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Sunday, July 13, 2003 |
I spend a lot of time digging deep into these semantic web building issues nowadays. It's amazing to find new tools and constructs everyday that fit so well into my world view. And there's LOTS of smart people running around - all of them proselytzing, conjecting, theorizing and more or less doing what they know how to do - to build this semantic web thing.
But there's two sides of every coin and I really gotta say that we need to cut the negative vibes out. Who needs the Tsurrus? (Yiddish for negative vibes?) Where I come from you can be angry, disagree with soneone and in general be pissed off at them, and still be polite.
So this stalking stuff and the previous post referring to Dave Winer as stupid - goes a little too far. I'm as much a joker, sarcastic and cynical as the next guy - but I also like making my points - with cold hard facts. The previous post (by Bill Kearney) makes a great point about simplicity and the importance of maintaining 'clean' topic spaces.
In fact I've been participating in a shared cloud of topics myself lately - and got called a 'what' instead of a 'who'. Pete Kaminski's name got mispelled, all sorts of things went wrong. But when I think about the people who pollutted our topic pool - I don't think of them as stupid.
They might be rude, in-appropriate, clumsey, cyncial or just plain wrong - but they ain't stupid.
But since I really liked what Bill Kearney was trying to say - I ran the piece anyway. But I DO wanna apologize to Dave Winer personally - as I can't control what Bill Kearney says - but I can control what I say.
As I look around at all the work that's needed to be done - I look back on who created many of the standards we have today. It would be totally cool if we could all cool out and work together with Dave. I really want to.
I have specific questions, issues and architectures that need to be implemented. If there's one thing I HAVE learned in my 25 years of doing this stuff - is that we can all learn from our mistakes. And we should leverage the knowledge and experience that's available to us.
Michael Fagan just turned me onto this... by Bill Kearney.
Syndicating topics
I've been mulling over this idea for quite a while. Basically I want to be able to find people and content based on their participation within a given context. That is, I'd like to be able to find out who's in the known within a given context based on searching across topic spaces.
That and I don't want to do it based on some half-assed limited vocabulary. Thus my desire to use things like RDF as it's much better suited for this sort of thing.
What's needed here is a reference point. Something that sites can use as a framework of topics. Something they can publish as cross-reference points from their own categories. Or, ideally, their category usage would already BE in this shared vocabulary (like WordNet for example).
This is easy enough, just emit the items with the URI for the topic applied to them. Of course you'll need to get around the stupidity of idiots like Dave Winer that falsely believe all this should be simple. Hey, I want simplicty as much as the next guy, but not if it means being so stupid.
The next step is some form of auditing that prevent idiots from improperly polluting the topic space. Without it someone could just ballot-stuff the topic space by using all sorts of topics on items that don't even come close to falling within the space. Think of how web sites try endlessly to ruin search engine indexes by stuff tons of keywords onto pages that have nothing to do with them.
Here we run into the need for some sort of reputation system. One that seeks to differentiate the valuable material from those just trying to incorrectly grab attention. I'm all for new people, outside of A-lister clique behaviors, to join topic spaces. I've seen all too well what happens when a newcomer wants to participate in a category only to have some asshole significant figure try to force them out. Reputation assignment is not a trivial task to undertake and I'm not suggesting I've got it anywhere near thought out. I recognize it's needed but applying it will be an adventure.
Then there's the temporal, or time, related aspect of this. A given person's ability to participate in a category/topic space is certainly going to be affected by the passage of time. A person posting something related to a given topic deserves some notice. A person known to be informed about a given topic, but not currently posting on it, likewise deserves notice. Then there's the person that posts on something but is widely regarded as not knowing their ass from a hole in the ground (in that topic). Yeah, it gets messy pretty quick.
I think I may know of a way to do this but it'd depend on people waking up to the value of using more sematic web-like principles. I've no idea how to get them to wake up out of the cult-like brainwashing they're stuck in presently. Some folks are starting to get it but until much wider audiences buy into the ideas this is just going to take much too long.
