Thursday, March 28, 2002

'Back to the Frontier'

But we're only beginning to grasp how weird it is to have wireless Net access all the time. [ ... ] Doc Searls, got an e-mail from a friend across the country, who noted that Nacchio [ ... ] had sold huge amounts of stocks over the past two years. Searls located a page from Yahoo Finance with the particulars and linked it to his log. Another blogger in the room read Searls's log, and copied the link to his own site, acidly commenting on the inappropriateness of Nacchio's whining. [ ... ] The room palpably chilled toward the pugnacious executive.

posted at 10:33:58 PM — permalink

A Plea to Bill Gates: Free the Ideas!

David Weinberger
I am far more worried about the entertainment-legislative complex. Because the market has emphatically rejected its business model, it's perilously close to rewriting the software and hardware rules to force the market to comply. The government is both venal and stupid enough to do it.

posted at 8:07:38 PM — permalink

I'm still waiting for this whole Instant Outlining mind bomb to go off in my head. I'm missing a piece of the puzzle or I've taken a wrong turn in the maze or something.

posted at 5:58:39 PM — permalink

Productivity is the endgame

Jon Udell
It's not about XML, or HTTP, or outlining. It's about people evolving to the point where they publish what they're doing, and subscribe to what other people are doing, in just the right proportions, so that there's maximum awareness of shared purpose but minimal demand on the scarce resource of attention.
Dave Winer
I would only disagree with the statement that it's not about outlining. I think it is. For a variety of reasons, which I'll write about when I get some time. 

posted at 1:21:16 PM — permalink

The Space Elevator Comes Closer to Reality

Still, the mental picture needed to grasp the elevator to space idea... well, you can't be weak of mind.

posted at 12:08:11 PM — permalink

Mary Wehmeier's Open Letter to Senator Fritz Hollings

The proposed Security Systems Standards and Certification Act (SSSCA) you and Senator Stevens are sponsoring will make it impossible for independent editor like myself, to remain in business. Why? Because the proposed SSSCA does not differentiate between someone illegally duplicating DVDs or video tapes for sale, from me trying to earn a living by editing a commercial spot from my home.

posted at 11:22:53 AM — permalink

osama's bin bloggin

You think we are illiterate and technologically backward, but we are not, Allah be praised! We have cell phones, PCs and the Internet and we blog!

posted at 11:19:04 AM — permalink

Guard Copyrights, Don't Jail Innovation

Alex Salkever
Senator Hollings' call for hardware-embedded anticopying measures is the last thing consumers and the entertainment industry need.

posted at 11:18:16 AM — permalink

Jeremiah Rogers' first essay on Instant Outlining

Dave Winer
It's a good one. I'll be writing a few myself. BTW, here's the OPML version of my instant outline. It changes all the time. This is called Instant Outlining, or I/Oing for short. "It's fresh. It's buggy. And it's yummy". Just a small part of The World Outline, which makes a great acronym. Hehee.

posted at 11:17:28 AM — permalink

Disney chief Eisner recruits Abe Lincoln in piracy fight

John Lettice
[W]e want some of whatever his speech writers are smoking.

posted at 11:15:49 AM — permalink

Storage and Copyrights

John Robb
There is little doubt that the current copyright system, and how copyright owners sell their poducts, is in freefall.  The reason for this is the rapid growth in storage capacity.
Jenny Levine
If you're going to wait around for me to turn on the radio at 5:08 pm in order to hear the song you want me to hear so that I'll buy that band's album, it isn't going to happen.

posted at 11:14:49 AM — permalink

Howling Mad Over Hollings' Bill

Brad King
Jim Dinda's apartment is a high-tech entertainment haven, but that could change if a bill that restricts how electronics devices work is passed into law.

posted at 11:10:47 AM — permalink

Journalistic Pivot Points

Then, in the Q&A, he corrected something I'd written in the blog. In other words, he'd caught this in near-real time and had better information (he should). I immediately posted another paragraph, which began, "I've been corrected..."

posted at 11:09:47 AM — permalink

Stallman: Software patents victimise developers

The first thing you do after you have an idea for what sort of software you want to write, is to find out what patents may cover the area. This is impossible, because some patent applications pending are secret.

Discussion at Slashdot.

posted at 11:08:48 AM — permalink

The Social Life of Paper

Paper has persisted, [psychologists] argue, for very good reasons: when it comes to performing certain kinds of cognitive tasks, paper has many advantages over computers.

Discussion at Slashdot.

posted at 11:07:44 AM — permalink

Don't Confuse Fans With Pirates

Roger Ebert
That Universal has copy-protected it, and blocked out Macs and DVD players altogether, has to be the worst marketing decision in consumer electronics since the original DivX format (which was Circuit City's widely hated, intrusive pay-per-view system).

Discussion at Slashdot.

posted at 11:06:25 AM — permalink

Eisner made over $700 million in 5 years

Dave Winer
In fact he's is dangerously out on a limb, but I doubt if he sees it. Napster wasn't a narrow thing. There were tens of millions of users. It was a cultural phenomenon, bigger than anything Hollywood has ever manufactured. People know what nirvana looks like, we got a great demo, and that's what we want.

posted at 11:05:31 AM — permalink

One DVD To Rule Them All

Alrighty, all you hobbits and elves out there, here it is. What is likely the most highly-anticipated DVD of the year, if ever, was announced last night in a big gala event held by New Line in Burbank, California.

Discussion at Slashdot.

Box art.

posted at 11:04:08 AM — permalink