Government
Philippines to Require License to Post Content
I’m attending a hearing tomorrow on a proposal by the Philippines’ National Telecommunications Commission that will require licenses for online content developers.
Yes, you read that right. The Philippine government wants to require licenses for people to create and post content online. Under the proposal’s extremely broad definition of a content developer, you would need a license just to comment on this post.
This is the most unenforceable proposal I have ever seen. What are they going to do, require five million Filipino Friendster users to get a license before posting pictures? This proposal clearly comes from the outdated mindset that only corporations can develop content.
It’s a public hearing, so feel free to join me. If nothing else, it’ll be good for a laugh. Click here to continue reading “Philippines to Require License to Post Content”…
WhiteHouse.gov Redesigned
Whoa, that was quick. At 12 noon EST, the exact time at which law dictates Barack Obama became President of the United States, WhiteHouse.gov switched over to a totally new design. It’s even got a blog.
The site’s copyright policy is also definite improvement over that of Obama’s transition site, Change.gov: all government-produced content is public domain as required by law, while all user-submitted content goes under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license.
New media posers can spout all the trendy rhetoric they want — but investing the resources to keep your web site up to date on all levels (technology, content, design, licensing) is a sure sign that you’re serious about your online efforts. The instant switchover of WhiteHouse.gov sends a clear and unmistakable message: Obama is serious about harnessing the Internet as a tool for governance.
