Ian@work

Get that Senator an iPod

All politics is personal, as Senator Ted Stevens demonstrated last week at a hearing on the "Broadcast Flag" and "Audio Flag" proposals forwarded by the MPAA and RIAA. Senator Stevens noted that he had received an iPod from his daughter, and enjoyed using it to listen to ripped CDs. His personal experience with the concept of fair use resulted in tougher than usual questions for the MPAA and RIAA.

Now, iPaction, a nonpartisan group "dedicated to preserving individual freedom through balanced intellectual property policy," is sending iPods preloaded with Creative Commons content to senators who work on technological issues. You can contribute here.

What grabbed by attention is how clever and direct this tactic is - not to mention how applicable to other businesses. Instead of debating abstractions, show decision makers the real implications of proposed rules. You can bet that those iPods that land on lawmakers' desks will soon be full of their own music, and that in some small way their view of fair use will begin to change.

Privacy concerns: Don't underestimate them

Apple is getting some well-deserved heat for a new feature contained in iTunes 6.0.2, and the furor contains a lesson for anyone who handles customer data. What were they thinking? We're not really collecting data. We're just momentarily using it and then discarding it. And besides, that data is for the consumer's benefit. No need to ask permission....

Someone at Apple screwed up, and to their credit they backed down and took steps to inform consumers of the data collection and allow them to opt in. But still, the horse is out of the barn. Once you're accused of creating spyware, it's hard to undo that reputation.

There's a simple lesson to be learned about not alienating customers: If you collect their information through a Website or online application, make this explicitly clear to them. Tell them what data you gather, why, and how it's used. Don't assume that they'll believe the benefits of undisclosed data gathering outweigh their individual feelings about  privacy.

MacArthur Fellows Announced

This is the week. Twenty-five gifted individuals get a call that can change their lives, or at the very least acknowledge their passions:

“The call can be life-changing, coming as it does out of the blue and offering highly creative women and men the gift of time and the unfettered opportunity to explore, create, and contribute,” said Jonathan F. Fanton, president of the MacArthur Foundation.

The MacArthur Fellowships strike a chord with me. They recognize deserving individuals and in many cases give them breathing room to pursue their work. Work, by the way, that spans a spectrum of disciplines. And oh yes, they represent a pile of cash -- a half-mil per recipient.

Here they are -- the 2005 MacArthur Fellows.