What is Digg?50 Comments
- 16x9, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I am so fed up with our (U.S.) government being "bed buddies" with big business. The MPAA, the RIAA, the DMCA, Halliburton, now the big telcos. Don't misunderstand me, I'm hardly anti-business. But large corporations and special interests are hijacking control of this country.
Furthermore, this is a growing trend, folks. Too many big players are realizing that free-market competition is for chumps. The real way to win the game is to outlaw competition. And if possible, make it seem like the patriotic thing to do. - VladDrac, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Not surprising. The two largest broadband providers do not really want open broadband. Where do the DSL/Phone companies make their real money? Long distance phone services. Thus they do not want Voip to succeed. They want to legally block it.
Where do cable companies make their money? Selling premium channels including movies and TV on demand. Thus, cable companies do not want third party movie on demand services to succeed. They want to legally block them.
And lastly, in America, corporations ALWAYS win! - Matteos, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The people in this country no longer have a voice. Between this and these new laws that protect the credit card companies, Hollywood, and the music industry etc. etc. The people no longer have any representation. Sure we can vote, but when our choice is "Evil A" or "Evil B" what power do we really have. Its time for a change people.
- VladDrac, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Ianingf, it's called the Broadband Investment and Consumer Choice Act. Here's yet another blog on it: http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=2447
- Brak710101, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Well, could we not encrypt our data and then route it from large proxy/data centers?
- pat1006, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Ou vote means nothing as popular vote does not elect a president. The presidenr is elected by the electoral college.
- gundammman2, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I have and will always hate the ***** telcos.
- Angel00, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It is absolutely unforgivable. Yet another government ploy in their obsession to control everything.
- newezra, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"Ianingf, it's called the Broadband Investment and Consumer Choice Act. Here's yet another blog on it: http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=2447"
posted by VladDrac
That's actually a different act. The one that we're disussing is the Telecom-Reform Bill. Read the draft:
http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/News/09152005_section_by_section.pdf
Basiclly this bipartisan bill will do four things in principle:
1. Give the FCC the authority over licensing the BITS (broadband Internet transmission service) spectrum, much like the FCC regulation over telecom, radio, and broadcast television. It also requires the BITS providers "to provide subscribers with access to
lawful content, applications, and services provided over the Internet, and not to block,
impair, or interfere with the offering of, access to, or the use of such content,
applications, or services". With this it gives the FCC the power to block what it deems as illegal useage on the internet.
2. FCC power to regulate VOIP services in the same way traditional telcom is regulated.
3. FCC regulation over Broadband Video Services in the way that it regulates broadcast television. "requires the FCC to apply comparable regulations on broadband video
service providers as apply to cable operators under the Communications Act of 1934
regarding: television program ratings; equal access for political candidates; program
sponsorship; retransmission consent, carriage of significantly viewed signals, network
non-duplication, syndicated exclusivity, and sports blackouts; ownership limits; must
carry; content of the basic tier; blocking and scrambling of channels; emergency alerts;
inside wiring; compatibility of equipment and commercial availability of navigation
devices; equal employment opportunity; and closed captioning."
If you read the bill it does introduce some needed reform to help the industry grow, but it gives too much power to the FCC to regulate the internet. - sediyama, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I think it is a good idea. The UN wants to take control of the Internet and it is not good.
The UN nowadays is controlled by China, Iran, Brazil, etc. And they are not ready to control the Internet.
PS: I am Brazilian. - karras, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Old people making laws for technology they barely understand.
That's AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - UnderLoK, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The more coverage the better about this topic. The thing that bothers me the most is people screwing with things that aren't broken.
- nightscrawler, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1We can stop this. We can make a difference. Loud and long discussion eventually rises to grass-roots activism.
- Ianingf, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Does someone have the actual text and not just a blog of a blog? What does this bill say.
"Allowing broadband providers to segment their IP offerings and reserve huge amounts of bandwidth for their own services"
"broadly permits network operators to discriminate in favor of certain kinds of services and to potentially interfere with others"
DSL and cable already control who has access to their service. DSL was recently given this when the FCC made it a information service, correct? - JMJimmy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0gotta love the US government- can't seem to get their heads out of dark crappy places.
- gbm85, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Something could happen somewhere sometime that might affect you. You should be scared.
- Dahak2150, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I think this would officially qualify as "bad news."
- Dotnaught, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0er...try this
http://www.lot49.com/2005/11/house_comittee_weighs_data_dis.shtml - Ianingf, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Great, Thanks VladDrac.
- Bren, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Oh well, let the brats go play with Sony, and we'll find some real ISPs to play with.
