A Collection of Thoughts & Discoveries

U of F Eliminates Computer Science Program for Athletics: Wow…

According to an article at Forbes the University of Florida is eliminating its computer science program to save $1.7 million while the athletic department receives a budget increase.

Let’s get this straight: in the midst of a technology revolution, with a shortage of engineers and computer scientists, UF decides to cut computer science completely? Steven Salzberg: Forbes

Universities are big business, but eliminating C.S. while the U.S. struggles to improve employment statistics seems wrong-minded to me.

The Browser I Love(d) to Hate

I count myself among those who love to hate Internet Explorer (IE), at least versions up to, and including, IE8. It’s a web developer’s nightmare (although IE8 has been an improvement) and costs clients money for the additional work required to build and maintain websites which support all current browsers. We build a “web-standards compliant site”, and then add IE support… sigh. In version 9, IE has begun to finally support some web standards which have long been part of the W3C web standards spec, as well as some design rules used in newer CSS practices which have been supported by most other browsers for some time now.

This Microsoft ad for Internet Explorer is making the rounds and I must give Microsoft a “tip o’ the hat” for laughing at themselves a bit. We should all laugh at ourselves at times and resist taking ourselves too seriously. I could go on a long diatribe about why IE sucks or sucked in past versions, but why? You probably know, or can easily find abundant complaints for the lack of web-standards support which has been the norm with IE. Better to just enjoy this new Microsoft advertisement and give them credit for improving, as well as poking a bit of fun at themselves.

Flaw Found in Online Encryption Method

I found this article interesting, but have been swamped and didn’t get around to writing a post about it. It’s been sitting in my to-do pile, so I’ll just punt and link to it here.

A team of European and American mathematicians and cryptographers have discovered an unexpected weakness in the encryption system widely used worldwide for online shopping, banking, e-mail and other Internet services intended to remain private and secure.

Security is so important in web application design, but cryptography quirks and nuances can affect even well conceived designs. Yet another reason to maintain “best practice” coding and use “belt and suspenders” security design whenever possible. The researchers’ technical paper is available here (as a pdf).

Apple: From Computers to Consumer Electronics Company

Apple’s path from computer company to a consumer electronics company – and consumer services company – has been going on for a long time. As a long-time Apple user and an admirer of their products and much of their software, especially much of OS X, and a one-time stockholder, I’m actually quite disappointed by the “evolution of Apple” as it currently is going – at least regarding the OS and high-end tools. Oh sure, I do get it from a business point of view, from a shareholder value perspective, etc., but I’m just not thrilled with it from a selfish point of view.

Lots of people complain about “the Apple walled garden”, yet with some exceptions, I really like Apple’s integrated approach as it pertains to quality control and a uniform user experience. That many of these controls also add to Apple’s profitability is fine with me. That’s business, and I like the products.

However, as one who likes computers to feel like mature tools, I really don’t like the direction of Mac OS X at this time. I like OS X 10.6.x (Snow Leopard) very much. It’s stable on my machines (much better than Leopard, which was worse than Tiger for me), it looks grown-up and mostly works well with my software and peripherals. I don’t like Lion and find the UI absolutely atrocious in some areas (esp. the Address Book and iCal), as it looks like Romper Room to me and it’s tacky IMHO. Hopefully Apple will consider moving back to a mature and elegant user interface in Mountain Lion and beyond. The move to a uniform “iOS feel” across Apple products is the obvious direction, but it’s something I truly hate about Apple’s current path. For the consumer market it makes sense, but for people (like me) who like computers to feel like tools with detailed controls instead of a stroll through FAO Schwarz it’s not a great path. Don’t get me wrong, I love the integration, just not the “sameness” across tools used for different tasks.

This is all a very personal thing, and I’m sure that there are many who love the current path (or simply don’t care). For example, I’m one who loves the detailed controls available in Photoshop and hates the simplified UI of products like iPhoto. Even Adobe Lightroom is not for me because of the lack of precision. Apple really ticked off a lot pro users with their “update” to Final Cut Pro because of “dumbing it down” in many users’ eyes. Apple has moved away from supporting pro users on many fronts, such as color management (horrible support), discontinuation of their one display suitable for high-end image processing (the 30 inch cinema display), and a tower line with very limited RAM expansion capacity and long-due for an update (last updated August of 2010). Again, I get it, for business reasons. I just don’t like it.

