Comments on: And the First to Violate Net Neutrality is … The Government! http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2007/04/and_the_first_t.html Dispatches from a Small Business Sun, 12 Feb 2012 09:39:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: AJ http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2007/04/and_the_first_t.html/comment-page-1#comment-5430 AJ Wed, 25 Apr 2007 14:42:30 +0000 http://coyote-blog.com/wordpress/2007/04/and_the_first_t.html#comment-5430 <p>Hmm, I disagree partially. In my town, there is a particularly severe local monopoly on providers and access. Granted, the cable company might not have city-wide control of the market, but I certainly don't have a 30 minute choice to switch providers. I could start my own: 3 years to never.</p> <p>I do agree with your worry of any gov't regulation of Internet, but given the track record of the US government to really provide complete, free-market choices at all levels, national to local, I trust the market participants even less.</p> <p>It comes down to incentive. Market incentive is not to provide choice, but to limit it. Gov't incentive is to get bigger. Both are bad, but the former is much more aggressive and fast-moving. I'd like to stall as long as possible. The grass roots campaign is the only solution to either.</p> Hmm, I disagree partially. In my town, there is a particularly severe local monopoly on providers and access. Granted, the cable company might not have city-wide control of the market, but I certainly don’t have a 30 minute choice to switch providers. I could start my own: 3 years to never.

I do agree with your worry of any gov’t regulation of Internet, but given the track record of the US government to really provide complete, free-market choices at all levels, national to local, I trust the market participants even less.

It comes down to incentive. Market incentive is not to provide choice, but to limit it. Gov’t incentive is to get bigger. Both are bad, but the former is much more aggressive and fast-moving. I’d like to stall as long as possible. The grass roots campaign is the only solution to either.

]]> By: markm http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2007/04/and_the_first_t.html/comment-page-1#comment-5429 markm Tue, 24 Apr 2007 14:24:37 +0000 http://coyote-blog.com/wordpress/2007/04/and_the_first_t.html#comment-5429 <p>"Government naval yards, for decades, eschewed basic worker protections from asbestos that were common in private industry."</p> <p>And they are immune from law suits, so instead of the government compensating sick workers, the asbestos mfgs went bankrupt paying damages for providing asbestos to government spec.<br /> </p> “Government naval yards, for decades, eschewed basic worker protections from asbestos that were common in private industry.”

And they are immune from law suits, so instead of the government compensating sick workers, the asbestos mfgs went bankrupt paying damages for providing asbestos to government spec.

]]> By: Neo Wayland http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2007/04/and_the_first_t.html/comment-page-1#comment-5428 Neo Wayland Mon, 23 Apr 2007 21:35:02 +0000 http://coyote-blog.com/wordpress/2007/04/and_the_first_t.html#comment-5428 <p>Something similar happened when Culver City, CA offered free internet. In that case, it was blocking "problematic content" including those sites that criticized municipal internet and other sites that offiered P2P services.</p> Something similar happened when Culver City, CA offered free internet. In that case, it was blocking “problematic content” including those sites that criticized municipal internet and other sites that offiered P2P services.

]]> By: steep http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2007/04/and_the_first_t.html/comment-page-1#comment-5427 steep Mon, 23 Apr 2007 18:47:58 +0000 http://coyote-blog.com/wordpress/2007/04/and_the_first_t.html#comment-5427 <p>Under "Corruption?" I think you intended the 500 companies in the S&P500 rather than the 30 in the DJIA.</p> Under “Corruption?” I think you intended the 500 companies in the S&P500 rather than the 30 in the DJIA.

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