 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Steve Jobs described the carriers as orifices. It may not be a dignified description but we need some way to make people understand that the carriers are all about ARPU (Average Return Per User) and not about benevolence. They want to force you to pay and pay for what you already own. After all, you don’t really own it -- you are just using at their sufferance. It's their network and you should appreciate that they are nice enough to let you pay a lot of money to use it. They could simply say no instead of just pay more.

Kodak vs the Internet — Who Owns You?

Mon Oct 03 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Update: Kodak is now offering a premium service which supports downloading. The idea of a Wi-Fi camera that automatically send your data to a web set where you view the pictures sounds wonderful. But there's something very wrong -- you don't really own those pictures. You have to pay and they will deign to mail you a CD if you want and can wait. And the price increases with use! Something is very wrong -- once more we have an old business that is used to exerting control and getting revenue for each transaction. Just like the carriers, just like Tellywood. As their business models become more threatened they react by trying to tighten control and petitioning Congress to make innovation illegal. You no longer own what you buy -- you cannot invest in the future. It seems as if the dynamics of the marketplace are too threatening to be tolerated any more.

[IP] more on How we got it wrong on Calling-Number ID [RISKS] Risks Digest 24.05

Mon Oct 03 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The caller ID and the DNS have many parallels - both in the degree to which we assume they work and the reality that they aren't as definitive and authoritative as we'd like to think. They also do just enough to discourage far better approaches.

Beyond the DNS and The Internet

Sat Oct 01 2005 00:00:00 GMT

This is a summary of my current thinking about the need to move beyond the limitations of the current Internet which is really a first implementation of end-to-end network. The network itself is only a first step - the edge devices are dependent upon a central authority for their presence on the network. The name (the IP address) is defined by where they are on the network -- if you move to a different place you must change your name. The result is a network that is not sufficiently dynamic and subject to the whims of those who administer the network. The P2P community (Skype is an example) works around these restrictions. Such approaches will become the norm as we make it easy to develop ad-hoc communities that do not depend on "The Internet" but can use any paths available. This is a work in progress but I want to share my thinking so far.

[IP] more on Neustar to create their own DNS root and own universe to rule

Fri Sep 30 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Apparently the cellular phone companies want to create their own special Internet. This seems very strange since there is no problem getting to the net and the name servers now. If the cellular carries want to create their own private Internet they may find themselves alone users migrate away and take their telephony with them. It turns that this particular implementation is likely to be used just internally within the cellular system for its own use. But it's part of their larger problem of trying to use Internet technologies without embracing the end-to-end principles which make the net what it is. The protocols are constantly evolving -- capturing an instance leaves in trapped in the past.

[IP] more on more on frequent fliers

Fri Sep 30 2005 00:00:00 GMT

It's no surprise that a discussion about "privileges" that frequent fliers get brings out anger towards "the rich". It's really a form of profiling that's endemic in social policies. We see this same anger directed towards technologists and intellectuals. It's important to ask where the anger comes from. Picking on frequent flyers seems particular strange since for many of them it isn't a privilege but just a way of making their commutes tolerable. It's a zero sum mentality that seeks to limit others' gains rather than trying to create more for all.

[IP] Verizon to Police Web Customers To Protect Disney From Piracy

Sat Sep 24 2005 00:00:00 GMT

As the Telcos try to become providers of video content they find themselves in an industry in which every gain comes at a high price. Verizon which once tried to defend its customers against the RIAA now seems quite eager to sell them out in return acceptance by Mickey Mouse and the rest of Disney. In a market based on control, users are just another commodity.

Just posted "Connectivity is a utility"

Fri Sep 23 2005 00:00:00 GMT

A short abstract of the Connectivity is a utility Essay

[IP] more on Microsoft and software engineering

Fri Sep 23 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The PC industry has been around for 25 years -- far longer than the mainframes or minicomputers but it has stagnated. We are still using mainframe operating systems and designs rather than creating systems for the dynamics of personal and connected computing.

Connectivity is a Utility

Thu Sep 22 2005 00:00:00 GMT

I've been talking to people about the utility model for connectivity. This essay gathers up a lot of what I've said into one place and pulls the themese together.

DVDs and IPTV -- Change is Opportunity

Tue Sep 20 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Microsoft is selling IPTV to the carriers because it's not clear how to sell it to consumers. But while Tellywood fights the future it also manages to make a profit on it. Rather than selling to the past, IPTV should be part of our future, not the carriers'.

[IP] more on Adam Thierer on how draft Communications Act bill is hyper-regulatory and just plain wrong [econ]

Sun Sep 18 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Just an observation that shifting the onus to "faith-based" organization has a parallel in policy, especially the FCC, where faith trumps reality.

[IP] more on query on eBay to Acquire Skype

Tue Sep 13 2005 00:00:00 GMT

I'm skeptical about the eBay Skype deal. As long as they don't do anything outrageous people will continue to use Skype but that limits their ability to gain too much advantage. More comments as here

The Information Trollway

Sat Sep 10 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Billing was once a means of paying for our communications infrastructure but it has become an end in itself and makes it hard for us to get the benefits of simple Internet connectivity. It has the effect of only allowing valuable applications -- it's like forcing us to pay the price of a cake when all we want to buy is flour -- it's basically a "let them eat cake" policy when we really need bread.

It's Time to Get Rid Of USB Et Al

Sat Sep 10 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The USB protocol was a breakthrough in 1995. Now it's just an annoying legacy that fails to take advantage of all we've learned about networking and connectivity over the last ten years.

[IP] more on more on Blame the government...whoever that is.....;

Wed Sep 07 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The real work of government gets done by a persistent bureaucracy. FEMA has been far from perfect but it seems that this administration has purposefully undermined FEMA and other organizations and made them more answerable to ideology than competence.

[IP] more on 1st Circuit rules on Councilman

Tue Sep 06 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The legal system only function if we trust it as an alternative to setting disputes through direct confrontation. Unfortunately the legal system doesn't do well at tracking change be it technical or philosophical.

[IP] Australian court rules against Kazaa

Mon Sep 05 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The Australian Supreme Court has ruled that Kazaa owes the record industry a zillion dollars for not working hard enough to prevent bits interpreted as copyrighted materials to pass their portals. Is it better to keep the record companies fat and happy than allow the economy to benefit from innovation?

[IP] Verizon Wireless Takes Legal Action Against Florida,California Telemarketers to Defend Customers' Privacy

Fri Sep 02 2005 00:00:00 GMT

I applaud Verizon Wireless helping protect its customers but it's also a reminder that the current telephone and cellular networks are flawed and don’t' give the customers the ability to protect themselves.

[IP] more on Katrina and the folly of trusting cell phones

Fri Sep 02 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Disaster stresses the traditional infrastructure. It's a reminder that we need a resilient alternative. A meshing packet network should be normal infrastructure -- the fact it is easier to repair in a disaster stems from it being a good idea not because it is designed just for the extreme case. See also the followup.

[IP] more on NZ Telecom announces forced migration to VoIP network

Tue Aug 30 2005 00:00:00 GMT

NZ Telecom is going with IP telephony. The press announcement seems confused -- is it possible they are going to let users do their own telephony? Probably not but perhaps.

[IP] more on Bush administration asks for halt to .xxx domain [fs] [based on 6000 letter indeed djf]

Tue Aug 16 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Once again a single person gets 6000 people to send email. This things are ignored except when they server a political agenda. Once again, censorship gets priority over other goals. I don't like the .XXX domain for technical reasons not for a narrow-minded moral agenda.

[IP] more on WSIS, DNS, WGIG, etc

Tue Aug 16 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Following up the .XXX debacle is another report on how to make the DNS work as a directory. Alas …

Why Settle for Just 1%?

Mon Aug 15 2005 02:00:00 GMT

The carriers have promised to give us a level playing field but they've taken 99% of the bits off the table by saying video bits don't count. It seems silly to fight over that 1% of the bits rather than demanding that that carriers play fair and put 100% of the bits onto the level playing field.

Why Are We Fighting Over The Last 1%?

Mon Aug 15 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Briefly -- The carriers have taken 99% of their assets of the books. They are using the public rights of way and it should be for the public good.

Verizon – The Saga Continues

Sun Aug 14 2005 00:00:00 GMT

I'm still trying to straighten out my Verizon service though I realize that the real issue is that landline telephony is a legacy business and it doesn't make sense for Verizon to invest. Their real goal is to become a video provider.

[IP] The case of the stolen Wi-Fi: What you need to know

Sat Aug 13 2005 08:13:30 GMT

The attempts to create a new "crime" of stealing Wi-Fi access is part of the ongoing campaign to assure that are infrastructure is locked within billable channels. Once more the Interent is being positioned as bad because it threatens the past.

[IP] more on Say Goodbye to Offshoring?

Wed Aug 10 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The old is new again. Timesharing and outsourcing are now called the moral equivalent of offshoring.

The Versus Series

Tue Aug 09 2005 00:00:00 GMT

[IP] Weekly column: Schizo FCC deregulates DSL, but regulates Net-wiretapping [priv]

Mon Aug 08 2005 21:19:21 GMT

A seemingly contradictory policy may be perfectly rational within itself. The fault may lie in the premises.

The FCC Vs Business and Vs US

Mon Aug 08 2005 05:00:00 GMT

The FCC's mission seems to be the protect the carriers from the marketplace. 19th century science has been frozen into the 20th century Regulatorium. We must not allow this travesty to continue into the 21st century.

Comcast vs Customers and itself!

Mon Aug 08 2005 03:00:00 GMT

Comcast seems to be working hard to make simple problems hard to solve. How else can they maintain their ability to choose what we can watch and when we can watch it?

Verizon vs Customers and Itself

Mon Aug 08 2005 02:00:00 GMT

I simply wanted to move a virtual phone number to VoIP. In order to do so Verizon would up sending a few trucks to my house and taking hours of time just to preserve a fiction. It's as if they fear admitting that their business is now about preserving a story rather than creating value.

vs The Customer and Themselves

Mon Aug 08 2005 01:00:00 GMT

Companies like Verizon, Comcast and Microsoft are finding it difficult to come to terms with our increased ability to do things ourselves. Rather than being more accommodating they seem to be putting themselves in the position of treating their customers as their primary competition.

