FP Posted

The Hidden Costs of Workaholism

Ray Williams — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:21:00 GMT

By Ray B. Williams

Workaholism is the respectable addiction in our society but it's costing organizations in terms of loss of productivity, poor relationships and employee engagement. During this recession, with the increased pressure on workers to perform, the problem is getting worse.

In Japan, workaholism is called karoshi -- "death by overwork" -- and it's estimated to cause 1,000 deaths per year, nearly 5% of that country's stroke and heart attack deaths in employees under age 60. In the Netherlands, it's resulted in a new condition known as "leisure illness," estimated to affect 3% of its entire population, according to one study. Workers actually get physically sick on weekends and vacations as they stop working and try, in vain, to relax. In a June 27, 2009 article in the Globe and Mail, Tarla Grant examined the issue of workaholics. She cites Statistics Canada which reported that 1/3 of Canadians considered themselves workaholics.

In the U.S., and Canada workaholism remains what it's always been: the so-called "respectable addiction" that's dangerous as any other-- whether or not they hold jobs."Yes, workaholism is an addiction, an obsessive-compulsive disorder, and it's not the same as working hard or putting in long hours," says Bryan Robinson, PhD, one of the leading researchers on the disorder and author of Chained to the Desk and other books on workaholism. Workaholic's obsession with work is all-occupying, which prevents workaholics from maintaining healthy relationships, outside interests, or even take measures to protect their health.

So who are these workaholics? According to Grant, there is no typical profile, although Baby Boomers are more susceptible to being workaholics than Generation Y workers. Most workaholics are successful. And workaholics are more likely to be managers or executives, more likely to be unhappy about their work/life balance and work on average more than 50 hours per week. They neglect their health to the point of devastating results and ignore their friends and family. They avoid going on vacation so they don't have to miss work. And even if they do go on vacation, they aren't fully present because their mind is still on work.

One thing that we do know is that workaholics tend to seek out jobs that allow them to exercise their addiction.The workplace itself does not create the addiction any more than the supermarket creates food addiction, but it does enable it. Workaholics tend to seek high-stress jobs to keep the adrenaline rush going.

Research shows that the seeds of workaholism are often planted in childhood, resulting in low self-esteem that carries into adulthood. Many workaholics are the children of alcoholics or come from some other type of dysfunctional family, and work addiction is an attempt to control a situation that is not controllable. Or they tend to be products of what can be called 'looking good families' whose parents tend to be perfectionists and expect unreasonable success from their kids. These children grow up thinking that nothing is ever good enough. Some just throw in the towel, but others say, 'I'm going to show I'm the best in everything so my parents approve of me.'"

The problem is, perfection is unattainable, whether you're a kid or a successful professional. Anyone who carries a mandate for perfection is susceptible to workaholism because it creates a situation where the person never gets to cross the finish line, because it keeps moving farther out.

Here's the irony. Despite logging in mega hours and sacrificing their health and loved ones for their jobs, workaholics are frequently ineffective employees. Workaholics tend to be less effective than other workers because it's difficult for them to be team players, they have trouble delegating or entrusting co-workers, or they take on so much that they aren't as organized as others.

Research indicates four distinct workaholic "working styles":The bulimic workaholic feels the job must be done perfectly or not at all. Bulimic workaholics often can't get started on projects, and then scramble to complete it by deadline, often frantically working to the point of exhaustion -- with sloppy results; the relentless workaholic is the adrenaline junkie who often takes on more work than can possibly be done. In an attempt to juggle too many balls, they often work too fast or are too busy for careful, thorough results; the attention-deficit workaholic often starts with fury, but fails to finish projects -- often because they lose interest for another project. They often savor the "brainstorming" aspects but get easily bored with the necessary details or follow-through; and the savoring workaholic who is slow, methodical, and overly scrupulous. They often have trouble letting go of projects and don't work well with others. These are often consummate perfectionists, frequently missing deadlines because "it's not perfect."

Where workaholism affects organizations is the lack of knowledge by managers. Many companies often confuse workaholics for hard workers, in essence enabling them on their path to self-destruction.

So how do you know if you're a workaholic? Grant identified 5 warning signs. See if these describe you:

Compared to 5 years ago, work is a regular part of your evenings and weekends;
You spend less time with family, friends, community and being engaged in regular activities such as exercise;
You eat faster, talk faster, walk faster. You feel like you're constantly trying to "catch up."
You're developing skeletal and muscular problems because of the amount of time you spend sitting or standing, under stress;
Your focus and concentration is not good, and your productivity is actually declining.

Ray Williams is Co-Founder of Success IQ University, and President of Ray Williams Associates, companies located in Vancouver and Phoenix, providing leadership training, personal growth and executive coaching services. He can be reached at rwilliams@successiqu.com

Canada calls WTO to rule on S. Korean beef ban

Alia McMullen — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:22:00 GMT

Canada has requested the World Trade Organization form a dispute panel to determine whether South Korea's Canadian beef ban is breaking international trade obligations, the government said in a statement Thursday.

The move comes after numerous failed attempts by the Canadian government to negotiate an end to the bad, which has been in place since May 2003.

“The international scientific community recognizes that Canadian beef is safe, and we are confident a WTO dispute panel would rule in our favour,” said Gerry Ritz, the federal agriculture minister, who raised the issue with South Korean leaders when he visited the country in March. Canada also held failed WTO consultations with South Korea regarding the dispute in May.

“Recent consultations with South Korea on their Canadian beef ban regrettably did not produce the desired results,” said Stockwell Day, the international trade minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway.

South Korea banned Canadian beef in 2003 after a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as BSE or mad cow disease, was discovered in a Canadian cow. South Korea had been Canada’s fourth-largest beef export market. The country imported $50-million worth of Canadian beef in 2002.

South Korea has maintained the ban even though the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) officially categorized Canada as a “Controlled Risk” country for BSE in May 2007 and reaffirmed the finding in May 2008. The category means Canadian beef is safe for eating and trade.

The Canadian government said the continued ban was a violation of South Korea's WTO obligations because it was "not based on the relevant international standards or on science, and that it is discriminatory and restricts trade more than necessary."

Alia McMullen

CRTC live blog -- Day Four

Drew Hasselback — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:11:00 GMT

Matt Hartley is back with another live blog from the ongoing CRTC hearings into web traffic management. The Thursday hearing starts at 9 a.m.

Meanwhile, Hartley has two things in the print edition of Thursday's Financial Post. His main piece describes how independent filmmakers told the CRTC that they are afraid slowing down certain Internet technologies that distribute movies and other programming online could have a chilling effect on their work. Hartley also has a Q&A with Jacob Glick, Google's Canadian policy counsel.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=9882108f77" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;CRTC Live Blog - Day 4&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Matt Hartley is back with another live blog from the ongoing CRTC hearings into web traffic management. The Thursday hearing starts at 9 a.m.

Meanwhile, Hartley has two things in the print edition of Thursday's Financial Post. First, his main piece for the paper describes how independent filmmakers on Wednesday told the CRTC that they are afraid slowing down certain Internet technologies that distribute movies and other programming online could have a chilling effect on their work.