I can't imagine it would cause anything but a temporary lag before other people/countries got fed up and took the problem into their own hands. Maybe eventually the US will just be under a big bubble, or float out to sea...
(but then who will buy all or our (Canada) goods?? Foiled again!!! - 5blocksfree, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0>> Furthermore, this is a growing trend, folks.
It can be stopped in three years - just don't vote Republican.
AS much as I dislike the socialist policies of the Democrats, I don't recall seeing anything anywhere near this troubling. - Mofo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0They need to get rid of the FCC anything that gives them MORE power is disastrous. I'm so glad they bleep all those nasty cuss words on tv and the radio and prevent horrible nudity from being shown, that's good fed dollars at work. /sarcasm
- pophysis, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0link to webcast:
http://digg.com/links/Webcast:_Draft_of_legislation_for_statutory_framework_for_Internet_Protocol - bordalix, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I wrote about this on November 2nd (http://alinobairro.blogspot.com/2005/11/network-neutrality.html) and today (http://alinobairro.blogspot.com/2005/11/network-neutrality-ii.html) while listening to the live webcast hearing. Please take a look
- Brak710101, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2omg hax
- Ribald_Jester, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0this really pisses me off. The whole concept of the internet is one of decentralized control (well - mostly decentralized) easy access and open standards. Big businesses and those with power don't like this at all. I've read comments from various powers that be that declared that it's "too easy" to get on the Internet. Wait - this is a global network, I for one like the idea that anyone can communicate easily with anyone else. If you don't like a coporation - then setup a webpage talking about it - or heck create your own online company. I fear that this sort of regulation will stifle innovation, creativity, freedom of expression and ideas. All so someone can "control" the rabble. If it's not one thing its another, RIAA/MPAA telling us what we can and can't do with our computers/electronic gear, DRM, regulation of an OPEN network, etc etc. And *NONE* of these new laws/regulations help regular users! They ONLY benefit big corporations or those in power?!
- 16x9, on 10/12/2007, -0/+05blocksfree wrote: "It can be stopped in three years - just don't vote Republican. AS much as I dislike the socialist policies of the Democrats, I don't recall seeing anything anywhere near this troubling."
I'm not fond of talking politics on a tech site like Digg but I can't say I disagree with you on this point, 5blocksfree. If I were to categorize myself politically, I'd probably be thought of as a somewhat conservative Democrat. Having said that, however, there are Republicans I greatly admire such as Sen. John McCain and former Secretary of State Colin Powell (not that this matters, of course).
I'm afraid you're right, 5blocksfree. While there are some Democrats pushing these frightening anti-consumer and (in my view) anti-American legislative agendas, by far and away the vast majority of those who are toadying to big business interests are Republicans (sadly, including pretty much all the representation from my own very red state).
I am very worried. - CorpT, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0>AS much as I dislike the socialist policies of the Democrats, I don't recall seeing anything anywhere near this troubling.
Never heard of the DMCA that Clinton signed? All politicians do this. Dem, Repub, everyone. Just find the lesser of two evils, or don't vote. That's about all we can do :| - M4K3, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0It's funny how people add a "big" in front of something to make it seem bad.
Just remember, monopolies are made by the help of the almighty government. Without government, these companies might actually have to fend for themselves. - pr0t3st, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0www.protest.net
- lordelric, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0No I think all kinds of opinions contribute to American society, especially the ones that we do not agree with.
I personally like Douglas Adams' quote "Anyone actuall smart enough to get themselves elected president should in no way be allowed to preside over anything." - flag8, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0That wouldn't be good...
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0yes, m4k3, because they can't manipulate offerings in markets where the high barriers to entry (infrastructure) prevent other players from competing with them, and then buy each other up until there are no choices...
- pondster, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"Sure we can vote, but when our choice is "Evil A" or "Evil B" what power do we really have. Its time for a change people."
Actually we can vote, but thats just for show, to make us feel like we actually have a voice. But it's not down to "Evil A" or "Evil B" it's up to who has how much money and who has friends where. Elections are bought not won. Freedom is dying my friends and there wont be an open casket. - kkuk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"So, when it comes ballot time, I rather keep my money, so it's (R) for me."
jasqwerty - it is you and the people who think like you that ***** up the world. Selfish. Get a heart ( and a brain ). - physivic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I need to read the analyses about the bill first, but it already seems to me that there's no reason to accept or fear business taking over elements of the government and the economy - they *are* those elements; our experience of "society" is in what we think.
I don't religiously commit to the maxim that what is good for business is good for the people, but to say that busines hasn't served the public at all has to be a bit ignorant. We're all using these computers because of the government's original attitude toward telecommunication; through a functioning system, its power has increased manifold.