Microsoft vs Customers and Itself

Mon Aug 08 2005 01:00:00 GMT

Microsoft should be trying to make it easier to use their technologies and to find new applications. Instead they are acting as if it is more important to limit the customers choices in order to preserve the obscellescent business model of Tellywood.

[IP] more on Science is for Pansies - REAL Men believe in Genesis!

Fri Aug 05 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Our schools are a mirror on our society. While we can lament its failures we need to stop back and recognize that they are doing what are asking. They teach students science to the letter and fail to convey the more important idea that failure is an essential part of learning. Entrepreneurs have figured that out -- at lest in the US. We confuse training with educating and then wonder why people fail to challenge the accepted wisdom.

[IP] Oppenheimer and other unwelcomes

Thu Aug 04 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Robert Oppenheimer and others vital to our victory in World War II would not be able to participate in helping the country today -- many wouldn't even be allowed to visit the country. As we isolate ourselves from the world we become poorer and less safe. What we don't know is harming us. Once again, our enemy is fear itself

A Tiny Bit more on Leap Seconds

Wed Aug 03 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Some more points about leap seconds. Perhaps we'll finally see them go away.

[IP] HDMI (HDCP) for HDTV don't get burned! 1080p sets ship

Mon Aug 01 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Interference is an artifact of a bad signaling system. It's amazing how such a simple mistake can cause such damage. The legislation that stems from this mistake reads like a programmer's nightmare. In translating naïve physic into legislation we find ourselves destroying marketplaces and subverting the free speech clause in the US Constitution. Rather than locking bad ideas into legislation the FCC should be at the forefront in questioning its own legitimacy. After all, it is supposed to have some knowledge of technology in order to set the rules rather than trying to make physics conform to legislation. As far as its rules are concerned the value of pi might as well be 3.

[IP] Leap second fight brewing

Fri Jul 29 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The leap second gain - we confuse leaping over tall buildings with leaping of a small stream. Let astronomers keep their correct fact but not annoy the rest of us by making us trip over pointless hurdles.

[IP] Sen. Ensign Introduces Communications Legislation That Rewrites the '96 Act - Maybe with good intent but danger lurks

Fri Jul 29 2005 00:00:00 GMT

While a number of clauses in the bill seem reasonable it seems to treat the Internet as a service and may make it difficult for municipalities to provide connectivity as a utility.

Joho and the Bell Curve

Thu Jul 28 2005 00:00:00 GMT

A response to David Weinberger's comments on "Bell Curve" I generally agree with him. My goal is not to convert Iders but to give us a vocabulary that gives us insight into systems. It is important for public policy. Talking about evolution outside the realm of biology can reduce the emotional barriers that make effective debate so difficult.

DRM vs the Bathroom

Thu Jul 28 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Will this attempt to lock down all bits allow commercial television to enforce a policy of requiring us to watch commercials? Is going to the bathroom a violation of a "contract" with television broadcasters?

DRM Chops off the Long Tail

Wed Jul 27 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The idea of protecting rights seems so reasonable. The problem is that a strict DRM policy thwarts the dynamic of the marketplace. Not only are we denied opportunity to discover new possibilities the existing marketplace becomes stagnant and fails. Chris Anderson's long tail is a useful metaphor for those opportunities that seem worthless but are the sources of new vitality. It's evolution in action -- too bad we are so ego-centric as to think evolution only applies to biology. It makes it difficult for people to appreciate the importance of the dynamics of the marketplace. The marketplace fails if we try too hard to manage the process.

Who "Designed" the Bell Curve?

Wed Jul 27 2005 00:00:00 GMT

It's easy to tell a story about what we don't have. The bell curve is beautiful and symmetric. How could the two tells coordinate to well. It's easy to posit an intelligent designer for a phenomenon which emerges out of simple principles. Intelligent Design is only the illusion of an explanation and denies us the opportunity to understand.

[IP] DRM vs the Long Tail – the problem with strict DRM

Wed Jul 27 2005 00:00:00 GMT

[IP] more on NYC to search transit riders' bags – but ...

Fri Jul 22 2005 00:00:00 GMT

New York's policy of random searches has its problems but we need to recognize that these practices are based on psychology. Whether the policy is wise is harder to answer.

[IP] more on Public Broadband Hits Political Speedbumps

Mon Jul 18 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Be careful about what you ask for. If you fund your Internet connectivity then those who buy content from elsewhere wind up reducing the funding for the Internet. This is like paying for E911 from phone calls -- those who use VoIP wind up defunding E911. "Broadband" should be about enabling a process to increase availability rather than a fixed goal which will become an impediment to future growth.

[IP] more on Connected: Verizon puts your privacy in precarious position

Sun Jul 17 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Companies that collection personal data aren't inherently bad -- the tradeoff is whether to have a small set of information that is our "identity" or make it less defined and more difficult to "steal".

[IP] Spammers Most Likely Users of Email Authentication

Wed Jul 13 2005 00:00:00 GMT

We are trying to control behavior using identity as a proxy. Such approaches can be counterproductive by giving those whose behavior we want to limit an opportunity to adopt an identity and thus escape scrutiny. Conversely those whose identity we associated with "bad" behavior trapped within a stereotype and prejudgment.

The i730 and Beyond

Tue Jul 12 2005 00:00:00 GMT

I've been writing about the Samsung i730 because it's at the crossroads of telephony and computing. For now it's still a phone. In this essay I try to explore why and why not. It's about more then Verizon trying to maintain control and Microsoft missing the new face of personal computing.

An i730 Clarification and an EVDO Comment

Sat Jul 09 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The i730 can indeed receive calls while you are using Wi-Fi though you do have to disable Wi-Fi. On the other hand, EVDO is not the same as being connected all the time.

The Samsung i730 – the Saga Continues

Fri Jul 08 2005 00:00:00 GMT

I did buy the Samsung i730. It's a nice phone but the Bluetooth implementation is perverse. It's a tug of war between the carriers and the users and the results are far more confusing than the HP-6315 (a GSM phone vs the CDMA i730).

Verizon vs Users – The Samsung i730

Thu Jul 07 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The Samsung i730 seems like a wonderful connected portable computing device. Why did Verizon have to go and lame it by removing capabilities that would allow me to use it to connect my devices to the world? To add insult to injury I can't even receive phone calls while I'm using Wi-Fi -- very strange. (That's what Samsung said, turns out that you really can!)

More Cellphony Dependency

Thu Jul 07 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The NY Times Circuits lead column tells us that the carriers are looking at ways to deliver (AKA sell) use content? Nary a thought that maybe we can just do it ourselves like we do with PCs -- browse to sites and view or even buy things directly. But buying music is the least of what we can't do … such is the price of dependency

[IP] more on Von Mag: Funding USF through Broadband

Thu Jul 07 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Once more the USF (Universal Service Fund) is an irresistible opportunity - a pile of money that can be used to sustain the status quo.

Selling Candy to Children

Tue Jul 05 2005 00:00:00 GMT

SMS is seductive. Like 900 numbers it creates billable entities. Produces like ringtones and jokes are like candy to children. Seemingly innocuous but the costs add up. Messaging has so many possibilities -- too bad it's priced so that the only viable business is like selling candy to children.

VON: Connectivity is a Utility

Mon Jul 04 2005 00:00:00 GMT

It's easy to understand the desire to keep businesses alive long past their expiration dates. Such policies are considered "pro business" when they are just the opposite -- they show distrust for the marketplace and its ability to reinvent itself. One might justify the policy if it preserves jobs and meets other needs but the tele/com industry is costing us jobs and frustrating the creation of new industries that can create new jobs and value. Connectivity is another utility like garbage collection, electricity, public roads etc. The value comes from the availability of connectivity but policies that require capturing the value of each service don’t permit innovation because nascent services typically don't seem valuable at first. The utility model is a business model. Providing connectivity as a utility is the real pro-business policy.

Comment on networked washing machine

Tue Jun 28 2005 00:00:00 GMT

A brief comment on an "Engadget" story about a washer/dryer that allow remote viewing of their status. The idea itself is not bad but it shouldn't be implemented as a special closed system.

Cost of receiving a text message going up 400%!

Tue Jun 28 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Verizon is jacking up the price of receiving a text message by 400%. A tight orifice is more powerful than Moore's law!

[IP] More insecurity

Wed Jun 22 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Another example of BofA sending mail from an untrusted domain.

[IP] Bank of America vs security

Wed Jun 22 2005 00:00:00 GMT

It's bad enough that Bank of America sends its email through intermediaries that we don't know whether to trust, it's another thing for them to send alarmist messages in response to innocuous queries. As an aside, I scrape screens because the bank web sites that are touted as the alternatives to paper documents are seriously flawed in that the data is only available at their whim and once you close an account all history is lost!

[IP] more on Pod Slurping Dangerous To Enterprises

Wed Jun 22 2005 00:00:00 GMT

A bit of hype -- the problem of being able to slurp data and take it with you has been around for a long time but attributing quotes and capabilities to well known figures is a common phenomenon. Also helps make a feature story seem like news.

[IP] more on In-flight cellphone proposal hits static [the real issue!]

Fri Jun 17 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Even I fell into the trap of thinking the cell phone ban was about cell phones. This is what makes it so hard to explain to people that the "orifices" have limited the value of the devices we have and the infrastructure by convincing people to accept their definitions of "services" rather than allowing others' to create their own value. Telephony, in this case cellular telephony, is just an application. What is really important is the connectivity afforded by their devices and the ability to use technology as our agent. Mindless fear of "wireless signals" is compounded by those who fear what might go wrong. It's a reminder of the importance of the US Constitution which helps assure we have the opportunity to innovate without having to assure only "good" outcomes.

[IP] In-flight cellphone proposal hits static [rewritten]

Thu Jun 16 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The willingness to allow the user of cell phones in flight is an admission that the ban has been based on factors other than technology. Those who want to preserve the ban seem to be motivated more by imposing their values on others because change spooks them.

[IP] more on "NCLB: The Implausible Dream"

Sun Jun 12 2005 08:52:43 GMT

In the effort to "solve" the problem of education we need to blame someone. Yet if the education is failing today's students why do we assume it was successful with their parents? Education is not just for the children.

[IP] Tellywood and the Cable Orifices

Sun Jun 12 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Another reminder that your "Set Top Box" owes its allegiance to Tellywood rather than you the viewer.

[IP] "unused" portion of their DSL lines to broadcast video signals.

Sat Jun 11 2005 00:00:00 GMT

TV programming is now being delivered over DSL connections in Spain using standard Internet protocols. Currently this is carrier-provided video but there's no reason the user can't take advantage of the capacity rather than just accepting the choices provided by the carriers.

Phoney Economics - The Telco pricing model is losing credibility

Wed Jun 08 2005 00:00:00 GMT

VoIP (and ENUM) make it difficult for the carriers to sustain the illusion that their prices has anything to do with real costs.

[IP] more on E911 with no Opt Out?

Tue Jun 07 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Fast response is a key element in providing medical services but a policy that focus on a particular technology may not be the bet way to achieve this goal

[IP] E911 with no Opt Out?

Mon Jun 06 2005 00:00:00 GMT

[IP] more on Editors comment on the number of items re ex-ex-ex

Fri Jun 03 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The creation of the .XXX TLD (Top Level Domain) is a consequence of a basic failure to understand the nature of the end-to-end principle. All the more reason to reinvent the Internet from the edge.

[IP] more on U.S. shuts down network that leaked 'Star Wars'

Sat May 28 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Shutting down a directory is not the same thing as shutting down a network. One more example of the conceptual gap between those innovating and those attempting to set the rules.

Enter Walled Garden Here (through the orifice)

Thu May 26 2005 00:00:00 GMT

A short IM conversation with commentary from David Berlind building Steve Jobs' description of the carriers are orifices.

[IP] The software industry is learning from the RIAA?

Thu May 19 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Reports about software (or music) "piracy" often rely on inflated figures. We shouldn't presume all of those "lost" sales would become real sales.

Another anti-spam Naïveté – VRFY isn’t Authoritative

Tue May 17 2005 00:00:00 GMT

I’ve run into yet another naïve attempt to control spam – systems that try to verify the mail sender using the SMTP VRFY command. The problem is that a system that relays mail might report the address as invalid because it is not a local address even though it really is valid when relayed.

Evolution is Simple and Fundamental

Mon May 16 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The controversy over the teaching evolution pits science against religion. But the topic is too important to be lost in arguments over which set of facts to accept. Understanding evolution is really about how systems change. Biological evolution is just a special case. By teaching evolution is an arbitrary fact in biology class we trade insight for memorization. We cannot afford a retreat into comforting non-explanations. It leads us to make public policy blunders that leave us all poorer. We can see evolution in the systems all around us. Science is not arbitrary -- it's simply about learning from our mistakes and, in fact, making mistakes as we explore. If we see that we results are not what we desire then we can and must adjust and adopt. As Jared Diamond has so ably demonstrated in Collapse! we cannot afford the consequences of ignorance.

Books: A Bibliography

Mon May 16 2005 00:00:00 GMT

This is a catalog of books with comments and recommendations. This is an ongoing project and pretty sparse in its initial version

[IP] Read it and prepare to stand on LONG LONG lines – Senate Backs Measure to Tighten ID Requirements

Wed May 11 2005 00:00:00 GMT

We need Niemöller but we get Andre Maginot and a nation of bubble babies who think that the one authentic truth will save protect them from risk. What’s next, banning the first and last car of trains to prevent accidents? It’s depressing that we have a tradition of journalism which reports just the “facts” as if the spin were a “fact”.

A Failure to Connect

Mon May 09 2005 16:00:00 GMT

What is connectivity? I’ve been thinking about it in terms of networking but that’s only a small part of the problem. It’s really about relationships and operations that involve cooperation or connections between two “things”. In DIY, Not Connectivity, I emphasized that it was about marketplace economics rather than just a lower cable TV bill. I wanted to hand out copies of that essay at the IP Policy Summit and got a case study in the real problem. … Why just watch when I can participate. Connectivity is about enabling opportunities for new kinds of relationships between device as well as people.

Spam Evolving?

Mon May 09 2005 00:00:00 GMT

I notice that the email addresses on my sites have not been harvested in a long time. I generate a new one on each visit and including the IP address as well as the date and time. Spam messages tend to arrive in batches with very similar messages and the made-up names tend to be valid English words without an appreciation for the meaning. It's important to understand spam and see it in perspective. It's too easy to give into our fears and see spam as another reason to be afraid of free speech.

DIY, not just Connectivity!

Sun May 08 2005 00:00:00 GMT

It's wrong to think of the Internet as the successor to the telecommunications industry because of surface similarities. But the dynamics of the two industries are very different. There is no transition -- the new opportunities that that the Internet thrives on must not be sacrificed to get us what we think we want. And they need not be since we the marketplace process continues to serve us well. We don't want to look back and lament that we asked for the Internet and all they gave us was more television.

[IP] more on Setting history straight: So, who really did invent the Internet?

Mon May 02 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Before we can ask "who invented the Internet" we need to figure out what we mean by the term. The impact is a result of the marketplace dynamics of TCP vs IP and not networking as such.

[IP] more on IP-Based TV Will Revolutionize Entertainment

Fri Apr 29 2005 00:00:00 GMT

With all the talk about IPTV we need to be wary -- the Telcos want to be a CableCo. We won't get real change until we can buy directly rather than paying a transport "tax". If we buy directly, then owning the transport is a liability. This has stark implications for today's "telecom" industry.

[IP] More Baggage Taboos, but Little Security Enhancement

Wed Apr 27 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Petty consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds and, apparently the TSA. Should the TSA be making sure that pilots cannot take control of airplanes?

Acela – A Casualty of Risk Aversion?

Tue Apr 26 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The Acela is twice as heavy as corresponding trains in Europe. This led to the current problems with the brakes on the trains. Could that danger be a result over design due to risk aversion?

[IP] more on Bush Administration Punishes some who donated to Kerry

Mon Apr 25 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Apparently the Bush Administration requires loyalty over expertise and anyone who has made a donation to Kerry is not allowed to serve on international technical committees. It's equivalent of requiring bribes in order to consider scientific facts. Having a difference of opinion is regarded as heresy. At a time when the rest of the world is moving ahead we are trying to roll back the renaissance! Another victory for terrorists!

[IP] more on P2P Fuels Global Bandwidth Binge

Sun Apr 24 2005 00:00:00 GMT

I'm trying to understand why people seem to focus on doling out scarcity as opposed to working towards abundance. The word "Binge" has a negative overtone and "P2P' is too easily associated with "bad" activities. Once again we should demand more capacity rather than accusing the most avid users of abusing a "privilege". It's a right not a privilege! The consequences are serious -- the US is in real danger of opting out of a vibrant world economy!

[IP] more on Credit Information Stolen From DSW Stores

Tue Apr 19 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Amex offered use-once numbers but they were too clunky to use and offered no obvious benefits to most users. Too bad, the concept is useful but one needs to do more and help users manage their transactions as well.

[IP] Verizon Offering 'Naked' DSL in Northeast

Mon Apr 18 2005 16:47:28 GMT

[IP] more on (don't expect good cell service says) Verizon CEO sounds off on Wi-Fi, customer gripes

Sun Apr 17 2005 00:00:00 GMT

CellCo benevolence must not come at the price of denying us the ability to create our own solutions.

[IP] Randomly generated papers accepted by MIT

Fri Apr 15 2005 15:12:29 GMT

[IP] Civil War V2

Fri Apr 15 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Frist is upping the ante in the senate. Giving faith a privileged position in the judiciary is very dangerous. The separation of church and state is an agreement to disagree - violating that agreement is very dangerous.

It's not "Identity Theft"!

Wed Apr 13 2005 00:00:00 GMT

It's not about stealing your soul's sole identity. It's about a weak system of establishing a relationship for the purpose of some transactions. Whether accepting a weak system and then protecting your magic numbers, we should step back and think about the purpose of these tokens of identity and address that problem rather than accepting blame when our "identity" is "stolen".

RIAA Plans to Sue Hearing Aid Manufacturers

Tue Apr 12 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The RIAA continues its campaign do whatever it takes to make sure they maintain contorl. What's next, suing hearing aid manufacturers because they don’t enforce DRM rules? Will the MPAA require eyeglasses honor the broadcast bit?

Comcast and Disney vs the Internet

Mon Apr 11 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Comcast and Disney are offering an Internet services only available to Comcast subscribers. Comcast/Disney -- the Anti-Internet!

EV-DO - a Taste of Connectivity

Sat Apr 09 2005 00:00:00 GMT

EV-DO is wonderful. I can be connected anywhere (at least in major cities). But it's also the end of a generation. The next generation will be IP based. We should embrace the present but not make it the enemy of the future.

Using EV-DO

Fri Apr 08 2005 00:00:00 GMT

My experience in using EV-DO to get ubiquitous connectivity.

[IP] Spend $2 Bill, Go To Jail

Fri Apr 08 2005 00:00:00 GMT

It's amazing how something as innocuous as a $2 bill can scare people so much.

[IP] more on Law would put 'In God We Trust' in schools

Thu Apr 07 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The version of the Pledge of Allegiance that was set to music did not contain "In God We Trust"

Another attempt to do me good

Thu Apr 07 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Embedded computing doesn't necessarily empower the user.

