Freedom to Connect (F2C) and Why It's Important

I had a nice chat this afternoon with an old friend and colleague, David Isenberg. David and I worked for AT&T at the same time, but not together, back the the day. The days prior to his essay "Rise of the Stupid Network ". As fortune would have it, we left that mothership about the same time, headed in different directions.

One of the things David's done since then, and he's done many things, is to put together a conference called Freedom to Connect. Last year I was unable to attend due to scheduling logistics. It was one of the most important conferences for me to attend this year. Sadly, because of short notice and scheduling conflicts, I have to miss it this year as well. I wrote a bit about my frustration and disappoinment here.

As I said in that post, I've met David personally and had the pleasure of sharing dinner with him. I also know, through emails and chats over time, that David invests a great deal of himself in this conference. He doesn't make any money from it. Knowing David, I'm confident he loses money and puts more than just time into this effort. It's something he's been passionate about for years.

Here's some background, then I'll tell you why this conference is important.

F2C: Freedom to Connect updated 7Jan07

WHO: F2C is a meeting of people engaged with network connectivity and applications as vendors, customers, regulators, legislators, citizens and co-creators. This year, the theme of F2C is how networks are changing our fundamental economic and social assumptions. (F2C is produced by David S. Isenberg of isen.com, LLC.)

WHAT: F2C is a two-day meeting where the builders and users of the networked economy engage communications policy makers, network technologists, application creators, and the builders and operators of the new infrastructure.

WHEN: 8:00 AM on March 5 through 5:00 PM on March 6, 2007. Program here.

WHERE: AFI Silver Theater, Silver Spring MD. More travel, lodging and venue details here.

The web site says it - F2C is a two-day meeting where the builders and users of the networked economy engage communications policy makers, network technologists, application creators, and the builders and operators of the new infrastructure. That's important on more levels than I can document in a blog post.

One big issue that gets a lot of attention is the whole idea of Net Neutrality. I won't like and tell you I feel strongly either way. That isn't because of the issue, but because of how the issue has been framed. I struggle with that myself.

But the people involved are the ones who can help bring change. For me personally, there's a much bigger issue than Net Neutrality in play. There's a tangible digital divide in the world, even here in the US. And the have nots aren't being pulled into the digital universe at the rate they should be. That's an issue for society to address at the local, regional and global level. That problem directly impacts literacy and education. The impact of technology on society will be measured by history, and many leaders today, both in the tech sector and in policy shaping areas, will be found wanting in the balance.

Freedom of the press is an issue. It's a new issue in some parts of the world. Or perhaps not an issue because the digital divide provides a measure of control over mass publication. No matter what your thoughts, this is an important issue.

Yochai Benkler from Yale Law School sets the stage for much of that discussion. Mark Cooper from Stanford will doubtless share insights into the business side of mergers and how they impact market power (ie. control). Reed Hundt always presents a compelling story, and brings insights few of us get to see firsthand. In addition, I see Susan Crawford, Dan Gillmor, Mary Hodder, onathan Krim, Blair Levin, Cory Ondrejka, Gigi Sohn and David Weinberger on the speakers list. And I'm sure David's working to get Michael Powell to join the conversation. David's relentless at times.

But it isn't just these leaders. People like Bob Frankston, Martin Geddes, Jerry Michalski, Tom Evslin, Bruce Kushnik, Doc Searlsand Tim Wu participated last year as I recall. And some other bright minds like Dean Landsman and Frank Paynter. This conference truly isn't about the speakers. It's about the conversation. The conversation in the hallways, in the restaurant, and at the coffee pot. Some of the keenest minds on our planet join in this conversation. This is the kind of conference that will open your eyes and make you think anew about some of the issues we're all faced with.

'm still very disappointed that I can't be there, but I can't. And I know given it's coming soon, many of you can't either. If you're close, available, and can attend, I encourage you to get there. And if you can't, read the blogs, watch your RSS feeds and pay close attention to the conversations that come out of F2C. This conference will set the stage and frame the conversation for more than one issue we'll be talking about for the next year or two.