Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

The Return of the Command Line

Posted on August 19, 2005 by Michael Froomkin

There’s an enormous amount to consider, and the slightest whiff of marketing-speak, in Jim Moore‘s
Fifteen reasons why DIY Web Superservices will transform the landscape.

But there’s one point in there that was an aha! moment for me:

We are experiencing the return of the command line in computing.  The URL has become a the command line for open superservices.

The classic Google interface, for example, is now seen by web superservices hackers as a command line generator.  The Google interface is code generator.

Here is an example:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=geocode&btnG=Google+Search

This command causes the Google machinery to perform a search and render the results in a particular manner.

Posted in Internet | 2 Comments

First Blood Against Roberts

Posted on August 18, 2005 by Michael Froomkin

The first thing I've learned about proto-Justice Roberts that I think hurts his candidacy — and makes me think he really is outside the mainstream: back when he was a young hot-shot GOP politically appointed government lawyer, Roberts wrote against anti-discrimination law aimed at curbing sex discrimination. But he didn't just oppose these laws on libertarian grounds (which I would consider wrong, but principled) but also asked whether “encouraging homemakers to become lawyers contributes to the common good.” Which is casual sexist pig talk.

Had Roberts written this in the 50s, we could dismiss it as the times. But Roberts wrote this yesterday, in the Reagan administration.

And this is the guy who is slated to replace the first female Justice?

No way this is fatal on its own, more a big scratch than a deep wound (and Sen. Santorum agrees, anyway), but it's the first thing to draw blood.

Source: Guardian via TalkLeft: Roberts to Women: Stay in the Kitchen.

Posted in Law: The Supremes | 2 Comments

Or Even Yesterday?

Posted on August 18, 2005 by Michael Froomkin

The first of many senior moments:

Self, for it is he: Yes, lots of cultural references get lost in class. For example when I talk about Nixon, to a good chunk of the class it’s as much history as if I were talking of Ulysses S. Grant.

Youthful colleague: I wasn’t born yet at the time of the Nixon administration.

Self: Might as well shoot me now.

Youthful colleague (twisting the knife): I wasn’t even born in the Ford administration.

Obligatory link to David Bowie, Young Americans.

Incidentally, am I wrong to read significance into the shift from Young Americans to I’m Afraid of Americans?

Posted in Personal | 5 Comments

Florida Privacy Committee Issues Final Report

Posted on August 18, 2005 by Michael Froomkin

The Florida Supreme Court’s Committee on Privacy and Court Records has issued its final report:

  1. Cover and Contents
  2. Part
    1
  3. Part 2
  4. Part 3
  5. Part 4
  6. Part 5

The committee was not able to come to a unanimous conclusion on all points. But, in what is for me a very unusual experience, I found myself voting with the majority on all the disputed questions.

There’s been a fair amount of press attention too. Here’s a sampling:

There’s also a piece in the Daily Business Review but it’s only for subscribers. The Miami Herald’s coverage — four paragraphs from the AP story — is pretty pathetic for anything that has pretentions to being a major national newspaper.

For a taste of the state clerk’s spin on all this (their reps wrote one of the dissents), see this article from Manatee county (Bradenton Herald).

Posted in Law: Privacy | Comments Off on Florida Privacy Committee Issues Final Report

Vigils for Cindy Sheehan

Posted on August 17, 2005 by Michael Froomkin

MoveOn.org is encouraging (and providing meetup-like services to enable) a set of nation-wide candlelight vigils in support of Cindy Sheehan this evening.

Only problem is that the one around here starts at 5, when it's still bright daylight. And, oh yes, it's already oversubscribed.

Posted in Iraq | 1 Comment

Homeland Security Continues Its Fine Work

Posted on August 17, 2005 by Michael Froomkin

It's those wacky folks at homeland security again: freezing the assets of a puppeteering club (they dared to change bank branches! the temerity!).

But that's really OK, because there are not going to be so many children flying around to see puppets — you see, there are babies on the no-fly list.

Oddly, some people don't see the humor in the TSA randomly preventing Americans from moving about freely in their own country.

Posted in Civil Liberties | 1 Comment