The Filibuster vs the Tyranny of the Faux Majority

Wed Apr 06 2005 05:00:00 GMT

Both the Presidency and Congress are aligned in pushing a moralistic agenda The normal checks and balances are undermined by those who seek to impose a narrow moralistic agenda on the country. The tyranny of the majority threatens the normal resilience of our democracy. The majority in Congress doesn't reflect a majority of the people -- it's more of an artifact of an all-or-nothing electoral process. The filibuster is considered obstructionist but it is also a way to protect the country from those who view constitutional protections with disdain and seek solace protection from science. There is a real danger in embodying that ideology into law and the enforcing it with a judiciary select for loyalty to that ideology.

USB Power!

Wed Apr 06 2005 00:00:00 GMT

USB is become the universal power source for small devices.

At the Movies in 2005

Wed Apr 06 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Today's digital projector uses essentially the same technology we use at home. The theaters aren't just for Tellywood anymore.

Airport Foibles

Wed Apr 06 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Passing through Logan Airpot on my way to DCA I had chance to be entertained by observing how things can go wrong

[IP] more on Teacher, student suspended for bypassing school filters [fs]

Tue Apr 05 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Science is about testing limits, yet we find ourselves increasingly up against an attitude that sees the purpose of government as enforcing rules rather than creating opportunity.

1920 x 1080

Tue Apr 05 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Nice for movies but some of us like to read (and write)

[IP] A clear and present danger?

Mon Apr 04 2005 00:00:00 GMT

I used to think of the filibuster as an obstructionist tactic. Now that I'm on the 'other" side I recognize that it plays an essential rule to protecting us from the tyranny of the majority.

[IP] more on Religious leaders warn of Apple Computer's "Satanic"daemon, Darwin t...

Sun Apr 03 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Beware of humor -- it's amazing what people take seriously.

Stop Shouting and Start Communicating!

Fri Apr 01 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Imagine if we didn't have to use wires - we could just send a signal from anyplace to any other place. By 1864 James Clerk Maxwell described radio waves. By 1895 Marconi was sending "Hertzian Waves" several kilometers. Oscillating waves were a familiar concept. Alexander Graham Bell worked on the same principle in trying to put multiple signals on a single telegraph line but the mechanical tuning fork wasn't up to the task

[IP] Not all municipal connectivity is "good"

Wed Mar 30 2005 00:00:00 GMT

I want connectivity everywhere but often all I get is municipal cable TV which sets up the wrong incentives.

Why are reservation sites so lame?

Tue Mar 29 2005 00:00:00 GMT

We shouldn't be stuck in the "page" model of the web.

[IP] more on FCC: we don't need no steenkin line sharing

Sat Mar 26 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Why battle over old policies when we need to be looking ahead?

How Spam Makes Email Safer

Sat Mar 26 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Email isn't really reliable -- the flurry of spam reminds us not to be complacent.

Phones Need Simplicity Before Cool Stuff, CEOs Say

Sat Mar 26 2005 00:00:00 GMT

What's really strange is that we are calling 64MB computers with 1 GB of SD storage PDAs. The PDA is a function or an application.

Gratuitous Complexity for Fun for Profit

Sat Mar 19 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Reading a story in the Boston Globe about how wonderful it is that I can now send picture messages from Verizon to Cingular cell phones I decided to look into the protocols and understand a bit more about how such messages could cost 25 cents each. Not only is it difficult to do things for ourselves -- we must pay a high price and be thankful for the little we are allowed to do. Another case of being limited to solutions and being given little opportunity.

Connectivity in Days in Washington

Tue Mar 08 2005 00:00:00 GMT

March 2005 will be connectivity month. The Grokster and Brand X cases will be heard by the Supreme Court March 29th and David Isenberg's Freedom To Connect starts the next day.

Making Better Use of Voice Response Systems

Sun Mar 06 2005 00:00:00 GMT

X-Box Live. . . and more

Tue Mar 01 2005 00:00:00 GMT

X-Box live is a vibrant part of the VoIP world.

more on "Identity Theft for Dummies"?

Sun Feb 27 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The attention to "stolen" records that can be used to "steal" "identities" is misguided. I put the words in quotes because they are used in distorted ways. The real problem is that all it takes to steal an "identity" is persons name phone number and social security number and maybe a tidbit or two. And once you lose your "identity" why is it so hard to reestablish relationships? Of course this is not you identity, just the persona that the is used by banks and others in lieu of the real "you". Focusing on protecting the records will comes at a high social cost while not solving the real problem.

Connected to the World Out There, not Just People

Thu Feb 24 2005 00:00:00 GMT

It's wonderful to fly while using my GPS to compare what I see in maps with what's on the ground. I'm no longer confined to the tiny metal cage in the air. It also makes me think about the all the press about blogs and blogs talking about blogs -- blogcest. There's a big world at there, the blogs are about more than just reporting, they are also a means of participating.

[IP] more on House Passes Bill to Raise Indecency

Fri Feb 18 2005 06:01:24 GMT

More on House Passes Bill to Raise Indecency

Fri Feb 18 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The complexities of the Regulatorium create a layer of FUD that shields the most outrageous policies from critical analysis. FUD: Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt.

House Passes Bill to Raise Indecency

Wed Feb 16 2005 00:00:00 GMT

$500,000/word is the cost of free speech as defined by Congress and interpreted by the Federal Speech Commission.

More on Powell: Don't Rewrite Telecom Act

Tue Feb 15 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Some comments from the Silicon-Flatirons conference on the future of Telecom policy.

More on Consumer Electronics vs Computers

Thu Feb 10 2005 21:42:41 GMT

As I try to "capture" the contents of my video tapes I run into more reminders of how different the worlds of CE (Consumer Electronics) and CS (Computer Systems) are.

More on Digital TV: Congress vs. Consumers

Tue Feb 08 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Congress has mandated that TV broadcasting shift from using the analog broadcast bands to digital bands. It's important to examine the reasons for this industrial policy. It's all about preserving Tellywood and limiting consumer choice.

Tellywood and the Home Theater

Mon Feb 07 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The home theater epitomizes the fusion of Television and Hollywood -- Tellywood. Articles on home theaters can be entertaining but a newsmagazine should do more than write about fantasies circa 1969. In the age of the Internet and computers a television is simply a combination of screens and video sources. It's more than just a piece of furniture used to display the content of plastic discs.

Camera-phone mania

Tue Feb 01 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Camera or Phone? Floor Wax or Dessert Topping.

[IP] IP TV from Microsoft .. and others?

Sat Jan 29 2005 03:41:31 GMT

TV from Microsoft .. and others?

Sat Jan 29 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Single Frequency Signaling and Single Hop Signaling

Thu Jan 27 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Coddling obsolescent technology comes at a high price. Century old, fragile communications technologies require that we restrict necessary innovation. The confusion between transport and meaning leads to blatant violations of the US constitution.

More on Firms formulate guidelines for employee cellphone use

Thu Jan 27 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Legal decisions based on "weird science" put us at risk. When the law acts more like a lottery our ability to benefit form technology is at risk.

More on NewSci: Net noise threat to emergency radio

Mon Jan 24 2005 00:00:00 GMT

SFS (Single Frequency Signaling) and SHC (Single Hop Communications) are outdated and their limitations shouldn't be used to frustrate innovation

More on Anti-Piracy Patents for Cell Phones Pooled

Mon Jan 17 2005 00:00:00 GMT

More on ITU or ICANN - a case story from Denmark

Thu Jan 13 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Is VoIP a carrier's best friend?

Sat Jan 01 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Carries may die by VoIP but they also live by VoIP

[IP] Clueless about phishing

Thu Dec 23 2004 18:37:29 GMT

Clueless about phishing

Thu Dec 23 2004 00:00:00 GMT

More on STUPID .US Defines Plans to Shut Down GPS in C

Thu Dec 16 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Skipping Commercials Soon To Be a Crime?

Wed Nov 17 2004 00:00:00 GMT

More on Felon released after receiving forged fax

Thu Nov 11 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Attempts at overthrowing the teaching of evolution gathering steam

Mon Nov 08 2004 00:00:00 GMT

It's unfortunate that we teach evolution as if it were just another fact to memorize. Evolution is really just a property of complex systems. Complexity is really just an emergent property and an illusion. It's just that we don't see the inherent simplicity. As long we treat biological evolution as apart from evolution in other systems we will find ourselves asking people to memorize it as an arbitrary "fact" rather than understand it in context. The same processes apply marketplaces, social systems and the Internet. If we don't understand how systems self-organize we'll seek refuge in authority rather than realize the benefits of opportunity.

The End of Tolerance?

Thu Nov 04 2004 00:00:00 GMT

The US has been defined by its diversity. Tolerance has had a major economic benefit. Out government has had a role in protecting us from the tyranny of the majority. Have we reached a time where one point of view has a decisive majority? Most worrisome is that this is not a benign majority but one that is threatened by others' ideas. Can we afford to ignore Niemöller's warnings just because they came for the gays first?

Bin Laden: Goal is to bankrupt U.S.

Tue Nov 02 2004 00:00:00 GMT

BT says no VOIP Blocking

Mon Nov 01 2004 00:00:00 GMT

The Pragmatist

Mon Nov 01 2004 00:00:00 GMT

I'm pragmatic. It's silly to argue about policy issues when we just have a fixable design flaw in today's Internet

More on 80 per cent of home PCs infected - survey

Sat Oct 30 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Ambient Opportunity

Fri Oct 29 2004 00:00:00 GMT

It's been a long time since I've posted so I'm trying to put a lot into this one essay. It's an overture for essays I'm planning to write and ties together a range of concepts related to the end-to-end argument and the importance of creating opportunity in marketplaces. Reinventing the Internet is just part of the larger story.

Interesting interview with Amar Bose

Tue Oct 26 2004 00:00:00 GMT

More on new threat to our security: mail without complete addresses

Thu Oct 21 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Kodak wins Java lawsuit

Sun Oct 03 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Boston Globe: Europe's terror fight quiet, unrelenting

Sun Sep 26 2004 00:00:00 GMT

More on - Can the Internet Survive? NOTE ONLY EXEC SUMMARY IS FREE

Tue Sep 14 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Losing America

Tue Sep 14 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Still Ruled by the Tuning Fork

Wed Sep 01 2004 00:00:00 GMT

It's time to give up our 19th century thinking. The tuning fork was the height of 19th century signal processing!

