It’s not clear why Microsoft (MSFT) inked such a licensing deal. But it’s worth noting that at least a few of the patents included are cited in a lawsuit Acacia (ACTG) filed earlier this year against Apple (AAPL), Research In Motion (RIMM), Motorola (MOT) and a bunch of other smartphone makers.

Now, Microsoft wasn’t named in that suit. But it is launching a brand new mobile OS on Monday, which makes the timing of this Acacia deal interesting. At the very least, it makes you wonder if Acacia, which is often decried as a patent troll, has been threatening to add Microsoft’s name to the infringer list.

“The Internet [is] completely over. The Internet [is] like MTV. At one time MTV was hip and suddenly it became outdated.”

— Musician Prince explores a new vocation: Internet troll

After two decades online, I’m perplexed. It’s not that I haven’t had a gas of a good time on the Internet. I’ve met great people and even caught a hacker or two. But today, I’m uneasy about this most trendy and oversold community. Visionaries see a future of telecommuting workers, interactive libraries and multimedia classrooms. They speak of electronic town meetings and virtual communities. Commerce and business will shift from offices and malls to networks and modems. And the freedom of digital networks will make government more democratic.

Baloney. Do our computer pundits lack all common sense? The truth is no online database will replace your daily newspaper, no CD-ROM can take the place of a competent teacher and no computer network will change the way government works.”

–Clifford Stoll, “The Internet? Bah!” Newsweek, Feb. 27, 1995

The first is about Web “trolls,” who plague politicians’ Web sites by posting negative comments and links; the second looks at the Geek Squad of Best Buy; the third is about Queen Elizabeth II’s new YouTube site; and the fourth looks at a blogger who posts critically while also living in Havana, no easy task.

Internet Trolling

Geek Squad

YouTube Save the Queen

Cuban Blogger