Surfette

The new BlogHer Network beta site has launched

I just posted LIVE from the BlogHer beta. Join us!

I am exhausted and absolutely blown away by the editors and developer Laura Scott. As I wrote in a link earlier, all I need is a few hours of sleep and I'll be back to gilding their shrines...

BlogHer 2006 registration opens

Last year we sold out. So register now (more information here).  I think this year's BlogHer Conference will be terrific. But don't just take my word for it -- check out danah boyd, Antonella Pavese, and of course Elisa Camahort, who is spearheading the conference planning effort whilst I wrangle a new Web site that launches Monday, Jan. 30. Meanwhile, Jory Des Jardins is out wrangling the very sponsors who will make it possible to keep the conference growing at the grassroots level.

More: Are you new to the story of BlogHer Conference '06, the second annual conference for women bloggers? Read the backstory and the blog for more information. Thanks.

Updated: Roe v. Wade and three must-reads

I rarely out my own political beliefs on this blog.

It's rare because I spend most of my time advocating for what Americans refer to as First Amendment rights, particularly for the rights and opportunities of all women of all political and religious stripes to attain greater exposure for their writing and their beliefs. Hence BlogHer, the avowedly nonpartisan initiative I co-founded.

Fronting free speech before political party or deity is typically very comfortable for me, perhaps because I am a journalist by trade, one who has covered multiple sides of the United States' ongoing debates over the morals and practicalities of insert-your-subject-here.

In other words, I may not agree with you, but I'll go industrial-strength loca on anyone who tries to cramp your rights.

This same belief in the First Amendment and its freedoms of speech and religion force me off the fence when it comes to legal abortion. Particularly given other aspects of my life. Because I am a mother who carried a child. Because I am a stepmotherly-type-person to a 17-year-old woman. Because I grew up in a relatively remote part of the the United States.

So today I need to publicize that I believe in a woman's right to safe and legal abortion. In honor of the 33rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, I recommend these links:

• "January 22, 2006...A Revelation..." by Sarah of Put on your Big Girl Panties and Deal with it..  (Hat-tip: Roxanne Cooper by way of Chris Nolan)
• "No, I Didn't Forget About Blogging For Choice" by Audrey of FeministMD (Hat-tip: Sour Duck)
• Update: Make that three links. Telling for Choice by Grace of State of Grace

Photo credit: U.S. Constitution, courtesy of Wikipedia.com.

Replacing the Supreme Swing Vote, Round Two

Here's a list of recent posts on my daily blog, Legal Blog Watch, where I've been writing about President Bush's nomination of 3rd U.S. Circuit Court Judge Samuel Alito to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the United States Supreme Court. I provided the same listing of posts when John Roberts was nominated and approved as the court's 17th chief justice, and when White House Counsel Harriet Miers was nominated and withdrawn.

I'll add to this list as appropriate. The most recent post is listed first:

• Updated: Supreme O'Connor's last stand and the bias of a 5th Circuit Court judge 1.18.06
• Updated: As Di-Fi waves filibuster away, Bashman ushers in a new swinger  1.16.06
• Updated: Sam "Satine" Alito and the Senate bohemians 1.13.06
• Never mind 'Roe v. Wade' -- they made Mrs. Alito cry! 1.12.06
• What senators and Dahlia Lithwick said in front of Alito's back, Day Two 1.10.06
• Okay, now that we know how much you love New Jersey, can we talk judicial philosophy? 1.9.06
• True or false? "An engrossing week of political theater, even if the outcome is foreordained"? 1.9.06
• Blawg Review #39: Check out this Alito viewing guide 1.9.06
• It's not too hard to predict the first two questions for Alito .. 1.4.06
• UPDATED: In 28 years the FISA Court has never turned down a surveillance request 12.20.06
• Roe: "A less-than-fragile majority"? 12.8.05
• When a hired gun becomes a judge: Alito's plan for "mitigating effects" of Roe v. Wade for Reagan 12.1.05
• UPDATE: "The Supremes talked about abortion rights, not Roe v. Wade"  11.30.05
• Abortion in context: From New Hampshire to Arkansas to Alito 11.29.05
• Is the anti-Alito ad true? Of Factcheck.org and Fox  11.23.05
• Could Alito swing death decisions to the right? 11.22.05
• Great political ad!! Too bad it's for a judge. 11.17.05
• I hope I get nominated for the Supreme Court so that I can dismiss what I did when I was 20 11.16.05
• Alito: "The Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion." 11.15.05
• Alito's college advisor on nominee's view of abortion, guns and accused 11.8.05
• Updated: Alito on civil rights 11.7.05
• Updated: Alito and the Family and Medical Leave Act 11.7.05
• Update: Putting the Roe v. Wade litmus test to voters  11.3.05
• Reading Alito's record: Family and Medical Leave Act 11.2.05
• Reading Alito's record: Legal abortion 11.2.05
• Reading Alito's record: Civil rights 11.2.05
• Gallup Poll: Putting the Roe v. Wade litmus test to voters  11.2.05
• Alito: Day two reader 11.1.05
• Nominee #3: Samuel Alito 10.31.05

Question: Do Internet companies need to be regulated to ensure they respect free expression?

