If You Like Your Internet, You Can Keep It

Off Topic Politics & World Issues
21

[quote]Phoenix44e wrote:

My only point was that taking them from telephone poles and putting them underground would be a sign of advancement.
[/quote]

I suppose.

I can take my VCR and use it with my smart TV instead of the old tube. The picture still isn’t as good as a DVD

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
Doesn’t the internet still go out in storms leaving thousands without internet access? Doesn’t cable[/quote]

Yes, the shitty services that piggybacked the ancient phone line model.

I’ve never had a storm knock out my phone internet.

I just showed a way in which it has at least started too.

[quote]

Govenment project that gave us a lot of pretty sweet tech, right? The door swings both ways sometimes. [/quote]

We’re talking about regulation, not investment. You can’t compare the two.

[quote]
The only people I know that use land lines are old people and businesses and the old are dying and businesses are switching to VOIP.[/quote]

Sigh… Again. Until the market gave us fuckign cell phones, this argument didn’t even exist, and we have the same poles now we did then.

You’re really starting to stretch to justify government regulation at this point. All because of one simple way I’ve shown how regulation can unintended destroy innovation.

22

[quote]countingbeans wrote:

You’re really starting to stretch to justify government regulation at this point. All because of one simple way I’ve shown how regulation can unintended destroy innovation. [/quote]

Regulation always stifles innovation. But lets not ignore where this is coming from. I don’t think the consequences are unintended. The Feds know what they’re doing and they don’t care.

23

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:

[quote]countingbeans wrote:
I just showed a way in which it has at least started too.
[/quote]

Starting to? Cell phones have been around for a while and wasn’t there a telecommunications monopoly at one point. I mean, what other push did the free market need to innovate?

[quote]
Govenment project that gave us a lot of pretty sweet tech, right? The door swings both ways sometimes. [/quote]

We’re talking about regulation, not investment. You can’t compare the two. [/quote]

Okay, I didn’t realize we were specifically talking about regulation. The bottom line, for me, is I want regulation over telecommuncations in the same way I want regulation over accounting or banks. Regs that promote free play. Is this the answer, I don’t know and probably not.

[quote]
The only people I know that use land lines are old people and businesses and the old are dying and businesses are switching to VOIP.[/quote]

Sigh… Again. Until the market gave us fuckign cell phones, this argument didn’t even exist, and we have the same poles now we did then. [/quote]

Okay, how can land lines be better? I’m asking because I don’t see any way that land lines can be improved. How would you re-wire the country to make land line telephone calls better? My point thus far is that the technology is at it’s best free market or otherwise. What else can be done? In my mind there was no innovation to be had.

You’re really starting to stretch to justify government regulation at this point. All because of one simple way I’ve shown how regulation can unintended destroy innovation. [/quote]

Lol, my fucking internet stopped working while I was trying to respond. I had to reboot everything…

Anyway, I am not trying to justify anything. I don’t know why you think I’m trying to justify government regulation. I’m not.

I agree regs can / do stifle innovation. Government can also unintentionally create new technologies and new markets. Case and point NASA and the space race.

24

How can you innovate on phone lines anyhow?

… Wireless!

25

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:

Okay, how can land lines be better? I’m asking because I don’t see any way that land lines can be improved. How would you re-wire the country to make land line telephone calls better? My point thus far is that the technology is at it’s best free market or otherwise. What else can be done? In my mind there was no innovation to be had.

[/quote]

Wooden polls with rubber cover copper and shit hanging from them = the apex of wired human communication.

Jesus man… lol.

I don’t know either, but I know there are people out there smart enough to come up with something.

Edit: I used to talk to a dude involved in making some illuminated fiber that mixes with water from a fire hose so the fireman can see better. You can’t tell me someone couldn’t have developed a better wire before cell service finally induced competition on government protected wired communication.

26

The internet via cable line is the evolution of telephone lines. I can make a video call from a tablet that goes through a cable line down my street next to the obsolete telephone line.

27

[quote]countingbeans wrote:

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:

Okay, how can land lines be better? I’m asking because I don’t see any way that land lines can be improved. How would you re-wire the country to make land line telephone calls better? My point thus far is that the technology is at it’s best free market or otherwise. What else can be done? In my mind there was no innovation to be had.

[/quote]

Wooden polls with rubber cover copper and shit hanging from them = the apex of wired human communication.

Jesus man… lol.

I don’t know either, but I know there are people out there smart enough to come up with something.

Edit: I used to talk to a dude involved in making some illuminated fiber that mixes with water from a fire hose so the fireman can see better. You can’t tell me someone couldn’t have developed a better wire before cell service finally induced competition on government protected wired communication. [/quote]

My point is, why would they? What is the incentive to improve a technology that works very well?

Telephone packages are $15-$30/month and my guess would be the consumer base is dwindling. I’ve never had a phone call drop on a landline in my life (that I can remember).

If you were walking into a board of directors meeting to pitch better telephones poles (assuming no gov regulation) what would your justification be?

28

[quote]magick wrote:
How can you innovate on phone lines anyhow?

… Wireless![/quote]

Let put my liberal spin hat on and claim the regulation of landline telecommunications led to the wireless cell phone breakthrough. Thanks Obama!