The one sign I find prescient is that the proclamation of the master scientist behind the technological element in question may or may not be important to the men who inhabit the collection of federal buildings in D.C. If, in the afternoon fiesta of American politics, we were afforded one topical pinata to smash open to reveal a secret evil, it is the Republican will to ignore scientists. This is one clear area in which they've excelled, and we've been given the shaft, over and over; somehow, we still fail to clearly exhibit their motive, and use that knowledge to stop the argumentation.
We all agree here, for the most part, on topics of centralized control. What isn't clear is how society would have turned out without these mad, self-empowering rich-kid geeks in the White House, or how the Internet and the PC paradigm may have developed without Micro$oft stealing all the money. In any case, I think there may be something to be said for knowledge being power, and for a general tendency of knowledge and power to increase in a free society, which we still have. - Dotnaught, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Link to a draft of the bill:
BITS info - metjer10, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0WHOA idk wtf this is about, but im still pissed about it
- Eric4, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Freenet - http://freenet.sourceforge.net/ - Freenet is free software designed to ensure true freedom of communication over the Internet. It allows anybody to publish and read information with complete anonymity. Nobody controls Freenet, not even its creators, meaning that the system is not vulnerable to manipulation or shutdown. Freenet is also very efficient in how it deals with information, adaptively replicating content in response to demand.
- 16x9, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0CorpT wrote: "Never heard of the DMCA that Clinton signed? All politicians do this. Dem, Repub, everyone. Just find the lesser of two evils, or don't vote. That's about all we can do :|"
Not that 5blocksfree needs my help, but I don't think he was implying that Democrats are free of the "moron gene." It's just that in my view, and I'm guessing that in 5blocksfree's view (and others as well, I suspect), we are seeing an absolutely HUGE jump in these kinds of anti-competitive and anti-consumer agendas under a Republican controlled House, a Republican controlled Senate and a Republican Presidential Administration.
I don't care what a person's political bent is, if these are issues we care about (and since you took the time to submit a comment I'm guessing you fall into this category), the tie between this cancer and the Republican party requires some critical thinking. - gridpoet, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0You took the words right out of my mouth Talean...i used to be exaclty like everyone else.
Choosing between the least evil...Well i got tired of voting for people i truly despised. Then i discovered the libertarian party, finally a party that returns us back to the freedom our forefathers intended, but the years of corrupt officials have erroded.
A vote for Libertarian is a vote for freedom...real personal freedom!
http://www.lp.org/ - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Government just can't keep its hands out of anything. We are experts in our field and know that the government getting involved will just screw things up. I think the same is true for most disciplines and if you ask and expert in their field the will probably tell you the same.
Somewhere there is chemical engineer talking about how this is a good thing and will protect the little man. A along we know that it's just special interest. I think everyone should think about that when pushing government control of almost everything. - 16x9, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0jasqwerty asked: "You realize the DMCA isn't a company, it's just an evil piece of legislation signed by Clinton, right?"
Yes. I lumped it in with the others because they are all related to, or made worse due to the too cozy relationship between the government and big business. I did not mean to imply that the Digital Millenium Copyright Act is a business entity. - talean, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I'm always amazed that there is no talk of the Libertarian party when these travesties occur (or are about to occur). Their philosophy that big government and federal control over personal freedom is a bad thing and that liberty and economic freedom is a good thing makes perfect sense to me. More control is given to the people, how refreshing for a country supposedly based upon that principal. While the US media pans the smaller parties, portraying them as an amusing sideline to the "real election", the country goes down the toilet and everyone does the old "lesser of two evils" dance.
I've heard the argument that a vote for one of these parties is a vote for the Republicans but that's a fear mentality (encouraged, no doubt, by the Democrats) and a cop out. Vote for what makes sense in your head and heart.
The way I see it, a new generation is coming into power: the people. The Internet can spread important and interesting news like a virus. If people take a step back from the trees to see the forest for a change, they'll realize it's pretty damn easy to make a change. It's happening all over the world. - jasqwerty, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Don't any of you get fooled here. Democrats and Republicans are opposites sides of the same coin. Neither side is anti-big business, and I want any of you to find me any Clinton era legislation to the contrary.
The difference?
Democrats: Tax and spend
Republicans: Borrow and spend
So, when it comes ballot time, I rather keep my money, so it's (R) for me.
@16x9
You realize the DMCA isn't a company, it's just an evil piece of legislation signed by Clinton, right? - kmanb182, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0***** F_____
typing this getting while getting a knock on door by a fed - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0DEATH TO AMERICA!
- acevoncash, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0i hate the us. they assume the world is theirs to legislate.
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