Successful Blog

You're Only a Stranger Once

Net Neutrality 6-04-2006

Filed Under Business Life, Community, SOB Business, Successful Blog, Trends | Leave a Comment

Net Neutrality Links

I’ve added these links to the Net Neutrality Page today.

Tangled Web [via Daily Kos]

We follow the story of Blip.tv, an ambitious video-streaming startup. They’re fighting for a corner of the Internet marketplace in the midst of a battle over so-called ‘net neutrality’ — the idea that all Internet content and websites are given the same access to audiences and customers.

If telecommunication giants have their way, companies like Blip.tv might be forced to compete in a marketplace wherein firms with large coffers can buy access to greater bandwidth and faster Internet speeds, leaving sites who can’t afford to pay in the slow lane.

Craig Aaron of Free Press, a media watchdog group, says big telecom companies have declared open season on ‘Net neutrality.’ He’s afraid these companies will dictate how we use the Internet.

“I think one of the beauties of the Internet is that it’s been open to views across the political spectrum. And if you hand the control of the information so that some can be preferred over others, you’re going to be handing that control to the big media companies that already control our television, airwaves, radio, you name it,” Aaron says.

For their part, telecom companies argue that a fast lane on the Internet for those willing to pay will allow them to make a return on their multibillion-dollar investment in broadband infrastructure. At present, companies such as Verizon and AT&T only charge for access to the Internet, but make virtually no money from content.

Net Neutrality Is More Than Meets The Eye

What’s bewildering in the net neutrality debate is that both sides say they have the same goals – they want the Internet to maintain its usefulness, to keep maturing, and to continue to get better. At first glance, it would be easy to think that one side wants that done via government regulation and the other through the free market. But that’s really not the case. Network neutrality is a much more complex issue than “Big Business vs. Consumer Rights” or “Big Government vs. Free-market Competition”.

Realist View on Net Neutrality: Only the Lawyers Win

Ray Gifford offers a realist’s prognostication on the likely effects of network neutrality: only the lawyers win.

Not the end of the world if network neutrality laws pass, not the end of the world if they fail to pass. Only, if network neutrality becomes law, low latency high-speed service will be routed through “private networks” while ordinary traffic travels via the “public network” internet. The distinctions between the two will be somewhat arbitrary, but important to the law, and that is why lawyers win. Overall, a sensible if not too hopeful view.

Compare the calm Gifford tone to the more alarmist sounds of eBay CEO Meg Whitman (that’s her smiling face in the picture) in an email sent to members of the “eBay community”: . . .

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

Net Neutrality 6-02-2006

Filed Under Business Life, Community, SOB Business, Successful Blog | Leave a Comment

Net Neutrality Links

I’ve added these links to the Net Neutrality Page today.

E-BAY Comes Out in Support of Net Neutrality!

Today, as a registered Seller on E-Bay, I received an e-mail from the E-Bay President and CEO Meg Whitman making a strong case for Net neutrality. Ms Whitman has come out very strongly in support of blocking passage of any bill(s) that would allow the telephone and cable companies to create a “two-tiered” system of network access.

I think this is an excellent and well written letter that clearly explains what the Telecoms are attempting to accomplish. I will post the letter in its entirety:

Net Neutrality and Snakes on Rocketboom today

Not that we ever need an excuse to get our daily dose of Rocketboom, but in today’s episode, Amanda Congdon covers Net Neutrality in between her rants on Snakes on a Plane.

Boiling the Frog – a Net Neutrality Metaphor by Art Brodsky

The metaphor goes like this: If you throw a frog into boiling water, it will jump out. But if you put a frog in warm water, and gradually raise the temperature, it will become acclimated, until it becomes cooked. Gross, but accurate. This is what the telephone companies and their allies who sell them equipment are doing. The metaphor was on display last week when Verizon Executive Vice President Tom Tauke testified before the Senate Commerce Committee. Verizon is not trying to do away with the current Internet, Tauke said. (Water warm).

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

Finding Fodder for Future Ideas

Filed Under Business Life, Idea Bank, Outside the Box, Productivity, Successful Blog, Writing | 26 Comments

Finding Fodder

Finding Ideas Outside of the Box logo 2

Yesterday, Joe of Working at Home on the Internet reminded me of my days going to press runs, when he was talking about his experience as a printer.

