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Copyright: 1974-2012 Bob Frankston |
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Writings and Musings
Welcome to my writings.
If you want the primary essays check out the sidebar on the left.
Other essays are listed in chronological order and then by category. The main essays are in larger letters and minor documents (such as messages posted on discussion sites) are indented and in smaller letters. The documents themselves are located on this site (www.Frankston.com) and on www.SATN.org which I share with David Reed and Dan Bricklin. Documents on external sites are mirrored in case those sites disappear. In most cases the copies are listed as alternates and may vary a little from the originals.
You can send me Email. Note this unique address is only valid for the next few days.
The best way to link to a document is as http://rmf.vc/keyword.
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Writings and Updates by Date
Some of the recent entries are also listed on the sidebar. Secondary items such as postings on other mailing lists are indented. Note that the year shown is the year the essay was updated. An essay written in 1979 might be listed under 2009 if it was updated recently.
Years: all recent 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1995 1994 1989 1979 1974
Year: 2012
It’s about Capacity not Speed 1/30/2012 (Updated: 2/1/2012)
PDF
Electrons all go at the same speed so we do we talk about speed when it's really about capacity?
Electrons all go at the same speed so we do we talk about speed when it's really about capacity?
re BT plan puts 300Mbps in apartment blocks 1/30/2012
300Mbps per apartment sounds great until you think about it.IPList
300Mbps per apartment sounds great until you think about it.IPList
Jobs, Jobs and Cars ... and Speech 1/27/2012
"Creating" jobs requires creating a supportive environment. Part of this is the ability to communicate. The US First Amendment creates an atmosphere the encourages experimentation. We also need the ability to exchange bits and today's idea of making speech a profit center does great harm to our ability to do business.IPList
"Creating" jobs requires creating a supportive environment. Part of this is the ability to communicate. The US First Amendment creates an atmosphere the encourages experimentation. We also need the ability to exchange bits and today's idea of making speech a profit center does great harm to our ability to do business.IPList
Hotspot 2.0 and or X.400 Redux 1/12/2012
Another attempt by the incumbent carriers to try to hold back connectivity.nnsquad
Another attempt by the incumbent carriers to try to hold back connectivity.nnsquad
SOPA, DRM and Strange Bedfellows 1/9/2012
PDF
Politics makes for strange bedfellows because seeming agreements often mask radically different understandings beyond the agreement. This is why "friends of the Internet" can support bad ideas like SOPA and DRM.dewayne
Politics makes for strange bedfellows because seeming agreements often mask radically different understandings beyond the agreement. This is why "friends of the Internet" can support bad ideas like SOPA and DRM.dewayne
Top 1% NYT Readers are Consuming 50% of the text! (was Top 1% of the Mobile users are consuming the world) 1/8/2012
Once again we see the false meme that the Internet it something we can use up. In this case it's compounded by hijacking the 1% meme. More disturbing when the NY Times gives such false ideas credibility.IPList
Once again we see the false meme that the Internet it something we can use up. In this case it's compounded by hijacking the 1% meme. More disturbing when the NY Times gives such false ideas credibility.IPList
Missing the point of the Internet 1/2/2012
We continue to force the Internet into the mold of telecom rather than recognizing it is something completely different.external site
We continue to force the Internet into the mold of telecom rather than recognizing it is something completely different.external site
Risks of Focusing on risks 1/2/2012
Too many institutions are focused on avoiding risks. How do we adopt a balanced approach to risk?external site
Too many institutions are focused on avoiding risks. How do we adopt a balanced approach to risk?external site
The Un-Internet and the war on general purpose computing 1/2/2012
It's hard to see past discontinuities and thus we tend to fear them. Thus we tend to deny ourselves the benefits despite examples like the Internet and general purpose computing.nnsquad