Increasingly, independent filmmakers and television producers are turning to online peer-to-peer technologies as a primary means of distributing their creations in the face of rising competition for broadcast time from Hollywood studios.

However, some of Canada's largest Internet service providers (ISPs) employ traffic-management practices that slow down certain forms of web traffic they say congest their networks. These are usually peer-to-peer technologies such as BitTorrent that are used to transfer large amounts of data, including movies.

Brad Fox, a producer with Toronto's Strada Films, said:

As a producer, I've seen the Canadian feature market shrink, I've seen the Canadian television market disappear. As someone who would like to be producing five years from now, there's only one avenue of hope to me, and that's that the Internet.

Hartley also has a Q&A with Jacob Glick, Google's Canadian policy counsel.

Meriwether chalks up another loss: Bloomberg News

Drew Hasselback — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:28:00 GMT

If media reports are correct, John Meriwether has chalked up another loss.

Bloomberg News reports that Meriwether is closing his current hedge fund, Relative Value Opportunity II, after losing 44% from September 2007 to February 2009.

The fund's troubles pale in comparison with Meriwether's more notorious failure, the collapse of Long Term Capital Management in the late 1990s. Measured against the more recent failures of institutions like Lehman Bros or AIG, the LTCM's loss of more than US$4-billion worth of assets seems almost quaint. At the time, however, LTCM was considered "too big to fail" (sound familiar?) and the Federal Reserve helped organize a US$3.6-billion bailout.

Tammer Kamel, president of Iluka Consulting Group Ltd., said:

For many investors, John Meriwether is by now just another hedge-fund manager. LTCM’s infamy was a big story in 1998, but the events of 2008 might finally relegate LTCM and 1998 to footnote status.

Possibly, yet for many students of the market, Meriwether is a little more than a guy who's been there, done that. Meriwether's successful stint as a 1980s-era bond trader in the Michael Lewis book, Liar's Poker. His less successful ride as a 1990s-era hedge fund manager is documented in Roger Lowenstein's, When Genius Failed.

Following the demise of LTCM, Meriwether set up JWM Partners LLC, which operated Relative Value Opportunity II.

Drew Hasselback

Kids still spending, recession or not

Eric Lam — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:26:00 GMT

Turns out a minor inconvenience like the global recession is not enough to keep most young Canadians away from the mall, a new survey has found.

The poll, conducted by TNS Canadian Facts, said about 75% of Canadians aged 18-34 have spent either the same amount or more this year on products such as video games, DVDs, beauty products and gym memberships.

The kids are optimistic too: 81% said they would spend either the same or more on discretionary spending in the next six months. In particular, 92% will pay more for Internet, while 86% will shell out for cell phones.

Overall, 87% of those surveyed said they would be secure in their financial status over the next year and 75% believe the economy will recover.

However, young Canadians hold a dim view on media coverage, with 79% finding reporting of the crisis to be "excessive."

Advertising agency Newad, which bills itself as targeting "young and affluent" urban Canadians, commissioned the survey of about 1,600 Canadians in five of the largest cities in the country. The results have a margin of error of +/- 2.4% 19 times out of 20.

Eric Lam

CRTC live blog: Day Three

Drew Hasselback — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:08:00 GMT

Matt Hartley returns at 9 a.m. on Wednesday for Day 3 of the CRTC hearings into whether web traffic patterns should be regulated.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=a27a99f015" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;CRTC Live Blog Day 3&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

ISPs such as Bell Canada Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc. employ so-called traffic-management or "throttling" technologies that sniff out and slow down certain forms of Internet data -- usually peer-to-peer applications used to transfer large files such as movies -- that the companies say congest their networks.

On Tuesday, the CRTC heard from Rob Hall, who said he's not afraid to put his online video service Zip.ca in direct competition with Canada's largest cable and telecommunications companies, so long as he gets a level playing field. He's worried that the Web traffic-management habits of Canada's biggest Internet service providers (ISPs) could make such a fair fight impossible. In an interview, Hall said:

Are they allowed to throttle us to the point where we can't stream a video, and prefer their own traffic? We worry that they will use their market power to either hurt our offering in favour of their own or somehow choke us off in favour of their own.

There is concern in the online community that the technology ISPs use to detect peer-to-peer traffic -- a process known as deep-packet inspection -- may be used to covertly look into what content online services such as Zip.ca are distributing to their customers.

Rogers, which is planning to roll out its own online on-demand video service this year, does not favour its own video content when it manages online traffic, said Ken Engelhart, the company's vice-president of regulatory:

Our only goal in network management is to ensure the fastest possible Internet speeds for all our customers. We ignore the origin and destination of the content.

A spokeswoman for Bell said the telecom giant offers a variety of online video services, but said that only peer-to-peer traffic that uses up a "large amount of bandwidth is slowed down, not stopped and only during peak hours."

Jacob Glick, Canada privacy counsel for Google Inc., suggested the CRTC adopt a three-part test ISPs would need to pass before being allowed to throttle Web traffic. The test would allow Web providers to manage the congestion on their networks without harming online innovation, he said, speaking on behalf of the Open Internet Coalition, a consortium of consumer groups and technology companies that includes Google, Amazon.com Inc. and eBay Inc.

FP Advice live chat with David Wilton and Warren Jestin: Get your small business ready for the recovery

Drew Hasselback — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 10:30:00 GMT

While the world is grappling with a recession, tough times are always followed by a recovery. Savvy business owners know the best way to survive a recession is to take the downtime to get themselves ready to ride that upswing. To help small to mid-size business set their course for success, FP Advice and Scotiabank are setting up live chats and inviting entrepreneurs to join in.

The first of these chats, held on Wednesday, July 15 at 1 p.m. ET, will explore the concept of planning for the upturn. FP and Scotiabank hope readers will drive discussion of the one-hour online chat with David L. Wilton, director of small business banking at Scotiabank and Warren Jestin, the bank's chief economist at Scotiabank.

Readers can send their questions, live or in advance, to smallbusiness@nationalpost.com

Job to unemployed ratio widening in U.S.

Alia McMullen — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:07:00 GMT

Unemployment conditions have grown significantly worse in the United States as more unemployed battle it out for a shrinking jobs market, pushing the number of long-term jobless up to record levels.

There were 5.7 unemployed workers for every available job in May, up two basis points from the previous month, figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed Tuesday. Job openings rose by 41,000 in May. However, the increase was not enough to offset the shrinking jobs market.

Employment fell by 467,000 in June. Job vacancies have fallen by 1.8 million, or 42%, since the start of the recession in December 2007. Meanwhile, the number of unemployed rose by 7 million to 14.5 million in the period. In June, the number of workforce participants that had been unemployed by six months or more rose to a record 29%.

“It is no surprise that unemployed workers are facing record high rates of long-term unemployment,” Heidi Shierholz, an economist at the Washington-based Economic Policy Institute, said. He said the continued decline of the jobs market in June had likely pushed the job to unemployment ratio up to 1:6.

The ratio was as low as 1:1.1 in December 200.

Alia McMullen

June home sales 'amazingly strong' in Ontario and the West

Drew Hasselback — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:03:00 GMT

Garry Marr writes in Tuesday's National Post that despite all the talk of a housing downturn and economic crisis in Ontario, Toronto and Ottawa saw record housing sales last month for the month of June.

