Welcome to the remarkably early Tech at Night tonight. When I have my initial preparation done by 6pm, I’m not going to stay up until midnight to do the actual writing. Not gonna do it. Wouldn’t be prudent.
We start with some mild bad news: the resolution disapproving of Net Neutrality has been delayed. Fred Upton is getting recognition for his active work challenging the Obama administration on its overreaches, and Greg Walden’s subcommittee seems to be following suit nicely, but we will have to wait on this one particular vote.
The Democrats are definitely worried, though. Apparently it’s a bad thing that the FCC’s ability to act ahead of the Congress. Haven’t these Democrats ever heard of actually passing legislation to deal with new challenges?
Net Neutrality really is more invasive and problematic than the left would have you believe, though, Media Freedom reminds us. It’s a challenge to basic property rights online.
Radicals like Al Franken twist freedom on its head and claim that Net Neutrality regulation is freedom, even as they admit that expansions of government power online in other ways, such as the COICA copyright bill, are a problem. Yeah, suddenly it’s not so great when the government’s picking winners and losers against the freeloaders, is it? Me, I take a more consistent approach of opposing all new government expansions online, so I oppose Net Neutrality and COICA.
Remember when Andrew McLaughlin, former White House Deputy CTO and before that Google employee, was illegally conspiring with Google’s Vint Cerf to try to shape the Obama administration’s tech policy? That effort continues to bear fruit as President Obama has now done a 180 on ICANN, gunning for the US-based organization that has huge influence over the development and management of the Internet. Of course, some would love for ICANN to be under the control of the UN or a similar body, so that icky Americans don’t have so much power. Obama would seem to be playing into their hands, sadly.
And to close the night, a security tip: try not to put important data on thumb drives, especially if you use laundromats. It’s just asking for trouble.