The UN Wants the Internet



Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor
of the World Wide Web
(not Al Gore!) tweeted
at the 2012 Summer Olympics,
"This is for everyone."

Authoritarian governments aspire to control the net

Do you want bureaucrats to be able to read every text, image, tune, spreadsheet, or whatever you send or receive? Do you want your business communications snooped on by unknown entities?

The open Internet, available to people around the world without the permission of any government, was a great liberation. But, authoritarian governments this month attempted to make this intrusion internationally legitimate.

Under a resolution made on December 4, 2012 at the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) conference in Dubai, a majority of countries that subject their population to internet censorship and suppress publishing approved a treaty giving governments new powers to close off access to the Internet in their countries.

The motion was withdrawn on December 12. In another power grab, a motion by Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Sudan to give equal rights to domain naming and numbers to all countries was shelved.

In a rebuff to the proposal, the Internet Society stated that it’s “extremely important that this treaty not extend to content, or implicitly or explicitly undermine the principles that have made the Internet so beneficial.”

Vint Cerf,
"Father the Internet,"
was instrumental in the
funding and formation of
ICANN from the start.

Vint Cerf, the computer scientist who co-designed some of the Internet’s core underlying protocols, said: “The free and open net is under threat.”

Who Are These ITU People?

From 1995 through December 1949, the International Telecommunications Union (originally the “T” stood for Telegraph) was directed by a Swiss citizen.

Since 1950, the ITU has been a specialized United Nations agency for information and communications technologies, governed by a “Secretary-General” with a nominal term of four years.

Dr. Hamadoun I. Touré, Secretary-General of the ITU since 2007, was re-elected for a second four-year term in 2010.

A national of Mali, Dr Touré holds a Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering from the Technical Institute of Electronics and Telecommunications of Leningrad, and a PhD from the University of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics of Moscow.

It is reported that he had a pre-Dubai meeting with Russian president Putin, who “reminded” him of Russia’s involvement in the formation of the ITU (even though it had none).

As the Internet has grown, it has acquired enemies. Just as the fax became a liberating tool at the time of Tiananmen Square, the Internet became one during the recent uprisings in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt.

Much of the discussion at the conference concerned the “openness” of the Internet and the aspiration of many governments to be able to control it. Said Terry Kramer, the U.S. ambassador to WCIT:

“There have been proposals that have suggested that the ITU should enter the Internet governance business. There have been active recommendations that there be an invasive approach of governments in managing the internet, in managing the content that goes via the internet, what people are looking at, what they’re saying. These fundamentally violate everything that we believe in in terms of democracy and opportunities for individuals, and we’re going to vigorously oppose any proposals of that nature.”

It’s Scary!

Google warned the event threatened the "open Internet", while the EU said the current system worked, adding: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

But the agency said action was needed to ensure investment in infrastructure to help more people access the net.

"The brutal truth is that the Internet remains largely [the] rich world's privilege," said Dr. Touré, ahead of the meeting.

"ITU wants to change that."

Sources:
1. L. Gordon Crovitz, "America's First Big Digital Defeat," The Wall Street Journal, December 17, 2012
2. Peter H. Salus, "The UN and Your Business: Why ITU Dubai Loss is Your Gain," Forbes, December 14, 2012
3. Leo Kelion, "Un Internet Regulation Treaty Talks Begin in Dubai," BBC News, December 2, 2012

New Roles for Citizen Warriors

Can They Do It All?

Citizen soldiers, like those in the National Guard, have seen their role change from "weekend warriors" -- protecting our homeland after natural disasters and civil unrest -- to supporting our nation's role in the "Operation Enduring Freedom" and other military actions. 

By definition, the National Guard is a reserve military force composed of militia members of each state and US territory. The majority of National Guard soldiers hold a civilian full-time job while serving as a National Guard member.

