[Macworld]

Post your comments for Verizon files lawsuit over FCC net neutrality order here

[nerantzis]

damn right they should sue.

where in the constitution does it say that the govt can regulate a company like verizon?

where does the FCC get it's authority/power?

how dare, anyone, stifle verizon or like companies from charging me nearly $200 per month; for internationally slow speed broadband, having hundreds of tv channels i will never ever watch, let alone know that i have. and for having radio on my tv. how innovative.

how dare anyone demand that verzion or comcast or timewarner for that matter, not slow down those bit torrents thieves or comcast sites and thier affliated companies-nbc universal, timewarner sites or affliated companies like warner bros movies.

in america we are FREE to do business anyway we can!

[Andr]

Just… wow.

Net neutrality sounds foolish. You can take anyone's side on the Internet. That is, if you agree with the U.S.

Let's not forget that DARPA started the Internet.

[GadgetDon]

I support net neutrality as a principle, and there's nothing I'm aware of in the new rules that are unreasonably restrictive.

But the court has ruled. The FCC doesn't have the authority to impose regulations on issues such as net neutrality. They can't do it. Apparently the FCC thoughts so little of their case in the prior rulings to push the issue to the appeals court. And no law has been passed to given them that authority. Until the Congress gives them that authority - any rules they pass have no legal basis and should be challenged in court. True, with the new Congress, that's less likely to happen, but that's what happens when you have elections, they come with policies, and if the people's representatives won't support it, it won't happen.

[D_Champagne]

Until you can provide broadband internet from every major type of ISP, in almost all areas of the country, you/we need neutrality in the carrier's programming choices. Programming is all this really is, and some ISP's want to limit my choices.

If you don't live in a large metropolitan area, where costs are low per subscriber and competing technologies, then their is no real freedom of choice or voting with your dollar to try to control or keep companies honest. Most of my part of this rural state are lucky to get anything but a capped satellite service at all. Some of us can get DSL, none of us can get a cable modem. If you allow the only vendor to control content it's a monopoly and anti competitive.

[Macnutjohn]

"Verizon is committed to preserving an open Internet,"

Wow, my BS meter went off the scale there...........

More like Verizon is committed to raping the consumer for every dollar possible!

[krvh73]

Macnutjohn, on 20 January 2011 - 05:13 PM, said:

"Verizon is committed to preserving an open Internet,"

Wow, my BS meter went off the scale there...........

More like Verizon is committed to raping the consumer for every dollar possible!

This analogy doesn't work...
Rape victims don't go back to their rapist. If Verizon is raping you, go to another ISP. The economic reality is a product is worth what people will pay - nothing new. The best we can do is ensure barriers to entry are kept as low as possible so we can have a real choice in providers.

[Stewsburntmonkey]

krvh73, on 20 January 2011 - 05:44 PM, said:

Macnutjohn, on 20 January 2011 - 05:13 PM, said:

"Verizon is committed to preserving an open Internet,"

Wow, my BS meter went off the scale there...........

More like Verizon is committed to raping the consumer for every dollar possible!

This analogy doesn't work...
Rape victims don't go back to their rapist. If Verizon is raping you, go to another ISP. The economic reality is a product is worth what people will pay - nothing new. The best we can do is ensure barriers to entry are kept as low as possible so we can have a real choice in providers.

But the barriers aren't low and never can be (running wires into people's homes is going to be expensive). As has been mentioned by others, there often isn't an alternative. This is often the case in rural areas, but even in Manhattan Verizon DSL can be your only option. My old building was supposed to be serviced by Time Warner, but they hadn't bothered installing a hub there, so Verizon was the only broadband option for me until I was able to convince Time Warner to run my connection to the hub in the adjoining building.

