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May 17, 2005
Stupid is as Stupid Does?
I received a somewhat cryptic and disheartening email entitled "Stupidity" yesterday criticizing my recent blog entries on the FCC's likely approach to E911. The email said: "For all your brilliance, you're a damned fool. When are you going to start acting like the winner that you are?" I was seriously taken aback by the email, and felt compelled to respond as follows:
"I'm somewhat at a loss as to how to respond to your vague character assassination. I want the best possible emergency response capabilities to become available to consumers as soon as possible. I also think IP technology will vastly improve these capabilities. I, however, do not want to see E911 used as an immediate tool to bring down the industry, particularly the most vulnerable start-ups. I have had much internal debate over how to approach what we believe the FCC is doing to the industry this week, and, frankly, I felt compelled to speak up aware of the potential political consequences. I have deep concerns that the FCC is going to drastically overreach and bring down the VoIP industry (particularly the smaller start-ups without the resources to develop a nationwide solution in the absence of access to LEC-controlled selective routers) in the process. Extending immediate E911 obligations on the smallest, most-vulnerable, but most innovative IP-based communications providers does no one any good (except for a quick political soundbite). In the end, such actions might mean that no one will ever see the emergency response capabilities that IP-based communications working cooperatively with NENA could have produced."
While I don't relish ad hominen attacks without any substantive support, I do sincerely welcome honest, thoughtful input on my blogs. My blogs are often just my candid initial impressions on issues, and an effort to inform or to inspire debate and sometimes outrage. I just hope that the discussion can be on the merits of the issues.
Posted by jeff at May 17, 2005 01:09 AM