But, can they do it all?
The catastrophe of Kartina caught our nation flat-footed. Then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld recast the National Guard during the Iraq war from a reserve deployed only in times of crisis to an active, operational force. During that conflict, 80,000 members of the National Guard were deployed in Iraq (including those from Louisiana) - leaving scant few to assist with the aftermath of the hurricane's devastation.

The devastation of superstorm Sandy again begs the question: how do we provide crucial emergency services to our neighbors in time of crisis while so many of those in the National Guard are thousands of miles away?  

Army National Guard leaders want to maintain the proficiency that soldiers have gained during lengthy combat deployments over the past 11 years, but say a return to "weekend warriors" won't cut it.  Consequently, National Guardsmen/women have been deployed over and over to supplement the regular army.

__________________________

Over a year ago, Jim Wood (my wifes' brother) left his job in Michigan, turned over the chores and domestic responsibilities to his wife and four kids, and headed for Camp Shelby in Mississippi.

As a SFC Sergeant First Class in Michigan's National Guard, he was being deployed to Afghanistan.

The more than 200 members of the 126 Calvary Squadron returned home October 19 after completing a 14-month tour of duty in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Jim's troop, A-Troop, did not suffer any casualties, but others in their Squadron did.

This is the second time the 126 Calvary, A-Troop (known as the "Mavericks") has been deployed overseas in a combat support role. Their previous 12-month tour of duty was two years ago in Kuwait/Iraq, during that conflict.

Homecoming is sweet - especially when a father & husband civilian soldier gets out of danger and comes home safely. A toast to you all our service men/women on Vetran's Day and more important - thank you for all you do. Welcome Home!

New Car Ads Focus on Relationships

"Like Me" Branding Strategy
In a break from hawking horsepower and leather upholstery, automakers are now trying to show customers they want to be their friend as well.

Honda and Volkswagen both are unveiling emotional ad campaigns this week that emphasize relationships — how well they know you and your needs and foibles -- rather than the car.

Honda’s campaign is themed “It all starts with you.”

It aims to tug on people’s heartstrings as it depicts consumers going through everyday life and making mistakes along the way.

Volkswagen is unleashing a TV and social-media package called “Why VW,” with the tagline “It’s not the miles, it’s how you live them.”

The campaign is for the brand, rather than individual models.

Both campaigns are unusual given how automakers have long relied on touting the features and attributes of cars, says David Stewart, a marketing professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

General Motors showed how emotional ties could build a brand when it launched the Saturn brand more than 20 years ago, but it hasn’t been tried much since, except for Chrysler’s moody Super Bowl ads.

“It has been less common in the auto industry,” he says. “A lot of this has to do with the auto industry still being engineering-driven.”

Of the two campaigns, Honda’s will probably be harder to miss, particularly on TV. Honda is mounting the biggest ad blitz in its history in the U.S. to launch the new 2013 Accord flagship sedan.

A lot of the campaign’s creation involved developing a knowledge of habits that most people take for granted.

Volkswagen, like Honda, is taking advantage of having built a loyal base of customers over the years who have genuine affection for their cars; in VW’s case, going back to the lovable Bug. The TV ad for the “Why VW” brand campaign — showing happy people — in fact never shows a car.

But the part I like best, Volkswagen of America is attempting to offer TV watchers across the country a foil to the nastiness and mud-slinging in the mist of the Nov. 5 political election campaign.

The carmaker released the special spot tied to the presidential race which it says will "deliver a lighthearted break" from the election cycle. The commercial is by VW's agency Deutsch, Los Angeles, and in a highly unusual move in the world of auto advertising, the ad doesn't show a single car, let alone depict the usual product shots or typical performance claims that most car ads do.

Instead, over the course of the 30-second commercial -- which is called "Smiles" -- all we see is a selection of random people, from babies to senior citizens, of all different nationalities, laughing and smiling. The spot closes with the following message: "It's not the miles, it's how you live them. That's the power of German engineering."