[blecch]

nerantzis, on 20 January 2011 - 04:08 PM, said:

damn right they should sue.

where in the constitution does it say that the govt can regulate a company like verizon?

where does the FCC get it's authority/power?

how dare, anyone, stifle verizon or like companies from charging me nearly $200 per month; for internationally slow speed broadband, having hundreds of tv channels i will never ever watch, let alone know that i have. and for having radio on my tv. how innovative.

how dare anyone demand that verzion or comcast or timewarner for that matter, not slow down those bit torrents thieves or comcast sites and thier affliated companies-nbc universal, timewarner sites or affliated companies like warner bros movies.

in america we are FREE to do business anyway we can!

Heheheh. I vote for freedom for all!! And for that matter, I should be free to use whatever wireless spectrum I want in order to start my own cell phone company, free from government interference! Oh wait, Verizon says I can't, because they already bought a "license" for that spectrum? From whom, pray tell? And who is going to enforce that silly "license" in any meaningful way?

This post has been edited by blecch: 20 January 2011 - 08:09 PM

[mike17032]

Lot of corporate bootlickers here it seems. Regulating monopolies is one function that congress does, and the Telcos sure fit that bill.

Of course Verizon wants to sue, that way then can bend you over even further and double charge you and content providers for the same service. All the while being able to try and sell you their own awful content at a "discount" price.

[tuffmac]

mike17032, on 20 January 2011 - 10:26 PM, said:

Lot of corporate bootlickers here it seems. Regulating monopolies is one function that congress does, and the Telcos sure fit that bill.

Of course Verizon wants to sue, that way then can bend you over even further and double charge you and content providers for the same service. All the while being able to try and sell you their own awful content at a "discount" price.

I'm not saying that all companies are pure as the clean driven snow, but why is it that whenever something like this comes up, it's the company that's the bad guy, and the government is always the pure in heart good guy. That's nuts. Without companies like Apple and MacWorld, we wouldn't even be able to post like this on an internet. Sure, the "government" came up with the concept of the internet, but it was the free market who took the raw structure and turned it into what we enjoy today. Companies, not government. We are ignorant to think that the government would have been able to give us all the amazing computers and technology and lifestyle we enjoy.

Sorry to rant, but I'm tired of everyone ripping on private industry's and corporations and businesses that give us the wonderful lifestyle we enjoy. Sure, some companies suck, but it's easy to vote against them - just don't buy their stuff. But when a government is given way too much power and control of our lives (in this case, control of the internet), it's near impossible to get that freedom back. Do we really want to trust a government that has put us into debt more than 14 trillion dollars? I think we are now in debt more than anyone, or any country has ever been, in the history of the world. Heck, probably in the Universe. : )

And lastly. I'd rather lick a local companies "boots" rather than our governments, or better yet, China's - but that's where we are headed because of the idiots that racked up so much debt over the past 6 years - especially the last 2.

Anyway, that's my rant. Have a great day!

[iron_chef]

nerantzis, on 20 January 2011 - 04:08 PM, said:

damn right they should sue.

where in the constitution does it say that the govt can regulate a company like verizon?

where does the FCC get it's authority/power?

how dare, anyone, stifle verizon or like companies from charging me nearly $200 per month; for internationally slow speed broadband, having hundreds of tv channels i will never ever watch, let alone know that i have. and for having radio on my tv. how innovative.

how dare anyone demand that verzion or comcast or timewarner for that matter, not slow down those bit torrents thieves or comcast sites and thier affliated companies-nbc universal, timewarner sites or affliated companies like warner bros movies.

in america we are FREE to do business anyway we can!

Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 Interstate Commerce Clause.

[mdawson]

tuffmac, on 21 January 2011 - 12:32 AM, said:

I'm not saying that all companies are pure as the clean driven snow, but why is it that whenever something like this comes up, it's the company that's the bad guy, and the government is always the pure in heart good guy. That's nuts. Without companies like Apple and MacWorld, we wouldn't even be able to post like this on an internet. Sure, the "government" came up with the concept of the internet, but it was the free market who took the raw structure and turned it into what we enjoy today. Companies, not government. We are ignorant to think that the government would have been able to give us all the amazing computers and technology and lifestyle we enjoy.

