I’ve got a backlog of tech-related topics to discuss and wanted to take the opportunity to dispose of them. Some of these issues may be covered more thoroughly in the future but in the mean time I encourage you to check out the links for yourself.

Anti-Spam Legislation

I hate spam as much as anyone, but some new proposals for reducing unsolicited emails have me worried. One of the more appealing strategies comes from Larry Lessig, a professor of law at Stanford and one of my favorite authors. Lessig has put his job on the line by backing the REDUCE Spam Act [pdf link]. The legislation would require strict labeling of spam and would enable “a bounty system to pay people who hunt down those who fail properly to label.” Declan McCullagh criticizes Lessig’s proposal on a number of grounds, primarily that it would simply redirect spammers to off-shore bases of operation that are less receptive to U.S. law. This argument seems pretty damning but I am not yet ready to help Lessig find a new job.

War Driving

A bill in the New Hampshire legislature would legalize so-called “war-driving,” the process of driving through a residential neighborhood scanning for open wireless access points. The bill would put the burden of protecting a wireless network squarely on the shoulders of the network’s owner. The EFF has spoken out in favor of the legislation, a step that the organization argues is in-tune with the open networking movement.

Everything Else