Note: Bured in the BlogHer Web site relaunch as I have been, I worked on this post sporadically for five days. In that time, both Rebecca MacKinnon and Dan Gillmor beat me to the punch. I recommend reading their posts.

Answer: Yes -- the question is by whom.

Here's how to advocate for free speech in a free-market economy: Focus on the lowly mouse. The one attached to your computer, I mean, and those operated by the millions of wallet-bearing consumers online. Because these hard-wired rodents will chew up legislative lemmings every time.

Here's what I'm on about: In light of recent activities by various technology companies (including Yahoo! and Microsoft) to restrict freedom of speech in China and elsewhere, international free speech advocates Reporters Without Borders is circulating this petition urging these companies to change.

Terrific, I thought, when I got the email from the impressive Julien Pain. Sign me up.

Then I read the petition. Specifically, Reporters Without Borders wants me to sign a petition advocating that the American government restrict free trade by American companies.

Uh-oh, I thought. Don't sign me up. Not only is that never going to sell on this side of the pond, it's not going to mount an effective long-term blow to the heart of the problem. Here's an excerpt from the petition's fine print:

• Internet censorship technologies

Reporters Without Borders proposes two options :

Option a : US companies would no longer be permitted to sell Internet censorship software to repressive states.

Option b : They would still be able to market this type of software but it will have to incorporate a list of “protected” keywords that are rendered technically impossible to censor.

• Internet surveillance technology and equipment

US companies would have to obtain the express permission of the Department of Commerce in order to sell to a repressive country any technology or equipment which can be used to intercept electronic communications or which is specifically designed to assist the authorities in monitoring Internet users.

• Training

US companies would have to obtain the express permission of the Department of Commerce before providing any programme of training in Internet surveillance and censorship techniques in a repressive country.

* A list of countries that repress freedom of expression would be drawn up on the basis of documents provided by the US State Department and would be appended to the code of conduct or law that is adopted. This list would be regularly updated.

I want free trade to be the hammer for free speech--with consumers delivering the blows. While I have and will continue to criticize what has happened to these bloggers (see my posts here, here, here, here, and my support of this press release), I do not think restricting the free market is the way to win the hearts and minds of American consumers. And it's American consumers and their purchasing behavior that stands to alter long-term policy at technology companies. Just ask Nike or Gap.

If customers vote with their wallets, boardrooms will listen. That's one of the reasons I applaud Reporters Without Borders for recruiting 25 investment companies to sign a Joint Statement on Freedom of Expression and the Internet, in which:

"The signatories affirm that respect for free expression is one of the criteria they will take into account when analysing a company’s human rights record. The signatories state they will step up their monitoring of Internet sector companies whose business activities have an impact on the free flow of information online. And they also undertake to support resolutions favouring free expression that are presented at shareholders’ meetings."

And after watching this circus for the past three-plus days, in which Mr. Alito's participation in an exclusive men's club got more press and reaction than the subjects of legal abortion, torture or wiretapping, do I want to delegate to this body the will to forcefully advocate for free speech for Chinese residents? Um, no.

So I don't plan to sign this petition. But I'll continue to advocate for free speech. Inside China -- and out.

Help me guest-interview Global Voices founders Rebecca MacKinnon and Ethan Zuckerman for Yi-Tan

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's Yi-Tan conference call, in which I'll guest-interview Global Voices Online co-founders Rebecca MacKinnon and Ethan Zuckerman one month after their second annual summit.

I hope you'll join us (here's how) -- and I welcome your questions on the Yi-Tan wiki or via email. Here's more about Yi-Tan and more about Founder Jerry Michalski. And here's the teaser I posted on the wiki (see link above):

Listening to Global Voices
Yi-Tan Weekly Tech Call #66
Monday, January 9,  2006

• "Images from Palestine: School Book" posted by Haitham Sabbah
• "Egypt: The Massacre of the Sudanese Refugees" by Mostafa Hussein
• "No Longer a Bridge to Caracas" by Iria Puyosa

You won't find these stories by tuning in to the BBC or to CNN. In fact, if you search Google News, chances are that you won't even find a story in the mainstream media about the citizen journalism site that delivered these stories. Yet Global Voices Online is an award-winning news destination of choice for more than 300,000 international visitors a month.  An IRC Chat will be available during the call, here.

Lisa Stone is looking forward to guest-hosting Monday's Yi-Tan call, in which we'll talk what's next for Global Voices Online. Called "the United Nations of blogging" by The Guardian, Global Voices reports on arguably more countries than the BBC, leveraging cheap, easy blogging technology to write about bloggers around the world. A little over a year since it launched, the site gets 300,000 visitors a month. In a conversation with co-founders Rebecca MacKinnon and Ethan Zuckerman one month after their second annual summit, we'll ask: 

See you Monday at 10:30am Pacific, 1:30pm Eastern time.

• What does it mean to be a "conversation community"? Are you an alternative world news agency? A stage for global activism? An international collection of diaries? Will your site always be English only? Take us down the road three to five years.
• How does this "conversation community" take its next steps, when so many bloggers live in countries that lack a free press? How about when many of these countries are at war?
• What do you want and/or need from the first world and why? Money? Attention? Feedback?