oliphant5
Got Identity?
Premium
join:2003-05-24
Corona, CA
| IMHO the main concern
Would be more underhanded anti-competitive commercial tactics like bandwidth throttling competitors sites. With the internet, unlike television and radio, there are virtually an infinite number of news, and of course various other opinion, sites so I don't see outright censorship. What I see happening would be say an ISP owned by one news or media organization hosing connections to competitors' news or media sites, effectively monopolizing that type of content for their own subscribers.
Also, it looks like some in Congress are looking to reverse the FCC's decision on media ownership rules through new legislation.
»www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ar···l15.html
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"Countries...have a right to be free, and we a right to aid them, as a strong man has a right to assist a weak one assailed by a robber or murderer." --Thomas Jefferson, 1816.
[text was edited by author 2003-07-16 15:35:37] |
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TheMadSwede
Premium
join:2001-01-30
Holland, MI
 ·Charter Pipeline
| I'm not a lawyer, and I don't play one on TV, but I don't know if it is illegal (in the truest sense of the word) for an ISP to restrict content/access.
That said, the only thing the general public has going for it is that any company that tries to control bandwidth (or even access) in the manner oliphant describes could face a PR backlash if their shady measures are proven to be true.
I am not one so silly to think that PR is all that matters to corporations, but most media companies want to appear to their customers as free and open, even if that's not what they are. Just a thought.
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Cable Cable Cable...keep that cable rolling. |
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calvoiper
join:2003-03-31
Belvedere Tiburon, CA
| Here is how it happens....
There are some real dangers here, fortunately not yet materialized.
For now, throttling the competition doesn't seem to be a big problem, but I too worry that it will become one--perhaps by giving favored content "enhanced" access, rather than "restricting" the competition.
Example: Perhaps limited play downloads of HDTV movies become a big Internet item. What happens when your broadband provider agrees to turn off the traffic shaper/meter for "preferred" downloads? Will you still shop "Angie's Movie Outlet" and download at 1.6Meg when your affiliated "ISP Movie Store" can give you the same download at 5Meg? (Advocates will yell, ISPs will claim "we're not hurting Angie, we're just helping ourselves," and point out that it's just another form of "bundling" products.)
Either way, it ends up being an uneven playing field.
Calvoiper
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VoIP--the death knell of remaining voice monopolies! |
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Unit649
I B U, Who U B?
Premium
join:2000-01-22
Stockton, CA
·Comcast
| reply to oliphant5
Re: IMHO the main concern
I wouldn't be surprised if this is already happening now but its just not publicised. In a way it is because for example SBC is tied to Yahoo! so I would expect there is a nice fat behind the scenes trunk line between the 2. But who is to say this can't happen already? All you gotta do is filter certian ip blocks out, or have certian IP's blocked on the faster lines and open on the slower ones.....
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bistro777
Donuts-Is There Anything They Can't Do?
Premium
join:2002-02-07
Englewood, CO
| House Panel Votes to Block FCC's New Media Rule
"The House Appropriations Committee moved in a bipartisan vote yesterday to block the Federal Communications Commission from easing a rule that limits ownership concentration in commercial television markets."
The details are here in the Washington Post.
I'd introduce myself, but I already know who I am. |
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calvoiper
join:2003-03-31
Belvedere Tiburon, CA | The REAL RISK to free speech
I think the real risk may be that this thread has gotten only 8 responses. If no one cares, there will be no free speech to care for.
Calvoiper
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VoIP--the death knell of remaining voice monopolies! |
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Beeper
Part Of The Problem
join:2001-09-27
Dayton, OH
clubs:
| said by calvoiper  :
I think the real risk may be that this thread has gotten only 8 responses. If no one cares, there will be no free speech to care for.
The public's lack of interest into your interests is not a threat to the nation.
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Guaranteed Fear and Loathing. Abandon all hope. Prepare for the Weirdness. Get familiar with Cannibalism. |
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aztecnology
O Rly?
Premium
join:2003-02-12
Murrieta, CA
 ·Verizon FIOS
|  said by Beeper :
said by calvoiper :
I think the real risk may be that this thread has gotten only 8 responses. If no one cares, there will be no free speech to care for.
The public's lack of interest into your interests is not a threat to the nation.
Actually it is, with only about 38% of the voting population casting votes, it presents a problem to the rest of us, and this is a perfect example...
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.:|:. Tell a man there are 300 billion stars in the universe and he'll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint on it and he'll have to touch it to be sure. |
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Beeper
Part Of The Problem
join:2001-09-27
Dayton, OH
clubs:
| said by aztecnology :
Actually it is, with only about 38% of the voting population casting votes, it presents a problem to the rest of us, and this is a perfect example...
Do you realize that voter turnout in the 1946 election was 38%?
When 105 million people are voting, I'm not worrying.
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Guaranteed Fear and Loathing. Abandon all hope. Prepare for the Weirdness. Get familiar with Cannibalism. |
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