Comcast's vision: a monopoly-controlled, proprietary consumer Internet (L'Inq)]

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 13:39:40 -0800
From: "Karsten M. Self" <kmself () ix netcom com>
To: Linux Elitists <linux-elitists () zgp org>

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 () ix netcom com>        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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