It's hard to see past discontinuities and thus we tend to fear them. Thus we tend to deny ourselves the benefits despite examples like the Internet and general purpose computing.nnsquad
Year: 2011
Re an Uproar on the Web Over $2 Fee by Verizon 12/30/2011
It's easier to grasp small insults than asking why we have to pay to talk among ourselvesIPList
It's easier to grasp small insults than asking why we have to pay to talk among ourselvesIPList
Re: Verizon to charge $2 for each credit card payment without autopay 12/29/2011
Verizon's customers are already captive which makes nuisance charges predatory.nnsquad
Verizon's customers are already captive which makes nuisance charges predatory.nnsquad
Why Gigabit DSL matters 12/18/2011
Gigabit DSL is one more reminder that it's about how we use our physical infrastructure and not copper vs. fiber vs. wireless.nnsquad
Gigabit DSL is one more reminder that it's about how we use our physical infrastructure and not copper vs. fiber vs. wireless.nnsquad
The benefits of bad architecture 12/9/2011
Good architecture decouple system elements in order to facilitate evolving the design. But the telephone system is designed badly and as a result it's difficult to dislodge the incumbents. Bad user experience is one result. Economic stagnation is another.nnsquad
Good architecture decouple system elements in order to facilitate evolving the design. But the telephone system is designed badly and as a result it's difficult to dislodge the incumbents. Bad user experience is one result. Economic stagnation is another.nnsquad
Whose communicator is it anyway? 12/5/2011
When a carrier puts monitoring software in a device they are assuming it is really their device and their software even if you have all "phone" conversations over IP. Another reminder that something is very wrong.dewayne
When a carrier puts monitoring software in a device they are assuming it is really their device and their software even if you have all "phone" conversations over IP. Another reminder that something is very wrong.dewayne
re Verizon API To Give Apps 'Turbo' Bandwidth Boost | News & Opinion | PCMag.com 11/15/2011
Verizon's attempt to charge users for less-crappy service reminds me of Bank of America's attempt to charge people for using credit cards in terms of being tone deaf. It's also a stupid idea but that's more subtle.IPList
Verizon's attempt to charge users for less-crappy service reminds me of Bank of America's attempt to charge people for using credit cards in terms of being tone deaf. It's also a stupid idea but that's more subtle.IPList
VisiCalc 32nd Anniversary hangout 10/19/2011
Dan and I talk about VisiCalc with the Google Docs team and others.external site
Dan and I talk about VisiCalc with the Google Docs team and others.external site
It’s pipes all the way down 10/19/2011
The "pipe" model of communications is akin to assuming the meaning is intrinsic and exists in each atom.dewayne
The "pipe" model of communications is akin to assuming the meaning is intrinsic and exists in each atom.dewayne
Thinking outside the pipe 10/17/2011 (Updated: 10/18/2011)
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The idea that bits must flow through wires or virtual pipes makes it hard to think of the Internet as infrastructure like roads. We communicate by exchanging bits. We need to move beyond the pipe or railroad metaphors if we are to take advantage of the abundant opportunities all around us.
The idea that bits must flow through wires or virtual pipes makes it hard to think of the Internet as infrastructure like roads. We communicate by exchanging bits. We need to move beyond the pipe or railroad metaphors if we are to take advantage of the abundant opportunities all around us.
The Internet as Infrastructure 10/17/2011
PDF
An in-depth discussion of the Internet as our new infrastructure. The lessons we learn from the Internet can also be applied to other markets and systems. The value of infrastructure such as the Internet comes from the opportunity it provides and what we do with that opportunity. It's a lesson for policymakers that extends beyond the particular technology.
An in-depth discussion of the Internet as our new infrastructure. The lessons we learn from the Internet can also be applied to other markets and systems. The value of infrastructure such as the Internet comes from the opportunity it provides and what we do with that opportunity. It's a lesson for policymakers that extends beyond the particular technology.
