The Front Page: February 26, 2008

By Randee Dawn

Not to interrupt your planned celebrations with the obvious, but just on the offhand chance that you didn't know: Today in 1991, the world's first Web browser -- called, appropriately, WorldWideWeb (and later renamed to Nexus to avoid confusion with the actual World Wide Web) -- was launched by Tim Berners-Lee. And today, some 17 years later, if you speak to the Comcasts and AT&Ts of the world, all of those Internet "pipes" are getting gummed up by folks hogging the airwaves with their streaming videos and their BitTorrents. How dare they?

Fortunately, and rarely, the side of sanity appears to be populated with members of Congress and even the youthful FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, all of whom met up in Boston at a field hearing yesterday to discuss the concept of Net neutrality. According to Brooks Boliek's article, Rep. Ed Markey noted that "The Internet is as much mine and yours as much as it is Verizon's and AT&T's or Comcast's." After which Comcast's David Cohen did admit to a teeny-weeny managing of its networks, but then noted that it was the trendy thing to do, you know: "We do manage our networks, but don't let the rhetoric of our critics scare you. Every network is managed." Fortunately, even Martin jumped in that the FCC "is ready, willing and able to step in, if necessary, to correct any practices that are going on today."

All well and good -- now, let's see if it plays outside of Boston.

Meanwhile, in this age of Big Brother, what's more Orwellian than having your own personal stalker following you around (literally) all day "making detailed notes about when and how they watch, listen, surf, read, play video games, download, text and talk on the phone?" Steve McClellan's article today points to a brand new media study THR's parent company Nielsen (which sometimes does things that just make us want to shake our heads, like at a parent) is undertaking that will do exactly that for 350 consumers. The "Stalk 'n Study" will take place this spring and fall. And no, that's not what they're calling it really.

Finally, today is your last day (probably) to catch any Oscar-related photos and coverage: After today, we're wiping the slate clean and will talk no more about the winners and losers and the low ratings and the gorgeous red dresses and special issues. But I have a feeling we'll find room for more almost-full-page shots of Javier Bardem, like we have today. Just because everyone wants a piece of Javier ... don't they?