Perhaps it is because some of us do not have short memories nor did we forget everything that we and every other high school student is taught in their history classes. Based on your logic we should abolish every police force in the US because most people do not engage in committing horrendous crimes. Corporations exist to make a profit, period. And, when those corporations become large and faceless, let alone become natural monopolies, which all the major ISPs are, you can best believe that they would have no qualms hurting you and everyone else to make a buck as long as they can get away with it. History has proven that to be a fact as have several recent events. No one here is so naïve as to state that the government is "pure in heart good", but they do expect the government to police corporate activities, because that is the government's job.

You bring up Apple and Macworld as if they are even remotely comparable to an ISP. Neither Apple nor Macworld are natural monopolies and as a consequence they are not abusing monopoly power. Short of the iPad, and even that will have competing products at some point, there is nothing that Apple sells that can not be acquired elsewhere. In fact, it has only been in the past decade that Apple has become the tech world darling because prior to the 2000s, most people did and still do, choose to buy something else. In any case there is no shortage of other companies making PCs, smart phones and portable digital music players. By the same token, Macworld has no stranglehold on Mac-centric news.

As to the free market that you worship, the personal computer revolution occurred at a time when the market was far more regulated than it is now. Of course, I have come to expect history to be a lost cause on corporate apologists.

tuffmac, on 21 January 2011 - 12:32 AM, said:

Sorry to rant, but I'm tired of everyone ripping on private industry's and corporations and businesses that give us the wonderful lifestyle we enjoy. Sure, some companies suck, but it's easy to vote against them - just don't buy their stuff. But when a government is given way too much power and control of our lives (in this case, control of the internet), it's near impossible to get that freedom back.

This is the same patently false nonsense everyone on your side of the issue keeps spouting. Have you been paying attention for the past 20+ years? Have you been paying attention for even the past few years? Deregulation has resulted in corporate abuses that have not been seen since the days of the robber barons. The fact that corporations provide us with products and services that permit us to have a high standard of living does not give them carte blanc to f— people over; and that is exactly what unregulated corporations do. Again based on your logic, I should be exempt from getting speeding tickets because I do not murder, rape and pillage. Doing good does not exempt one from penalties when they are caught doing wrong and contrary to what you and others like you are pushing, corporations are not above the law.

As to the voting with your wallet crap, it must be fun living in your world. It is well established fact that in the US the vast majority of consumers do not have a choice when it comes to broadband service. That is true in every major metropolitan area and it is especially true for those in rural areas. The ISPs are natural monopolies and abuse that position on a regular basis. Even where there is a choice—which usually comes down to the recent implantation of Verizon FiOS vs. whatever CATV provider that was already in place—there is still no real choice. Due to the fiber optics, Verizon can provide a better quality of service (e.g., fewer signal dropouts, no bandwidth sharing between households, etc.), but they still engage in the same monopolistic tactics as any other CATV/ISP.

tuffmac, on 21 January 2011 - 12:32 AM, said:

And lastly. I'd rather lick a local companies "boots" rather than our governments, or better yet, China's - but that's where we are headed because of the idiots that racked up so much debt over the past 6 years - especially the last 2.

As always the corporate apologists can in one breath put down the US government for doing its job but then prop up their neo-feudal corporate masters who can do no wrong as long as they are exercising their "freedom" to make a profit at any cost. Do any of you corporatists even have an inkling of an idea of what occurred early in history of the US the resulted in the federal government that we have today let alone the powers that government was granted upon its establishment? You can go be a corporate serf and lick the boots of your masters that could not care less about you. The rest of us will exercise our rights as citizens of a free nation and demand that our government do its job and protect what is in the best interest of the People.

[itsjustme]

Doesn't it seem funny that Verizon just scored the iPhone and all that upcoming data usage and traffic on their systems, and now are fighting for a way to throttle data usage and charge more for higher data speeds????????????