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Cable Lobby Seeks Better Reputation By Dropping 'Cable' From Its Name (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Cable lobbyists don't want to be called cable lobbyists anymore. The nation's top two cable industry lobby groups have both dropped the word "cable" from their names. But the lobby groups' core mission -- the fight against regulation of cable networks -- remains unchanged. The National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) got things started in 2016 when it renamed itself NCTA-The Internet & Television Association, keeping the initialism but dropping the words it stood for. The group was also known as the National Cable Television Association between 1968 and 2001. The American Cable Association (ACA) is the nation's other major cable lobby. While NCTA represents the biggest companies like Comcast and Charter, the ACA represents small and mid-size cable operators. Today, the ACA announced that it is now called America's Communications Association or "ACA Connects," though the ACA's website still uses the americancable.org domain name.
"The new name reflects a leading position for the association in the fast-growing telecommunications industry, where technology is rapidly changing how information is provided to and used by consumers," the cable lobby said. "It's all about the communications and connections our members provide," said cable lobbyist Matthew Polka, who is CEO of the ACA. The "ACA Connects" moniker "explains what our association and members really do," Polka continued. "We connect, communicate, build relationships and work together with all, and that will never change."
"The new name reflects a leading position for the association in the fast-growing telecommunications industry, where technology is rapidly changing how information is provided to and used by consumers," the cable lobby said. "It's all about the communications and connections our members provide," said cable lobbyist Matthew Polka, who is CEO of the ACA. The "ACA Connects" moniker "explains what our association and members really do," Polka continued. "We connect, communicate, build relationships and work together with all, and that will never change."
"sleazebag".
Table-ized A.I.
The name change won't prevent from carrying on giving them the middle finger.
Let's take the example of "Comcast".
Will calling it something besides a cable company change the reputation? No.
So what do you do?
It's pretty simple. Make a new company "FutureCast", just something with a better name to start with. Pretend it's a new company.
Now, take your employees that are actually good, transfer them all to FutureCast. Provide good quality commercial cable modems for internet only, and rent those out instead of your own crappy hardware. Prioritize network traffic over the Comcast network for FutureCast customers.
So you have customers that interact with a company that doesn't rent overpriced garbage boxes, delivers what people actually want which is internet only for a reasonable price without pushing extra packages, and actually has employees that are not like playing Service Russian Roulette any time you have to deal with them. Who would NOT love that company?
What above older Comcast customers you ask? Well, how would they even notice a drop in service quality...
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
After the whole BitCONNNEEEECCCCTTTT meme.
For example, here in Brazil, most political parties removed the "Partido" from it's name, because "parties" was related to corruption. Another example is the change from "TelefÃnica" to "Vivo" in phone land operator on the biggest state here, São Paulo, to avoid impact of the damages already done with the prior name (but the economical group behind it still the same)...
If they are changing the name because of some sort of negative association with cable, wires, or whatever; then I suppose I can see it.
But if it's because of the shitty reputation that the cable companies have gotten due to the way they operate, then this is just stupid. If they want to be thought of in a more positive way, then perhaps they should stop being douche bags and treating their customers the way they have been for the last couple of decades.
But I guess a name change is easy, while actually doing something meaningful is probably against the very fiber of their being.
Don't drop "cable" from your name, drop the shit from your game.
In an effort to upgrade their image, they're renaming themselves "the dead baby lobby"?
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
"See Figure 1!"
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
Nathan Summers will be dropping "Cable" from his name and will now be known as "".
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
Zodiac Killer to revamp his reputation by dropping Killer from his moniker.
Probably better than his real name. :-)
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
I find it hysterical that the Wikipedia article has to go out of it's way in the summary section to point out that he cannot actually be the Zodiac Killer.
Lipstick on a pig seems an appropriate and accurate analogy.
...is now just a guy?
So do we end up with Larry the Guy, Nathan the Guy, and Chip the Guy?
'Cable' is a generic and outdated term to describe pay TV. Now we've got IPTV and the method of delivery is inconsequential. What utility doesn't come through a cable or pipe?
LOL.
Never Caring To Appease, or
New Customers Treated Atrociously
It is what it is.
George: Well, I wrote an entire book about scalpels—scalpels taken to the human soul. And then Gilliam came along and made my book's metaphor physical, too, so nyah-nyah.
Coco: Oh come on, George, I have seventeen patents on alpha hydroxyl acid. And you can guess the rest ... Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so it truly behooves the beheld to take matters into her own sweet little hands.
[A blood-curdling scream cuts the conversation short.]
George: By George, what was that?
Coco: Oh, didn't you see? The Cable Guy ... he staggered into the men's room with a dermatological razor blade the size of Crocodile Dundee's—
George: —don't say it, my darling, I can indeed guess the rest.
It sounds to me like the cable lobby is cutting the cord....
My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
SO stupid! It won't help. Stop bending over customers you idiots.
The telcos and the cablecos are the duoply that keeps on taking. No matter where you live in the US you have a choice of ONE built-in telco and ONE built-in cableco.
Karl Bode of Arstechnica incorrectly calls these ISPs, but they are not ISPs. They are legacy providers of wireline telephony and wireline cable tv ("Community Access TeleVision or CATV").
It's sad when the tech writers can't get the tech right. It's sad when the companies can't provide service right. And now their lobbyist arms are changing names to hide their true motives.
We need to get TRUE COMPETITION in fiber and copper providers. Screw the cable lobby. Screw the telco lobby. Screw people who call everyone ISPs when they're not. COMPETITION and MULTIPLE OPTIONS IN EVERY HOME is the answer.
Europe, despite being backward about copyright law and about to pass chapter 13 in their "down with google" endeavors at least have lower prices and better options.
E
>Why not change a bit and do things less shady things?
Because that would harm profit margins, while a name change only requires changing the stationary.
Besides, in this case it's a name very few people know - would you have recognized what NCTA was without the long name?
But spell it out? People hear about the latest action by the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, they know right away they're getting screwed harder. The Internet & Television Association though? Now, that could be anybody, right?
--- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
Are you sure about that?
D'you remember what Arthur Anderson changed their name to after their accounting scandal debacle re: Enron?
I 'vaguely' remember. Some bulltshit floaty-woaty fairy name or something or other beginning with A.
I have to look it up.. I might remember if I saw it, but I can't immediately bring it to mind when asked.
PS: I looked it up. It's Accenture.