TechnoLawyer: Technology Industry/Legal Profession

Most of us only have time to read essential publications that cover our respective industry. But for all the information junkies out there, these five technology blogs don't cover anything related to the legal profession, but you'll probably like them a lot all the same. I certainly do.

Techmeme: Bill Gates probably reads Techmeme. Part search engine, part blog, Techmeme uses an algorithm to list the most important technology articles, and updates the list constantly throughout the day.

Infectious Greed: Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Maybe Gordon Gekko was right all along. In this blog, Paul Kedrosky provides some of the sharpest insight on the media and technology sectors (primarily public companies).

TechCrunch & GigaOm: A two for one since both of these blogs cover the same beat — technology startups. TechCrunch excels at breaking news and product reviews, whereas GigaOm excels at analysis. In other words, they go together like peanut butter and chocolate (sorry, I don't like jelly).

Don Dodge on the Next Big Thing: Picture this: A middle manager at Microsoft starts a blog and becomes more popular and highly-regarded than many in Microsoft's senior ranks. That's what happened to Robert Scoble. Expect history to repeat itself with Don Dodge.

ValleyWag: Though it has lost some its edge (outlandishness?), ValleyWag remains the best source for Silicon Valley gossip. For example, did you know that Google co-founder Sergey Brin tied the knot last week? The wedding invitation simply told guests to show up for a ride in the Google jet (which eventually landed in the Bahamas).

About TechnoEditorials
A TechnoEditorial is the vehicle through which we opine and provide tips of interest to managing partners, law firm administrators, and others in the legal profession. TechnoEditorials appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

Coming May 18, 2007 to Fat Friday: Blake Bailey shares his thoughts on Preservation Demand letters and other issues associated with amended Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26, Ruth Sternglantz responds to a recent post on practicing public interest law, Charles Beach laments about the shortcomings of smartphones and proposes an alternative, Kevin Svec explains how to end the Word v. WordPerfect debate once and for all, and Peter Shafran provides an update on the saga of criminal defense lawyer Joseph Caramagno. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming May 11, 2007 to Fat Friday: David Ventker discusses how he reduced overhead expenses in his litigation boutique by going paperless, Daniel Fennick reviews CD ripping service Ready to Play, Thomas Beltran reviews his experience getting his Dell laptop repaired, Rob Howard reviews his Treo 700p and compares it to the iPhone, and JP Siou sets the record straight regarding Outlook's advanced search function. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming May 4, 2007 to Fat Friday: Mark Bassett reviews Any Password Pro for login and password management, Harry Steinmetz discusses the benefits of using PowerPoint properly, Michael Harnois shares his experience activating his Acrobat 8 Professional upgrade, Stephen Silverberg reviews Sony versus Olympus digital dictation recorders, and David O'Connell discusses the role of insurers in tort litigation. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming April 27, 2007 to Fat Friday: Paul Lepine reviews his VXI Tuffset telephone switch box for telephone and dictation (an update on a Post from three years ago), Wells Anderson clarifies Time Matters' current support policy and points to some free Time Matters resources on the Web, Ben Schorr explains why Outlook has a size limit on Rules and how this limit has changed in Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, Stephen Adams reviews his experience with Dell tech support and laptop repair services, and Julia Gordon responds to a recent TechnoFeature article about hardware and software upgrades. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

By now you've heard about the charges being dropped against the three Duke students. I'm a Duke graduate who disagreed with the decision to put the kibosh on the entire lacrosse program. Forget the team. That was unfair to the fans. Duke's president repeatedly implored us alumni to let the legal system run its course. Fine, but that means innocent until proven guilty.

Incidentally, when I was a student, a lacrosse player dented my car while practicing in the parking lot behind the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. That knucklehead. But I digress.

As we march further into this century, it seems like all the best new talent is on the Internet. For example, take a look at video blogger Mary Katharine Ham's take on the Duke case in which she creatively excoriates the poor lawyering on the part of the prosecution. She's not a lawyer, but she thinks like one. Oh yeah — she recorded this episode in December 2006, four months ago. (Click here if you can't see the video below).

About TechnoEditorials
A TechnoEditorial is the vehicle through which we opine and provide tips of interest to managing partners, law firm administrators, and others in the legal profession. TechnoEditorials appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

Michael Arrington is a lawyer turned blogger who covers Web 2.0 companies in TechCrunch, a blog with an astounding 347,000 RSS subscriptions (that's astounding because RSS is still a niche technology as opposed to email and the Web). Like many lawyers, he has an outsized ego, strong opinions, and writing skills to match, which makes him a must read among those of us who work in online companies.

On April 12th, he published an article entitled CEO Of Rivals Involved In Securities Fraud; May Kill Yahoo Acquisition.

The next day, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, a law firm in Georgia that represents Rivals CEO Shannon Terry, sent TechCrunch a letter threatening a defamation lawsuit unless TechCrunch posted an apology and correction of alleged false statements in its April 12th article.

I know what you're thinking. Yawn. A demand letter. Big deal.

Except that Arrington posted it on TechCrunch immediately upon receipt in an article entitled Shannon Terry Is Pissed Off, Threatens Lawsuit Against TechCrunch (see snapshot above).

Naturally, posting the demand letter increased the interest in his April 12th report. Wired picked up the story as did AOL — not to mention us.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but here's how I believe this saga will play out: Shannon Terry may get a correction posted, but TechCrunch will emerge more powerful than ever. No lawsuit will ensue.

So what's the lesson? Think twice before sending a cease and desist or demand letter to a blogger, especially a powerful one. Bloggers play by different rules and believe in transparency to the extreme. While you may win the legal battle, you may lose the publicity war, which arguably matters more in today's world.

Instead, pick up the phone and call the blogger. Have a civil discussion. Point out the problem and try to negotiate an agreement behind closed doors. You might even offer the blogger an inside scoop of some sort in exchange for agreeing to your request.

In short, when it comes to blogs, use a carrot before you use a stick. You can always use a stick later if a carrot doesn't work, but the reverse does not hold true.

About TechnoEditorials
A TechnoEditorial is the vehicle through which we opine and provide tips of interest to managing partners, law firm administrators, and others in the legal profession. TechnoEditorials appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

Coming April 13, 2007 to Fat Friday: Roy Allen reviews Interwoven's FileSite client for managing Outlook email, Paolo Broggi provides some Amicus Attorney-PDA syncing tips, William Kellermann responds to a recent TechnoFeature on software upgrades, Andrea Cannavina shares her thoughts on the place of technology in the law office, and Thomas McDow explains how he achieved a seamless paperless workflow. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming April 6, 2007 to Fat Friday: Kirk Hartley advocates the need for Congress to protect the Internet from the cable and telecommunications companies, Brett Burney reviews this year's ABA TechShow, Seth Rowland responds to criticism for describing himself as a "recovered attorney," Frank Clark explains how his file naming convention works, and Gregg Larson discusses what he would do both professionally and personally if he won a million dollars. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming April 5, 2007 to Answers to Questions: Adam Drennen suggests two more ways to secure your wireless network (but also discusses their vulnerabilities), James Boatman reviews IntelliPDF BATES Stamp and provides some tips no matter which utility you use, David Bernier provides some PracticeMaster tips, Debbie Westwood shares how she made the jump from paralegal to litigation support specialist and how others can do the same, and Christopher Largay reviews his firm's upgrade to Time Matters 8.0. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a weekly newsletter in which TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers (including you if you join TechnoLawyer). Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.