In descending order, here were the top posts from 2015.
#7 Will Net Neutrality Kill the Internet 3.0?
In February, the FCC passed the net neutrality rules. This seems like one of those issues, like most, that seemed to be of epic importance at the time but resulted in much ado about nothing. That may be a result of the relatively even-handed approach taken by the FCC.
#6 Why You Care the E.U. Struck Down Safe Harbor Data Protection and What to Do About It
On the other end of the spectrum is a story that deservedly got the attention of data security geeks, but probably deserves more. Companies are still dealing with the uncertainty left in the wake of the E.U. decision’s to determine the U.S. does not take data security and privacy serious enough even when companies followed the Safe Harbor mechanism. Will recent events in Europe change their outlook on internet privacy?
#5 To Fire or Not to Fire for Employee’s Social Media Posts
This topic has been a popular one for a number of years now. For more, take a look at what I wrote about firing employees for their social media content in 2012.
# 4 Texas Anti-SLAPP Law: The Expanding Scope of the Texas Citizen’s Participation Act
This was a five-part series (average popularity). The bottom line – The TCPA is broader than you think.
#3 Getting Pictures Off the Internet – Not Easy to Do
The headline is self-explanatory. Despite the difficulty, the post provides several suggestions you might want to consider.
#2 The Cards Hack the Astros – So What Law Applies?
Hot news always plays well. This story has somewhat quietly gone away. According to this November 4, 2015 report from the Houston Chronicle, the FBI is continuing to investigate which means the teams and Major League baseball are staying mum. The Cardinals did fire their director of scouting back in the summer.
#1 Mizzou: A Personal Note on Racism, Firings and a Free Press
Sticking with the hot news theme, this post received the most views. As a Mizzou alum and fan, ideally the school will make some reasonable changes and the story will fade into history. Just yesterday, I had to respond to a joke about how Mizzou is a racist campus. Short version – Mizzou is nothing more than a reflection of society as a whole as we deal with racism, student protests, free speech and political correctness. With a 2016 presidential election, I don’t think these themes will go away. Hopefully, they won’t have to be associated so heavily with Mizzou in the new year.
Related – a look back at the most popular posts of 2014.