Tuesday, November 26, 2002

Patriot Act on Steriods Today's article in the Washington Post notes that in the Homeland Security bill, Bush gained measures originally denied him in the Patriot Act to gather information on emails, users,etc from the Internet.  Once the agency gets going, expect rules and regulation to push the envelope further. 8:39:36 AM

Another reason for individuals to pay attention to tech policy... Will GOP Shake Up Tech Policy?. A Republican-controlled Congress means new leadership for key committees that shape technology, digital rights and intellectual property legislation. Lobbyists on opposing sides of the issues smell blood. By Brad King. [Wired News] 7:59:31 AM

The Cluetrain does recognize other conversations... Cyber-Rights Activists Log a Win. Spanish cyberpunks combine grassroots Internet activism with a door-to-door awareness campaign to successfully stop a regional law that would have treated cybercafes as gambling houses. By Michelle Delio. [Wired News] In Chapter 4 of Cluetrain, Doc Searls notes the history of mass media as a means of one way communication between the manufacturers and the "interchangeable customer".  The constant bombardment of ads numbs us and thus diminishes their effectiveness.  Relying solely upon such one way communication is risky -- note the number of politicians who lost this past November when they relied solely upon paid media and ignored traditional grassroots campaigns. The conversations that occur between individuals, those who praise a product or service and recommend that product or service to others is an essential complement to any advertising or communications campaign.  The activists cited in the article acknowledge that fact as they note their campaign would not have been successful had it been conducted entirely on the web. So, the lesson here is to use the web and the tools the web presents to us, such as blogs, to organize ourselves, to actually discuss the issues (and not blindly accept someone's idealogical brochure) and to act.  Call it Webroots campaigning (Oops, Webroot is a trademark!).  But, you get the point. 7:57:14 AM

Missing the Cluetrain... Critics Say Government Deleted Web Site Material to Push Abstinence. Information on condoms, abortion and ways to reduce sex among teenagers has been removed from government Web sites. By Adam Clymer. [New York Times: Technology] We may not need to worry about paying for information if it isn't there to begin with...  Course, the answer is, we use the power of the web and make information our own.  Why depend on the government for the only source of information?  Government has always changed the message of whatever media was effective (paper, television, etc) to reflect the philosophy and priorities of the ruling party.  That doesn't stop individuals from adding information of their own and allowing the market (read many individuals) from making its decisions about whom they can trust.  7:39:59 AM