MSNBC.com Article: Pakistan: U.S. blew undercover operation

Sat Aug 07 2004 00:00:00 GMT

More on Your people are growing increasingly worried about a'police state.' For such an educated audience,

Fri Aug 06 2004 00:00:00 GMT

More on Flight Risk

Thu Jul 15 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Flight Risk

Wed Jul 14 2004 00:00:00 GMT

More on IRS eyes Net phone taxes

Thu Jul 08 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Dialing John Smith

Thu Jul 01 2004 00:00:00 GMT

We must break our psychological ties to the PSTN. Why are we dialing numbers instead of trying to reach people?

Project MAC: Man-Machine Symbiosis

Wed Jun 30 2004 00:00:00 GMT

The 35th anniversary of Multics reminded me of the original goals of Project MAC -- understanding the relationships between man and machine. This vision is even more important today as we find ourselves awash in technology. We are bystanders when we should be participants.

More on 4 Rivals Almost United on Ways to Fight Spam

Mon Jun 28 2004 00:00:00 GMT

More on FEC considers banning Moore's 9/11 movie ads underMcCain-Feingold...

Sat Jun 26 2004 00:00:00 GMT

More on Why the FCC should die

Sun Jun 13 2004 00:00:00 GMT

More on how a marketplace that provides opportunity rather than narrow solutions allows demand to create supply. The FCC frustrates this virtuous cycle. This is a bit dense and I will be writing more about this in the future

More on Why the FCC should die

Sat Jun 12 2004 00:00:00 GMT

More on For High-Definition Sets, Channels to Match

Thu Jun 10 2004 00:00:00 GMT

HDTV is just a bit stream format. It's only a big deal because the current broadcast industry is not end to end

RIAA wants your fingerprints

Tue Jun 08 2004 00:00:00 GMT

It's hard to add value if you can only borrow and not own

It's About Being in Control

Sat May 01 2004 00:00:00 GMT

With VoIP, we all get to sit in the telecom driver's seat

More on Losing Our Edge?

Sat Apr 24 2004 00:00:00 GMT

A Bluetooth Tragedy

Tue Apr 06 2004 00:00:00 GMT

It should be simple to connect a navigation program to a wireless GPS. Unfortunately the GPS manufacturers have chosen to use Bluetooth thus making it difficult to do it except in the few scenarios that they thought of.

WTF

Tue Apr 06 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Summary of a summary of my comments at David Isenberg's WTF workshop.

You're invited to join the EomE network

Sat Mar 27 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Social networks are an interesting phenomenon. Why just have networks for friends and business contacts? Why not one for the "Enemy of my Enemies" and more …

More on New Domain is Proposed

Fri Mar 12 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Modems and other Relics

Thu Mar 04 2004 00:00:00 GMT

The kids today don't know what a dialup modem is. Too bad public policy is stuck in the modem era.

Regulate What

Mon Mar 01 2004 00:00:00 GMT

VoIP bits transported over networks have no intrinsic meaning. To bill or tariff them would be an exercise in absurdity

It's About Connectivity Not The Internet!

Mon Feb 23 2004 00:00:00 GMT

The press treats the Internet as a news niche that is both too broad and too narrow. The changes wrought by the Internet -- abundant connectivity -- are beyond news stories including high profile corporate mergers. The readers can't understand what is happening unless the reports can connect the stories. Conversely when reporters do write about the Internet they paint a confused picture by ignoring the crucial differences between the technical infrastructure and social policy

Who needs the Patriot Act?

Sat Feb 21 2004 00:00:00 GMT

More on spoofs and financial scams

Sat Feb 21 2004 00:00:00 GMT

More on Code Monkeys, not.

Mon Feb 16 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Programming language nostalgia

More on Code Monkeys, not.

Sun Feb 15 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Demystifying international outsourcing

Raids target Kazaa offices

Sat Feb 07 2004 00:00:00 GMT

EMail Scams and the FBI – darned good question jdf

Sat Jan 31 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Is the FBI taking Internet fraud seriously? It's a transborder crime but I see little visible effort to address the problem.

More on EMail Scams and the FBI – darned good question jdf

Sat Jan 31 2004 00:00:00 GMT

At The Edge

Sat Jan 24 2004 00:00:00 GMT

The artifact that's today's Internet is unimportant compared with the power of the end-to-end concept. The Internet is demonstration of our ability to wrest control and create value at the edges of an infrastructure

More on Growth of the Internet May Take Nothing Short of a Revolution

Wed Dec 24 2003 00:00:00 GMT

and VoIP – and Telecommunications in general

Tue Dec 16 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Telecom Policy: Virtue vs Tolerance

Mon Dec 01 2003 21:00:00 GMT

A brief introduction to the brief introduction to my latest essays on telecom and other policies. The Internet seems to violate our work ethic and that makes it very hard for people to come to terms with the new opportunities.

Policy vs Reality – Problems of our own Devise

Mon Dec 01 2003 20:00:00 GMT

Telecom policy should be simple and null. The hard part is convincing people it really is that simple and why. This essay gives an overview for my more detailed comments on television and telephony

2007 or 1995 or 1950?

Mon Dec 01 2003 18:00:00 GMT

Congress doesn't seem to get it. They are acting as if the asymmetric broadcast model must be kept alive and criminalizing those who use content without asking permission first. The private bit police will be in charge.

Favors I Can't Afford

Sat Nov 29 2003 00:00:00 GMT

I accidentally spammed thousands of people because the address book synchronization service is overzealous. The real damage is that it is speaking in my name and thus I get the blame.

The end is nigh again?

Mon Nov 17 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Another story saying we are at the end of the beginning. Failure of imagination is comforting but ...

Don't Recapitulate!

Thu Nov 13 2003 00:00:00 GMT

The FCC's plan to set rules for VoIP is a reminder of the tragic disconnect between the Regulatorium and the real world and the price we pay for accepting a mythological view of telecommunications.

The Regulatorium and the Moral Imperative

Sat Nov 01 2003 00:00:00 GMT

The Regulatorium is sustained by a moral agenda that is based on a perception of scarcity.

The Value of Dallying and Community

Sat Nov 01 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Blogs are more than just diaries and sometimes it's useful to take time to think.

More 2007 nonsense: Digital Signals Rule for New TVs Upheld

Thu Oct 30 2003 00:00:00 GMT

What the SV AV-100 Is and What it Could Be

Mon Oct 20 2003 00:00:00 GMT

The Panasonic SV AV100 is an example of the best in consumer electronics and the worst. It is a great camera but is hobbled by software that limits its capabilities. The PC industry, often despite itself, has thrived by giving users the ability to reinvent products and create new capabilities. The consumer electronics industry can benefit by sharing the ability to enhance and even redefine products.

More on Fighting spam: raise the bridge or lower the water? [risks] Risks Digest 22.92

Thu Oct 09 2003 00:00:00 GMT

VoIP: CoIP or TaWKi?

Tue Oct 07 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Should VoIP resemble the PSTN or be something else entirely?

More on what your children learn in school

Sat Sep 27 2003 00:00:00 GMT

The Importance of What Isn't

Sun Sep 21 2003 00:00:00 GMT

We are used to judging a product by what it is but what isn't and can be is far more important. With computers we are increasingly able to create new products out of building blocks. The Internet is just one example of how we can take an existing product, the entire telecommunications industry, and use it as the starting point for creating new products. One reason why it is hard to understand the real importance of the Internet is because we trying to explain what can be and people find it hard to see what isn't.

Answering the Wrong Question: IEEE and Voting

Sat Sep 20 2003 00:00:00 GMT

The IEEE is in the process of setting standards for voting machine. Assuring a trustworthy voting system is about more than the local behavior of individual machine. There's a danger that narrowly focusing on an aspect of the process will be taken as endorsement of the process as a whole.

More on 4 More on we are all blacklisted

Sat Sep 06 2003 00:00:00 GMT

RE: [IP] : Digital Vandalism Spurs a Call for Oversight

Mon Sep 01 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Spreading Infantilization

Mon Sep 01 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Another provider or user refusing to accept mail without approval from my "provider" whatever or whomever is supposed to ask as my parent.

[IP] more on 4 more on we are all blacklisted

Mon Sep 01 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Spam Assassinated!

Wed Aug 27 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Spam Assassin is a popular program used to filter mail. Unfortunately its metrics show a deep antipathy towards my email messages because I want to move beyond the limitations of the teletype era. I am being silenced by others' moralistic assumptions about email.

AOL and Roadrunner vs the Internet

Mon Aug 25 2003 00:00:00 GMT

In a naive and misguided attempt to protect their users form spam AOL and it's subsidiary, Roadrunner, have banned email from systems with dynamic IP addresses and thus have made the spam problem much worse by channeling all of the Internet traffic through narrow and arbitrary chokepoints. This doesn't bode well for companies whose future depends on their ability to understand the Internet

AOL and Roadrunner have Left the Internet

Mon Aug 25 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Viruses, Trust and Complacency

Wed Aug 20 2003 00:00:00 GMT

We must take the latest waive of computer viruses seriously but the hiding behind the castle wall is not an effective response and only increases our vulnerability while denying us the benefits of the new technologies.

IPv6 isn't just about more addresses

Tue Aug 05 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Internet Protocol V6 is an important part of giving us a dynamic Internet that allows us all to be participants. Those who want a transition to IPv6 miss the point of the Internet. We can start using IPv6 now without waiting for a transition.

Kinko's vs Hot Spots

Tue Jul 29 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Kinko's has been a leader in taking advantage of the Internet. Adding wireless access to their in-store network is simple and obvious. But instead they have chosen to use T-Mobile's hotspot service which is far expensive and more complicated and slower.

AOL vs the Internet

Sat Jul 26 2003 00:00:00 GMT

AOL is threatening to stop accepting mail from systems with dynamic IP address. This is an arrogant and hostile attack on the Internet itself. Has AOL decided to opt out of the Internet?

