Snakes (and Net Neutrality) on a Plane

Summer's coming to an end, Congress is about to reconvene, and Hands Off the Internet wants to shoot the breeze about summer movies... or if you prefer, the net neutrality debate.

"I start by admitting my surprise at how quickly so many of our nation's successful firms have jumped in to urge the government to regulate [the Internet]. I rarely meet a person in business who does not profess support for a free market, who does not long for the government to keep its nose out of the business.  But nonetheless, when fear of marketplace disadvantage arises, there is a tendency to quickly turn to government to seek protection or help."

That's the nation's top cop for consumer protection and she's pegged this neutrality debate perfectly (on a plane).

Anyone trying to understand the outlandish claims about so-called Net neutrality should check out FTC Commissioner Deborah Platt Majoras' speech at this week's Progress & Freedom Foundation conference in Aspen (on a plane).

Google, Amazon, eBay and the other large online companies have a sweet deal going on.  They've carried their narrowband dominance into the broadband world while successfully avoiding the costs necessary to building out tomorrow's Web (on a plane).  

Now, they've gone to Congress to freeze this situation, curbing the evolution of the Net with unprecedented new federal regulations.  Against this backdrop of corporate arrogance by the Internet's Big Guys, thanks are due to Commissioner Majoras for pulling the curtain aside to show what this debate's really all about (on a plane).



Display:


Re: Snakes (and Net Neutrality) on a Plane (3.00 / 1)

Your comment about Google, etc., is a crock.

"Curbing the evolution of the Net" ???? Nonsense.

First, the federal regulations aren't unprecedented. The internet was created by, through, and with, federal regulation.

What you're selling is not some sort of problem with the users of the internet pipes. To use your words, you're selling "corporate arrogance by the Internet's Big Guys" like AT&T, BellSouth, and the other connectivity providers. They're looking for a new racket so they can print money instead of compete for it.

I can't imagine any reason to be for their view except being paid. How much are you being paid?


Karl in Drexel Hill, PA
by KB on Wed Aug 23, 2006 at 10:56:45 AM EST

Re: Snakes (and Net Neutrality) on a Plane (3.00 / 1)

I'm choking on irony. someone please call for help


"In it to win it!" - http://beatingbush.cc
by greg bloom on Wed Aug 23, 2006 at 11:10:23 AM EST

Re: Snakes (and Net Neutrality) on a Plane (3.00 / 1)

Snakes on a Plane is a clever political metaphor for what happens when Republicans are planted in the Government by corporate terrorists intent on bringing it down.

I'm sick of these motherf%&*ing Republicans in the motherf%&*ing Government!


by admiralnaismith on Wed Aug 23, 2006 at 11:14:55 AM EST

Re: Snakes (and Net Neutrality) on a Plane (3.00 / 2)

How cute! We've got some astroturf planted right here on lil' ol' mydd!. Time to get out the weed whacker.

Seriously, google pays -a lot- for the bandwidth that they use. I pay for the bandwidth that I use. That issue is a red herring.  

If you want to see what a network without neutrality looks like, take a gander at cellphones.  Every company has its own signals and nobody needs to play nice with anyone else.  If you are out of your coverage area you are either out of luck or you pay out the ying yang. There are plenty of neato whiz bang services possible over these networks, but almost none of them are available because nobody can access the network without permission from the big kids. And they won't let you play on their playground.

Sometimes, a little bit of regulation is good for business.


by Kempe on Wed Aug 23, 2006 at 11:28:05 AM EST

Re: Snakes (and Net Neutrality) on a Plane (none / 0)

Kempe, have you looked at the front page of our website?

Can you explain to me how an organization that freely admits its association with companies in the telecommunications industry can simultaneously be astroturf?


by LookMaNoHands on Wed Aug 23, 2006 at 05:19:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Snakes (and Net Neutrality) on a Plane (none / 0)

How much are you being paid?


Karl in Drexel Hill, PA
by KB on Wed Aug 23, 2006 at 12:37:25 PM EST

Re: Snakes (and Net Neutrality) on a Plane (none / 0)

this might be the dumbest diary i've ever read.


by Lucas O'Connor on Wed Aug 23, 2006 at 01:10:22 PM EST

Re: Snakes on Your Screen (none / 0)

They will fool no one here but the disinformation campaign will fool plenty of the general public. They want to get their greedy hands on the internet so they name their campaign the opposite - pure Orwell. I'm interested in a wide range of viewpoints, but the Telco's and their paid shills are engaged in a deception campaign, so I consider them trolls.


