Merccurynews report on Stanford hearing

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

________________________________________
From: Richard Bennett [richard () bennett com]
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2008 11:13 AM
To: David Farber
Subject: Re: [IP] Merccurynews report on Stanford hearing

Facts are facts, David Reed. Chairman Martin mistreated Comcast at the Berkman Center circus, and as a result Comcast 
has declined to participate further. And given the goings-on at the Standford Circus, they were very wise.

There are those among us who seem to belief that cheap histrionics make sound policy. I tend to disagree.

And on a factual note, I don't mention any commissioners but the chairman, and I think my criticism of his bullying 
Comcast at the Berkman Center is justified. In fact, the very decision to hold a hearing in that reality distortion 
zone is dubious, and the decision to go into Lessig's snake pit even worse.

RB

David Farber wrote:

________________________________________
From: David P. Reed [dpreed () reed com<mailto:dpreed () reed com>]
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2008 10:15 AM
To: David Farber
Cc: ip
Subject: Re: [IP] Merccurynews report on Stanford hearing

I read this article, and would note that it's clearly marked as opinion.

One thing about the piece stands out.  It insults/libels the
commissioners *in advance* of the hearing, repeatedly.  (It also insults
the commissioners regarding the Harvard hearing).

Ought one to reward the commission's willingness to dig into the
issues?  To recognize that the point of hearing is to question each
witness deeply and skeptically?

I personally disagree with each of the commissioners on a number of
issues.  But I believe they are serious people dedicated to doing their
jobs as they see them.

Since Mr. Bennett was a witness at Harvard, as was I, I have to say that
in my service on the FCC Technological Advisory Council (under Chairman
Powell) and in my interactions with the government, I choose my
arguments carefully, based on the idea that reason and facts, not
insults, will carry the day.  Bennett seems to think that insults will
do better.  I disagree.  I commend those of you who want to understand
Mr. Bennett's views to look at his blog - which is self-explanatory.

David Farber wrote:


________________________________________
From: Richard Bennett [richard () bennett com<mailto:richard () bennett com>]
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2008 5:45 AM
To: David Farber
Subject: Re: [IP] George Ford is getting booed and heckled

As predicted:

In neutrality debate, carriers get blamed for Net's weaknessesBy Richard
Bennett
Article Launched: 04/17/2008 01:35:28 AM PD

The circus is coming to Stanford University. The network neutrality
circus, that is, which makes cable companies the whipping boys for
underlying flaws in the design of the Internet.

The Federal Communications Commission is investigating petitions from
consumer groups and a local start-up, Vuze, against Comcast. The cable
broadband giant is accused of disrupting video traffic uploaded by users
of the BitTorrent peer-to-peer network. But Comcast says its network
management practices are legitimate, needed to ensure that other
broadband subscribers aren't starved by bandwidth hogs.

The commission already held one public hearing in February on network
management practices at Harvard University, and is holding the follow-up
today at Stanford.

Little light came from the Harvard hearing, where FCC Chairman Kevin
Martin badgered Comcast's solitary witness with loaded questions and
failed to display any insight into broadband carriers' management
challenges.

What's more, Martin and the broadband critics have failed to acknowledge
an underlying truth about the Internet: It was originally designed for
the polite society of network engineering professors and students, not
our rough-and-tumble world of large-scale copyright theft and video
file-sharing. And it has design defects - bugs - that make it vulnerable
to overload and abuse.

rest: http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_8955737



David Farber wrote:



From an IPer re the Stanford Net Neutrality meeting. Sad if accurate

Dave

"It is pretty sad that the only economist here today could barely be heard over the heckling and boos.  This event is 
really a farce."

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