PRESS RELEASE
Ping Identity Releases SourceID Roadmap, Expanding Open Source Support for Identity Federation via SAML 1.1, WS-Security, WS-Trust and WS-Federation Specifications
Roadmap expands SourceID Identity Platform to encompass all major standards for identity federation, including support of IBM and Microsoft’s WS-Federation specifications
Denver, CO – July 8, 2003 – Ping Identity Corporation (www.pingidentity.com), the leading federated identity management software and network provider, today announced a roadmap for its SourceID Identity Platform. The roadmap includes expanded support for federated identity standards including Liberty Alliance Phase 2, SAML 1.1, and the newly released WS-Security family of specifications.
“Federated identity management is starting to gain traction with early innovators, and we’re committed to providing an open, interoperable platform for deploying identity federations using SourceID,” said Andre Durand, CEO of Ping Identity Corporation. “First generation standards like SAML continue to provide a basic foundation for simple circles of trust, and the emergence and growth of business-to-business web services is driving the need for a web-services centric platform for federation. We’re pleased to endorse IBM and Microsoft’s WS-Federation specification.”
The future roadmap for the SourceID Identity Platform will include:
• Continued support for the Liberty Alliance specifications (Phase 2)
• Support for the WS-Security family of specifications (Security, Trust & Federation)
• A full implementation of the Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) 1.1
This roadmap ensures that the SourceID Identity Platform maintains its leadership role in the emerging federated identity space. In particular, the roadmap reflects the growing need for standards compliance and interoperability between differing approaches to identity federation. By providing these capabilities in an open source platform, PingID ensures that there will be open, interoperable choices for customers looking to federate.
SourceID provides standards-based identity federation in a lightweight toolkit in both Java and .NET environments. SourceID seamlessly integrates with existing authentication, authorization, and user directory infrastructure to provide effective federated identity solutions. SourceID can be used in conjunction with the PingID Network, providing risk and liability, quality and trust services to corporations creating federations.
About SourceID
SourceID (http://www.sourceid.org) is the leading open source project for federated identity management. SourceID provides world-class tools, applications, and infrastructure for federated identity management, while adhering to open protocols and standards including Liberty Alliance specifications, SAML and the WS-Security family of specifications.
About Ping Identity Corporation
Ping Identity Corporation (www.pingidentity.com), a leading federated identity management software and network provider, is the founding sponsor of SourceID (www.sourceid.org), an open source project delivering a unique platform for identity federation, and the driving force behind the PingID Network (www.pingid.com), the first member-owned identity network. Ping provides both the technology and business services required by enterprises as they engage partners, suppliers and customers in secure identity federation.
 And now, a little RDF.
The Practical RDF book rolls off the assembly line this week and I need to provide some support for it, including re-awakening the Practical RDF weblog and writing some articles for O'Reilly.
No time for a vacation -- I have a book to sell.
This last week was a bitch of a week from a personal relationship point of view. As a reaction I can either turn off and go silent, sitting in a virtual darkness, sulking. Or I can tune in and do something constructive.
Constructive it is.
Besides, no time for tears --- I have a book to sell. [Burningbird]
Congrats to Shelly Powers (Burningbird) on her book! I may even have to get a copy!
I just called Jing Jing and told them to expect 25 people. I bet it's going to be more. I've been getting lots of RSVPs. They're good at handling large groups. Marc Canter won't be able to be there, so we'll have to figure out how to order on our own. [Scripting News]
Here's the formula for ordering for large groups...... at a Chinese place......
For every 10 people......
- 2 orders of potstickers
- 2 orders onion cake
- one spicey mixed dish (shrimp, beef, scallops, etc.)
- one noodle dish
- one shrimp thingie
- one chicken thingie
- one beef thingie
- one veggie thingie
- one fancy, coolio kind of thingie (fish, house special)
- one pork thingie
then multiply # of dishs by modula of 10.
FOAF Contradictions.