The Toronto Real Estate Board said Monday there were 10,955 sales in the Greater Toronto Area in June, a 27% increase from the 8,600 homes sold a year ago. It was the best June for sales since the board started tracking the numbers in the mid 1960s. In Ottawa, housing sales jumped 12.5% in June to 1,895, also a new record for the month.

Marr's story quotes Doug Porter, deputy chief economist at BMO Capital Markets, who has noted a quicker pace of sales not just in Ontario, but also in Western Canadian cities. Porter prepared the chart shown above, which shows how prices had dropped due to the weaker demand. If the June pace of sales continues, it's back to a seller's market, Porter said:

The moderation we have seen in prices may not last long if this kind of sales and listing balance remains in place.

Vancouver sales were up about 76% from a year ago, the second best June ever for them. Calgary sales were up 27%, and Edmonton sales were up 38%. A lot of people emerged from their foxholes over the winter and have been brought in by low mortgage rates or a belief the economy is going to improve.

Financial Post

CRTC live blog: Day Two

Drew Hasselback — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:00:00 GMT

FP reporters Matt Hartley and Jamie Sturgeon are back on Tuesday with live coverage of Day 2 of the CRTC hearings into whether ISPs such as Bell Canada Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc. should be able to slow down or control certain forms of Web traffic.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=f7f3b2fde3" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;CRTC hearings: Day 2&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Meanwhile, check out Matt's story in Tuesday's paper on Day 1 of the hearings:

On the first day of public hearings in front of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, technology companies argued it is necessary for Internet service providers (ISPs) to employ tools that prioritize certain Web applications and slow down others, while urging the commission not to create prescriptive guidelines that could quickly become outdated on the rapidly-evolving Internet.
"We don't believe an unmanaged network is neutral," said Don Bowman, co-founder and chief technology officer for Sandvine Inc., a Waterloo, Ont.-based company that builds traffic management tools. "Applications of different users attempt to exploit or create inequities in the network. Therefore, network management is required to create an even user experience."

Jamie's story from Tuesday tackles a different issue, the CRTC's decision to let broadcasters charge cable and satellite services for the right to carry conventional broadcasting signals.

Transcript of chat from 9am to 11am (Because the blog runs in Flash, this material wouldn't be visible outside the Cover it Live window)

9:17
    National Post: Hello folks ... sorry about the delay. We had some technical issues ... all now resolved (I hope)
9:17
    Matt Hartley: Hello everyone. Sorry about the delay. Had some technical difficulties, but we're live now.
9:18
    Matt Hartley: Speaking now is Google's Jacob Glick, the company's Canada policy counsel, on behalf of the Open Internet Coalition.
9:19
    Drew Hasselback, FP: If you want to catch up, here's Matt's story from today's paper: http://www.financialpost.com/news-sectors/story.html?id=1764958
9:19
    Matt Hartley: Not surprisingly, Google pushes for an open Internet.
9:20
    Matt Hartley: CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein wants to know how Google defines openness.
9:21
    Matt Hartley: A quick summary of Google's comments on behalf of the OIC: the Internet is more than just a network, it is an economic engine, one that drive innovation.
9:22
    Matt Hartley: OIC says there is nothing wrong with traffic management per se, but that the ISPs are providing a false dichotomy, that they either need to throttle specific applications, or there is a congested network. OIC believes it doesn't have to be one or the other.
9:22

Twitter    tamir_i: Glick: ISPs place arbitrary restrictions on consumers that hinder innovation such as application specific ITMPs #crtc #netneutrality
9:22

Twitter    cippic: OIC #3: Some traffic management is ok. Need to ditinguish between congestion and application based throttling #netneutrality
9:22

Twitter    tamir_i: Glick reminds #crtc that discriminating between applications IS discrimination #netneutrality
9:23
    Matt Hartley: Congestion is not new online, they say. ISPs place arbitrary restrictions on consumers. Choosing which applications to throttle is, in itself, discriminatory, they say.
9:23
    Matt Hartley: Three point test, principle based, light touch, is being proposed.
9:23

Twitter    cippic: CRTC: "What does openness mean to you?" #netneutrality
9:23

Twitter    meznor: RT @thehartley Up and running, FP live blog for day two of the CRTC's #netneutrality hearings. http://tinyurl.com/nhoq25
9:23
    Matt Hartley: If you would like to listen in on the proceedings, you can follow along here: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/streaming/stream1-eng.htm
9:24
    Matt Hartley: If you would like to check out the submission from the OIC, or see the schedule for today, you can find it here: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2009/lt090605.htm
9:27
    Matt Hartley: OIC calling for disclosure so that the CRTC knows what the ISPs are doing to manage the traffic on their networks.
9:28

Twitter    cippic: Comm. Denton is now asking questions. Mr. Glick (Google) is having his experts answer most of the questions. #netneutrality
9:29
    Matt Hartley: According to the schedule today, we'll also hear from Zip.ca and the Coalition of Internet Service Providers.
9:31

Twitter    tamir_i: Denton: communication system is not just for carriers to make money but for people to communicate? Good idea! #crtc #netneutrality
9:31
    Matt Hartley: A lot of this debate gets to the heart of whether or not the Internet is considered a communications tool or a private network. Depending on which side of the debate the CRTC comes down, it could have profound results for Canadians.
9:33
    Matt Hartley: American perspective: metering and paying per bit was an idea that consumer groups were originally okay with in the U.S., seemed problematic for online video.
9:33
    Matt Hartley: Ah yes, the conflict of ISPs being online video providers as well. Let's hear more about that.
9:34
    Matt Hartley: Google says that the whole point of the Internet is to keep building capacity, seems to have worked well so far. OIC not proposing that as the only option, also saying that some forms of traffic management are inevitable and acceptable.
9:35
    Matt Hartley: History of the Internet over the last 25 years there have been concerns that the Web would be strained, always the response has been to build more, not manage the scarcity. Virtuous circle as more capacity is created, OIC says.
9:36
    Matt Hartley: Obviously, as the CRTC points out, the ISPs will just say that as the network is built bigger, there will be more use, the same way that new highways quickly become congested with more cars.
9:38
    Matt Hartley: Earlier this morning, Mr. Glick (Google) talked of the contradictions from the ISPs who pushed for an open Internet during the new media broadcasting hearings earlier this year, but now are now looking at ways of interfering with that openness.
9:38

Twitter    cippic: OIC: If you set up clear guidelines for carriers the landscape should clear up nicely. #netneutrality
9:40

Twitter    michaelgeist: CRTC ask about metered pricing. OIC: Careful about anti-competitive plans or that discourage Internet use ie mobile data #crtc (via @cippic)
9:41
    Matt Hartley: How does building out the network help shareholders, commissioner Katz asks. If costs go up, shareholder pay for it. Isn't that the case?
9:41
    Matt Hartley: Moore's Law: every 18 months the cost of electronics is cut in half or doubles in speed.
9:42
    Matt Hartley: Carriers aren't pricing based on cost, but rather on demand, OIC says. Increase in prices to ensure the radical evolution of the Internet is worth the trade off, they say.
9:44