Immediately my mind flashed to this story.

I was in the car with my friend KB on the way to a press run. We’d worked 12 weeks straight living in the Marriott New York East Side. Now we’d flown into Chicago and were driving into one of the suburbs. She was driving. I was looking out the window. I was taking in all of the signs of the restaurants and stores as we passed by them.

Then, suddenly out of the blue I heard, “Will you . . . .SHUT UP!”

It seems I had been reading every sign out loud.

“I don’t really need you to read me every sign we pass,” she said. “What was that?”

“Sorry,” I said. “Fodder.”

Read more

Net Neutrality 6-01-2006

Filed Under Business Life, Community, SOB Business, Successful Blog, Trends | 1 Comment

Net Neutrality Links

I’ve added these links to the Net Neutrality Page today.

AstroSpammers” Attack Net Neutrality Posts

. . . Well, I’m not sure who coined the related term “astrospammers”, but we seem to have this new twist on the phenomenon showing up in blogs discussing net neutrality issues. I first read about these kind of suspicious comments showing up on net neutrality-related blog postings over on IP Inferno, where Ted Shelton noted that after a recent post he wrote about net neutrality three random anonymous strangers went to the trouble of creating brand new blogger accounts in order to post pro-telco comments on the subject.

The Abstract Factory did some sleuthing on one of the new net neutrality commenters called “Net Chick”, and concludes that is likely this persona is a paid spammer supporting an astroturf-like campaign against net neutrality . . .

behind netvocates (and it’s link to customscoop)

I was looking at inbound links this evening and came across one originating behind the firewall of a company called NetVocates which is a “blog intelligence and advocacy service”. The website blurb says, reasonably enough:

“…blogs frequently impact an organization and its products and image in uncontrolled and often unexpected ways. In addition, the sheer volume of blogs, message boards, and other discussion forums makes it difficult for organizations to effectively monitor the activity relevant to them.”

Organisations want to know what people are saying about them online – that makes perfect sense. However, I spent a bit more time on the NetVocates site and found this:

“NetVocates then recruits activists and consumers who share the client’s views in order to reinforce those key messages on targeted blogs – and rebut misinformation when appropriate.”

FAQ on Net Neutrality

Here are five frequently-asked questions about net neutrality. Your challenge: answer each in 150 words or less. Here’s my cut.

1. What does net neutrality actually mean? Is it a meaningful protection for the web, or, as some say, a romanticized ideal that’s getting in the way of progress?

Think of the pipes and wires that you use to go online as a sidewalk. The question is whether the sidewalk should get a cut of the value of the conversations that you have as you walk along. The traditional telephone model has been that the telephone company doesn’t get paid more if you have a particularly meaningful call — they’re just providing a neutral pipe.

This argument is about whether companies selling highspeed transport mechanisms for the internet should be allowed to price discriminate — charge different “content providers” (like YouTube) for the privilege of reaching you and me. Because Americans have so few choices of broadband access providers, allowing these providers to leverage their market power over transport in order to have exclusive control over “programming” online is a matter of great concern.

The risk is that the network providers will keep everyone who hasn’t paid protection money to them at 2001 speeds.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

Net Neutrality 5-31-2006

Filed Under Business Life, Community, SOB Business, Successful Blog, Trends | Leave a Comment

Net Neutrality Links

I’ve added these links to the Net Neutrality Page today.

Price, Competition and Net Neutrality

In the comments to that post, I said I really didn’t have an issue with network services differentiated by ability to pay for bandwidth, as long consumers had access to the same services, at whatever bandwidth. That is, I’m not opposed to tiering quality of service based on price. Tiering access to services based on price is a different issue.

In a new comment, Richard Bennett points out that bandwidth is not the only service differentiator.

That’s correct. I’m stating my desire that — where technically possible — all customers at all price levels have access to the same services.

Visicalc co-founder offers a modest proposal

What stands in the way of all this are the Bells. They insist that the phone lines built under regulated monopoly are “theirs,” that no one else (OK, maybe a cable franchise) should be providing that service, and that they should be allowed to use their monopoly power for their own private enrichment.

