Bruce Austin

Who remembers when Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act gave platforms the confidence to host legal communities online? It was thoughtful of Professor Eric Goldman of Santa Clara University School of Law to mark the 30th anniversary of the act of this week with a great legal analysis of its history, in which he began, “Section 230 didn’t receive much attention when it was passed, but it has since emerged as one of Congress’ most important media laws ever. Section 230 helped trigger the Web 2.0 era–where people principally talk with each other online, rather than just having content broadcast at them one-way. By enabling that discourse and other new categories of human interaction, Section 230 has thus reshaped the Internet and, by extension, our economy, our government, and our society.” What many may not realize is how much 230 meant to those of us building things online in the late 1990s. In 1997 and 1998, I was running legal message boards and listservs out of my law firm to help the public through contributions from lawyers around the country, and running the legal community at AOL. Consumers could post questions and experienced trial lawyers could respond. I didn’t know what I was doing, but it was fun and I was helping a lot of people. It was real sharing. No Google dominance. No SEO games. No content marketing. Just lawyers and people exchanging information on a new medium. As a lawyer I had a slight fear I could be sued. What if someone posts something perceived as defamatory on one of our message boards or listservs and the subject wants to sue us as host? What if someone claims they relied on advice that turned out to be incorrect and wants to hold us liable. Section 230 covered us. It basically provided that if you hosted the publishing and exchange of third-party content online, you are not treated as the publisher or speaker of that content. That protection allowed forums, listservs, and communities like ours to exist without potential liability risk. I assumed Section 230 would be temporary. As Eric shared, it was the only part of the Telecommunications Act that survived. I didn’t think Congress would leave such broad protection in place indefinitely. I certainly didn’t think that one day that act would provide the foundation for companies the likes of Facebook, Google, Amazon, and the entire web community of user reviews and social platforms. Nearly three decades later, Section 230 still stands. It protected a lot of company pioneers. It protected lawyers experimenting with digital publishing. It protected legal communities built around shared knowledge. It enabled me to found two companies, Prairielaw and LexBlog. As my legal counsel said when I was founding LexBlog, “You’re like Federal Express, you can’t be sued for what’s inside the envelope.” Seeing Eric reflect on 230 brought back some good memories of a time when digital exchanges and publishing online felt uncertain and a little bit brave/crazy.

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🤯 Very interesting: Google is using one of our facilities in California to study human behavior as part of a non-public research initiative, conducted exclusively to support Google’s internal business development efforts...

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United Airlines Introduces New Direct Flights To Vietnam, Expanding Routes To Ho Chi Minh City And Hanoi From US United Airlines is expanding its international network with new nonstop flights to Vietnam, set to begin on October 26. The airline will offer direct service from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, marking a significant addition to its growing presence in the Asia-Pacific region. As part of this expansion, United Airlines is also introducing new routes to other destinations, including Bangkok, Thailand, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This move highlights the airline’s commitment to offering more diverse travel options and strengthening its international reach. https://lnkd.in/gCN3Psnx #UnitedAirlines #Introduces #NewDirect #Flights #Vietnam #Expanding #Routes #HoChiMinhCity #Hanoi #US #international #network #nonstop #airline #losangeles #SanFrancisco #highlights #offering #travel #traveling #traveladvisor #travelindustry #travelagent TraveLICE TraveLICE Customercare

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Hawaiian Airlines’ new chief executive, Diana Birkett Rakow, steps into the job with one priority: guiding the carrier through the second half of its merger with Alaska Air Group while keeping Hawaiian’s identity intact. She knows the process well. Alaska bought Hawaiian for $1.6 billion last year, launched the joint Atmos Rewards program over the summer, and folded HawaiianMiles into it in October. The bigger tasks are still ahead. The passenger-service system, the core of booking and boarding, remains separate, and five labour groups need new collective agreements. Rakow expects another 18 months of work to bring everything together while keeping day-to-day operations steady. Unlike Alaska’s 2016 takeover of Virgin America, this merger keeps Hawaiian as its own corporate arm with a Hawaiʻi-based CEO. Staff have raised concerns about cultural dilution and job cuts, but Rakow insists the airline is hiring and that its island identity will remain central. Credit : Flight Drama .

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GAPP ADDS CRITICAL COMMUNICATIONS, GRAPHIC DESIGN AND DIGITAL COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT EXPERTISE The Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) today announced key staffing appointments to bolster strategic focal areas, including the hiring of Sam Murphy as Vice President, APFA Director of Communications; Jasmine Butler as Manager, Graphic Design and Content Creation; and Michael Loreno, Manager of Social Media and Website. #commercialfishing #fish #pollock #pollack #seafood https://lnkd.in/eS63PVCA

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DIY planning often optimizes for photos, not flow. The difference between “nice” and “seamless” is pacing, location strategy, and logistics. Vistaro Travel designs international itineraries for Bay Area professionals and families who value time and execution. #luxurytravel #travelplanning #bayarea #professionals

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Would you benefit from a more efficient RFP process? A majority of Travel buyers share they are eager for RFP Innovation, considering amongst other, extended length of RFP to new target settings, in a way to navigating the business landscape. You find more insights in our white paper, Evolution of Managed Hotel Program, an industry survey conducted by Radisson Hotel Group together with the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). #RadissonHotels #GBTA #BusinessTravelTrends #CorporateTravel

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Diana Birkett Rakow will become CEO for Hawaiian Airlines on Oct. 29.  She steps in as Hawaiian enters a new chapter under Alaska Air Group, following last year’s $1.9 billion acquisition. Based in Honolulu, she’ll oversee Hawaiian’s brand, Alaska Air Group’s business in Hawai‘i and its 6,600 employees, while continuing her work in sustainability. “Hawaiian truly is a special airline, with incredible employees guided by a deep sense of place and culture and driven by a critical purpose to connect the islands and Hawai‘i to the world through safe and reliable air service for residents and visitors, while transporting cargo and enabling economic development,” she said. Outgoing CEO Joe Sprague will retire but will remain a member of the Hawaiian Airlines board. Learn more about Birket Rakow and her transition as CEO: https://lnkd.in/d92ycMsx By Stephanie Salmons

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Arc Boats adds electric center console, expands into commercial market In the last two months, the Los Angeles-based electric boat startup announced the newest addition to its recreational fleet and its first foray into commercial boats, with the Coast center console format and a retrofitted tugboat for the Port of Los Angeles, both based on Sport model tech. Arc Port of Los Angeles Diversified Marine, Inc CalMatters WorkBoat AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles #AltaSea #ArcBoats #ArcCoast #ArcSport #CalMatters #DiversifiedMarine #electricboatstartup #electriccenterconsole #electricport #electrictugboat #electricworkboat #Futurride #PortofLosAngeles #sustainablemobility #WorkBoat https://lnkd.in/dqNTHApW

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Hawaiian Airlines is investing over $600M to transform travel across Hawai‘i! From upgraded airports and new lounges to modernized aircraft, tech enhancements, and sustainability initiatives, the Kahu‘ewai Hawai‘i Investment Plan is set to elevate the guest experience while supporting local communities and tourism. https://lnkd.in/dXefkvUF #HawaiianAirlines #HawaiiTravel #TourismBoost #SustainableTravel #TravelPono

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Today, Delta Air Lines announced changes to its Delta One cabin, including comfort and ammenities upgrades, in a bid to better compete with premium offerings like United Airlines Polaris. Read all about it on Newsweek: https://lnkd.in/enEfK-MX 📸 courtesy of Delta

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To literally no one's surprise, an Amazon datacenter in eastern Oregon has been linked to a cluster of miscarriages and rare cancers due to water contamination. 👇

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