Nov 26, 2012

From: David S. Isenberg

Aparna,

Below please find my attempt to identify some of the actual
real world results from BigHook over the years.

But before I start, let me recount what one BigHook participant
noted. He said, "Looking for specific outcomes from BigHook
misses the whole point of the purpose of BigHook [which is] to
get insight on future trends, ideas and issues long before they
have reached the larger public domain."

Another observation from another participant is relevant. He
noted that each of the four times he'd been to BigHook has led
to a major impact in helping him see the world differently
through the eyes of a very diverse group of thinkers.

Furthermore, at least two prominent, articulate explicators of
the Internet to the general public agree that, " . . . just
about everything I know about the network comes from BigHook."
Another BigHook regular observes, "The BigHook Network has
proven a powerful 'force multiplier for good' over the years."

I've seen many other comments in this vein, but let me get to
the specifics you requested.

1. The most important and clearest general audience explanation
of the mismatch between spectrum policy and wireless
technology, entitled, "The Myth of Interference," by David
Weinberger, came directly from BigHook discussions with David
P. Reed. http://www.salon.com/2003/03/12/spectrum/ -- I
consider "The Myth" a M.U.S.T.-READ for everybody that gets
anywhere near technology policy.

2. A 2009 NY Times Op-Ed, "How the Internet Got its Rules," by
Steve Crocker, now Chair of ICANN, came directly from
BigHook2009. This had behind the scenes editorial help from
several BigHook participants in additon to Crocker.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/07/opinion/07crocker.html

3. The phrase, "Freedom to Connect," which is now Official U.S.
Foreign Policy with regard to the Internet, came directly a
BigHook2004 exercise in which we were brainstorming about how
to communicate what we believe about the Internet in a few
easy-to-understand words. Jon Lebkowsky said it first. Then I
re-named my public meeting, formerly WTF, Freedom to Connect.
Then Alec Ross, who spoke at F2C: Freedom to Connect in 2009,
introduced the phrase to Secretary of State Clinton, who used
it to define U.S. foreign policy regarding the Internet in 2010
and 2011. Ross acknowledged this provenance to me in an email
on the day of Clinton's first Freedom to Connect speech.
President Obama also used the phrase in a 2012 speech.

4. BigHook has been a continuing source of knowledge and news
for Dan Gillmor's columns in The Guardian, the Financial Times
and other sources dating back to his days at the San Jose
Mercury News. The most direct attribution was a column based on
a 2002 BigHook presentation by Scott Bradner entitled "Ten
Decisions that Shaped the Internet." It is available at
http://isen.com/bighook/2002/tendecisions.txt
username==bighook
password==smart

5. Bill St. Arnaud, Andrew Odlyzko, and David P. Reed, all
BigHook regulars, were invited to be expert witnesses on
Network Management before the CRTC, which resulted in rulings
largely supportive of the "open Internet", and against access
provider control of content.   This testimony can be directly
traced to BigHook interactions (and to the fact that one
BigHook participant is now a CRTC Commissioner). The result 
was a ruling largely supportive of the open Internet. One of 
the participants observed, "this particular case really can 
only be explained as due to BigHook."

6. BigHook provided a concept test, and then a stealth field
test site, for Motorola's Canopy point-to-multipoint
unlicensed wireless data product.

7. According to Art Gaylord, Chairman of OpenCape, a $40
million BTOP middle-mile fiber optic project, the design and
policies of the OpenCape network were heavily influenced by
BigHook discussions.

8. According to Sascha Meinrath, "The LPFM station that served
the Houston Astrodome post-Katrina (and later served the 9th
Ward of New Orleans) was made possible entirely due to BigHook
(and was directly responsible for reuniting countless families
during those chaotic times).  Bob Pepper [another BigHook
regular] put a rush through the FCC process and got us an
emergency license at the same time I was having a transmitter
hand-delivered from Berkeley.  Wouldn't have come together
except for BigHook."

9. A project currently in stealth mode, but in active
development, at Pixar came directly from BigHook. This had
spent four years in the Disney approval process and only
recently has gotten the "go-ahead."

10. A Slate article on implementing wireless technology in
Africa funded by ICANN gTLD proceeds is underway. The
co-authors are BigHook regulars Sascha Meinrath and Elliot
Noss.

10. Jean Russell attributes this presentation to her
interactions at BigHook: http://slidesha.re/aF3B7m She also
observes, "I have saved thousands of dollars staying with and
visiting the BH network . . . Oh, don't forget, a tremendous
amount of laughter . . ."

We also know that BigHook was a source for Lawrence Lessig's
first book, _Code, and other Laws of Cyberspace_, and 
numerous columns by Scott Bradner, Dan Gillmor, Kenn Cukier 
(an often unattributed staff reporter for The Economist), 
Susan Crawford, David Weinberger, and, very likely, others. 
Bradner lists five columns that came directly from BigHook:
http://www.sobco.com/nww/2004/bradner-2004-09-13.html
http://www.sobco.com/nww/2006/bradner-2006-10-02.html
http://www.sobco.com/nww/2006/bradner-2006-09-18.html
http://www.sobco.com/nww/2008/bradner-2008-09-15.html
http://www.sobco.com/nww/2010/bradner-2010-08-16.html

But regardless of specifics, the most important impact of
BigHook remains general, ineffable and profound. I want to
close by quoting in entirety, with no editing, an email from
Chris Mitchell, who is the most important catalyst, proponent 
of and publicist for community networking in the USA today: 

As one of the younger BH'ers, I can't describe how helpful it
has been. I made connections and strengthened connections that
have been essential for our work promoting community broadband.

BH is how I met many of you people that I would not meet
otherwise given my organization's budget and nature of work.
Each time I have attended, my head has nearly exploded from
trying to get a sense of how the Internet came to be what it is
(not all of us grew up with it like many of you did!).

I get the sense that David is actively looking for young folks
like me specifically to make sure some in the next generation
get it and I frankly cannot imagine where else I would meet you
all.

As someone still trying to fake it til I make it, Big Hook has
been an incredible learning resource that has dramatically
boosted me up the learning curve in making sense of all this. 

Aparna, I hope this helps capture some of the spirit, as well as 
the specifics, of BigBHook and illustrates why it's an important 
institution for the future of an Internet that's ope and free.

Please let me know if I can provide more information or 
disambiguate any of the above.

Best regards,
David I