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Verizon Posts Message In Morse Code To Mock FCC's Net Neutrality Ruling

Posted by Soulskill on from the being-evil-in-humorous-ways dept.

HughPickens.com writes: Chris Matyszczyk reports at Cnet that Verizon has posted a message to the FCC titled: FCC's 'Throwback Thursday' Move Imposes 1930s Rules on the Internet" written in Morse code. The first line of the release dated February 26, 1934 in old typewriter font (PDF) reads: "Today (Feb.26) the Federal Communications Commission approved an order urged by President Obama that imposes rules on broadband Internet services that were written in the era of the steam locomotive and the telegraph." The Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 along party lines in favor of new Internet service rules that prohibit blocking, slowing or prioritizing traffic. The rules, which have not yet been released, are opposed by cable and telephone companies that fear it will curb Internet growth and stifle payback on network investment. "It isn't a surprise that Verizon is a touch against Thursday's order. In 2012, it insisted that the very idea of Net neutrality squished its First and Fifth Amendment right," writes Matyszczyk. "I wonder, though, who will be attracted by this open mockery. Might this be a sign that Verizon doesn't think the fight is over at all?"

8 of 391 comments (clear)

  1. fees by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    first complaint ive seen. they want to leave the average user with turtle slow speeds while charging out the ass for people and companies who can afford it. companies have gone from being reasonable 150yrs ago to outright blatant greed, and youre ridiculed if you speak out against it. fuck capitalism.

    1. Re:fees by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 5, Insightful

      fuck capitalism.

      It has nothing to do with capitalism. It has everything to do with unregulated corporate greed. They are NOT the same things. The same kind of greed was seen very prominently in countries that called themselves Socialist and even Communist. So don't blame "capitalism" for it. It's cronyism, plain and simple.

      And this is almost laughably wrong:

      The rules, which have not yet been released, are opposed by cable and telephone companies that fear it will curb Internet growth and stifle payback on network investment.

      I call BS. They don't "fear" it will do anything of the kind. What they fear is that it will put a stop to their monopolistic control, and monopolistic prices, and end their ability to pocket tax money given them for infrastructure.

      I mean this literally: you can hardly believe a word they say anymore.

    2. Re:fees by Defenestrar · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Wow - a limited monopoly for a service necessary for modern life like telephone, power, water, and sewer? Sounds like a public utility to me.

    3. Re:fees by l0n3s0m3phr34k · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Sure, I'd agree IF the telco's hadn't taken BILLIONS of tax-payer money to do "upgrades". Instead they took that money and gave it to their lobbyists to fight against having to use that money for that. If they didn't want the FCC in their business, they shouldn't have accepted taxpayer money and then commit fraud with it.

  2. Old rules by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Old rules just suck. I mean, stuff like "Thou shall not kill"? How are we supposed to deal with terrorists with silly old rules like that?

  3. Corporation != People by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The very fact that Verizon views themselves as having first and fifth amendment rights shows the ludicrous precedents Citizens United sets.

  4. Re:Stomp Feet by Defenestrar · · Score: 5, Insightful

    And it's the idiot bully's trick at that; the clever ones don't provoke the playground monitors.

    And now, I would like to sincerely and heartily thank Verizon for the initial lawsuit provoking the playground monitor that made net neutrality a reality. I strongly encourage additional attention and noise to the issue for full on public utility regulation. Here's to moving the US into a First World nation with First World utilities like power, water, and real broadband - wired and wireless.

  5. Re:Stomp Feet by duckintheface · · Score: 5, Insightful

    " imposes rules on broadband Internet services that were written in the era of the steam locomotive and the telegraph."

    Oh, you mean back in the days when giant corporations used their monopoly status to squeeze huge amounts of money out of their customers in the absence of competiton? Those days?

    --
    "He took a duck in the face at 250 knots." -- William Gibson, Pattern Recognition