FOAF Contradictions
Q: If I can say what I like in a FOAF file, even say nothing, and if I can use any semantic web vocabularies at all, all mixed together, how can we ever know if a FOAF file is 'wrong' (broken, in error)?
A: Which answer do you want...? ;)
One part of the answer relates to the detection of inconsistencies in FOAF data.
In particular, checking for documents that contradict themselves is becoming possible, thanks to our use of W3C's Web Ontology language (OWL).
So I wrote a bit about this in the FOAF wiki, see the FoafContradictions article there. I hope to expand on it with more examples and detail about how OWL works, so am writing in wiki rather than weblog mode this time. It should be readable and hopefully useful now.
A natural topic for further attention would be the discovery of disagreements between documents. That's a rich area to explore, as it combines a variety of techniques, eg. logical (people only have one foaf:dateOfBirth) and statistical (20% of FOAF files think my surname is 'Brinkley', maybe they're right...). This is an important topic as it relates to trust strategies, to dealing with stale / dated information, and to the practical problems inherent in any 'semantic web search engine' efforts. But I didn't write about it yet. Take a look at the FoafContradictions piece and let me know if that's a useful level of detail to attempt...[RDFWeb and Friend of a Friend (FOAF)]
I just love the idea of automating and resolving the process of contradiction, trust and verification of identity. It's one of those things you run into when building sopcial networks. As long as the network is a closed world - like Friendster or LinkedIn - then you can control what's going on.
But in an open identity system - who SAYS I'm your friend? Who gave you permission to be my friend? And WHO are YOU anyway?
Danny Ayers has been thinking abotu this challenge for awhile. He's got a great analysis FOAFy/RDF kind of thingie - you should check out.
SemaView, Social Networking and FOAF.
SemaView, Social Networking and FOAF
 SemaView have a nice writeup of their work with RDF, Semantic Web and FOAF: Social Networking utilizing the Intelligent Internet
Actually it was published back in March, but I missed the chance to write about it then. Better late than never. The article introduces the basic concepts of the Semantic Web and RDF using their FOAF browser, built using Java and PHP. The article goes on to talk about the potential business value of such work, giving a brief case study of the Ecademy networking site.
The other publications on SemaView's site are worth a read too. They've made an effort to provide a friendly overview of Semantic Web technologies, and to provide a business-oriented perspective as well as a technical one. [RDFWeb and Friend of a Friend (FOAF)]
So I downloaded this thing (which required Java -ugh!) and it don't work! It won't allow me to paste in my foaf.rdf! This is so typical Java bullshit. I just wish they'd give up on teh client sside and stay a server side technology.
Anyway this company - Semaview is building a Friend of a Friend browser - and it looks pretty cool. They have a white paper called "Social Networking utilizing the Intelligent Internet". I'd sure like to be able to try this thing out.
what are the benefits of (n)echo to users?. Marc Canter, a self proclaimed Adam Curry Watcher, takes a stab at answering my question: "Why do I need (n)echo?" Below are the answers with my (new) questions.
- 1. Semantic blogging. Please go check out what Matt and Paolo did with k-collector . But since it's not 'a standard' (or supported by Userland, Dave or you for that matter) - it went nowhere. With Echo - all blog posts can have topics attached to them.
- Case in point, no marketing (and an ambiguous name). I had no idea k-collector was an attempt at a standard. I've looked at it before and couldn't find clear docs explaining what it does, but I presume it's a matching system for titles or posts in the form of 'topics'. is this project now dead? Sounds a bit like an automatic trackback. Perhaps that's why it wasn't adopted by the users.
- 2. Combine data structure and API into one thing. This will enable folks to move their blog info - from Radio (for instance) to Moveable Type or TypePad.
- OK, makes sense, but what does the combination of data structur and API add to this that RSS doesn't already offer? Easier to move to another platform? Not at the top of my list.
- 3. Something besides blogging. Photos, Reviews, Conversations, audio, video - people.
- The most intriguing 'benefit'. How does that work?
