THE SUPERNOVA REPORTProvided by Kevin Werbach and pulver.com.September 12, 2003RE-SENDING OF THIS NEWSLETTER TO ANY NUMBER OF COLLEAGUES ISENCOURAGED PROVIDED YOU CC: SUPERNOVA@PULVER.COM; IN RETURN, WE WILLPROVIDE RECIPIENTS WITH A SUBSCRIPTION. YOU CAN ALSO SEND "SUBSCRIBESUPERNOVA" TO <LISTSERV@LISTSERV.PULVER.COM> TO SUBSCRIBE. ANY OTHERUNAUTHORIZED RE-DISTRIBUTION IS A VIOLATION OF COPYRIGHT LAW.----------------------------------------------------------------------Hello again!  I took a break over the summer after the very successfulSupernova 2003 conference in Washington, DC.  It didn't feel like abreak, though, as I was catching up on everything I put off whileplanning the conference.  And the summer didn't produce the usual lullin big tech stories.  The FCC's battles over media ownership and telcoregulation were front-page news, the SoBig worm threatened the verysurvival of email, the blackout in the Northeastern US generatedinterest in distributed power production, the RIAA started suingindividual traders of music files, and state regulators launchedefforts to regulate voice over IP, just to list a few of theheadlines.From my perspective, these are all decentralization stories in one wayor another.  Centralized control points are under siege, whiledistributed activities spring up everywhere.  Don't blink, therevolution is happening.-k-Kevin WerbachP.S. -- The Supernova conference won't return until 2004, but don'tmiss RVC SoftEdge, which is also produced by pulver.com, at the end ofthis month!  See below for details.----------------------------------------------------------------------In this Issue:- SUPERNOVA HIGHLIGHTS- COMMUNICATIONS: The FCC as WiFi Hotspot- SOFTWARE: The Day Email Died- MEDIA: Getting Real About File Sharing- LINKS OF THE MONTH----------------------------------------------------------------------SUPERNOVA 2003 HIGHLIGHTSAs expected, Supernova 2003 was full of productive conversations,insightful presentations, and surprises.  And that doesn't count thebelly dancing party!Reed Hundt and Clay Shirky got us started with a bang.  Reed proposeda multi-billion dollar universal service program for fiber-opticbroadband connections to the home, while Clay described what's wrongwith the current dumbbell (or was that "Dumb Bell"?) telephonenetwork.  Things never quite slowed down after that, with sessions onthe business of networks, the investment landscape, wireless, new userexperiences, identity, enterprise IT, innovation in communications,and tech policy... and a retired Navy admiral in the middle!  Asexpected, the on-stage discussions were exceeded in intensity by theaudience conversations and the furious weblogging, photoblogging, andother virtual activities that ran non-stop during the two days.Two of the best sessions weren't even on the agenda.  Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who was in town for personal reasons, stopped byand joined and impromptu Q&A session with speaker Craig Silverstein.The next day, when the FCC's Bob Pepper had to cancel due to the flu,I called up the FCC staffers in the audience for a spur-of-the-momentroundtable on telecom policy issues.  It was an extraordinarilycandid, multi-way conversation with government officials involved incontroversial issues such as spectrum policy, voice over IPregulation, and digital rights management.  Exactly the kind ofinteractivity and community experience that makes Supernova unique.I can't possibly do justice to the conference in this writeup -- youhad to be there.  If you want some flavor of it, our conference Wiki(courtesy of Socialtext) lists no fewer than 25 conference orparticipant Weblogs providing writeups and background<http://supernova.socialtext.net/index.cgi?Blogging%20Supernova>.  Andas Michael Miller of PC Magazine noted in his article about Supernova<http://www.pcmag.com/print_article/0,3048,a=45947,00.asp>, thetechnology the attendees carried around with them was interesting inits own right.My biggest takeaway from the conference was that the bets I made whenstarting Supernova in the midst of a tech depression last year seem tobe panning out.  The bubble days are over, but tremendous technology-driven innovation and change are still occurring.  The overwhelmingtrend toward decentralization creates relationships between once-separate industries, making interdisciplinary dialogue more importantthan ever.  And even in an era of tight budgets, there is still valuein bringing a community of great people together face-to-face,enhanced by the virtual interactions the Net makes possible.  I canwait until next year!----------------------------------------------------------------------RVC SOFTEDGE 2003RVC is pleased to announce the 3rd edition of its Software Innovationconference: RVC SoftEdge 2003, Sept 30 and Oct 1 in New York, USA.http://www.pulver.com/rvc2003/SoftEdge 2003 explores the economically feasible zone of softwareinnovation, bringing together key players of the software industryfrom Silicon Valley, Europe and Israel. For two days, this exclusiveevent will feature over 40 experts, thought leaders, renownedentrepreneurs and executives. Panel discussions will be moderated byleading technology journalists and commentators.Readers of the Supernova Report can purchase discount tickets for$1300 ($695 off the regular price), by using the Priority Code RVCE03when registering at <http://www.pulver.com/rvc2003/registration.html>.----------------------------------------------------------------------COMMUNICATIONSFCC Bakes Up Free WiFi Connections(Originally published in The Feature, August 19, 2003)Quick, what does the Federal Communications Commission have in commonwith Panera Bread Company, a fast-growing chain of bakery cafes?The answer has nothing to do with asiago cheese bagels or mediaconsolidation rules.  Both organizations announced this month thatthey were offering free WiFi access for their patrons.  