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FCC Moves to Regulate Internet

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Cpilot:
There's just no denying the fact that the bigger the internet gets the more various governments will want to regulate (read:tax) it.
It's a consequence of success.

Renegade:
There's just no denying the fact that the bigger the internet gets the more various governments will want to regulate (read:tax) it.
It's a consequence of success.
-Cpilot (June 20, 2010, 05:28 PM)
--- End quote ---

I think that's an optimistic view of the situation.

Perhaps by "tax" you mean "bleed dry", and perhaps by "regulate" you mean "snoop on everybody"? :P

I am very fearful any time any government tries to stick their grubby paws into the Internet. I am scared that they will abuse their power to get "dirt" on people and put people in jail for nothing short of nefarious purposes.

"Government" is the only business that succeeds by becoming progressively more and more incompetent at the jobs they do. (i.e. Create a larger bureaucracy with no increased benefit to the governed.) How is allowing them greater control over the Internet in anyone's best interest? (Even in a non-paranoid sense.)

Cpilot:
My remark was mildly tongue in cheek.
I am well aware of the governments inability to do anything short of spending massive amounts of other peoples money.
But consider for a moment the concept of taxes, there was talk of states legalizing marijuana for the purpose of "balancing" their budgets. Raising the tax on cigarettes and soft drinks for the same purpose.
They would also like to collect more revenue from regulating the internet, not to mention the danger of government censors and moderators running wild.
Legalizing pot, the danger of cigarettes or soft drinks and commerce on the internet really isn't the point.
My position is this, governments are very poor stewards when it comes to being frugal and efficient with our tax dollars, so why give them another revenue stream to squander?
Also if they can't manage their own affairs then why allow them to manage ours?
The internet works well as it is now, could it be improved?
Yes
Is involving government the best way to do it?
Hell no.

JavaJones:
Does no one remember the reason they were trying to regulate Comcast? Do we all just trust the corporations to keep things hunky dory and price things fairly when they have virtually complete monopoly (how many of you have a choice of cable or phone company in your area?).

- Oshyan

Renegade:
Does no one remember the reason they were trying to regulate Comcast? Do we all just trust the corporations to keep things hunky dory and price things fairly when they have virtually complete monopoly (how many of you have a choice of cable or phone company in your area?).

- Oshyan
-JavaJones (June 20, 2010, 11:56 PM)
--- End quote ---

Very true. I'm partial to being screwed by a company though, rather than being screwed by a government. One is a hammer. The other is a 2,500 kg ACME anvil dropped on you. God only knows how badly a government will screw things up. With a company, provided it's not a monopoly as you pointed out, is still somewhat subject to keeping customers happy. The unfortunate thing there is that telcos are notorious for abusing their customers. Why do you think Apple and AT&T make such good partners? :P :D

It's nice when governments can regulate industries that NEED regulation for the benefit of consumers first, then the industry. (If an industry doesn't benefit its consumers, then it's pointless and really needs to disappear. Kind of like the market for getting your face punched in -- not a consumer benefit, hence, no industry for it. :) )

It has been a nightmare up to now though with government regulations for hi-tech (Internet, etc.). Look at Australian regulations... jeez... They're primitive morons. They actually believe that they can censor the Internet! Naive. Misinformed. Stupid. And it's driven by the christian right...

Governments need technologists like Tim Berners Lee, Bill Gates, Larry Elison, Linus Torvalds -- those kinds of people -- to help them draft sane, effective, beneficial laws and regulations. Problem is, they don't. They get some jack-@$$ that got elected because he promised to spend money that the government doesn't have to spend on a new public swimming pool and god knows what -- and this incompetent nitwit then goes on to champion some inane bill for the sake of publicity and image, and not because the bill is good for people. This is a real problem for technology, and liberty.

So you've got a dilemma - get hosed by the evil corporation, or get hosed by an incompetent government. Which is worse? It seems like there are only lose-lose solutions to the problem. :( Sigh... ;(

My remark was mildly tongue in cheek.
I am well aware of the governments inability to do anything short of spending massive amounts of other peoples money.
But consider for a moment the concept of taxes, there was talk of states legalizing marijuana for the purpose of "balancing" their budgets. Raising the tax on cigarettes and soft drinks for the same purpose.
They would also like to collect more revenue from regulating the internet, not to mention the danger of government censors and moderators running wild.
Legalizing pot, the danger of cigarettes or soft drinks and commerce on the internet really isn't the point.
My position is this, governments are very poor stewards when it comes to being frugal and efficient with our tax dollars, so why give them another revenue stream to squander?
Also if they can't manage their own affairs then why allow them to manage ours?
The internet works well as it is now, could it be improved?
Yes
Is involving government the best way to do it?
Hell no.

-Cpilot (June 20, 2010, 10:29 PM)
--- End quote ---

Sorry -- I think I came off wrong there. I saw your point -- I just wanted to point out the dark paranoid version. :D

My position is this, governments are very poor stewards when it comes to being frugal and efficient with our tax dollars, so why give them another revenue stream to squander?
Also if they can't manage their own affairs then why allow them to manage ours?
--- End quote ---

Bingo! It's really a very sad state of affairs.

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