IP: on bad reporting

[Dave Farber <farber@cis.upenn.edu>]

I normally don't blast reporters but this one is so off base that it
deserves blasting.  The memo referenced was prepared by one of my "former
students" -- Mark Laubach as a public service on invitation for a person in
the administration.  I announced its availability to the IP list and have
myself circulated it to all I thought would be interested.

This reporter is trying to turn it into a deep conspiracy when all it seems
to be is laziness on their part (well ignorance) by not subscribing to IP
:-)

The issues are very complex and Mark has summarized the technical issues
NOT the policy and political issues.

In my other job I have read and re-read the paper and it does not do
anything that the reporter says it does.  You can read into technology a
lot and Chester certainly tries to.

They were prudent is saying to read the paper completely before drawing
conclusions. I Strongly suggest you do.


Dave

ps whether or not the Cable industry is attempting to create a closed 
system is an interesting question. I have my opinions which I may try to 
state in a future note and have stated often in public speaches.

http://www.isp-planet.com/politics/wh_intro.html

Can Open Access Overcome Cable Pain Threshold?

Why has a White House Memo on Open Access been concealed for a year? The 
memo is a detailed technological piece that illustrates how complex open 
access is for both cable companies and independent Internet service providers.

by Patricia Fusco
of internetnews.com

The Center for Media Education is a national nonprofit organization 
dedicated to creating a quality electronic media culture for children and 
youth, their families and the community. Jeff Chester, CME executive 
director, this week distributed a copy of the following White House Memo on 
Open Access as prepared by cable expert Mark Laubach in May 1999.

Chester said he was recently given the White Paper, which was prepared at 
the request of the White House National Economic Council and he questions 
the Administration's silence on the issue of open access.

"In my opinion, the report shows that the cable industry was building a 
closed broadband system, capable of handling only a single ISP," Chester 
said. "Why has the White House been silent, allowing the closed system to 
build further out? If they had made this public, along with calls for a 
open system, then the nation could have had an open, more
competitive, broadband cable network much sooner."

<snip>