On The Media - The Internet

The Calculated Risk of Blogging (On The Media)

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 23:08 GMT

Every time bloggers hit publish they risk being sued for copyright infringement, invasion of privacy or defamation. While the risk seems small, groups like the Media Bloggers Association say frivolous lawsuits are chilling free speech in the blogosphere. So MBA founder Robert Cox has helped start insurance for bloggers in an attempt to protect against costly litigation.

Hulu Hoopla (On The Media)

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:18 GMT

In just 5 months, the website Hulu has become one of the top destinations on the web for full episodes of network television shows. And unlike most other video sites, Hulu is legal. CEO Jason Kilar explains why his approach to content and advertising is the best way to get TV on the web.

Virtual Vice (On The Media)

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 23:17 GMT

Are social networking sites now more popular than porn? Why do Viagra searches spike after the Superbowl? Bill Tancer, author of Click: What Millions of People Are Doing Online and Why It Matters, did the research.

Tapping the Net (On The Media)

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:17 GMT

In the old era of land lines and copper wires, eavesdropping was a cinch. But more and more we’re making calls online, making it harder for governments to listen in. Of course, it doesn’t mean they’re not trying. Sun Microsystems engineer Susan Landau wrote about the brave new world of internet surveillance in this month’s Scientific American.

Search Me (On The Media)

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:40 GMT

Last week Google released its very own web browser named Chrome, which it claims runs better than other browsers. But privacy hawks fear it may only out-perform when it comes to collecting personal data. Google's Marissa Mayer says the company has changed procedures in light of concerns.

FAQ Check (On The Media)

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:31 GMT

We've all become semi-experts in using search engines and search terms to get information on the web. But how easy is it to ask a question in normal language and get the right answer? Several new services are trying to do just that. OTM producer Mark Phillips set out to get some answers.

Comments on Comments (On The Media)

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:14 GMT

There's been a bit of a backlash recently against the angry commenter on newspaper websites. Some are calling for newspapers to stop allowing comments sections all together. But what about democracy on the web? Bob, with the help of "This American Life"'s Ira Glass, ruminates on the dark side of the comments section.

Hellhounds On My Trail (On The Media)

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:15 GMT

If all commenters are ticking time bombs waiting to go off, then rule one is: don’t light the fuse by responding directly. But as a professional writer and critic, Lee Siegel had had enough. So he used a pseudonym to respond. He explains the hard-won lessons from his trip to the trenches.

Aren't We There Yet? (On The Media)

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:15 GMT

Roanoke Times editor Carole Tarrant says newspapers can't be online without reader comments. The comments section at her paper hosts an invaluable discussion. Anyway, she says, it's the paper's job to make sure the conversation stays civilized.

Unfair Use? (On The Media)

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:32 GMT

When the Associated Press busted a little-known website for posting excerpts from AP stories, the blogosphere responded with indignation. After all, appropriating content with a link back to its source is common practice. Media scholar Siva Vaidhyanathan looks at the ongoing battle between blogs and the mainstream media.

Google Can't Keep Secrets (On The Media)

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:25 GMT

Users of YouTube, which is owned by Google, are screaming mad because a judge has ruled that Google should hand over information about who is watching what to Viacom. Peter Kafka of Silicon Alley Insider looks into the case.

Resisting Google (On The Media)

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:25 GMT

What happens when a single company becomes the gateway to the Internet? Critics are raising concerns about Google, where over 60 percent of all internet searches in the U.S. originate. Boston Globe reporter Drake Bennett investigated the Google juggernaut.

The Google Defense (On The Media)

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:25 GMT

In a recently-settled obscenity lawsuit the defense lawyer planned to deploy Google Trends as a tool. By showing what locals were looking for on the web, he could prove that his client's website was in line with community standards, and therefore not technically obscene. Slate's William Saletan analyzed the suit.

Letter of the Law (On The Media)

Mon, 12 May 2008 19:09 GMT

Last November the FBI used a top secret National Security Letter to demand user information from the Internet Archive, an online library. Internet Archive co-founder Brewster Kahle decided not to comply. Instead he sued and the FBI backed down. Kahle describes what it's like to challenge an NSL.

The Pleasure Principle (On The Media)

Mon, 05 May 2008 19:51 GMT

Consuming the same media as your peers is what social scientists call homophily, better known as ‘birds of a feather flock together’. Ethan Zuckerman, blogger and internet theorist, has been trying to fight this instinct online. He offers techniques for surprising and challenging readers with news that they didn't know they wanted.

The Future Perfect (On The Media)

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:39 GMT

Despite the internet’s runaway success, its future is anything but clear. So says Jonathan Zittrain, professor of internet governance at Oxford University. He explains why the very devices and applications that have enabled internet ubiquity may now be limiting innovation.

How to Fix Tech Policy (On The Media)

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:46 GMT

What can the next president do to right the wrongs of the Bush Administration when it comes to technology policy? Columbia University law professor and co-author of Who Controls the Internet Tim Wu makes his recommendations regarding broadband, the FCC and government transparency through technology.