Twitter    tamir_i: OIC: don't throw away the picture to preserve the frame [at a lower cost] #crtc #netneutrality
9:46
    Matt Hartley: Costs are either going to be passed on to shareholders or the consumers if the ISPs have to spend more on the networks, Katz says.
9:47
    Matt Hartley: Google and OIC don't believe that you're going to get a less-efficient Internet just because you outlaw application specific throttling.
9:48

Twitter    cippic: Katz: "If there are 'less efficient networks', do you have statistics that show that consumers are willing to pay for it?" #netneutrality
9:48

Twitter    asawyer: Katz challenging OIC to back up statements with data. easy to say consumers will pay for something... prove it #netneutrality
9:48

Twitter    cippic: OIC: We don't believe that there will be less efficient networks if they use non application specific techniques. #netneutrality
9:49
    Matt Hartley: For anyone who would like to read a bit deeper into the ISP contradictions, check out Professor Michael Geist's column from our sister publication the Ottawa Citizen this morning: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/News/Cable+firms+telecoms+support+neutrality+times/1765702/story.html

Mr. Geist is a law professor at the University of Ottawa where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and e-commerce law.
9:51

Twitter    cippic: Ms. Molnar is up... Virtuous circle seems to be on her mind. What are the efficiency obligations on application provided? #netneutrality
9:51
    Matt Hartley: Katz was also pressing the OIC to prove that consumers would be willing to pay for an efficient Internet.
9:52
    Matt Hartley: Was that Jacob who just referenced Yahoo and Bing without mentioning Google? That's hilarious.
9:52

Twitter    cippic: OIC: There is a highly competitive market in applications and efficiency is part of that competition. #netneutrality
9:52

Twitter    tamir_i: Glick: competition forces applications to be fast and efficient or consumers won't use them: see Bing and Yahoo search #netneutrality
9:53
    Drew Hasselback, FP: "Matt Hartley: Was that Jacob who just referenced Yahoo and Bing without mentioning Google? That's hilarious"

I guess he really does believe in openness.
9:53

Twitter    asawyer: Molnar: what's the incentive/onus/obligation on app developers to build network-efficient applications? #netneutrality
9:55
    Matt Hartley: Great question from Molnar, asking what the incentive is for application developers to build software and programs that are network efficient. Is BitTorrent or YouTube network efficient?
9:55
    Matt Hartley: The incentive is that if an application is designed to congest the network, it's not going to work well, OIC says.
9:56

Twitter    asawyer: OIC: there's a built-in incentive to create apps that avoid congestion. nice theory, doesn't mean that happens #netneutrality
9:56

Twitter    cippic: OIC: Applications that don't work well, don't get used. #netneutrality
9:56

Twitter    tamir_i: Molnar: what is incentive for application developers to create applications that do NOT abuse TCP? #netneutrality
9:57

Twitter    Alternator: They're having trouble understanding why an application wouldn't want to congest the network? #netneutrality #crtc
9:58
    [Comment From maybe]
well its a legitimate concern..
9:59
    [Comment From maybe]
basically, it's like saying whats stopping app developers from writing horrible code that transfers rediculous amounts of data for no useful purpose
10:00
    Matt Hartley: I can understand where Commissioner Molnar is coming from, but I'm not quite sure why we're having this discussion. I fail to see why an application developer would want to create something like that.

Perhaps if ISPs were a bit more open about the way their networks operate, application developers would be able to create technologies that work better with the network?
10:01
    Matt Hartley: Yesterday, Juniper Networks brought up the idea that the network management controls could be transferred to the consumers. The technology exists elsewhere (not in Canada) so why not here?
10:01
    [Comment From maybe]
the point they should mention though is p2p isn't bad code. it makes full USEFUL use of the network.. its not wasted inneficient data transfer.
10:03
    Matt Hartley: You're right Maybe, that's the way that BT works. It maximizes its use of the available network space. However, ISPs hate that, because it puts a strain on the network when everyone is doing it. Or, so they say.
10:04

Twitter    cippic: One thing not mentioned is that one of the telecommunication objectives is "h) to respond to user's requirements" #netneutrality
10:04

Twitter    tamir_i: OIC: consumer-centric prioritization is possible within 1 year #netneutrality
10:05
    Matt Hartley: Question about privacy. Yes, of course it's a concern for Canadians.
10:05
    Matt Hartley: Privacy commissioner of Canada has already received a complaint about deep packet inspection, Google's Mr. Glick says.
10:06
    [Comment From Kevin]
The principle of Net Neutrality, is that, the Internet is a free and open source. The Internet has no restrictions, knows no boundaries. ISPs, such as Bell, Rogers, Shaw, to name a few, what to be the Gate Keepers, deciding which websites load fast, which website load slow, and which website won't load at all. Deep Packet Inspection is an invasion of consumer's privacy. Just as Telephone companies are not allow to eavesdrop on consumer's personal telephone calls, so to, ISP should not be allow to peek on what consumer's are doing on the WWW.
10:06
    [Comment From ?]
net mgmt controls in the hands of consumers doesn't help with applications run by one consumer that affects bandwidth availability to others.
10:06
    Matt Hartley: That's a great point Kevin. Traffic management is a slippery slope indeed.
10:06

Twitter    cippic: CRTC: How does privacy get preserved in the Open Internet? *boggle* #netneutrality
10:06

Twitter    bmo: have the #crtc commissioners no idea?
10:07
    Matt Hartley: FTC and FCC in the U.S. are both looking into the privacy concerns related to net neutrality issues.
10:09

Twitter    cippic: OIC: Any open internet innovation is still subject to the law. #netneutrality
10:09
    [Comment From ??]
Privacy starts AT the ISP, by not tagging, identifying, snooping where/what the customer is doing.
10:10
    [Comment From Manik]
The main thing I'm concerned about is how can the ISP's get away with offering you one advertised speed yet it is not possible ever to attain speeds even near what was advertised. That's like buying a standard car but you can only use the two first gears.
10:11
    [Comment From ??]
You can use the 5th gear, but only got a gas tank that goes to the corner store is what Bell's package is offering these days.
10:12
    Drew Hasselback, FP: Yeah Manik, how does that work? If I'm being "throttled" (or "managed" or "traffic shaped" or whatever) by my ISP, shouldn't my access fee be reduced accordingly for that period?
10:13
    [Comment From Kevin]
Excuse my forthrightness, however, Bell, Rogers have no business holding consumer's hostage when we the paying customers are keeping hugh coporations like Bell, Rogers in business.
10:13
    Matt Hartley: You make a great point Drew. I'm surprised we haven't heard that argument from one of the consumer groups yet.
10:13
    [Comment From ??]
Should 95% of the users sees a 95% reduction in their fees?
10:14
    Matt Hartley: That sure would be nice for people like my folks ??, who are paying the same price as me to do little more than send emails.

