links for 2009-10-08

"The number of new claims for jobless benefits fell last week to the lowest level since early January. The drop is the fourth in five weeks. The four-week average, which smoothes fluctuations, fell to 539,750, the lowest since Jan. 17."

"It is even more appalling that we are dealing with repeat offenders : last spring, while the Hadopi law was discussed, U.S. music duo MGMT received €30,000 as a settlement for a copyright infringement by French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s party who used one of its songs at a political rally without permission. Those who led the charge against Internet users are not the most respectful of copyright."

"So with such dramatic declines in website traffic and rapidly increasing numbers of Internet connected people, where is all that traffic going? The Social Web – the emerging networks where everyone is connected, everything is relevant, and everything can be shared with a single click and browsed, summarized or bookmarked with ease…"

Who want's to do something silly like pay a fair wage, lowering the average is so much better.

"“Because it sucks” is not a reason to redesign. “It sucks” leaves the scope wide open with no measure of success. It’s a sure way to scrap the good decisions you made along with the mistakes."

"Verizon's 2007 promise of open networks and open devices has so far been little more than PR fluff and nonsense. Remember all the press from 2007 about how Verizon had finally embraced an open access paradigm? The several year old promise to offer an ocean of truly open devices on a truly open network has been a no show for consumers. While Verizon's "Open Development Initiative" has netted a few dozen approved devices, the majority of them are enterprise gear. Not that EVDO-powered prison anklets aren't really exciting, mind you."