This has been asked a few times but never fully answered, can someone explain why this vote in particular is a problem? I understand net neutrality and I am all for it, but there was considerable public doubt before reclassification that this was the proper way to go about it. It also doesn't seem like the internet regulatory state of pre-2015 was a disaster. Would we better off focusing our efforts on increasing com…
F.C.C. Repeals Net Neutrality Rules
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Re: F.C.C. Repeals Net Neutrality Rules
#112Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's funny, the FCC's mandate isn't to poll the public and do whatever most of them want. Strange how people seem to think it's a numbers game, at least when they feel the numbers are on their side
Why did they solicit public feedback then? And why did they misrepresent public feedback and refuse to acknowledge that most people want net neutrality? Obviously they aren't beholden to what the public wants, but the latter is clearly scummy, is it not?
The direct feedback mechanism is voting for those who determine the composition of the rule-making bodies.
Re: F.C.C. Repeals Net Neutrality Rules
#113If you voted for Trump, this one's on you.
Non-voters / people on the “there’s no difference” train also deserve a moment of reflection about whether their reality is true.
At some point, a president will be elected with only like, 10% of the population having actually voted for them, and that'll be a crisis that forces us to overhaul some things.
Re: F.C.C. Repeals Net Neutrality Rules
#114This is proof positive that the current FCC commission has ignored the will of the voters on this issue. Support for Net Neutrality was overwhelming and bi-partisan, yet Ajit Pai just plowed forward without consideration for what the citizens demanded. This is government at its worst.
bi-partisan? Pretty sure the vast majority of Republican candidates came out against it last November. People knew what they were voting for.
Re: F.C.C. Repeals Net Neutrality Rules
#115Edit: You know what, fuck it. I don't think I can say anything here that hasn't been said a thousand times already.
Re: F.C.C. Repeals Net Neutrality Rules
#116> 500-504 The FTC’s unfair-and-deceptive-practices authority “prohibits companies from selling consumers one product or service but providing them something different,” which makes voluntary commitments enforceable. The FTC also requires the “disclos[ur]e [of] material information if not disclosing it would mislead the consumer,” so if an ISP “failed to disclose blocking, throttling, or other practices that would matter to a reasonable consumer, the FTC’s deception authority would apply.”
> 507-508 Many of the largest ISPs (Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, Cox, Frontier, etc.) have committed in this proceeding not to block or throttle legal content. These commitments can be enforced by the FTC under Section 5, protecting consumers without imposing public-utility regulation on ISPs.
> Invokes Sherman Antitrust acts
FCC also reserves the right to return to Title II classification, which AT&T tried to block in this:
> 176. We also reject AT&T’s assertion that the Commission should conditionally forbear from all Title II regulations as a preventive measure to address the contingency that a future Commission might seek to reinstate the Title II Order.647 Although AT&T explains that “conditional forbearance would provide an extra level of insurance against the contingency that a future, politically motivated Commission might try to reinstate a ‘common carrier’ classification [2015 Net Neutrality Regulations],”648 we see no need to address the complicated question of prophylactic forbearance and find such extraordinary measures [are] unnecessary.
Edit: the vote also keeps the government from classifying the internet as a public utility. I think that's a good thing because the govt could otherwise step in and "regulate" content it doesn't agree with.
Re: F.C.C. Repeals Net Neutrality Rules
#117Comcast board meeting (RIGHT NOW): "First things first, how do we charge more for netflix streaming."
The next thing that will happen is, when Comcast goes too far, another provider (cable? wireless carrier? satellite broadband? something new from a startup?) disrupts the market by offering an alternative to Comcasts' egregious policies. Comcast loses subscribers and is monetarily forced to be more consumer-friendly.
Re: F.C.C. Repeals Net Neutrality Rules
#118Europe has it's problems, but I don't regret moving to London. Not one bit. The innovation here is real and tangible, by and large unencumbered by this kind of crap.
So I'm stuck here, for good or bad.
Re: F.C.C. Repeals Net Neutrality Rules
#119If you voted for Trump, this one's on you.
Sorry but the two are not correlated, as much as I'd like to agree. Trump appointed Carr. Obama appointed O'Rielly and Pai. This one is on all of us. We let Congress become a swamp in the first place.
Re: F.C.C. Repeals Net Neutrality Rules
#120Speaking as a conservative: When Obama was president, I got told the same thing about the ACA. The world will end, the sky is falling, America is finished. But eight years later, here I am, nothing's that much worse.
I have no reason to believe this is "the beginning of the end" of anything. Life will carry on as normal.
Disproportionate reactions (like HN is doing right now) is not good for anyone. Take a step back from politics. Take a deep breath. Take a walk outside. This isn't the end of the world.