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Tom Wheeler Resigns from the FCC

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Re: Tom Wheeler Resigns from the FCC

#101

Post by mkohlmyr »

chipperyman573 wrote: post #94
koolba wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Look it up. It was invented by Democrats, specifically Harry Reid I think. Live by the sword, die by the sword ...

Democrats used to hold the Republican party's stances and the Republican party used to hold the Democrat's. Saying that something was invented by Democrats is essentially saying it was invented by people who would agree with today's Republicans. http://factmyth.com/factoids/democrats-and-republicans-switc... http://www.livescience.com/34241-democratic-republican-parti... https://www.quora.com/Is-it-true-that-Democrat…

And Harry Reid (currently serving in office to my knowledge) had barely been born when that happened. So that is entirely irrelevant to his point.

Re: Tom Wheeler Resigns from the FCC

#102

Post by simonh »

Frondo wrote: post #83
koolba wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Look it up. It was invented by Democrats, specifically Harry Reid I think. Live by the sword, die by the sword ...

Frankly speaking, who cares? Is that a good reason to govern badly, because someone else did so? We should expect better from everyone, not just shrug and say "well, they started it."

"What about"-ism is the death knell of reasoned argument.

Re: Tom Wheeler Resigns from the FCC

#103

Post by simonh »

amelius wrote: post #95
hamandcheese wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Imagine if there was a different speed limit depending on if you were driving to McDonalds or to Burger King"

To which the reply will be: "If Burger King pays someone to enable me to get there faster, then that's cool!" (devil's advocate)

How about if the road company threatened to put speed bumps on the roads unless the restaurant companies paid to not have them installed, and Burger King paid but McDonalds didn't? Oh, and you already paid the road company a toll to use the road to drive to the restaurants in the first place.

Re: Tom Wheeler Resigns from the FCC

#104

Post by ptero »

turbohedgehog wrote: post #20
ComputerGuru wrote: post #11

This isn't really news, more of a mere formality. The federal government department heads are all expected to resign or be fired when there's a regime shift in the Oval Office (party change).

Incorrect. FCC commissioners serve a term and Wheeler's term was up June 30, 2018, so this is an early resignation and opens up a spot for Obama or Trump to fill.

The article said FCC heads tend to resign when administration changes, so this seems to be normal (not legally required, but not unusual either)

Re: Tom Wheeler Resigns from the FCC

#105

Post by ptero »

anigbrowl wrote: post #39
koolba wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If congress is in session it'd require confirmation. The exception is a recess appointment but that's not going to happen as they're already keeping congress continuously open to block Garland's recess appointment.

That trick of procedurally gavelling open a session and immediately closing it to avoid the recess disgusts me beyond words. The GOP basically opted to treat the Constitution as a dead letter through tricks such as these and refusing to even dignify Garland's nomination with a hearing. Besides the political ramifications I think it's sad that a guy who's widely regarded as a decent hardworking jurist will have his le…

I guess no politics week ended :(. Can we please bring it back.

Re: Tom Wheeler Resigns from the FCC

#106

Post by JustSomeNobody »

quasse wrote: post #32

I was recently at a conference in DC called "Transforming Communities: Broadband Goals for 2017 and Beyond" which was largely focused on public policy related to the lack of real broadband in America. Gigi Sohn, who is the counselor to the chairman of the FCC, spoke. She was very candid about the position of the FCC and the fact that she was finally able to speak her mind because this was going to be one of her last…

There were a lot of concerns when Mr Wheeler took over and he greatly surprised everyone. Let's be patient and see what happens next.

Re: Tom Wheeler Resigns from the FCC

#107

Post by gutnor »

Frondo wrote: post #83
koolba wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Look it up. It was invented by Democrats, specifically Harry Reid I think. Live by the sword, die by the sword ...

Frankly speaking, who cares? Is that a good reason to govern badly, because someone else did so? We should expect better from everyone, not just shrug and say "well, they started it."

That seems to be the rule. Whatever past government set a lower standard, the new government can take that as useful approved governing tool.

Really people wonder why politician sometimes fight for nonsensical minor tweaks that look like a waste a taxpayer money, but that's exactly it. Most of the government way of working is ruled by tradition rather than law and new laws are created in case of abuse.

After a few cycle of those little games affecting both big parties, they will most likely get tired of it and vote a law that prevent that to ever happen again.

Re: Tom Wheeler Resigns from the FCC

#108

Post by IshKebab »

harshreality wrote: post #48
bluetwo wrote: post #36

One of the problems with Net Neutrality is that techies (us) and the media have both had a hard time explaining it clearly. Meanwhile those opposed have been able to come up with analogies that while false and misleading, are easily understood. What is the best way to explain the concept that can be quickly understood by those that are non-technical?

Vi Hart net neutrality in 11 minutes (fixed): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAxMyTwmu_M

I think he's talking about explaining it to the average person. They're not going to watch an 11 minute video about it. Their attention span is measured in seconds. This is the explanation against net neutrality:

It means Spotify doesn't count against your data allowance!

Less than 11 minutes.

Re: Tom Wheeler Resigns from the FCC

#109

Post by IshKebab »

droopybuns wrote: post #68
eropple wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So I watched the video, and he comes off a little clumsy, but I'm not following the argument you're making. Can you explain to me how that bolsters either that he does not care how technology works or how he's about people "bending to his will"? (I'm not sure that IRS tax threat scams are FCC jurisdiction and not FTC, and the IRS refers to the FTC and not the FCC on that page, but IANAL.)

I'd concede I'm grumpy. The broad swaths he strokes about robocalling being a "scourge" feel, to me, like they are indifferent to the virtual miracle of long distance communication on demand. Here's the deal- nobody wants to do the hard parts of secure communications. They want them to work, for free, and be easy. Those goals are not compatible with "secure" and "fraud-free." So I concede, bend to the his will may be…

Are you one of those paid commentators that PR companies and immoral politicians hire to sway online opinion?

Re: Tom Wheeler Resigns from the FCC

#110

Post by IshKebab »

tedunangst wrote: post #7

Wait, he's the cable industry shill, right? So this is the best news ever?

Don't worry I got your sarcasm. (For those with short memories, when he was appointed everyone was up in arms because he used to be the CEO of CTIA. Which was a fair enough concern I think, but it turned out he was great in the end.)
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