I'm still open to being convinced about (n)echo's benefits to users, but am unable to find anyone who can explain this to me. I'd be happy with a side by side comparison of enclosures for rss and point (3) on Marc's list. There are good pointers and views in <a href="javascript:void('4084')">these comments as well. [Adam Curry: Adam Curry's Weblog]
OK - here is my reply.....
1. I won't get into technical side-by-side issues here - as I'm not a programmer. I haven't programmed since I was creating videogame sound effects and music in 1983. But neither are you - so that should be OK. The issues here are about end-user benefits - which are perfectly reasonable issues to address.
RSS 2.0 brings incredible value to end-users today. The matter at hand is "what benefits does Necho offer over RSS 2.0?" Right?
2. Starting off with k-collector and Matt and Paolo's marketing efforts. Well in fact - I had hoped that their momentous effort would get supported by - guess who? YOU!
But that didn't happen. I'm sure it's partially my fault, but don't write off k-collector or ENT (the standard it utilizes) just yet. They're about to release a v 1.0 and I think it still has a GREAT chance of taking off. Why?
Because it's a kosher namespace extension and will work in BOTH RSS 2.0 AND Echo (RSS 1.0 too!) It's something we can start using today - which will work across all syndication formats and also work with Necho - moving forward.
The idea of open standards is that we all have to help. I don't speak for Paolo or Matt - but I can tell you - from an end-user's perspective - that we need to be able to attach meta-data to blog posts, conversations, reviews, people everywhere! So ENT is a great first step.
Only by being able to attach meta-data - can we make it to the semantic web. I would have thought that certain anti-RDF folks would appreciate ENT - as it was a deliberate attempt to bringing a namespace extension into the RSS 2.0 'camp' - without having to support RDF or RSS 1.0. And BTW k-collector stands for knowledge collector. And semantic blogging is a benefit to end-users.
And yes it requires trackback to work - and there WILL be a trackback component for us Radio users.
3. Now onto Werner's comment on your blog. Werner points out that Necho is about interchange and since there is nothing to interchange BUT blogs right now - then that's why it appears that Necho is simply duplicating RSS. That goes to my point about things OTHER than blogs. As you know - the creator of RSS 2.0 is heavily focused on blogs. But YOU Adam - have a perspective beyond text. YOU should know that without media, communications and personal information management - we'll be stuck in the world of text - forever.
We can't afford to wait for everyone to get as nerdy as you or I - so having great tools and environments that makes it easy for people to organize, create and publish (narrowcast) - is imperative. It didn't appear as if RSS 2.0 was or is worrying about that. In the past year you have blogged on numerous hacks, utils and little apps that attempt to fill this gap. To hack into RSS 2.0 in ways that it was not intended to be used - is not necessarily the best way to go.
THAT's why there's Necho.
4. This is all about stoppage. No one ever said: "don't use RSS 2.0". They're saying - we need to move forward. By supporting Necho - all anyone is saying is: "yes we support innovation, progress and moving forward". So the real issues here are marketing, not technical.
The perceptions of 'attacking' RSS 2.0, or of abandoning support for RSS 2.0 - are all in your head. No one - but you - has ever said that. No aggregator vendor (in his right mind) would STOP supporting RSS 2.0? Why would they do that? If they do - their aggregator stops working.
So to be blunt - what you're REALLY implying is that the leadership mantle has passed, that since there is no more innovation or progress coming out of RSS 2.0 (since it is frozen) than that leadership has to come from somewhere. Right?
Let me turn the tables on you - what would you have "us" do? Where's the innovation coming from? Where's the progress? Isn't sitting still - stoppage?
So when I complained that neither you or a certain blogging tool, scripting guru support ENT - that's the evidence we all have - so it's someone ELSE that's blowing smoke up OUR asses. Some folk may talk the talk about namespace extensions - but when to comes to supporting them - where's the beef?
5. Throughout the thoughtful, respectful comments you point to - the reocurring themes are:
- (n)echo will be an interchange format. Not just for syndication. But also for editing. And for archiving.