More on the DNS

Wed Jul 23 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Response to Dan's comments on the DNS.

Observations on Observations from Always-On and XP

Tue Jul 22 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Comment on Observations from Always on and a warning about an upcoming rant about computer XP and all that

Observations from the Always-On conference

Tue Jul 22 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Searching for Dial Tone in Africa

Sat Jul 05 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Great NY Times story about Voice of IP in Africa. Worth reading to get an understanding of the impact of VoIP.

Hotspots Cold Cells

Thu Jul 03 2003 00:00:00 GMT

The idea of deploying hotspots seems like a natural extension of the cells used for cellular phones. This is a false analogy and has made hotspots seem to fall short of expectations when the real problem is in not understanding the real needs.

Faux Wires

Thu Jul 03 2003 00:00:00 GMT

The cellular phone network may not have the artifact of wires but it has the reality of the circuit which is the real limitation whether or not there are wires.

Realizing the Internet

Wed Jun 25 2003 00:00:00 GMT

We need to recognize that the Internet has triumphed. The good news is that the carriers are embracing the Internet. The process needs to be accelerated but will rapidly move beyond the carriers ability to stay in control.

We Have Connectivity!

Tue Jun 24 2003 00:00:00 GMT

We have an infrastructure that is fully capable of giving everyone always-on connectivity but the FCC and the carriers acting as if it is still a phone and cable TV network. We must recalibrate and focus on removing the impediments of connectivity instead of just mediating feuds that no longer server any larger purpose.

Catching up on 4G, 802.11, Spam etc

Tue Jun 03 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Overview of my recent postings on ZDNet and Dave Farber's list.

Move over 3G: here comes 4G

Sat May 31 2003 00:00:00 GMT

The cellular world is trying to find a future as WAP, Bluetooth and now 3G are seen to be failures. Why should 4G be any different? What is 4G anyway?

Stopping spam isn't as easy as you might hope

Sat May 31 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Most approaches to dealing with spam naively assume that spam is a simple well-defined concept.

More on Stopping spam isn't as easy as you might hope

Sat May 31 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Book Sharing

Wed Apr 23 2003 00:00:00 GMT

The record industry isn't the only one concerned with their bits. Imagine if the book publishers controlled their content just as tightly!

The End of Leap Seconds??

Tue Apr 22 2003 00:00:00 GMT

The "time committee" is considering phasing at the leap second. The leap second has been one of my pet peeves but it's a lot more. It's an example of the experts' inability to distinguish between their technical concerns and the social use of their technology.

Another Example of Being Precise, Accurate and Completely Wrong

Tue Apr 22 2003 00:00:00 GMT

I reposted my essay on leap seconds because I had made mistakes in cleaning up the HTML for Word. Another example of dealing with a program that gives me a presentation that is has unwanted precision while making it difficult to deal with the content.

Number Portability is misdirection.

Sun Apr 20 2003 00:00:00 GMT

With all the discussion of number portability it's easy to lose sight of the fact that we already have number portability. The issue should be why we have to invent a second layer just so that we can pretend it is a difficult problem.

More on Court Hears Fight Over Numbers Used for Cell phones

Sun Apr 20 2003 00:00:00 GMT

GELERNTER: Candy-Coated Electronics and a reply (reply first ,article after)

Tue Apr 15 2003 00:00:00 GMT

More on WIRELESS CARRIERS PROPOSE NEW 'NUMBERPORTABILITY' PLAN

Mon Apr 14 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Implementing VisiCalc (pointer)

Mon Apr 07 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Short intro Implementing VisiCalc. Points to the primary essay.

Implementing VisiCalc

Sun Apr 06 2003 00:00:00 GMT

The story of how we implemented VisiCalc. We always viewed VisiCalc as a product, not a program. The program itself was just a means of delivering the product and only part of the larger experience.

Article on Al Jeezara – The Belly of the Beast

Sun Mar 30 2003 00:00:00 GMT

More on In defense of al-Jazeera from MSNBC

Fri Mar 28 2003 00:00:00 GMT

768x1280

Thu Mar 20 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Laptops seem to be made for viewing movies. If I rotate my laptop I get a tall and narrow screen suitable for reading and writing text.

a series of interesting notes on AOL and connectivity

Wed Mar 19 2003 00:00:00 GMT

some comments on Review of Vonage's VoIP broadband phone service

Sat Mar 15 2003 00:00:00 GMT

More on why the SSN needs to go

Sun Mar 09 2003 00:00:00 GMT

More on Supreme Court Reviews Speech And Library Pornography Filters

Thu Mar 06 2003 00:00:00 GMT

United States v. American Library Association

Wed Mar 05 2003 00:00:00 GMT

The Supreme Court is going to determine if libraries can be forced to act as censors. It is a test of modernity and the idea that ideas have meaning in context and the best way to respond to concerns is by challenging the ideas rather than censoring them. Does a picture of a naked person cause irreparable harm?

Supreme Court Reviews Speech And Library Pornography Filters

Wed Mar 05 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Some Good News

Mon Mar 03 2003 00:00:00 GMT

I'm cautiously optimistic after returning from the Spectrum Policy conference at Stanford. But I'm exciting to find that the SFO intra-airport trains are running and that I-90 now goes directly into Logan Airport.

Dim Copper

Fri Feb 28 2003 00:00:00 GMT

We didn't create the automobile by lashing a carriage to a mechanical horse but we were able to repurpose the roads designed for horses by paving them to create a smooth surface. The Internet isn't just an upgrade to the phone network. It needs its own path. The existing copper infrastructure is a valuable resource that can be used as a native medium for Internet connectivity. We must take advantage of the opportunity to provide universal connectivity very quickly at a low cost, we get vastly improved telephony as a free bonus.

Theft of Service?

Wed Feb 12 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Cable modems showed great promise when they were introduced. Originally planned for 10mbps, they rolled out at 1.5mbps. Originally supposed to be symmetric, they were asymmetric at 5:1 and now it's 10:1. Any available capacity is denied us and used to sell us a limited choice of stale content (movies).

Live Blogging!

Tue Feb 11 2003 00:00:00 GMT

My attempt to blog an event live. Dave Winer's meeting about blogging at Harvard.

ClearType!

Mon Feb 10 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Microsoft's Cleartype technology really does make a difference!

Email is Still Just a Toy

Thu Feb 06 2003 00:00:00 GMT

We now think of email as a normal form of communication and have to use the retronym postal mail. But when we have important messages, our email systems aren't up to the task and we go back to paper.

Spam Fixation

Sun Feb 02 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Short Abstract of Spam Fixation

Spam Fixation

Sat Feb 01 2003 00:00:00 GMT

It seems as if everyone wants to hunt down the spammers and make laws against people who call us on the telephone. The real problem is managing our availability. Computers make it easy for people to send us email but they also give us the means to take charge of our availability.

a view from a vet – Slammered

Sun Jan 26 2003 00:00:00 GMT

comment on "Unnecessary Traffic Saturating a Key Internet 'Root' Server" Newswise (01/24/03)

Fri Jan 24 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Prior Restraint: Censorship as the Legacy of Spectrum Policy

Wed Jan 22 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Early radio receivers took advantage of the technologies available and assigned each transmitter a unique frequency. It is a very inefficient approach and required a complex regulatory system to keep all the signals sorted out. Since World War II we've had the ability to use signaling approaches that are far more effective and do not need this regulatory regimen. Yet we still cling to spectrum allocation and the censorship inherent in the onerous regulatory system

Prior Restraint: Censorship as the Legacy of Spectrum Policy

Wed Jan 22 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Abstract for the essay

AT&T Broadband users see 3rd e-mail shift

Thu Jan 16 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Once more ATTBI is forcing users to change their email addresses. While they blamed the previous on trademark problems there seems reason this time other than a change in ATTBI's marketing needs

Two stories on coming to terms with the Internet

Fri Jan 10 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Two interesting articles in the New York Times about coming to terms with the new marketplace. One about adapting to the new realities of the content business and one about failing to address the change in telecommunications

[IP] More on A WSJ Letter to the Editor They Wouldn't Care to Publish (which I mostly agree with)

Wed Jan 08 2003 12:34:34 GMT

More on A WSJ Letter to the Editor They Wouldn't Care to Publish (which I mostly agree with)

Wed Jan 08 2003 00:00:00 GMT

More on FCC Plans to Erase Key Rule On Local Phone Competition

Mon Jan 06 2003 00:00:00 GMT

More on FCC Plans to Erase Key Rule On Local Phone Competition

Mon Jan 06 2003 00:00:00 GMT

VoIP is a simple idea and simply works

Sun Jan 05 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Voice over IP is a simple concept that allows us to redefine telephony. It requires no special hardware or constructs like QoS. For now it looks like the PSTN but is rapidly coming into its own

Bad Coupling

Sun Jan 05 2003 00:00:00 GMT

I started to write about my successes in using my home networking to connect all my devices but I soon realized that it was a tail of triumph over unnecessary.

Bad Coupling (abstract)

Sun Jan 05 2003 00:00:00 GMT

I started to write about my successes in using my home networking to connect all my devices but I soon realized that it was a tail of triumph over unnecessary.

Users: The Usual Suspects Again

Tue Dec 31 2002 00:00:00 GMT

More on – rest in peace – OS/2 Obituary

Tue Dec 24 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Cranking Along

Fri Dec 20 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Short intro and pointer to the full essay

Cranking Along

Fri Dec 20 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Scott Kirsner wrote about blogs (including mine) in the Boston Globe. I felt I should quickly put together my own comments but it took five days to reflect upon my writing.

On Ensuring End-to-End

Sun Dec 15 2002 00:00:00 GMT

It is easy to ask for quality but rarely do people ask what is meant by Quality. In practice, the term is often and excuse for arbitrariness and is antithetical to the openness of the Internet.

More on Coalition Asks FCC to Ensure End-to-End

Sun Dec 15 2002 00:00:00 GMT

More on Coalition Asks FCC to Ensure End-to-End

Sat Dec 14 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Learning by Shipping

Mon Dec 09 2002 00:00:00 GMT

The table PC is interesting both as a device in its own right and as a way to understand how products evolve.

