iPhone Round-Up

"A man always has two reasons for what he does--a good one and the real one."

John Pierpont Morgan

That seems a wise statement worth remembering... in all times not just these.

It's been almost two months since the unveiling of the Next Great Thing.... Lots of words have been written. Here are a few bits you may have missed....

Businessweek Why Apple Can't Stop iPhone Hackers

AT&T and Apple may face an uphill battle prosecuting hackers who untether the iPhone from the AT&T wireless network.

Apple (AAPL) and AT&T (T), the sole authorized supplier of the iPhone in the U.S., are doing what they can to make sure that legal clearance never comes. The two companies have put their lawyers on the case, applying pressure on hackers involved in unlocking iPhones to try to get them to stop. Much is at stake. AT&T has been hoping that as the exclusive provider of the iPhone, it will see a surge in new customers and monthly service charges of at least $60 from each one. Apple is supposed to get a cut of the revenues. If iPhones are unlocked, they can be used on the wireless networks of rivals like T-Mobile USA—and AT&T gets zippo. AT&T wouldn't comment for this story, while Apple didn't return a request for comment.

Fuzzy Laws

So will Apple and AT&T's legal action deter hackers? Hardly. Individual users are already allowed to unlock their own phones under an exemption to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) that the U.S. Copyright Office issued last November. The exemption, in force for three years, applies to "computer programs…that enable wireless telephone handsets to connect to a wireless telephone communication network, when circumvention is accomplished for the sole purpose of lawfully connecting to a wireless telephone communication network."

What's less clear is whether companies and hackers can legally unlock the phones and then sell them to others, or sell unlocking software. "The law here is unclear," says Jonathan Kramer, founder of Kramer Telecom Law Firm in Los Angeles. "There just isn't any case law in this area for us to figure out how it plays out."

Experts believe that AT&T and Apple will point to the DMCA's section 1201, stating that "no person shall circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a work protected under this title." They will claim that a phone lock is just such a technological measure that protects copyrighted work: namely, cell-phone software.

Frustration over locked iPhones is showing up in the courts as well. A class-action lawsuit filed on Aug. 27 in the Supreme Court of the State of New York tells of an iPhone buyer who racked up $2,000 in charges because he couldn't use a different carrier's network while he was on a trip to Mexico. Filed against Apple, the suit claims the plaintiff didn't know that iPhone was tethered to the AT&T network.

Many hope that the legal wrangling will, eventually, result in major shifts in how the U.S. wireless industry operates. For one, a case could pave the way to making all wireless networks more open to unlocked phones. In the next five years, 10% to 15% of U.S. wireless users could move to unlocked phones, figures Andrei Jezierski, founder of venture consultancy i2 Partners in New York (see BusinessWeek.com, 12/4/06, "Motorola, Nokia Set Cell Phones Free").

WSJ- Catering to Couch Potatoes at the Ballpark
To grab the attention of multi-tasking, gadget-addled Americans, sports teams are rolling out devices that allow ticketholders to watch live action or play trivia. But some diehard baseball fans struggle to understand the appeal.

GIZMODO -iPhone Gets Hebrew Support

Yes, this post is about the iPhone but don't worry, it's not about yet another unlocking so put down those stones slowly. This morning's false alarm by a Israeli newspaper only had one nugget of truth: The hackers were able to enable Hebrew support, but not on the interface, just on Safari and Mail. You can check the screenshots after the jump

Apple Demands High Price From European Carriers To Offer iPhone

Apple is said to be asking for 10% of the revenue from iPhone voice and data usage in Europe, a deal that would make other handset providers green with envy. By W. David Gardner InformationWeek August 24, 2007

Investment analysts have estimated that Apple cleans up financially with its exclusive contract with AT&T, reportedly making $3 a month for each iPhone subscriber and $8 for each new subscriber, according to analyst estimates. Apple may do even better than that with the European cellular networks that are negotiating to offer its iPhone.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs is keeping the European wireless world on edge as he lets the suspense build as to which service providers will get exclusive rights in their respective countries to market the hot phone. Apple is said to be asking for 10% of the revenue from iPhone voice and data usage in Europe, a deal that would make other handset providers green with envy.

WSJ $500-iPhone, $1,100 Case

By YING WU
August 4, 2007; Page P3

(Top to bottom) Louis Vuitton alligator leather, $1,120; monogram, $225; Orbino crocodile case, $319; Incase neoprene sports case, $34.95.

