I am willing to assume that our civilization is
not progressing to the point of an Orwellian dictatorship as of yet. Of course with all this bullshit going on with Dmitry and the DMCA it is a bit difficult to get that idea out of my head. Nonetheless...
Why do we call the internet cyberspace? The seemingly obvious reason is that the internet is very much like a parody of the actual universe. Instead of a street corner you have web sites and communication facilities--its a bit like being able to teleport yourself to any person's home or office, grab a few of your buddies and have a nice stimulating chat at a whim. It is utterly ridiculous to think that the internet must be obedient to the 'laws of economics' as he puts it. The internet doesn't follow these laws any differently than the real world does--businesses exist, those that do it right thrive, those that screw it up don't. Supply and demand rule the game, etc. Just like the real world the internet is a *compromise*! It is not made to do any one thing perfectly, and as a result everyone has to suffer just a little. Businesses don't necisarrily get the best paved roads or their own freeways. And the CEO of sony doesn't get to go faster in a traffic jam just because his trip to a conference is more "important" than my trip to the beach. Why then should a corporate webcast get assured better bandwidth?
Business should stop complaining about the limitations of the internet and start using it for what it is good for. The information superhighway is a public road.
Slashdot Mirror
I am willing to assume that our civilization is not progressing to the point of an Orwellian dictatorship as of yet. Of course with all this bullshit going on with Dmitry and the DMCA it is a bit difficult to get that idea out of my head. Nonetheless... Why do we call the internet cyberspace? The seemingly obvious reason is that the internet is very much like a parody of the actual universe. Instead of a street corner you have web sites and communication facilities--its a bit like being able to teleport yourself to any person's home or office, grab a few of your buddies and have a nice stimulating chat at a whim. It is utterly ridiculous to think that the internet must be obedient to the 'laws of economics' as he puts it. The internet doesn't follow these laws any differently than the real world does--businesses exist, those that do it right thrive, those that screw it up don't. Supply and demand rule the game, etc. Just like the real world the internet is a *compromise*! It is not made to do any one thing perfectly, and as a result everyone has to suffer just a little. Businesses don't necisarrily get the best paved roads or their own freeways. And the CEO of sony doesn't get to go faster in a traffic jam just because his trip to a conference is more "important" than my trip to the beach. Why then should a corporate webcast get assured better bandwidth? Business should stop complaining about the limitations of the internet and start using it for what it is good for. The information superhighway is a public road.