Over time Apple had lost a lot of the enterprise world (or didn’t get it at all in many sectors) as IT managers stayed with the Windows platform. I’m always rooting for Apple to get more uptake in enterprise, but I can see why CIOs are hesitant to invest in Apple. Apple is making progress in this market, but talking with ranking engineers at large enterprises I can understand the resistance. One concern which I had not considered is Apple’s frequent OS updates which are not as backward compatible as needed. That doesn’t really affect me, so I overlooked it. My friend said that his team at a Fortune 100 company is using mostly Window XP still and that a change to Windows 7 will be very time consuming and costly. Enterprise needs stability, not new eye-candy. Still, thanks to the great success of the iPhone and iPad, Apple computers are working their way in to more enterprises and I like that.

Here’s an article that describes some real concerns with Mac OS X Lion in the enterprise environment. Most of what is described would be fairly easy to fix if Apple were to focus on such adjustments. The part about automatically reopening applications and windows which were open at shutdown would be an easy fix and is the source of much frustration even for the non-enterprise Mac community. There’s at least one lengthy thread in Apple’s support forums asking for this to be fixed. Apple just need to give the pro and business users a little love now and then, even though they’re “killing it” with iOS.

So there is my rant and personal lament regarding how I wish that Apple would find a way to continue to support not only the vision that is iOS, but also keep supporting those who use computers for more technical tasks, business needs, and professional production, and less so for social congregation. My whining is personal, but I also hear if from friends using OS X Lion and looking ahead to OS X “Mountain Lion”. Plus, Lion has stopped a couple of my friends from switching from Windows and that’s a shame. I’d love to see Apple develop the OS in a way that continues to innovate, yet retains the means for users to work more technically if they wish.

Stop S.O.P.A. and P.I.P.A.

S.O.P.A. and P.I.P.A. are U.S. legislative bills presented as means to protect intellectual property and to stop online “piracy” of digital media. However, behind the labels of these destructive bills lies legislation which is potentially very harmful to how the Internet works to empower individuals, while pandering to certain parties in the movie industry and music industry. It’s no surprise that representatives in Congress would pander to the likes of these skillful and well-funded lobbyists, but the Internet is a valuable, global asset which must not be controlled by special interests.

To be clear, I am against any form of intellectual or creative property piracy, including bit torrents to share music against its creators’ will, using photos without the photographer’s permission, etc. We currently have laws in place against such behavior, but S.O.P.A. and P.I.P.A. appear to be designed to simply help U.S. media industry players who refuse to embrace new business models as technology has evolved–at the expense of the entire Internet.

Here’s a great talk by Clay Shirky on TED:

EDIT: I removed the embedded video here because the method TED uses for video embeds is such a drain on resources and loads incredibly slowly. So the link to the talk on the TED website is here, and worth a watch: Link to video on TED

Please inform yourself about S.O.P.A. and P.I.P.A. by following the links below, and reach out to your representatives in Washington D.C. to let them know that if they support such rubbish it will cost them their jobs.

Stop American Censorship

SOPA: Hollywood Finally Gets a Chance to Break the Internet

Wired.com’s Comments

An Article on Ars Technica on SOPA

SOPA on Open Congress

PIPA on Open Congress

Congressman Darrell Issa’s Project: Keep the Web Open

An Important Point Raised at Read-Write Web

Misadventures in VC funding: Rand Fishkin Shares His Experiences

Rand Fishkin, CEO of SEOmoz, has posted a very interesting article on the experiences he and his colleagues experienced during a recent attempt to raise $24 million in venture capital. He had signed the term sheet and received the letter of intent from the VC, but ultimately they did not close. In the post, Rand lays out the chain of events, and shares what he learned about the process and what he could have done differently. But most importantly, he points out the importance of choosing an investor who is aligned with your own vision and team culture. Rand’s tone is humble and the content is remarkably transparent. This type of sharing by Rand is a great resource for startups considering taking venture capital.

Within the post there are links to a couple of blog entries about previous funding attempts. They’re worth checking out too.

Misadventures in VC Funding: The $24 Million Moz Almost Raised

Marc Andreessen: Why Software is Eating the World

The Wall Street Journal has published an insightful essay by Marc Andreessen on how technology permeates society, even in analogue life.

My own theory is that we are in the middle of a dramatic and broad technological and economic shift in which software companies are poised to take over large swathes of the economy. Marc Andreessen

Andreessen, an immensely successful entrepreneur, as well as venture capital and angel investor, sees tremendous opportunity globally in this trend. Of course, he’s not alone, as technology is one of the gleaming bright spots in our very challenging economy.