Re Big Brother is watching you: Voice of Russia 9/29/2011
Fighting for our liberties shouldn't be like playing Whack-a-MoleIPList
Fighting for our liberties shouldn't be like playing Whack-a-MoleIPList
ISOC Talk: (Video) The Internet as Infrastructure 9/20/2011
My September 22nd, 2011 to the New York Chapter of the Internet Society explaining that the Internet is really infrastructure rather than a set of service you access.external site
My September 22nd, 2011 to the New York Chapter of the Internet Society explaining that the Internet is really infrastructure rather than a set of service you access.external site
Re: Researchers' Typosquatting Stole 20 GB of E-Mail From Fortune 500 9/10/2011
Yet more reason to use normal social mechanisms rather than the DNS for social functions like reaching sites using human-oriented names and symbols that aren't easily subverted by simple typos.nnsquad
Yet more reason to use normal social mechanisms rather than the DNS for social functions like reaching sites using human-oriented names and symbols that aren't easily subverted by simple typos.nnsquad
Re: Losing on the Facts, AT&T Turns to Smears 8/26/2011
ATT ads continue to claim credit for what others due, often despite ATT.nnsquad
ATT ads continue to claim credit for what others due, often despite ATT.nnsquad
Re: FCC upset about "cell phone logjam" after D.C. quake 8/26/2011
We need to remember that the cellular system is designed to fail if the billing system fails.nnsquad
We need to remember that the cellular system is designed to fail if the billing system fails.nnsquad
Turnpikes and Toll Roads in Nineteenth-Century America 8/24/2011
Profs Klein and Majewski's history of our path from private pikes to public roads from 1792 to the twentieth century.external site
Profs Klein and Majewski's history of our path from private pikes to public roads from 1792 to the twentieth century.external site
Remembering Divestiture. 8/22/2011
When you look back at the history of MCI we should also think about the technologies that enabled MCI and eventually doomed telecommunications as an industry.nnsquad
When you look back at the history of MCI we should also think about the technologies that enabled MCI and eventually doomed telecommunications as an industry.nnsquad
Re: IBM PC @ 30: Original review of the Personal Computer Model 5150 8/12/2011
When we remember the IBM PC we should also remember the openness of the Apple ][nnsquad
When we remember the IBM PC we should also remember the openness of the Apple ][nnsquad
Colleges Join Plan for Faster Computer Networks 7/27/2011
Once again we see an emphasis on speed rather than availability.IPList
Once again we see an emphasis on speed rather than availability.IPList
ATT’s Plight is our Plight 6/23/2011 (Updated: 7/22/2011)
PDF
ATT’s planned acquisition of T-Mobile is an occasion to look at the fundamental issues facing the entire telecommunications industry.
ATT’s planned acquisition of T-Mobile is an occasion to look at the fundamental issues facing the entire telecommunications industry.
Very simply – we are asking providers to add capacity but we’re not willing to pay them a portion of the value created. Skype gets the benefits without paying the carriers. Worse, the more capacity there is the less valuable the carriers’ own services are.
Spectrum as Farmland? 5/10/2009 (Updated: 7/22/2011)
PDF
I can understand why the idea of spectrum auctions are so attractive to economists. But is it good policy? Is spectrum really like "40 acres and a mule"? Spectrum is not dirt.
I can understand why the idea of spectrum auctions are so attractive to economists. But is it good policy? Is spectrum really like "40 acres and a mule"? Spectrum is not dirt.
WSJ TECHNOLOGY ALERT: Verizon to End Unlimited Data Plans for New Customers 7/6/2011
We are losing our right to communicate. Why is there so little outrage?IPList
We are losing our right to communicate. Why is there so little outrage?IPList
Verizon/Android Tethering and ATT/Cellular-over-IP 7/2/2011
Cellular over IP, Tethering and other technologies are vital elements of our right to communicate. Today the carriers are trying to impose restrictions just as they did in days they tried to ban webcams and home servers.They can't have it both ways -- they can't argue that they are trying to create abundance when doing everything within their power to assure scarcity. Even more so when it comes at the cost of our safety as well as our economy.nnsquad
Cellular over IP, Tethering and other technologies are vital elements of our right to communicate. Today the carriers are trying to impose restrictions just as they did in days they tried to ban webcams and home servers.They can't have it both ways -- they can't argue that they are trying to create abundance when doing everything within their power to assure scarcity. Even more so when it comes at the cost of our safety as well as our economy.nnsquad
Itunes and everything as a Service 6/23/2011
"iTunes" as part of the "as a service" trend which puts us at the mercy of third parties.dewayne
"iTunes" as part of the "as a service" trend which puts us at the mercy of third parties.dewayne
ICANN Financial incentives? 6/22/2011
ICANN seems focused on creating source of revenue even if that means assuring the web will unravel. We need to assure that ICANN's incentives are consistent with the needs of society.IPList
ICANN seems focused on creating source of revenue even if that means assuring the web will unravel. We need to assure that ICANN's incentives are consistent with the needs of society.IPList
Dropbox Files Left Unprotected, Open To All -- InformationWeek 6/21/2011
Does Dropbox need adult supervision?IPList
Does Dropbox need adult supervision?IPList
Re: United blames 5 hour computer outage on "network connectivity issue" 6/18/2011
Another reminder of the need for resilient engineering.nnsquad
Another reminder of the need for resilient engineering.nnsquad
Information versus Telecom 5/5/2011 (Updated: 6/17/2011)
PDF
If you think that the Internet is important because it's a network you're missing the point.
