Google Charging for Google Maps API Access? So What?
Something happened that is not too surprising:
Introduction of usage limits to the Maps API
To assist in evaluating whether your site is exceeding the usage limits we will shortly be adding the Maps API to the Google APIs Console. Once available you will be able to track your usage in the APIs Console by providing an APIs Console key when you load the Maps API. If you find that your site does exceed the usage limits each day you can opt to pay for your excess usage by enabling billing on your APIs Console project. We will then start billing excess usage to your credit card when we begin enforcing the usage limits in early 2012.
You know what? Good for them. I’d like to think that proving good-looking map tiles with a great API is a good business model. When Google gave away the farm, there was no business model. Everyone just used Google’s tiles and thought nothing of it. The rest of the world who tried to price their tiles so that they could build a business around it were beaten down (Remember something called deCarta?).
Now I suspect we’ll see some great creative choices out there that will give users with many options. I think back to this great blog post by Paul Ramsey many years ago. Now there is hope for everyone in this space to succeed because free beer isn’t sustainable.
Google Foot Smash
Googlezilla’s foot seems to not be coming down just yet.
Atanas’ Lawyer Publishes a Public Appeal
For those who are following (and hopefully have donated) here is an update from Atanas’ lawyer:
As you are well aware, on June 17, 2011 ICE Director John Morton issued a memo to ICE Field Office Directors to provide guidance on the exercise of prosecutorial discretion. As has always been true pursuant to prior policy, prosecutorial discretion can be exercised at any point in the removal process, including after entry of an Order of Deportation. The memo lists the factors, both positive and negative, that should be considered when evaluating requests for prosecutorial discretion. An analysis of these factors shows that many positive factors and no negative factors apply to Atanas, Mayia and Enislav.
It will take a couple of minutes to read through the post but it is worth it to better understand immigration in the United States and how nuts it all is.
Atanas’ Lawyer Publishes a Public Appeal
For those who are following (and hopefully have donated) here is an update from Atanas’ lawyer:
As you are well aware, on June 17, 2011 ICE Director John Morton issued a memo to ICE Field Office Directors to provide guidance on the exercise of prosecutorial discretion. As has always been true pursuant to prior policy, prosecutorial discretion can be exercised at any point in the removal process, including after entry of an Order of Deportation. The memo lists the factors, both positive and negative, that should be considered when evaluating requests for prosecutorial discretion. An analysis of these factors shows that many positive factors and no negative factors apply to Atanas, Mayia and Enislav.
It will take a couple of minutes to read through the post but it is worth it to better understand immigration in the United States and how nuts it all is.
Freeatanas Best Thing Youll Read All Day
Brian Timoney has a way with words.
Having little faith in the efficacy of appealing to the better nature of politicians, I would nonetheless urge you to, in addition to the methods of support listed above, drop a line to Atanas’ Senate and Congressional representatives asking why taxpayer money is being wasted on imprisoning a non-criminal immigrant entrepreneur and his family members
If everyone who will read this post in the next 24 hours gives $3 to the Atanas Entchev support fund, we’ll have over $5,000 raised for Atanas’ defense. It doesn’t take much.
Freeatanas Best Thing Youll Read All Day
Brian Timoney has a way with words.
Having little faith in the efficacy of appealing to the better nature of politicians, I would nonetheless urge you to, in addition to the methods of support listed above, drop a line to Atanas’ Senate and Congressional representatives asking why taxpayer money is being wasted on imprisoning a non-criminal immigrant entrepreneur and his family members
If everyone who will read this post in the next 24 hours gives $3 to the Atanas Entchev support fund, we’ll have over $5,000 raised for Atanas’ defense. It doesn’t take much.
Latest on Atanas Entchev - Donate to help with his legal expenses
I’ve lifted this directly from his blog:
A Plea For Help After living legally in the United States for over 20 years, I was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on an immigration charge, and am currently facing deportation. My son Eni, 21, who came to the United States at the age of two, is also detained and wears an orange jumpsuit through no fault of his own. We continue to pursue all possible legal avenues to remain in the US our home.
However, our 18-year immigration ordeal has depleted our resources. My detention is about to cripple my small IT consulting business. We cannot keep up with our growing expenses, and I have no other choice but to turn to the community for help.
I ask friends and sympathizers of our cause to donate to our legal fund. No donation is too small. Please spread the word.
Thank you for your kindness, and God bless you.
Posted for Atanas Entchev, by his daughter, Christina
Atanas Entchev
Atanas Entchev
It is disturbing to hear this happen to Atanas. There is a Paypal donation link on his blog to fund his legal defense and I’d urge everyone reading this to give at least a few dollars. What I do know about Atanas is that he would be the first to give to anyone else’s cause so we should pay him back in kind.