- This is why (n)echo is needed, in Dave Winer's own words: "Therefore, the RSS spec is, for all practical purposes, frozen at version 2.0.1. We anticipate possible 2.0.2 or 2.0.3 versions, etc. only for the purpose of clarifying the specification, not for adding new features to the format. Subsequent work should happen in modules, using namespaces, and in completely new syndication formats, with new names.
New format, new name, just like he asked.
- Simplest answer: If RSS does everything you need, ignore (n)Echo. If (n)Echo ends up doing something RSS doesn't, use it. No one's forcing anyone to change any infrastructure. Syndication & aggregation will continue to work as it has.
6. These comments should clarify once and for all that Necho is not about putting RSS 2.0 out of business. These folks are just trying to move forward and in Dave's own words - that's OK.
So the only thing left is the politics and marketing. I agree the Wiki is confusing. And your call for clear, specific end-user benefits is right on. But you have to conceed that they're just not done yet. Give them some time. But don't complain about how it undermines RSS 2.0. That standard is here - now - and will be forever.
And for the record - I'd also like to see Mark Pilgrim stop what he's doing. It just exacerbates the situation.
7. Archiving and APIs are important for the overall growth of our industry. Sure - we can always create hacks and competative formats - but having ONE format that we all agree to - well I shouldn't have to go further. One of the reasons for the synergy of Necho - is that AT THE SAME TIME that folks we're complaining about RSS 2.0 and titles, <descriptions> and other subtle nebulous issues - folks were ALSO complaining about the disconnect between.... well you know the story. Is that a coincidence - or a factor of the stoppage I talk about above?
8. I understand that you don't care about migrating to another platform. But I do and others do as well. We feel locked into our current blogs and wish to move on. I for one, haven't seen many new features in Radio recently - and when I hear about what's coming with TypePad - I get jealous. But when certain blogging tool vendors hear that - they get mad at me and offer to give me back my $40. Well I don't want the money back. It's too late for that - I'm locked in already. The very evil that you warn us against - is being used against me. I want to move forward. Not stand still.
9. By creating a carefully unambiguos format for what blogs are (the whole things started as 'a well formed blog') - other new types of micro-content can be formed. We're trying to do that with conversations - via the ThreadsML effort. We're trying to to that with people and personal profiles - via the Identity Commons. I'd like to see something happen in the area of Reviews. So rather than start from scratch each time - we now have a clear roadmap on how to extend Necho and support other new forms of micro-content.
So the way "this works" is to FIRST make sure the blogging space is clean. THEN we can extend Echo for new micro-content formats. THEN we can have narrowcasting, digital lifestyle aggregators and true convergence - to balance off what Apple and Microsoft are doing.
10. I hope this answers some of your concerns. We ALL want this to work out - and pretending like RSS 2.0 is being attacked or treated like the enemy is a joke - no one believes that. If anything - it's the success of RSS that's caused this to happen. Once things get rolling, then further innovation down the road ALSO becomes important.
That's all we're trying to do - move forward. The exact end-user benefits will become obvious. They are to me.
Anil Dash says he's frustrated a bit by people asking him for betas of Six Apart's Type Pad. Heh, I get a lot of email like that asking for news or betas of Longhorn. I look at it this way, though. Folks who are clamoring to try out your product are going to be your best evangelists. Be happy you have them! I can't wait for the day that I have 1000 people a day asking me for Longhorn betas.
I have Active Words setup with a script for the answer, just in case.
[The Scobleizer Weblog]
Maybe what Anil is experiencing is the beginnings of the backlash of having no free version of TypePad. That's gonna be one interesting meme to track. Will a) SixApart ultimately benefit from having no free version, b) will having no free version hurt and stifle TypePad's acceptance, c) something else unexpected.
I know alot of people I've talked to think this is gonna hurt TypePad. Should be interesting to see what happens. I for one, vote for 'Pay for Usage'.
By Melinda Newman
LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - She's b-a-a-a-ck!
In an exclusive interview with Billboard, singer/songwriter Courtney Love (news) talks about her return to music after a five-year absence.