Mistrial!

Sat Nov 23 2002 00:00:00 GMT

The Federal courthouse in Boston has banned the use of PDAs. The unwillingness to allow mental aids is very worrisome.

Blogs of Interest and of Concern

Fri Nov 15 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Pointers to blogs on telecom policy and on the dangers of security mania.

More on Journalists and the Telco crisis

Wed Nov 13 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Teething Pains or Cavities

Tue Nov 12 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Hiawatha Bray wrote about his experiences with the first set of Bluetooth devices. Reality highlights the Bluetooth's limitations (summary).

Teething Pains or Cavities

Tue Nov 12 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Hiawatha Bray wrote about his experiences with the first set of Bluetooth devices. Reality highlights the Bluetooth's limitations (full essay).

on Lessons from the Meltdown of U.S. Telephone Industry

Sat Nov 09 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Response to an article from Japan about the Telephone Industry.

More on Lessons from the Meltdown of U.S. Telephone Industry -Giving Top Priority to the Internet

Sat Nov 09 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Lessons from the Meltdown of U.S. Telephone Industry - Giving Top Priority to the Internet

Fri Nov 08 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Ownership

Thu Oct 31 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Owners add value. But we limit ownership based on a static agrarian model of property. In order to maximize society's benefit we need to be able to accept that others' need the opportunity be owners and holding bits hostage leave us with little opportunity to create value.

Another Dangerous Idea

Thu Oct 31 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Just as the Darwin's recognition that we are the product of an indifferent process of evolution, the Internet forces us to come to terms with the interplay of social policy and technology.

Perspective on Root Server Attack

Fri Oct 25 2002 00:00:00 GMT

From Hotrods to PCs

Thu Oct 24 2002 00:00:00 GMT

In the 1950's enthusiasts would soup up their cars. Today this energy often goes into ones computer.

Implementing .DNS

Mon Sep 02 2002 00:00:00 GMT

With all the noise and rancor surrounding ICANN it is easy to lose sight of the fact that ICANN itself is just mechanism that people care about too much. Create the .DNS TLD gives us a way to move beyond the squabbling.

Trapped by the Web!

Mon Sep 02 2002 00:00:00 GMT

The web protocols are great for pushing documents but we must not confuse a web site with a service. Your need to focus on service, not a web site.

About Binding

Mon Sep 02 2002 00:00:00 GMT

The DNS is a mechanism for associating stable identifiers with volatile IP addresses. The dotDNS simply removes the impediments to effective use of binding for maintaining relationships on the Internet but it's also important to understand the concept in its own right.

dotDNS

Mon Sep 02 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Short abstract of the dotDNS proposal.

The Cable Racket!!

Mon Aug 26 2002 00:00:00 GMT

What gives ATT the right to grab revenue from a company just because it uses their wires? Something is very wrong and I hope that these kinds of arrangements will make it more obvious.

Of Blogs and Security and More

Tue Aug 13 2002 00:00:00 GMT

So You Want to be Secure

Sun Aug 11 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Security is about a lot more than keeping the bad guys out a lot less. We shouldn't confuse stasis with security.

Blogging, Spam and Discovery

Sat Aug 10 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Blogging is being "discovered" by the mainstream press and they view it in their image. But it is a lot more interesting when viewed as a way to exchange information and compared with others approaches such as advertising and its feral cousin, spam.

Annoyances and more

Thu Aug 08 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Mainly a pointer to recent articles on Frankston.com and some comments on the difficulties in using computers.

(East (New (York))), (New (York))

Wed Jul 31 2002 00:00:00 GMT

In visiting the neighborhood I grew up I was struck by the sign for E New York Ave. But the street is named after East New York, not New York. Ambiguity is everywhere. Too bad the ICANN seems to be in denial.

The Economist, the Internet, Telecom and the Dow

Wed Jul 31 2002 00:00:00 GMT

I greatly respect The Economist as a business magazine yet even they seem to treat the woes of the telecom sectors as a symptom of problems with technology rather than seeing the woes as the result of the rise of new vibrant sectors.

Salon article on ICANN and Dyson

Sat Jul 27 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Salon article on ICANN and Dyson

Sat Jul 27 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Various annoyances and related issues

Sat Jul 06 2002 00:00:00 GMT

We tend to underestimate the pervasive effect of seeming innocuous design issues yet they have large implications, especially as they accumulate. In itself each annoyance seems minor. The challenge is seeing which of them are leverage (or tipping?) points. After all, the Internet Protocols are trivial yet they mooted a trillion dollar telecom industry.

Redesigning Frankston.com

Sat Jul 06 2002 00:00:00 GMT

The first major redesign of this site since 1998.

Check Engine! Why?

Sat Jul 06 2002 00:00:00 GMT

The car is designed by them for us. It needn't be and shouldn't be.

Interesting Articles

Wed Jul 03 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Pointers without further comment

Blue in the tooth

Tue Jul 02 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Pointers to some of my remarks on Bluetooth

Caller ID and End-to-end

Tue Jul 02 2002 00:00:00 GMT

The Caller-ID service on telephones provides a casebook study in the value of end-to-end design.

Edge Protocol vs IPv6

Mon Jul 01 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Living a Lie?

Sun Jun 09 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Without advocacy, it is hard to even know what is possible.

Re: IP: Gilmor's Broadband column...

Tue Jun 04 2002 00:00:00 GMT

When More Means More

Mon Jun 03 2002 00:00:00 GMT

More special

Thu May 16 2002 00:00:00 GMT

"Special" Networks

Sun May 05 2002 00:00:00 GMT

The FCC In Context (Abstract)

Thu Apr 25 2002 00:00:00 GMT

The FCC In Context

Thu Apr 25 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Politics is often treated as a spectator sport. But the FCC is different in that we can do more and think about the fundamental issues rather than just betting on winners and losers.

The Importance of Encrypted IPV6

Tue Apr 23 2002 00:00:00 GMT

The Internet has become a maze of twisting winding passages because the existing addressing scheme has been unable to keep up with the demands. The Internet has also become unsafe and we need to support responsible behavior by giving users the ability to maintain the integrity of their connections.

RE: Computers (he has it right)

Thu Apr 18 2002 00:00:00 GMT

The "Magic" of the Internet

Sun Apr 14 2002 00:00:00 GMT

The Internet seems to work by magic but if you look underneath you find it is very simple. A good example is email. You don't even need a program - you and send mail by simply typing and sending commands to the recipient's computer! The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is indeed simple!

So many clocks so little time

Mon Apr 08 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Dan Gillmor on ICANN

Wed Apr 03 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Gillmor on ICANN (4/2) - Dot-DNS could be the first step to loosen ICANN's grip on Net

Wed Apr 03 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Marketplaces, Connectivity and Other Stuff

Sun Mar 31 2002 00:00:00 GMT

What is it about airports?

Fri Mar 29 2002 00:00:00 GMT

In search of the lost Internet

Sun Mar 17 2002 00:00:00 GMT

The Internet is Missing and We Must Find it!

Thu Mar 14 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Lessons from the GigaSet

Thu Mar 07 2002 00:00:00 GMT

OOBE vs FFBE

Wed Mar 06 2002 00:00:00 GMT

OK, one more peeve: Submarining!

Thu Feb 28 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Dash it all or Cadence Counts!

Thu Feb 28 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Jack Valenti replies to Lessig, other "professors"

Wed Feb 27 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Whither ICANN

Wed Feb 27 2002 00:00:00 GMT

ICANN is aiding and abetting the .com tragedy

Worlds in Collision: Consumer Electronics meets generic computing and networking and ..

Sun Feb 24 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Re: Too much surveillance means too little freedom

Thu Feb 21 2002 00:00:00 GMT

More on Too much surveillance means too little freedom

Thu Feb 21 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Billy Tauzin featured in Slate

Tue Feb 19 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Billy Tauzin featured in Slate

Mon Feb 18 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Don't worry, it's for your own good

Sun Feb 17 2002 00:00:00 GMT

HTML Lite

Tue Feb 12 2002 00:00:00 GMT

For those who like to see pictures on the Internet

Sat Feb 09 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Picture of my small computer

Internet Connections over Cable

Sat Feb 09 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Letter to the editor of ISP-Planet

Sat Feb 09 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Rainmaking?

Sat Feb 09 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Mini Book PC

Sat Feb 09 2002 00:00:00 GMT

RE: IBM's "MetaPad" Index Card-Size Computer Prototype

Thu Feb 07 2002 00:00:00 GMT

comment and reply on By Cringely – Soon, It's Gonna Rain

Mon Feb 04 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Pardon me if I repeat myself

Sat Feb 02 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Connectivity: What it is and why it is so important

Tue Jan 29 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Amtrak: Just what is "Internet Access"

Thu Jan 24 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Name change!

Mon Jan 21 2002 00:00:00 GMT

The obsession of coding!

Thu Jan 17 2002 00:00:00 GMT

A name is not a name

Wed Jan 16 2002 00:00:00 GMT

All I want to do is a little timeshifting

Wed Jan 16 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Clarification on my DNS Comments

Wed Jan 16 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Broadband: Just say no

Wed Jan 16 2002 00:00:00 GMT

The Tragedy of the .COMs

Mon Jan 14 2002 13:51:40 GMT

The problem with .com and the DNS. Originally posted on SATN

Broadband vs. Connectivity at PC Forum

Fri Jan 11 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Smart Appliances?

Fri Jan 11 2002 00:00:00 GMT

History of SIPB - Student Information Processing Board at MIT

Mon Dec 31 2001 00:00:00 GMT

RE: FCC lifts ban on technology-specific area codes

Sun Dec 16 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Telecommuters must pay extra for cable VPNs [v2]

Fri Dec 14 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Cables: Anyone home?

