License To Blog

Anyone who plans to click the publish button with regularity should read Rebecca Blood's book, The Weblog Handbook. Dr. Weinberger captures it in his jacket quote: "[N]ot just a How-to but also a What-to, Why-to and a So-what..." I started reading last night, and now Chapter 1's poor pages are all folded down and marked up so I can come back to the many pearls. Here are some:

The very best weblogs, in my opinion, are designed to accommodate unexpected turns, to allow for a little experimentation. ...

When a weblogger and his readers share a point of view, a weblog constantly points its readers to items they didn't know they wanted to see. ...

Though he knows his audience will read and make their own evaluation, the weblogger will discover that he conveys his point of view in even the few words of his description. With each choice, the weblogger learns the power of a single word to affect the perception of his readers. ...

Sure, you can swerve onto the freeway without driver's training, but it's not the greatest idea - you could do unnecessary harm to yourself and others. From the little I've read of Rebecca's book (and I can't wait to finish it), an alternate title could be "Blogger's Ed."

You Can Take It With You

Technology + law + convenience = good: Larry Sullivan writes: "Starting today, the law office is offering scanned copies of your legal documents (such as wills, living wills, power of attorney, etc.) on a specially prepared business-card-sized CD. ... It is our belief that we are the first law firm to offer such a service, and the cost is negligible." Given the frequency with which wallets, keys, cars, etc. can go missing, security seems important here too. How about strong encryption/password protection - or a tiny destructive charge that could be remotely triggered in the event of loss or theft? Pity the poor culprit who totes your cd in a jeans pocket...

--Later: Larry answers the less tongue in cheek part of my security question in his comments, here.

Toward Sensible Solutions

"mediAgora defines a fair, workable market model that works with the new realities of digital media, instead of fighting them." Wow, Kevin, I'm impressed, and hope this project generates ideas that might tame the hornet's nest touched on in the articles below.

P2P Morning

Three stories on the fate of the music industry and P2P networks greeted me before I could even pour a cup of coffee:

Declan McCullagh on Rep Howard Berman's bill to permit attacks against file swapping networks: Much Ado About Nothing. [Via c | net News.Com and Politech] As the title suggests, the article surveys technology related legislation proposed this year and examines why it's not going anywhere.

Chuck Philips on the sluggish market for Vivendi Universal: Industry Woes Hit Vivendi's Music Unit. [Via the L.A. Times] This piece looks at how buyers for the company responsible for 40% of all cd sales are scarce, in light of fears about the future of the music business as it currently operates.

John Healey on dissension among record companies about the value of P2P networks: Labels See Perks In File Sharing. [Via the L.A. Times] Healey points out how independent record labes could undermine the major labels' argument that P2P networks have "no significant legitimate use," because the indies and their artists see the value in exposure gained from file swapping.

Stow your tray tables, there's turbulence ahead.

Reports From The Field

Ernie, head of the highly trained, fiercely committed Blawg Patrol field unit, has nabbed another one: Peter Sean Bradley, who quips that Howard "scoops me on Fresno appellate decisions." (Spooky, isn't it?)

The home office did its bit earlier today with Ann, just to keep current on the old tradecraft, and also appreciates Howard's preemptive efforts to keep us from enthusiastically blogrolling fictional, blog-deprived cartoon lawyers (soon's Harvey gets a blog, we'll talk).