Advocate's Studio

I was asked earlier today to find something that Google couldn’t find, at least for free anyway. So what did I do? I did the deep dive, of course.

I haven’t touched on this topic recently here in the Studio, so the time is ripe. I am talking about the “deep web”, the “invisible web” of data and documents hosted on the Internet that traditional search bots and crawlers of Google and similar ilk can’t seem to index. It is estimated that the invisible web is 500 times larger than the searchable portion of the Web, which we all know is pretty freaking big to begin with. Sometimes, you won’t be able to find what you are looking for using traditional search engines, so what do you do? You use some tricks to access those hidden databases, of course – you are more than 500 times more likely to find the goods.

If you are looking for a search engine tuned to deep web searching, check out this great list (over 100!) broken down by topic, curated by the Online Education Database.

If you are looking for information that is more geared towards the legal profession, you can do no better than this great list of invisible web resources over at LLRX curated by Marcus Zillman.

Wondering what I was looking for? A current list of legislation across the 50 states pertaining to medical malpractice, particularly tort damages caps. I found it in a database maintained by the National Association of State Legislatures. I didn’t have to pay a cent for it. Thanks guys! Sorry Westlaw.

Don’t blink.

Hat tip to MSNBC and Shanghai Web Designers

A novel social media / legal experiment is taking place a few miles and minutes from where I am sitting. As of yesterday, anyone with an internet connection can “see” what is happening in the Quincy District Court. Cameras and microphones are operating in the court’s criminal session and proceedings are being streamed live over the Internet at the new website created solely for the project. The project is run by NPR local affiliate WBUR and is being funded by Knight Media and is called, appropriately enough, OpenCourt.us. The goal is to improve transparency and understanding of the judicial process and, hopefully, strengthen “ties” between the public and their courts.

These “ties” include court reporting. In the courtroom there is an operating Wi-Fi network and a space reserved for “citizen bloggers” to share the news with the Internet via blogs, tweets, even Facebook.

The project is not without limitations. The Judge can decide when to shut the camera off, when the need arises. Or to comply with existing court rules or maintain privacy in domestic violence cases. To protect attorney-client communications, there are “privacy” zones in the court room, free from electronic eyes and ears.

If matters proceed positively, the Project partners plan to extend it to other sessions, civil matters and small claims. Because everyone needs to know what is happening in small claims.

All sarcasm aside, I find this project fascinating. In an age where we are constantly admonished not to tweet or reach out where court is concerned (or even are barred from bringing smartphones and laptops into the court room in parts of New York), the Quincy Court’s about-face is somewhat startling. My short answer is that I am all for openness and transparency. But I do wonder what indirect effects the knowledge of constant, anonymous on-line viewing might have on the parties, their counsel and court personnel.

We shall see.

People are still grappling with the concept, but I think we might have a better grasp than poor Bryant Gumble and Katie Couric did. What is it? A giant computer billboard? You can decide for yourself, while you check out their hilarious struggle with the meaning of life, the Universe and the Internet waay waay back in 1994. Before even Google was created:

Oh, heck, it only just started! According to the man who originally was Prince, then became a symbol (I just learned it’s called “Love Symbol #2) and is now back to being Prince, the Internet is over. Context, please – Prince was being interviewed (link here) by the Mirror and was discussing “internet abuses” relative to his content. He also was talking about the anticipated release of his newest album, 20TEN, for free, exclusively, in the UK via the Daily Mirror newspaper. Via CD. No downloads. None of that pesky, problematic Internet stuff for Prince. Here is the quote:

“The internet’s completely over. I don’t see why I should give my new music to iTunes or anyone else. They won’t pay me an advance for it and then they get angry when they can’t get it.

“The internet’s like MTV. At one time MTV was hip and suddenly it became outdated. Anyway, all these computers and digital gadgets are no good.

“They just fill your head with numbers and that can’t be good for you.”

I am guessing that if you are reading this, you might not share the same view about the internet. But rather than chuckle at Prince’s apparent backwards approach to modern technology, consider that this 52-year old pop icon is only one of many others that share a similar perspective. Maybe he had a bad experience on the internet, maybe she is completely unsure how to negotiate it. Whatever the reason, they just don’t GO there.

Maybe these Prince-lings are in your own firm or are your own clients. How do you deal? As you set up your on-line presence, hoping to grow the conversation in that venue, you may be alienating or, at the very least, not reaching the ears of a sizeable number of potential audience members.

Because we have yet not fully adopted the internet and related techn0logy to the same extent as the car or the telephone, the needs of non-Web-based colleagues and customers must be considered. Keep a real life presence, but don’t miss an opportunity to introduce and educate Web tools. Positive experience is the best motivation for adoption.

Maybe you could even show Prince that the internet isn’t such a bad place. Look what it did for Lady Gaga.

Disclaimer: despite my joking tone, let it be known that I am a HUGE Prince fan, eccentricities and all. And I urge you to hit the jump and read the interview – it’s very entertaining. What else would you expect?