Marc Andreessen on Why Software is Eating the World  Definitely recommended reading.

Garagiste Healdsburg: A Wine Lover’s Gem

Last Sunday my wife and I needed a day away from the grind, so we impulsively decided to explore a bit of wine tasting in Healdsburg, California – prompted by a random tweet by Chris Sacca in which he mentioned that Cartograph Wines is his favorite winery. Completely unfamiliar with Chris’ taste in wine, it really didn’t matter because we were looking for an excuse to get out… so,  Healdsburg or bust!

Healdsburg is located at the center-point of the Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Russian River Valley wine producing regions. Thanks largely to the growth in quality wine production in this area – and high quality Pinot Noir wines in particular – Healdsburg has evolved from a quiet little town to a delightful destination with tasting rooms, charming and sophisticated restaurants, shops and great atmosphere. We encountered perfect weather, friendly people and happy dogs enjoying the day there.

Enter Garagiste Healdsburg

Garagiste Healdsburg is a wine tasting collaboration established by Cartograph Wines and Stark Wine – both, micro-wineries which share the same wine making philosophy of quality over quantity. They just opened the tasting room in July of this year and they’ve done a great job in my opinion. The venue has comfortable patio seating with a pleasant fountain, as well as inside seating, so take your pick. Or just stand at the bar and learn about their wines, as we did.

Our hosts were Cartograph Wines proprietors Serena Lourie and Alan Baker. Serena and Alan were an absolute delight to speak with, and both very open and informative about their wine making. Sincere passion for their craft is abundant and obvious in each of them – and infectious. Serena brought us up to speed regarding the wines that both they and Stark produce, while Alan shared specifics of the grape clones used for each wine. I’m a neophyte when it comes to Russian River and Dry Creek Valley pinots and Serena and Alan made me very comfortable as they shared their knowledge. Christian Stark was not at Garagiste on this day, but Serena and Alan are quite knowledgeable about the Stark offerings and explained the materials and processes which Christian employs in making his wines.

We tasted six wines – three from each winery. Cartograph Wines was offering two Pinot Noirs and a very nice Gerwürztraminer,  and Stark presented a Chardonnay, a Syrah and a Viogner – the latter employing grapes from the Sierra foothills because of the advantageous (for the variety) warmer weather there.

Before visiting Garagiste Healdsburg I read on the Cartograph Wines website that they produce a Gerwürztraminer, but I must admit that the “Gerwürz” was of least interest to me. I love good pinots and cabs., and have never really been fond of floral or fruity Alsatian-style wines. Well, I got a lesson in how different this variety can be. The Cartograph Gerwürtz is pleasantly dry (just as they state on their website), yet complex and delicious, without a florid nose that I don’t care much for. A great surprise for me.

Two fine Pinot Noir wines are currently offered by Cartograph Wines: one with grapes from Floodgate Vineyards, and one made from Perli Vineyard grapes. Each is distinctly different, complex and elegant. In fact, we enjoyed a bottle of the Cartograph Wines Floodgate Pinot Noir last night with grilled pork tenderloin and pearl couscous made with sauteed mushrooms, pignoli nuts (pine nuts), celery, garlic, shallots and dried mission figs (simmered in a bit of the pinot to reconstitute) and it ROCKED! You should have been here.  ;-)

The Stark Wine Chardonnay is not a typical heavy-handed, oak-laden wine. We’ve grown tired of such wines, and have in fact largely moved away from Chardonnays because of the popularity (and ubiquity) of the heavy oak style. Serena explained to us that Christian Stark uses stainless and “neutral oak” barrels to avoid the heavy oak elements and that suits us just right. In fact, the Stark Chardonnay has a distinct coconut element, both on the palate and the nose. We look forward to enjoying a bottle with a nice halibut meal.

The Syrah from Stark is another example of the care with which both of these wineries craft their wines. It’s full-bodied, not overly round or mushy (as so many syrahs can be), and in fact it’s complex and well-balanced. To Stark’s credit, the current release is a 2006 vintage – a pleasure to see, in contrast to the really young reds that get pushed into the market much of the time these days. I need to taste this wine again, without tasting five other wines first, to better appreciate its nuances. I purchased two bottles for just such a study.