10:14
    [Comment From ??]
If the 5% uses 95% of the bandwidth is throttled.
10:14

Twitter    cippic: CRTC: What are examples of other ways of managing traffic? OIC: See Comcast's solution. #netneutrality
10:15
    Matt Hartley: That does it for the Open Internet Coalition. CRTC is going to take a 10 minute caffeine break and I suggest you do the same. We'll be back in just a moment to continue the discussion.
10:15
    [Comment From maybe]
in the end. it really is a cash grab by the ISPs. they're trying to push what the market will bear. Why do they honestly care whether theres congestion or not anyway. they dont. its just an opportunity to charge consumers for the "same thing"
10:15

Twitter    stardustnf: Oh my. CRTC doesn't even understand the diff between privacy issues & the concept of 'open internet'. *sigh* Not encouraging. #netneutrality
10:20

Twitter    frankyw: RT @cippic Point one from OIC: Innovation is driven by the openness of the Internet. "Innovation without permission" #netneutrality
10:22

Twitter    davecoleman: rt: @michaelgeist CRTC Commissioner confusing open Internet with privacy violations. Not encouraging. #crtc
10:23
    [Comment From Manik]
Correct Drew, if the ISP's advertised there current speeds (with Bell i currently get 300KB/s peak time 500KB/s downtime) instead of the ridiculous 8Mb/s speeds advertised (converted to 1MB/s) then there wouldn't be such an outrage from the public in my opinion. Sure the speeds would be slow but at least its correct advertisement.
10:23
    [Comment From ??]
and offer them less and less which is in contrast with Moore's law and trends of electronics.
10:23
    [Comment From maybe]
applications communicating through the internet has nothing to do with privacy. and whether there's an open internet or not. is not going to change that. there are however protocols to safeguard privacy when used by applications such as SSL, SSH tunnels, and the like.
10:23
    [Comment From Mateo]
Shaw sells me a service of "up to 15Mbps". Why should they be allowed to throtte my 15Mbps depending on what I use? They should be selling packages depending on what they can realistically provide to the consumer, according to their network. I've never seen my 15Mbps. At any time of the day/night.
10:23
    [Comment From Kevin]
Speaking candidly, the CRTC needs to stop giving in to hugh corporations everytime they cry foul. Bell cries foul to the CRTC and, ultimatley, in the end the CRTC gives into Bell's requests. If the CRTC doesn't stand up and protect consumer's rights, who will?
10:23
    Matt Hartley: And we're back.
10:24
    Matt Hartley: I think you make a good point Mateo. ISPs shouldn't be able to advertise one speed and then provide something different. If you're paying for a certain speed, that's what you should be getting. Makes sense to me.
10:26
    [Comment From Jazdi]
Imagine if packaged food was sold as "up to" a certain weight. It's the same idea with internet. This UP TO nonsense shouldn't permitted by the CRTC.
10:26

Twitter    cippic: Comcast's Solution: When congested->limit heavy users until not congested or not heavy Better description http://bit.ly/IM0sk #netneutrality
10:27
    Matt Hartley: Kevin, I'm sure there are many people who feel the same way. I think it's great the CRTC is holding these hearings in an effort to hear from a wide range of groups before making a decision.
10:27
    [Comment From Craig]
Kevin, CRTC's purpose is really only to protect us against ourselves and to help corporations do it - they are not a consumer protection agency - FCC in the US is much more of a consumer advocate than we will ever see from the CRTC
10:29
    [Comment From ??]
This is one of the few cases that we SHOULD learn from the U.S.
10:30

Twitter    thehartley: Great discussions ongoing at FP's live blog of CRTC hearings. Come offer your two cents: #netneutrality http://tinyurl.com/nhoq25
10:30
    Matt Hartley: Up now is Rob Hall, representing Zip.ca, he's chairman of the board of Zip and the CEO of parent company momentus.ca.
10:31
    Matt Hartley: He also owned one of the first ISPs in Ottawa. My interest is piqued.
10:31
    [Comment From maybe]
but you guys do realize why they're now throttling and imposing caps.. because before not too long ago, speeds on the net were not sufficient to provide true media experience. such as music / video / tv. so there was no way the internet can compete with incubent services such as cable tv or satellite tv. now that the internet is so rich in content. it is threatening their tv and video businesses.. its market economics plain and simple. has nothing to do with congestion or isps want to make sure customers get the best experience or what not because quite obviously, users are not getting the best experience when they are throttled to unusable levels as per todays standards and capped and pay high overages for consuming some extra content. After all this rant, i still find that imposing reasonable caps are a very effective and good way to control the network
10:31
    [Comment From Kevin]
Agreed Matt. And, ISPs should be telling consumer's who sign up for Internet service that the use of DPI, Bandwidth restrictions, and throttling are part of the package. No hidden agendas.
10:31
    Matt Hartley: It will be tough to set rules for this kind of thing globally, Mr. Hall says.
10:31
    [Comment From maybe]
this guy is good.. hes very fluent. and good arguments so far.
10:32
    Matt Hartley: Mr Hall encourages CRTC to be able to identify and deal with complaints quickly.
10:32

Twitter    cippic: Zip: We're moving into the download arena. Streaming to set-top boxes. #netneutrality
10:33
    Matt Hartley: Zip follows the Netflix model of DVD rentals by mail, but is moving into downloadable movies. Streaming to PCs and set top boxes. Makes sense that they'd have a stake in this.
10:33

Twitter    kathrynboland: RT @thehartley: Great discussions ongoing at FP's live blog of CRTC hearings. offer your two cents: #netneutrality http://tinyurl.com/nhoq25
10:33
    Matt Hartley: Mr. Hall says content providers like Zip are worried about deep packet inspection. If ISPs can look at what Zip users are downloading, that's a competition issue and their competitors would love to have that information.
10:34
    Matt Hartley: Abuse will happen with DPI, Mr. Hall says. Shareholders will demand it if it offers the ISP a competitive advantage.
10:34
    [Comment From Alan Sawyer]
ISPs could only offer a guaranteed speed for local content... anything else if beyond their control. Therefore "up to" speeds makes sense -- anything else would be unachievable and more misleading than current practices
10:34
    [Comment From pcornell]
what about consumers&protection of children--enough violence&trash.!!!!!
10:34
    [Comment From Ben Lucier]
Ohhh good point. DPI could be used by the large carriers (who also provide video content) to grab marketing info from Zip subscribers in the IP stream.
10:34

Twitter    cr03: RT @michaelgeist #crtc Commissioner confusing open Internet with privacy violations. Not encouraging. #netneutrality
10:35
    Matt Hartley: Ben, that's a great point.
10:35
    Matt Hartley: Zip becomes the first group at these hearings to say that BitTorrent might be the best method to distribute content.
10:35
    [Comment From maybe]
this guy is good.
10:37

Twitter    cippic: Zip: If you allow ISPs to discriminate it will harm our business because Bittorrent might be a good way to distribute. #netneutrality
10:37

Twitter    cippic: CRTC: Why aren't you a VOD service that we regulate under broadcasting? #netneutrality
10:37
    [Comment From ??]
If continuing on the ISP business mean losing money, may be they should step back and sell off their ISP divisions?
10:37
    [Comment From Ben Lucier]
Just lost my audio feed... Maybe Bell didn't like to Rob was saying and throttled it. LOL.
10:37
    [Comment From Maynard G. Krebs]
Is anyone in the room passing on the points made here -online - to the speakers with standing? It's necessary to set the CRTC commissioners straight and keep them from veering towards favoring the telcos
10:38
    Matt Hartley: Good question Maynard. I have a feeling some of the participants may be following along with the Twittersphere.
10:38
    [Comment From Craig]
It is interesting that in Ontario we moved to splitting electrical generation from electrical transmission - to encourage competition and a fair playing field but apparently a competitive playing field is only good for electricity - not for communications.
10:40
    Matt Hartley: I think Mr. Hall is expressing the worries of many content companies out there. Any content provider looking to use services such as BitTorrent to distribute media would be at a disadvantage. The concern is that if you're competing with Rogers or Bell or another ISP, and that ISP offers a competing content service, then why wouldn't they throttle your service to provide faster service to their own customers.

