Follow Me on Twitter
I am now posting regularly on Twitter. I have two feeds, one is my individual feed and the other is a collection of news headlines about Internet law. Here are the links to the two feeds:
http://twitter.com/steveimparl (my personal feed)
http://twitter.com/ilawguide (news headlines about Internet law)
If you’re not already using Twitter, you can sign up for this free micro-blogging tool at http://twitter.com.
Happy tweeting!
I Am Now Blogging at LawyerCasting(tm)
I’m happy to announce that I am now a guest blogger at the LawyerCasting blog. Published by eLawMarketing (and edited by attorney/Internet marketer Joshua Fruchter), LawyerCasting covers “‘best practices’ in online marketing for lawyers and law firms, including websites, blogs, podcasts, webcasts, email marketing and much more!”
It’s a real pleasure to be working with Josh Fruchter at LawyerCasting. I also blog at JD Bliss Blog, as I mentioned here (link takes you to another of my sites).
My first entry at LawyerCasting is about “16 Ways Lawyers Can Use Twitter.”
Blogging at JD Bliss has taught me a lot and allowed me to connect with some great people and do a lot of networking online. I am looking forward to the same kinds of opportunities in my work with LawyerCasting. Blawg on!
Blawg Review # 187 Is Now Online at LawyerCasting
Joshua Fruchter, the Editor and Publisher of LawyerCasting, is hosting this week’s Blawg Review. In honor of Evolution Day, Blawg Review # 187 has a theme of “survival.” It has a collection of many links to informative blawg articles, organized around the following general topics.
- State of the Legal Industry
- Advice for Individual Attorneys
- Excel at your work
- Switch practice areas
- Go solo
- Leave law
- Advice for Law Firms
- Conserve cash
- Consider (and reconsider) the need for and value of layoffs
- Focusing on existing clients
- Continue marketing cost-effectively and creatively
- Bailout money
Overall, Blawg Review # 187 offers practical suggestions and tools for lawyers and law firms working to “survive” in today’s challenging economy. These are strategies that attorneys and their firms need to go from merely surviving to thriving. Read it!
Matt Homann’s Ten New Rules of Legal Marketing
At the [non]billable hour, Matt Homann offers Ten New Rules of Legal Marketing. It’s a great list and I am going to implement most, if not all, of these ideas for my own firm.
I particularly like his idea of sending greeting cards for Thanksgiving. That reminds me of when I have sent out “Happy New Year” cards to help myself stand out from the crowd and to greet people who didn’t celebrate a holiday in December.
Ideas for Twittering Lawyers
Inspired by the practices of some leading businesses, LawyerCasting(tm) shares some suggestions for lawyers who want to use Twitter more effectively.
Attention-grabbing Headline from Japan about an Alleged Virtual Killing
The startling title reads, “Woman Jailed for ‘Killing’ Virtual Spouse.” When I first read that, I said, “Hmm…” A few seconds later, I concluded, “Nah. No way.” You can read the details here.
Of course, the woman went to jail on suspicion of having committed a crime, but there was no real killing in this case. (Or was there? Some might argue that I am displaying here some sort of prejudice against non-carbon-based life forms.)
However, this story raises a number of legal, journalistic, philosophical, social, ethical, and logical questions that one could discuss. It is a fascinating story in some ways.
What disturbs me, though, is the headline. Yes, I see that “Killing” appears in quotation marks. It’s a special use of a word that might not have the meaning it does in everyday language. Still, the suspect is being held for an alleged unauthorized access to a computer and unlawfully “manipulating electronic data.” Would I even know about this case if the alleged unlawful manipulation of the digital persona had been something more mundane like changing his virtual clothing? I doubt it.
At least the headline didn’t refer to a “murder.” However, the article itself did call the act a “virtual murder.”
Because this case appears to be an investigation into a fairly straightforward alleged computer crime, I’ll be surprised if I see much more coverage of it. On the other hand, I am now pondering what this news story and its headline say about us as human beings.
Internet Law News Headlines Return, Again
Yes, I know they were offline and returned just a few months ago. In the interim, I have moved my home and office to a new neighborhood in Chicago and have figured out a solution about how I will keep the headlines synchronized on two Web sites.
If things go as planned, regular publication should continue from this point forward. Thanks, readers, for your patience.
Update on Entrepreneurs Transcending Disabilities
Our two EnTranDis groups are growing. The Facebook group has 9 members, and the LinkedIn group now has 13 members. While growth is a little slower than I had hoped, the group members have an interesting mix of diverse backgrounds and I am confident that the groups will continue to grow and become a solid resource for networking for small business owners and the professionals who provide services to them.
