Disney Strikes Against Net Neutrality

1 a bee writes "Ars Technica is running a story by Matthew Lasar about how Disney's ESPN360.com is charging ISPs for 'bulk' access to their content. According to the article, if you visit ESPN using a 'non-subscribing' ISP, you're greeted with a message explaining why access is restricted for you. This raises a number of issues: '... it's one thing to charge users an access fee, another to charge the ISP, potentially passing the cost on to all the ISPs subscribers whether they're interested in the content or not.' Ironically, the issue came to the fore in a complaint from the American Cable Association (ACA) to the FCC. A quoted ACA press release warns, 'Media giants are in the early stages of becoming Internet gatekeepers by requiring broadband providers to pay for their Web-based content and services and include them as part of basic Internet access for all subscribers. These content providers are also preventing subscribers who are interested in the content from independently accessing it on broadband networks of providers that have refused to pay.' So, is this a real threat to net neutrality (and the end-to-end principle) or just another bad business model that doesn't stand a chance?"

Comments

Re:Campfire stories for your kids...

[petrus4]

And guess what? The websites made money, and people payed more money to the ISPs for access, and all the corporations rejoiced. Thus died the golden age of the internet which we now just call 'interactive cable'.

Take a hike. I'm sick of this sort of apocalyptic, hysterically alarmist crap. It's the same bullshit that Stallman's been shovelling for years, and it's been garbage for as long as he's been doing it, too.

Usenet still exists. You can still download mp3s or pirated books on IRC as much as you want. Bit torrent might be throttled somewhat and watched a bit more these days, but that's a long way from saying you can't use it at all. A cam for Terminator Salvation came out very quickly. eMule only died (and it still hasn't completely) because of the cartels scaring people away from it, but not because they were able to physically shut it down; they couldn't.

If Usenet exists to a lesser extent than it used to, it's purely because people started realising that web-based forums were simply a better idea. Moderation abilities mean you don't have to put up with the sort of gibbering, barking, locked-in-their-basement headcases that Usenet has always suffered from.

Anyone who complains about piracy becoming more difficult on YouTube can also cry me a fucking river. Self-host your own bit torrent tracker; problem solved.

Piracy is still very much alive and kicking, and the idea that the Internet is or ever will become purely a home shopping network has been bullshit from the first moment it was dreamed up.

Richard Stallman is *not* a genius...and neither are you.

Re:Well, the cable industry should know.

[Lordpidey]

One thing I have said many times,

The blacks that are direct from Africa are much different on a genetic level from the blacks descended from slaves.

This might sound a bit low, but slaves were selectively bred, much like dogs were. The ones that ended up strong and able to work the most were bred, and the ones that showed independence, and enough thought to potentially seek freedom were not.

I'm not saying that it's impossible to rise above genetics, but it is definitely disfavorable.

Call me a racist if you want, using dog analogies, but genetics DO play a roll in personality. For example, all (house) dogs are all the same species. Yet various breeds have distinct personalities, think about how chiwawas usually act, now think about a golden lab. They are of the same species, yet have very distinctive "racial" personalities.


Lets look at the attributes that were bred in, and those that were bred out.

breeding for Strength and stamina. Yes, it's a stereotype, but NFL football teams are disproportionately black.

breeding against traits that make them seek freedom and independence. Take a look at http://www.topix.com/forum/afam/TS6CBT754MKNC4E90 , Blacks are disproportionately high on welfare.