Don Kennedy, editor at _Science_, argues against such a proposal.

For the record, the computer security industry has already covered this problem. There may be some lessons there.

1. People often publish for the purpose of recognition. When you are dealing with sensitive subjects some responsibility must be taken. Publish your results to those who need to know, and make them more public if you feel the public needs to know.

2. When publishing to the public, make sure that you alter your directions in such a matter that experienced scientists can replicate your results, but inexperienced scientists won't be able to figure them out.

3. Uphold ethical/moral standards in your profession.

4. Do not create unreasonable barriers to entry for people who just want to learn.

5. Do not allow capable, creative people to wind up in a situation where the easiest path to economic security or intellectual freedom is by working for the enemy. Cases in point: Bolivian virus writers, Russian nuke scientists, the Canadian guy who built long range cannons for Iraq after the U.S. fired him...

It is possible for us to act responsibly, and this IS a two way street. There is a balance that can be obtained which provides barriers to terrorists without creating barriers to free thought. The difficulty is in getting everyone to agree on what enlightened self interest consists of. Frankly, scientists are more likely to "get it" then many other communities. However, this will be hard.

Scientists Worry Journals May Aid Terrorists

This guy built a Mech in his backyard. Consider this next time you decide you "don't have time" for that project... :)

WizKids - MechWarrior

"Subscribers pay nearly $6 billion a year in fees. Online advertising this year is expected to bring in $1.8 billion in revenues even after plunging 31% from last year. After marketing, product development, depreciation, and other expenses, operating income should still be about $1.5 billion from the U.S. If AOL were charged for, say, one-fourth of the corporation's total interest expense and corporate overhead--and even an extra $100 million if it joined the new bandwagon and expensed stock options--it would still make nearly $900 million this year in the U.S. before taxes. "

BW Online | July 29, 2002 | Commentary: It's Not Time to Jettison AOL--Yet

"In short, what Powell most needs to do is to accelerate action on proposals pending at the FCC that would lessen regulation of the telecommunications industry, particularly ones that would free the former Bell companies from rules that discourage investment in new broadband networks. "

Conservative group tells FCC to take their hands off the RBOCs.

Michael Powell's telecom epiphany - Tech News - CNET.com

"Now, after talking up and praying for speedy adoption of broadband seemingly for ages and getting no response, Microsoft (MSFT ) is trying a more direct approach. It's offering its MSN.com content to providers of high-speed Internet access to spice up their offerings. The Colossus of Redmond is also building out Xbox Live, an online gaming network with supercool graphics and interactivity, to lure gamers into going broadband. Finally, it's striking more deals with Internet service providers, perhaps in an attempt to help them financially -- essentially subsidizing broadband access for consumers. "

I've been wondering why I haven't been seeing ads on TV for online gaming. Its about time. This article is very critical, but I think this is exactly the sort of move thats needed. Online gaming has taken off in Korea because of the lack of alternative social outlets for young people, but it has staggered in the U.S. because of the high end PCs required and because of the time investment required by most online games. If online games had a simpler, more arcade like quality, lots of tie-in with real world social groups, and low cost of entry, this could be exactly the juice that the telecom world needs.

BW Online | July 24, 2002 | Microsoft's Booster Shots for Broadband

"Legal experts believe that if the ruling is upheld, it could easily become a firm legal precedent across the European Union, drastically limiting the information that many European search engines are allowed to provide to their users.
"The situation is very dangerous for the whole Internet," said NewsClub founder Christian Kohlschütter. "It's absolutely insane." "

The European courts are unravelling the Internet, mostly through ignorance rather then malice, but who do you fear more: An idiot with a gun, or an evil genius with a gun?

The train wreck between the first amendment and intellectual property that I predicted in 1996 is well under way, if you haven't noticed.

Deep Linking Takes Another Blow

""They're hoping to get a statement from the court on the constitutionality of the DMCA," said Dan Burk, a professor at the University of Minnesota who specializes in intellectual property law. "I would be very surprised if the court agreed that the First Amendment overrides Congress' ability to create this sort of act. I don't think courts are very amenable to First Amendment arguments right now." "

More then that, courts will choose to avoid consitutional questions when they can, and I think this case offers them many opportunities to do so. But, I'm "covering" the issue so I figured I ought to mention this case.

On trial: Digital copyright law - Tech News - CNET.com

"David Holtzman, editor in chief of GlobalPOV, a privacy Web site, said that the notion of privacy was "undergoing a generational shift." Those in their late 20's and 30's are going to feel the brunt of the transition, he said, because they grew up with more traditional concepts of privacy even as the details of their lives were being captured electronically."

The culture grapples with the loss of anonymnity online. How long before people turn to keeping multiple aliases for different contexts?

Net Users Try to Elude the Google Grasp

"I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away. "

Swater mentioned this poem to me in a discussion about some recent drama related to a network we used to run. I'm sure it resonates with many of you who spent years building empires that have now turned to sand.

Percy Bysshe Shelley: Ozymandias

Warren Buffett chastises the nation's CEO's in today's NYT.

There is a crisis of confidence today about corporate earnings reports and the credibility of chief executives. And it's justified.

Without blushing, almost all CEO's have told their shareholders that options are cost-free.

To clean up their act, CEO's don't need "independent" directors, oversight committees or auditors absolutely free of conflicts of interest. They simply need to do what's right.

CEO's ... should quit talking about some bad apples and reflect instead on their own behavior.

[CEO's] talk principle, but, for most, their motive is pocketbook.

Who Really Cooks the Books?