Children, have you any fish?
by FishOutofWater on Wed Aug 23, 2006 at 02:05:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Snakes on Your Screen (none / 0)

Well, it's not just that the point a steaming pile. It's just the dumbest idea and the most terrible execution of a dumb idea that I've ever seen in a diary.  If you're gonna go with a Snakes on a Plane theme, at least 1. be coherent and 2. attempt to make some connection to the large online following.

On the other hand, it does a good job of showing how completely obvilious these shills are.


by Lucas O'Connor on Wed Aug 23, 2006 at 04:04:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Snakes on Your Screen (none / 0)

The guy thinks he's a comedian, sock puppets and all. It's kinda funny watching him slip and fall into his own stinkin pile.

The telco's are cheap bastards with their employees and freelancers. It shows.


Children, have you any fish?
by FishOutofWater on Thu Aug 24, 2006 at 12:41:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Snakes in the FTC (none / 0)

FTC Commissioner Deb said with a straight face,
"While I am sounding cautionary notes about new legislation, let me make clear that if broadband providers engage in anticompetitive conduct, we will not hesitate to act using our existing authority."

Deal after deal has been made in the Telco business to reestablish monopolies after the breakup of AT&T.  The Republicans have raked in contributions from the Telco's while doing zero enforcement. Now the Telco's see a new oportunity for monopoly control - the internet.

No one has to use Google, Amazon or even Microsoft.   But once a phone company gets monopoly control you are stuck with whatever they give you.


Children, have you any fish?
by FishOutofWater on Wed Aug 23, 2006 at 02:18:57 PM EST

Damn good motherfuckin movie! (none / 0)

This diary is hard to follow. A few quotes and a link. I am not even sure what the diarist's point is.

But I will say this.
Take a big group of friends and watch Snakes on a Plane because it's the most fun I have had with a movie this summer. It won't be the same watching it with a small crowd at home or in the theater.


by Pravin on Wed Aug 23, 2006 at 04:12:28 PM EST

Re: Snakes (and Net Neutrality) on a Plane (none / 0)

We'll back up Pravin on the SoaP front.

The reason for this diary shouldn't be TOO hard to discern, though. The FTC realizes that the situation with Net Neutrality is much less about "saving" the Internet from a doomsday scenario where reaching MyDD is impossible, and much more about Google asking for a government handout. We're trying to provoke a little debate, and it seems we've accomplished that.

It also seems that we've spooked the editors at this site just a little, because even though this post has attracted some significant comments, it's no longer in the recommended diaries section. Not on the front page at all! And here we thought this was an open forum.

Also, many of you have no sense of humor, which is too bad. Admiral Naismith is one of a few who are excepted.


by LookMaNoHands on Wed Aug 23, 2006 at 05:17:41 PM EST

Re: Snakes (and Net Neutrality) on a Plane (none / 0)

Looks like all the comments from the anti-NN folks have been hidden.  I guess when it comes to advocating no content discrimination and all bytes being equal, that doesn't apply to MyDD.

An open debate about these very relevant comments by the FTC commissioner is really all that we at Hands Off the Internet wanted to see happen.  People need to hear both sides of the issue, not have one side of the debate hidden from them.


by 4 a better internet on Wed Aug 23, 2006 at 06:16:42 PM EST

Re: Snakes (and Net Neutrality) on a Plane (none / 0)

An open debate about these very relevant comments by the FTC commissioner is really all that we at Hands Off the Internet wanted to see happen.  People need to hear both sides of the issue, not have one side of the debate hidden from them.

Last time I checked, your hands off "blog" didn't allow anyone to post comments.  So much for an open debate.

But more importantly, while I agree that this issue is more complicated than most are willing to admit, I don't see how spreading disinformation like "Google gets the Internet for free" is helping the public understanding.


by SixStringer on Wed Aug 23, 2006 at 09:19:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Trolls with phones on a Plane (none / 0)

I troll rated your disingenuous comments. If you would present an honest discussion rather than a regurg of corporate talking points used in your corporate ad campaign, I wouldn't troll rate you. You don't deserve free advertising here.

How much are they paying you?


Children, have you any fish?
by FishOutofWater on Thu Aug 24, 2006 at 12:34:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]


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