The 463: Inside Tech Policy

Hulu is Culu

I've told everyone within earshot that a new media collaboration between old media companies has never worked and would likely not fly when it came to the Fox/NBCU driven Hulu video site. After finally getting on the private beta, I'm quite wrong so far. Lot's of full-length videos and clips of some of my favorite shows, including 30 Rock, The Simpsons, the Office and SNL. The quality is excellent, and, the videos are also embeddable -- making it possible for you, dear reader to view a few genius moments in television that were previously ensconced away from us because of some copyright issue that you might have heard about.

Natalie Portman meets NWA on SNL...

An awesome bit from 30 Rock...

And, of course, the video that started it all... Lazy Sunday...

Finally, somewhat amazingly, I can simply post a full episode of, say, The Simpsons, too...

NewTeeVee also reports today on how you can see Hulu content without a Hulu beta invite.

Unfortunately, if you live outside U.S. borders, none of the above will work for you. It's a small glint of payback for our dollar being worthless in your country.

Download This (Fact) Book!

If you are the type to make bald-faced claims that rely on volume and emotion for support, read no further.

However, if you aren't like Lou Dobbs, and actually want to have a factual basis for your position, then grab yourself a copy of the Progress and Freedom Foundation's annual Digital Economy Fact Book. 2007's version just came out last Friday, and PFF was good enough to provide it in a pdf format that you can download here.

Really, for anyone that touches tech policy from a research, advocacy, journalism or communications perspective, this book of about 125 pages of facts and stats is essential. And, it's so good that I won't even explore the irony of PFF giving away a valuable digital resource for free (and even sans DRM!).... ;)

Here are just three tasty morsels from the smorgasbord of information in the book...

463 Turns Three-Years Old, Makes Video, Throws Party

Rob Haralson -- Many thanks to all that made it out to 463's Self-Important Holiday Bash last night. We hope everyone had a great time. If we had been able to project our true popularity, we certainly would have reserved a bigger space...

Tech Daily RIP

This sucks.  The National Journal's Technology Daily is shutting down.  This means that the country's only source of focused daily technology policy news will soon be no longer.

According to an email blast sent to subscribers today, the online pub closes at the end of January.

I was an original subscriber way back in 1998 -- back when Bara Vaida was the pub's first star reporter  -- and stuck with it through what is (shockingly) almost a decade.   It was and is the only place to get a consistent and in-depth perspective on issues that are otherwise glossed over or opined to-death by know-it-alls (who know little).

Over the years, Tech Daily, frankly, became a little too easy to take for granted. It was always there in a way that was almost overwhelming for even the biggest tech policy geek.  But, when you really needed a quick perspective on policy doings related to issues like Health IT, cybersecurity, or copyright (to name just a few), you could get everything you need and more with just a little time on the site.  Just as importantly, from a tech policy communications perspective, you knew that when you needed to provide a clients' viewpoint on an issue, there would very likely be an educated, highly-professional reporter at Tech Daily who would be up to speed.

Despite the high cost of a Tech Daily subscription, it's understood that the pub ran a tight margin.  Apparently, for whatever reason, Tech Daily recently ran on the wrong side of the red/black line in the opinion of its corporate parent.

Now, the National Journal promises "we will be adding reporters to CongressDaily – our twice daily publication for Capitol Hill insiders – to enhance coverage of technology policies, while also devoting additional space and resources to better track technology-related issues within the public policy arena." 

Basically, this means that some of the Tech Daily guys will be moved over there.  This is certainly the silver lining and Congress Daily will benefit from their keen insight, but, even with these stars, the tech policy community will have to reserve judgement on whether a "general" issues pub can provide the level of coverage required of the issues that impact them to make a switch. 

I only hope that the Tech Daily Dose blog stays and is given more attention to make up for this move.

What is odd about all of this is that, while Tech Daily may have been "early" in 1998, it would seem that tech policy issues have only increased in their importance year after year.  Seemingly, it would be more essential now, then ever.

Then again, when you think twice about it, Tech Daily may have become a victim of its own prescience. As we have argued here before.  Someday soon, tech policy issues will just become another fine shade of business, consumer and government issues.  That is, as tech moves into our fabric of our lives, perhaps the need to make a regular special notice of all of its machinations dissipates. 

Whatever the reason, I'm sad to see Tech Daily go.

Facebook Friends Washington

Cut to Washington lawyer talking to a Senator at cocktail hour...

Lawyer: "Senator, you know how kids use social networking sites to connect with each other on the Internet?"

Senator: "Yes, I believe my grandkids in college are on SpaceBook. I've heard that there are racy photos of kids up there drinking. I told my daughter that she needs to be watching their Internets..."

Lawyer: "Well, um, excuse me, sir ... my nephew has a page where he used it to get support for an endangered newt. And, from what I understand, my niece gets to communicate with other students her age from all over the world."

Senator: "Exactly, I hear that that there are racy photos of kids drinking and in their bathing suits on that MyFace. It must be the influence of those Europeans, or maybe it's those..."

Or something like that.

The bottom line is that quite often both sides of the conversation on Internet policy matters aren't generally speaking from personal experience in DC.

From Facebook's perspective, they have, at least, considerably changed one side of that dynamic by hiring their first full-time DC staffer Adam Conner. (who Twittered...)

Here is a guy who has a full resume of Web work that includes a recent stint on the Hill (as director of online communications for Rep Louis Slaughter); Internet strategy for a potential presidential candidate; helping a British MP with Web campaign strategy; and, working on the Kerry presidential campaign.

Yet, Adam only graduated from George Washington in 2006. (I still had my stint working at the Yogurt Bear in high school on my resume two years into work).

