Comments for Wired Less: Disconnected in Urban America »
Posted By JSilver 8 months, 1 week ago in Science & TechnologyGot Internet? Many people in urban America don't. Watch and read the stories of people living, working and struggling without Internet in our biggest cities.
Read Full Story at internetforeveryone.org »
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tadair9198 months, 1 week ago
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I live in California, where there is only one cable provider in my area. They have a monopoly on both Internet and cable, and I know several people who don't get Internet because it's just too expensive.
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The reason they have this was because government interfered and refused to allow any competitors lay cable lines. This cable monopoly was written into legislation!
The free market would have allowed competitors, which would have lowered prices and driven up quality.
I really like the idea of everyone having access to the internet. But if we subsidize the costs of internet by making tax-payers pay, then we will only be further rewarding the monolithic cable providers in California (at least.)
Shouldn't we, instead, push to end cable-monopolies and allow other cable companies to compete for market-share?
Maybe then, people would be able to afford it. I mean, Internet used to be $20. Now it's 3x that!-
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gamahuche8 months, 1 week ago
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Guess we're still lucky here!
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We have a computer shop downstairs and a cable from their back window up into hours.
Less than 20 dollars a month and 2 of us work pretty continuously on it with a router.
Any problems and we give a tug on the cord! -
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memestryker8 months, 1 week ago
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Everything is so expensive that I've considered just ending my cable TV service (but keeping the internet).
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You can still get very cheap dialup with turbo speed. I use it on my laptop when I don't have any other access while traveling. Even PeoplePC offers a cheap service that has broad coverage. It's available via local phone lines in most (but not all) places. If I have to use pay-for-service long distance, I set it to just jump online, download my email, and logoff. That works with newsgroups, too, but not propeller.
There is also a growing number of satellite ISPs, and even the larger companies, like Verizon, for example, are starting to offer more satellite service.
Of course, there is nothing like broadband. -
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orndorffter8 months, 1 week ago
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It would be hard without internet, not only that even if you have not met the people on the internet you write to them everyday and make so many new friends to like here on propeller,I am glad to have access to the intrnet I consider everyone here part of my own family, it is an oppertunity everyone should have.
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tadair9198 months, 1 week ago
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This reminds me of the words of Dr. T.J. Kaczynski, a Berkeley Professor:
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"The leftist wants equal opportunities for minorities. When that is attained he insists on statistical equality of achievement by minorities. ... Activists have fought gross child abuse, which is reasonable. But now they want to stop all spanking. When they have done that they will want to ban something else they consider unwholesome, then another thing and then another. They will never be satisfied until they have complete control over all child rearing practices. And then they will move on to another cause."
"Suppose you asked leftists to make a list of ALL the things that were wrong with society, and then suppose you instituted EVERY social change that they demanded. It is safe to say that within a couple of years the majority of leftists would find something new to complain about"
I can't help but to Today, that "thing" is not having Internet for everybody paid for by taxpayers.-
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DarkWizard8 months, 1 week ago
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tadair919,
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So, why do you have to make this a political issue v. the benefits of expanded internet availability?
As for your comments about "liberals," in the context of the words of Dr. T.J. Kaczynski, I would say those types of liberals are militant liberals and are as kooky as the neocons in their polar extremes.
Also, after having read the intent of this push for expanded internet service, I believe that it is encouraging more competition and the "one cable provider" system may be seen as an illegal monopoly. This could force California to repeal legislation contradicting such efforts.-
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tadair9198 months, 1 week ago
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i wasn't trying to lob insults. but i was noticing that their first priority (mentioned at the internetforeveryone.org website) is:
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"Every home, business and civic institution in America must have access to a high-speed, world-class communications infrastructure."
So, they want a mandate to have high-speed in every home. But how do you think they going to pay for such a mandate? Surely, they aren't suggesting competition.
Doesn't this sound like a kooky and rather extreme goal to you??-
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DarkWizard8 months, 1 week ago
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I guess it would be the difference between taking the statement at face value or looking for the underlying implications such an endeavor could stir.
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I'm not saying that I want government control of the internet (not that they don't have some already), but that I would rather the government (FCC?) enforce usage policies and internet etiquette. Also, break up monopolies that are detrimental to competitive pricing and technological advancements. Will this happen? Maybe not. But, only time and action will tell.-
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DarkWizard8 months, 1 week ago
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The FCC already enforces language and content on radio and television, but I am talking about rules that must be applied to all users to ensure that deaths, stalkings, and other threatening acts are minimized on the internet. These rules must be legal and enforceable.
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jaspersneed8 months, 1 week ago
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"....but that I would rather the government (FCC?) enforce usage policies and internet etiquette. "
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OH YES, we need the Etiquette Police to tell us how to behave with each other, because otherwise, how would we know? But why hire the government for the job? Wouldn't a private Etiquette Security Provider be more efficient? We just register our IP with the local ESP, and for a small monthly fee, we are reminded of our manners when online. What could be better?
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stephen-johnson8 months, 1 week ago
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It may be hard for internet junkies to believe this, but there are people in this country who couldn't care less about the internet. They don't really need it to stay connected. Many of the poor, elderly and immigrant urban populations who are shunning the internet are snapping up cell phones instead.
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stephen-johnson8 months, 1 week ago
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"Sounds like an argument about whether apples are better than oranges."
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Sounds like you can't deal with diversity. People are making a choice in the marketplace, and you deride me for pointing it out. .
The fact of the matter is that cell phone usage - which is no less costly than internet access - has been so widely adopted in the urbam areas cited that pay phones are hard to come by. Money clearly isn't the reason for internet usage to lag behind cell phone usage.
"Did your computer come with the prejudice button stuck in the on position?"
To a radical egalitarian such as yourself, any observation of differences in preferencs is "prejudice".
The attempt by leftists to reconcile their radical egalitarianism with their so-called love of diversity leads to all kinds of silly doublethink on their part. Your posting above is a shining example.
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memestryker8 months, 1 week ago
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Our broadband went down one July a few years ago, and the company wasn't able to get it working again until October. We had to attend a meeting of the county oversight commission and publicly embarrass them in the media before the company HQ finally paid attention and flew in an expert from the other side of the country.
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He fixed it in about an hour (the problem was located between a pole and their server). Fortunately, I also had dialup, since at the time they were the only broadband provider.
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Mikunited8 months, 1 week ago
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I live in London UK,about 300 yards from where Tony Blair lived prior to becoming PM.Recently I thought I'd swap from DSL to cable,to my amazement I can't find a single cable ISP in my area.
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My sister is moving to a place 70 miles from London,in a town of 9000 people,which is about 15 miles from a major urban area.It has cable connections and a choice of other cable providers.
A town of 9000 has cable providers and near the center of London doesn't.We have a similar situation here,to you guys across the pond!
I've decided to switch to adsl+ up to 24 M bps down and 1.3 M bps up,so I guess I can't really complain about internet.The UK is like the USA. with a very uneven infrastructure concerning cable and fast broadband.As for TV,it's satellite,or highly reduced choice via terrestrial services
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