Here are the direct links to the groups.
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=13185520994
LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=79807
Please note that you must be a member of Facebook or LinkedIn to view and join the groups there.
Finally, if you have any questions about this initiative, please e-mail me at steve@imparl.com.
What Legal Issues Does All of This Raise?
The New York Times has an interesting article on blogs as media. No doubt, all of this blogging will raise a lot of legal issues. Some of those questions will be similar to traditional concerns about freedom of the press, but since we are now the “media,” as David Carr observes, we will have to consider the rights and duties of individuals–the regular guy on the street–as well as those organizations that have traditionally played the roles of publishers and distributors.
Hat tip to Rick Myers.
Legal Hazards of the Virtual World
In today’s edition of Computing (UK), Charlotte Walker-Osborn has published a very interesting article, entitled “Very real legal issues exist in a virtual world.” I haven’t spent a lot of time in virtual worlds; however, I have set up an identity in Second Life, so I do have a presence there and have explored it a bit.
It’s helpful to have a basic introduction to some of the potential legal issues like those attorney Walker-Osborn has provided.
IOC Knew of China’s Olympic Censorship Plans
While it doesn’t surprise me, this news is deeply troubling.
The International Olympic Committee has admitted it knew China planned to block some Internet access for journalists covering the Beijing Olympic Games, despite promising media freedom.
IOC spokesman Kevan Gosper said Wednesday some International Olympic Committee officials had negotiated with China that some sensitive Web sites would be blocked because they were not related to the games.
Olympic organizers previously had promised foreign reporters unrestricted media access during the games, from August 8 through August 24.
But foreign journalists in Beijing reported today that they have been unable to access Web sites for the human rights group Amnesty International, the Falun Gong spiritual movement, and the Tibetan government-in-exile.
Amnesty International is appealing to the Beijing and International Olympic committees to fulfill their commitment to full media freedom.
Reporters Without Borders published a guide on the Internet today with tips for journalists working in China. The guide advises how to get around Internet firewalls, and how to lock computer files and find safe translators.
The Paris-based organization advises reporters to conduct phone calls and write e-mails knowing that they may be monitored.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
Source: Voice of America News, July 30, 2008
Here are a few links to additional coverage:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/07/30/ST2008073002956.html
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/07/2008-summer-o-1.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sally-jean-kearney/china-tear-down-that-grea_b_115955.html
The IOC now has egg on its face, as it should. To put it bluntly, they lied. Their actions with respect to freedom of speech and freedom of the press in China are deplorable. The IOC has convinced me that the modern Olympic games are now mainly about money; sport is entirely secondary.
As an athlete, albeit a lower-level amateur and recreational athlete, this news saddens me. By these actions, the IOC has lost credibility. Whatever happened to the “glory of sport” and the “honor of our teams” that the Olympic games are supposed to embody, as stated in the athlete’s oath recited at the opening ceremony of each quadrennial gathering.
The IOC imposes harsh sanctions on athletes who are found to have engaged in doping or have used banned performance-enhancing drugs. While such punitive measures seem quite appropriate in the abstract, the IOC has now lost significant moral authority to impose any sanctions upon anyone. They engaged in secret, underhanded, behind-the-scenes dealing to placate China’s Communist leadership and they lied when they said the news media would have unrestricted access to Internet sites from within China. They outright lied. Plain and simple.
I think the modern Olympics have long outlived their usefulness. I no longer see any justification for the extravagant sums of money spent around the games, and I certainly don’t want to see them come to my home city of Chicago in 2016.
It’s time we abolish the IOC and the modern Olympic games. Let’s take the resources spent on them and use those resources to promote things like these:
- better physical education for children and young adults in schools;
- expanded and improved sports programs for people with various kinds of disabilities;
- more health and fitness initiatives in the workplace, in all sectors of the economy; and
- sports and fitness programs for senior citizens.
Enough of showering elite athletes–a tiny fraction of one percent of all athletes worldwide–with such a disproportionate share of economic resources allocated to sport. Enough of the political gamesmanship that seems to creep into every Olympic games at some level. Enough of the professional athletes replacing amateur athletes at the games. Enough of the IOC and it’s sneaky, cowardly dealings.
Get rid of it all and use the resources for the immediate benefit of more people. Sport is for everyone, not just the few who are extraordinarily athletically gifted.
ICANN Announces Major Overhaul to Domain Naming System
This is going to have a huge impact on the Internet, probably beyond anything we can even imagine yet. Details from ICANN are here.
Internet Law News Headlines Have Returned
After a variety of technical challenges, the Internet Law News Headlines are back in action. They should be available on the usual publishing schedule of several times per week.