First came the hype. Then came the phone. Now, everyone from big designers to tech-gear makers are selling cases to cradle Apple's iPhone.

At the high end, Italian maker Orbino has one made of caiman crocodile for $319, while Louis Vuitton will stock $1,120 alligator cases in its stores in October.

For those feeling more frugal after plunking down $500 for a cellphone, other cases cost about $30. In addition to leather versions, sports models have armbands and some have UV protection.

GIZMODO-No Good Cheating Girlfriends iPhone For Sale
According to Paul, he bought his girlfriend an 8GB iPhone because she wanted one. He then found out she was cheating on him with a guy from church and now he is selling her iPhone. If the advertisement up on Craig's list is true to fact, our man is quite at a loss. In my books any boyfriend willing to buy their other half an 8GB iPhone, no less, needs some sort of 'Best Boyfriend In The World' award. What he does not need is to be cheated on at any point and salt in the wound; losing his once beloved to a guy from church! (NSFW)

Man, I hope God was existing and watching the whole affair; a fellow from his own abode causing such heartache is out of order and the pair should have to pay. We think he just might have to, too. That demanding ho of a girlfriend of his is going to want a new iPhone before she succumbs to spiritual perdition. (He could possibly negotiate a price with Paul). Fortunately for the sinning pair, reception is good in hell, as that is where AT&T is based. Now ladies, hit the link, call Paul and secure a date; if he bought his last girlfriend an 8GB iPhone, imagine what he will get you on the rebound (NOTE: being originally a posting on Craig's List a grain of salt should be taken with this tale)

GIZMODO- iPod and iPhone Media Download Kiosks Coming January 2008

Although the "upcoming" Zune music kiosk download feature seems obvious thanks to the player's Wi-Fi capabilities, being able to download music onto your iPod or iPhone on the go seems less obvious. However, 22Moo has just announced a date for their iPod- and iPhone-compatible internet kiosk station that lets you download movies, videos, games and music onto your player when you're on the go. The launch is planned for January '08 at CES and MacWorld. (Where will YOU be in January? CES or Macworld? Or Both? )

July 30, 2007,

WSJ-Analysts Ponder iPhone Sales Forecasts

Apple’s announcement last week that it sold 270,000 iPhones in the product’s first 30 hours of availability popped the bubble of several excessively exuberant analyst reports. Many publications (including the Journal) reported that Wall Street was disappointed because analysts had expected sales as high as 700,000.

People get emotionally involved in the product and start thinking it’s going to be a bigger number than it actually is,” said Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray. Mr. Munster initially projected sales of 200,000 over the first two days. But after he and colleagues measured sales rates at flagship Apple Stores in Minneapolis, New York, and San Francisco, he raised his estimate for first-weekend sales to 500,000 — with 355,000 of those expected in the two-day period that Apple would be reporting as part of its quarterly results.

“We definitely overshot,” Mr. Munster said, adding: “The part we’re definitely guilty of is building an estimate from three people visiting three stores over a three-day period.” He projected those sales to hundreds of other Apple stores and nearly 2,000 stores for AT&T, the only carrier to offer the iPhone.

Future is Here

I use my cellphone to talk. I can be found anywhere. I also send and receive text messages. I prefer my email on my laptop (where I save everything), my photos on my computer (where I have a steady slide show as screen saver. I enjoy walking in and seeing pictures out of order and from the recent past). I listen to music on my laptop and desktop (mostly www.kksf.com and www.kfog.com but recently Pandora.com more about that tomorrow)... I am hopelessly old fashioned. I have resisted using my phone as a web browser, video monitor, music-on-the-go machine... I have successfully avoided the Blackberry addiction so many of my generation have fallen to...

I am now bracing myself to avoid the iPhone by Apple. Coming this week to a line, where you will not be able to buy it is the much touted latest marketing miracle by Steven Jobs and the mystic wizards at Infinity Loop...



The SF Chronicle has the story

The iPhone goes on sale Friday at 6 p.m. in each time zone. Besides Apple's retail stores nationwide, the phones will be available through some AT&T stores and through Apple's Web site. AT&T Inc. is the phone's exclusive wireless carrier in the U.S.

Amazon.com Inc. already is taking pre-orders for books related to the iPhone, while the online classified site Craigslist had listings from people willing to wait in line for cash or looking for someone to do so.

People have waited days in line for movie premieres and for video game consoles, but for a phone?

Apple claims the iPhone — which combines the functions of a cell phone, iPod media player and Web-surfing device — will be easier to use than other smart phones because of its unique touch-screen display and intuitive software that allows for easy access to voice mail messages, the Internet and video and music libraries.

