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Internet Connectivity Outside of the United States

Ant writes "A Yahoo! news story says that nearly 60 publications in countries bear the PC World name, or are associated with it in some way. The editors at several of them were asked to report how their readers get online. Not surprisingly, the report indicates that many countries are substantially ahead of the United States in online access." From the article: "For example, in the United Kingdom, you can buy DSL service with a download speed of up to 24 megabits per second. In Denmark, some people have fiber-optic connections as fast as 100 mbps. And in Italy and Spain, broadband service is cheap, and dial-up service is free (except for the cost of the local call). Still, many countries have their own connection quirks ..."

7 of 504 comments (clear)

  1. Am I the only one... by stubear · · Score: 0, Troll

    ...who is sick and tired of all the comparisons to the US? Country the size of a pea and lacking in cultural diversity is better able to spend its resources than the U.S., film at eleven. Seriously, how relevant are these comparisons really?

  2. Re:Superiority of the Free Market. by Steepe · · Score: 0, Troll

    you people crack me up. All those "Cheap" connections you claim to have, (which btw are in the same range as I pay for mine) I have 4MB down, 1.5MB up, for $29.95/month USD. I also downloaded 4 GB of data last night, and I probably download close to 50 GB of data per month. Costs me $29.95. how much would that cost you? (assuming that you are in the UK since you love their socialist society much better than the free market Capitalism in the US)With the extras these people have to purchase for bandwidth above 1GB PER MONTH, it would cost hundreds or thousands per month to do what we do here for free.

    So, you get a 24mb connection or whatever. at that rate, you can use it for 41 seconds at full speed per month. :)

    Yea, thats MUCH better than my 4 that I can use constantly. :)

    I wish, for one second that libtards would THINK before they open their mouths to scream crap that is so completely wrong its not even funny.

    --
    Just three more hours seapeople and you can finally take me away from this crappy God Damned planet full of hippies
  3. Re:Superiority of the Free Market. by Distinguished+Hero · · Score: 0, Troll
    As I don't have time to refute every point in your stupid little rant, I'm just going to choose one.

    Oh, how convenient. You didn't have time to refute every point. That's ok. I'll wait until you have more time to refute every point. Just tell me when I should check back and find your complete rebuttal. After all, even though you may not have enough time right now, you are bound to have some time at some point, and since my argument are so stupid, it should be rather easy to rebut them.

    Incorrect - and not even close to being correct (hasn't been the case for over 20 years).

    Not even close to being correct? Spain is certainly in the bottom 2; the only other contender being its Iberian neighbour Portugal. Tell me, have you seen either of those countries? Have you seen outside the major Spanish cities? Between the two, I think I would prefer Portugal. Interesting that you would also fixate upon the most tangential of my points; a clear sign of your desperation.

    Dumb, dumb, dumb.

    Ah. Here you showcase your true intellectual ability. Your futile attempts to use argumentum ad hominem impresses no one but yourself.

    P.S. Don't forget to give me that complete rebuttal when you have the time. I better not catch you making any other comments on Slashdot before you rebut the majority of my points (which according to you, should be rather easy).
    P.P.S Good job making a complete ass of yourself. I guess some people are completely incapable of rebutting arguments that contradict their firmly held beliefs, and when presented with such arguments panic and descend into a fury of asininity and desperation.
    --
    Uttering logically derived and empirically supported truths to the disciples of the orthodox establishment.
  4. Re:Castro receives 110% of latest vote! by Just+Another+Poster · · Score: 0, Troll
    For years Havana was simply a playground for the very rich from the US. In those days, most of the population was still poor, it was just that they had to see foriegn tourists and businesses reaping all the benefits of their labour. Nowadays, everyone is poor (A gross generalisation I know but hopefully you get my point).

    This means that although you might have to go without the occasional little luxury, you dont have to see someone else who has more money than they know what to do with living it up.

    And if anyone really wants to make an argument that the average cubans lot was better before the revolution I would love to hear it, I need a good laugh.

    Before Castro, Cuba was the wealthiest nation in Latin America. People emigrated from Spain to live there.

    Today, Cuba is Third World.

  5. Re:Superiority of the Free Market. by Whiney+Mac+Fanboy · · Score: 0, Troll

    Oh, how convenient. You didn't have time to refute every point.

    *sighs* - OK little boy - I'll refute your points so you don't have another tantrum, but first, Spain.

    Not even close to being correct? Spain is certainly in the bottom 2; the only other contender being its Iberian neighbour Portugal.

    It's not close to being correct no.

    1) Spain's GDP per capita is 25% larger than Portugal's GDP per capita - I'd call 1/4 'not close'

    2) There are other, poorer Western European countries. Spain is not 'certainly' in the bottom 2.

    Tell me, have you seen either of those countries? Have you seen outside the major Spanish cities? Between the two, I think I would prefer Portugal. Interesting that you would also fixate upon the most tangential of my points; a clear sign of your desperation.

    No, it wasn't the most tangential of your points - all of your rambling post was tangential. Take the above paragraph for instance. How is it relevant that you think portugal is nicer than Spain? Does it matter if I've been to Spain or not? Does it matter if there's poor areas in a country if you're measuring the wealth gap between countries?

    I presume you're ADD?

    Anyway, on to your original post. Allow me to go through it point by point:

    I very much doubt that the US has far fewer government controls. In accordance with the wishes of people like you, that hasn't been true in a very long time. You've also failed to isolate every other factor that may play a role, e.g. the size of the respective countries, and the demand for higher speed broadband in the US vs. in other countries. Therefore, you've proven nothing.