What do you think? Does the spot grab your attention and provide a welcome change to election ads? Or does the lack of product shown in the ads seem befuddling and detract from the VW brand?

Sources

1. Dale Buss, “Volkswagen Grows Up with New ‘Why VW’ Marketing Campaing,” Forbes, September 18, 2012

2. Rupal Parekn, “Volkswagen Ad Aims to Give Americans a ‘Break’ From Tone of Election Year,” Ad Age, September 18, 29012

3. Chris Woodyard, “Car Ads Shift Strategy, Focus on Relationships,”  USA Today, September 21, 2012

Is Crowd Funding in Your Start-Up Future?

The new hot topic for entrepreneurs these days is crowd funding, which is anticipated to at least supplement, if not replace, the slow and mysterious process of Angel and venture capital investors.

Traditional lending isn't easy to secure, and many banks are leery of lending to small start-ups (with sometimes crazy ideas for their business and little or no history/financials to back them). Now people are turning to new, creative ways to launch companies and gain funding.

This is where crowd funding platforms come in

Practically anyone can be a small business investor today, and it has blown open the door to funding opportunities. Thanks to the JOBS Act, which passed in April 2012, small businesses can seek funding from investors that don't necessarily carry the SEC's stamp of approval (with restrictions). And one way startups can quickly raise capital is through crowd funding.

These platforms allow people (individuals, entrepreneurs, organizations, etc.) with creative visions to set up campaigns to fund their dream projects through monetary donations from friends, families, and even strangers. Each campaign has a specific fundraising goal and is set to run for a certain number of days, and anyone can donate as much or as little as they please. It is an opportunity for start-up companies to reach an audience that is ready and willing to be part of their success by making small donations to the 'cause.'

A number of websites have sprung up to facilitate crowd funding, including Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Crowdfunder, WeFunder and Quirky.

The sites range from the informal to ones that are closer to traditional venture capital and angel investing, with formal review of business plans and approved entrepreneurs offering a stake in exchange for funding.

If you have an innovative idea, a strong business plan, social media savvy and a compelling incentive to offer potential investors, crowd funding might be for you.

Illustration by

Bloomberg BusinessWeek

Caveat Emptor (“Let the Buyer Beware”)

State securities regulators have put the phenomenon of crowd funding at the top of their annual investment scams list.

Because crowd funding is relatively new, scams are just getting started, regulators from the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) reported recently. The idea is to make investment in startup ventures easily available to the masses. A portion of the JOBS Act will push crowd funding from a “donation” model to a true investment model, and that will make it even more of a lure for swindlers, NASAA said.

"The number of entities out there already pitching themselves as crowdfunding entities online has risen in a significant fashion," said Matt Kitzi, NASAA Enforcement Section Chair and Missouri Securities Commissioner. "Just look at web domain names: it has gone from a couple hundred to well over 1,600 in the past year. They are staking up a position to enter crowdfunding market. There will be a lot more to come on this."

Sources:

1.       Paul Shread,  “Crowdfunding Could Be the Boost Your Startup Needs,” Time,  8/20/2012

2.       Pedro Hernandez, “5 Crowdfunding Sites for Entrepreneurs,”  Small Business Computing.com, 8/17/2012

3.       Beth Pinsker Gladstone, “Crowfunding Tops Regulators Annual List of Investor Traps,”

Huffington Post, 8/22/2012

How's Your Grammar?

WSJ Article: "This Embarrasses You and I"

A front page article in The Wall Street Journal discusses "rampant illiteracy" within the workplace: 

 

"Managers are fighting an epidemic of grammar gaffes in the workplace. Many of them attribute slipping skills to the informality of email, texting and Twitter where slang and shortcuts are common. Such looseness with language can create bad impressions with clients, ruin marketing materials and cause communications errors, many managers say."

 
Students of business communication will recognize many of the errors highlighted in the article, for example, improper subject-verb agreement (e.g., "There's new people you should meet") and incorrect pronoun use (e.g., "...for John and I").