"If they prefer their traffic over mine, that's a problem sir," Mr. Hall says. "That's exactly the root of the problem."
10:40

Twitter    frankyw: Reading @cippic live blogging the CRTC #netneutrality hearings on Twitter, very interesting.
10:40
    [Comment From CIPPIC]
Maynard: There are parties watching here (cippic for example), in twitter and and elsewhere and we're definitely keeping our ears open.
10:40
    [Comment From maybe]
he doens't get it.
10:40
    [Comment From Maynard G. Krebs]
A better solution is a net-neutral FTTH not-for-profit common carrier. The Bell can offer their phone or other services in true competition. Ditto for Rogers as a billing aggregator for TV networks. Or TV networks can bill customers pay-per-view directly.
10:41
    Matt Hartley: There's your answer Maynard. ;-)
10:41
    [Comment From Maynard G. Krebs]
Same for natural gas trasmission & distribution. natural monopoly runs the infrastructure on a highly regulated basis, open to all providers of gas, and all consumers of gas. Choose your own supplier.
10:41
    [Comment From Ben Lucier]
Oh man...Listening to the CRTC's questions is killing me. It will not be possible for the open Internet to get a fair shake without a lesson in IP for these people.
10:41
    [Comment From Mateo]
Whomever the German-accented bloke is (Konrad) seems to have comprehension issues.
10:41
    Matt Hartley: I don't think he has comprehension issues Mateo, he's a former judge, he is just very specific.
10:42
    Matt Hartley: While I see where Mr. Hall is coming from, I wonder if his argument should be put before the CRTC or if it's a matter for the competition bureau?
10:42
    [Comment From maybe]
he doesn't seem to get the iptv is travelling over the same lines/same protocols bandwidth as internet..
10:43

Twitter    cippic: CRTC and Zip are talking about how to balance broadcast and Internet competition and broadcasting regulation. #netneutrality
10:44
    [Comment From Maynard G. Krebs]
Problem with judges is that if they don't ask broad enough questions, they don't get the broad picture of the problem and devolve into solving minutae. Patient bled to death via jugular while we fixed his hangnail.
10:44
    Matt Hartley: Heh, point taken.
10:44
    Matt Hartley: Troy is a wonderful movie?
10:44
    [Comment From maybe]
9 GB??? per movie??
10:45
    [Comment From CIPPIC]
In theory though they have the broad picture from the months of written submissions and preparation.
10:45
    [Comment From dandin1]
per complete DVD disk.
10:45
    [Comment From maybe]
h264 codec gives perfect quality at around 700mb...
10:45
    [Comment From ??]
In therory, CRTC works for the citizens of Canada not artifical entities like corporations.
10:46
    [Comment From Craig]
It would be best if one company - utility - were created for the "last mile" to common aggregation points - which would allow companies to connect in and offer services (open) to customers - whether it be Internet, Television, Radio services. Individual stations (community or otherwise) could hook up and be available online, cable companies (cable services) would still exist in the form of offering aggregated packages (i.e. packages of TV services at a discount). The CRTC's purpose of guaranteeing local content access would then be void since any local community would have access to put on their station directly. The whole world is changing, yet we are anchored in an obsolete distribution system.
10:46

Twitter    cippic: Zip.ca is up to the table, Rob Hall is sitting alone. #netneutrality
10:46

Twitter    cippic: Zip: The assumption that there is a private and public internet is inappropriate because we compete head to head. #netneutrality
10:46

Twitter    cippic: Zip: We're moving into the download arena. Streaming to set-top boxes. #netneutrality
10:46

Twitter    kathrynboland: RT @thehartley: Great discussions ongoing at FP's live blog of CRTC hearings. offer your two cents: #netneutrality http://tinyurl.com/nhoq25
10:46

Twitter    cippic: Zip: We are concerned about DPI because it's part of our competitive advantage. They can snoop on what people are watching. #netneutrality
10:46

Twitter    cr03: RT @michaelgeist #crtc Commissioner confusing open Internet with privacy violations. Not encouraging. #netneutrality
10:46

Twitter    MishkaOttawa: and of course those past few posts should have been tagged #netneutrality
10:46

Twitter    JPWP: RT @thehartley: Great stuff ongoing at FP's live blog of CRTC hearings. Come offer your 2 cents: #netneutrality http://tinyurl.com/nhoq25
10:46

Twitter    frankyw: No wonder CRTC is useless. RT @michaelgeist CRTC Commissioner confusing open Internet with privacy violations. Not encouraging. #crtc
10:46

Twitter    cippic: Zip: If you allow ISPs to discriminate it will harm our business because Bittorrent might be a good way to distribute. #netneutrality
10:46

Twitter    cippic: CRTC: Why aren't you a VOD service that we regulate under broadcasting? #netneutrality
10:46

Twitter    michaelgeist: Zip.ca now up at CRTC. It offers download movies. Notes that P2P may be the most efficient mechanism to distribute content. #crtc
10:46

Twitter    frankyw: Reading @cippic live blogging the CRTC #netneutrality hearings on Twitter, very interesting.
10:46

Twitter    cippic: CRTC and Zip are talking about how to balance broadcast and Internet competition and broadcasting regulation. #netneutrality
10:46

Twitter    cr03: #netneutrality RT @cippic #crtc: Why aren't you a VOD service that we regulate under broadcasting? -- Arrogant/ShortSighted/Outrageous.
10:47
    [Comment From Maynard G. Krebs]
Do the Commissioners take a technical knowledge test before they are appointed? Programmers are ofter required to write code as a test before they're hired. How much do Comissioners know about TCP/IP, ISO 7-layer model, etc?
10:47
    [Comment From maybe]
zip still has to pay for bandwidth
10:47
    [Comment From Craig]
??, CRTC is not working for citizens of Canada, we are prevented from viewing what we want to protect canadian corporations from international competition - how is that protecting the citizens.
10:48

Twitter    jasturgeon: Competing head-to-head for say, video-streaming, Zip is concerned carriers would throttle its traffic if network strained #netneutrality
10:48

Twitter    extrema: Échange intéressant entre Zip.ca et le CRTC sur #netneutrality - ils regardent le P2P bittorent pour distribution VOD [@cippic]
10:48
    [Comment From Ben Lucier]
Bill St. Arnaud (CANARIE) writes a 2007 report about fiber to the home. This is the sort of direction where Canada needs to head: http://tr.im/reIv
10:48
    [Comment From Mateo]
From the CRTC's site: "The CRTC’s mandate is to ensure that both the broadcasting and telecommunications systems serve the Canadian public. "
10:50