JD Bliss Webinar with Carolyn Elefant: “From BigLaw to YourLaw: The Secrets of Starting and Growing a Successful Solo Law Practice”
Attention all lawyers:
Many of you know that I am a guest blogger and regular contributor at the JD Bliss Blog. I’m thrilled to post this announcement about Carolyn Elefant’s upcoming webinar.
JD Bliss is proud to announce a new webinar on Tuesday, June 3, 2008 at 12:30 PM EST:
From BigLaw to YourLaw: The Secrets of Starting and Growing a Successful Solo Law Practice
with
Carolyn Elefant, Esq.
Attorney, Author, Blogger and Consultant
During this 60-minute webinar, Carolyn Elefant, Esq., successful solo attorney, author of Solo by Choice, and publisher of the popular MyShingle blog for solo lawyers, will cover the nuts and bolts of starting up and growing your own successful solo law practice.
Attendees will learn:
- The 9 reasons lawyers leave law firms to start their own practices
- How to evaluate whether starting your own law firm is the right choice for you
- How to write a business plan for your new firm
- Techniques to identify potential clients and markets
- 3 easy marketing tools to help build your reputation
- How to negotiate an amicable departure from your current firm without “burning bridges”
- And much more. . . . . .
Date: Tuesday, June 3, 2008 at 12:30 pm EST
Location: Participate remotely from the comfort of your own office or conference room via a webex connection!
We look forward to greeting you!
I’m reading Carolyn’s new book, Solo by Choice, and am thoroughly enjoying it. I recommend that you read the book and attend her webinar on June 3 to take advantages of these opportunities to learn about solo practice from Carolyn’s extensive experience and clear, practical, and interesting way of presenting information about this exciting sector of our profession.
First RSS Awareness Day
My Guest Article at Daily Blog Tips: “10 Essential Legal Points for Bloggers”
My guest article, “10 Essential Legal Points for Bloggers,” is posted today at Daily Blog Tips. I hope you will enjoy it.
Tweet, Tweet!
I’ve been spending time on Twitter lately. It’s an interesting tool. I am not a master of it, but I am using it more frequently. I can see how it is a networking device, but exactly how is still a bit of a mystery. I’m sure I’ll figure out how to use it more effectively as I get more practice using it. In the meantime, you can find me tweeting at:
https://twitter.com/steveimparl
Daniel Scocco Releases His New E-book, Killer Domains
Daniel Scocco, the publisher of the Daily Blog Tips blog, has just released his first e-book, entitled Killer Domains: Tools & Techniques to Find the Perfect Domain Name. The book’s seven chapters cover the following topics:
1. Introduction
2. The 7 Characteristics of Good Domain Names
3. The Process of Researching Domain Names
4. Keyword Research
5. Prefixes and Suffixes
6. Tools and Resources
7. Registering and Managing Domain Names
The book is well-written, well-organized, and filled with helpful tips and examples. I like the presentation: there are numerous headings for subtopics and the discussions of those subtopics are brief and to the point. I also really like that the e-book is published as a plain PDF document; it does not contain any of the nefarious digital rights management (DRM) mechanisms that have rendered some of my other e-books unusable.
I just bought Killer Domains this morning and have not read all of it. Also, the book is not specifically about the legal issues related to domain names. However, because of my commitment to a mindfulness-based, holistic law practice, I believe that we lawyers can do a much better job of representing our clients if we understand as much as we can about the commercial, technological, and social settings in which our clients operate their businesses. In this case, learning more about the marketing aspects of selecting and using domain names will help me serve my clients better. I am eager to read all of this book.
I hope you will enjoy this book and I am confident that you will find it useful.
Disclosure of interest: Daniel Scocco is one of my clients.
Updates to this Site/Blog/Blawg
I spent a lot of time thinking about this new Web site before I started to create it. I had experimented with various models in previous versions of this site, but I always felt like something essential was lacking. Eventually, I decided that I wanted a site that was part blog (or blawg) and part traditional Web site. I also decided to use WordPress because it allows me to do that fairly easily; I can post regular entries that contain information relevant to a particular date, while I can create pages with content that is more static and changes only occasionally.
I still have a lot more content to add in the latter category–the more or less permanent pages–but I am happy with the progress so far. As long as I can remind myself that there really isn’t some Platonic ideal of a Web site or blog that I must discover and implement, I will be motivated to continue updating this site.
News Headlines Ready to Go
Work on the site continues. The Internet News Headlines are up and running and ready to go. I will send these out several times a week, perhaps daily. Feedblitz powers these news headlines and you can unsubscribe at any time. You can subscribe using the form that appears in the rightmost column of this page.