29

[quote]sufiandy wrote:
The internet via cable line is the evolution of telephone lines. I can make a video call from a tablet that goes through a cable line down my street next to the obsolete telephone line.[/quote]

Right. Landlines won’t exist in 20-50 years because they’re obsolete regardless of whether they’re regulated by the FCC or not. They’ll probably limp on like AM radio for a while.

Innovation happened even with government interference in this case.

30

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:

Innovation happened even with government interference in this case. [/quote]

All these “innovations” that have been mentioned happened in markets outside the ones you’re trying to say weren’t stifled intervention.

I’m really stumped at how you’re missing the point over and over here.

31

[quote]countingbeans wrote:

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:

Innovation happened even with government interference in this case. [/quote]

All these “innovations” that have been mentioned happened in markets outside the ones you’re trying to say weren’t stifled intervention.

I’m really stumped at how you’re missing the point over and over here. [/quote]

Not really.

Car phones:

“A car phone is a mobile phone device specifically designed for and fitted into an automobile. This service originated with the Bell System, and was first used in St. Louis on June 17, 1946.”

“The Bell System was the system of companies, led by the Bell Telephone Company and subsequently by AT&T, which provided telephone services to much of the United States and Canada from 1877 to 1984”

Cell Phones:

“By the early 1970s, Cooper headed up Motorola’s communications systems division.[7] Here he conceived of the first portable cellular phone in 1973 and led the 10-year process of bringing it to market.”

Look at the pedigrees of these companies especially Bell Systems.

32

‘The stated purposes of the Act are "regulating interstate and foreign commerce in communication by wire and radio so as to make available, so far as possible, to all the people of the United States a rapid, efficient, nationwide, and worldwide wire and radio communication service with adequate facilities at reasonable charges, for the purpose of the national defense, and for the purpose of securing a more effective execution of this policy by centralizing authority theretofore granted by law to several agencies and by granting additional authority with respect to interstate and foreign commerce in wire and radio communication, there is hereby created a commission to be known as the ‘Federal Communications Commission’, which shall be constituted as hereinafter provided, and which shall execute and enforce the provisions of this Act."[1]’

1934, yet Motorola still invested $100 million into cell phones that fall under Title 47.

33

It should really come as no surprise that broadband was added.

34

I give up.

Yes you are right.

Thank you lord government and your regulation. Telephone polls are the apex of human ingenuity.

jesus fucking Christ.

35

Beans: I mean, look at telephone polls… It isn’t like the wired infrastructure has seen a whole lot of advancement since the government took over.

USMC: cell phones, cell phones, cell phones

Beans: Wired communication infrastructure

USMC: Cell phones, cell phones, cell phones

Beans: there is a world that existed prior to cheap enough cell plans

USMC: Cell phones.

Beans: I give up.

36

[quote]countingbeans wrote:
I give up.

Yes you are right.

Thank you lord government and your regulation. Telephone polls are the apex of human ingenuity.

jesus fucking Christ. [/quote]

You always get so worked up. Please show me where I said government regulation is a good thing or that telephone polls are the apex of ingenuity.

All I tried to point out is that telephone companies had no reason to make telephone polls better because they did their job well enough and have been eyeing a replacement technology (radio / cell phones) for DECADES.

Let me fix this for you:

[quote]countingbeans wrote:
Beans: I mean, look at telephone polls… It isn’t like the wired infrastructure has seen a whole lot of advancement since the government took over.

USMC: There is no justification or need to invest in wired infrastructure for telephones. If there is please explain it to me.

Beans: Wired communication infrastructure

USMC: There is no justification or need to invest in wired infrastructure for telephones. If there is please explain it to me.

Beans: there is a world that existed prior to cheap enough cell plans

USMC: Yes there was and those things fell under Title 47 regulation. Then cell phones were invented and guess what? They fell under Title 47. Further cell phone innovation was done by the same companies already operating under Title 47 regulation.

Beans: I give up. [/quote]

37

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
telephone companies had no reason to make telephone polls better because they did their job well enough

[/quote]

Riiiigggghhht, that’s the ticket.

We’re talking about two different things, and I don’t have the patience today to do so. You’re ignoring my point for the sake of it, because you’re happy .gov just took over the internet.

38

[quote]countingbeans wrote:
You’re ignoring my point for the sake of it, because you’re happy .gov just took over the internet.

[/quote]

Jesus, Mary, and Joesph… No I’m not.

39

[quote]countingbeans wrote:

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
telephone companies had no reason to make telephone polls better because they did their job well enough

[/quote]

Riiiigggghhht, that’s the ticket.
[/quote]

How could they be better? That is an honest question. I guess the polls could be made out of diamonds so they don’t break. They could bury the lines (in some places), I guess, but would that provide a better service? I doubt it. Would there be a ROI for a provider? I doubt it.

I’ve never had a landline phone call drop, ever, in my life. I can’t think of a single issue I’ve ever had with a landline actually. Not one.

I can’t think a reason to justify washing millions of dollars down the drain on R&D for landlines. If you can, I’m all ears.

40

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:

I’ve never had a landline phone call drop, ever, in my life. I can’t think of a single issue I’ve ever had with a landline actually. Not one. [/quote]

Really lol?

Okay. We have problems with our phones at work all the time, and when I was a kid we did as well. Not to mention when a poll falls down.

This is called conditioning. And likely why we are both accountants and not getting paid to develop new technologies.

When my grandkids say all this same shit about the internet, that you are now about phones, I’m going to laugh, my ever living nuts off, at all the people happy about this takeover.