[opendtv] Re: F.C.C. Leader Seeks Tech Companies' Views on Net Neutrality
- From: Craig Birkmaier <brewmastercraig@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2017 09:48:43 -0400
On Apr 25, 2017, at 9:37 PM, Manfredi, Albert E <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
You aren't very savvy with use of the Internet, Craig? Are you restricted to
just Google and Amazon? That's strange, I'm not.
No Bert. Under Title II, however, ISPs were restricted from competing with
Google and Amazon. Obama's justice department busted Apple for trying to create
competition in the e-book business with Amazons monopoly - which clearly
violates U.S. Anti-trust laws.
At least not as long as my broadband link is mandated to be neutral. With
your ideas, though, we just might become so restricted.
Won't happen.
And second about bribing politicians to place barriers
Forget it, Craig. This is your conspiracy theory fairy tale, invented because
you don't want to believe the consequences of your own choices. You choose
loyalty to anti-competitive businesses, you should appreciate the risks.
It was not my choice to regulate ISPs under Title II.
I have no choice but to deal with a very large number of anti-competitive
businesses Bert. "Crony capitalism" now impacts many aspects of our lives.
This does not mean I support this form of collusion; it just makes much of what
we consume today more expensive, not to mention running "mom and pop" out of
town.
That happened at the turn of the century when the culture of the
Internet was established.
More fairy tales. First let me remind you that prior to commercialization,
which began in 1991, the Internet was purely for government and educational
uses. If anything instilled a culture of neutrality, it was this. Not some
libertarian notions of free for all.
And let me remind you that there were many commercial services that offered
similar capabilities.
But yes, the culture of the Internet was created early on. This was NOT because
of its use by government and education, but rather by the attempts of companies
like AOL and Time Warner to create REAL WALLED GARDENS to control the
applications that the Internet enabled.
It was the World Wide Web that created the imperative for Net neutrality, at
least here in the U.S. And it was the World Wide Web that introduced the notion
of "blocking content" Bert. Not here in the U.S., but in countries with
oppressive regimes that control the flow of information to their populations.
Both consumers, and the companies wishing to connect with those consumers
embraced the Open Internet and tools like Netscape Navigator, rather than
developing multiple versions of their content for walled in systems.
Then commercial use began, with Title II telephone line access for
households, and equally neutral T1 or T3 telco service to businesses.
Yup. And it changed the world.
Who complained?
Those nasty telcos, protected by Title II common carrier regulation.
Then the historically far-from-neutral cable companies became the primary
broadband providers, even before the telcos did. You might argue that telcos,
at least, have a neutrality culture, but not the cable companies. And then
foolishly, when the neutral content carried over IP broadband began to
conflict with the business model of the cable companies, guess who started
playing silly games?
The FCC?
No cable company has EVER blocked legal Internet sites. There has been some
conflict with respect to taking down sites that promote piracy...
You really need to let go of this stupid misconception. The cable industry
enabled the Internet as we know it today, ESPECIALLY the streaming video
services you falsely claim that they would block or throttle.
I've said this many times, Craig. These are the facts. If nothing else, the
timing was bone-headed dumb.
There is someone in this story that is bone headed Bert...
It's not me and its not the cable guys. You might have a point with some
companies regulated as common carriers...
But hey, if you insist that "everyone" wants a neutral Internet, even the
special interests do, then what are you fretting over? A neutrality mandate,
at the very worst, would be unnecessary! So quit complaining about it.
The problem Bert, is that the Title II decision was ANYTHING but NEUTRAL.
It picked winners and disadvantaged the companies that provide Internet access,
favoring the companies that were getting a free ride.
Regards
Craig
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can UNSUBSCRIBE from the OpenDTV list in two ways:
- Using the UNSUBSCRIBE command in your user configuration settings at
FreeLists.org
- By sending a message to: opendtv-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word
unsubscribe in the subject line.
Other related posts:
