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French ISP Throttles Direct Download Website
siliconbits contributes this snippet: "In what might be the first of many, French Internet Service Provider Orange has been caught throttling traffic to one of the world's biggest direct download websites, Megaupload. The site, which also operates Megavideo, states that Orange, which is owned by France Telecom, is preventing its users from accessing its downloading and video streaming service freely and says that it can prove it."
It's France. Petit Napoleon probably already passed a law that butchers the internet freedom without anyone noticing.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
So it's not your job to supervise your child then.
Music: I am not old, but when I was a kid, an audiocasette was $12-$14 at the store, and minimum wage was $3.35. You could work half a day (4 hours) to buy one album. Now I am getting mp3 albums from amazon for $5-$7 each, and minimum wage is $7.25 (1 hour). (My own viewpoint is probably skewed further because I actually was earning minimum wage then, and naturally make more now). And usually a few tracks of any album can be found for free on youtube.
Video: Most movies can be streamed legally for $1-$3, and that's if they're not already available through netflix $8/mo unlimited streaming plan. Even paid piracy sites used to cost more than that. Is it even worth two hours of my time to watch if it's not worth $1 to me? I don't feel the slightest incentive to shell out for a Blu-Ray player and their $20 discs.
Granted, piracy is probably to thank for putting price pressure on the content cartels. And net neutrality is just as important for 3rd party legal streaming as illegal downloading, since from the ISPs perspective they're exactly the same. But anyways, this story made me think how things have got quite a bit better in the last few years.
So if your kid picked his nose would you want national legislation to stop him from picking his nose too?
Here's a thought. Tell him no maybe? I would hate for you to ruin the "friendship" you have with your son, but it's you SON not your friend.
I don't see your point. If he's sharing the home connection, and it's a problem due to his use, then the father needs a backbone. I don't care how old the son is.
Has it ever been cutting-edge? Come on! The market in France is only pushed thanks to the innovations of "Free". If they weren't around, every French would still use a stupid Sagem modem, no TV over IP, no IP phone and such.
What made everyone laugh head-off was the "Ma ligne TV" thing, were you had to choose between ADSL or TV over IP. What a joke.
Exactly what was the cutting-edge thing you were talking about?