First, there is no reason for urgency. Nothing is broken, and the issue primarily is being stirred by people who say they fear what might happen in the future. Fear is a terrible foundation for decision making, especially when the decision is so important.

Second, the process continues to move forward. There are a lot of questions that need to be answered, and its best to pursue those in a deliberative, respectful climate. Pausing, turning the decibel level down, then moving ahead is a good commonsense approach.

Finally, it increases the hope of a consensus. It gets us past the mindset that there will be winners and losers, when we will all benefit from an open internet that is protected from abuse but done so in a way that doesn’t risk continued growth and adoption. Anyone who really cares about the future impact the Internet will have on our society can see that investing in more time to ensure clarity is worth the investment and that the opportunity is too great to do it any other way.

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• FCC asks for more feedback on net neutrality (macworld.com)

The Washington Post has always been one of the front runners of old media in race to ensure their content is available across multiple digital channels. I believe that the efforts they have made on the Washington Post.com and with the launch of the Root.com have set the standard for how other print outlets approach integrating the online channel into their business. They’ve also won a few Pulitzer’s, kept us informed  and made us understand the Beltway better.  With all that said, you have to believe Post’s owners and investors are deeply interested in being profitable and in making sure no ISP – or anyone else, for that matter – is manipulating access to their product.

So when the Washington Post calls the FCC’s attempt to regulate the Internet “a serious step backward,” you’ve got to take notice.      As the Post’s editorial says, the Internet is ”complex and evolving” and oversight must be flexible, and it must acknowledge that some rigid and detailed rules – like those first adopted generations ago – don’t make sense today.  “Establishing a clearly limited power to take action against anti-competitive violations, rather than encumbering this vital sector with detailed and prescriptive regulation, is the sensible approach.”

The article caught my eye because it’s saying what I’ve been saying for some time now. We are not talking about net nuetrality, we are talking about net “regulation” and if that regulation is made too broadly then innovation will suffer. We have to be clear with people about what’s really being debated and not cloud the issues with buzz words in attempts to incite emotions.  I agree with oversight but let’s not go down a path that will only slow progress and even more importantly adoption in the areas where it needs to happen the most.

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• Just say no to Ma Bell-era Net neutrality regulation (news.cnet.com)

In the NY times article it states:

“the fact that a greater percentage of African-Americans say lack of broadband access is a disadvantage. particularly for obtaining career information, “speaks to a recognition within the African-American community that digital connectivity is essential, even — and perhaps especially — during hard economic times.”

This recognition needs to be spread even further within the African American and Hispanic communities.  The current increase can not lead to complacency. The value  proposition in the areas of Job creation, education and Healthcare information can continue to bring more minorities online if we make sure it’s communicated. So the next time you hear or read something about the growth of broadband adoption among minorities just  say ” That’s great but there is still a ways to go!”

That’s how I feel after reading this report on Blackweb 2.0 that says only 1 percent of web start-ups are from African Americans. “Overall, African Americans are still underrepresented in both the tech and entrepreneurial sectors,” the story notes.   The research advised that “burgeoning black techpreneurs” might find a greater reception and investors for their ideas in New York’s Silicon Alley.  I have wrapped my career — and it has become my passion — around the hope that more young blacks will be motivated and inspired to take the leap.  Our tech landscape needs their talents, ideas and voices.

Motivated to do something about it?  More than ever. Stay tuned !!!

First, I encourage you to watch this video on CNET – http://cnettv.cnet.com/net-neutrality/9742-1_53-50091412.html?tag=mncol;2n .  You will see two experts do a superb job summarizing the Net Neutrality issue.   You may not agree with every point (I didn’t), but you will have a far better grasp of  the topic. I do agree with Maggie Reardon of CNET and author Larry Downes that the issue has been unnecessarily “politicized.”   There is no evidence  that ISPs might attempt to control content over their networks; in fact, there are tremendous disincentives in place to discourage and prevent that from happening.  The duo also a good job of outlining the proposal that Google and Verizon has offered toward a compromise.

