Slashdot Mirror

The wealthy coastal cities, whose economies and interests had largely separated from agriculture, suffered horribly; Rural farming communities, by contrast, barely noticed anything had changed

Rural states saw damn little of the post-war prosperity of the 1920s. and were in deep trouble before the Great Depression of the mid-thrties.

In Iowa 167 banks closed in 1920. That number rose to 505 in 1921.The Great Depression Begins ---- in the 1920s

Farming is increasingly mechanized and commercial. Framers are raising crops for sale in distant urban and foreign markets. To remain competitive demands more land, paved roads, trucks and tractors.

All of this costs money.

Wartime subsidies are gone. New trade barriers make export difficult .

Workers are abandoning agriculture for better paying jobs, homes and apartments in the city. The ten hour day. Electric light. Gas heat. Radio, the movies, and the flivver...

What will happen in the next 5 years when IPTV becomes a reality to the masses?

"Xbox 360 to have IPTV"

Since when does a state agency like PBS affiliate Iowa Public Television (IPTV)
provide content to a commecial enterprise like Microsoft?

Link: http://www.iptv.org/ (Copyright 1995 - 2007)

". . . Welcome to IPTV Online, the home of comprehensive companion Web sites for national and local television programs and specials, as well as original Web content and real-time learning adventures. With more than 5,000 pages of content to explore, visitors to IPTV Online can delve further into the subjects they most enjoy--from news to history and the arts to science and technology. "

". . . By merging online and television media, IPTV Online is pioneering the creation and distribution of interactive programming to advance education, culture and citizenship."

Yep, that's "IPTV"!

" . . . The Information available on IPTV's Web sites may include intellectual property that is protected under the copyright, trademark and other intellectual property laws of the United States and/or other countries ("Intellectual Property Laws"). Such Intellectual Property Laws generally prohibit the unauthorized reproduction, distribution or exhibition of all text, photographic and graphic (art and electronic) images, music, sound samplings and other protected materials. The violation of applicable Intellectual Property Laws may give rise to civil and/or criminal penalties. "

Well legalities have not stop Microsoft before . . .

Just goes to show a liitle acronym research might be in order . . .

 
I have found the best place for information on IPTV is at

        http://www.iptv.org/

It is a most useful site when trying to find something to see on TV
and has been around for years.

Hmmm, wonder if "MS" has checked into the trademark ownership of IPTV?

I'm sorry Microsoft, but the copyright to the name IPTV is already owned by Iowa Public Television. They're gonna have to find a new name or face the wrath of hordes of not-for-profit Iowans, myself among them.

What does Iowa Public Television have to do with Slashdot?

Iowa Public Television has always been an awesome station.

I don't know how Iowa compares with other states, but rural Iowa is definately not left behind.

When the telephone was a new technolgy they ignored Iowa which caused many small phone companies to be created in Iowa.

A few years ago Iowa also had the foresight to invest in fiber optic cable, to be used by schools and state institutions. I think almost all Iowa schools now have access to broadband, if not all.

Now the percentages of rural and urban areas that have access to broadband connections are very close, and I think it is upwards of 60%.

For more information you should watch
Market to Market ( created here in Iowa ).
Use the search on the left for "broadband".

Here is a preview

"Manning already had municipal gas and power services which generated cash flow for community improvements. After getting overwhelming community support through a local ballot referendum, the Light and Gas utility boards in Manning worked with the area Rural Electrical Cooperative to gather up the necessary $3.2 million to create a telephone company. Manning now provides residents and businesses with-state-of-the-art phone, cable television and high-speed Internet connections by purchasing telecommunications services through a local Midwest-based telecommunications company. As a result, E-C-I relocated the technical support center along with other customer services to Manning, a move that has cut overhead for the company and created jobs with good wages for Manning residents."

So I say thank you to short sided corporations, for not having the time for rural america.

Well...I still live in Des Moines. (I moved here in 1986 to do compiler work, which I did until I was laid off in 2001.)

I moved here from central Oklahoma. Back when I was there, I felt culturally deprived--then I came to Iowa. Both states have interesting places to visit and beautiful landscapes, are good places to live, and have good people, and Iowa has some very good musicians indeed (such as, say, Bob Cook and Gary Audsley, Ashanti, Bob Black, Mike and Amy Finders, the Blue Band, and many others--and I presume most here have heard of a group from Des Moines called Slipknot...), BUT... just pick up a copy of the Oklahoma Gazette (the OKC area weekly "alternative" paper) and compare it with the pathetic Cityview and pointblank in Des Moines, and there is no comparison. (I will admit that I've not been to the Quad Cities area, or the various college towns in Iowa.)

(That said, I second the recommendation of Java Joe's, and also want to point people at the fun and quirky Vaudeville Mews, right next door.)

Re Nebraska: I can't agree. I wound up in downtown Omaha helping to publicize a small nearby Renaissance fair, and had a heck of a time. Beat the heck out of the oppressive thumpa-thumpa dance places on Court Avenue. (I don't need no fascist groove thang...)