Every year, I attend this conference in order to take a step back and look at the big picture, the future of the internet.

by Alex Goldman ISP-Planet Managing Editor [January 11, 2008]

In some ways, it's a minimalist conference. There's one room and no exhibit hall. There's one speaker at any time.

In other ways, it's 21st century chaos. The conference uses the movie theater screen to project a live IM discussion that occurs behind the speaker while the event is happening. Speakers who spam are dealt with mercilessly, while others receive praise. Important points are debated and even footnoted, with key sources listed, all in real time.

The Freedom to Connect conference, to be held at the AFI Silver theater in Silver Spring, Maryland, a beautiful suburb of Washington, D.C., on March 31 and April 1, 2008, will cover a variety of topics, but the overarching theme is the future of the internet.

Speakers will discuss how the internet is being built, its impact on the earth and how to make it greener, and how the internet is regulated. Key speakers will range from Bruce Schneier on security to Reed Hundt on his wireless venture to Tim Wu on what "common carrier" means to Dirk van der Woude on building FTTH in Amsterdam.

Green is real
To many businesspeople, "green" means "money losing" but that's not usually true. In data centers, "green" is generally about saving power, from turning off devices that aren't needed to designing the space to use the heat it generates or at least to dissipate that heat naturally.

The environmental impact of the internet is already micromanaged by the U.S. government (but not necessarily consistently or well). When he built his FTTH network, Donny Smith in Minnesota had to negotiate with several state and federal environmental agencies.

The ISP business is deflationary and competitive. Being green helps ISPs save money and can also make the business look good.

My colleague Pedro Hernandez writes about green issues in business regularly on the EnterpriseITPlanet Green blog. He notes that even the CES show is green this year.

Diversity
David Isenberg writes that the mission of the conference is to allow those who design and build the internet to influence those who regulate it:

"Biology teaches that diversity is good. Most business practices teach the opposite. Washington hears much from the telcos and cablecos, and much from the Internet companies and the public advocacy groups, but way too little from the NetHeads themselves. F2C 2008 will provide a platform for NetHead voices and a forum for dialog among all parties with a stake in the future of an open, sustainable, state-of-the-art Internet."

I attend this conference in part to meet people I wouldn't otherwise meet and to hear from people I would not otherwise know of.

I've attended this conference since its inception and have written numerous stories about it over time. I never know what will be the most interesting story. And that's what's so nifty about it.

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Note: Jupitermedia does not sponsor or endorse the Freedom to Connect conference and is not responsible for its content.