To err is human...

'Tis the season of forgiveness. President Clinton has asked the American people for forgiveness. You know why: It is because he did you know what with you know who. Unfortunately, we all know where and how. He has also asked "Three Wise Men"-all clergy, one an admitted adulterer and none female-to advise him on how to resist temptation. Interesting selections!

The president's timing is good. We are in the midst of the Jewish high holidays. From Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) to Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), we repent past sins and ask God's forgiveness. We cleanse our souls with fasting. We promise to try extra hard in the coming year to be better.

However, forgiveness is a complex process. It does not come without great effort. It is in the spirit of this full-bodied formulation of forgiveness that I set forth the following. It arises, in small measure, from the vitriolic e-mail I received about last month's column in which I stated, "IP rules!"

1. Forgive me all you ATM fanatics and other technology purists for appearing to be an IP evangelist. Truth be known, I don't care about the purity of technology. I, like most customers, just want cost-effective solutions that solve problems-especially the ones caused by your technology that contribute to lost time, lost customers, lost wages and lost profits.

2. Forgive me for taking the name of Lords Bill Gates, Michael Armstrong and Edward Whitacrein vain. I don't know what got into me. This year I will do better. I will not limit my observations to print. Television and IP multicasts will be added. I intend to practice what I preach to my clients, such as "broaden your distribution channels."

3. Forgive me for doubting that 3G wireless, in any or all of its "standards-based" versions, is the greatest invention since the wheel. I almost made it to the end of the year without asking in public, "What's the business case? How many people really need interactive color television in their cars?" However, I lost it at the recent PCS '98 show in Orlando. Qualcomm's prototype High Data Rate cdmaOne modem got me wondering why next year I'll be able to get 1.5 Mb/s over wireless for data in my car, but not in my home. In fact, not in my home over wire, or wireless. I promise that this year, I will believe 100% that everything I see at trade shows will be available to me before 2000, plug and play, and priced to go.

4. Forgive me for doubting the validity of the concepts and synergies behind SBC/Ameritech, Bell Atlantic/GTE, and AT&T/TCI. I should have known the people running these companies are only looking out for my best interests. I will unflinchingly support any and all deals involving any and all companies in our industry so long as at least all the executives in the acquired companies, and their board of directors, are made double-digit millionaires by the acquirers.

5. Forgive me for thinking ISPs should pay access charges and that access charges should go toward supporting the universal deployment of digital broadband infrastructure. It's heresy to think the interests of all Americans could actually benefit the long-term economic interests of the industry. This year I promise that anything that smacks of promotion of the common good, even if it is good business, will not appear unless it is accompanied by streamed video links to recent segments of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" with Robin Leach.

So much for asking for forgiveness and promising to change my behavior. What about the good deeds?

I promise you and my publisher to continue doing my best to entertain, inform and stimulate your thinking as we ponder together the future of the business we love. As such, a healthy skepticism will continue to be the order of the day. This will be most true in analyzing "unique" marketing and industry restructuring moves. In addition, the tradition of all e-mails being graciously accepted and responded to expeditiously will continue as well.

Finally, to get the new year started right, consider the following: "Whoever controls the call model wins!" In case I am a little off, I ask for your forgiveness in advance.