The Last Shall Be First (On The Media)

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:48 GMT

Few of the ambitious plans, promised by dozens of U.S. cities, for municipal wireless internet service have materialized. That is, until Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle turned on lightning-fast, free internet this week to hundreds of residents of San Francisco's public housing projects. He explains why it's the shape of things to come.

The Internets (On The Media)

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 21:54 GMT

If there’s one essential quality of the world-wide web it's that it is, well, world-wide. But recent moves by the body that governs the net may be opening the door to individual webs, starting with countries like China and Russia. Tim Wu, professor of internet and law, explains the implications of a many-webbed world.

The Persistence of Memory (On The Media)

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 17:33 GMT

Computer scientist Gordon Bell is at the vanguard of a movement called "lifelogging," digitally recording every moment of his day in an effort to create a complete virtual memory of his life. But why? We talk with Bell and also technology writer Clive Thompson about the implications.

Listen to Brooke's unedited interview with Clive Thompson here.

Death Wish (On The Media)

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 21:59 GMT

Brooke interviews Bob about his one man crusade to take down cable-giant, Comcast. Bob talks about his recent campaign in the blogosphere, Comcast’s insatiable appetite for bad customer service and why a change might begin with one provocatively-named blog.

YouComment (On The Media)

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 20:09 GMT

The most viewed clip on YouTube has 62 million views, but the most-discussed clip has over 200,000 comments. The New York Times' Virginia Heffernan says virtual novels are forming on YouTube's comment section and that the conversation has surprising depth.

Why Don't You Marry It? (On The Media)

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 20:10 GMT

On the occasion of a new Zogby poll of internet users/lovers, Bob muses on an unlikely romance in 1’s and 0’s.

Please Don’t Share (On The Media)

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:00 GMT

Many Comcast customers attempting to file share online are being thwarted by ... you guessed ... Comcast. It’s exactly the type of activity that net neutrality advocates warned us could happen. AP reporter Peter Svensson explains.

Cutting the Cord (On The Media)

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 20:10 GMT

A year ago, publications were touting municipal Wi-Fi as free for all and coming soon to a city near you. In recent weeks, however, the euphoria has turned to eulogies. But CNET writer Maggie Reardon says reports of Wi-Fi’s death have been exaggerated.

Hackonomics (On The Media)

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 23:07 GMT

A group of Russian computer hackers, called the Dream Coders Team, are selling a user-friendly hacking kit. It’s called M-Pack and comes complete with one year of customer service. Are the days of the underground, anti-establishment, renegade hacker over? Technology reporter Robert Lemos says that the hobby is increasingly becoming a commercial enterprise.

The Sex Drive (On The Media)

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 23:08 GMT

From early photography to the VCR to streaming video, innovations in communications technology have often been driven by porn. But sex and tech Wired correspondent Regina Lynn argues that porn may be losing its innovation mojo, at least online.

Cell Division (On The Media)

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 19:18 GMT

When the FCC devised new rules for some cell phone carriers this week there was an 800 lb. search engine in the room. Why would Google want to free you from your restrictive cell phone contract? Media professor Siva Vaidhyanathan explains how the internet giant is following the web wherever it leads.

Gated Social Networks (On The Media)

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 19:18 GMT

Teenagers are always ready for the next hip social networking site, many hoping that class barriers in the real world will vanish online. But after months of interviewing American teenagers, danah boyd has found that socio-economics help determine which site teens choose.

Measuring the Web (On The Media)

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 19:19 GMT

Ratings are never easy to calculate. Especially on the web, where visits to sites can last mere seconds. But now Nielsen has released internet ratings that include “total minutes” and “total sessions.” Abbey Klassen, writer for Advertising Age, explains who benefits from the new system.

Unbuckling the Beltway (On The Media)

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 19:05 GMT

A new website, makes it easy for anyone to search "DC Madam" Deborah Jeane Palfrey’s phone records. When ABC News producers had exclusive control of the list, they decided it wasn't news. So should the records be readily accessible? The site’s co-creator Daniel Silverman discusses the ethics of transparency.

Street Photographer (On The Media)

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 18:15 GMT

Thanks to Google, we now have instant access to detailed photographic images of nearly every street in New York, Las Vegas, Miami and San Francisco. Tech and business consultant David Evans weighs in on whether “street view” is expanding our world or paving the way for Big Brother.

Googlitics (On The Media)

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 18:20 GMT

In viewership terms, Google-owned YouTube is now competitive with TV networks. But with new media comes new questions, like how will Google define the separation between editorial and ad content? Political analystPeter Leyden says the answer is being determined as the campaign itself unfolds.

e-Stonia (On The Media)

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 22:17 GMT

Last month, a disagreement between Estonia and Russia resulted in a debilitating attack on some of Estonia’s most-used government, banking and media websites. The attackers remain anonymous and many suspect Russia. Is it cyber-warfare? Arbor Networks' senior security researcher Jose Nazario explains.