And finally, the Stark Viogner. I have very little experience with this variety, but enjoyed it very much. It boasts a strong stone fruit complexity that seemed like it would pair nicely with cheese and fruit. In fact Serena suggested that it is fantastic with a nice brie and apricots, and that made perfect sense.

In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a common thread here which applies to each of the wines from both of these micro-wineries: careful attention to quality to produce elegant, well-balanced, nuanced wines. It’s not often that we’ve tasted wines on our explorations where we actually enjoyed each wine we tasted and envisioned the setting in which we’d like to enjoy them again.

So enough of my blathering here. For those close enough to do so, put a picnic together and check out Garagiste Healdsburg. You probably need a break from the grind, too. They ship to many U.S. states as well.

Garagiste Healdsburg is located at 439 Healdsburg Avenue, two blocks north of the plaza. Their hours of operation are from 12:00 noon to 7:00 p.m., Thursday through Sunday (by appointment Monday–Wednesday).

Cheers!

My Favorite Salsa Recipe

Here’s the recipe for my favorite salsa. I’ve been asked for it several times by friends and provided it by phone, but when recently asked to email it I thought it would be better to just post it here. It’s a tomatillo salsa verde, or green salsa. It’s really simple to make and requires no cooking. This salsa is addictive when eaten with tortilla chips, but it’s also amazingly versatile as an accompaniment to various foods. I love it on grilled salmon – it’s great on halibut or chicken too. Use it on beef steak (or roast pork or lamb) similar to how you might use a chimichurri sauce. And it’s killer on mahi mahi or shrimp tacos and burritos. Oh, and breakfast potatoes and omelettes, and… well, you get the idea. Of course, all of this assumes it doesn’t get eaten before the food comes off the grill.

Okay, enough talk. Let’s get to this easy recipe.

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, patted dry and quartered
1 bunch fresh cilantro (probably about 1/2 to 3/4 cup)
1 fresh serrano chili pepper, green, seeds removed, finely chopped [1]
1/2 to 1 fresh habenero chili pepper, seeds removed, finely chopped [1]
1 medium or large garlic glove (or two small cloves), quartered
1 ripe avocado
1 fresh lime [see note 2]
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Method:

In a food processor combine the tomatillos, cilantro, chilies and garlic. Add a few twists of fresh ground black pepper and a couple of teaspoons of kosher salt. I like this recipe with a bit of salt, but if you need to reduce the salt you can replace it with some lime juice to taste. Remember that kosher salt is less intense than iodized table salt. I usually add more salt, but taste it after processing to decide.

Blend well in the processor until the ingredients are well processed. Some texture is desired, but not big chunks.

Once well processed, taste for salt and adjust. You’ll be adding the avocado at the end, so anticipate that it will need a bit of salt for that. Also now is the time to squeeze in a bit of lime if you feel the tomatillos lack acid or are a bit sweet. They vary, so adjust to your taste.

Finally, add the avocado as chunks (be sure to keep the pit aside for later [3]) and PULSE the mixture just a few times until the avocado is evenly chopped and distributed as chunks larger than the rest of the salsa mixture.

That’s it. Enjoy!

The salsa improves with some time to allow the flavors to mingle. Making it several hours ahead of time is best. It lasts well in the refrigerator for a day or two (or three) if you store it covered, with the avocado pit placed in the container to help keep the avocado from turning brown.

If you want a bit of color and variety gently add diced tomatoes when you serve it. It’s also very nice with quality, tiny bay shrimp added and served with tortilla chips. We sometimes serve half the batch with shrimp and half without just to mix it up a bit.

[1] I find that the heat provided by the amount of chills in the above list is about right for a broad audience. However, I like it a bit spicier, so often make a hotter batch or divide it and make half as described and half with more chilies. Chilies vary in heat, so when you’re tasting for salt you can add more chili to kick it up if needed. Leaving the seeds and interior ribs of the chilies in will make the salsa spicier. Also, Jalapeños can be substituted, although the flavors of the serrano and habenero are really nice. Try a red and a green jalapeño if that’s the route you go. I chop the chilies before adding just to ensure even distribution.

[2] You may not need to add lime, but sometimes the tomatillos are a bit sweeter or “fruity” tasting. I like to add lime if there’s a lack of acid, etc.

[3] Storing with the avocado pit really makes a difference, so do keep it if you’re not planning to eat all of the salsa right away. Just place the pit in the salsa during storage and remove it when you serve (or don’t).

