Slashdot Mirror
Telecom Plan To Take Over the Internet Isn't Real
wiredog writes "The Telcos' Secret Anti-Net Neutrality Strategy is actually a student project. The 'No Net Brutality' campaign idea was one of the four finalists created as an assignment for a two-and-a-half week 'think tank MBA' program. The other finalists were a project promoting free speech in Venezuela, one supporting education reform in Poland, and one dealing with sales tax rates in Washington, DC. ('No Net Brutality' came in third. The Polish reform idea won.)"
There are a BUNCH of really interesting, truly nerdy stories in the firehouse...why does crap like this always find a way through?
Living With a Nerd
It was a kdawson story. Duh.
Seriously though, if you thought that was real, your BS detector is broken.
That it not to say that it could not have been real, but you should not have believed it without independent verification.
Go green: turn off your refrigerator.
Think Progress has updated their site, standing behind the news that "No Net Brutality" was influenced by industry/lobbyists.
Think Progress posted their own response to CNET's claims. Don't know Whose true http://thinkprogress.org/2010/05/11/netneutrality-grover-afp/
Doesn't anyone remember when this first started? We had everyone from the ACLU to the Christian Coalition jumping up and down and saying that the plan by major ISPs and telcos to hijack big web pages unless they were paid not to was flat-out intolerable. We were united.
Then came the lobbyists.
They started with the question, "What are you going to do about it?" And then we got split into market-based solutions (boycotts) and regulation, with neither side seeing eye-to-eye. Next, they tried to redefine "Net Neutrality." When we made it, what we meant by it was, "Don't hijack our web pages!" But they said "Neutrality? They want some kind of Communist equality! We can't use QoS any more or make our networks better!" And now, most people think in terms of their version of "Net Neutrality." They assume it's like the Fairness Doctrine and that it means the government would regulate the content of web pages or some other crap.
Doesn't anyone else remember when this started? Before the lobbyists split this into a conservative/liberal issue? Back when we all agreed that having ISPs hijack popular websites unless bribed not to was a terrible thing?
Because I do. And I feel like the only one.
The "Think Tank MBA" contest is not affiliated with any school or MBA program, but is run by a right-wing advocacy organization. The contestant in question is not even a student, but is an employee of another right-wing advocacy organization.
To think, I used to read that moron's old blog. I guess I've grown up since then.
Yes, this powerpoint wasn't really from us, therefore it is not possible that we independently going to carry out that beautifully crafted plan to achieve the goal of getting rid of net neutrality. In fact, that's not even our goal, never has been. And you know it was never our goal because we didn't make that powerpoint presentation.
Incidentally, can we borrow this fake powerpoint presentation for our next secret strategy meeting? You know, as an example of powerpoint presentations that DO NOT reflect our plans?
So this was a grassroots Astro-Astroturfing?
Wow mindblowing.
This was a "weather balloon". The *IAA posse is still behind this. If I was going to try something like this I would have students try it first.
BTW, netbrutatlity.com was registered by freedomworks.org, which sure doesn't look like a student project.
As I said yesterday the content was laughably stupid. I actually was thinking that Think Progress had created it.
Actually, the fact that I thought it was real just shows how sad and pathetic the state of affairs in our country has become.
No, it shows how gullible you and other 20-somethings are to believe whatever you read on the Web. Critical thinking is no longer in vogue, the "truth" is whatever the Slashdot Group Think and Twitter / Digg / Whatever pipe to you. Blogs have to be more accurate than "real" news sources, right?
"Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
Nothing to see here, move along.
Yeah... wait.. no? I totally didn't go to www.nonetbrutality.com and I totally didn't see that this was 'just a powerpoint project'.
I'm curious why a project like this would be so involved that the student would pay for a domain name and hosting, and then (yes, i'm telling you to go to the site right now) do everything as legitimately as possible without mention of it being a project.
I'm not saying it was/was-not done by the telecoms. But the site is real, and its intentions/purposes appear real as well.