Slashdot Mirror
Facebook Will Still Back Internet.org Despite Indian Gov't Disdain For Free Basics
Mickeycaskill writes: Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg says Facebook will continue its Internet.org efforts in India, despite one of the initiative's programs – Free Basics – being banned by the country last month. Internet.org hopes to give more people access to the Internet, but India ruled 'Free Basics,' which offers free access to Facebook and selected apps and services violated net neutrality ethics. Speaking at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Zuckberg said the ban was "disappointing" for Internet.org's mission but hoped other programs such as satellite Internet and drones would be more successful. "It's crazy we're sitting here in 2016 and still, four billion people in the world don't have access to the Internet," he said. "In India we'll focus on different programs. We want to work with all the operators there."
"It's crazy we're sitting here in 2016 and still, four billion people in the world don't have access to the Internet," he said.
But hes not helping them get access to the internet. He's only getting them access to facebook and facebook sanctioned sites. So the Indian govt is right.
Also one thing that developing countries dispise is it's citizens getting enslaved to a overseas companies services. So fuck off zuckerfuck. If you really meant what you say about internet access then you would be giving them unrestricted internet to any website including your competitor's.
"Disdain"... astroturf much, /.?
Slashdot social media options: AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, Jabber and Mobile Text. Why no MySpace?
It has nothing to do with Internet. Yes, I know it's supposed to be called "Free Basics", but why the internet.org domain? This is highly disingenuous.
""It's crazy we're sitting here in 2016 and still, four billion people in the world don't have access to the Internet,"
So Free Basics, eh?
Mark, I know this is "crazy", but perhaps if you stopped pimping fucking Facebook as "the Internet" , people might be more open to your damn flavor of philanthropy.
Pisses me off when a billionaire can't afford common sense.
As a walled garden of WAP compatible sites, in order to keep the Third World in its third place.
The gall of those Indians to not want a significant part of their population stuck in an American Internet Company Town. How dare they, don't they know that Zuckerberg knows what's good for them?
"I know I will be modded down for this": where's the option '-1, Asking for it'?
Business ethics and net neutrality go hand in hand. In a world where there is plenty of competition in access and content, net neutrality is rarely an issue. But in reality where there are usually only a few ISPs to choose from and some very powerful content providers, there will be a tremendous pressure on ISPs to take money from content providers to limit access to competitors. And it is far worse when the content provider and ISP are one and the same. Which will be the case in Facebook's plan for India.
This is not the same as your dial up services that limit access. As long as you are free to dial into another service. But imagine your phone company limiting which ISP you're allowed to dial into.
If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
"Indian government's disdain for free services..."
Wow. Just wow. Who is timothy and why does he have seemingly untrammelled access to posting slanted stories on Slashdot? Is he the new owner's nome de plume? Got a Facebook connection, or what?
The facts of matter are internet.org would provide India witha free walled garden Facebook-limited, Facebook-defined, Facebook-mined, Facebook-exploited subset of the real internet. It was nothing but digital colonialism, a new different of reservation for a different kind of indian (and that is most likely how it was joked about within Facebook itself).
Well, as many have observed lately Slashdot is going down hill. I think *timothy* and his posts pretty well sum up what's wrong with slashdot. It's turned into a tool, aimed at nerds and nerd-influencers, blantantly serving corporate interests, pushing corporate agendas.
So that's it for me. I can't in good conscience continue to contribute my energy, attention and effort making Slashdot profitable if it's just a tool for Facebook and its ilk to push their propoganda. The internet's a big place (no thanks toFacebook) and I'll find another home.
As a parting shot and look back to what Slashdot used to be, Stalman gave a great speech less than a month ago about the red hot, immediate danger the so called "unitary patent" being pushed by the corporate coke snorters is posing to software developers all over the globe; basically itspassage means American-style software patents for all nations in the EU. Thought you won that fight? Think again.
http://techrights.org/2016/01/...
The action you need to take is to call your representative and tell them this issue is important to you and you are watching it.
Bye Slashdot.
"It's crazy we're sitting here in 2016 and still, four billion people in the world don't have access to my creepy data-mining advertisers' database
ftfy
I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
What do you mean, "net neutrality came too late to make any real difference"? The net was born neutral from the time it was opened to public and commercial interests. And neutrality is the natural state of any communication network. You have to intentionally and continuously work to tilt the internet to special interests. It is being re-claimed in the US even as we speak. Why would India start it's citizens off in a distorted world/
"He took a duck in the face at 250 knots." -- William Gibson, Pattern Recognition
In many ways it feels like Internet.org is a modern version of CompuServ or AOL, minus the CDs. They served a purpose way back when, but like many I am not sure this is the right approach the today, even in poorer locations. Shared community internet access points would probably make more sense?
Jumpstart the tartan drive.
and plus a plan for world domination
internet.org is the non-profit equivalent of a Trojan Horse virus
i'm really proud of India for rejecting this...it's a big win for Net Neutrality
Thank you Dave Raggett
What is crazy is 'the Big Z' is worrying about 4 billion people not having internet access when there still a 'few' people out there that do not have food, clean water, medicine, etc. If he would take some of his and FaceBooks 'net worth' and use it to address some of those problems first, he might gain a little credibility. I believe you should be allowed to make all the money you can (even with something with as little true value as FaceBook, IMO), but if you want to earn some respect, put a little of it too good use, at home and abroad.
Hey Mark, how about paying a data connection to everybody and let everybody access any site they like? Then I'll believe you.
Before they start worrying about what kind of internet their populace uses, perhaps the Indian government should do something about modern plumbing in their country. No other country on earth has DESIGNATED SHITTING STREETS in their capital.