While Panera'smove might have been expected, the FCC's announcement was a surprise.That's right; the FCC has gone wireless.  The US department thatregulates communications has put itself on the leading edge of theunlicensed wireless revolution.  It is the first government agency inWashington, DC, and perhaps the world, to offer free WiFi to visitorsat its headquarters.Even more shocking are the terms for access.  There is no charge touse the FCC's WiFi network and no log-in account required.  Despitewell-publicized fears about WiFi's weak security and allegedopportunities for spammers and hackers, the FCC is comfortable leavingits network open to anyone.  The FCC says it will turn over usage logsif demanded by law enforcement.  Since users can log in anonymously,though, that is hardly a Big Brother scenario.When you think about it, the FCC providing WiFi access isn't sostrange.  The agency's 2000 employees face the same connectivity needsas other office workers.  Companies such as Microsoft and Cisco havefound that installing WiFi hotspots enhances productivity by allowingworkers to remain online when they bring their laptops to conferencerooms or other locations.  And the FCC headquarters is a publicfacility.  Every day, dozens of lobbyists, reporters, industryexecutives, analysts, and members of the public arrive for meetings,presentations, and research.  The FCC's WiFi network allows them tostay connected.Yet the symbolic value of the FCC's action can't be overstated.  Theagency has played a major role in the WiFi success story.  Without theFCC's 1985 decision to establish "unlicensed" frequency bands forspread-spectrum devices, there would be no WiFi market.  When licensedwireless operators complained that WiFi would dissolve into chaoticinterference, or would cause difficulties for their own operations,the FCC declined to intervene.  It let the market develop, and allowedequipment manufacturers to deal with interference by building betterdevices.  At the World Radio Conference earlier this summer, the FCCparticipated in a US delegation that successfully pushed for a globalunlicensed allocation in the 5 GHz band.  And now the FCC is promotingsupport for WiFi on its own premises.If other government facilities follow the FCC's lead, WiFi couldbecome a tool for democracy.  Six years ago, the US Supreme Courthanded down its unanimous decision overturning the notoriousCommunications Decency Act. Activists from the Center for Democracyand Technology reported the news from the Supreme Court steps using awireless Ricochet modem from now-defunct Metricom.  More recently,what Howard Rheingold calls "smart mobs" have used mobile phones tocoordinate mass demonstrations from Seattle to Manila.  WiFi providesanother mechanism to open up the corridors of power.  If bloggerscould report live from press conferences, hearings, and otherfunctions, it would help demystify the workings of government.The FCC's action shows the value of personal experience.  FCC ChairmanMichael Powell bought a WiFi access point for his own home nearly twoyears ago so that he could surf the Web from his back porch.  Eversince, he has been a champion of the technology.  There is simply nosubstitute for seeing the benefits of free local wireless connectivityfirst-hand.  Which is what makes the FCC's recent action especiallyimportant.  Thanks to Intel's massive Centrino marketing blitz, mostnew laptops come with built-in WiFi radios.  Visitors to the FCC whodidn't even realize they could connect wirelessly may find themselvesable to check email, access the Web, or log into their corporatenetwork.  There is no better stimulus for future sales of WiFi gear,and no better mechanism to build support for preservation andexpansion of unlicensed access."This is an example of the Chairman's desire to lead the digitalmigration by example," says Jonathan Cody, special policy advisor toChairman Powell.  "He wants to demonstrate, first hand, the power andbenefits of digital technologies to our visitors."When it comes to information technology, the FCC hasn't always been aleader.  This is an organization that didn't give all its employeespersonal computers until the 1990s, and retired its rotary phones notlong before that.  As a government agency with a chronically limitedbudget, the FCC can be forgiven for not keeping up with leading-edgeprivate companies.  All the more reason to take notice when it makes apublic commitment to deploy an emerging technology.Chairman Powell has been roundly criticized for his efforts toderegulate media giants and local telephone monopolies. When it comesto WiFi, though, he's on the side of users.  As Powell declared whenannouncing the FCC's WiFi connectivity: "We're embracing the power ofWiFi and the freedom and convenience of Internet access it gives toconsumers."I'll raise my raspberry-cheese croissant to that.----------------------------------------------------------------------SOFTWAREThe Day Email Died?Between 10:45pm and 6:00am one night last month, I received 1,470pieces of junk email -- a run rate of nearly 5,000 per day. Most ofthem were from the SoBig.F worm, which seems to be the worst yet.SoBig finally subsided this week, but there is no reason to believeeven more virulent email worms aren't coming soon.I wonder if this is the last straw that will convince people to movein droves to challenge/response or whitelist mechanisms, as I arguedlast year in Slate (http://slate.msn.com/id/2074042/). And I'd besurprised if these volumes don't overload mail servers at major ISPs.We're seeing the closest thing yet to the Morris worm that shut downthe Net in 1988.For me personally, the good news is that my lovingly-tuned filteringgauntlet, including the rule-based SpamAssassin, the Bayesian POPfile,and a couple dozen hand-coded rules, held up well. All 1,470 of thebogus messages that night were auto-routed to the trash. The bad newsis that, with this many spams, it's impractical to check manually forfalse positives (good email accidentally deleted as spam). My overallfilter accuracy is well above 99%, but I'm still seeing occasionalfalse positives (maybe two per week) when I search for them.We have to confront the reality: either email is broken, Microsoft'semail software is broken, or those two statements are the same. Ifit's the middle statement, Microsoft and other vendors can close holesand improve filtering in their products. Email itself isn't going tochange. It's too widely deployed. I still think a combination of stepswill tame the spam epidemic, but we're not there yet.