    And why exactly is Cuba a "poor country"? Couldn't have anything to do with it's economic system could it? After all, just look at all those rich non-market countries like...

    Strawman. I didn't say one way or another why Cuba was poor - I just noted the fact that it has better (free, universal) healthcare than the US.

    As for better healthcare, while I have never been to Cuba, I doubt it, for the simple reason that people like you said the same thing about the Eastern Bloc (remember us?), and that was blatantly wrong. Furthermore, many Eastern Bloc countries were richer than Cuba, and as they were unable to succeed, I doubt an island in the Caribbean ruled by a Spaniard dictator (Spain is the poorest Western European country) is able to succeed where so many others who were more likely to succeed failed.

    Rambling. You start with healthcare, but don't say anything about healthcare. The former Soveiet Satellite states are irrelevant to this.

    But look, don't take my word for it. Every year, hundreds of thousands of Cubans who are convinced that you are wrong risk life and limb to escape Castro's fun land. You don't have to risk life or limb to live in your utopia; it's far easier for you to relocate. Frankly, I wish citizenship was transferable to people like you, who possess US citizenship, but do not vaue it in the least, could transfer it to people like me, who do not possess US citizenship, but would value it far more than an ingrate like you.

    Strawman. I didn't comment on the economic conditions in Cuba (the main reason for the refugees)

    Oh, and I'm not a US citizen.

    P.S. I notice that your handle is "Whiney Mac Fanboy." Interesting that you are not a "Whiney Fanboy" of a computer designed in many of the worker's paradises you keep having (fluid) dreams about e.g. former Eastern Bloc Countries, former USSR, PRC, DPRK, SRC, etc.

    Strawman. I didn't say it was a workers paradise. Offtopic. WTF do the eastern bloc counties have to do with this discussion (and I don't really care why they're important to you).

    P.P.S. Funny how most of the people who constantly whine about Bush being a dictator idolize Cuba, which is run in a far more dictatorial fashion than Bush's tiny mind could even begin to fantasize about.

    Offtopic. I said nothing about Bush. Strawman, I didn't say I idolized Cuba.

    Some advice for you: Try and stay ontopic and people might take you seriously

    --
    There are shills on slashdot. Apparently, I'm one of them.
  6. Re:Superiority of the Free Market. by Distinguished+Hero · · Score: 0, Troll

    *sighs* - OK little boy - I'll refute your points so you don't have another tantrum, but first, Spain.

    Always with the pejoratives and the argumentum ad hominem...

    1) Spain's GDP per capita is 25% larger than Portugal's GDP per capita - I'd call 1/4 'not close'

    Do you even know what GDP measures? Any idea whatsoever? Please read this in it's entirety and you may understand the error of your ways. Also see my post here.

    2) There are other, poorer Western European countries. Spain is not 'certainly' in the bottom 2.

    Why didn't you name some? Please name some; I'd like to see you try.

    all of your rambling post was tangential

    Hardly the case. If it may seem the case when conversing with you, it is merely because I am rebutting your points which are all over the place all the time (see: Cuba's health care in a discussion about internet connectivity, focusing on one comment about Spain in a page long post, etc.)

    How is it relevant that you think portugal is nicer than Spain?

    Yes; how else do you indend to compare the "richness"/well-being in two different countries. Oh, I know: you prefer to simply compare two GDP numbers, without even knowing what such macrovariables indicate. Allow me to reiterate: no economist will ever say Country A is richer than Country B and use GDP numbers to back up their claim. Not one.

    Does it matter if there's poor areas in a country if you're measuring the wealth gap between countries?

    Well, the richness of each country is related to the richness of the citizens in each country. How do you propose we compare the well-being in two countries without looking at how well off the citizens in those countries are? Oh, I know, we'll simply compare those magical GDP numbers. How smart we are.

    I presume you're ADD?

    Pasting this sentence in the middle of your post may indicate that you are suffering from that very affliction. Regardless, I shall not dwell on it because I, unlike some people, reallize that it is completely tangential to the discussion at hand.

    Strawman

    Oooh. Name dropping without any supporting arguments. So, how exactly did I misrepresent your point so as to make it easier to refute? I should think it would be quite difficult for me to do so, as your points are extremely easy to refute to begin with. But if you'd care to enlighten me, I await the "enlightenment."

    I didn't say one way or another why Cuba was poor

    Which is why I asked you why Cuba was poor. It wouldn't make much sense for me to ask you why you thought Cuba was poor if you had already answered that in your post, now would it?

    I just noted the fact that it has better (free, universal) healthcare than the US.

    You actually stated that Cuba had very good healthcare for a "poor country," which is what prompted me to ask you why you thought Cuba was a "poor country." Perhaps whan you stated "Strawman," you weren't really accusing me of carrying out one, but simply openly declaring your intentions to engage in such a logical fallacy?

    Rambling. You start with healthcare, but don't say anything about healthcare.

    The entire paragraph is about health care. Must I spell everything out for you? Fine. Here is my original paragraph, with the implied words in square brackets. "As for better healthcare, while I have never been to Cuba, I doubt it [that Cuba actually has better health care], for the simple reason that people like you said the same thing about the Eastern Bloc (remember us?) [having better health care than the free West], and that [claim that the Ea

    --
    Uttering logically derived and empirically supported truths to the disciples of the orthodox establishment.
  7. Re:Superiority of the Free Market. by matrixhax0r · · Score: 0, Troll

    Mod parent down, his post is completely full with crap

    --
    If it's no on fire, it's a hardware problem.