Sunday, May 19, 2002

Tom Friedman nails it in today's op-ed. The problem isn't that we can't think like the bad guys, it's that we're not thinking like good guys. ... [Jon's Radio] Jon goes on, eloquently, Amidst new reminders that we are not out of the woods, in terms of security -- as, of course, we can never be -- Friedman's essay should ring a lot of bells. Some of the best minds of our generation are idling right now, waiting for the economic engine to start turning over again. I ran into quite a few of them last week at the ETECH conference. Some are working on 9/11-inspired security projects, but with no real sense of satisfaction or hope. A Manhattan project for energy independence is one example of the kind of initiative that could raise hopes, enhance security,  and put idle minds, CPU cycles, and bandwidth to work again. We wrote earlier that Dr. Bonzo is tempted to become a single-issue voter, but we'll amend that to two issues that will govern our votes for national office this fall, and probably in 2004 as well: Will you (the candidate) oppose the efforts of the entertainment industry to erode my rights, as a citizen and consumer, to (a) enjoy the "content" that I purchase in any fair use I see fit and (b) to purchase, build, and use technology that is free from legislatively mandated "locks" intended to limit or eliminate those fair uses? Will you (the candidate) promote, and vote to fund, a Manhattan Project for energy independence and greenhouse-gas reduction, so that (a) our nation can detach itself from foreign entanglements whose only purpose is the protection of our dependence on fossil fuels and (b) our world will be habitable for my grandchildren and great-grandchildren? Feel free to make up your own issue-centered questions for candidates, but know that the Grand Inquisitor of Boulder thinks that these two -- freedom of information and technology, and freedom from energy slavery -- are at the top of the list here at the Inquisition. 10:22:23 PM

Thanks Doc Searls and Dan Gillmor and Dave Winer for keeping us up to date on the sordid Hollywood tale of how Hollywood is treating me like a criminal even before I actually copy one of their movies or music files. [Robert Scoble: Scobleizer Weblog] And thanks, Robert, for the pointer to this very nice Business Week article by Jane Black.  Brava, Jane, for the concluding paragraphs: In 1982, Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, famously proclaimed that the videocassette recorder was as threatening to the movies as the Boston Strangler was to a woman walking alone. Twenty years later, video rentals account for 46% of studio revenues, vs. the 24% collected at the box office. Open-source advocates say that's proof enough the market, not the entertainment industry, should decide which technologies prevail. But Hollywood's voice -- and dollars -- carry more weight on Capitol Hill than ideological arguments about the best way to develop good, cheap software. So, for now, open-source advocates face a tough battle just to make themselves heard. 5:03:28 PM