Switched has the interview

Scroll down for the rate plans from AT&T


The Mossberg Solution at WSJ.com has The Test results

He has been testing the iPhone for the past two weeks. Check out the whole article ...

Apple Inc., whose digital products are hailed for their design and innovation, is jumping into this smart-phone market with the iPhone, which goes on sale in a few days after months of the most frenzied hype and speculation we have ever seen for a single technology product. Even though the phone's minimum price is a hefty $499, people are already lining up outside Apple stores to be among the first to snag one when they go on sale Friday evening.

Our verdict is that, despite some flaws and feature omissions, the iPhone is, on balance, a beautiful and breakthrough handheld computer. Its software, especially, sets a new bar for the smart-phone industry, and its clever finger-touch interface, which dispenses with a stylus and most buttons, works well, though it sometimes adds steps to common functions.

The Apple phone combines intelligent voice calling, and a full-blown iPod, with a beautiful new interface for music and video playback. It offers the best Web browser we have seen on a smart phone, and robust email software. And it synchronizes easily and well with both Windows and Macintosh computers using Apple's iTunes software.

It has the largest and highest-resolution screen of any smart phone we've seen, and the most internal memory by far. Yet it is one of the thinnest smart phones available and offers impressive battery life, better than its key competitors claim.

It feels solid and comfortable in the hand and the way it displays photos, videos and Web pages on its gorgeous screen makes other smart phones look primitive.

The only add-on software Apple is allowing will be Web-based programs that must be accessed through the on-board Web browser. The company says these can be made to look just like built-in programs, but the few we tried weren't impressive.

Missing features: The iPhone is missing some features common on some competitors. There's no instant messaging, only standard text messaging. While its two-megapixel camera took excellent pictures in our tests, it can't record video. Its otherwise excellent Web browser can't fully utilize some Web sites, because it doesn't yet support Adobe's Flash technology. Although the phone contains a complete iPod, you can't use your songs as ringtones. There aren't any games, nor is there any way to directly access Apple's iTunes Music Store.

Apple says it plans to add features to the phone over time, via free downloads, and hints that some of these holes may be filled.

Expectations for the iPhone have been so high that it can't possibly meet them all. It isn't for the average person who just wants a cheap, small phone for calling and texting. But, despite its network limitations, the iPhone is a whole new experience and a pleasure to use.

The Mossberg examination is much better and more complete than the Forbes report from earlier in June.


Forbes has Five Reasons You May Not Want the iPhone

It's important to remember that Forbes target audience is the business owner or upper manager. Their emphasis is on the total cost-of-ownership and corporate bottomline. Cool and looking sexy don't often find friends at these price levels. Check out the whole article...

Businesses manage that expense for executives' BlackBerrys, but will consumers happily pay that much? AT&T says existing customers will get the same deal as new customers switching from Verizon Wireless or Sprint Nextel (nyse: S - news - people )--but subscribers will have to extend their contract for two more years. Will AT&T offer a version for prepaid service subscribers? Many consumers can justify buying a $500 smart phone/iPod hybrid. But AT&T's service terms could break the deal.

David Andelman has some observations on the distribution and pricing model by AT&T.

The big question for AT&T is a simple one--why would you outbid all the competition to acquire rights to sell the device-of-the-decade, calculated to attract as many customers as possible, then promptly do your best to alienate them?

They're not, insists an AT&T spokesman. "Any customer who shows up and cannot purchase an iPhone--and walk away with it that day--can purchase it at the store and have it delivered to the store or to their home for later," says AT&T spokesman Michael Coe. "Any customer can order a phone that day. We do have a direct fulfillment process."

Neither AT&T nor Apple will say just when they might be able to produce that shiny new device, why they aren't shipping enough immediately to satisfy intense demand or, for that matter, why the all-but-unprecedented secrecy regarding the two companies' marketing techniques.

Certainly, that's been Apple's modus operandi in the past--a company totally paranoid about any disclosure of any aspect of any new product.

in the case of the iPhone, the chasm may be even bigger than Apple's other most-sought-after devices. When Parks' researchers moved the price point down to $399 or $299, demand remained virtually unchanged. "It was not until we reached $199--the average cost of a smart phone--that demand began to rise," says Cai.

What worries most of those surveyed? Some 50% cited the high price, 32% feared the battery drain of a multi-use device, 30% worried it would perform none of the functions particularly well, and 29% feared it would be too complex to use. Indeed, many were cautious about putting all their digital eggs in one electronic basket. If the battery dies, they've lost their phone, iPod and PDA in one horrible moment.