Burmese Living in Australia Admits to War Crimes

A guilty conscience can be a powerful thing. It’s been known to drive one mad or as in this case, to finally admit to heinous crimes against humanity done in the past.

Burmese refugee, Htoo Htoo Han, has been living as a political refugee in Australia. He has now admitted to the Australian press that he murdered 24 people and had indirect involvement in about 100 more murders some 20 years ago in Burma. He's said to have infiltrated activist groups while working as an undercover officer for Burmese military intelligence.

While in Australia Htoo Htoo Han has been working in support of human rights and speaking out against the Burmese government. He now risks going to prison for his acts in the past, but he claims that he can no longer live with the guilt.

Here are a couple of articles regarding Han's admission: Voice of America and The Sidney Morning Herald. There are others on the web.

Life is brutal for many people in Burma. The Burmese are typically wonderful people, but they live in constant fear of their government. I hope that they will find peace and a democratic government one day, but it won’t be an easy process – even if the military rulers allowed for fair elections. Strong security will need to be in place for many years to protect against territorial conflicts between various warlords throughout Burma.

Thomas Jefferson on Patents

Chris Dixon has posted to his blog an except from a letter by Thomas Jefferson on patents. It really strikes a chord with me in this time of so many patent infringement legal cases in the tech world. Here’s the excerpt as Chris posted:

If nature has made any one thing less susceptible than all others of exclusive property, it is the action of the thinking power called an idea, which an individual may exclusively possess as long as he keeps it to himself; but the moment it is divulged, it forces itself into the possession of every one, and the receiver cannot dispossess himself of it. Its peculiar character, too, is that no one possesses the less, because every other possesses the whole of it. He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.

That ideas should freely spread from one to another over the globe, for the moral and mutual instruction of man, and improvement of his condition, seems to have been peculiarly and benevolently designed by nature, when she made them, like fire, expansible over all space, without lessening their density in any point, and like the air in which we breathe, move, and have our physical being, incapable of confinement or exclusive appropriation. Inventions then cannot, in nature, be a subject of property.

Society may give an exclusive right to the profits arising from them, as an encouragement to men to pursue ideas which may produce utility, but this may or may not be done, according to the will and convenience of the society, without claim or complaint from anybody. Accordingly, it is a fact, as far as I am informed, that England was, until we copied her, the only country on earth which ever, by a general law, gave a legal right to the exclusive use of an idea. In some other countries it is sometimes done, in a great case, and by a special and personal act, but, generally speaking, other nations have thought that these monopolies produce more embarrassment than advantage to society; and it may be observed that the nations which refuse monopolies of invention, are as fruitful as England in new and useful devices.” Thomas Jefferson

I’m not posting this (or reposting) because I feel that all patents are wrong, but I do feel that there is such abuse that the system needs to be reworked. I’m not a fan of software patents because I believe they stifle innovation, as well as laying claim to usage of “language” (as in computer languages) and how a user communicates or interacts with information.

In fact, I do support patents in the context of tangible products (though I abhor patent trolls). If an inventor, whether an individual or a corporation, develops an idea and wishes to earn money from the effort and creativity, I’m all for it and feel s/he should be protected from those who would simply copy the product and not compensate the originator. A lot of work and expense goes into developing prototypes and finished products. Of course, if a creative inventor takes pleasure from sharing his or her inventions with others without the need to profit, that's wonderful.

Thomas Jefferson was the inventor of many things, which he freely shared with everyone. A commenter on Chris' post, Patrick Lee, reminds us the Thomas Jefferson died at age 83, deeply in debt, and had he patented some of his inventions he might have been financially better off for it. He could have joined with others to create businesses which grew from his ideas as well. Still, his humble generosity is something to appreciate I think.

Here' the letter from Thomas Jefferson to Isaac McPherson. Kudos to Chris for finding this and posting it.

[via: Chris Dixon]

FOMO and Social Media by Caterina Fake

Caterina Fake has published a thoughtful post to her blog addressing FOMO, or the “Fear of Missing Out”, and how it affects the way people interact with, and by means of, social media.

FOMO is a great motivator of human behavior, and I think a crucial key to understanding social software, and why it works the way it does… Social media has made us even more aware of the things we are missing out on.” Caterina Fake

One need only look around when in public to see so many eyes locked on to mobile devices, thumbs pounding away at texting and tweeting or checking their Facebook, rather than taking in the scenery or talking with a companion, to see her point.

