ACLU Study Wary of Broadband Providers

The ACLU recently had a study done that suggests that broadband access is a threat to internet freedom. Their study focuses on the control available to broadband providers who don’t have to deal with the same level of competition or regulation as ISP providers. The result is the ability to radically control internet access combined with the omnipresent corporate incentive for profit, whatever the cost to free speech — via Slashdot

The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea

While open-source software’s reputation for security has taken a hit lately, Microsoft’s Palladium presents itself as an opportunity to improve security by eliminating entire classes of potential exploits. However, Palladium cannot protect us from most security threats — and its aim may be to eliminate open-source software on commodity hardware

The Internet Power Grab

The great transition that is taking place on the Internet — from free to fee — is now gathering speed. And there are no grassroots efforts on the Web to stop it. The Internet army, which is enormous, hasn’t been engaged or conscripted

Bracing for the storm

Like many companies near seismic faults in Silicon Valley, eBay has emergency plans in case an earthquake destroys critical Internet connections. But these days another kind of tremor is a more imminent danger. The costly disruption or slowdown of service because of financially strapped telecommunication providers is the latest major concern for companies

Creating the New Public Network

Tom Lyons argues persuasively that the incumbent competitors might be incapable of delivering an utility IP network. Competition in such commodity markets encourages the breaking of connectivity, Connectivity is the fundamental service of the Internet, yet it is connectivity that suffers first when network providers compete for users and services. Thus he proposes the Institute for the Promotion of the Internet Protocol Utility — via Slashdot