Posted by: Hank Hultquist on May 7, 2010 at 3:04 pm
UPDATE: The contest has ended. To view the winning entry please check here.
In 2006, then Senator Ted Stevens was pilloried for comparing the Internet to “a series of tubes.” Today, a Free Press spokesman has done him one better.
According to Free Press, “the ‘Internet’ is not the wires that deliver the content and applications, but the content itself.” I suppose this would come as a bit of a surprise to the participants in the Internet Engineering Task Force, who seem to be under the misimpression that the Internet consists of interconnected networks running the IP protocol. Perhaps Free Press will petition them to re-name their group the InterNOT Engineering Task Force.
In any case, we here at AT&T are sponsoring a contest in honor of Free Press. We’re looking for the best analogy to capture the spirit of nonsensical abstraction embodied in Free Press’s effort to define networks out of the Internet. For example, one might say “a swimming pool is not the floor and walls of the structure, but simply the water in it.” Or “a cannoli is not the pastry tube, but simply the cream inside.” I think you get the idea.
To enter, propose suggestions in the comments section to this blog post by midnight May 14th. Be sure to provide a valid email address. The winner (as determined by a panel of professional spinmeisters) will receive an iPad, which may or may not include WiFi capability. After all, according to Free Press, connectivity is just not part of the Internet.
AT&T employees are not eligible to participate. Decision of judges is final. AT&T is not liable for any delays in transmission, defects, or errors. We will announce the winner through the blog on or about May 19th. Must be 18 years or older to participate.
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