Twitter    jeffscott: @cippic not surprised but very happy to hear you're following the FP live blog @ bit.ly/lTMsB for citizens' opinions #crtc #netneutrality
10:50
    [Comment From maybe]
hes hitting every point really well..
10:50
    [Comment From Manik]
The CRTC is serving the Canadian public, just not the general Canadian public. Also, is there a way to listen in on the discussion via webradio?
10:51
    Matt Hartley: Manik, you can listen in on the discussions here: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/streaming/stream1-eng.htm
10:51
    [Comment From Maynard G. Krebs]
"...serve the Canadian public. " Do the corporations controlling access to the internet have more rights in this than consumers?
10:51
    [Comment From Ben Lucier]
Huh?? TorIX will let Rob connect no problem
10:51
    [Comment From Guest]
I believe Maynard, it's not a question of not asking enough questions, it boils down to not be educated enough on the topic to be able to addressed the topic adequately. I believe this to be the case with the CRTC as well. Perhaps the very reason for this live feed; to gain consumer's input. If the CRTC was educated and well informed on the issue of Net Netruality, Throttling and DPI, the CRTC would have made the righ decision months ago which would not have warranted consumer's feedback. The purpose of this live feed is to the benefit of the CRTC and, ultimately will determine the fate of the Internet to the benefit of all consumer's concerned.
10:51
    [Comment From CIPPIC]
Ben: St. Arnaud will be appearing on Thursday. Mateo: You should take a look at the policy objectives in telecomm act, they list what the CRTC must focus on.
10:51

Twitter    Alternator: The Zip.ca guy mentions getting refusals when trying to peer through torix. Interesting. #netneutrality #crtc
10:51
    [Comment From ??]
Throttling your own network inside your ISP is one thing, but why is BCE allowed to throttled a leased and regulated network for the last mile for all the 3rd party ISP? These ISP and their users may not may not agree with the throttling.
10:52
    Matt Hartley: With today's bandwidth costs, it's cheaper for Zip to send DVDs in the mail than over the Web. Wow.
10:52

Twitter    cippic: Denton is up. Pointing out that bandwidth costs are more expensive than mailing the DVD to their customers. #netneutrality
10:52

Twitter    michaelgeist: Zip spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on postage costs to mail physical DVDs. Still cheaper than Canadian bandwidth costs. #crtc
10:52
    Matt Hartley: That's it for Zip and Mr. Hall, who I think was pretty great.

Up next will be the Coalition of Internet Service Providers.
10:53
    Matt Hartley: Coalition of Internet Service Providers represents 11 Independent ISPs in Quebec. Speaking for them will be Francois Menard.
10:54
    [Comment From Guest]
Mateo, does your statement bear truth, or are you simply paying lip service (said with all due respect).
10:54

Twitter    kbardeesy: CRTC ISP hearings: chair of movie rental company Zip.ca says it's cheaper to mail DVDs than to stream movies by broadband #crtc
10:54

Twitter    cr03: The #crtc will die off as more activity moves to the internet; it's impossible to regulate or manage. Crypto will foil them. #netneutrality
10:54
    [Comment From WindowsOnlyStreams]
CRTC needs to listen to it's own mandate. The audio stream is windoze only.
10:54
    [Comment From maybe]
thats how rediculous bandwidth is in canada. it costs MORE to send a movie over the net than to SHIP IT PHYSICALLY. and RESHIP IT BACK... right and they STILL need to THROTTLE AND CAP??? am i missing something?
10:54
    [Comment From ??]
Not in the rest of the world. You can get 100Mbps up/down unlimited ISP in Hong Kong for $25 U.S. a month and $3 for phone service.
10:54
    [Comment From Jazdi]
@Matt, but it's also worth pointing out that Zip stated it would be cheaper to send over the internet if their servers were simply hosted in the United States.
10:54
    [Comment From Maynard G. Krebs]
How would Royal Bank feel if Bell throttled streaming training content on the circuits leased from Bell? There would be hell to pay. So why does Bell feel they can get away with it with CAIP?
10:55
    Matt Hartley: Encryption makes deep packet inspection irrelevant, Menard says.
10:55
    [Comment From @jeffscott]
Alan: OK, ISPs cannot guarantee speeds for content outside their networks - BUT they shouldn't say "up to X" if they're throttling to Y!
10:55
    [Comment From Ben Lucier]
To those complaining about Windows only audio: I'm listening to the audio streams on a Mac right now... it doesn't appear to be Window only.
10:55
    [Comment From Kevin]
Maynard; because Bell feel they still hold the monolopy.
10:56
    Matt Hartley: I'm listening to the stream on a Mac as well Ben.
10:56
    Matt Hartley: You want privacy on the Internet, you encrypt, Menard says. If you can't look into encrypted traffic, there will be congestion.
10:56
    [Comment From maybe]
well apparently they do hold monopoly within the gvn't..
10:57
    [Comment From Mateo]
Guest: I'm not sure which comment I made that you're responding to.. But the CRTC mandate I quote was a direct quote from http://crtc.gc.ca/eng/backgrnd/brochures/b29903.htm
10:57
    [Comment From WindowsOnlyStreams]
Not working well on linux for sure though...
10:57
    [Comment From Maynard G. Krebs]
Kevin...that's why we need NN, FTTH common carrier.
10:57
    Drew Hasselback, FP: "Matt Hartley: With today's bandwidth costs, it's cheaper for Zip to send DVDs in the mail than over the Web. Wow."

It's a stimulus plan for the Post Office! Is Sean Silcoff following this??
10:57
    [Comment From Jim Parsons]
Audio stream is Microsoft only. May Mac auto launched Windows Media Player.
10:57
    [Comment From WindowsOnlyStreams]
It's using an mms stream, which is microsoft tech. Mac buys the codecs from MS.
10:57
    [Comment From Alternator]
Wow every one is here on the live blog. Hey National Post, trying to steal Twitter's thunder? ;)
10:57
    Matt Hartley: That's exactly my plan Alternator. ;-)
10:57

Twitter    cippic: CAIP: If you want privacy you encrypt, if you encrypt you foil DPI, if you foil DPI then you have congestion again. #netneutrality
10:58
    Matt Hartley: We want traffic management that works in the presence of encryption, Menard says.
10:58
    [Comment From ??]
Only reading from Blog. I am afraid Bell would farme me as the bandwidth hog if I use > 8k bit/sec of their precious bandwidth. No audio for you!
10:58
    [Comment From Mateo]
Is it just me or is this gentlemen just talking in circles?
10:59
    [Comment From Maynard G. Krebs]
So now this will be the CRTC Ludditie's rationale to bar the use of encryption everywhere on the net...
10:59

Twitter    cippic: Appologies, not CAIP, CISP. I'll retweet. #netneutrality
10:59
    [Comment From Kevin]
"Comment From Mateo] From the CRTC's site: "The CRTC’s mandate is to ensure that both the broadcasting and telecommunications systems serve the Canadian public. "
10:59
    [Comment From Maynard G. Krebs]
You can't DPI encrypted traffic unless you go past layer 2
10:59
    [Comment From WindowsOnlyStreams]
Yes, encrpytion is already throttled on Rogers.
11:00
    Matt Hartley: It's all about congestion signalling, if there were requirements for carriers to let applications know that their networks are congested, it could send a signal to the applications to slow down, Menard says. That's an interesting idea.
11:00
    [Comment From Manik]
IF 1.5% of users are able to congest the network... maybe the network isn't big enough...
11:00
    [Comment From WindowsOnlyStreams]
I often see my vpn connections throttled and disconnected early.
11:00
    [Comment From Kevin]
I was referencing the comment you made about the CRTC mandate is to ensure that both the broadcasting the telecommjunications systems serve the Canadian public.

