The "Computer as Assistant" Fallacy Personal Commentary4/1/2001; 8:10:39 PM 'There has been a lot of talk lately about how computers are too hard to learn to use. There is a longing for devices you can just pick up and use without training. Microsoft's Kai-fu Lee was quoted in The New York Times as saying, when discussing the more "natural and intelligent" user interfaces he hopes to create, "My dream is that the computer of the future is going to be an assistant to the user.

April Fools! Personal Commentary4/1/2001; 1:22:13 AM I love April Fools day on the net, even though my own sense of humor may not be the greatest.Here's what I know of so far:Nothing, because as I write this, April first is still tommorow most places in the world...

At Issue: E-Rights for E-Writers Misc. 3/30/2001; 11:05:04 AM 'Tasini et al. v. The New York Times et al. pits members of the National Writers Union against media corporations The New York Times, Newsday, Time, Lexis/Nexis, and University Microfilms. 'The case will decide whether freelance writers should be paid royalties when publishers redistribute their work in electronic databases or CD-ROMs without their permission. 'It is now up to the judges to decide how to apply the 1976 Copyright Act to an electronic technology that wasn't even around when many freelancers were signing these contracts.

Microsoft storm warning Privacy from Companies3/28/2001; 2:25:42 PM I've watched the pundits, I've read the articles and whitepaper, and I'm finally ready to say a couple of things about Hailstorm, potentially the biggest privacy boondoggle of the next few years. Scott Rosenberg's Salon article prompted a few observations from me that I haven't seen commented on anywhere else:'For starters, the moment all your data is collected in one place, any failure in security at that place becomes catastrophic.

Post-Napster policing reopens ISP wounds DMCA 3/27/2001; 10:45:10 PM 'Facing the prospect of a post-Napster world, tension is starting to build between copyright holders and Internet service providers over who should police other file-swapping networks that are poised to step in as replacements.... '"The content community would like ISPs to act as a global police force, and that's not their job," said Dave McClure, chief executive of the United States Internet Industry Association (USIIA), the main ISP trade association.

Congressman Boucher Slashdot Interview Misc. 3/27/2001; 5:43:35 PM An actual Congressperson speaks out about his opinions on all of the hot digital topics.  Interesting read.

Bush opposes Euro privacy rules Privacy from Companies 3/27/2001; 5:38:50 PM 'The Bush administration, responding to concerns in the financial-services sector, is objecting strongly to a set of proposed European Commission privacy rules affecting trans-Atlantic e-commerce. 'In a March 23 letter to a top commission official, the Commerce and Treasury Departments said the proposed rules "impose unduly burdensome requirements that are incompatible with real-world operations." 'At issue are proposed "

Anti-Spam Bill's Second Wind Spam & E-Mail 3/27/2001; 9:47:32 AM 'House negotiators are meeting privately in an attempt to work out differences over an anti-spam bill before a scheduled vote on Wednesday. 'Chris Cox (R-California) says the measure, sponsored by Heather Wilson (R-New Mexico) and Gene Green (D-Texas), allows state attorneys general to file suits against spammers and collect punitive damages far beyond any harm actually caused. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) has argued that the bill would inappropriately deputize Internet providers to regulate incoming e-mail.

An anti-posting: TiVo Privacy Concerns Unfounded Privacy from Companies3/26/2001; 6:34:59 PM There's been a lot of foofarah today following some never-heard-of-'em foundation's posting of a "report" on TiVo's Privacy Policies. I would like to point out that TiVo has always been up-front about what they are doing, and in fact this "news" has already been around the news mill... and it wasn't that interesting the first time, either.I respect TiVo for being quite clear about what they do, phrasing it in plain English, and so far as we know, sticking to it to the letter.

International Treaty on Cybercrime... Read the Fine Print Misc. 3/24/2001; 7:37:03 PM '...if you counsel U.S. corporations on computer-related issues, you should be concerned about a new proposed treaty known as the "Convention on Cybercrime." The Council of Europe, a 43-nation public body created to promote democracy and the rule of law, is nominally drafting the treaty. Curiously, however, the primary architect is the United States Department of Justice. 'The Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation are using a foreign forum to create an international law-enforcement regime that favors the interests of the feds over those of ordinary citizens and businesses.