Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

A Thoughtful Take on Site Finder

Posted on February 11, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

People wanting a thoughtful look at the law and policy issues swirling around VeriSign's Site Finder need look no further than Jonathan Weinberg's Site Finder and Internet Governance. I say this even though the conclusion makes me quite uncomfortable.

Continue reading →

Posted in Internet, Readings | 2 Comments

Convergence in Action

Posted on February 11, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

Mobog – Send pics directly from your camera phone

What is Mobog?

Mobog enables anyone with a mobile phone-camera to instantly display their photos on the Internet.

And, following what seems to be the pattern for every new information technology, a substantial fraction of the early adopters don't seem to be that polite or that well-dressed…

Posted in Internet | Comments Off on Convergence in Action

Time to Hug a Bureaucrat

Posted on February 10, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

I have a small comment coming out in a symposium volume of the Loyola (Chicago) Law Journal in which I was the discussant on a panel about “Regulatory Aspects of Internet Governance.” In Time to Hug a Bureaucrat (.pdf) I summarize and at times critique interesting papers by Jim Speta, Phil Weiser, and Jay Kesan. The first two papers are about the proper scope of the FCC's jurisdiction; I spend the bulk of my comment talking about Jay's analysis of BBOnline and the UDRP. As we come at these issues from very different perspectives, and my paper is uncharacteristically short (sixteen pages and, well, a few footnotes here and there), it may be entertaining.

Posted in Writings | Comments Off on Time to Hug a Bureaucrat

Meaningless Personality Quizzes (pt. 6)

Posted on February 10, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

What kind of postmodernist are you!? brought to you by Quizilla

This one is dangerously close to true, except for the fact that I'm not a post-modernist. But I believe that I have colleagues who would be surprised to learn I have written at some length on a member of the Frankfurt School…

revisionist historian
You are a Revisionist Historian. You are the Clark Kent of postmodernists. You probably want to work in a library or in social services. No one suspects you of being a postmodernist…until they read your publications!

Spotted at Alex Halavais's Blog.

Posted in Meaningless Personality Quizzes | 9 Comments

Surprise! Bush Won’t Release More Records

Posted on February 10, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

The bigtime bloggers are out in force on GW Bush's attempt to weasel out of his promise to release all the records that might substantiate or disprove his claims about his military service so I won't bother piling on.

Irrelevant bonus feature: The madeup poll everyone believed.

Posted in Politics: US: GW Bush Scandals | 2 Comments

Verisign Threatens to Revive Hated ‘Site Finder’

Posted on February 9, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

Not again?

Washington Post, VeriSign Reconsiders Search Service: Stratton Sclavos, chief executive of VeriSign Inc., told investors in a conference call last month that the company might relaunch its “Site Finder” service as early as April.

[For background on why this matters, please see Sitefinder: The Biggest Internet Crisis You May Never Have Heard Of.]

Continue reading →

Posted in Internet | Comments Off on Verisign Threatens to Revive Hated ‘Site Finder’