[IP] Comcast's vision: a monopoly-controlled, proprietary consumer Internet (L'Inq)]
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 13:39:40 -0800
From: "Karsten M. Self" <kmself@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Linux Elitists <linux-elitists@xxxxxxx>
Good story from Wendy Grossman of The Inquirer:
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=13343
Only connect
By Wendy M. Grossman: Friday 26 December 2003, 12:08
Larry Lessig wrote in his book The Future of Ideas about the
possibility that given a few subtle changes to the Internet's
infrastructure it would be relatively easy for the cable companies
or another small handful of telcos or other large businesses to take
control of the Net, turning it into the kind of closed systems TV or
the old telephone networks used to be. This dire prediction may be
upon us.
...
Comcast has been progressively turning on functions to block VPN
traffic for the last four or five months. If you fight through the
Comcast site to find the terms of service you discover that's only
the beginning. Under their rules prohibiting you from using your
Internet connection for "any business purpose" you are arguably in
violation if you so much as buy a book from Amazon.com.
On a related note, I've been getting one *or two* cable / Internet
sign-up ads per week from Comcast for at least the past six months.
Can you say "hard sell"?
Peace.
--
Karsten M. Self <kmself@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> http://kmself.home.netcom.com/
What Part of "Gestalt" don't you understand?
At the sound of the toner, boycott Lexmark: trade restraint via DMCA.
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-979791.html
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