The argument is that there is a shocking lapse in competence in business writing. No doubt, but there has always been shocking writing in the workplace: jargon, buzzwords, slack writing, pompous writing, disingenuous writing, and slipshod writing.

But that kind of bad writing is not what the Journal article is about. It is about an "epidemic of grammar gaffes." You might think that in the middle of an epidemic there would be some examples to present, but the article has none. It merely quotes people who say there is an epidemic, which we must presumably take on faith, because The Wall Street Journal quotes people saying so.

The Journal references pitched battles over the Oxford comma.* And the article quotes Bryan Garner on examples of 'uneducated English,' such as saying " 'I could care less,' instead of 'I couldn't care less,' or, 'He expected Helen and I to help him,' instead of 'Helen and me.' "

The examples are of interest because they display two very different phenomena. Using I instead of me as an object of a verb or preposition is grammatically correct, but often misused in informal conversation. Using I could care less** represents a choice to be informal.

And there, with a preference for informality, we have located the burr under The Wall Street Journal's saddle. It's those damn Young People. "Tamara Erickson, an author and consultant on generational issues, says the problem isn't a lack of skill among 20- and 30-somethings. Accustomed to texting and social networking, 'they've developed a new norm,' Ms. Erickson says."

Young people have always been able to write badly without the assistance of texting. New forms of slang crop up all the time, but slang is a continuing phenomenon. Fresh examples of uneducated writing crop up all the time too, but bad writing in all its forms is a cultural constant. The Internet has not made writing worse; it merely makes it easy to see just how much bad stuff is out there.

Take the WSJ Grammar Quiz. How did you do?

The Wall Street Journal offers a clever interactive quiz that focuses on common errors in grammar and punctuation. Take the quiz. How did you do?

Do you agree with the article's assessment that lack of proper grammar at work is a serious issue? Why or why not?

*This is merely a style convention. Use the final comma in a series or not, as it suits you, or as it suits your employer. Even the Associated Press Stylebook says to use the final comma when it's necessary to avoid ambiguity.

**Though not logical, "I could care less" is always perfectly understood, as veteran drudge John E. McIntyre writes in the Baltimore Sun.

It Pays to Advertise

Why is Social Media “Free” to Use?

It is often said that the American free enterprise system is the eighth wonder of the world and the average American's lack of understanding of what it is and why it works is the ninth wonder of the world.

In today's confluence of mass communication, many of us are somewhat bewildered by the tremendous number of advertising messages that are directed to our attention on a day-by-day basis – whether through traditional venues such as newspapers, magazines direct marketing, etc. – or from rich media platforms, such as sponsored ads on Google and Facebook to individual websites and apps.

But have you ever stopped to consider where our economy and commerce would be if business people did not aggressively pursue their freedom to advertise the products and services they produce?

Better yet, how could all the “free” social media sites we enjoy operate without advertising revenue – including those ubiquitous banner ads that run along the sidelines and interfere on the middle of the page? Bottom line: “free” content on collaborative sites are possible only by advertising dollars.

But, in the social age, where do ads fit?

According to a Forbes article, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg stated, “We should relax, make relationships, build rapport, sell later.” That philosophy has helped shape its current pitch. Rather than simply providing traditional ads, the social network encourages companies to engage with user by telling them stories. Facebook believe that such interaction is less intrusive than other online ads that take over a user’s screen or push done content.  

Advertising:  With –or -Without Content:

Dish Network Announces its New Ad-Skipping DRV – Ironically, with Commercials.



Ad-skipping DVR raises a ruckus

 The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, LA Times, and others screamed headlines during “upfront” week on the Dish Network Corp. plans to promote its new ad-skipping feature with, ironically enough, a television ad.

Ironically, Dish is rolling out television, radio, newspaper and social media ads to spread the word about their new DVR, dubbed the “Hopper.” Dish last week added “Auto Hop” which lets views skip commercial completely on most nation prime-time shows aired on the major broadcast networks.