Thu Nov 29 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Forward into the past: "securing the phone system"

Sat Nov 24 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Fox TV: The scapegoat channel

Sat Nov 24 2001 00:00:00 GMT

More on : Dead Education Dots becoming Porn sites

Mon Nov 12 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Techies vs. Telcos

Thu Nov 01 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Beyond Telecom

Tue Oct 30 2001 00:00:00 GMT

We have a communications infrastructure that based on the assumption that telephony and television are fundamental services. The Internet has demonstrated that they are both applications built upon packet-based connectivity. The marketplace has been unable to make this transition because we are locked into a complex regulatory structure defined by regulation.

Four very useful notes between Bob Frankston and Vint Cerf re the message – ICANN's new role: It's about keeping people from being killed by terrorist plots hatched over the net says Mike Roberts

Sun Oct 28 2001 00:00:00 GMT

RE: ICANN's new role: It's about keeping people from being killed by terrorist plots hatched over the net says Mike Roberts

Sun Oct 28 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Interesting news source – Pravda

Tue Oct 23 2001 00:00:00 GMT

"Brain fingerprinting"

Tue Oct 02 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Zimmerman and others being blamed for 9/11 and A simple observation about encryption

Sat Sep 22 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Resilience!

Thu Sep 13 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Re: FORMER FCC CHAIRMAN TELLS HOW OPTICAL COMPANIES CAN WEATHER THE ECONOMIC SLUMP

Wed Aug 15 2001 00:00:00 GMT

DDoS – The new kiddies

Mon Aug 13 2001 00:00:00 GMT

RE: re Disappearing eBooks - but not inmates?

Wed Aug 08 2001 00:00:00 GMT

The IBM PC at 20 and beyond.

Fri Aug 03 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Written as part of the 20th anniversary of the IBM PC. How the PC has been a source of innovation and why it will continue to be a place to experiment and not just another appliance.

DNS - Safe Haven

Thu Aug 02 2001 00:00:00 GMT

This is a proposal to address issues that threaten to entangle the infrastructure of the Internet with political and policy issues. Updated

RE: Interesting Article in the 26 July LA Times on the Mismatch of Business and the Internet

Wed Aug 01 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Re: [ "fun" to read djf] Gibson stops 13-year-old DOS `terrorist,' but says W2K and XP will fail and fall

Fri Jun 01 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Bluetooth risks airline safety?

Wed May 16 2001 00:00:00 GMT

re Baby Bells Told To Expand High-speed Internet Service

Sat May 12 2001 00:00:00 GMT

[IP] more on Stopping spam isn't as easy as you might hope

Thu May 03 2001 00:00:00 GMT

The Internet is Not Television

Wed May 02 2001 00:00:00 GMT

An extended letter to the editors of Wired Magazine in response to a May 2001 cover story which demonized the Internet simply because it doesn't make sense to those whose vision of the world is limited to television as we know it.

The Prerogatives of Innovation

Thu Mar 15 2001 00:00:00 GMT

The Personal Computer and the Internet have given us wonderful opportunity to innovate and change the world. Yet there still seems to be a condescending attitude that drives companies to continue to design lame products and services that deny the value of innovation. These efforts are sadly misguided -- they promise simplicity and deliver only frustration.

Contents vs Connectivity

Thu Feb 10 2000 00:00:00 GMT

The Internet is the source of disruptive innovation that has driven our "new" economy. But the Internet is now considered too important to tolerate any more disruption. With companies that own "content" also owning the consumer's connections to the Internet, we no longer have a marketplace to advocate improving or even maintain connectivity.

Beware the Broadcasters

Wed Feb 09 2000 00:00:00 GMT

This column appeared in the Boston Software News. It part of my writings on the issues of the IP infrastructure.

CES 2000 Debrief

Mon Jan 10 2000 00:00:00 GMT

This is a debrief I wrote of CES 2000.

Open Access

Thu Nov 11 1999 00:00:00 GMT

As we build Internet connectivity atop the existing telecommunications infrastructure we need to assure that there is a separation between connectivity and the services that are built upon the connectivity.

Much Fuss about the DNS

Mon Jul 12 1999 00:00:00 GMT

The domain names (as in www.frankston.com) seem to be a scarce resource as companies try to secure their own ".com" names. There are also too few Internet addresses to go around. Alas, the "crisis" is due to a lack of understanding of the role of the domain names. There are more appropriate mechanisms already available.

The IP Infrastructure

Mon Apr 12 1999 00:00:00 GMT

This essay captures much of what I've been trying to explain about what the IP infrastructure really is and what it means. Very briefly, it provides a connected infrastructure and creates a new marketplace that takes advantage of this connectivity. In order to understand this it is necessary to have a basic understanding of what underlies the Internet. This understanding is necessary for those making policy decisions and is essential for being a literate member of today's society. I'm writing companion essays on the new literacy and on the difference between computer science and the needs of the IP infrastructure. If you'd like to be notified when they are available, [Notification], "send me a note"

Y2K, Area Codes etc

Sat Mar 20 1999 00:00:00 GMT

The Y2K problem and Area Code splitting are the results of failing to understand the difference between how we use information informally and how we must representation it in computer systems and on the Web.

Glossary

Fri Jan 01 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Definitions for some of the terms I use in my writings.

Newton 2000

Tue Nov 24 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Suggestions for how, a suburb of Boston, Newton, Ma can use the IP infrastructure and related technologies to make the city operate more efficiently and be a better place to live.

Extending Email Addressing

Wed Oct 21 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Email addressing has a serious flaw. Unlike the paper mail which allows you to use any name you want, with email you must register each one with your service provider and often pay a fee. This is a proposal to extend email addressing to support the extensibility necessary for universal use of email.

AT&T and snails – from RISKS

Wed Aug 26 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Demo Letter: Article on Home Networking

Sat Aug 01 1998 00:00:00 GMT

This short piece focuses on IP as the enabling technology.

Columns

Sat Jul 04 1998 00:00:00 GMT

These columns represent a first attempt at posting short opinions

Internet Myths and Public Policy

Wed May 27 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Originally written in response to a desire to provide Email to all. Without a proper understanding of the technology, setting policies to implement this is very likely to have the perverse effect of insuring just the opposite!

Home Connectivity

Wed May 06 1998 00:00:00 GMT

The terms "Home Networking" and "Home Automation" are often used to describe what I prefer to be calling "Home Connectivity and Control". The confusion in terminology is symptomatic of the difficulty in a real but often misunderstood need.

Universal Service

Sun Apr 26 1998 00:00:00 GMT

An argument that the social policy of universal access (via the Universal Service fund) is outdated and a threat to advancement in telephony.

The Holmesian Fallacy

Sun Apr 19 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Sherlock Holmes makes for great fiction, but depending upon Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for lessons in reasoning is a very bad idea.

IP Everywhere

Mon Apr 06 1998 00:00:00 GMT

The IP Infrastructure has the potential for being a vital resource, but we are at a point where a lack of understanding by policy makers and an emphasis on supporting legacy systems threatens to leave the Internet a much less effective medium than it could be.

Phone Numbers

Sat Mar 07 1998 00:00:00 GMT

The idea of a phone number should be very simple -- each phone has a number. But, in practice, we are burdened with special case rules such as when we must or must not dial a "1" or an area code. We must also constantly monitor changes to these rules such as area code splits. This complexity is the result of policies rather than technical reasons.

Leap Seconds

Sat Mar 07 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Leap second seems trivial but we have an inherent ambiguity in how we deal with time and computation. The value of a time, such as the year 2000, cannot be determined ahead of time!

Firewalls

Wed Feb 25 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Mechanisms like firewalls have the downside of frustrating effective use of the network, while providing only the illusion of security. Updated with comments about malicious programs sent via email.

The Internet and Consumer Electronics

Mon Dec 01 1997 00:00:00 GMT

Presented at the IEEE Consumer Electronics conference in Singapore. This is available as part of the ISCE proceedinghere

Unintended Consequences

Sun Sep 14 1997 00:00:00 GMT

Beyond Limits

Sat Mar 01 1997 00:00:00 GMT

A chapter from the ACM Book, Beyond Calculation. It focuses on how innovation has driven, and will continue to drive, computing.

Operating System: A Relic of the Past

Wed Mar 20 1996 00:00:00 GMT

A paper I presented in 1996 on why the classic operating system needs to be rethought.

Rethinking Operating Systems

Mon May 01 1995 00:00:00 GMT

An unpublished draft explaining that current operating systems are the result of an evolutionary process and are still focused on the needs of the 1960's.

Re: Clinton at Brandenburg Gate

Mon Jul 11 1994 00:00:00 GMT

Bob Demos the web in 1994

Sun May 01 1994 00:00:00 GMT

Video of Bob Frankston's tour of the WWW in 1994

Re: [SF Examiner] "Why Censoring Cyberspace Is Futile"

Mon Apr 25 1994 00:00:00 GMT

Re: from an IPer – A few details on Continental Cable/PSI home internet service

Wed Mar 09 1994 00:00:00 GMT

Re: Denning's account was NOT compromised. Shapiro was using a form of satire to make a point

Fri Feb 25 1994 00:00:00 GMT

The Wrist: Information near Your Fingertips

Mon Sep 27 1993 00:00:00 GMT

In 1993 I wrote about the importance of the wrist as real estate for information. After twenty years the ideas seem be becoming mainstream.

Rush Hour 1997

Tue Aug 01 1989 00:00:00 GMT

An amusing look at the mid 90's, written in 1989. It now seems to be less absurd than it was meant to be.

VisiCalc: The Visible Calculator

Wed Jun 06 1979 00:00:00 GMT

This is the paper I presented at the 1979 National Computer Conference where we introduced VisiCalc. You may also be interested in Implementing VisiCalc

Multics Lightweight Processes

Sun Mar 03 1974 00:00:00 GMT

A pair of memos I wrote about implementing a tasking mechanism on Multics. Mainly for those who are very curious about arcane details of computing history.

The Computer Utility as a Marketplace for Computer Services (TR-128)

Thu Jan 31 1974 00:00:00 GMT

My Master's Thesis. (1974). Probably one of the earliest discussions of Internet-based electronic commerce. It addresses the issues of what are now called micro-transactions.