NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Re: "Search Neutrality" and Propaganda Deluxe
Forwarded at request of author: ----- Forwarded message from "Edge, Ronald D" <edge@indiana.edu> ----- Date: Thu, 31 Dec 2009 11:20:34 -0500 From: "Edge, Ronald D" <edge@indiana.edu> Subject: RE: FW: [ PRIVACY Forum ] "Search Neutrality" and Propaganda Deluxe To: 'Lauren Weinstein' <lauren@vortex.com> Accept-Language: en-US acceptlanguage: en-US I can only point out my own experience to second your points here. For years and years, I was unable to have fast Internet access here at my residence. The best I could get was ISDN thru the phone company at the time. I sure as heck could not afford a T1. Finally, only 4-5 years ago, Insight cable started offering business class cable modem Internet. About $120 a month, I think it was, but worth it. When ComCast took over a couple years ago, I signed a two year contract, and got the cost down to $99 plus $10 for my dedicated five IPs plus a gateway IP number. I will say that despite a rocky and poorly handled transition, service since has been pretty good and responsive. A lightning strike took out $3,200 worth of electronics in the house a few months ago, I had to replace my business class Netgear router, but Comcast delivered a replacement cable modem for free immediately. Now it is possible that I could, if I was feeling really morbidly masochistic, look at AT&T UVerse. Their trucks have been in the neighborhood the past six months, and I think it is available. But I think I would rather just live in a cabin in the woods than move to their service, especially bundled. I do have phone service from AT&T, traditional land line, we keep it, not wanting to go totally cellular, although I have my Blackberry thru Sprint, and wife and son have phones on the same account. Somewhere along the line the whole notion of competition as a healthy thing has been swept out of the way, and monopoly practices and 'too big to fail' have turned us into a corporate oligarchy in which, while I barely have accumulated enough we can live comfortably as I enter retirement, my taxes are paying for bailouts of failed corporate banks and investment firms, and Congress seems ready to pass legislation that could literally destroy the power of the Internet to remain the neutral tool for spreading information that it has become. How long before some of the brilliant minds in our Congress decide the insanity in Australia is a good thing, to be emulated? Ron. Ronald D. Edge Director of Information Services Indiana University Athletics 1001 East 17th St Bloomington , IN 47408 812-855-9010 edge@indiana.edu http://iuhoosiers.com The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made. -- Groucho Marx