Monthly Archives: November 2008

Obama FCC Transition Team

Posted on November 15, 2008 by Michael Froomkin

Susan Crawford isn't here in New Haven because she has just gotten a new and better gig on the Obama FCC transisiton team:

Science, Tech, Space and Arts Team Leads | Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Transition Team

FCC Review Team Leads

Susan Crawford is a Professor of Law at the University of Michigan, teaching communications law and internet law. She was a partner with Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering (now WilmerHale) until the end of 2002, when she left to become a legal academic. Ms Crawford recently ended her term as a member of the Board of Directors of ICANN.

Ken Werbach is an Assistant Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and the organizer of the annual Supernova technology conference (http://www.supernova2009.com). His research explores the legal and business dynamics of information and communications technologies. Formerly, he served as Counsel for New Technology Policy at the FCC during the Clinton Administration. He has also edited Release 1.0, a renowned technology newsletter, and founded Supernova Group, a technology analysis and consulting firm.

Both of these are great choices!

May do a little special pleading, friends? Let's reverse the Brand X decision — odds are this will do more to help net neutrality than any regulations could.

Posted in Politics: US | 1 Comment

Always Worse than Your Worst Expectations

Posted on November 15, 2008 by Michael Froomkin

Just when you think you might have plumbed the depths of the abyss that it the Bush Justice Department, no, the Bush Administration, comes this:

More Allegations of Misconduct in Alabama Governor Case.

I might have suspected that a recused official would remain deeply involved in a case, but I would never have suspected illicit communications with a jury.

If recent history is any guide, there must be many more skeletons in the White House closets. The Bush team has worked hard to cover its tracks — see for example it wholesale evasion of the rules requiring the archiving of email — but who knows what else is waiting to be revealed.

Posted in Politics: US: GW Bush Scandals | Comments Off

Off to New Haven

Posted on November 14, 2008 by Michael Froomkin

I'm off to New Haven for a conference in honor of the 10th anniversary of the Yale Information Society Project. I was very involved in the early days — I think I spoke at the first three or four conferences, but have been less involved recently.

The folks at the Yale ISP were kind enough to recently to make me an 'Affiliated Fellow' of the Yale ISP, so I hope to be involved more in the future.

I like to going to Yale events, as they are both substantive and nostalgic for me (Yale '82, Yale Law '87)…but I HATE the journey. Flying into New Haven is expensive and usually involves a long layover in Philly followed by a wind-up plane. Flying into Hartford gets you an easy drive…but the two direct planes a day are too early and too late, and why change planes just to drive afterward?

Flying into New York is quickest and cheapest…but then there's the land portion. CT Limo is so appalling that I vowed never to use it again after last time. And the time before. And the time before that. So this time I'm going to drive.

The trouble with driving is that I get lost. Easily. I was never the most directionally intuitive driver, and I've gotten softer from years of being married to a very reliable navigator. I don't own a GPS, although I'm thinking about it. I've asked for one in the rental car as a sort of, well, test drive, to see how I like it. (The other trouble is that I'm landing at 3pm, and will hit the Friday afternoon rush more than likely, but there's not a lot I can do about that.)

Posted in Talks & Conferences | 7 Comments

Good Thing I Wasn’t Expecting a Government Job

Posted on November 13, 2008 by Michael Froomkin

NYT, For a Washington Job, Be Prepared to Tell All, reports on the very detailed questionnaire being required of applicants for jobs in the Obama admin. This is one group that will be vetted thoroughly! (Even so, given the numbers, odds are something on someone will slip through the cracks, and by the strange logic of politics, the fact that Team Obama took responsibility for vetting will mean that the press will treat the failure as more significant than if they hadn't tried so hard. Go figure.)

The NYT article has this arresting graphic, which suggests that bloggers just might have a little trouble getting a policy (as opposed to blogger outreach) job:

Posted in Blogs | 3 Comments

The War Is Not Over

Posted on November 12, 2008 by Michael Froomkin

Cute little video (well, a bit self-serving, but why not), by the pranksters who brought you today's fake NYT, complete with headline announcing the end of the Iraq war.

New York Times Special Edition Video News Release.

Wish I could get one in Miami. And the web site seems totally slashdotted….

(Speculations as to who is behind it, from Gawker.)

Posted in Completely Different | Comments Off