Into this argument steps Bob Frankston. The Visicalc co-founder has written a satire, in the tradition of Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal, called Paying by the Stroll.

Sidewalks: Paying by the Stroll

I’ve been immersed in so-called tele-communications issues for a long time but I haven’t posted too much lately because I’m not satisfied with net neutrality and am trying to figure out how to explain that the problem is more fundamental (as in “Telecom Phrase”). How come I have to plead for neutrality when we’re talking about infrastructure that we should own?

One of the classic marketing clichs is that people don’t buy the drill, they buy the hole. A good marketer or, for that matter, politician, knows that people want solutions rather than having to worry about every detail themselves. I must’ve been thinking too much about those who want to do us too much good when I went to sleep last night …

Morning of my First Day in At Your Service Village!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

ASAP — What It REALLY Means

Filed Under Business Life, Motivation/Inspiration, Productivity, Successful Blog | 7 Comments

What Does It Mean?

You’re working on a deadline project. One large part is due at 10 a.m.; the rest goes at 3 p.m. Your day is “Goldilocks just right.” Well, just right if no monkeys come, and no alligators raise their ugly heads.

You get a call asking a favor ASAP. When will you do it? Read more

Pass the Word

Filed Under Business Life, SOB Business, Successful Blog | 2 Comments

So Everyone Knows

smiley liz

Successful-Blog is moving servers today.

The plan is to move between 2pm and 3pm Chicago time.

It shouldn’t take long, and it shouldn’t hurt at all.

So don’t worry. :)

UPDATE: THE SERVER MOVE IS OVER

That didn’t hurt. Now did it?

Liz

Don't Read Your PR, Read Your Marketing Copy

Filed Under Branding, Business Life, Customer Think, Marketing, Successful Blog | 4 Comments

Diverse Portfolio

Customer Think Logo

A high-power company in educational publishing, bought three smaller companies and put them together. They think they offer a diverse portfolio. I think they offer a menu of bacon, ice-cream, tofu, and cognac. They are quite equipped to make the district-wide, state-wide sale. But rare is the sales rep who has the time or experience to speak to the details and nuances of the four individual product lines that they offer.

The Emperor has clothes bought by the bean counters. The bean counters think in BIG NUMBERS. The PR says that’s wonderful. The enterprise doesn’t see the world becoming niches and moving online. Read more

Great Find: Go Give It Your 75%

Filed Under Business Life, Great Finds, Motivation/Inspiration, Productivity, Successful Blog | 1 Comment

Before You Go Back

As you think about how shorter work weeks feel longer, read this

Great Find: Thank you for coming to work. Now scram!
Type of Article: Report on productivity
Permalink: http://positivesharing.com/2006/03/committed/
Target Audience: Everyone who works

Content:Alexander Kjerulf has done the research. In companies that shortened the work week from 40 to 30 hours NO productivity was lost. Doesn’t surprise me. How about you? Want the details? Click the title shot below to get the facts.

Thank you for coming to work Now Scram!

Thanks Alexander, for proving what we already suspected — we do things other than work 25% of the time.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related articles
How THEY Work — Why the Heck Do I Care?
Perfect for Friday Productivity Checklist
Start in the Middle 3: Alligators and Anarchists
Know Your Goals

Jeremy Wright, SOB Coming and Going

Filed Under Business Life, Community, SOB Business, Successful Blog | 10 Comments

What Jeremy Has

Jeremy Wright has plenty to do.
He has his own blog, a whole blog network to run, and THE book on blog marketing.
He has plenty of email.
He has plenty of jobs.
He has plenty of people who need plenty of things from him — even on weekends and holidays.

Yet he manages to have plenty of patience, spirit, and competence.

He helps move mountains and then says what he did was simple. Maybe it is sometimes, but that is always his attitude. It’s hard to find a better guy than Jeremy Wright. Don’t bother trying. I know.

I left for last, this other things he has . . .

He has the respect of everyone who knows him.

To Jeremy, the SOB

Jeremy,

It’s about time I called you an SOB. You truly are a Successful and Outstanding Blogger and a Successful and Outstanding Human Being. I guess that makes you an SOB coming and going.

Purple SOB Button

You make us all better. I’ve learned so much just by watching you.

Thanks, Jeremy, for everything.

Liz

keep looking »