Net Neutrality

[XxHAMADEHxX]

What do you guys make of this crap the FCC is trying to pull.

[Ded10c]

I think they seem to have forgotten that 90% of web users are from overseas. The US government has been doing a lot to attempt to control the internet lately, completely forgetting that it's not theirs to control.

[MrTwosheds]

?

[XxHAMADEHxX]

@AH I see

@Mr2sheds
http://www.infoworld.com/t/net-neutrali ... ans-242610

[MrTwosheds]

Surely only communists would disagree with concept of being able to buy a premium service? Denial of service to the poor is the essential driving force of a competitive economy. Hell lets make cash obsolete too...then we can just "turn off" the economic activity of subversives and criminals with the click of a mouse...

[blue banana]

Russian* communists.

[Ded10c]

John Oliver on the subject

[jack775544]

Surely only communists would disagree with concept of being able to buy a premium service? Denial of service to the poor is the essential driving force of a competitive economy. Hell lets make cash obsolete too...then we can just "turn off" the economic activity of subversives and criminals with the click of a mouse...

Just because it is one of the principals behind a competitive economy, doesn't mean it is morally correct to do so. The ability to control these sorts of things make the ISP's more and more powerful. If the limiting of internet speeds based on what is being loaded is continued to a complete extent, then the government would effectively be controlled by ISP's due to our civilisations reliance on the internet. Imagine an ISP limiting the speeds of political parties that they find unfavourable, swaying electoral votes because of undesirable loading speeds of their promotional material. In the end, a measure such as this could lead to indirect internet censorship, which in reality is the opposite of what defines a healthy free market.

[Zero Angel]

Denial of service to the poor is the essential driving force of a competitive economy.

That statement is absurd. there is no percentages to be had in denying services to the poor, especially in a competitive economy (as opposed to a monopolistic one). It's why electronics manufacturers, software development companies, and such tend to sell things at lower prices in countries which have far lower purchasing power than first-world countries. They would rather have 10 customers that paid full price and 10 that paid enough to make them a profit, rather than only the first 10.

Mind, there are exceptions to certain industries, e.g. the diamond industry where certain monopolies can create scarcity and drive demand (and profits). But, where there's competition, there is a healthy economy.

[MrTwosheds]

I really need that sarcastic smiley... I used to work for an ISP, most would get a very good price for their grandmothers given the opportunity.
Unfortunately for us in the UK, the monopoly situation was created back in the 80's when the state owned telephone network was privatized. BT own the wires and exchanges, (and now the superfast broadband networks) everyone here is their customer one way or another.
Quite a lot of things are like that here, Small companies giving the impression of competition, but when you look further up the chain you find a single dominant organization behind them all.

[Nielk1]

Oh it gets better, here in the US Time Warner and Comcast are merging and the reason that they say they can is they don't compete. So they are saying that because they don't serve the same areas, an arrangement they illegally colluded for, they can legally merge. And this **** is going to be allowed if it hasn't been already. What SHOULD be happening is the attempt at a merger be used as a further charge in their history of, and continuing, anti competitive practices.

Don't worry though, because not only is the government not stopping this, but they are actively preventing the free market from preventing it (probably so they can claim the free market doesn't work down the line).

The problem here isn't even big businesses like people like to say, but combined political/commercial corruption probably only rivaled in the world by China. Hell these same companies own the damn news stations!!!

[MrTwosheds]

It is the nature of power to consolidate itself into unchallengeable positions. Give Mr Warner Comcast a big shiny crown and get your president(s) a nice collar and lead.