U.S. Appeals Court kills net neutrality

[FORD]

New technologies cannot compete in an unregulated market. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started Apple computers in their garage. If two kids tried to do something like that today, they would instantly be bought up.... ironically enough, Apple would probably be the one buying them. Or possibly Microsoft or Google.

Google's also another example.... they started off with a noble enough idea - make a better search engine. And it was. At least before it turned into an ad spam generator and privacy destroyer. And aside from that, then the newly rich Google went on a spending spree and started buying up every thing in sight, including Grand Central (a VOIP company), SageTV ( the best TV tuner/DVR software for the computer that was ever made), YouTube, and most recently a programmable thermostat company called "Nest". And the results of this spending spree:

Grand Central became Google Voice - It still functions pretty much as it always did, but now it's incorporated into the ad spam generator, so watch what you leave on your voice mail.

Sage TV - while they still publish the EPG for existing Sage users, they have refused to continue development of the software, meaning that it has not kept up with the times, and new technologies which allow you to record two digital channels at once with the same tuner, provided they're on the same multiplex. So call that one "planned obsolesence".

YouTube - weighted down with the dual boat anchors of Google Plus and ad spam. They have all but destroyed it.

Nest - They just bought this one, so it's too soon to read the impact. But do you really want ad spammers to know when the heat (or A/C) is on at your house? Think about it......

Google also owns Android which is on cell phones, tablets, and numerous other devices, including the media streaming box I own. Or should I say it WAS. Got rid of that shit and installed an all Linux version of XBMC. Much faster and far more secure. I'll never go back.

Because Reagan, Clinton, Poppy and his retard son have systematically deregulated damn near everything, we have these behemoth corporations swallowing everything whole. And until those regulations are restored, competition is impossible

[FORD]

[Redballjets88]

The internet has done a hell of a job growing organically to this point. The few problems will be fixed by the market.

Allowing FCC regulation is just a foot in the door for the government and it's lobbyists.

[FORD]

Two more examples of how well "the market" regulates itself.....

1) That fertilizer plant in your own state a while back.

2) "Freedom" Industries of West Virginia and their new licorice scented death additive to the local water supply.

Are these worst case scenarios? Absolutely. But both were easily avoidable, had there been proper regulation. The disaster now facing the internet may not be as rapid or as dramatic, but in the long run will be as devastating. Fascism loves an uninformed population, and in a time when even 60 fucking Minutes has become corporate presstitution, the internet is really all that's left.

[Redballjets88]

That Fertilizer plant had/has regulations in place to prevent this. But what good does regulation do when the regulators are too inept to do their job.

Once regulation takes hold then the rule of unintended consequences comes in to play and let the shot storm ensue.

[Redballjets88]

Shit*

[FORD]

Expecting predatory capitalists to regulate themselves is like expecting Catholic priests to regulate pedophilia. You cannot be part of the solution if you're part of the problem. People need to wake up and realize that Ayn Rand's writings were not gospel truth, but horribly written fiction, and not even she believed in them in the end, as she was depending on Social Security and Medicare to take care of her when she was dying from self-induced lung cancer.

Government is not the enemy. Or more specifically, proper government -by the people, of the people, and for the people - is not the enemy. When Reagan came in reading his script that "government was the problem" his friends made sure that it became that way, by appointing a bunch of corporate stooges to be "regulators", which proved about as useful as hiring vegans to run a steakhouse.

[FORD]

[Dr. Love]

I agree with FORD. It's a crime that networks that produce TV shows have some control over how its distributed. It's also a crime that companies that invest in the infrastructure to provide services somehow think they are entitled to price products how they want.

It's reprehensible!

[Redballjets88]

I'm not attempting to throw around any objectivist philosophy, only saying instead of jumping the gun on FCC open ended regulation (based primarily on speculation and what ifs) why not wait til there is a problem to start talking regulation. Market pressures and public knowledge can prove to be just as/if not more powerful than beauracracy and power hungry shady deal makers.

http://reason.com/blog/2010/02/24/recently-at-reasontv-net-neutr

[Nickdfresh]

...It's also a crime that companies that invest in the infrastructure to provide services somehow think they are entitled to price products how they want.

It's reprehensible!

http://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/monopoly.asp

[FORD]

"Market Pressure" only works when there is a choice. I can't put much pressure on Scumcast, because it's a monopoly and I have no competitor to throw in their face.

It's not like telling Meconi's Subs down the street that if they raise the price on their meatball sub again that I'm going to Subway (which is literally across the street from them). Now there you have the possibility of market pressure. Actually, Meconi's sub already costs more, but they are an independent, locally owned business, so I prefer to support them when possible. They also have Coke products rather than Pepsi. Sadly it's the corn poison variety in both cases, so I usually end up getting whatever juice or ice tea they have in a bottle in either case. But all things being equal, or even somewhat unequal, but with other factors added to the assessment, I'm fine with "market pressure" where it actually can exist.

It doesn't exist when it comes to fighting Scumcast and their fellow regional monopolies.

[FORD]

I'm not attempting to throw around any objectivist philosophy........

http://reason.com/blog/2010/02/24/re...ontv-net-neutr

So you're not trying to throw around objectivist philosophy, but then you go to a Randtard blog???

[Nickdfresh]

FFS! The internet wouldn't even exist without significant government funding. Who the fuck are these entities trying now to seize control of what they themselves were completely unable to develop to begin with? The internet exists as it does because there was no significant control over it...

[Dr. Love]

"Market Pressure" only works when there is a choice. I can't put much pressure on Scumcast, because it's a monopoly and I have no competitor to throw in their face.

It's not like telling Meconi's Subs down the street that if they raise the price on their meatball sub again that I'm going to Subway (which is literally across the street from them). Now there you have the possibility of market pressure. Actually, Meconi's sub already costs more, but they are an independent, locally owned business, so I prefer to support them when possible. They also have Coke products rather than Pepsi. Sadly it's the corn poison variety in both cases, so I usually end up getting whatever juice or ice tea they have in a bottle in either case. But all things being equal, or even somewhat unequal, but with other factors added to the assessment, I'm fine with "market pressure" where it actually can exist.

It doesn't exist when it comes to fighting Scumcast and their fellow regional monopolies.

Sucks in your area and I feel for you - locally I have about 5 different providers I can choose from, between uverse/fios/cable/dsl/dish. I would prefer an a-la-carte selection for TV but to be honest, I can consume a lot of shows on tv however I want, and don't have to do the TV bundle with fios. I can buy them on xbox live, watch them on netflix, amazon prime, buy seasons on bluray, get them from the local library, borrower dvds from friends, and several more options.

Hardly a monopoly.

I guess the real question is why does a progressive state like yours have these problems while a backwards, conservative state/area like mine not? I don't get it.