Meanwhile, precisely while the CNET interview was taking place, there was a rally at Google’s headquarters by activists and their recruits to protest the Google/Verizon proposal.   This episode is described by a journalist embedded with the protesters  http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/08/the-siege-of-google.ars,   It is obvious they were grandstanding, at least as well as 50 or so people could do.   Check out this, for example:

“We had a bunch of papers which had, like, talking points so that we could all be on the same page,” explained the net neutrality activist leaning over the front seat of our chartered bus. “But we can’t find them.” Laughter erupted from the rest of the vehicle. Nobody cared. It was Friday afternoon. And after all, this was San Francisco, where two or more people being on the same page about anything is a misdemeanor.

I write this blog post after a long week, and these two examples of discourse leave me wondering:  What if every ounce of energy, every creative brainstorm session, every dollar, every speech, every rally, every minute that has been devoted to the pseudo issue of Net Neutrality could instead have been aimed at the all-too real problem of broadband access in America’s inner cities, small towns, and low-income neighborhoods?  What if?

First, the explosion of tablet personal computers has Apple, Microsoft, Google and others trying to grow or protect market share — and that translates into more options, greater ease of use, more applications, and better pricing for consumers around the globe.   As this story, Tablet PCs: The coming Revolution, in Smart Data Collective points out, it has reached a point where tablets developed by the government of India are being sold there for only $35, and their hope is to bring that down to $10.   We haven’t hit that price point in the U.S. yet, but the immersion of tablets into the global mainstream bodes well for those who want to increase access to un-served and underserved households.

At the same time, you may have noticed the infusion of federal dollars to provide computers and internet access for thousands of people in Chicago, one of my favorite cities. Check out the story, Chicago gets $16 million to bridge digital divide.   Mayor Daley points out that it is all about opportunity and jobs.  Today, people preparing for the workforce who don’t know how to unleash the power of the PC and the internet will be left behind.   And our families, cities and nation cannot afford that.

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/dont-block-mobile-path-onto-internet/1113659

There have been some studies that have shown the rapid adoption of mobile broadband by minorities.  While the hope is that they adopt wire-line broadband as well it is encouraging to see that mobile technology has allowed  them to get exposure to the benefits of broadband access. The article questions whether  the FCC recognizes this growth and how their current proposed net nuetrality rules could stifle this growth. The article drives home the point that i have been making for while , that the FCC should focus on fostering growth and adoption instead of bogging things down with regulations. Take a read and let me know your thoughts

There have been reports recently touting the growth in the use of the mobile web by African Americans and English–speaking Latinos. Research by Pew Internet & American Life Project found African-Americans and English-speaking Latinos continue to be among the most active users of the mobile web.

About 64 percent of African-Americans access the Internet from a laptop or mobile phone, a seven-point increase in just one year. Cell phone ownership is higher among African-Americans and Latinos than among whites (87 percent vs. 80 percent) and minority cell phone owners take advantage of a much greater range of features compared with white users.

You can read the report here. Many have eluded that this show the digital divide is closing. I’m not so sure I can start celebrating yet. Don’t get me wrong I am always happy to see increased usage of technologies by minorities but at the same time I always push to make sure that any group understands the real ways that access to Internet can benefit them. Are they checking for vital health care info they otherwise had no access to or are they checking the latest celebrity gossip. Did they gain access to all the free education information available or download some music?

Yes, the Internet is a great new medium for entertainment but in order it to truly empower us and for the digital divide to truly close, it has to be a means of improving and equalizing access to education, health, and career advancement. Don’t let reports like this give you a false sense of satisfaction. We must continue to educate and push for adoption. And once we reach those goals we then must push for people to use this access to really improve their lives and the lives of the people around them. So as we LOL, ROFL, OMG and BRB to our friends. Let’s also push people for the right level of awareness of what’s available to them so they can GTD in the right areas.

I know the FCC is getting a lot of letters right now. But I hope they put this one  at the top of their stack.