However, major networks may not run the ads.

From the B-School

A little card with a caption that said, "NEGATIVE THINKING" and the message it contained is a standard in Business Administration Schools.

It begins, "A man lived by the side of the road and sold hamburgers. He was hard of hearing so he had no radio. He had trouble with his eyes so he watched no television and read no newspaper, but he sold good hamburgers. He did however, advertise in the local newspaper telling people how good they were.

He stood by the side of the road and cried, "Buy a hamburger mister?" and people bought. He increased his meat and roll orders and bought a bigger stove to take care of his trade. His son came home from college to help him and then something happened.

His son said, "Father, haven't you been listening to what people are saying? If money stays tight, we are bound to have bad business. There may be a big recession coming on, you had better prepare for poor trade. Whereupon this man thought, "Well, my son has been to college. He listens to the radio, watches television and reads the newspaper and he ought to know". So, he cut down on his meat and roll orders. He cut out his advertising and no longer bothered to stand by the road to sell hamburgers, and his sales fell almost over night. "You're right son", the father said to the boy. "We are certainly headed for a recession".

Sources:
1. Micahel Humphry, "Facebook, DVR and Solving the Ad Conundrum," Forbes, 5/17/2012
2. Doug Gross, "Ad-skipping DVR Prompts Fight for the Future of TV," CNN Tech, 5/25/12

Pinterest: Pinning, Sharing and Challenging Copyright Laws




Getty Images pinned and re-pinned - some in hi-res 

 

Is Pinterest the new Napster or a Wake-Up Call for a Better Copyright Idea?

The headline in The Wall Street Journal asked, "Is Pinterest the Next Napster?" It's a good question, but perhaps the wrong one.

The story focuses on a blog post written by Kristin Kowalski titled, "Why I Tearfully Deleted My Pinterest Inspiration Boards" that went viral.

Pinterest is a social site for image sharing around themes that launched in March 2010. It gained a considerable following and was one of Time's "50 Best Websites of 2011." In January 2012 it drove more referral traffic to retailers than YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn combined and became the fasted site to ever break 10 million unique visitors.

As its popularity increases, so have concerns about whether its users aren't just sharing their favorite things, but engaging one another in the web's largest copyright infringement platform.

Ms. Kowalski, a photographer/lawyer, feels pretty strongly that it's infringement to re-pin work from others. Kowalski turned to federal copyright laws and found a section allowing fair use without permission when someone is criticizing it, commenting on it or conducting research. Re-pinning doesn't fall under any of those categories. She concludes that the only option is to either pin your own work or get off Pinterest altogether.

In a recent TechCrunch interview, Jonathan Klein, co-founder and CEO of Getty Images, discussed photo sharing on the Internet. As the world's largest stock agency, he is focused on protecting the photographs that belong to his company -- and making sure that Getty and its affiliated photographers get paid.



Mr. Klein is not concerned about people playing with Getty photos; teenagers using for school projects and folks putting them up on their personal blogs -- or, at the moment, even Pinterest.

So when does Getty snap into action? The moment a website starts running ads alongside those images. As Klein told TechCrunch in the interview above: "We're comfortable with people using our images to build traffic. The point in time when they have a business model, they have to have some sort of license."

This is why Pinterest has a big problem on its hands. When they start generating revenue, which they have not done so far, this will spotlight copyright issues and the lawyers will pounce. The site has certainly built immense traffic by allowing people to share and collect as many photos as they want -- many of which inevitably don't belong to them in the legal sense.  However, the moment that Pinterest starts making money on its own, intellectual property owners such as Getty Images will have the right to ask that Pinterest pay up -- or start deleting pinboards.

But could it be instead that pinning other people's images -- the way Pinterest intends and the way most people use the site -- is fair use? Courts have held that search engine thumbnails are sufficiently transformative to not be infringing. In that context, are Pinterest boards likewise transformative?

