Writings and Musings

Bob Frankston (bio)

Welcome to my writings.

If you want the recent essays check out the sidebar on the left or, better, go to Further Readings for a curated list of essays.

Other essays are listed in chronological order and then by category. The main essays are in larger letters and minor documents (such as messages posted on discussion sites) are indented and in smaller letters. The documents themselves are located on this site (www.Frankston.com) and as well as external sites.

Note that I'm currently writing shorter transient posts on Facebook as "Bob Frankston". I'm gathering links here.

You can send me Email. Note this unique address is only valid for the next few days.

The best way to link to a document is as http://rmf.vc/keyword.

By default only the most recent posts are shown, to see:
• Recent By Date Posts from the last few months
• Columns Columns written in 1998-1999 -- blogging before blogs. Look here for my more recent columns.
• All All posts -- hundreds

Writings and Updates by Date

Some of the recent entries are also listed on the sidebar. Secondary items such as postings on other mailing lists are indented. Note that the year shown is the year the essay was updated. An essay written in 1979 might be listed under 2009 if it was updated recently.

Facebook Posts 20-Jan-2018 (Updated: 24-Mar-2019 PDFAn attempt to catalog my Facebook Posts until when and if I use the ideas in formal essays and columns
Do Do This at Home 18-Mar-2019 PDFMy February talk to the Boston Linux and Unix group about my home control system - a work in progress.
Further Reading 18-Feb-2015 (Updated: 09-Mar-2019 PDFAny one essay can only skim the surface. For further reading ...
CFR: Our Copper Fiber and Radios 29-Jan-2007 (Updated: 07-Mar-2019 PDFOur Copper, Fiber and Radios are a simple fixed asset. Why are we paying a service fee to privileged services providers when we can do it better ourselves. Our home networks run at a gigabit bit without a service charge yet we can on thousandth the capacity when we go outside our homes and pay a high fee for the "privilege". I was reminded of this as I saw Verizon installers running RG-6 cable for FiOS TV when I already had a perfectly good gigabit network and then they told me I had to use their router …
Found Objects 26-Jan-2019 (Updated: 02-Mar-2019 PDFIn the tradition of the Internet I don't build new networks nor new special environments for each application but rather repurse existing devices and services. The key is an architcture which limits complexity.
5G: Telecom Versus The Internet 01-Jul-2017 (Updated: 20-Feb-2019 PDFMy July 2017 IEEE CE Magazine Column: Overview of the contrast between 5G and the Internet.
Seeing the Light - Properties of 400-800 Terahertz Radios 14-Feb-2019 (Updated: 19-Feb-2019 PDFWe're used to turning light bulbs on and off. The advent of LEDs and software has given us an opportunity to rethink the givens of light and lighting in our daily lives. We can now paint surfaces with lights and manage ambience.
From Hi-Fi to CLI 01-Jan-2019 (Updated: 13-Dec-2018 Today users typically use computers through graphics user interfaces -- GUIs. Only programmers use the command line. But that is changing as more people discover the power of the command line just as they learned how to wire their own home entertainment systems in the days of Hi Fi.
It is no longer a relic of the past but rather a path to the future.
More 5G BS 02-Dec-2018 Hill.TV has taken on the cause of 5G as Telcos try to enlist support by telling why 5G is the answer no matter what the question.
re Cybersecurity "moonshot" project to secure the internet by 2028. 17-Nov-2018 Be wary of those who compare "solving" cybersecutiry to the well-defined challenge of sending a rocket to the moon.
From Net Neutrality to Seizing Opportunity 01-Nov-2018 (Updated: 17-Oct-2018 PDFNetwork neutrality is important in the context of assuring the opportunity to innovate in how we communicate and connect. We can't define it in terms of specific outcomes but rather in terms of what we enable. The Internet is just one example of what we can do when given the opportunity to use software to fashion our own solutions. (Also available on CircleID and at Broadband Breakfast
From “Broadband” to “Infrastructure” 01-Sep-2018 (Updated: 08-Aug-2018 PDFIt's time to think about the Internet as infrastructure rather than broadband. (This is basedBroadband Breakfast site). There is also a companion FAQ.
Progressive Web Apps 01-Mar-2018 (Updated: 12-Jul-2018 The browser is now a full fledged platform for apps. The major benefits of using the browser as a platform includes ease of universal deployment and avoiding concepts such as having to install software. It's also a very flexible and powerful environment. (Also available on CircleId)
The Internet as Infrastructure FAQ 04-Dec-2017 (Updated: 11-Jul-2018 PDFWhen I write about the Internet as infrastructure I find some questions keep reappearing - hence this FAQ
Re So What The Heck Does 5G Actually Do? And Is It Worth What TheCarriers Are Demanding? 04-Jul-2018 A reminder the 5G is a throwback to the pst
Got API? 01-Jul-2018 (Updated: 21-Jun-2018 PDF If your home control product doesn't have an open API, then it's a niche product and not part of the future of connected devices.
Broadband Providers? 20-May-2018 What does a broadband provider provide and what does it mean to have competing providers?
Bob Frankston
Copyright 1997-2019