Alec Saunders SquawkBox

Bob Frankston’s piece Kodak vs. the Internet is worth a read.  The world predicted by Larry Lessig in Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace is coming to be.  N.B. If you haven’t read this book, you should. Written for the legal layman, it’s a populist look at the impact of technology on law.

So, although you presumably own your photographs, Kodak’s code controls them.  As forecast by Lessig, the law, in this case copyright, is taking a subordinate role to code. 

It’s not as bad as Bob makes out, though.  You still have the option of storing the photos locally on your PC, which presumably you would.  EasyShare wouldn’t likely be your only storage solution, since the camera can store up to 1500 pictures before needing to download.  In fact, Kodak foresees the use of this camera as a photosharing device as well, and provides synchronization software to allow you to store your favorites on the camera – an iPod for photos.

I’ll be out for the next few days visiting fellow VoIP blogger, Andy Abramson.  Light traffic on the blog as a result. 

I’ve just had my first ever experience with a Google product that didn’t work.  I guess the boys from MountainView are human beings after all.  Google Web Accelerator is conceptually a great idea, but it’s just not ready for prime time.  It breaks my blog hoster (BlueHost) cpanel application, my media player application, and numerous others.  Web based applications just hang.  Send this dog back to the dog house!  Woof!

Jeff Pulver asks Are we at the crossroads of the Internet Communications Revolution? You’re damn right, only it’s not the doom and gloom scenario of the incumbents rebuilding walled gardens!  Yes, they will try, but as the old fable goes:

"But halfway across the river, the scorpion stung him. As the poison filled his veins, the fox turned to the scorpion and said, ‘Why did you do that? Now you’ll drown too.’ ‘I couldn’t help it,’ said the scorpion. ‘It’s my nature.’"

The genie is out of the bottle with companies like Skype, FWD, and SipPhone.  These are the first companies to try on the Voice 2.0 model, but they won’t be the last.  What’s needed next?

• Momentum behind applications built on these platforms.  FWD and Skype both have API’s.  How many developers are there building products which leverage those API’s?  Are they lightweight enough?  Can we create the fascinating mash-ups between services that are implied by Voice 2.0, or do we need more?
• A transparent interconnect model.  Skype has the ability to simply dial a PSTN number, and so does SIPPhone.  That’s necessary, but not sufficient.  How do I transparently contact a Skype user from SIPPhone?  FWD? Don’t tell me to dial out through the PSTN, and then use a Skype-In number.  That’s a stupid and broken model.
• A transparent directory model.  ENUM "is coming".  Where is the extensible, carrier agnostic directory that links cellular, VoIP, POTS, and IM services?  Where is the meta-directory for the communications network?

Net net: we need to make a concerted effort, as an industry, to ensure that open, transparent systems exist.  Voice 2.0 is the answer.  Let’s get started!

Dell’s very funny Mitch Ferrence campaign for the DJ Ditty seems to be a bit of a bust. 

I wondered about it, because:

• The top search item sending traffic to saunderslog.com this month is the term "Mitch Ferrence" which I’ve written about once, so it surprised me that I should be getting traffic. 
• This morning there was an obvious bit of comment spam from a Dell flack on the entry, linking back to the Mitch Ferrence site.  Since when do I rate visits from Dell PR folks?

Googling Mitch Ferrence showed just 622 references. 

So much for viral marketing.