No I don't think Obama did anything.
How's that hole in the sand? Seeing anything good down there?
Did Obama Just Destroy the U.S. Internet Industry?
11–20 of 291 posts
Re: Did Obama Just Destroy the U.S. Internet Industry?
#12No, because only those who were on the fence were swayed either way. As of right now, the Poll on how the HN community will respond ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5846564 ) is at : No, I'm ok with it 66 I'd like to do something but it's too difficult to avoid using cloud services 195 I'm going to try to use services from non-US companies hosted outside the US 99 I'm only going to use services that allow clien…
"Privacy is a bit like oil. It's getting pricey, but I still like my SUV."
You do know that outside of the US, there are lots of people who don't drive SUVs because of the price of oil?
Re: Did Obama Just Destroy the U.S. Internet Industry?
#13No, because only those who were on the fence were swayed either way. As of right now, the Poll on how the HN community will respond ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5846564 ) is at : No, I'm ok with it 66 I'd like to do something but it's too difficult to avoid using cloud services 195 I'm going to try to use services from non-US companies hosted outside the US 99 I'm only going to use services that allow clien…
The danger is that foreign governments will recognize that the US is using gmail to spy on them. They may ban the use of gmail or other cloud providers within their national boundaries.
Re: Did Obama Just Destroy the U.S. Internet Industry?
#14No. Because most people don't care about privacy that much. See TSA scanners, foursquare, hell GMail scans your data everytime you read mails, Facebook doesn't even pretend there is a privacy. Damn, first thing any Apple computer do is taking your picture, getting your details and sending it all to Cupertino, before you even load the OS. Android tries to track all your phones under one account you have to add before…
I don't care about privacy for my personal (not corporate) information from Google. The worst they can do is disconnect me, and I can always leave them.
I do care about that an organisation with the power to legally kill or imprison me without trial, with the world's strongest military and a penchant for punishing anyone who embarasses them has all of my data, including who I associate with, what I say and whereever I go. In fact not just my data, the data of their political opponents and the journalists that keep the system honest.
If not Obama, someone at the head of the table is going to abuse this information one day.
Re: Did Obama Just Destroy the U.S. Internet Industry?
#15No, because only those who were on the fence were swayed either way. As of right now, the Poll on how the HN community will respond ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5846564 ) is at : No, I'm ok with it 66 I'd like to do something but it's too difficult to avoid using cloud services 195 I'm going to try to use services from non-US companies hosted outside the US 99 I'm only going to use services that allow clien…
"Privacy is a bit like oil. It's getting pricey, but I still like my SUV." You do know that outside of the US, there are lots of people who don't drive SUVs because of the price of oil?
Not having being born in the U.S. and still having family in several countries, Yes, I do.
The implication is that U.S. Internet Industry is somehow "destroyed" as a result of this is hyperbole. If anything, all it did was give hope to those outside the U.S. that there's still a viable market for the same cloud services (sans FISA leash) even in smaller scales.
Re: Did Obama Just Destroy the U.S. Internet Industry?
#16No, because only those who were on the fence were swayed either way. As of right now, the Poll on how the HN community will respond ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5846564 ) is at : No, I'm ok with it 66 I'd like to do something but it's too difficult to avoid using cloud services 195 I'm going to try to use services from non-US companies hosted outside the US 99 I'm only going to use services that allow clien…
I doubt it will have much of an impact, but I'd be reluctant to make a prediction about international growth based on an HN survey and a CS Monitor article that references American polling data.
Fair enough.
My gut feeling is about the same on impact of international growth. On one hand it may have been a blessing in disguise. The Internet is supposed to be global in the first place, but we have massive over-representation in pretty much every aspect of its commercial operation.
The same services outside U.S. jurisdiction and influence are suddenly more alluring.
Re: Did Obama Just Destroy the U.S. Internet Industry?
#17No, because only those who were on the fence were swayed either way. As of right now, the Poll on how the HN community will respond ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5846564 ) is at : No, I'm ok with it 66 I'd like to do something but it's too difficult to avoid using cloud services 195 I'm going to try to use services from non-US companies hosted outside the US 99 I'm only going to use services that allow clien…
The danger is that foreign governments will recognize that the US is using gmail to spy on them. They may ban the use of gmail or other cloud providers within their national boundaries.
I don't think most governments will go that far for casual usage, however I do see more restrictions on confidential, "official business" communication and storage through these (which, I hope is already the case).
Think of how much disruption would be caused if Hotmail, for instance, was forbidden in addition to Gmail. Many of the early adopters of the web in these countries flocked to the most popular platforms (in addition to their ISP email of course). Having to print new business cards would hardly be the only inconvenience.
Re: Did Obama Just Destroy the U.S. Internet Industry?
#18The author is guilty of thinking that the president is King, as if the entire federal government and all three branches weren't behind these things for that past 7 years.
Re: Did Obama Just Destroy the U.S. Internet Industry?
#19No, because only those who were on the fence were swayed either way. As of right now, the Poll on how the HN community will respond ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5846564 ) is at : No, I'm ok with it 66 I'd like to do something but it's too difficult to avoid using cloud services 195 I'm going to try to use services from non-US companies hosted outside the US 99 I'm only going to use services that allow clien…
"If anything, it may give a much needed boost to an existing sector of internet industry, privacy and security. I see several companies springing up (some already have) that delivery end-to-end encrypted communication and storage over different media (of course, there would be plenty of Snake Oil as well)."
I think it's worth pointing out that this sector growing as a result of this will mean that those 195 people who responded "I'd like to do something but it's too difficult to avoid using cloud services" will find it easier and easier to make the switch.
Couple that opinion in the tech community with consumer protection laws that may technically forbid a business from storing customer data on these services and you do have a drive for foreign business to move away from US services.
When your talking about a principle such as a right to privacy that's not something that will disappear from society quicker than the time it takes for businesses competing on this principle can be set up.