Lawrence Lessig: The made-up dramas of the Wall Street Journal

[babylonsister]

The made-up dramas of the Wall Street Journal

December 15, 2008 6:44 AM - comments (7)


I got off the plane from Boston to find my inbox filled with anger about an article in the Wall Street Journal. To those who were angry, I hope you will direct any anger at the Wall Street Journal after you read what follows.

The article is an indirect effort to gin up a drama about a drama about an alleged shift in Obama's policies about network neutrality. What's the evidence for the shift? That Google allegedly is negotiating for faster service on some network pipes. And that "prominent Internet scholars, some of whom have advised President-elect Barack Obama on technology issues, have softened their views on the subject."

Who are these "Internet scholars"? Me. And of course, because I have "softened" my views about network neutrality, and because I advised the Obama campaign about technology issues during the primary, it follows (and obviously so) that Obama too must be going soft on network neutrality.

I don't know what Google is doing, though if they are trying to negotiate exclusive deals for privileged access, that shows exactly why we need network neutrality regulation. (Though note, the article doesn't say the deal Google was striking was exclusive).

And I've not seen anything during the Obama campaign or from the transition to indicate it has shifted its view about network neutrality at all.

But I do know something about my own views, and what the Journal has done here is really extraordinary.

more...

http://lessig.org/blog/2008/12/the_madeup_dramas_of_the_wall.html

[ProSense]

1. More

Obama And Advisers Softening On Net Neutrality? No, Adviser Says

First, Google is strongly condemning the piece in a blog post, attacking it as "confused." Second, the Google public affairs chief says in that same post he doesn't remember ever telling the paper that the plans are much less specific than before.

[madrchsod]

2. our high school journalism students

know better than to lie when they write for the school paper.

the wall street journal is the fox news of print....i wonder why?..........