Still, there are always folks like Narene Hassan who are still ready to stand in line forever for a Wii.

"The Wii was so successful because it wasn't just targeting a small core audience," Cai observes. "After two days, lines for the PS3 disappeared. After six months, you still can't find a Wii, because it's appealing to a mass audience."

So, the question is, does Apple have a PS3 ... or a Wii?

The lines are formed, reservations made, bribes placed, security hired, promises made and histories forgotten.

I won't be there.

I dislike the whole Apple-we-control-your-world-because-you-are-stupid cocoon. I have avoided the iPod for the same silly iTunes-rules Apple-centric reasoning.



Zappo.com Faces The Future

Forbes has a good article on zappo.com. I have been hearing good things (word-of-mouth )about this site and will soon be making my first purchases. I wear a size 14-15 depending on the makers last. Since I was 13 I have grown accustomed to first asking for the size when i walk in a shoe store. If they have none in my size, it was a short visit and nobody gets frustrated. I am inured to paying extra for the privilege of my "big understanding"... Whenever I find a store with my size, and an acceptable style I usually buy two or three pair in every color.... Fashion is not my friend. Luckily, I am a man and nobody pays much attention except to see that they are shined and in good repair. My poor daughters.... Well, we have been lucky to live where there is a large transvestite community. Not only does it pay to stock the larger sizes, but they have a wide variety of styles and colors....

... seven years ago when his friend Nick Swinmurn left a voice mail asking Hsieh to invest in his online shoe company, Shoesite.com. Hsieh, now CEO of what was renamed Zappos.com, was about to delete the e-mail--"It sounded like the poster child of bad dot-com ideas," he says--when Swinmurn got around to the numbers.

Footwear was a $40 billion market in the U.S. and $2 billion of that, 5%, was done through mail order catalogs. "That addressed the whole issue of whether consumers buy footwear online right away," says Hsieh.

Since then, Hsieh and his team have taken Zappos from an online shoe retailer to a site selling a range of diverse apparel. Customers say one of its greatest appeals is that it guarantees free overnight shipping. That, and the fact that they can return--also for free--any of the items they buy there. That speaks to precisely what Hsieh is trying to do at Zappos. His mantra: Provide great customer service and make the online experience as convenient as possible.

The interview follows:

Obviously customers can't try the shoes on, so when they come to you do they know exactly what they want or are they perusing?

Hsieh: They're coming to us for selection. A relatively small percentage of people know what styles they want. They know we offer over 1,000 brands and over 150,000 styles for men, women and kids. It's a much, much larger selection than is physically possible to have in a single shoe store. Our warehouse is the equivalent of 17 football fields. Customers may know their favorite brand and are looking to see what they have out.

Has Zappos always provided free overnight shipping?

No. We started with ground shipping but knew the faster customers received shoes, the better. We went from ground to three-day shipping after about a year and a half of being in business. Finally, last December, about seven years after we started, we got to the point where we could overnight everything. Our biggest competition isn't online retailers. It's the brick and mortar store experience. We want to come as close to that as possible.

Please read the entire article....

The promise of Internet Marketing and Selling has begun to be fulfilled after the disasterous first few years. The potential is just begun to be realized on a worldwide basis..

I was excited in 1996 when we first began our adventure in the internet. It has been an adventure, an education, and a heck of a lot of fun... We play a supporting role. We were never going to explode into a YouTube or Google or eBay valuation... We have danced with some big names and small... We wound up in boxes in a storage locker (Like so many other brilliant, underfunded and/or flawed ideas) ... I am still a believer in the potential of the internet to create, innovate and change societies...

Its greatest potential is its ability to unlock human ingenuity. It is still possible for some bright people to energize their friends with an idea and together find the funding to create something that has never been done before or has never been done that way... The game is far from over. The day when all that can be invented or needs to be invented has not arrived...

Permission to Breathe

The NYTimes continues the saga of benighted bloggers beset by beasties and what they propose to do about it.... For those who are fans of "Red Dwarf" the discussion is familiar. For the fans of Douglas Adams and "Hitchikers Guide To The Galaxy" the needs only Zaphod to leaven it.... As usual with all exerpts, the highlights and comments are mine...

The conversational free-for-all on the Internet known as the blogosphere can be a prickly and unpleasant place. Now, a few high-profile figures in high-tech are proposing a blogger code of conduct to clean up the quality of online discourse.