Facebook's Chief Privacy Officer and Head of Global Public Policy Chris Kelly wrote me in a Facebook note (what else?) that the company is "excited" about Conner coming on board, but is realistic that one person in DC doesn't yet constitute of Facebook "office" in the capital.

Despite (or perhaps because of) his young age, Conner would seem to be a natural to talk the benefits of Facebook inside-the-Beltway. He has practically lived his life completely online since college and, even when he was in school, he played a big role in bringing Facebook to GW and making it popular way back in 2004. Since then he has became a Young Progressive Democrat NetRoots Guy who, in his spare time, wrote about things like Facebook and Facebook and Facebook.

Adam can also be easily found talking about Facebook on YouTube...

The natural question is whether Facebook will work to soon hire a zealous Web communicator from the Republican camp.

And, as Google's made a big effort this year to demonstrate the company's value to politicians as a powerful tool for communicating with constituents and voters, it would seem that the natural role for Adam and any other folks like him would be to focus on demonstrating how Facebook can serve in the self-interest of political players and institutions. Among the set that thinks Twitter is a medical condition, they need to be seen as an important communications medium and are not just vaguely known for boozed up kids in bathing suits .

That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore

There was an excellent op-ed by author, blogger and editor Garrett Graff in yesterday's Washington Post sums up everything anyone in tech policy has ever muttered about politicians who Just Don't Get It (or, more specifically IT).

[As you might remember, a 463/Zogby poll found that 83 percent of Americans believe that a typical 12-year-old knows more about the Internet than their member of Congress.)

From Graff...

In Wednesday's CNN/YouTube debate, Sen. John McCain let slip a fairly stunning admission. The Arizona Republican assured viewers that he wouldn't need to lean on his vice president, George W. Bush-style, for national security expertise, but might "rely on a vice president" for help on less important issues such as "information technology, which is the future of this nation's economy."

Hold it. Would we allow a serious presidential candidate to admit to knowing so little about any other key subject?

Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.

The problem goes far beyond McCain, who's usually rather tech-friendly. Search for Sen. Ted Stevens on Google, and one of the first results you get about the man who until this year was third in line for the presidency is his famously clueless characterization of the Internet as a "series of tubes." President Bush's similarly addled descriptions of the Web (he has referred to "the Google") have been pure gold for "Saturday Night Live." After Bush alluded during a 2004 presidential debate to rumors "on the, uh, Internets" about an Iraq war draft, Will Forte (who impersonates the president on the show) gleefully played Bush saying, "I think the problem here may be more of a question of getting rid of the bad Internets and keeping the good Internets. You know, 'cause I think we can all agree, there're just too many Internets."

In fact, technology shouldn't be such a laughing matter.

As a nation, we wouldn't tolerate such ignorance about any other area of policymaking. Would we be amused if it came out that Joe Biden, as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wasn't clear about the difference between Shiites and Sunnis or couldn't find Sudan on a map? How about if Chris Dodd, the chairman of the Senate banking committee, wasn't entirely sure what the term "subprime mortgage" meant?...

Adam Thierer at PFF agrees...

Indeed, I think about all this every time I attend a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on tech policy and listen to lawmakers regale each other with stories about when they bought their first transistor radio or black-and-white television. Then, without missing a beat, they make jokes about not ever using the Internet or computers but that they have staffers or young family members who do and keep them informed. And yet, despite this stunning unfamiliarity with all things high-tech, they then move right on to pass reams of regulations governing the Internet and digital economy.

Again, it's not funny anymore and we should stop allowing them to pretend it is.

I agree. Though, I contend that there should be some level of realism that sets the bar at policymakers focusing their knowledge on the impact of technologies and not necessarily the ins and outs of how it works.

Still, one point that Graff and Adam get at that just shouldn't be okay anymore is the badge of honor some regulators and legislators wear when expressing how little they know about tech. It's the same type of attitude that they would rip to shreds if it came from inner city kids trying to stay cool by pretending not to like or understand their high school subjects.

Technology's Enemies?

PC World calls out the "most anti-tech organizations in America" today.

If you expect the obligatory hits on telcos, cellular providers and the entertainment industry, you won't be disappointed.

Besides a tip of the hat for the mention of the patent reform debate, I won't dive into the specific organizations and issues named, but my top-level perspective is that most these aren't Good vs. Evil battles. They are skirmishes between competing business interests enabled by legacy regulatory standards. Without dismissing the importance of any of these debates, my guess is that in less than a generation, most of these interests will have commingled, synergiezed, and entered into group hugs.

The true enemies of technology will be those who fear its promise; hinder its development, create mandates for its usage and prevent access to it.

Update: Verizon's response to PC World.

Fast Forward. Pause. Go to Cameroon. Rewind.

Thanksgiving in Cameroon

This was supposed to be a Thanksgiving post, but then I got a little sidetracked that day and the following ten (first child).

Most anyone who reads this blog is a busy multi-tasking type managing a torrent of information. The trouble is often so much of this content is the same thread, so to speak. Therefore, I find it completely refreshing to take a regular jaunt over to my friends' blog about their year in Cameroon. It's an evocative instant taste of what it's like to live in a place where so much life is had without many of the things that we Require to make it through our own days. See Cameroonian beverages, ceremonies, shopping and so much more.

One technology related example: There was a major Web freak out recently when a big Internet datacenter went down for three hours after a truck hit a transformer. OMG!!! What are we going to DO? This datacenter served a relatively small (but significant) number of sites and services.

On the other hand, the underwater fiber optic cable that connect Cameroon to the Internet was damaged last month, and most of the country lost access to the Internet for weeks.