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FCC Website Hobbled By Comment Trolls Incited By Comedian John Oliver
An anonymous reader writes "In a recent segment of his new HBO show, Last Week Tonight, comedian John Oliver delivered a commentary (video) on the current net neutrality debate. He ended the segment by calling on all internet comment trolls to take advantage of the FCC's open comments section on the topic. 'We need you to get out there and for once in your lives focus your indiscriminate rage in a useful direction,' he said. 'Seize your moment, my lovely trolls, turn on caps lock, and fly my pretties! Fly! Fly! Fly!' While the true impact of John Oliver's editorial cannot be confirmed, the FCC nevertheless tweeted shortly after it aired that its website was experiencing technical difficulties due to heavy traffic. They accept comments via email as well at openinternet@fcc.gov."
There are that many comment trolls that have paid for HBO?
Well done, Sir. Well done.
He said nothing about trolls and the people trying to leave comments on the FCC website are not trolling - they're genuinely upset about what the FCC is trying to do to the Internet.
He made a joke about the low quality of the discourse found on the Internet, but did not call for trolls or advocate trolling.
...a little more cash to keep the bits flowing smoothly.
FCC definition of trolling: General public pissed off to the point where they crash a website to leave comments on an unpopular topic.
Up next: .gov petitions. Obama administration states individuals signing petitions are failing to follow doctrine. Re-education camps opening near you! Contact your local party official for the address.
Om, nomnomnom...
Seriously. I watched the video earlier today. It was remarkably clear, fairly concise and very accurate.
If this guy actually motivates enough people, even if for the wrong reasons, I salute him.
If he actually gets people motivated for the right reasons? Oh hell, he's up for sainthood.
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
I was able to load a few of the comments. I never saw one "trollie" comment. Here are some examples:
I want the internet to be regulated like any other utility. That is what it is - a
utility. Everyone in this day and age needs to have internet access. It is not a
question of IF they need it. Accessibility to the internet pervades all aspects of
life, and it will destroy innovation and creativity of small businesses to have to
pay non-standardized prices for their internet traffic. Stop pandering to the money,
and start pandering to the people - contrary to what the money thinks, the PEOPLE
are the ones you serve.
---
Members of the FCC,
Individuals granted the power to rule over such a critical technology, during
such a critical time in the development of our species. Create a respectable
legacy.
Regarding moving forward with regulations to maintain an ‘Open Internet’,
it is critical that ISPs are re-classified as Title ll public utility providers, so
that both consumers and innovators are guaranteed fair opportunity in the
foreseeable future, and ISPs are prevented from gradually creating an
innovation crushing, tiered network over the next few decades. Use the
power you have now to create a lasting change, for if the regulation is weak
in its foundation, with time it will collapse under the force of the corrupt
interest of multi-billion dollars companies’ lobbying efforts.
Thank You,
Laser Nite
MIT Class of 2017
---
I demand net neutrality. People deserve equal access to bandwidth regardless of how
much they can afford to pay. The internet is an integral communication and
educational tool in our society.
---
reclassify broadband internet as a title II common carrier telecommunications
service
I want the internet to be regulated like any other utility. That is what it is - a
utility. Everyone in this day and age needs to have internet access. It is not a
question of IF they need it. Accessibility to the internet pervades all aspects of
life, and it will destroy innovation and creativity of small businesses to have to
pay non-standardized prices for their internet traffic. Stop pandering to the money,
and start pandering to the people - contrary to what the money thinks, the PEOPLE
are the ones you serve.
---
Just like everything else in this country, it seems the internet is now going to be
owned by big corporations. They are to follow in the footsteps of BIG PHARMA and
BIG OIL. We, as Americans, think that we have a voice, that this is a democracy.
That may no longer be the case. I believe we have no voice. Our politicians, our
food, our choices are now owned by the big corporations. If we do not have net
neutrality, it will be the final nail in the coffin of democracy around the world
and the corporation will be the dictator.
Who is "John Oliver"?
Probably most famous for being one of Jon Stewart's Daily Show regular correspondants, and guest host while Stewart was off directing his movie.
Since then he's left the Daily Show to pursue his own thing; much like Stephen Colbert; and while not as famous as Colbert, he's very well known.
> Some random comic makes a joke to a small segment of the TV watching late-nighters, and this somehow took down an FCC web site?
That youtube video of his entire net-neutrality bit has 1.2M views as of 48 hours after it was broadcast on HBO - that's 7 people per second.
Nevermind who saw it on TV, a metric fuckload of people saw it on youtube and they weren't just random people, they were people specifically interested in the topic else they wouldn't have clicked through to youtube in the first place.
It used to be called Slashdotting.