Pinterest is probably counting on that -- being considered like a search engine were this ever come to a courtroom, since pins link back to the original site. Pinterest may also have concluded that its users' creation of "boards" is use of content in ways that is akin to collages and mashups, which many consider transformative and therefore lawful.

So there are understandably different opions on the issue of copyright legality. However, beyond questions of copyright, underlying all of this is a huge problem to which the only solution is a mass recognition of the cultural shift occurring. Simply put, the Internet is built on a culture of sharing.

Creatives of all types are often surprised to find their photos shared or their designs copied by others. All art is ultimately derivative -- from the great masters like Karsh or Hemingway or Matisse -- whether the artist wants to admit it or not. We build on those who came before us. That's not a bad thing -- it's just art.

Sources:

1. Therese Poletti, "Is Pinterest the Next Napster," The Wall Street Journal, March 14, 2012

2. Collen Taylor, "For Pinterest, Revenue Will Turn Copyright Questions Into Real Problems," TechCrunch, March 22, 2012

3. Anthony Wing Kosner, "Pinterste: Napster for Housewives or Wake Up Call for a Better Copyright Idea?", Forbes, March 15, 2012

4. Ruth Suehle, "Pinteerest and Copyright: Why You Should Keep Sharing -- and Keep Pinning," Opensource.com, March 7, 2012

Building Brands in a Connected World

"The Connected World has Rerouted the Customer Journey"

Mad Men - the AMC series of top-down advertising and marketing from the 60s - hilariously describes the traditional purchasing funnel: Awareness > Consideration > Purchase > Preference > Loyalty.

In a TV-dominated age, you'd see a commercial and become aware of a brand. Then, after you got familiar with the name, you might consider if you wanted to buy it. Next, you bought it. Then, you might decide you liked it. Finally, you identified yourself with the brand ("I'm a Budweiser guy").

Facebook recently released a study by Forrester Consulting to evaluate how marketing leaders are building brands in a connected world. According to the study, social media has turned the purchase tunnel on its head.

Facebook's new process looks like a circular motion of learning, investigating, purchasing, and interacting.

The process is completely influenced by social media. Consumers hear about new brands and investigate via social media. When it comes time to buy something, consumers increasingly consult their friends via social media. Then, they expect to be able to interact with the brands through social media after the purchase.

The study proposes a six-point plan for building brands in the social media age:

1. Articulate the brand's social identity so the brand communicates with a unique, compelling, and authentic voice.
2. Connect with your best and most likely customers by giving them a reason to like or follow the brand in social channels.
3. Engage people by making brand communications more participative and personally relevant.
4. Influence people by inspiring and enabling people to share messages about your brand with their network.
5. Integrate social into the brand and product experience to make it more cohesive and useful.
6. Rejuvenate the brand by using insights from social channels to monitor the brand's health and improve the brand experience.

A good example of this process can be seen in the clip below that has Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo reinforcing the power of social media while in the hunt for the NCAA championship.

Sources:

1. "Building Brands For The Connected World," Facebook, Forrester Consulting, February 2011

2. "Facebook's 6-Point Plan for Building Brands in the Social Media Age," Todd Wasserman, March 12, 2012

3. "Journey to Comfort with Tom Izzo," Dove Men+Care

Where Have The Editors Gone?



Ann Arbor Journal
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Page 1-A (cover page)

 Quality Continues Downward Spiral
The press, especially the traditional press, continues to loose out to rich media formats - not only in revenues, but apparently in talent also.

A recent publication in the Ann Arbor, MI region painfully pointed this out last week.

The Ann Arbor Journal, a weekly newspaper published by Heritage Newspapers, underscores the question: "where are the editors, where are the proof-readers, where are the fact finders?"

A front page article in its Feb. 16th edition, "City talks sustainable uses of land," features a layout template meant to flag information for editors to complete. They actually published the paper with "Subhead goes here, typically three decks."