Out Oct. 28, Love's "America's Sweetheart" will be the first release under a new three-album deal with Virgin Records and her first as a solo artist since Hole disbanded.
Love has spent much of the past five years in court, battling her former record company, Universal Music Group (UMG), and her late husband Kurt Cobain's Nirvana bandmates.
She's also taken on the mantle of artist advocate, testifying against the music-industry exemption in California's so-called seven-year statute.
But now she says she is firmly focused on creating music. Love candidly addresses her past label woes, how she chose Virgin Records, whether she'd write for Britney Spears (news) and her connection to America's original sweetheart, Mary Pickford (news).
The interview, at her management's insistence, was conducted via e-mail.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE VIRGIN RECORDS?
They made the most serious commitment on a global and marketing basis -- something I have never had in terms of marketing and promotion from my previous label--and the ability to follow through with it. Also, my managers, Dave Lory and David Leach, and David Munns worked together breaking global multi-platinum artists at PolyGram. They also had the most interest and follow-through in my film career and understand that I need to follow up on what earlier films have promised: A-list films with A-list soundtracks ... They also respect my desire for artists to be treated fairly.
GIVEN THAT YOU HAVE CAMPAIGNED AGAINST MAJOR-LABEL PRACTICES IN SACRAMENTO, CALIF., AND YOU AND UMG TRADED LAWSUITS, THERE IS THE PERCEPTION THAT YOU ARE ANTI-MAJOR LABEL.
I am not against majors. I am against two things -- major-label accounting practices (which are addressed in my deal) and the rise of what I call "executive culture," e.g.: where the executives are more important than the artists and where the ego of a president, no matter how nuts or crazy that president is, is more important than dozens and dozens of careers ... Virgin has a culture where you don't hear the names of the executives more often than the artists. This is really important to me.
WHEN NEGOTIATING THE VIRGIN CONTRACT, WHAT ISSUES WERE DEALBREAKERS FOR YOU IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE YOU KEPT THE CONTROL AND INDEPENDENCE YOU FELT YOU HAD LOST ONCE GEFFEN BEGAN GOING THROUGH MERGERS?
My team added provisions into my contract to protect me from any sort of nightmare merger -- sensible provisions, such as having a three-album deal, whereas most artists sign for seven. Also, writing marketing commitments into the deal and having the necessary controls on all creative and marketing decisions keep this deal artist-friendly ... co-ownership of the masters, no record clubs, other stuff like this.
And as long as the "owners" speak English and aren't acting like toy dogs on a random leash, then there's very little drama with me. I'm an extremely hard worker.
V2 AND SANCTUARY WERE RUNNERS-UP IN THE LOVE DERBY. WHAT ADVANTAGES DID YOU FEEL AN INDIE HAD OVER A MAJOR?
Both Andy Gershon at V2 and Merck and Peter Asher at Sanctuary flew over to see me in the south of France when I was recording the album and made very generous offers. I liked all of them very much and have a great deal of respect for all of them ... but it came down to the international setup and the ability and commitment to making it happen for me worldwide.
If I was more confident in the U.S. on its own, I could have afforded to consider these labels more. But it's been four years, I've had to stick to what I've believed in against all odds -- at times it feels like "High Noon." I gained a lot of ground, but I lost a lot of ground, too. And so I need a superpower in some parts of the market; it's just insurance. I recommend Sanctuary and V2 to any new artist -- they're both hungry and cool labels.
YOU WORKED WITH LINDA PERRY, WHO'S BEEN SEEN AS A HITMEISTER OF LATE THROUGH HER WORK WITH CHRISTINA AGUILERA AND PINK, ON THIS NEW ALBUM. WHY DID YOU WANT TO WORK WITH HER?
Linda and I have the weirdest relationship in the business, I've been told. For me it was an absolute joy -- the greatest -- to work with the first female ever who's better than me at a lot and I'm better than her at a lot. But she fought hard to work with me. I'm not a "client," nor am I the "wife" -- I'm the "mistress" with Linda. That meant waiting until 4 a.m. some nights, or helping Linda finish off a song, drums, bass, lyrics, etc., every note for one of the "clients." Linda and my writing is just old-fashioned John & Paul co-writing.