Pain is merely failure leaving the body
I actually found this video quite informative and too the point. He definately attacks the issue head on while "sugar coating" everything in comedic form to hold attention. His approach to getting this message out in this video might be one of the most effective ways I've seen to date.
leather-dog muksihs
Blog: @muksihs
An anon calls for a site to put in steps to prevent any random Joe/Jane from posting on a site? The irony, oh it hurts...
I just left a comment. The number 2 issue with comments had about 200 of so. This issue has 45k and rising. Lets tack another digit in the end!
Thoughtful, reasoned, and on point. Let see if we can make a difference.
It's OK. You're republican, you don't need to know.
Don't complain about syntax, grammar, or spelling. There is no.hell like input on android.
What a long way down to this.
TWENTY YEARS ago when a 1 megabit T1 cost $10,000 a month installed to the Caribbean -- with an equal measure of determination, deft grantsmanship and elbow grease we managed to bring Internet to the US Virgin Islands with the Virgin Islands Freenet. One day in September 1994 connectivity was available for ~40 cents a minute if you dialed long distance to the states, a couple thou a month for 56kbit or 10k for T1. The day after you could get an email address, access Usenet groups and browse the web with Lynx on 4 (and later as many as 12) local dialup lines.
So when the National Telecommunications Information Administration announced the first-ever roundtable discussion on the future of the global Internet we were there, and carried the newsgroups so our growing user base could follow and participate in this near real-time discussion. The issues were well presented, the discussion was formal and polite.
There does seem to be a general lack of civility and willingness to participate in process these days.
Now I do hold some measure of contempt for the Federal Government as a whole in its hubris over control of the Internet. The NSA is pushing net neutrality in its charter-be-damned initiative to listen to everyone, the president-du-jour tolerates 'Internet kill switch' dialogue throughout the Executive Branch as if martial law security checkpoints should be written into law, and let's not forget the peoples' hero Al Gore who lobbied for the government to hold our encryption keys in escrow. There is a large bullshit factor.
But attacking the FCC is sort of like going after park rangers. For better or worse (mostly better) it presided over the breakup of the Bells. It helped to ensure that even rural USA modernized its telecom to bring about modern access choices, the ones we take for granted today, to as much of the country as possible. And now they are charged with accepting comments on 'net neutrality' -- which will be as hard to adequately define in the modern context as it would be to discuss.
Now more than ever we need the real voices of people who aren't afraid to write their thoughts into multi-paragraph letters and opinions, no matter the medium, so say something about it. Just like my Freenet folks twenty years ago were eager to do. These folks are not wanting to know how to control, they are asking in what ways it may be best to regulate.
Control is what we generally try to avoid. Regulation that occurs with a majority of support that accomplishes useful goals -- such as the rural electrification and building of telecom in America -- is a necessary part of due process.
Time to try to recapture just a bit of the cultural restraint and intelligent determination of yesteryear, methinks.
<blink>down the rabbit hole</blink>
Even better, people were sharing this through Facebook, with friends and family. We all should share it too, as it's probably the best non-technical explanation for them on all the key points. If you haven't yet, please do so.
Could you do me a favor?
Sure, you might not like it though.
Could you rationalize to yourself why you must turn everything into partisan politics?
Firstly, that word does not mean what you think it means.
Secondly, you must be another republican or the parent.
Thirdly, whooosh.
*and since I'm usually kind to the unfortunate. John Oliver is a comedian who makes fun of the stupidity of US politics (ok, other countries as well, but the US just has so much stupidity it's a goldmine). It just so happens that it's the republicans who are usually clueless and full of stupidity. The republicans NOT knowing who John is, is usually what makes his interviews so funny.
Don't complain about syntax, grammar, or spelling. There is no.hell like input on android.
Oops, that 'hobbled" not "hacked".
Still blaming John Oliver because people actually used the website is stupid.
I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
The FCC isn't a body that regulates according to enduring principles of openness, access and competition. It's run by political appointees. It's mission statement notwithstanding, FCC priorities ultimately reflect the political agenda of commissioners, the people who appointed the commissioners, and the people who will be employing those commissioners after they complete their five year term.
Sure, there are guys who work for the FCC who are like the park rangers; the guys with the loop antennas looking for pirate radio stations or administering the ham radio exam. But we're talking about setting policy here; it's not like "going after park rangers", it's more like "going after the Secretary of the Interior." Sally Jewell has very different priorities at Interior than did James Watt under Reagan. You can like one without liking the other.
Likewise you can think that Reed Hundt, who was commisioner in 1994, was hero, or perhaps you think he was a meddling socialist. Chances are no matter what you thought of Hundt, you think the *opposite* of Tom Wheeler, the current commissioner.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
For a price, the FCC's ISP might be persuaded to unthrottle public access to their web site.
Hey FCC. This is how you and everyone else will be doing business soon if you make the wrong decision. Get used to it.
Have gnu, will travel.