Web-Tones

Sololawyer

Link: Sololawyer. Rick "Saint" Georges the renown "future lawyer" and all around new media innovator is at it again with the introduction of the "Solo Lawyer Blog." Expect lots of great technology and practice advice from a law tech geek (before it was cool to geek) and a long time solo practitioner. He has recruited several partners: Chuck Newton & the "Mac guy" Grant Griffiths and I am quite certain others solos are soon to follow. Should be informative, this crew is at the top of their game!

Authors of Each Other

I like this post by Doc Searls. We are all "authors of each other." Why? Because  everyone once in a while, when  the "good doctor" is not busy ranting about VRM, a topic no doubt important but for whatever reason my interests don't go there, he will post something  "Cluetrainesque." Here he addresses how we all get caught up in the sound of our own wheels turning with "social media this" and "web 2.0 that" (guilty as charged) but in reality the best of the web is grounded in our humanity and when we inform (as opposed to delivering information) we "enlarge" these ties that bond, something writers (of all stripes) have been doing now for thousands of years...

Citing Wikipedia

Link: Wikipedia Enters Top Ten Most Visited Sites. Wikipedia enters the list of the "Top 10 Most Visited Sites" as the wiki train just keeps on rolling. Despite admonitions , from law school profs, against citing Wikipedia for any type of scholarly writing (formal or otherwise) it seems that for some "fact based, non-controversial 'stuff'", Wikipedia is as good or better than citing other general purpose references. The marketplace will get the last vote here, and as so many other things in the law, the "cite police" will eventually learn to relax the rules...or will simply adopt the de facto rules of the new cyber reality.

Law School Question (sort of)

Link: Chuck Newton: How To Choose A Law School. I really enjoy Chuck Newton's (or Mr. Chuck, or Mr Chuck Newton, or well never mind it is just "an 'ole Texas thing") writing style/voice as well as that of my good friend Rick "Saint" Georges not only because they inform,  but primarily because they also entertain. It is a rare gift to be able to do both. It seems to me that they both just love to write and it shows...

BTW Chuck, I really believe that your post on choosing a law school is really "on point," especially that part about it being "all about the karma dude." Strange that Chuck would use the word "dude" (from Texas and all). I lived in Houston for 20 years and the only time I heard "dude" was when I said it--so Mr. Newton (sir), I appreciate you being both brilliant, Texan and west coast hip at the same time!

Web 2.0 Wars Continue

Link: Firefox 3 To Support Offline Apps. Google is not going to be left behind simply because it doesn't have much of a presence on the desktop. Why? Because it fact it does have a presence, it is called the browser, and in this particular case it is called Mozilla Firefox 3. But notice that almost by definition, despite whatever necessary enablement, and later competitive advantage Google might derive from the browser providing support for offline apps, everyone else who wants to play here is also benefited (e.g. Salesforce.com). Just another indicator of why the Web 2.0 space will always, by definition, be more open and competitive than the desktop--ultimately to the advantage of consumers.

What impact on law office computing? It begins to remove barriers to adoption of Web 2.0 apps. Serious business users, and attorneys definitely fit this category, have a need to be connected 24/7 and when they are not, they still need be productive--knowing that their offline work will sync once the connection is restored is a big step in that direction.

Big Law in Trouble?

Link: Cisco General Counsel on State of Technology in the Law - News@Cisco Notes. I am not sure that Big Law's demise is that imminent, but anytime the general counsel of a major corporation starts mandating "flat fee billing" for patent prosecutions and other value based billing practices, you know that something is up. If this trend catches fire among elite customers you can rest assured that big changes are on the way. So far, Big Law has been fighting the force, but it looks like the force is pushing back! The trends identified here certainly could open the door for the "super boutiques." Perhaps signaling "the beginning of the end" of Big Law consolidation, especially if quality talent starts realizing the degree to which enabling technologies can level the playing field.

YouTube R' US

Link: An Inventive Video Journey To Web 2.0 : Somewhat Frank :: Web 2.0 ● Technology ● Life :: Blog by Frank Gruber. This is an awesome example of what can be done with creative video. This "short" is four minutes long and priceless! This is one of the better examples of where Internet video is heading, but there are others. Check out the ZDNet WhiteBoard Videos for another slice of the medium.

The real challenge here is that video is an entirely different learning curve from all that has come before...this is both the good news and the bad news. Bad news is that a significantly greater amount of  quality "play time" is required to "jump the curve." The goods news is that it is still early in the game...

Alvin Toffler & the Law

Link: Home Office Lawyer: Good Stewardship And Finding Nirvana In The Practice Of Law. Some awesome and inspiring commentary from Chuck Newton for those lawyers thinking about making the move home. As John Lennon once said "life happens while we are planning for the future." If you are feeling some of the burnout that Chuck describes, and far too many of us do from time to time in our professional lives, then this might be the right move for you. Still connected. Still plugged in. Your commute just got better and you just may be adding years to your life. Re-introduce yourself to your wife, your kids, your dog or whatever other sentient being your are most connected to.