I really love how Linda does it. I'm looking for a few artists to write for, too ... you know, Linda tells me Britney Spears is looking for some rock. passed on it. I'm thinking I probably would, too. Linda's in no way a hooker and neither am I, and not to be snobby, but what's the point of giving up especially my lyrics to someone who may not give a s---? I remember doing "Top of the Pops" with All Saints covering "Under the Bridge" ... Those girls thought it was a love song and didn't care and hadn't asked. That freaks me out.
WHY CALL THE ALBUM "AMERICA'S SWEETHEART?" IS IT BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE WOULD CONSIDER YOU THE FARTHEST THING FROM IT?
I read in an advertising magazine article someone sent to me where they wrote the demographic on my Web site, Hole buyers and something about how I sell this huge amount of magazine covers -- the line was "She's America's Sweetheart -- Really" in terms of selling your product. In no way is it ironic or the farthest thing from the truth to advertisers, to people offering us a lot of money for the information and the people on this Web site, etc. It's not the farthest thing from anybody's reality -- the idea of me as Mary Pickford isn't really so far off.
I own a letter from Mary Pickford to Joan Crawford (news) that Ms. Crawford left to a blood relative of mine in her will (I'm related to neither women by blood, just marriage) that I'd love to put on the back cover. I seriously doubt most 14-year-olds have a clue who Joan was, let alone Pickford!
Anyway, the demographic "reality" and the far more real bloodline reality my grandpa, my great-grandpa, my great-uncle: All of them were iconoclastic people and American Sweethearts who brought about real change to their chosen art forms (acting, writing, directing -- not music). (Editor's note: Love has said her great-grandfather was screenwriter Paul Fox and that her great-uncle was Pickford's husband, Douglas Fairbanks (news).)
DID YOUR WOES WITH THE MUSIC INDUSTRY FIND THEIR WAY INTO ANY OF THE SONGS? No, not worth writing about ... There's one song about a fictional boy who saves fictional rock 'n' roll in a fictional town. Other than that, it's a lot of God and a lot of sex. Some rebirth, stagnation and death and some hope.
YOU HAD VOWED THAT YOU WOULD NOT SETTLE WHEN YOU SUED UMG UNDER THE SEVEN-YEAR STATUTE. HOW DISAPPOINTED WERE YOU THAT JUDGE WASSERMAN RULED THAT YOU COULD NOT GO FORWARD ON THAT CHARGE?
She would have had to rule against already existing legislation. I rolled the dice and allowed her to rule. She'd ruled I could put it before a jury -- another million bucks -- but I'd gotten wise at that point. A million bucks needs to go to lobbyist in Sacramento and in building a union of older folks. A judge can make a few radical decisions in one career ... I will definitely continue to put my money where my mouth is there.
ANY REGRETS ABOUT THE LAWSUITS AND HOW YOU WERE PERCEIVED?
No. Just that I didn't put a lot more money into Sacramento ... As for the perception? In the end it's all about the music.
YOU RECENTLY PLACED AN AD RECRUITING MEMBERS FOR A LIVE BAND. HOW DID THAT TURN OUT FOR YOU?
I will be making the selection end of July, first of August in New York City ... There have been over 8,000 responses ... Girls from Germany hooking up with girls from Tokyo. It's a very cool collection of girls that wrote in, and they won't go to waste. [Yahoo News]
When we did the Mediaband - we held auditions and had 500 people show up (for what they thought) was a Todd Rundgren cyber-band project. We had hired Todd to produce the musical aspects of the Mediaband. The auditions were amazing.
We eventually choose four perfect young performers, song writers, actors, etc. They all four were Rennaisance people. The Mediaband was made up of those four - plus writers, animators, director, producer, programmers, designers, etc. We produced 'scalable' content and.......
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