----------------------------------------------------------------------MEDIALet's Be Honest About File SharingSo the RIAA is making good on its threat and suing individuals sharinglarge numbers of music files online.  As a political strategy, thisapproach is dangerous.  Stories about confused 12-year-old defendantscan't be great PR for the record industry.  But we need to be honestand acknowledge that what they are doing now is legally moredefensible than suing Kazaa and its ilk.Downloading copyrighted music that you don't own or have fair userights to is a violation of intellectual property.  It's sociallyacceptable and, until now, relatively risk-free, like speeding,installing unregistered software on your computer, or making mix tapesfrom CDs.  One can say that makes fighting it futile.  One can argue,with some credibility, that it helps the record industry to haveunregulated file trading.  And one can say that a legal regime thatoffered weaker intellectual property protection, like the one theFramers of the Constitution established, would be better for everyone.By all means, lets change the law, and change the business structureof the music industry.  Both are in desparate need of reform.Just don't pretend that makes file sharing perfectly legal.  Theintellectual property extremists are in power, but the fact that theyare wrong doesn't mean that their legal argument is a fallacy.  Thebulk of those tens of millions of Kazaa users are downloading filesfor the simple reason that free is a better price than $17.99 or even99 cents.  There's no honor in that.Why does it matter?  Because we risk cheapening the distinctionbetween free beer and free speech.  Linux is thriving not because it'scheaper, but because it's better.  Fair use and the public domain arevaluable because they increase creative, political, and educationaloutput, not because they threaten private property.  Martin LutherKing and Gandhi are heroes because they disobeyed laws that wereimmoral; focusing only on the disobedience cheapens the civility.Of course, there are degrees.  Our society tolerates plenty of minorviolations of the law or propety rights.  When I cut across the cornerof my neighbor's lawn it may technically be trespassing, but whocares?  Same with the xerox copy of a magazine article I pass aroundto three coworkers in a meeting without paying for reprint rights.Civilization works because individuals and governments are constantlybalancing costs and benefits.  In the end, that's what copyright is: abalance.  It balances something society wants -- incentives forcreative production -- with something it doesn't want -- privatemonopolies.Saying there is nothing wrong with file sharing only reinforcesextremists who see the world as black or white.  There are plenty ofbetter arguments why Congress, the courts, and the content industriesshould change their ways.The endgame of the digital copyright wars is coming into focus.  Asplenty of people predicted, distributed and private file-sharingservices are making it increasingly difficult for the record industryto choke off the intermediaries.  The last gasp of their "Plan A" isto sue individuals.  It won't work, but it won't totally fail either.We need to get as quickly as possible into "Plan B," which is to offercustomers licensed music dowloads with prices and terms they findacceptable.  And the best way to get there is to acknowledge that theproblem isn't the institution of copyright, or the idea of chargingfor a piece of recorded music.  It's to empower those within the musicindustry who realize that scaring 12-year-olds isn't a long-termsolution to their problems.----------------------------------------------------------------------INTERESTING LINKS FROM SUMMER 2003http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29087-2003Aug21.htmlDecentralized power generationhttp://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994037Six Degrees of Email studyhttp://www.spectrumpolicy.org/The New America Foundation released the very helpful Citizens Guide tothe Airwaves last month.http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=3387584Half a billion mobile phone handsets sold next year.  That includes100 million camera phones and 30 million smartphones.http://www.corante.com/many/20030701.shtml#46771Clay Shirky on the WiFi back channelhttp://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2003/07/17/BrowserDreamTim Bray on the resurgent browser war----------------------------------------------------------------------If you are aware of others who would like to receive the SupernovaReport, please forward this email and copy supernova@pulver.com. Tounsubscribe, please send "SIGNOFF SUPERNOVA" in the body of an emailto listserv@listserv.pulver.com)Please send your comments and feedback regarding this issue of TheSupernova Report to: kevin@supernova2003.com.Kevin Werbach               Tel. +1 (877) 803-7101September, 2003            http://pulver.com/supernova/----------------------------------------------------------------------(c) 2003 Kevin Werbach and pulver.com. All Rights Reserved======================================================================