AT&T’s Neutrality Promise – The Fine Print

December 29, 2006

Should we be surprised that, in the wake of the announcement of a net neutrality compromise to pave the way for approval of AT&T’s acquisition of Bell South, and the praise from all quarters that the deal has received, the ‘tropolis is the first to start poking around in the small print? First, this prescient fine print caution from Russell Shaw at ZDNet, and then the money post (credited to Dave Burstein) from Mike at Techdirt: there may well be a devil in the details.

Onward →

How Old is the Grand Canyon?

December 29, 2006

How unsettling to find this excellent essay from (the really, rather remarkable) Sam Harris, and then to immediately find this disturbing piece on what Grand Canyon National Park employees are not permitted to discuss with park visitors.

Onward →

Much More Mercer

December 28, 2006

Thank heavens for Rick Mercer.

Onward →

Trouble for Apple

December 28, 2006

This has not been a good week for Apple. First, news that documents central to the Apple stock option backdating story may have been falsified by company officials – reportedly the former GC and CFO. Now, news that internal documents (the same, presumably) were falsified in connection with grants issued (and since surrendered) to Steve Jobs.

Onward →

The Accidental President

December 27, 2006

CBC is on the air saying that “many people” referred to Gerry Ford as “the accidental president”. A play on the supposed clumsiness that Chevy Chase exploited so comically, no doubt. But a phrase I’ve personally never heard associated with Ford. Indeed, of the first 50 hits of the phrase “the accidental president” on Google, none relate to Ford.

Onward →

Blawg Review

December 25, 2006

Many thanks to Blawg Review for naming this joint the Best Canadian Law Blog for 2006. Gadzooks! Funniest category this year is “Best Blog By A Reformed Attorney”, which (naturally) goes to Mike Arrington.

Onward →

Separating Innovation and Production

December 24, 2006

From the NYT, a short blurb on an aspect of offshoring that has always troubled me: over the long run, can invention and design be separated from production? As I’ve understood the theory, the answer was supposed to be yes – industrialized economies would remain the brains of the operation, and the brawn would be moved to lower cost locations. But creativity, it has always seemed to me, first requires an intensive familiarity with the nuts and bolts. Only then can one abstract oneself to the degree required to see the bigger picture and innovate.

Onward →

Media Obedience to Authority

December 23, 2006

Nick Douglas posts at Eat the Press that Diane Sawyer will be conducting a version of Stanley Milgram’s experiment on obedience to authority on an upcoming version of 20/20. He wonders whether it’s a publicity stunt. I wonder whether it’s commentary on an incurious media’s docility during the runup to the Iraq War. An explanation of Judith Miller’s credulous reporting, perhaps?

Onward →

Life in a Northern Country

December 23, 2006

For years now, I’ve done this exclusively online, and the latest data suggests there are few others like me in Canada. This is a small country, after all, and what with the extraordinarily high costs of e-commerce, few Canadian retailers have the means to get into it, and as a result, relatively few Canadian consumers are diving in.Extraordinarily high costs?… There must be a disconnect here – I realize that there are costs, but what better way for a landlocked retailer to extend reach and brand from coast to coast and compete with the bricks and mortar retailers who’ve invested many millions to do the same thing.No, the real issue, I suspect, is that Canadians don’t shop in greater numbers online because the stores they’d like to buy from – US retailers – don’t ship to Canada, or if they do, sell goods (electronics is the classic example) that include US-only warranties, to protect their more timid Canadian distributors. If there were more serious competition for our dollars, Canadian retailers would be forced from their drowsy slumbers to fight more aggressively for our business, and robust e-commerce would follow.

Onward →

Many Thanks to Dennis Kennedy

December 23, 2006

Thanks be to Dennis for the kind mention as a runner-up for Best Overall Law-Related Blog in his annual Blawggies, and for a mention as one of a growing number of Canadian legal blogs. Just how great is it to be runner-up next to one of my favourite law and policy blogs, the very excellent and very smart Technology Liberation Front.

Onward →

Two Web 2.0 Inspired Exits?

December 22, 2006

I can’t help but wonder whether the recently announced auction for Alliance-Atlantis and sale of CCNMatthews are at least in part inspired by the desire of the sellers to get clear of the impact that Web 2.0 will have on their industries. Alliance-Atlantis because of the growth of IPTV and CCNMatthews because of what I would have thought was the inevitably diminishing importance of formal newswire services. As the former, my mesh buddies disagree. I’ll confess I’m not a close observer of the industry, but still ….

Onward →

Decision Most Likely to be Overturned in 2007

December 22, 2006

This has to be the recent decision least likely to survive 2007 untouched.

Onward →