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A quiz about 2006

By Scott Bradner

Taking style pointers from William Safire of the New York Times, here is a multiple guess quiz about the upcoming year. My guesses are at the bottom, let me know next year how you did.

1. The FCC CALEA extensions to IP networks will be a) approved by the courts, b) thrown out by the courts, c) rendered OBE by new laws, d) withdrawn by the FCC

2. The underlying purpose of the replacement for the current telecommunications law will be to a) protect incumbent telephone companies, b) ensure actual competition for users, c) ensure an open Internet, d) ensure that the 'Net can be wiretapped.

3. The stated purpose of the replacement for the current telecommunications law will be to a) ensure an open Internet, b) ensure actual competition for users, c) enable new applications, d) continue growth of the Internet.

4. SCO will a) get its case against IBM thrown out by the judge, b) edge closer to a 2007 trial date, c) fail to show any examples of protected code, d) declare (financial) bankruptcy.

5. The US Patent Office will a) reduce the number of patents with obvious prior art, b) increase the number of patents with obvious prior art, c) reduce the time it takes to get a patent, d) reduce the number of patents for obvious technology.

6. Congress's data protection & privacy laws will a) penalize companies that do not protect your data, b) override strong state laws, c) require companies to protect your data, c) prohibit the use of a SSN as an identifier (other than by government).

7. AT&T's new half (or more) billion-dollar ad campaign will a) make people forget how bad a phone company the old AT&T was, b) make people forget how bad a phone company the old SBC was, c) slow the move of users away from fixed-line phones, d) enrich an ad company.

8. Intel's $2 billion ad campaign dropping the "Intel inside" logo will a) show that people did not care what was inside, b) make people understand, and care, what Viiv stands for, c) keep companies from using other brands of processors, d) enrich an ad company.

9. Sony's digital rights management settlement will a) lead to better DRM regulations, b) teach other companies to inform their customers about DRM technology, c) get music companies to think about new business models, d) help Elliot Spitzer become Governor of New York state.

10. There will be a) half as many, b) the same number, c) twice as many, d) too many to count, "serious" security issues in Windows.

11. Apple's Intel-based approach will a) double, b) not impact or, c) half their market share or d) Apple's platform restrictions will be broken quickly permitting the software to run on any Intel platform.

My guesses 1 b, 2 a, 3 all, 4 all but b, 5 b, 6 b, 7 d, 8 a & d, 9 d, 10 d, 11 a & d

disclaimer: Students take quizzes at Harvard all the time but few are as silly as this one which I must confess is my own.