Permanent Record (On The Media)

Tue, 29 May 2007 22:12 GMT

OTM producer Nazanin Rafsanjani is mortified that a letter she wrote when she was 19 is part of her permanent profile online. Despite her best efforts, it won’t go away. New York editor at large Emily Nussbaum offers some perspective on Nazanin’s web woes.

Plotting Terror (On The Media)

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 19:56 GMT

From bomb scares to stolen radioactive material to rebel attacks, alarming things happen around the world, all day, every day. Morgan Clements, founder and publisher of the Global Incident Map, talks about why it’s important to map them.

Horror Show (On The Media)

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 19:57 GMT

To help people visualize the genocide in Darfur, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum partnered with Google Earth to create a detailed map of the genocide there. Google Maps' John Hanke discusses the mechanics of bringing Darfur closer to home.

The Pilgrim’s Progress (On The Media)

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 21:23 GMT

The Chinese market is irresistible to many U.S. internet companies. But the price of doing business there is compliance with the authoritarian government. Internet law scholar Jonathan Zittrain discusses a new lawsuit against Yahoo on behalf of a jailed dissident.

Bowing Before the Royalty (On The Media)

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 17:13 GMT

Radio webcasting has proven to be a real alternative to the stultifying sameness of broadcast radio. But a new set of royalty fees could put many internet radio stations out of business. Media attorney David Oxenford explains the cost to online listeners.

Clip Joint (On The Media)

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 17:14 GMT

This week, Viacom sued Google, claiming intellectual property infringement by YouTube. Will the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act protect “Goo-Tube?” Is the future of user-generated web media at stake? NYU’s Siva Vaidhyanathan explains.

Bill of Goods? (On The Media)

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 17:14 GMT

A paperless world! TV online! Microsoft founder Bill Gates sits down with Bob and shares his vision for the future.

Good Day, Sunshine (On The Media)

Wed, 14 Mar 2007 20:44 GMT

If you’re wondering what your Congressperson has been up to lately, you can spend hours poring over hard-to-find government databases. Or you can visit a brand new website, where it’s all in one place. Sunlight Foundation technology advisor Micah Sifry unveils OpenCongress.org.

Further Reading:
Other events connected to Sunshine Week 2007.

Nearer, The Web, To Thee (On The Media)

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 18:19 GMT

When Syria's computer-savvy president Bashar al-Assad took office, some expected it to usher in a new era of freedom of expression, at least online. Six years and a war in Iraq later, World Politics Watch editor Guy Taylor went to Syria to assess the online environment there.

Listen to Guy Taylor's interview with Syrian telecomminications minister Amr Salem.

Lost Highway (On The Media)

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 18:19 GMT

A new social networking technology allows Internet users all over the world to get around government censors. It's called Psiphon. Developer Ron Deibert discusses the history and benefits of disappearing in plain sight.

Spherics (On The Media)

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 18:20 GMT

Political bloggers often make a point of keeping the media honest. Take a recent case involving an oft-cited AP source, which the rightosphere claimed didn’t exist. It turns out he does, and now the leftosphere is crowing. Conservative blogger Ed Morrissey helps us plumb the psychology of the ’sphere.

Web Thinks (On The Media)

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 19:18 GMT

Efforts are underway to create a new generation of the web that is smarter and more intuitive than the web we use today. Nigel Shadbolt , a Professor of Artificial Intelligence at Southampton University in England explains “web 3.0” and just how smart the future internet may be.

Wi-Fi America (On The Media)

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 21:58 GMT

For some time, wireless Internet has been available in places like coffee shops and airport terminals. But now municipalities are moving to expand WiFi networks city-wide. OTM’s Mark Phillips reports that how cities choose to build the networks could have a big effect on the end result.

Web Thinks (On The Media)

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 22:00 GMT

Efforts are underway to create a new generation of the web that’s smarter and more intuitive than the web we use today. Artificial Intelligence expert Nigel Shadbolt explains “Web 3.0,” and just how smart we can expect the future Internet to be.

The Persistence of Memory (On The Media)

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 22:03 GMT

Computer scientist Gordon Bell is at the vanguard of a movement called “lifelogging,” digitally recording every moment of his day in an effort to create a complete virtual memory of his life. But why? We talk with Bell and also technology writer Clive Thompson about the implications.

Listen to Brooke's unedited interview with Clive Thompson here.

Can’t COPA (On The Media)

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 18:37 GMT

Closing arguments are set for Monday in ACLU v. Gonzales, the latest chapter in the long saga of the Child Online Protection Act. Under the law, racy internet content would be put behind a virtual wall, which many websites argue would deter readers and slash ad revenue. But it’s more likely that COPA will die a quiet death in the courts. Reason magazine’s Kerry Howley tells Brooke that it’s no big loss.