Last week, Tim O’Reilly, a conference promoter and book publisher who is credited with coining the term Web 2.0, began working with Jimmy Wales, creator of the communal online encyclopedia Wikipedia, to create a set of guidelines to shape online discussion and debate.

Chief among the recommendations is that bloggers consider banning anonymous comments left by visitors to their pages and be able to delete threatening or libelous comments without facing cries of censorship. (What next a secret blacklist to identify scurrilous scribes? Alliteration is running deep today-AJ)

A recent outbreak of antagonism among several prominent bloggers “gives us an opportunity to change the level of expectations that people have about what’s acceptable online,” said Mr. O’Reilly, who posted the preliminary recommendations last week on his company blog (radar.oreilly.com). Mr. Wales then put the proposed guidelines on his company’s site (blogging.wikia.com), and is now soliciting comments in the hope of creating consensus around what constitutes civil behavior online.(Go-! Comment- Speak your bit. Please do.-AJ)

Mr. O’Reilly and Mr. Wales talk about creating several sets of guidelines for conduct and seals of approval represented by logos. For example, anonymous writing might be acceptable in one set; in another, it would be discouraged. Under a third set of guidelines, bloggers would pledge to get a second source for any gossip or breaking news they write about. (Gee... One would think that honesty and common sense would prevail. However, holding bloggers to a higher standard than the NYTimes, WAPost, Reuters or AP seems a bit unfair. At least the blogging community polices itself and most bloggers will correct shortly after being notified. The same cannot be said for the larger Media-O-Sphere-AJ )

Bloggers could then pick a set of principles and post the corresponding badge on their page, to indicate to readers what kind of behavior and dialogue they will engage in and tolerate. The whole system would be voluntary, relying on the community to police itself. ( When the BIG guys do it, then the little will follow.-AJ )

A subtext of both sets of rules is that bloggers are responsible for everything that appears on their own pages, including comments left by visitors. They say that bloggers should also have the right to delete such comments if they find them profane or abusive. (Why does this deserve a loud "Duh"... "No Sheep Sherlock" as we said about the Blinding Flash of the Obvious in grade school-AJ)

That may sound obvious, but many Internet veterans believe that blogs are part of a larger public sphere, and that deleting a visitor’s comment amounts to an assault on their right to free speech. It is too early to gauge support for the proposal, but some online commentators are resisting. ()I wonder where these same folks stand on the War With No Name? Will these dhimmies seek permission to live and breathe-? How do they choose to shop, dine, travel? AJ)

Mr. O’Reilly said the guidelines were not about censorship. “That is one of the mistakes a lot of people make — believing that uncensored speech is the most free, when in fact, managed civil dialogue is actually the freer speech,” he said. “Free speech is enhanced by civility.”

The Rules At This Lemonade Stand:

1) Be polite.
2) I will try not to be boring.
3) I am responsible for goes up here.
4) If you don't like the rules go set up your own stand.
5) Nothing is free. See #1 and #2 above. When in doubt see #3 & #4

Yale Law Professors have a wordy discussion about the similar issues of AutoAdmit and related scurrilous blog commentators. Prof Althouse adds some thoughts

Here's a big write-up on the codification efforts in the NYT:

A subtext of both sets of rules is that bloggers are responsible for everything that appears on their own pages, including comments left by visitors.

This is a terribly damaging idea that would stultify debate. But I do think bloggers need to respond and delete when they are notified about certain things, like threats of violence, clear libel, and the fraudulent appropriation of a person's name.

[The codifiers] say that bloggers should also have the right to delete such comments if they find them profane or abusive.

Should? Obviously, we do have this right! I think the point must be that other people don't have the right to criticize a blogger who deletes something if it's whatever The Code ends up saying is deletable. But that is absurd. If there is a code defining deletability, people will argue about whether the standard of deletability is met and also -- not everyone will subscribe to The Code -- about how deleting is repressive. And, of course, there will be assertions of selective deletion -- that is, people will accuse the blogger of only deleting the profane/abusive comments that go against the blogger's ideology. And these accusations will probably be correct. But we'll have to argue about whether they are correct.

Won't that be fascinating?

She then cites some familiar voices:

As you can see from Memeorandum (and as you would predict), a lot of bloggers are writing about the NYT article. Here's Captain Ed:

This is one of those well-intentioned but doomed reform efforts that sound reasonable but will have no chance of changing anything. Before the reform leaves the dock, it has already split into several "standards", which will cause confusion on which logo means what rules and under which circumstances. Bloggers and commenters will have to look for logos, and then will endlessly argue over each individual post or comment as to whether it meets the guidelines....

