Comments on: Our Internet, Up for Grabs http://citmedia.org/blog/2006/02/04/our-internet-up-for-grabs/ Sun, 23 Aug 2009 21:40:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: ACMEBoston » Blog Archive » Online Conversations about Web’s Future http://citmedia.org/blog/2006/02/04/our-internet-up-for-grabs/comment-page-1/#comment-53 ACMEBoston » Blog Archive » Online Conversations about Web’s Future Sat, 10 Jun 2006 18:41:32 +0000 http://citmedia.org/blog/2006/02/04/our-internet-up-for-grabs/#comment-53 [...] On the Center for Citizen Media blog, Founder Dan Gillmor responds to Jeff Chester's February 1st "(web only)" article for the Nation about the Communications Giants' threats to Net Neutrality: [...] [...] On the Center for Citizen Media blog, Founder Dan Gillmor responds to Jeff Chester's February 1st "(web only)" article for the Nation about the Communications Giants' threats to Net Neutrality: [...]

]]> By: mickx http://citmedia.org/blog/2006/02/04/our-internet-up-for-grabs/comment-page-1/#comment-52 mickx Tue, 07 Feb 2006 06:54:11 +0000 http://citmedia.org/blog/2006/02/04/our-internet-up-for-grabs/#comment-52 Don, Thanks for answering. You are right of course, P2P is already under attack from many sides. But so was Samizdat (far away and almost forgotten to-day) Of course as Eric said, most people will prefer benign, low price services run by powerful companies. But will it be possible to stop P2P, or will it go underground, thus leaving the emperor naked for growing numbers to see? FON just gor 18 million Euros from risk capital companies. It is just the type of P2P network that, at some point, could become a parallel internet. In theory it could even work completely detached from Internet, albeit at a much more limited flowrate, than the existing broadband network with its huge nodes. But wasn´t the samizdat network which could not even make use of photocopy machines also very weak? Compare this with what anyone can do to-day with home writing of DVDs. The point I am trying to make is that, in the end, the centralized power of a totalitarian state (The URSS) had to give up because people, even within the systhem, has ceased to believe in it. Forbidding access to simple photocopying machines had something to do with it. Cultural creatives are supposed to represent around 28% of the population. Will they accept such excessive controls or will they quitely build their own blogs, local meetings, CD and DVD samizdats, Wi-Max lans etc.? You don't need much power to run wikis, the open source is there to stay, and if both are made illegal it will only make them more attractive. Don,
Thanks for answering. You are right of course, P2P is already under attack from many sides. But so was Samizdat (far away and almost forgotten to-day) Of course as Eric said, most people will prefer benign, low price services run by powerful companies.

But will it be possible to stop P2P, or will it go underground, thus leaving the emperor naked for growing numbers to see?

FON just gor 18 million Euros from risk capital companies. It is just the type of P2P network that, at some point, could become a parallel internet. In theory it could even work completely detached from Internet, albeit at a much more limited flowrate, than the existing broadband network with its huge nodes.

But wasn´t the samizdat network which could not even make use of photocopy machines also very weak? Compare this with what anyone can do to-day with home writing of DVDs.

The point I am trying to make is that, in the end, the centralized power of a totalitarian state (The URSS) had to give up because people, even within the systhem, has ceased to believe in it. Forbidding access to simple photocopying machines had something to do with it.

Cultural creatives are supposed to represent around 28% of the population. Will they accept such excessive controls or will they quitely build their own blogs, local meetings, CD and DVD samizdats, Wi-Max lans etc.?
You don’t need much power to run wikis, the open source is there to stay, and if both are made illegal it will only make them more attractive.

]]> By: Eric Dauster http://citmedia.org/blog/2006/02/04/our-internet-up-for-grabs/comment-page-1/#comment-51 Eric Dauster Sun, 05 Feb 2006 05:05:57 +0000 http://citmedia.org/blog/2006/02/04/our-internet-up-for-grabs/#comment-51 It's just a matter of time before there are multiple "internet-like" networks --and my guess is they will be offered nearly free of charge to draw people in, and then will incent people to stay behind the walls of this garden for services, shopping, etc. I pay $50 a month for my DSL, which is 40.05 reasons for carriers to not to go to a $9.95 a month walled-in private network, but a company like Disney could offer a safe, protected internet'ish broadband "experience", and many people would be happy with the limited functionality -- especially when it comes with a $500 a year savings. It’s just a matter of time before there are multiple
“internet-like” networks –and my guess is they will be offered nearly free of charge to draw people in, and then will incent people to stay behind the walls of this garden for services, shopping, etc.

I pay $50 a month for my DSL, which is 40.05 reasons for carriers to not to go to a $9.95 a month walled-in private network, but a company like Disney could offer a safe, protected internet’ish broadband “experience”, and many people would be happy with the limited functionality — especially when it comes with a $500 a year savings.

]]> By: Dan Gillmor http://citmedia.org/blog/2006/02/04/our-internet-up-for-grabs/comment-page-1/#comment-50 Dan Gillmor Sun, 05 Feb 2006 00:31:59 +0000 http://citmedia.org/blog/2006/02/04/our-internet-up-for-grabs/#comment-50 Mickx, the telecom companies are likely to go after P2P in this new regime, especially as they make deals with Hollywood for "preferred" content. Eldon, yes, write your member of Congress. Call, too. But letters seem to have the most impact. I'd also consider supporting organizations, like <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eff.org">EFF</a> and <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.publicknowledge.org">Public Knowledge</a> that are fighting for our rights on this. Mickx, the telecom companies are likely to go after P2P in this new regime, especially as they make deals with Hollywood for “preferred” content.

Eldon, yes, write your member of Congress. Call, too. But letters seem to have the most impact. I’d also consider supporting organizations, like EFF and Public Knowledge that are fighting for our rights on this.

]]> By: eldon http://citmedia.org/blog/2006/02/04/our-internet-up-for-grabs/comment-page-1/#comment-49 eldon Sat, 04 Feb 2006 20:54:18 +0000 http://citmedia.org/blog/2006/02/04/our-internet-up-for-grabs/#comment-49 What can citizens do about this? - Contact our local congresspeople and complain? - Wait for the EFF to file a lawsuit or two? - Lay our own cable (illegaly)? If no decision's been made, then there's still time to act, right? What can citizens do about this?

- Contact our local congresspeople and complain?
- Wait for the EFF to file a lawsuit or two?
- Lay our own cable (illegaly)?

If no decision’s been made, then there’s still time to act, right?

]]> By: mickx http://citmedia.org/blog/2006/02/04/our-internet-up-for-grabs/comment-page-1/#comment-48 mickx Sat, 04 Feb 2006 17:57:48 +0000 http://citmedia.org/blog/2006/02/04/our-internet-up-for-grabs/#comment-48 Is there a possibility to develop a parallel, or a serie of smaller parallel networks based on Wi-Fi or Wi-Max router relays, as already exists in some cities? A citizen P2P network, just to keep going the most important feature of Internet: uncensored and fast information especially from witnesses and home videos of significant local events? A kind of networked Samizdat in the face of a totalitarian market? After all, as we know from the Soviet Union, the more centralised the controls, the more credible the non official information. Is there a possibility to develop a parallel, or a serie of smaller parallel networks based on Wi-Fi or Wi-Max router relays, as already exists in some cities?

A citizen P2P network, just to keep going the most important feature of Internet: uncensored and fast information especially from witnesses and home videos of significant local events?

A kind of networked Samizdat in the face of a totalitarian market?

After all, as we know from the Soviet Union, the more centralised the controls, the more credible the non official information.

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