Jim is the Director of Information Policy Studies at The Cato Institute, the Editor of Web-based privacy think-tank Privacilla.org, and the Webmaster of WashingtonWatch.com. Prior to becoming a policy analyst, Jim served as counsel to committees in both the House and Senate.
What a great letter Kurt Denke, president of Blue Jeans Cable, has written in response to a cease and desist from Monster Cable.
I don’t know anything about the merits, but Denke seems to, and some lawyer for Monster surely feels like an ass right now as the PR department, and perhaps even people from parts of the business actually producing product and revenue, are asking what the hell is going on.
I, for one, have purchased my last Monster product (I have indeed bought Monster stuff in the past), and will now buy from Blue Jeans Cable. I recommend the same to you.
As if the excitement of hanging around with the TLF bloggers weren’t enough, we’re making the event a fundraiser for our friend (and former co-blogger), Brooke Oberwetter. Brooke was arrested at the Jefferson Memorial the other night – for dancing. Or perhaps for asking why dancing wasn’t allowed. (More information is at the Free the Jefferson 1 blog.)
She needs funds to pay for legal fees, and you need an excuse to drink. It’s a match made in heaven!
Suggested donation: $10. More is better, and we’ll be passing the plate once again after you’re sloshed.
If you can’t make it because you’re out of town, or perhaps because you find the idea of hanging out with the TLF crew absolutely revolting, you can donate to Brooke’s cause by clicking on the image below. Otherwise, see you Monday!
I have a new blog post on Cato@Liberty about a recent sit-down that DHS Secretary Chertoff had with a select group of bloggers. Below the video, a further item:
TLF-exclusive update!: I just noticed that Secretary Chertoff describes the machine-readable zone in REAL ID as if it is literally the sequence of letters and numbers in the MRZ of the passport. In fact, the REAL ID regulation calls for the use of a 2D barcode standard. A 2D barcode can hold quite a bit more information per unit of surface area and, of course, it can’t be interpreted by the eye as the MRZ on a passport can.
The always entertaining Scott Cleland has calculated Google’s take from the 700Mhz auction at $7 billion. It seems he’s used a fair method for calculating the value lost to taxpayers due to Google’s preferred “open access” condition. (Cleland’s conclusions beyond that are, again, good entertainment.)
Keep in mind that Google’s “take” is money taken from taxpayers, not yet money collected by Google. But it could easily get to be that much if its “Android” mobile operating system and many of the communications and transactions on it accrue to Google’s benefit.
I like the idea of an open wireless network and would like to see it happen. I just don’t think that any company should enjoy windfall profits from such a network coming into being. Google could have created an open network by paying full price for the spectrum in an open auction rather than by gaming the regulatory system.
The Orange County Register has an editorial on the REAL ID Act this morning that captures the issues magnificently. Among other gems:
The big trouble is that there’s no evidence that this Draconian act, even if fully implemented, would be more than a minor inconvenience for a determined terrorist. But having all that information – including copies of birth certificates and Social Security cards – available in one database would make an irresistible target for identity thieves. And it would be a major inconvenience for millions of innocent Americans and a major expense for state governments – meaning taxpayers.
The Register‘s conclusion? Congress should “bite the bullet and repeal this useless, intrusive, money-wasting law.”
The Privacy Symposium has up a video of a speech I gave there last year. It’s a pretty good run-down of my thinking on identity systems, and it’s a wonderful exhibition of my willingness to tell bad jokes and just let them hang out there (shudder).
If you’re not already sick of what I have to say, you might enjoy watching it.
DHS Assistant Secretary for Policy Stewart Baker has ramped up his blogging about REAL ID on the DHS Leadership blog. Accordingly, I’ve ramped up mine on Cato@Liberty. Here are pointers to the latest, in which I:
The Technology Liberation Front is the tech policy blog dedicated to keeping politicians' hands off the 'net and everything else related to technology. Learn more about TLF →
The Technology Liberation Front is the tech policy blog dedicated to keeping politicians' hands off the 'net and everything else related to technology.