Writings and Musings

Bob Frankston (bio)

Welcome to my writings.

If you want the recent essays check out the sidebar on the left or, better, go to Further Readings for a curated list of essays.

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 as well as external sites.

Note that I'm currently writing shorter transient posts on Facebook as "Bob Frankston". I'm gathering links here.

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.

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 1974 1979 1989 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Facebook Posts 20-Jan-2018 (Updated: 07-Dec-2019 PDFAn attempt to catalog my Facebook Posts until when and if I use the ideas in formal essays and columns

From “Broadband” to “Infrastructure” 01-Sep-2018 (Updated: 04-Dec-2019 PDFIt's time to think about the Internet as infrastructure rather than broadband. (This is based on the version atBroadband Breakfast site). There is also a companion FAQ.

From Hi-Fi to CLI 01-Jan-2019 (Updated: 13-Dec-2018 Today users typically use computers through graphics user interfaces -- GUIs. Only programmers use the command line. But that is changing as more people discover the power of the command line just as they learned how to wire their own home entertainment systems in the days of Hi Fi.
It is no longer a relic of the past but rather a path to the future.

More 5G BS 02-Dec-2018 Hill.TV has taken on the cause of 5G as Telcos try to enlist support by telling why 5G is the answer no matter what the question.

re Cybersecurity "moonshot" project to secure the internet by 2028. 17-Nov-2018 Be wary of those who compare "solving" cybersecutiry to the well-defined challenge of sending a rocket to the moon.

From Net Neutrality to Seizing Opportunity 01-Nov-2018 (Updated: 17-Oct-2018 PDFNetwork neutrality is important in the context of assuring the opportunity to innovate in how we communicate and connect. We can't define it in terms of specific outcomes but rather in terms of what we enable. The Internet is just one example of what we can do when given the opportunity to use software to fashion our own solutions. (Also available on CircleID and at Broadband Breakfast

Progressive Web Apps 01-Mar-2018 (Updated: 12-Jul-2018 The browser is now a full fledged platform for apps. The major benefits of using the browser as a platform includes ease of universal deployment and avoiding concepts such as having to install software. It's also a very flexible and powerful environment. (Also available on CircleId)

The Internet as Infrastructure FAQ 04-Dec-2017 (Updated: 11-Jul-2018 PDFWhen I write about the Internet as infrastructure I find some questions keep reappearing - hence this FAQ

Re So What The Heck Does 5G Actually Do? And Is It Worth What TheCarriers Are Demanding? 04-Jul-2018 A reminder the 5G is a throwback to the pst

Got API? 01-Jul-2018 (Updated: 21-Jun-2018 PDF If your home control product doesn't have an open API, then it's a niche product and not part of the future of connected devices.

Broadband Providers? 20-May-2018 What does a broadband provider provide and what does it mean to have competing providers?

Re EarthNow to Deliver Real-Time Video via Large Satellite Constellation 20-Apr-2018 Detailed photos of Earth are very big data with no opt out.

Re No “Material Difference Between 5G & LTE” 20-Apr-2018 5G may be reheated 4G but victory will be declared

Re Is Science Hitting a Wall - it's not just about science 08-Apr-2018 We need to think of the future in terms of discovery and opportunity and not just the past a little faster and better. We see an example of this in public policies pushing faster old style telecom networks instead of creating new opportunities for connectivity.

Connectivity as a Vital Consumer Service 27-Mar-2018 (Updated: 28-Mar-2018 PDFToday we retreat the Internet as if it were another television channel. If the service goes out we are fully dependent upon a provider to diagnose and fix the problem. Today we are increasingly dependent upon connectivity and must meet the challenge by empowering consumers to work with providers to address issues and assure connectivity. ((Also avalable on CircleID)

Re A start-up says it can back up your brain. However, there’s one small catch. - The Washington Post 16-Mar-2018 Why do people think they can easily digitize the brain?

Cockamamie #broadband pricing from #Cox. 20-Feb-2018 Another reminder of perverse pricing of broadband

Re Stop Saying 'Smart Cities' 18-Feb-2018 Smart Cities are like intelligent networks. Instead we need empowering cities.

House Republicans Just Voted to Eliminate the Only Federal Agency That Makes Sure Voting Machines Can't Be Hacked 15-Feb-2018 Another attack on the credibility of our basic institutions.

Nationalizing the imaginary 5G Network? 30-Jan-2018 PDFThe proposal to nationalize 5G may be spurious but it is an opportunity look at how we think about networking.

Interconnected computing 02-Jan-2018 It's useful to think of the internetworking effort as a way to weave end points, initially computers, into a whole. The network is just a means. We need to look beyond neutrality to infrastructure.

Assembly Required 01-Jan-2018 (Updated: 20-Dec-2017 PDFIncreasingly consumer devices are not just become smart but connected. We are only at the earliest stages of understanding this connectivity and how to give users the ability to manage the connections.