Live data from Hacker News

Facebook completes construction of first full-scale aircraft, Aquila [video]

facebook.com

51–60 of 118 posts

Re: Facebook completes construction of first full-scale aircraft, Aquila [video]

#51
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think that's true. We can substitute (no internet + desire for internet) in for the right side, and I think that's better than (some internet + lessened desire for full internet)

Why don't we ask the people who currently have no internet what they'd prefer?

Disclaimer: I am only a young person in Germany, but used the 0.facebook.com service (facebook for free) here for almost 10 years.

Result: Yes, some internet is better than no internet.

Nowadays, where I stopped using facebook mostly, I just buy like the tiniest data package my provider supports, wait for it to throttle to 64kbps, and just use IRC, the web without JS, etc.

Re: Facebook completes construction of first full-scale aircraft, Aquila [video]

#52
post #23

Just, no. This is frightening on many levels. A facebook plane? To get people on facebook, right? To get them on the internet is secondary to Zuckerbergs goals here, lets be honest. A walled garden? Come on. It should be the whole internet or they shouldn't even bother. A walled garden, with no security protocols, with the intention of getting the entire world on facebook? Not cool.

What if it's the other way around? What if the smart and passionate folks at Facebook really do just want to get the internet to the rest of the world, and this is the way they can justify doing so? They are a public company, after all. They have to fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities to shareholders, or at least appear to do so...

They have to fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities to shareholders

And those shareholders get priority over EVERYONE else in the chain. What the investors want, the investors get.

Re: Facebook completes construction of first full-scale aircraft, Aquila [video]

#53
post #27

Just, no. This is frightening on many levels. A facebook plane? To get people on facebook, right? To get them on the internet is secondary to Zuckerbergs goals here, lets be honest. A walled garden? Come on. It should be the whole internet or they shouldn't even bother. A walled garden, with no security protocols, with the intention of getting the entire world on facebook? Not cool.

How is the world with no Facebook plane in any way better than the world with a Facebook plane that provides Facebook access? If you don't want Facebook access, or you already have it, the two worlds are indistinguishable.

Because that would centralize too much power into FB's hands.

Re: Facebook completes construction of first full-scale aircraft, Aquila [video]

#54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> supported website Think about how terrible that is.

Is it better or worse than simply: NO CARRIER I argue it's better.

People aren't even considering that once it becomes a solved problem, the next company that wants to do it gets the knowledge for free. Figuring out the engineering also has value.

Other uses for autonomous solar airplanes? Delivering medicine and supplies to remote areas?

Re: Facebook completes construction of first full-scale aircraft, Aquila [video]

#55
post #2

Planes that fly for 3 months at a time on sunlight, bringing the Internet to people isn't cool?

You know what's cool? A billion planes.

Sorry. I had to. But really, I think everyone's a little sad that this kind of impressive technical achievement is in pursuit of a questionable final objective.

We're so advanced now with so many smart people, we're not really limited by what we CAN build but what we DO build. There are so many things that are theoretically possible but what we spend our time and money on is often so mundane.

I think it would be cool if there were thousands of these planes flying around providing free internet to everyone. What we'll probably get is hundreds flying around giving free facebook to some people.

But I shouldn't complain. At least research is getting implemented. That is cool.

Re: Facebook completes construction of first full-scale aircraft, Aquila [video]

#56

There's an interesting phenomenon where people in developing countries begin to think that Facebook is the full extent of the internet: Indonesians surveyed by Galpaya told her that they didn’t use the internet. But in focus groups, they would talk enthusiastically about how much time they spent on Facebook. Galpaya, a researcher (and now CEO) with LIRNEasia, a think tank, called Rohan Samarajiva, her boss at the tim…

> think that Facebook is the full extent of the internet: My mother wanted to "get on the internet" because of the Facebook phenomenon a few years ago. Now she thinks Facebook is the full extent of the internet. Googling something or visiting a "homepage" is completely foreign to her. She'll search in the Facebook bar or ask questions in her feed if she's looking for information. Now she has a smartphone, and outside…

You would describe your mother's aptitude as "obviously minimal?"

Re: Facebook completes construction of first full-scale aircraft, Aquila [video]

#58
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If Coca Cola built roads to villages to sell their products, you would also be unhappy? If Coca Cola built roads to villages to sell their products , but only Coca Cola trucks could use the roads - FTFY Now that doesnt look so good, does it?

Internet.org isn't for only Facebook, right? So, the question is are you an idiot or a troll?

What's to stop one of the participating websites to offer a web proxy, so people could browse any website? If they ban proxies, it will be like the Great firewall of China

Re: Facebook completes construction of first full-scale aircraft, Aquila [video]

#59
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If Coca Cola built roads to villages to sell their products, you would also be unhappy? If Coca Cola built roads to villages to sell their products , but only Coca Cola trucks could use the roads - FTFY Now that doesnt look so good, does it?

Internet.org isn't for only Facebook, right? So, the question is are you an idiot or a troll?

Oh you are right, Facebook plus a bunch of friends right? But thats the "internet" right?

Facebook just added some sites, so people couldnt say "but its just Facebook" guess what.. people are not stupid, it is just facebook, and something else so we can think that is not "just facebook"

But if you think is right to train people that are not used to the internet that the internet is facebook, just for the facebook´s sake, and that this is a good thing?!

If this project were really serious they would give full access to people in need, so they can have plenty of access to knowledge to improve their own lives...or what the ads will do to them?

And not to be just a facebook catle, so they can show more ads to more people, and increase their market value in the stock market and pleased wall street with more people using facebook.. if that is not plain evil, i dont know what is.

Release the full internet to people, or just dump this whole project in the trash where it belongs.

Re: Facebook completes construction of first full-scale aircraft, Aquila [video]

#60

There's an interesting phenomenon where people in developing countries begin to think that Facebook is the full extent of the internet: Indonesians surveyed by Galpaya told her that they didn’t use the internet. But in focus groups, they would talk enthusiastically about how much time they spent on Facebook. Galpaya, a researcher (and now CEO) with LIRNEasia, a think tank, called Rohan Samarajiva, her boss at the tim…

Back in the day, I think many people equated AOL with "The Internet".
Post reply on HN