Most of us came into the blogosphere to get away from editorial restrictions imposed by others. We allow our own judgments and values to guide our publications. That may result in some bruised feelings from time to time, but our readers make the decision as to whether we have met their editorial guidelines, and that should be good enough in a free market.

Ntodd -- who is always saying mean things about me! -- says:

Why do we need any "recommendations" from the leading lights of Web2.0? The whole point of blogging is to bring personal styles and thoughts to bear, not to follow some guidelines that wicked smart people who earn money doing consulting think up.

Oh yeah, sure, they're soliciting comments, like this will be some big Come To Blogger Jesus thing and we'll all talk about our feelings, sing Kumbaya, tearfully hug each other at the end of camp and promise to write each other. Then as soon as Mom and Dad pick up us, we'll promptly go back to our old lives and friends and forget about Tim and Jimmy and the cute girl--you know, whatsername--in Tent #4 and the camp mascot dog, Sadie.

Virgil Libertas calls the NYT "Miss Blog-o-Manners" and tells it to "go piss up a rope."

It is nice to see the Times has its eyes firmly on the important issues of our day, rather than unpleasant shit like Iraq, or Afghanistan, or Darfur....

Now that I think about it, the NYT really has an interest in siding with the blog-o-niceness movement. Bloggers are a threat to the Times in part because we can do so many things that a mainstream newspaper can't. So wouldn't it be great if we were stuck with their standards? Stop being vicious and wild! Write like the NYT, and maybe people will just read the NYT. (Anything to get some readers-AJ)

Here's Dan Drezner:

I hereby predict it will go nowhere...

The one fascinating thing about [NYT writer Brad] Stone's story is what's not in it. Despite endless complaints about rising partisanship in the blogosphere, no example was given of declining civility in the poliitical [sic] blogosphere. That doesn't mean it's not happening, of course, but it's still surpring that Stone failed to offer up such an example.

I hope people wake up and notice how the Kathy Sierra story is being leveraged (something I talked about here). A woman received real threats of violence. Those threats are criminal, and Sierra's case is being handled by the police, as well it should be. Nasty, cruel, ugly, unfair, mocking, abusive speech is a completely different matter. Anyone who blends the two subjects is selling out free speech and should be called on it right away. This repressive movement is gaining momentum. Be alarmed now, before it digs in any further.

Anyone who wants to write a nice, well-mannered blog with a kindly, benevolent comments section is welcome to do it. But if they also want to stigmatize cutting, mocking, aggressive speech, I'm going to aggressively cut and mock them. Of course, they have the freedom to try to stigmatize the bloggers like me who don't want to be nice, but all they can really do is be nice, nice, nice themselves. And readers will decide for themselves who they want to read.

If you've followed the discussion this far, I'll toss back in a reminder about the Rules .

The Rules At This Lemonade Stand:

1) Be polite.
2) I will try not to be boring.
3) I am responsible for goes up here.
4) If you don't like the rules go set up your own stand.
5) Nothing is free. See #1 and #2 above. When in doubt see #3 & #4

Getting "wrapped around the axel" over the rights of commentators vs the rights of the blog owner vs threats of violence vs Free Speech is just spinning readers in circles. People who will not defend their ownership rights will lose them. Those who will defend their rights find the strength to help others in their struggle. This dynamic is a foundation for civilization. That this needs explaining, clarification, expansion and defending shows why we have many enemies who doubt our willingness to be strong enough to survive a test or ten. Yes, it does relate to the "War With No Name". This is ultimately a war about our civilization

If the blog owner is not responsible for is posted the audience will flee. If the blog owner surrenders to abuse and trash, the audience will flee. If the blog owner chooses to publish abuse and trash, the audience will flee.

The marketplace of ideas like any other marketable commodity will go to those who provide value for expenditure. Abuse and trash are common. People will not seek it out and will shun places where it grows wild.

UPDATE: I LOVE THE INTERNET-!

Scrappleface offers civility offsets for those who absolutely positively feel they must abuse and trash others.... Send em money via Paypal.....
I Love this country. Every problem is a profit opportunity

UPDATE:
LGF shows what happens when the abusers slip thru the screen. He reasonably asks if you would want this on your blog. I ask, would you bother to read it?

Slashdot.com weighs in with a report. I guess everyone has an opinion about the cnsorship-civility divide.