03
August
2007
|
07:48 AM
America/Los_Angeles

3-dot Friday . . .

. . . Blue at Big Blue


Tom Cheyney over at the excellent "Chip Shots" blog writes about the layoffs at IBM's chipmaking operations from an insider's perspective.


Yes, he said, “I got tapped Monday”—Blueman was one of the 450 people on IBM’s “resource-action” list, the corporation’s euphemistic term for the unlucky manufacturing and other employees who got notice that they were going to be laid off.

A victim of IBM layoffs shares details, raising questions of fairness



. . . Andrew Keen blows himself up


In a graphic mashup metaphor that left everyone gasping, Andrew Keen, the author of "The Cult of the Amateur" was debating with an august panel at the Stanford Summit. He then put his foot in his mouth and blew his whole rhetoric to pieces. Doctors said they could stitch it back together but why? "He'll only go out and do it again," they said.


The audience heard Mr Keen say that because Prince, the musician, is giving away his music for free, that this would deprive millions from access to his music. Millions would not be able to buy his music anymore, he said.


And because it was free, Prince would not put much effort into it. Prince fans would have to pay $125 per ticket to see him play in Las Vegas. He said that this was exactly the kind of thing that the Internet was destroying. George Gilder was excellent...


Here is the archive: http://alwayson.goingon.com/page/display/15568?param=session/123


BTW, Mr Keen fares much better over at TechOne, where I am executive editor. Check out our new show: "Keen on Politics" on TechOne.


TechOne | PodTech.net: Technology and Entertainment Video Network




. . .UK ads pulled from FaceBook because of neo-Nazis


Peter Robinett draws attention to this:


Several major British advertisers have pulled their advertising from Facebook after being placed next to a British National Party related page.


For US readers, the British National Party is considered a neo-Nazi party.


Peter asks:


For instance, purely hypothetical, how would you feel if you are listed right next to a neo-Nazi in the in Rammstein’s friends list on MySpace? And of course, should companies like Facebook police their sites for organizations like the BNP, which is legal in the UK yet widely loathed there?


Peter’s Blog » Blog Archive » Losing Control



. . . SF's crumbling WiFi plans


The tireless Kimo has been my source on how San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom plans to bring free Wi-Fi to the city.


It seems that the GOOG+Earthlink plan seems to be in trouble. Kimo points to this article in which Barbara Taylor, reporter with KCBS, says that the issue may come to voters.


So, what to do when the going gets tough, ponders Taylor?

In San Francisco, that often means going to the voters and that's exactly what the mayor is considering as he stares down the barrel of a 5:00 p.m. Friday deadline to put measures on the ballot.


http://www.kcbs.com/pages/758192.php?contentType=4&contentId=753695


UPDATE: WiFi is on the ballot. Kimo says:


It basically reflects the direction taken by the negotiations between Peskin's office/Board of Supervisors and EarthLink. No provision for the city as an anchor tenet is addressed - which is what EarthLink is now requesting.

Emphasizes:


1) "Free service should operate at a high speed that fully supports typical home, educational and civic uses"

2) "adhere to privacy policies that offer strong safeguards against the unauthorized sharing of personal information with 3rd parties and against the unnecessary retention of information about wi-fi users' locations"

3) encourages but does not require private entities to adopt strong privacy policies and clear service standards before finalization of the contract and a reasonable term of contract that is not a franchise.



. . . Girls in Tech presents Girls in VC




Co-founder of Girls in Tech, Adriana Gascoigne says: August 8 at Porter Novelli, 530 3rd St, SF. The Women of VC.


Panel includes:Trae Vassallo, Kleiner, Perkins,Caufield, Byers; Jennifer Fonstad, Draper, Fisher, Jurvetson; Eve Phillips, Greylock Partners; Maha Ibrahim, Canaan Partners.


Doors open at 6.30, panel at 7. Cocktails at 8.30.



. . . Happy Birthday to Sabrina Horn of the Horn Group


...Reports FaceBook! Also from FaceBook, news from another PR maven, Margit Wennmachers photos of her new baby. Congratulations!


And FaceBook says that Dev "is now looking for friendship, dating and a relationship." He's got some time on his hands.


The cool thing about FaceBook is that it automates blogging for you. Instead of blogging that I'm in or out of a relationship, that I just uploaded some photos, I'm going to an event, etc, --it does it all for you. Brilliant.