How to keep your job without losing your mind

Cathy Graham — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:23:00 GMT

A recent Businessweek article provides 10 tips for keeping your job. Such as focus on the company not yourself. Companies want to see you work for them and subvert your own needs for the greater glory of the company. Or don't question management decisions, accept whatever they say (in others words, be grateful you have a job). Pitch in and be a team player, meaning go above and beyond as you take on duties that no one is doing because the individual in that role was laid off. Don't complain about it either. Companies don't like people who gossip, which is tip no. 4 "walk away from the water cooler". Not only do you have to take on others work, you can't even grumble about it with your colleagues. Be aware that you need to abide by the unwritten rules of your company, for example, if everyone works 8 to 8 then you better do so to. Make your job invaluable for the company, keep on top of all trends and position yourself as somebody who works on all the important initiatives. Market yourself, let others know of the important work you are doing and how well you do it. Choose the project with the best ROI. But don't stop there, cozy up to HR or Finance as these groups know a lot about you and can have influence with decision makers in the company that you don't even know about. In your spare time, brush up on all the latest technologies, Twitter and Facebook, so that you don't seem old, and start an exercise program. Employers like fit people. After you have done all of this go home, drink a large glass of wine, and remain calm. Pretty crazy world we live in. Welcome to the new (old) world of work. Whatever happened to work life/balance? Cathy Graham is managing director, at CV Management Inc. She specializes in mid to senior level recruiting for small to large organizations. She can be reached at: cgraham@cvmanagement.ca

Lender lets you pledge your immortal soul as collateral

Drew Hasselback — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:29:00 GMT

Ready to give your soul for a loan in these difficult economic times? Reuters reports that you can in Latvia, where the crisis has raged more than in the rest of the European Union.

Such a deal is being offered by the Kontora loan company, whose public face is Viktor Mirosiichenko, 34.

Clients have to sign a contract, with the words "Agreement" in bold letters at the top. The client agrees to the collateral, "that is, my immortal soul."

Mirosiichenko said his company would not employ debt collectors to get its money back if people refused to repay, and promised no physical violence. Signatories only have to give their first name and do not show any documents. Interviewed in his basement office, with one desk, a computer and three chairs, he said:

If they don't give it back, what can you do? They won't have a soul, that's all.

Wearing sunglasses, a black suit and a white shirt with the words "Kontora" (office) emblazoned on it, he reaches into his pocket and lays out a sheaf of notes on the table to show that the business is serious and not a joke.

Latvia has been the EU nation worst hit by economic crisis.

Unemployment is soaring and banks have sharply reduced their lending, meaning that small companies offering easy loans in small amounts have become more popular.

Mirosiichenko said his company was basically trusting people to repay the small amounts they borrowed, which has so far been up to 250 lats (US$500) for between 1 and 90 days at a hefty interest rate.

He said about 200 people had taken out loans over the two months the business was in operation.

© Thomson Reuters 2009

Photo: Viktor Mirosiichenko, the public face of Kontora loan company, shows a contract with a borrower at his office in Riga July 2, 2009. Ints Kalnins/Reuters

CRTC live blog: The traffic shaping hearings

Drew Hasselback — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:49:00 GMT

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=3ba21cd88c" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;CRTC hearings on traffic shaping&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Monday's digital edition of the Financial Post

Drew Hasselback — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:49:00 GMT

Here's what's in the Monday digital edition of the Financial Post. Links are to the web versions of stories.

FP1

Astute mergers reap rewards, Karen Mazurkewich, Financial Post

Oil bull begins to tire again, Vince Lauerman, Financial Post columnist

CRTC set to examine Web control, Matt Hartley, Financial Post technology reporter

FP2

Manager tests new fee model, Barry Critchley's Off-the-Record column

Smaller TV stations expect CRTC assistance, Jamie Sturgeon, Financial Post

FP3

China goes greener (New York Times, digital edition only)

Climate body bids to heal G8 rifts, Reuters

FP4

Big bank mergers off the table, Reuters

Improved Canadian equity markets send solvency ratio up, Karen Mazurkewich, Financial Post

Business leaders urge Ottawa to boost competitiveness, Canwest News Service

Buy-out firms worry over FDIC tie-up rules (Bloomberg News, digital edition only)

Job-Test Ruling Cheers Employers

Ray Williams — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:59:00 GMT

By Ray B. Williams

Many employers across North America are cheered by the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark employment-discrimination ruling, as reported in the Wall Street Journal, July 1, 2009, in which the court ruled 5-4 in favor of white firefighters in New Haven, Connecticut, who challenged the city's decision to reject the results of a promotion exam because no black candidates scored well enough to advance.

Some private sector employers say the ruling might prompt them to use tests more in making hiring and promotion decisions. But it has others scrutinizing their existing tests to ensure they are free of bias. At minimum, the ruling creates uncertainty about when and what kinds of tests employers can give applicants for jobs or promotions.

In her article in Talent Management Magazine, Sandra L. Shullman talks about how personality tests have taken a beating by critics, such as Annie Murphy Paul, in her book, Cult of Personality: How Personality Tests Are Leading Us to Miseducate Our Children, Mismanage Our Corporations, and Misunderstand Ourselves. Murphy Paul argues "that such tests cannot specify how we will act in particular roles or situations. They cannot predict how we will change over time."

Yet many HR managers and consultants are obsessed by such tests as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) or the DiSC. Shullman says that personality tests are good at predicting two main categories behaviorally related to work: getting along with people and the motivational aspects of getting ahead. But as a predictor of choosing a good candidate for any job, there is little evidence in support. Another common misapplication occurs when HR managers takes a personality snapshot of a high-performance individual and then clones the individual through selection. The last thing organizations need is clones of the boss. The process of putting together a strong team requires a cross section of abilities, skills and personalities.

In talent managers' haste to deliver fast, dependable results, research-based tools provide some security. Under this pressure, tools once used for confirmation are now used as primary decision makers. But the personality is far too complex to measure definitively, and its study still remains highly theoretical. In addition to user error problems there are inherent shortcomings for any profiting product. The accuracy of any measurement instrument could be argued for hours even by psychologists who rely on it. In truth, assessments like hte MBTI and DiSC are more or less self-scoring and have fairly detailed instructions. But without professional feedback and discussion, they begin to sound like horoscopes.

Instead, the developmental approach to employee selection and promotion produces employees who are more engaged,versatile and satisfied in their work. While personality assessments have their place to add to the profile of an individual, using them as the prime human resources decision making process is fraught with problems. And the recent court ruling makes this problem even more acute.

Ray Williams is Co-Founder of Success IQ University and President of Ray Williams Associates companies located in Vancouver and Phoenix, providing leadership training, personal growth and executive coaching services. www.successiqu.com