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Obama Appoints Gamers To FCC Post


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http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.77617

 

Obama Appoints Gamers To FCC Post

Andy Chalk posted on 19 Nov 2008 12:52 pm

barack obama, fcc transition team, kevin werbach, pong, president-elect, second life, susan crawford, world of warcraft

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The videogame generation is in The House: President-Elect Barack Obama has appointed a pair of Net Neutrality advocates and MMOG fans to head his FCC transition team.

 

Wharton assistant professor of legal studies and business ethics Kevin Werbach and University of Michigan communications and internet law expert Susan Crawford will co-chair the transition team, providing information to the incoming Obama administration on U.S. internet and telecommunications policies, budgetary and personnel issues. The pair are described by GigaOM as "seasoned Net Neutrality advocates," and Werbach is also a World of Warcraft player.

 

Not just a casual player, either: Werbach is a member of two guilds. "One of them was started by my friend and inveterate tech connector, Joi Ito," he wrote in a 2006 blog entry. "The other guild is very different - it's composed primarily of academics and other thinkers who study and write about virtual worlds."

 

"What [Warcraft] does is provide an incentive for people to develop new software and ideas for collaborative production," the post continues. "Many of those ideas will translate to other group activities, including those within the business world. I think MMOGs will be, at a minimum, a significant testbed for these new technologies, because users see a direct benefit and are willing to experiment with new things."

 

Crawford has some legitimate gamer cred herself, writing on her blog that she is a "huge fan of Second Life," the online virtual world that's actually more akin to a social network than a straight-out game; she admits to having trouble maneuvering in the world ("If you see an avatar spinning and gesturing meaninglessly, that's me," she wrote) but expressed admiration for the way Second Life creator Linden Lab has elected to grant IP rights to individuals who create content in the game.

 

It's far too early to predict the impact this kind of gamer experience could have on the policies recommended by Werbach and Crawford, but the simple fact that they they have the experience to draw upon represents a significant change from previous administrations. Videogames are the "new normal," and while Obama himself may not have graduated past Pong, it's good to see that he's surrounding himself with people in relevant positions who have.

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as if this would change anything lol... the only thing that would be supported by me would be a democratic elected commitee and not some powerful individuals who are the love buddies of the canadian president allowed to controle the net to their bidding

the FCC is the bad bum in the net... the badest badbum of all... even chinese hackers are nicer...

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Considering that the current batch of Commissioners of the United States' FCC are political appointees (most of whom worked on Bush/Cheney's re-election campaign), I'd hope that the incoming crew would be professionals in the communications industry (rather than former political pros, lobbyists, and senatorial aides).

 

Check out the batch who've been serving under the current administration.

http://www.fcc.gov/

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what is the fcc?

The Federal Communications Commission - a government agency of the United States charged with regulating communications, whose authority covers all wireless transmissions (including radio in all forms, broadcast TV, cable TV, cellular telephones, internet) and holds authority over matters involving labelling of cd's, amongst other things.

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what is the fcc?

The Federal Communications Commission - a government agency of the United States charged with regulating communications, whose authority covers all wireless transmissions (including radio in all forms, broadcast TV, cable TV, cellular telephones, internet) and holds authority over matters involving labelling of cd's, amongst other things.

 

In theory only, but due to the Dubya administration, what it really does is enforce right wing Christian values when it comes to network TV and creates a chilling effect for cable TV.

 

IMO, the FCC should be disbanded.

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  • 1 month later...
what is the fcc?

The Federal Communications Commission - a government agency of the United States charged with regulating communications, whose authority covers all wireless transmissions (including radio in all forms, broadcast TV, cable TV, cellular telephones, internet) and holds authority over matters involving labelling of cd's, amongst other things.

 

In theory only, but due to the Dubya administration, what it really does is enforce right wing Christian values when it comes to network TV and creates a chilling effect for cable TV.

 

IMO, the FCC should be disbanded.

 

Chilling effect?

wtf are you smokin' bro?

The Shield, Dexter, Breaking Bad, Weeds, The Wire, Big Love, Mad Men... Chilling effect?

Some of the most bad ass, non-Christian TV EVER has gone on under Bush. stfu.

IMO, you don't know wtf you're talking about.

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what is the fcc?

The Federal Communications Commission - a government agency of the United States charged with regulating communications, whose authority covers all wireless transmissions (including radio in all forms, broadcast TV, cable TV, cellular telephones, internet) and holds authority over matters involving labelling of cd's, amongst other things.

 

In theory only, but due to the Dubya administration, what it really does is enforce right wing Christian values when it comes to network TV and creates a chilling effect for cable TV.

 

IMO, the FCC should be disbanded.

No, it is a much needed organization. Yet even the better organization in the world is not a good thing if it's true purpose is not fulfilled or abused or becomes censorship instead regulatory. Seems the new government will begin with the right foot...

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