 May 16, 2014 - 8:45pm | If you guys remember SOPA, this one is about net neutrality. For those who don't know, net neutrality allows for all net traffic to be treated equal. Without it, large companies can come in and prioritize traffic akin to high-speed toll roads, at the cost of all other net traffic. That would mean you'll have to pay extra to watch YouTube or Netflix (on top of what you'll pay for their service) at speeds you get automatically right now. Services that would benefit from high-speed direct net traffic, like YouTube and Netflix, oppose this! The only ones who would benefit are the large internet service providers like Comcast and AT&T. Well in this case, the Federal Communications Commission is looking to end net neutrality. Yes, they are a big, faceless, out-of-touch bureaucracy, but we still have a voice! This issue is so big and far-reaching, even non-Americans are voicing their concerns to them! (Yes, this is not limited to US citizens.) Here is what you do: 1. Read this. 2. On your computer/device, write a document about your concerns about this, while sounding professional. 3. Fill out this form with your document attached, and then send. |
 May 18, 2014 - 3:48am | You would think that this would not be a problem since the FCC requires television stations to broadcast locally such that people can recieve television signals without paying for cable. but then again we are talking about a government agency... I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 May 18, 2014 - 11:49am | There is nothing in the name that suggests they are limited to television and never have been. The key word in the acronym is "communications". Of course they govern American internet. The internet is now the primary source of communications. However, the FCC's goal is not to impede service, but to promote access to information and market competition. Slowing down pathways of communication works against this and would meet with stiff retaliation by the FCC. Corporate abuse may exist in the short term, but ultimately the FCC's mission statement will prevail, since it is a government agency guided by the constitution, which itself promotes the free flow of information. It's good that the people fight against it, but in the end, I don't see this issue prevailing anyway. View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
 May 18, 2014 - 12:39pm | The problem is that the internet providers (or part of companies that are) are not classified as "common carriers" as are the telephone system and as such the courts have ruled (just in the last couple of months) that the FCC doesn't have the right to regulate them in the manner necessary to ensure equal access. The real goal is to get ISPs labeld as "common carriers" as they should be and then the FCC can actually do something. It will happen eventually but it may be rough going for a few years if something preemptive doesn't happen. Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
 May 18, 2014 - 2:06pm | And meanwhile the rest of the world will simply work around it - if not the net itself. It just seems that certain parties want to put the genie back into the bottle. |
May 18, 2014 - 6:55pm | That's the perfect metaphor, KRingway. And that's exactly the trouble they're going to have and that's why it won't happen. Ultimately, in the current scenario, the most popular net provider is going to be the one that permits unlimited access. Thus, the business model even promotes freedom of information and anyone that fights against that is going to suffer the consequences. View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
 May 18, 2014 - 6:44pm | You would think that this would not be a problem since the FCC requires television stations to broadcast locally such that people can recieve television signals without paying for cable.
but then again we are talking about a government agency... Ah, but now we must buy a digital decoder in addition to the televsion set. Digital antenna not included... |
May 18, 2014 - 6:56pm | That's just because the signal went digital. View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
May 19, 2014 - 4:27pm | That's just because the signal went digital. Mandated by who? but then again we are talking about a government agency...  |
May 19, 2014 - 9:58pm | It was a technology advance. Not everything that limits us is some great conspiracy. The industry was simply slow to adapt. Digital television had been around over 25 years and HD had been around for 3 years. It was time to give things a nudge. It was for the sake of progress, not for the sake of forcing us to buy things we don't want. View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
May 20, 2014 - 4:42am | I'm just glad I haven't been forced to buy cable and can watch boardcast TV, for a one time lay out of cash for the digital reciever. Ooops on paid for the 2nd digital reciever and the TV in my paint studio has one built in. As to conspiracies the government may or may not be in on a conspiracy, when an outside interest influences politician to vote for or against something is not really conspiratorial on their part. Its more just whoring than conspiratorial because if the money was in doing the right thing for the people they represent then they'd bend over for that. When its an agency directed by appointees its less about conspiracy than simple incompetence. It doesn't matter if they actually do a good job because that doesn't determine if they keep their job. I am of course painting with a very broad brush and over generalizing but by and large our form of goverment is marked by whoring and incompetence and is the worst form of government possible except for all the others. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
May 20, 2014 - 6:05pm | There's a distinct advantage that an analog signal has over a digital one: you can still receive with a less than splendid signal. With digital it's all or nothing. In other words you can still watch TV with a partial analog signal...you may have a disrupted picture and/or sound but you can get the gist of it. Disrupt a digital signal just a little bit, and you lose both picture and sound until the signal is restored. |
May 20, 2014 - 6:33pm | There's a distinct advantage that an analog signal has over a digital one: you can still receive with a less than splendid signal. With digital it's all or nothing. In other words you can still watch TV with a partial analog signal...you may have a disrupted picture and/or sound but you can get the gist of it. Disrupt a digital signal just a little bit, and you lose both picture and sound until the signal is restored. I'm in the shadow of Logan Airport and when the flight paths are over my house some of the stations are disrupted with a short stuttering of sound and image. I bought the $29 rabbit ears to preplace the $10 ones and that has helped but not completely solved the issue. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
May 21, 2014 - 7:53am | True enough on the politics, jedion. I've found that any trouble with digital is due to the user-defined TV channel settings, (It can be fairly complicated figuring some TV's out,) not to the antenna. View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