If you think that the Internet is important because it's a network you're missing the point.
Today's telecommunications industry exists in defiance of all we've learned about "information" in the last 100 years.
In 1897 the British Copyright office warned us about the danger of creating scarcity by taking our abundance and converting it to private property. In 1949 Claude Shannon gave us a science of "Information" that helped us understand the distinction between bits and what we do with them.
The generativity of today's Internet demonstrates the power of the idea.
We need to build on this understanding and experience to create an infrastructure that supports the exchange of bits. We can then focus on relationships and creating value rather than getting lost in the constricted pipes of today's Telecom.
The DNS may be being mooted 6/17/2011
New TLDs are being introduced just as browsers shift the emphasis from the DNS to searching. The new TLDs seem aimed more to extract money from users than to help them.nnsquad
New TLDs are being introduced just as browsers shift the emphasis from the DNS to searching. The new TLDs seem aimed more to extract money from users than to help them.nnsquad
The National Broadband Map: a $350 million “boondoggle”! 6/14/2011
What does it mean to map "broadband"?dewayne
What does it mean to map "broadband"?dewayne
The Wrong Stuff 6/13/2011
PDF
When trying to think rationally we have to be aware that we don't have all the facts. Some seemingly foolish optimism is necessary to counter the possibilities we cannot anticipate.
When trying to think rationally we have to be aware that we don't have all the facts. Some seemingly foolish optimism is necessary to counter the possibilities we cannot anticipate.
Wisconsin Omnibus Budget Bill Kills Wisconsin Networking 6/7/2011
An attempt to return the Internet to the status of just another telecommunications channel. Corruption or ignorance -- the harm is the same.nnsquad
An attempt to return the Internet to the status of just another telecommunications channel. Corruption or ignorance -- the harm is the same.nnsquad
ATT Admits there is no bit exchange business 5/16/2011
A senior ATT executive comments that there is no business in mobile data. And if all business is data the implications are stark. Fortunately infrastructure is a viable and stable alternative funding option.nnsquad
A senior ATT executive comments that there is no business in mobile data. And if all business is data the implications are stark. Fortunately infrastructure is a viable and stable alternative funding option.nnsquad
Why Isn’t Wi-Fi Better? 5/15/2011
The problem with Wi-Fi is not technical. It's the idea that we need to make billing and authentication level zero. That can't work -- instead we can simply fund a common infrastructure.external site
The problem with Wi-Fi is not technical. It's the idea that we need to make billing and authentication level zero. That can't work -- instead we can simply fund a common infrastructure.external site
The Internet’s generativity stems from a paradigm antithetical to telecom 5/7/2011
The very concept of telecommunications is based the idea that we are transporting valuable messages. We’ve applied that model to phone calls (“message unit” and now “minutes”). It’s about creating billable events.dewayne
The very concept of telecommunications is based the idea that we are transporting valuable messages. We’ve applied that model to phone calls (“message unit” and now “minutes”). It’s about creating billable events.dewayne
The Internet Lost in Translation 5/5/2011 (Updated: 5/6/2011)
PDF
If all we need is a way to exchange some bits then we can adopt a simple model using any and all paths available without even a need to assure all bits get through. By funding it as a whole we don’t need to assure billing relationships between every device and every element of the path. It’s not just that you don’t know what to bill for. It’s hard to innovate when even a pacemaker must have a bookkeeper as the critical design element.While we do need to deal with some of the problems with today’s telecom our major focus should be on the future – creating generative opportunity rather than fighting over scarcity.external site