Asian University for Women: A Triumph of Hope over Despair

Amit Chakma, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Western Ontario, has a post on The Globe and Mail opinion page regarding the Asian University for Women (AUW). In that post Dr. Chakma expresses his belief in the importance of education as a means of improving conditions in regions of the world which are suffering from abject poverty, discrimination and oppression.

In fact, it’s clearly evident that, for societies to be able to make progress, women must be given equal opportunity, and they must be allowed to play leadership roles.” Amit Chakma

In the article, Dr. Chakma shares that he was a boy from a tribe in the hills of southeastern Bangladesh, stating that neither he nor his parents would ever have dreamed that he would one day become the president of a 133 year-old university in Canada. The context is that opportunities provided by organizations like the AUW are essential to helping people break away from the cycle of poverty and despair through access to education. Check it out.

Related Posts:
Cherie Blair Takes Position as Chancellor of A.U.W.
The Asian University for Women: A Special Cause

The Blue Sweater by Jacqueline Novogratz

Jacqueline Novogratz is the founder and CEO of Acumen Fund, a nonprofit venture capital fund committed to investing in business models which help to empower the poor. The Blue Sweater is a chronicle of the events in the author’s life which led to her eventual establishment of Acumen Fund.

The dialogue begins by describing the sweater she received as a gift from her uncle when she was a young girl. Jacqueline loved the sweater, but after being harshly teased in school she donated it to Goodwill. Many years later, while trying to sort out what she would do with her life, she met a young boy on a street in Rwanda who was wearing her sweater. This was a seminal moment that would mark the beginning of an amazing journey.

After more than 20 years of working in Africa, India, and Pakistan, I’ve learned that solutions to poverty must be driven by discipline, accountability, and market strength, not easy sentimentality. I’ve learned that many of the answers to poverty lie in the space between the market and charity and that what is needed most of all is moral leadership willing to build solutions from the perspectives of poor people themselves rather than imposing grand theories and plans upon them.” Jacqueline Novogratz

In the book, Jacqueline humbly shares the events that would teach her so much about cultures in Africa which differ greatly from what she experienced growing up in the United States, as she learned how to cope with and grow beyond her naiveté. Though her college education and work on Wall Street prepared her for certain business challenges, she was not prepared for many of the challenges presented her while working for non-governmental organizations (N.G.O.) in some of the poorest regions of Africa. Her work centered mostly around teaching women how to engage in business in a land where women have little or no self-identity or personal rights. Respecting local customs and truly listening became as important as skillful business artistry in working to affect meaningful and lasting change in African women’s lives.

The author provides detailed descriptions of everything from scenery to the clothing people wore, giving the reader a sense of participation. As one who travels outside of my home-country often, I enjoyed the imagery provided by these descriptions.

The Blue Sweater is a wonderful and inspiring read, although there are parts which are difficult to read without emotional response. The almost unimaginable poverty and harshness of genocide are provoking, but they are juxtaposed with stories of strength, triumph and dignity.

I love how Jacqueline continuously fought with bureaucrats in defense of practical solutions to ensure lasting improvements in women’s circumstances, preferring micro-finance lending over handouts. She didn’t always win, but at least she tried–and sometimes she learned why some of her methods were ill-conceived and naive. The Blue Sweater should be required reading for all N.G.O.s and charities.

When Jacqueline Novogratz was a young girl she knew she wanted to change the world, and she has done so in a very positive way. The Blue Sweater allows us to join her on her inspiring journey.

Copyright Troll: The New Bottom?

I have zero respect for patent trolls, and I am a firm supporter of copyright laws protecting content creators, but now there’s a new twist: a law firm named Righthaven is apparently engaging in “copyright trolling”. As described by Christopher Mims on the M.I.T. Technology Review blog, Righthaven is making a business of suing people and businesses for copyright infringement by waiting for an image to go viral and then buying the rights to it for the purpose of suing those who have posted it on the web.

As a photographer I value my copyrights, but I surely do not support this type of trolling abuse of an otherwise important method of protecting content creators. It’s actions such as these which may ultimately bring about changes in laws which weaken protection for artists, designers, writers, musicians, photographers and other makers of creative content. This kind of misuse of copyright law should not be rewarded and the actions should be penalized.

Mim’s post is here: Post a Copyrighted Picture, Face a $150,000 Lawsuit

If there is good to come from this, perhaps some exposure to this sort of thing will get more people to think before posting others’ images without permission and attribution. Still, I’ll be happy to see this “business model” practiced by any copyright trolls FAIL.