If all we need is a way to exchange some bits then we can adopt a simple model using any and all paths available without even a need to assure all bits get through. By funding it as a whole we don’t need to assure billing relationships between every device and every element of the path. It’s not just that you don’t know what to bill for. It’s hard to innovate when even a pacemaker must have a bookkeeper as the critical design element.While we do need to deal with some of the problems with today’s telecom our major focus should be on the future – creating generative opportunity rather than fighting over scarcity.external site
Re: [Dewayne-Net] How To Fix 911 -- a threat to the entire nation! 4/17/2011
A more "Intelligent" and centralized 911 is easy abused.nnsquad
A more "Intelligent" and centralized 911 is easy abused.nnsquad
Re: [IP] Gets worse Epsilon breach website fraud 4/17/2011
The Epsilon break-in should be a warning about the risks of centralizing identity.nnsquad
The Epsilon break-in should be a warning about the risks of centralizing identity.nnsquad
FCC Rules VoIP Provider May Not Collect Access Charges 4/12/2011
Once again we see people assuming that a VoIP provider must be cheating. Gaming the Regulatorium is the essence of telecom.IPList
Once again we see people assuming that a VoIP provider must be cheating. Gaming the Regulatorium is the essence of telecom.IPList
Re: 133 US cities now have their own broadband networks 3/28/2011
Another reminder that the funding model matters and that muni-bells aren't necessarily infrastructure providers.nnsquad
Another reminder that the funding model matters and that muni-bells aren't necessarily infrastructure providers.nnsquad
Re: ATT: After merger your T-Mobile phones will have to be replaced -- Carterfone undone 3/21/2011
Is ATT returning us to 1950?nnsquad
Is ATT returning us to 1950?nnsquad
Simple and Stark -- the telecom death spiral 3/21/2011
ATT's acquisition of T-Mobile is a symptom of a far deeper problem with the concept of telecommunications.IPList
ATT's acquisition of T-Mobile is a symptom of a far deeper problem with the concept of telecommunications.IPList
The First Amendment for sale for $39 billion dollars plus a tax on innovation 3/20/2011
It's time to revisit the First Amendment compromise that created the scarcity of spectrum.nnsquad
It's time to revisit the First Amendment compromise that created the scarcity of spectrum.nnsquad
Re: How the Assault on Netflix Will Shake Out 3/17/2011
More and more companies, including old-line "cable" companies are streaming over IP and will be hurt by companies.nnsquad
More and more companies, including old-line "cable" companies are streaming over IP and will be hurt by companies.nnsquad
Re: Fight over municipal broadband rules in North Carolina 3/15/2011
Is the ITIF only a shill for cable companies or can it take a positive stance in support of infrastructure?nnsquad
Is the ITIF only a shill for cable companies or can it take a positive stance in support of infrastructure?nnsquad
Re: Fight over municipal broadband rules in North Carolina 3/15/2011
We need to be careful about framing the issue of "municipal connectivity" as infrastructure rather than as a broadband service.nnsquad
We need to be careful about framing the issue of "municipal connectivity" as infrastructure rather than as a broadband service.nnsquad
Re: AT&T imposing DSL and U-verse bandwidth caps, fees for "excess" use 3/15/2011
Usage caps are about bad accounting and not exhausting resources.nnsquad
Usage caps are about bad accounting and not exhausting resources.nnsquad
Re: AT&T imposing DSL and U-verse bandwidth caps, fees for "excess" use 3/14/2011
Caps are a way to prevent innovation as well as competition.nnsquad
Caps are a way to prevent innovation as well as competition.nnsquad